Introduction
The What
Imperium Galactica was published in 1997. Here's how Tim Howgego's FAQ described it;
Tim Howgego posted:
Imperium Galactica was, in my opinion, a beautifully quirky space strategy game. Part galactic strategy, part real time combat, part colony building, part adventure story. Ambitious and not entirely successful.
Despite it's numerous flaws, I really like Imperium Galactica. It's definitely an acquired taste though - I bounced off it multiple times because of how difficult the game makes it to even understand what it's trying to do and be. The different genres, partially blended and partially sequential, are part of why it ends up with a UI that feels like it's being held together by spit and baling wire. Most of them also end up being fairly half-baked in their own right. The design makes little effort at times to let the player know what they're even supposed to be doing. I imagine it being put together by one of my favorite ridiculous cinematic characters:
David Battley as Mr. Turkentine in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) posted:
I've just decided to switch our Friday schedule to Monday, which means that the test we take each Friday on what we learned during the week will now take place on Monday before we've learned it. But since today is Tuesday, it doesn't matter in the slightest. Pencils ready!
This game doesn't play fair. The above quote is not at all an exaggeration of what it does to the player. I'm here to sarcastically strike back on behalf of strategy gamers everywhere, but also to find the fun that is hidden in this title - you just have to dig some to find it.
As for the story, well ... that you'll see as we go. The image at the top is from the original Hungarian version of the game. The voice acting was supposedly much better in that version. It's ... not a strong point in the English version, to put it very charitably. The tagline is 'The Galaxy Is Yours ... If You Can Handle It'.
The Why
Because it deserves the treatment. The aforementioned FAQ is solid and includes a complete walkthrough, but it's focused on Normal difficulty. The two complete YouTube LPs that I was able to find are also on Normal. There's more to explore, including mechanics misunderstood or not fully explicated in the FAQ and other materials that are out there. Imperium Galactica stands alone, often not in a good way, and it's never been done on SA.
The When
Weekly updates are being aimed for. The date of the week may vary with my other projects.
The How
Hard difficulty, and I'm also going to take the worst result in each of the early semi-randomized events. On the other side, I'm going to take the game's implicit demand that the player be able to know what's coming to it's extreme. I'm also going to abuse every exploit I am aware of, to crush the opposition as thoroughly, completely, and quickly as I can. This isn't my normal type of LP - I'll still discuss the narrative where appropriate - but trust me on this; Imperium Galactica is asking for it, and it fully, richly deserves it.
The Spoilers
Only in spoiler tags. If someone doesn't know what happens in this game, I'd like them to be able to experience it. But since it's more about the gameplay than the story, go ahead and tag them if you must spoil.
The Archives
Intro & Backstory (20:07)
Dante's Dilemma (25:39)
Settling In (26:36)
Oh Captain, My Captain (23:33)
Crisis on Achilles ... Again (19:10)
Many Questions, Fewer Answers (26:14)
Return of the Garthog (22:53)
Pandemic! (21:36)
Ending the Beginning (30:38)
Preparations (26:31)
Commander at Last!! (30:23)
Defeat the Garthogs We Must (23:07)
Go Drunk Col. Douglas, You're Home (27:36)
The Invasion Begins! (31:28)
The Invasion Continues (29:26)
The Facade Cracks (26:24)
Garthog Climax (22:36)
Now What? (25:29)
Certified Public Admiral (37:29)
Grab Your Abacus (24:08)
Expansion Grind, Part I (16:33)
'Grand' Diplomacy (25:05)
Empty Threats? Expansion Grind, Part II (24:58)
Dancing With Dargslan in the Pale Starlight (19:58)
Galactic Color Tour (22:33)
The Human Empire Strikes Back (27:41)
Cahudri Rising (20:39)
Dargslan Resistance Stiffens (24:29)
Slogging Through the Core (21:05)
Closing In (27:08)
Conclusion (48:39)