The Seven Cities of Gold is a gem of an adventure game published by Electronic Arts in 1984 for the consoles and found its way to DOS by 1993 with many improvements. The game was almost entirely reconceptualized and featured entirely different game play from the original ports. It is an excellent strategy game.
The Seven Cities of Gold sees the protagonist as a Spanish explorer in a first person simulation of the sixteenth century conquistadors. The PC version begins with a scrolling view of the character’s home town, featuring the hero’s home, a tavern, the castle and an outfitter that will serve as a trading post for all the hero’s sailing needs.
The overall goal is to develop colonies, trade with the natives, and bring back gold and goods to please the Spanish crown. There are many ways to accomplish this, including conquest, but the non-violent approach seems to work much better. Beating on the natives provides a degree of entertainment, but it is not the way to succeed. When given the choice of trade or conquest with the native, think it over carefully. There is a reason The Seven Cities of Gold won several awards as a strategy game.
At the beginning, the hero has one ship, a little money and a few trade goods. The DOS version charges the gamer with completing several tiers of goals, instead of just randomly exploring and
trading as in the earlier versions. The first goal is to take ten voyages from the home port. By the time these voyages are completed, the user must have established at least three forts, a mission, and a viable colony. Of course, this mini-goal inevitably helps lead the gamer to the major goal of lucrative trade.
There are many realistic elements in The Seven Cities of Gold. The natives react to the character’s actions. There are random events that will have bearing on the outcome of a voyage, such as storms and sickness. The user has to pay attention to the passage of time and make certain that the ship is outfitted with enough food to keep the sailors healthy and to keep enough sailors to effectively man the ships. The ship is navigated by using standard latitude and longitude bearings.
There are different terrains that the conquistador will traverse while exploring. Mountains, rivers, and other natural obstacles will get in the way. Again, time becomes a factor. Poor terrain is more difficult to negotiate and will take away time and health from the crew. Being greedy and attempting to haul too much loot or take too much food will also slow the party. All of these factors contribute to the realism of the game and the strategic factors.
This is an awesome game for the strategist, the micromanager, the simulation lover and the adventurer. There is something here for everyone and it comes strongly recommended for download.
