This game is designed to be a strategic and tactical game of warfare, but you will also need to be able to build an economy and service your empire. With a well developed strong economic base, you will have a greater potential for winning the game.

With total control over your empire you are responsible for all of the decisions that affect your growth and production. You will decide how to best develop your planets with the resources available to you. You will decide what type of starship(s) to be built at your starbase(s). You are the mastermind behind your empire, and you are in a race to see which empire can first conqueror the universe.

The game is designed to be played by two to eleven players in a play by e-mail format. Kind of like playing chess my regular mail. Each individual game is run by a Host who sets up the game and sends each player their results file (player#.rst). It is the responsibility of each player to use the Player Client program to unpack their turn file. The player then gives orders to their ships, planets and bases. Using the Client program creates a turn (player#.trn) that the send to the Host. The Host collects each players turns, processes the results of the turn and then again distributes the results files to each player. Then the cycle repeats again and again!

Each player in a VGA Planets game must have his own VGA Planets Player Client program to process his turn. To get a flavor for the game, you can download the shareware version ( Windows Version or Dos Version ) and play with other new comers to the game. The shareware version has some technology limitations but it will give you a very good idea of how VGA Planets has become the biggest thing to hit the PBeM (Play By e-Mail) world ever!!!!!

In the default setup, you start the game with a homeworld, a low-tech starbase, and two low-tech starships. You will need to manage your planets population, money, minerals and other resources very wisely, for these are your only sources of production early in the game. If you manage them well, you will be able to expand quickly and broaden your economic and mineral base, while still keeping a wary eye on your potentially dangerous neighbors. Remember, while you are growing and becoming stronger, so are your neighbors.

I would highly recommend you get the host files and setup a game on your computer. Then also download the computer player and play several short (5 to 15 turns) games against the computer. Why you ask! First, you learn how to run a complete turn as a host would which will help you get your turns in, so you don't miss a turn. Second, you learn how to give orders to your ships, planets and bases. Third, if you can build your empire as fast as the computer play can, you are ready for some human players.

Good luck.