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Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced

in library

4.5/5

( 69 Reviews )

4.5

69 Reviews

English
9.999.99
Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
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Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced
Description
Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced DEMO is available here Now available as Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced! Emperor of the Fading Suns has continued to inspire players not just because of the game itself, but because of the many great mods fans made for the game. The focus of the 1.5 pat...
User reviews

4.5/5

( 69 Reviews )

4.5

69 Reviews

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Product details
1997, Holistic Design Inc. , ESRB Rating: Teen...
System requirements
Windows 10, 1.8 gigahertz (GHz) or faster, 2 GB RAM, DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or high...
Description


Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced DEMO is available here



Now available as Emperor of the Fading Suns Enhanced!

Emperor of the Fading Suns has continued to inspire players not just because of the game itself, but because of the many great mods fans made for the game. The focus of the 1.5 patch is to greatly enhance modding capabilities. Expect many more great mods for the game.

One of the most dramatic changes is one of the least seen. The game was initially built using the Watcom development environment, and one of the first things we had to do was migrate it to Visual Studio. Additionally, the 1.5 patch adds:

  • Significantly enhanced and added significant modding capabilities. This allows modders to add dramatically more units, technologies, and worlds, and even change game facets like excommunication, sect abilities, ruins, and much more;
  • Significant enhancements to the map editor;
  • Enhanced role of religious sects, impacting your unit abilities and population loyalties;
  • Enhanced player information on unit and city screens;
  • Added House strength as a factor in diplomacy;
  • Streamlined some interface elements; and
  • Fixed a wide variety of bugs.

You can find the full changelog here.




It is the dawn of the sixth millennium and the skies are darkening, for the suns themselves are fading. Humans reached the stars long ago, building a Republic of high technology and universal emancipation—and then squandered it, fought over it, and finally lost it.

A New Dark Age has descended upon humanity, for the greatest of civilizations has fallen and now even the stars are dying. Feudal lords rule the Known Worlds, vying for power with fanatic priests and scheming guilds.

A grand 4X strategy game developed by Holistic Design Inc., Emperor of the Fading Suns is set in the Dark Ages of Space. It allows players to take the role of one of the powerful nobles fighting to become Emperor of the Known Worlds. Similar to such strategy classics as Civilization and Masters of Orion, Emperor of the Fading Suns offers a sophisticated diplomacy engine, space and ground combat, discovery of new planets, multi-player (Internet) competition and more. While rushed to market, it built a loyal following and spawned numerous, unofficial fan-made mods.

In 4550 AD, Vladimir I, the first Emperor of the Known Worlds, crowned himself with his own hands and by the Grace of Holy Terra. He was dead within moments. The Regency is vacant and all humanity is preparing to elect a new Regent. But times are changing.

The mysterious fading of all the suns of the Known Worlds is accelerating, causing increased hardship and a general sense of foreboding. The Fading Suns are a portent, it is said, of coming Armageddon.

Each of the Royal Houses can trace its ancestry to the time of Grand Emperor Vladimir, who consolidated the fragments of the Second Republic into one might Imperium. As ordered by the Great Charter, in the event of an Emperor's death, human space was to be ruled by an interim Regent. However, no Regent has been able to harness enough power to declare himself Emperor. In the meanwhile, the Regency has become a means to loot the Imperium.

Many feel that the human race needs strong, dedicated leadership to face the uncertain future - a selfless leader willing to take a personal interest in the fate of the Imperium. But the Regent has been a mere figurehead, who can at most discourage inter-human conflict. Humanity's only solution is to make the position of Regent a hereditary one, to once again have it called by its ancient name - Emperor. Then the future of the entire Empire will be the overriding concern of the Emperor, instead of just the short-sighted good of his own House.

Can you lead your noble house, be it selfless Hawkwood, debauched Decados, scheming al-Malik, pious Li Halan or militant Hazat, to final victory? Will you return humanity to its once-shining glory? Dare you to become Emperor of the Fading Suns?
 

(c)2024 Holistic Design, Inc.

Goodies
Enhanced edition tutorial Classic edition installer Classic manual Soundtrack (MP3) Soundtrack (OGG)
System requirements
Minimum system requirements:

LINUX NOTICE: The minimum required version for Linux is 24.04.

Game features Hot Seat multiplayer mode.

LINUX NOTICE: The minimum required version for Linux is 24.04.

Game features Hot Seat multiplayer mode.

Why buy on GOG.COM?
DRM FREE. No activation or online connection required to play.
Safety and satisfaction. Stellar support 24/7 and full refunds up to 30 days.
Game details
Works on:
Windows (10, 11), Linux (Ubuntu 24.04)
Release date:
{{'1997-02-28T00:00:00+02:00' | date: 'longDate' : ' +0200 ' }}
Size:
125 MB
Rating:
ESRB Rating: Teen (Animated Violence)

Game features

Languages
English
audio
text
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User reviews

Posted on: May 9, 2025

philthepile1984

Verified owner

Games: 118 Reviews: 4

Enjoyable IF...

It's been a while since I enjoyed a game this much. But it's not for everyone. I enjoy the game's atmosphere, scope, and 90s weirdness. But it is very micro-heavy and the AI is not particularly good. If you're someone who can look past a bit of jank to appreciate excellent atmosphere, this game might be for you. If the idea of playing as the civilization that came before the events in the Book of the New Sun then this is for you. If you're after perfect gameplay design then you might not love this.


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Posted on: May 24, 2025

littlejon20

Verified owner

Games: 30 Reviews: 1

If you love big 4x

This is an ancient gem. I liked this game a lot when I was younger and with the new patches it's great.


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Posted on: October 2, 2025

muttkin2

Verified owner

Games: 24 Reviews: 1

Amazing on Almost Every Level

Title really says it. Aside from a few QoL updates that we've all become accustomed to over the last--nearly 30 years--since this game released, I cannot overstate how incredible it is to play such a masterfuly crafted 4x. Especially when you take into consideration that this game released in 1997. I was 12 at the time and would never been able to wrap my head around the game's deep mechanics, simple though they may seem at surface level, even if I'd known it existed. I was busy getting my teeth knocked out in Close Combat 2, or losing to the Empire in SW: Rebellion over and over. Truly, this game is a testament to the love and care that developers had in those days, before everything became conglomorized and antiseptic. Many will find issues with UI and general clunkyness, but my advice is to play through the first five turns. Once you make it over the learning curve, this game unfolds into something modern studios could only dream about putting out. This is a game that covers all domains; land, sea, air, and space. There is combat on massive scales, enigmatic alien foes, and the constant machinations of your sibling great houses. Imagine if someone took Dune and 40k and mashed them together and you will get some idea of the universe you are stepping in to. Add an incredibly deep lore to the mix, aytipical tech and economic trees and many different paths to victory and you get EoTFS; literally the game I always wanted to play, but never knew existed. On top of everything else, consider that the original developers ressurected this game more than 20 years after the original release. The ethos of the dev team, coupled with the fantastic game they'd created makes this a title I will be playing for years to come. Fantastic on so many levels, with only minor complaints that are so small that they don't even merit being mentioned. Buy. This. Game. You won't be disappointed.


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Posted on: January 14, 2025

Hustenfuchs

Verified owner

Games: 20 Reviews: 1

Great old game

Golden age of strat games truly want a new game just like this


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Posted on: April 1, 2025

Skidmark

Verified owner

Games: 176 Reviews: 1

Excellent

Old school 4x, excellent. Definitly has that just one more turn vibe going.


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