Empire Deluxe Enhanced Edition
Main Menu Screen
The main menu is the jump point for you to do various activities within Empire Deluxe Enhanced Edition.
Quick Links:
Other Details Links:
Installing New Files Into The Game
Often times, you will be sent a new map to try, or a saved game to play. If you have the program open, you can drag and drop these files onto the game and they will be stored in their appropriate place. They are not automatically loaded into the game...just properly stored within the directory structure of the game.
This works with the following file types
Note that AI Dll's have to be installed via the AI Registry, and World Building DLLs must be manually placed in the game's root directory.
Unit and Terrain Databases must also be installed manually.
Exploring this option enables you to play a game of Empire Deluxe Enhanced Edition.
(Full Version Only)
(Full And Remote Versions)
Editors Menu Option (Full Version Only)
Exploring this option enables you to modify the various aspects of Empire Deluxe Enhanced Edition.
These options allow you to make adjustments to the game. Some of these options are available in the full version only.
These options allow you to perform various actions in regards to players you use in the game.
Game Version Number and Program Type
The game's version number and the type of program (Full or Remote Client), as well as copyright information can be found at the bottom of the main menu screen. The Version and Build numbers can also be obtained from the About Dialog.
Here you will set some of the basic in game look and feel settings. These include the zoom scales, background color, and the neutral player colors.
Zoom Scales:
The game has six different zoom scales that you can set. The game displays terrain and units as square icons. The values next to each zoom level represent the side length of the square icons (so 32 would display 32x32 sized icons).
The first level, Zoom Level 1, is a special setting that needs to be carefully considered before being set. This level also represents the "base size" as to which the icons are loaded before they are adjusted to the various levels. The icons distributed with the game are always 32x32, but some custom player unit sets may have a larger scale to insert more detail into the images. Please see the release notes of the individual unit set to determine the optimum scale setting for that set.
Pixel Value (Related but not in this dialog)
The Pixel value is the scale value at which the terrain will be represented as a color rather than an icon image when the zoom level icon length is at or lower than this value. This is useful for viewing maps on a large scale. The pixel colors for each terrain are predefined in the Terrain database you are using. This is set on a per user basis. See the Player Preferences Dialog for more details on how to set it.
Background Color
This is the color used for the background when a map is not taking up the entire map viewing area. Click on the square to change with the color chooser.
Neutral Primary /Neutral Secondary
These are the primary and secondary neutral player color settings. Click on the square to change with the color chooser.
The color chooser enables you to set a color.
The current color is represented in the box to the left. The Red, Green, Blue values can all be set by entering the numeric value in the appropriate box (range: 0-255).
Clicking on the spin box for each RGB value will increment/decrement the value by one. SHIFT-Click by 5, CONTROL-Click by 10.
You may also set the color by selecting a quick pick color from the combo box.
The Key Bind Settings dialog enables you to "re-map" the game's hotkeys to your personal preferences.
There are around 150 commands that can be mapped in the game.
When in a game, the key value set will be displayed next to a menu items command.
You may have more than one key setting for each command.
Add A Key Setting:
Changing a Key Setting
Deleting a Key Setting
List Commands With Same Settings
This will help you identify possible key setting conflicts. Some duplicate settings are not a problem, because they could be used in different parts of the game (example: the interface or the map editor). If two commands in the game have the exact same key settings, one command will never be invoked.
List Un-keyed Command
Commands do not have to be mapped, but if they are not, there will be no key equivalent to using them. This button will list those commands that have no key settings.
The Auto Save Default Settings allow you to preset if, and how, you will take advantage of auto save during game play.
There are three auto-save options
Files stored by turn are placed in the <game dir>\Data\Games\esg\AutoSaveByTurn\asave_turn_XX.esg where XX is the turn number of the saved game.
Files Stored by number are placed in the <game dir>\Data\Games\esg\AutoSaveNormal\asave_XX.esg where XX is the file number.
Highest File Number
This is the highest number that will be used whenever the "Make Numbered File" option is active.
These preferences will be used as the default whenever the player is setting up a network game.
Server Port
This is the port number to be used for the server to accept calls.
GPwd - Game Password
This is the "Game Password" to be used to control players wanting to enter your server.
# To Allow
This is the default value for the number of people to allow to enter your server at one time.
Server Chat Name
This is the chat name that will appear as you chat while setting up your server.
Use MAPI to send games
If this option is selected, the game will automatically prepare a version of the saved game for you to send to your opponents. You intervention will still be required, as you enter the player's address and enter any missive you wish before sending it.
