Imperialism II
Set amidst the grandeur and discovery of the New World, Imperialism II offers multi-level strategy gameplay. In this sequel to the original, your goal is to dominate Europe using diplomacy and conquest.
**Exploit the riches of the New World
**Build a stable, growing economy
**Establish a labor force and a military Take on the role of one of the European Great Powers and set out to conquer the world using any means available!
...Anyone seen/heard of/played this? How does it work--do you get to feel the frisson of plunder, is it a dressed-up chess game, or what?
How are the New World "natives" depicted?
And is there something about the world of software games I don't know about, or can I be surprised to find mainstream depictions so openly linking Western civilization/scientific discourses (stable, growing economies and labor forces), with their sheer plundering will-to-power underside? Is such a blatent coupling at all a welcome thing or, given present climate, should it just scare the hell out of us? I'm inclined towards the latter but can't quite decide what all gets reinforced for game-players (and who buys these things anyway?): just more naturalizing of the neoliberal present ("I know there's sheer power, but..."), or something else? Anyway I'm floored. Heart of Darkness cum computer game. And dios mio what was Imperialism I?
--M