Gameplay Issues

Q. How about the computer AI?

The AI developed for Global Power is based on a problem-solving model. It analyses a country's situation and all the data available before taking a decision.

Every country behaves independently, depending on their situation. The level of planning in the decision making process is based on the each country human development rating. The most advanced countries plan moves a couple turns in advance and adjust their strategy as the game evolve. Less advanced country are more impulsive in their actions.

In addition, as the game go on, countries adjust their gameplay against every other countries, based on the success or failure of previous actions. This mean that countries interacting with you adjust their action to your style and learn your weaknesses.

Countries even get frustrated! A country that has been trying to solve a particular problem for a long time without success grows angry and might begin to act in a more radical and aggressive way.

This process ensures a very challenging experience compared with standard IF-THEN series that can easily be beaten by finding how the computer "thinks".

Q. Does the computer rely on cheating to be more competitive?

Never. We do not rely on cheating to make computer opponents more challenging

Geographic and political issues
Q. What are the possible relationships a nation can develop with other nations?

Military treaties such as non-aggression pact, mutual defense, alliance and the permission to park units and/or building a military base on other's territory. Political treaties include technology exchange, permanent technology partnership, buy/sell military units, finance government or rebels and cultural exchanges. Finally, economic treaties where countries are able to buy/sell a certain amount of natural resources (iron, gold, meat, wheat and energy).

Q. Is the diplomatic system developed enough to reproduce the real world diplomacy in its complexity and variety?

Of course! That's the main goal of the game. So far, every real world situation can be reproduce in the game.

In addition to what you listed, you are able to rig elections in a country and put a fake leader at its head. This mean you control the country without everybody knowing it... until opponents secret services discover it.

You may even do terrorist actions on your own population and try to frame an opponent to have your population support in a declaration of war against it. Just don't get caught doing that...

Q. Do conquered nations behave as an extension to the conquering nation or is there be an occupation penalty?

Conquering a country only gives the control over it, but it doesn't become a part of your home country.

All material resources (such as natural resources and military units) are piled up and all intellectual resources (health care, education, research, etc.) are shared the highest score is kept for both countries, all under the control of the conqueror.

The population develops much slower in a conquered country than in a free one.

Q. If a country is conquered, can it become independent again?

Yes. A conquered country still have an independent rebel force and can still regain its independence, either by requesting it politically or by rebellion.

Q. Is it be possible for nations to provide financial loans to other nations?

Not exactly.

Countries are able to make direct financial donations to others or to contribute to an international help fund. All countries are suggested to contribute to this fund by paying a voluntary contribution. Countries in need can ask for help and be given a part of this fund, but no track is kept as from who this money comes. Countries failing to contribute to this fund while being rich enough to see their diplomatic relations with others go bad.

Q. Can nations implement economic sanctions and/or boycotts?

Not as strong as in real life. You are able to stop buying resources from a country, but it is still free to sell it to someone else.

Q. Is Europe a single power or is still split into many nations?

Every country is present, independently. The way to reproduce the politic and economic agreement is through a set group of political, economical and military treaties.

Q. Are current geopolitical issues implemented in the game?
E.g. Tension between Turkey & Greece
E.g. Border disputes & Kashmir issue between Pakistan and India.
E.g. China and Taiwan etc.

This is implemented as standard political tension between these countries. Nothing special is given to these countries for them to act more or less than other. With bad starting relations, there are strong possibilities that the AI make those countries decide to do some offensive actions, but you could also play an entire game without hearing from those countries, providing you don't play one of them yourself.

Q. Is it be possible to trade territory between nations E.g. Israel trading occupied land with Syria for a peace settlement?

No. All boundaries are fixed and territories cannot be divided. Winning a battle against an enemy result in occupying one of his major city/base. He can use his remaining forces to repel you, request his allies to help him or request international military intervention. Occupying all cities/bases in a country gives you the control over that country.

Combat issues
Q. Is the combat be real-time or turn-based?