For PBM Play Details, see PBM Play.
The Player Preferences enables you to set various toggles and settings that will be used in game for a player.
Menu Options
The menu options are described as they are used in the Game Play Interface Chapter.
Max Sighting Age
This is the age (in turns) at which a sighting will disappear from your map display.
Key Step Value
This is the number of squares the cursor will move when using a "Fast Key" direction command.
Auto-Prod Tolerance
This is the number of cities a player can have at which he will be prompted for the "Auto Production" Option at the beginning of a game.
Explosion Time (ms) - Combat Speed Control
Players may adjust the combat speed by adjusting the Explosion animation Timer. This can be done via the Player Preferences setting, under the Speed Settings Section, with the "Explosion Time (ms)" entry. This will give the explosion time animation frame-rate in milliseconds. This is NOT the length of time combat takes. There are six frames in every explosion.
Map Scroll Time (ms)
This is the time, in milliseconds, it takes before the map moves a step in a direction when you are holding down the mouse on the first/last row or column of squares on the map.
Throttle Enemy Speed
This option will specify whether or not you wish enemies to be displayed at a particular speed while they move.
Enemy Speed (ms)
This is the speed setting, in milliseconds, which the game will pause when an enemy unit is moved. Be careful not to set this too high.
Throttle Status Message Speed
This option will specify whether or not you wish status bar messages to be displayed before a new message can be entered.
Status Message Speed (ms)
This is the speed setting, in milliseconds, which the game will pause when an important status message is displayed. Be careful not to set this too high.
Throttle Unit Processing Speed
This option will allow you to set a pause time before a unit is automatically processed.
Unit Process Speed (ms)
This is the time, in milliseconds, which the game will pause before automatically processing the next unit.
Left Mouse Hold Time (ms)
This is the time (in milliseconds) it takes when holding down the left mouse button before it is determined that you have intended it to be held.
Map Tip Show Time (ms)
This is the time (in milliseconds) it takes when the mouse is left in one spot over the map area before a map tool tip appears.
Map Tip Hide Time (ms)
This is the time (in milliseconds) it takes before a map tool tip disappears after showing.
Default Map Pixel Level
The Pixel value is the scale value at which the terrain will be represented as a color rather than an icon image when the zoom level icon length is at or lower than this value.
Active Unit Box Color
This is the color that will be drawn around the current selective unit when it can move. Click on the color to change with the color chooser.
Inactive Unit Box Color
This is the color that will be drawn around the current selected unit when it cannot move. Click on the color to change with the color chooser.
Enemy Unit Color
This is the color that will be draw around an enemy unit when it is moving. Click on the color to change with the color chooser.
Group Box Color
This is the color that the "Group Box" will be drawn in when in Group Select Mode.
In the game, players in each position have a primary color and a secondary color.
The "Player Color Organizer" enables you to set up default player color mappings for as many positions as you choose, for as many configurations as you choose.
These default colors can be used later in two ways: at game setup and in game play.
At Game Setup
The color settings will be used when a new player is added to the players list.
Do note that configurations that already have player colors saved for positions will not be affected by these settings.
In Game Play
If you desire to change the color scheme of the players in the game, you will be able to select from a pre-defined color file, and those positions will be changed to the specified colors. They will not affect the colors stored on the server in any way, and must be re-loaded every time you play the game.
Using The Player Color Organizer
The player color organizer displays up to six positions at once, in numeric order. Moving the scroll bar will scroll through the various positions.
The primary and secondary colors for each position can be set by clicking on the color and editing it with the color chooser.
Below the primary and secondary color boxes are three buttons. These are:
Insert Button
The insert button is used to add a color. It will add the color at the selected position.
Delete Button
This will delete the selected color.
Store Button
The store button will use the colors in the game as the defaults, but these will not be saved for your next game play session.
Save As Defaults
This button will use the colors in the game as the defaults, and save them for your next game play session.
Load File
Here you can load a previously defined color file.
Save File
Here you can save these settings to a file for future reference.
A few vital statistics are saved for each player. These are:
| Navy | Army |
| Ensign | 2nd Lieutenant |
| Lieutenant (j.g.) | 1st Lieutenant |
| Lieutenant | Captain |
| Lieutenant Commander | Major |
| Commander | Lieutenant Colonel |
| Captain | Colonel |
| Rear Admiral (l.h.) | Brigadier General |
| Rear Admiral (u.h) | Major General |
| Vice Admiral | Lieutenant General |
| Admiral | General |
| Fleet Admiral | General Of The Army |