DDDDD A RRRRRR KK KK
DD DD A A RR RR KK KK
DD DD AA AA RR RR KK KK
DD DD AAAAAAA RRRRRR KKKK
DD DD AA AA RR RR KK KK
DD DD AAA AAA RR RR KK KK
DDDDD AAA AAA RR RR KK KK
EEEEEE MMM MMM PPPPPPP IIIII RRRRRR EEEEEE
EE MM MM MM MM PPP PP III RR RR EE
EE MM MM MM MM PPP PP III RR RR EE
EEEEEE MM MMM MM PPPPPPP III RRRRRR EEEEEE
EE MM MMM MM PPP III RR RR EE
EE MM MMM MM PPP III RR RR EE
EEEEEE MM MMM MM PPP IIIII RR RR EEEEEE
================================================
I. ---Intro/General Information
================================================
All Trademarks and Copyrights contained in this guide are owned by their
respective Trademark and Copyright holders.
Dark Empire was released in 1987 for the Commodore 64, developed by Argus Press
Software. It's a Real-Time-Strategy game, and your goal is to conquer the world
and defeat your opponent.
There are three "difficulty" settings; Easiest(3), Medium(2), and Fastest(1).
Fastest is, obviously, the fastest-paced. But wait, how is it faster? Because
everything runs on Turns. Both you and your enemy take your Turns at once, but
they're constantly ending and starting. Turns dictate almost everything about
the game; How fast units move, how fast they're made, etc.
Turns on the Fastest setting move at a comfortable pace, but anything slower
is agonizingly slow.
Any questions, comments, or corrections should be sent to Tylerb7@aol.com.
================================================
II. ---Table of Contents
================================================
I. Intro/General Information
II. Table of Contents
III. Version History
IV. Controls
V. Unit Types
1. Armies
2. Transports
3. Submarines
4. Destroyers
5. Battleships
6. Cruisers
VI. Basic Strategies
1. Defensive Strategy #1
2. Offensive Strategy #1
3. Naval Strategy #1
VII. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
VIII. Credits
================================================
III. ---Version History
================================================
-1.2: Naval Strat 1 up, ASCII art, FAQ, and Offensive Strat 1 example added.
-1.0: First version. Explains basic strategies and unit types.
================================================
IV. ---Controls
================================================
Up: Moves cursor up.
Down: Moves cursor down.
Left: Moves cursor left.
Right: Moves cursor right.
Fire Button 1: Used to select units and issue commands.
Pressing the fire button while over water won't do anything unless you've got
a ship there.
Pressing it on a town will allow you to select which unit type
to make there with Up/Down and Fire.
Pressing it while over most units will give you four options. The top one will
take you out of the command window. "Halt" will make the unit stop moving.
"Move" will tell the unit to move in any of 8 directions, or to move randomly.
"Advance" will make the unit go to/attack the specified square, but since the
pathfinding in this game is horrible you'll probably be be using Move a lot.
Transports have a fifth option when transporting Armies; Disembark. Choosing
this when next to land will put as many Armies as possible on any free squares.
Note that in the Menu you can change many settings, save you game, etc, with
the number keys, as shown in the following example.
Menu
------------
(1) Save Game
(2) Continue
(3) Restart
(4) New Game
(5) Redefine(Opens screen where you can change controls and color scheme)
(6) Options(Allows you to change eleven different in-game settings)
(7) Exit Game
Press 1-7
------------
Note: The game has 8-Directional movement, so pressing two movement buttons at
once will move you in a diagonal direction.
================================================
V. ---Unit Types
================================================
1. Armies (A)
---------
--Creation time: Eight(8) turns.
--Description: Only land-based unit. This is the only unit that can fight
Armies that aren't in a transport, and the only one that can take enemy
settlements.
--Notes: Unless you plan on hiding on an island, just barely surviving by
blowing up enemy Transports before they can set foot on land, you're going to
need a LOT of these.
2. Transports (T)
-------------
--Creation time: Eight(8) turns.
--Description: Extremely weak unit. Can carry up to three Armies across
water. Totally useless in naval warfare.
--Notes: This is the ONLY unit that can get your Armies onto another piece of
land. You're going to need about 1/3 as many of these as you have Armies for
a fair portion of the game, so don't shrug off making these. Also, if you've
got a lot of these filled with Armies, protect them with more powerful ships,
preferably Battleships.
3. Submarines (S)
-------------
--Creation time: Ten(10) turns.
--Description: Fairly powerful naval unit.
--Notes: Mildly useless however.
Battleships are much better, Destroyers are about as good, and Transports can
be made faster. Only really useful if you need to defend your Transports or
attack an enemy's and you don't have the time to build Battleships.
4. Destroyers (D)
-------------
--Creation time: Eight(8) turns.
--Description: Weakest naval unit meant for combat.
--Notes: These and Submarines are what you're going to be using if you're
ambushed out at sea. Destroyers are made extremely quickly; As fast as Armies
and Transports. Keep in mind that these are still the weakest warship.
5. Battleships (B)
--------------
--Creation time: Fourteen(14) turns.
--Description: Most powerful naval unit.
--Notes: These should be the brunt of your navy. They're time-consuming to
make, but definitely worth it.
6. Cruisers (C)
-----------
--Creation time: Ten(10) turns.
--Description: Completely useless.
