Get the Empires of Steel [PC] BETA Demo off WP (55mb)

Empires of Steel uses a simultaneous turn-resolution system, better known in gaming as „We-Go“. You can form alliances, capture and trade precious resources, research new technologies, and of course form huge invasion fleets and armies to conquer your opponents.

Empires of Steel was built from the ground up with multi-player in mind, and includes voice and text chat systems, matchmaking features, and even a download system for mods, maps, and custom unit sets all integrated seamlessly into the game! Single-play against the the Artificial Intelligence Computer Opponent is of course fully supported as well – be prepared to see the computer declare war against you, or offer you a trade!

Empires of Steel is all about conquest and exploration: at the start of each game you can either load a pre-generated map (such as a real world global map), or you can create a completely random map based on your preferences for land mass and other parameters. The map can either be fully revealed to all players at the start, or you can play in exploration mode, and lift the fog of the the unknown as you discover new lands and valuable resources as well as potential enemies, turn after turn.

If you pre-order your copy today, you will be able to download the full version of the game as one of the first on release day AND you will receive a hardcopy in the mail a couple of weeks later as well. The special pre-order offer costs $45 plus S&H, a $10 savings over what it will cost after the release. The release of the full version is scheduled for the end of November.

This beta demo is completely free to download and play. It will allow you to explore and test many of the unique features EoS has to offer first hand. While there are some limitations in place, the beta demo does allow for largely unrestricted multiplayer games (up to 8 players) on a special DemoMap, and does allow peeks at some of the advanced game features such as the full featured map and unit set editor, the in-game mod and scenario sharing system, the built-in game updater and much more.

This beta demo is time limited and expires automatically December 1, 2009.

There are however a number of limitations in this beta demo compared to the upcoming full release:

• you can only play on two maps - the tutorial map (solo) as well as a special demo map (solo and multiplayer, internet and LAN). There are no game length or play time restrictions per session.
• you can open and use the full-featured map editor but you cannot load nor save any maps
• you can open and browse the online file exchange service to look for mods, maps, unit rulesets and other user created content, but cannot actually download nor use any of it
• you can in fact use the in-game auto-update function to download the latest beta demo upgrades that we will release over the course of the next weeks as various bug reports from the open beta come in. Check for updates often! However, this updater will not allow you to download full game upgrades.
• the beta demo will expire automatically on October 31, 2009.

Please keep in mind that this is a BETA demo of an unfinished game. You WILL encounter bugs, crashes, downright odd things. By releasing this beta software to the public we are hoping and asking for your assistance in improving it. A nifty Bug Reporting tool inside the main game menu will allow you to send in any bugs you encounter together with all required information that the programmers need to attempt to fix it. No personal information is being collected or transferred. If you don't like the idea of experiencing crashes or are bothered by running software which contains known bugs, please do not download this beta demo and wait until the game is released and a gold version demo is available.

Empires of Steel is a deceptively simple game system. You will be able to jump right in and play, in part due to the intuitive game interface. If you do want to dive into the more intricate details of the game engine, an in-game manual is provided with the demo, explaining most of the game functions in detail. Make no mistake though - learning the game is easy. Mastering it and being able to wrestle global control away from other players in a multiplayer game session is something else entirely!

We do hope for and appreciate your feedback on the beta demo! Besides the bug reporting tool, feel free to post your comments, suggestions and questions directly to the developer and other players at the official Game Discussion Forum!

Key Features

• comes with a built-in Random Map Generator which allows players to build their own completely customized maps with a few mouse clicks. Developer Atomicboy Software has today released a handful of new screenshots showing a few samples.
• is about global domination. You need to conquer resources such as Oil, Crops, Steel, or Gold to fuel your production and infrastructure as well as technological research. Aggresive players can declare wars to fight for resources, and cunning players can estabish alliances to trade for them.
• is about the technology race. The game features an extensive technology tree starting from pre-World War One era units all the way to futuristic nuclear and satellite techs. Clever investments into technology will put you ahead in the race for global dominance.
• is about resource-management. You decide what to produce and when, how to upgrade your cities and armies, how to defend your territory and when and where to strike against your enemies. A typical game can be played in under an hour, or it can last days.
• is about tactics and strategy. Build up your armies and employ your land, sea and air (and space!) forces to defeat your enemies and establish an undisputed Global Empire!