Artifact (computer game)
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Artifact is a multi-player, real-time strategy game from Samu Games. It has been continuously online since 1999. There are players who have been in the 'online community' for years, some only logging on to chat, rather than play. The game also features a bulletin board where players can discuss game issues (giving praise for player achievements, complaints about other players) or non-game issues.
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[edit] Gameplay and objective
Artifact is a persistent 24/7 multiplayer game. When a player enters a game he or she is given a "settler" unit and a "scout" unit. The settler is used to found a city, and the scout used to explore the game map, which is very large (800 X 400 cell), for other player cities. As time passes, the city population grows, allowing you to build troops, including more settlers to found new cities.
After 24 hours, the Ten Artifacts are added to the map.
The objective of the game is to find and hold eight of these Artifacts for a number of hours, or until the game time runs out. Individual games generally last several days, making it virtually impossible to be online to protect your empire the entire time you are playing (it is much easier to destroy a rival city when the player is offline). For this reason, players forge alliances, allowing other players to guard cities while you are away. There is also a special "lone wolf" game without alliances.
[edit] Alliances and clans
Alliances last only as long as an individual game. For longer-lasting ties, players can create "clans" and invite other players to join. Clan membership is exclusive (one must quit the current clan in order to join another) and limited to 30 players. Some clans have remained in existence for years, achieving legendary status within the games and sometimes creating websites, while others fall apart after a day or two.
[edit] City facilities
Production units
Farm - Produces food from crops taken from the terrain. Should be placed in the plains.
Furnace - Refines ore mined from the terrain into metal. Should be placed on hills.
Quarry - Produces bricks from stone found in the terrain. Should be placed on mountains.
Lumber mill - Converts wood taken from the terrain into wood. Should be placed in the forest or jungle.
Troop production
Barracks - Creates military units. Can be placed anywhere.
Shipyard - It repairs and builds Transports and Galleys. HAS to be near rivers or oceans.
City management
School - Trains your military units and teaches your population to be "smarter". Can be placed anywhere.
Church - Lowers fatigue, and increases morale, but not as good as hospitals or theatres. Can be placed anywhere.
Theatre - Increases morale. Can be placed anywhere.
Hospital - Lowers fatigue. Can be placed anywhere.
Protection
Walls - Protects your cities, facilities and troops from enemy attacks. Enemy missiles cannot penetrate it depending on the efficiency of the wall. Due to its height it can see further than any facility besides Guard Towers, it can be placed anywhere.
Guard Towers - Protects your troops from enemy attacks, troops on a guard tower can't be damaged, except by enemy archer (with minimal damage inflicted). Troops (scouts) on a guard tower may be trampled by enemy units. Has the highest "seeing" ability of all the facilities and can be placed anywhere.
[edit] Troops
Scouts - They are used to scout the world. In 1-2 units they go extremely fast.
Archers - They are used for defence, they have 1-2 attack range.
Pikemen - Some people use these early in the game and call it "piking", they can also be used as a defence because they are extremely strong against calvalry.
Infantry - They are good for defence, they have a bonus attack power on allied facilities.
Cavalry - Very strong and fairly fast attack units. People call the use of these as "calving".
Catapults - The strongest unit in the game, they can only walk on roads, walls and friendly facilities. Players call the use of these "Cat Spamming".
[edit] The Ten Artifacts
All the artifacts have certain properties which place the owner at an advantage in the game.
Air - Increases all allied Units speed. It can be found on a mountain.
Bone - Lowers fatigue in all allied cities/units. It can be found in the desert.
Crystal - It allows the beholder and his alliance to view a portion of the map like a crystal ball, it can be picked up and moved by a cavalry unit of count 100 or more. It is located on a swamp.
Earth - Increases all allied walls defence, and all allied millitarys units defence--If they have armor--. It can be found on grassy plains.
Fire - Increases all allied military units attack power, it can be carried with a cavalry unit of any size. It can be found on a hill.
Spirit - Increaces all allied units/city's morale. It is located in the jungle.
Water - Increases food production of farms. It can be found in river or streams.
Wood - Increases lumber production of lumbermills. It can be found in the woods.
Red Dragon - One of the two Dragons it breathes fire destroying everything in its path, increases the attack of the unit holding it, can only be picked up by a cavalry unit of count 30,000 or more. This dragon also acts like spirit, raising morale of troops and cities.
Blue Dragon - The second Dragon, its much faster than its counterpart and instead of breathing fire it gives out noxious gas poisoning troops and civilians in its way. Likewise it increases the attack of the unit holding it and can be picked up by a cavalry unit of count 30,000 or more. This dragon also acts like spirit, raising morale of troops and cities.
