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Not to be confused with the Playstation game of the same name, Warpath 97 is a great bit of galactic conquest that boasts one of the most intriguing diplomacy modules I have seen. The basic gameplay is well-known to fans of "4X" games, although in contrast to most games in this genre, Warpath 97 is played in real-time. The game was designed primarily for multiplayer, where up to eight players can compete via modem, IPX LAN, TCP/IP, BBS, Telnet, and null mod. Any of the players can be computer-controlled, although it's much more fun to play against other human players. What makes Warpath 97 unique in the genre is that it mixes in elements from action games as well. To achieve your goal of conquering the galaxy, you can either "buy" allegiance from other players, or blast those who refuse to follow you. It's a fun combination of action, strategy, and a solid multiplayer chat environment. The underlying economic and combat models are simplistic when compared to games like Master of Orion and Space Empires IV, and the variety of ships you can build is nowhere near as large as Stars! or even Spaceward Ho!; But as a light multiplayer galactic conquest game, Warpath 97 is well worth a look especially to those who wonder how a 4X game can be done in real-time. The demo version allows twenty hours of play, and you can buy the registered version directly from the official website. You can also download Warpath Classic, an earlier version that has been released into the public domain. Recommended! Reviewed by: Underdogs | 
Warpath 97 
