by pinback » Mon Nov 26, 2012 3:20 pm
The four Xs stand for the four general phases of the game eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate:
1. eXplore: You generally begin in an unknown world/universe, and have to send out scouting units to figure out where you're at.
2. eXpand: Once you got a handle on that, you start broadening your scope of influence by building new cities/colonizing new planets, etc.
3. eXploit: With the resources gained from such expansion, you can research new technologies, increase production and efficiency, and of course build military units which you will then use to...
4. eXterminate: ...destroy everyone else and win the game.
Canonical entries in the 4X genre are:
Civilization
Master of Orion
Galactic Civilizations
Empire Deluxe
And on and on.
The four Xs stand for the four general phases of the game eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate:
1. eXplore: You generally begin in an unknown world/universe, and have to send out scouting units to figure out where you're at.
2. eXpand: Once you got a handle on that, you start broadening your scope of influence by building new cities/colonizing new planets, etc.
3. eXploit: With the resources gained from such expansion, you can research new technologies, increase production and efficiency, and of course build military units which you will then use to...
4. eXterminate: ...destroy everyone else and win the game.
Canonical entries in the 4X genre are:
Civilization
Master of Orion
Galactic Civilizations
Empire Deluxe
And on and on.