The Patrician (video game)

The Patrician is a strategy game of Ascon (later: Ascaron ), which plays in the heyday of the Hanseatic League. The game was released in June 1992. According to a very positive test reports, it could hold for more than six months successful in the German charts and coined, together with the series Living history ( Max Design ), in this period mainly the image of the " typical German economic simulation " in the historical topic. Even in English speaking countries the game later received a lot of attention and recognition.

Game object and aim of the game

The Patrician has commercial, policy and role play, which have been reacted with a considerable for the time of publishing effort. The aim of the game is to be crowning a successful business career of Alderman (top chairman of the Hanseatic League ). For this, the prestige necessary to be won by the people and politics in the various Hanseatic cities, for example, through donations, guild memberships, low interest credits, supply of scarce goods or the defense of pirates.

Game History

As a dealer trying to earn a fortune by skillful buying and selling of goods. One can send its merchant ships ( cogs, Schniggen, crayers and Holke ) in 17 Hanseatic cities, where purchase goods, which are then tries to bring as profitably in other cities at the man. The commercial world covers the entire Northern Europe, ranging from London in the west to Novgorod in the east.

The game has a sophisticated artificial intelligence. So it reacts for example on trade actions of the players and simulates supply and demand accordingly. Who is too greedy as a player and, for example, moved only on fixed routes or would like to restrict the trade in luxury goods, causing a saturation effect in the market and is thus forced to adjust his strategy. The game is so far can not be mastered over time with the same trading strategy. The British magazine AUI provides rather clear, considering the complexity of the game, one should not be better than averse buyers to grab on occasion even to pen and paper to check the profitability of their own strategy.

However, anyone who was already permanently successful, the game has not been long "won": to protect themselves from attacks by pirates, upgraded to his ships with weapons and soldiers. If for example the pirate scourge in the Skagerrak once again on hand, the Hanserat will decide the formation of navies, and even the well-armed ships wealthy players can be forced fed this thing for the players ( in case of refusal ) either fatal political consequences or (in case of cancellation) can have serious economic consequences.

At the political level the favor of the people through festivals and donations as well as the necessary support in the City Council are up for grabs by voting majorities before a possible election as mayor comes into question. A " recruiter " can help in the search for those willing to marry ( and as high a dowry ).

Preparation of historical events

" The Patrician " is characterized by a very sound for a computer game preparation of the actual historical circumstances of the game topic; the magazine Powerplay even speaks of a " prime example of historical research " and refers to the historically correct reproduced facts in the core elements of the game ( range of goods in the cities, names of important persons, correctly acquired data of epidemics, fires and famines ) as well as in small game details (eg, an authentic food order in the council ).

In the Press

The game average in the German - and English-language press from almost all positive. Gameplay, graphics and operation were evaluated with an average of 80 %. From the magazine Amiga Joker, there was the hit Award. Only the setting has been repeatedly criticized for being too monotonous.

Single quotes:

• " ... So and not otherwise a trading simulation has to look ... " ( magazine Amiga Power )
• " Complex, Involving, and addictive. " ( Amiga Format magazine )
• " Actually ... it's a challenge to make money rather than just a process of the game ... it's trade- tastic, mate! " (Journal The One Amiga)

Patrician 2

In November 2000 Ascaron released the sequel patrician 2 ( Subtitle: Money & Power). Unlike the predecessor, patrician 2 presents contemporary in isometric 2D perspective, in real time and with network multiplayer mode. Gameplay and game objective is almost the same, but it differs significantly from its predecessor by shifting the focus from a trading to trade in building character; For example, the construction of factories and other buildings is now possible.

The manufacturer published in October 2001, an expansion entitled upswing of the Hanseatic League. The biggest change is according to the website Gamershell an online multiplayer mode. IGN writes of optimizations and minor extensions, taken together, the game mechanics significantly enhanced or improved. As the publisher the add -on outside the German speaking marketed as Patrician 3 at full price, evaluated, for example, the American game magazine Computer Gaming World enlargement worse than patrician 2 Since little has changed compared to the second part, there is no compelling reason to purchase the game at full price.

There is also patrician 2 gold, that is just a retail version that existed picture games, for example in computer. The Gold Edition is, however, also sold by distributors, which specialize in the low price sector. In this edition, there are 24 cities and more extras.

Patrician 4

In September 2010, appeared patrician 4, which is the first game of the 2009 newly founded game developer Gaming Minds. Was published the game by Kalypso Media, which acquired the trademark in 2009 to play some of the insolvent company Ascaron and announced a sequel to the Patrician series.

Compared to its predecessor was little change in the basic gameplay, but new ships and goods were added, other types were removed. Furthermore, it is now possible to do research, which is imperative if you want to have the higher types of ships ( Holke, river cogs, Hanseatic cogs, Kraveele ) use larger shipyards and efficiency gains in trade and production.

The appointment of a third part as Patrician 4 is because the add -on has been marketed to the previous Patrician 2 already internationally under the title of Patrician 3. If the user's computer is connected to the Internet, then it is necessary that you log on with a Kalypsonutzerkonto.

Patrician online

For the spring 2011 Kalypso Media announced the launch of Patrician Online as a free browser game. This MMO version of the game allows you to play against many real players. This artificial intelligence is replaced by the real players that determine the market with supply and demand. Likewise, political structures and alliances are created by the players.