#BotE

#####Birth of the Empires (a turn-based 4X strategy game set in space)

Hello

The current version reflects the current progress of the project. Features of the current version may be changed in the final version. We highly appreciate your suggestions for improvement. If you find a bug, please let us know. In the following text, this project/application will be abbreviated by "BotE".

Have fun, the BotE-crew Homepage: http://www.birth-of-the-empires.de

BotE is a turn-based 4X strategy game set in space in the style of classics such as Microprose's Master of Orion 2 or ST: Birth of the Federation, playable in single- or multiplayer mode (LAN, Internet). Goal is to gain control and supremacy over the galaxy, either by diplomatic or military means. Divergent victory conditions can be set before starting.

People having played the mentioned Microprose games above will find BotE very familiar in terms of gameplay and controls. Choose one of six major empires and lead it up its way from a single star system in the beginnings of space flight to a full-blown galactic power challenged to keep either peace or its power in the galaxy. Opponents can either be taken by human players or a challenging AI. Main features are a complete resource management and trading on a planetary system level, aliens and random events, diplomatic interactions, intel actions like espionage and sabotage, ship battles and invasions, bribery and intergalactic warfare.

Installation hints: You can choose setup language which will also determine game language after installation. So if you choose German in setup the game will be german version, the same with English which it should auto-detect when you are using an english Windows version. So to sum it up, the installer is multi-language.

Important game hints: To get to the in-game options menu, you need to move the mouse at the top corner of the screen above the "End turn"-button. This will activate a menu bar where you can save a game or open in-game chat with other players. Via GameSettings some options are available e.g. start options like difficulty levels like BABY, EASY, NORMAL, HARD and IMPOSSIBLE. If any problems appear just run BotE as an admin.

Playing BotE will get much fun to you, completely free and for many hours, alone or with your friends online or in local LAN matches.

The upshot: A well-done game for turn-based strategy fans.

##System requirements

CPU with at least 1 GHz at least 256 MB RAM 200 MB of free diskspace Soundcard WindowsXP(tm), Windows Vista(tm), Windows 7(tm), Windows 8(tm), Windows 10(tm) operating system or Linux with WINE

##Copyright

§1 - Birth of the Empires (BotE) represents a software which can be used freely for PRIVATE USE and by private citizens only. All other uses, including COMMERCIAL USE by members of any type of corporation, are strictly forbidden. PUBLIC USE is also not allowed unless specifically approved by the copyright holder.

§2 - As copyright holder my person always has to be mentioned explicitly and no other person may be mentioned additionally except for copyrighted content which is owned by the respective copyright holders. Their Terms of Use are fully applied here in this context.

§3 - BotE source code is under "Microsoft Reciprocal License (Ms-RL)" license.

§4 - Changes to the source code are permitted as long as my person is mentioned as the author of the project (see §2) and the changes made are not violating §3.

§5 - Any modifications of this application are permitted, if they do not violate §2-3 or the copyright terms of third parties.

§6 - It is not permitted to use BotE to enrich yourself financially by any means.

§7 - It is not permitted to use BotE for any commercial purposes.

§8 - It is forbidden to use any of the pictures, graphics and designs depicted in BotE for commercial projects or to distribute them. Exceptions need the permission of the copyright holders.

§9 - This software may not be offered by third parties (for example freeware/shareware sites) on the Internet on their own, i.e. without the knowledge or consent of the copyright holders. Doing so neglecting this rule means those persons take full responsibility for the provision of the download. The author of this software reserves the right to the sole dissemination to other sources (for example: download portals).

Derived and non-derived images from external authors and websites inherit the copyright license given by those authors on their websites. Do not use anything provided with the BotE download without checking its copyright license on the respective original author's website beforehand. In case of doubt whether the image is from an external author and in case of no explicit copyright information given to a specific image in our release, please ask for copyright clarification or search the author for yourself and do not use the picture until copyright has been cleared for your intended use BEFORE reusing it for example uploading it on a website. In this readme.txt, you will find the Internet addresses for all images (sometimes only for groups of images, not each specific image file). Some images are Creative Commons or even public domain so please check the given author's homepage for the latest copyright details.

All graphics and multimedia contents are protected by their respective copyright holders.

Parts of the Heyoun race skin menus feature design elements rebuilt from scratch from artwork of the Star Trek Customizable Card Game (ST-CCG) TM by Decipher, Inc. No copyright infringement intended.