Neither, or both... let's say a gentle and innovative mix between them.

The battle begins on pause where you are able to set waypoints and orders to your units. When you are ready, just let it go, units do what they have been told to. If you want to change your strategy or adjust orders to fit the battle's evolution, just pause the combat again and issue new orders to your units, provided they have a good communication rating.

Q. Do military units have levels of proficiency and supply? For example a veteran, well supplied and combat ready military unit performa better than an untested, poorly supplied unit.

The combat abilities are modified by the unit's training rating found in the Unit Design screen. The more trained a unit is, the more proficient it is, but it cost more to produce and take more time to be combat ready. Units standard weapon supply will be unlimited, except for missiles and torpedoes which are limited to the number included in the unit design.

When joined in a permanent taskforce, units acquire experience and become more and more proficient in combat.

Q. Do military units have a morale rating?

Yes. Starting units morale is calculated at the beginning of a battle by comparing the two opposing military force. As the combat evolves and the difference between forces grow bigger, the least powerful army begins to act foolishly, not following their orders. An really weak army may even choose to retreat without fighting a very powerful opponent. Units training rating may contribute to reduce the morale loss.

Q. Could nations develop nuclear capability? E.g. Iraq, Iran etc.

Of course! Although quite difficult and expensive, it is possible to produce nuclear weapon in any country. All that is needed is a nuclear research center. They (or you...) are also able to buy nuclear weapon from other countries, while suffering possible political and military reprisal from those who don't like that.

Q. Are nations able to conduct a space program and send satellites and rockets into space?

Yes. Surveillance and offensive satellites equipped with strategic missiles with a wide variety of warheads. Of course, usage of nuclear and chemical weapons is condemned by the international community and has a negative impact over your diplomatic relations.

Q. Do nuclear missiles have different ranges e.g. Short-range, Intermediate-range and Long-range(ICBM)? Can the missiles be fitted with conventional warheads?

Nuclear warhead will only be allowed in the strategic missile class. That missile's range will be determined by the missile range rating set while designing it. The maximum rating available is determined by the technology discovered in this category.

Strategic missiles will be allowed to be fitted with conventional, biochemical and nuclear warheads.

Q. How will strategic warfare be handled?

We have decided to treat large scale weapons in a similar way then in the movie Wargames.

It is accessed through the military screen. You are allowed to use all your strategic weapons (ICBMs with nuclear/chemical/biological warheads, either launched from homebases, naval fleets or orbiting satellites) by clicking the Strategic Warfare button. The player then chooses a target for each weapon and hit the launch button.

Each country able to react (either to assist you or to counterattack) is given a chance to do so.

Q. Does Global Power implement tactical (battlefield) nuclear weapons? E.g. A missile with a small nuclear warhead which can be launched from an aircraft and destroy a localized area.

No. Nukes are only allowed in strategic warfare.

Q. Finally, can ballistic missiles carry multiple warheads. e.g. A missile with 10 warheads each of which can hit a different target. This concept is referred to as MIRV - Multiple Independently-targetable Re-entry Vehicles.

No. A single missile is only able to hit a single target.

The only exception to this rule stands for battlefield land attack missiles which have the area of effect statistic. This divide the damage over a determined area to allow the missile the strike multiple targets massed in a certain range. This will be perfect to hit infantry and lightly armored vehicles.

Technical issues
Q. How can a game with modern graphics and game engine run on such a low spec. machine i.e. Pentium I 200mhz?

Graphics in the game are only 800x600 16bit colors. Every computer with a Super VGA card will be able to play the game. As it was told, the game will be playable on a Pentium 200mhz but will be rather slow. But as it's a turn-based game, the speed does not have a big impact on gameplay.

Q. I recently bought a new 3D graphic card. Will you be providing 3-D accelerated graphics?

The game doesn't have much animations. So it's not useful at all to provide 3D acceleration support. However, the graphic adapter must be able to display 800x600 16bit color and DirectX 8.1 must be installed.