--Notes: Weak, mildly time-consuming to build, and no special abilities.
Don't waste your time with these.
================================================
VI. ---Basic Strategies
================================================
I've been playing this for awhile now, and find that there are only a few basic
strategies to employ.
Defensive Strategy #1
---------------------
This strategy is slow, but very effective.
Focus on securing the continent you start on. Make as many Armies and
Destroyers as possible. Send small groups on Transports to lands your enemy
hasn't set foot on yet, and try to conquer those. On your home continent,
attempt to put armies on EVERY coastal piece of land. Have Destroyers and
Battleships scattered around to take down any enemy Transports.
Example (L=Land, T=Town, .=Sea, E=Enemy, A=Army)
-------
....D.........B.......
.......AA.....D...E...
.......ATAA...........
.....B..ATLA.D........
...E.....AAA..........
.......D....B..E......
Offensive Strategy #1
---------------------
This strategy almost ensures a quick victory, but there is some risk of losing
involved...
Focus on quickly securing your starting continent. Once it's yours, build only
Armies, Transports, and Subs/Destroyers; Mostly Transports and Armies.
Get as many groups of full Transports onto as many different continents as you
can. Blitz everything you find, and then use the towns you conquer to make more
Armies and Transports. Chances are your enemy will have a huge army by the time
you find him, so you'll need to send as many units as you can from every corner
of your Empire.
Example (Bottom-left is the starting continent. Cs=cities, Fs are transports)
-------
....................EEE........
.CLLLLLC...........EEEEE.......
..LLLLLL.F........EEEEEE.......
..LCLCL......F....EEEEE..F.....
...LLL...F...F.....EEEE........
...LL........F.....EEE.........
...CLL........F.....F..LCL.....
....LT............F...LLLL.....
.........CL.........LLLC.......
.....LCLLLL.........CLLLL......
....LLLLCLL..........LLLL......
......................CL.......
In the above example, the two unclaimed continents were quickly conquered by
the player, forcing the enemy to build up its army on its starting land.
All Armies have been placed on Transports and are heading 'twards the enemy.
Naval Strategy #1
---------------------
If you prefer to use ships for some crazy reason, then this strategy's for you.
What you want to do is focus on building Destroyers and Battleships. Get as
many coastal settlements as you can to maximize production rates.
Now, obviously the point here is to take down any enemy Transports to weaken
their army and defend your land. Like in Defensive Strategy 1, you're going
to want to scatter your ships about. However, since you have so many ships
you can go one step further and block sea routes.
Example
-------
LLL..B...........
.LLLL.B..B.......
..LLL.D..........
...BB.....D......
...LLL..D........
..LLL..B...D.....
The Bs and Ds are your ships, and Ls are your land. The two middle Bs are
blocking the route, reducing the amount of coast you have to guard. You're
probably going to need more than two ships to block a sea route, likely between
four and six. Also, don't try to use Destroyers for anything but taking down
enemy Transports; they're far too weak for anything more important.
================================================
VII. ---Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
================================================
------------------------------------------------------------
Q: What systems is this for?
A: Just Commodore 64. As far as I know, there aren't any sequels or remakes.
Q: What do those numbers on my Transports mean?
A: That number is how many Armies are on the Transport.
Q: This game is way too slow on the Easiest setting, but I'm not good enough
for higher settings, what do I do?
A: The only different between the three settings are how fast it goes. If you
can beat Easiest, you can probably beat Fastest.
Q: What's the point of having Cruisers?
A: There isn't one. Don't make them.
Q: Why are some towns I haven't conquered blank squares while some have little
circle things in them?
A: The former are towns neither player was conquered, the latter are your
opponent's cities.
Q: Is this a strictly one-player game?
A: No, the game can be played by up to two people. Also, you have the option of
letting the computer play some turns for you.
Q: Where can I find a copy of this game?
A: Chances are, the only way you'll ever get to play DE is with an emulator.
Q: How many unit types are there?
A: Six. Destroyers, Armies, Transports, Cruisers, Subs, and Battleships.
Q: Which unit is best?
A: Armies are the only land-based unit. Battleships are the best warships.
Q: Any cheats or tricks?
A: None that I know of.
Q: What's with the title?
A: No idea. My guess is one of the Empires is evil, or something.
Q: Can you send me the game?
A: No. If you want it that badly, buy it or find it yourself.
Q: I can't win! Help!
A: Try using one of the strategies outlined in this guide or setting the speed
to a lower settings.
Q: How do I get Armies across water?
A: Just order them onto the same square as a Transport.
Q: I found a C64 Emulator, but I don't know how to work it! Help!
A: No.
Q: I can't beat ! Help!
A: Just keep sending Armies. Nothing else you can do.
Q: What time period is the game set it?
A: Probably semi-modern. (Submarines)
---------------------------------------------------------------
If your question is not answered here, please contact me at Tylerb7@aol.com, or
over AIM. (Tylerb7)
================================================
VIII. ---Credits/Special Thanks
================================================
-Myself for being 1337 enough to play a C64 game.
-Argus Press Software for making this game, I guess.
-GameFAQs, for being awesome.
-Candy; Without you, I would have passed out long before I got my C64 running.
-Everyone on the Dark Empire message board. All hail God-Emporer jdev.
================================================
Copyright 2006, Tyler Anderson