Some race images contain background artwork not done by the artists themselves but edited by us without the artists' knowing. These background images were googled on the web. Also, no copyright infringement intended.

##Terms of use

Neither copyright holders, nor someone else can be made responsible for any damage to your system caused or possibly caused by BotE. You are only allowed to use BotE, if you accept this point and all other points mentioned in the copyright.

##Credits

####Producer:

Sir Pustekuchen

####Idea

Sir Pustekuchen

####Programming

Sir Pustekuchen
CBot
Anonymissimus
Revisor
chrisfirefox
plotnik01

####Design & Graphics

Sir Pustekuchen
Malle
Zunder
magicmot
nemesis5
pd
rainer
YOT-Project
other contributors (see further down below)

####Text

Malle
Topper
Homeros
Sir Pustekuchen
Luther Sloan
Data
master130686
Grammaton Cleric
Kyle Katarn73
rainer
Amun

####Data

Sir Pustekuchen
rainer
Scav
Malle
Alamar

####Balancing & Testing

master130686
Dennis0078
Andi47
Grammaton Cleric
Sir Pustekuchen
rainer

####Music

Eric James
Sandman
reel2
George R Powell
Edgen
MarkySpark
Kevin MacLeod

####Voices

Kenneth_of_Borg
Kate Flanagan
Krista Flanagan
Mike Strobel

####English Translation

Malle
Matress of Evil
denzil85

####Manual (german)

Gottesanbeter
rainer
Xenox
Malle
Sir Pustekuchen

####Wiki

rainer
Dennis0078
Amun

| special thanks go to the following persons |

####Ship graphics

#####Major race ships

Atrocities
magicmot

#####Minor race ships

Kevin Williams
Dieter Ludmann
and other artists (see corresponding credits file in ../Graphics/Ships/ folder)

####Background music

Coalition of Planets: Eric Fu-Wah James http://www.myspace.com/ericjames/
Heyoun Trade Union: reel2 "The Birth of a Legend" http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/264050 + George R Powell "One Last Sunset" http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/317246
Khaoron Empire: Edgen "STOGAM - The Battle Begins" http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/163447
Rotharian Star Network: MarkySpark "Blood Throne Battle V" http://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/370234
Cartare Union: Sandman "Cirrus March" http://botf2.star-trek-games.com/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=4284
Omega-Alliance: Kenneth L. Welch "Starlight Requiem v2r" http://homepage.mac.com/klwelch/music.html

####other music

Lose game: Kevin MacLeod - "For the Fallen"
Win game: Eric Fu-Wah James "Finale" http://www.myspace.com/ericjames/

####Fonts

Coalition of Planets: League Gothic http://www.theleagueofmoveabletype.com/fonts/7-league-gothic (Open Font License, http://scripts.sil.org/cms/scripts/page.php?site_id=nrsi&id=OFL&_sc=1 )
Heyoun: Liberation Serif https://fedorahosted.org/liberation-fonts/ (GPL v2 with Font-exception, see special license file)
Khaorons: Klingon Dagger (John Tackett aka K'mel)
Rotharians: Mandala http://www.aimwell.org/Fonts/fonts.html (GPL v3)
Cartare: Final Frontier (Allen R. Walden; free to distribute)
Omega-Alliance: LilyUPC http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/family.aspx?FID=272

####Character artwork #####Major Races

Coalition of Planets: Tim Appleby http://bdimonkey.wordpress.com/
Heyoun: Aaron Sims http://www.aaron-sims.com/
Khaorons: Baptiste Henry http://www.sewan.com/
Rotharians: Till Maginot http://blog.maginot.eu/index.php?seite=people&people=till&/
Cartare: Taehoon Oh http://www.taehoonoh.com/
Omega-Alliance: Andrew Kincaid http://redfishimagery.com/

#####Minor Races

Albert Feliu http://albertfeliu.com/
Adryl
Athari
Chewark
Minali
Nezaka
Sytaplet
Alex [Brutikong] Velazquez
Mozwar
Andrew Kincaid http://redfishimagery.com/
Aszrethans
Kelnorians
Krepraans
Remri
Templans
Arild Anfinnsen http://www.arildwiro.com/
Aldren
Ardren
Nundosa
Zhordanians
Artur Grzegorczyn http://www.madgameart.blogspot.com/
Nynjan

Bote

Install / Use

README

| special thanks go to the following persons |