Introduction

EMPYREAN CHALLENGE is a computer moderated, hidden movement, play-by-mail, science fiction game. The goal of the player is the control of a star cluster consisting of 100 solar systems. All of the systems have from one to ten planets each, but only 10 systems are inhabited; each of the ten systems having one inhabited world.

Each of the ten inhabited planets has 25 nations; the 25 players on a planet rule the nations individually, and together constitute a "race."

The game strategy relies heavily on diplomacy and economics. Players will find that these considerations, as well as military ones, will govern much of their activity.

At the start of the game, each player faces the problems of overpopulation, diminishing resources, heavy competition from neighboring nations, and developing interstellar travel. Later, the player's challenges occur off planet, usually involving other races.

Each game will have an entirely different set of locations for the 100 solar systems, so that no two games will be entirely alike.