Taken purely as a simulation of the economics and politics of a very specific organisation during a very specific period, Patrician IV isn’t half bad. But there’s barely any game here, and what little there is suffers badly from an overstock of datedne...
Abstract: When you think of conquest, the one thing that probably comes to mind is war, while things like trade and economy are probably somewhere at the bottom of that list. In Patrician IV: Conquest by Trade, knowing your way around the economy is the way to ...
Abstract: The Hanseatic League was a loose confederation of trading cities that flourished on the northern coast of Europe during the late Middle and early Modern Ages. They are an interesting example of the effects of trade on otherwise isolated cities.This is...
I personally am in the audience Kalypso is shooting for with the release of Patrician IV: I love business and economic simulations, and the interface in the sequel is much better than any of the previous entries. Furthermore, between the tutorial video...
Abstract: Where German board games are renowned for their elegance and simple mechanics, German strategy games are renowned for their obsession with efficiency -- especially the efficient management of money or scarce resources. American gamers have, by and larg...
As of means of conquest by trade, Patrician IV is a good solid example that will offer merchant gamers something to chew on. If however you like a bit more turbulence as you lift yourself up and forge a seafaring empire then you'll likely find yourself di...
Abstract: Sitting through world history class in junior high, I can remember the brief attention that was paid to the Hanseatic League. To hear the teacher and the textbook tell it, the Hanseatic League was a fluke, an entity that came about by dumb ...
