Second Conflict

Second Conflict is a video game in the strategy genre originally released in 1991. It is currently playable on Windows 3.x.

Second Conflict is a fun 'beer & pretzel' style galactic warfare game for Windows, and one of the first shareware strategy games worth the registration fee.

A sequel to Galactic Conflict, the game was released as freeware in the late 1990s by its author, Jerry Galloway. Second Conflict is not a typical 4X (or even strategy) game because it lacks three important features of this genre: research, diplomacy, and fog of war. However, the absence of these components is clearly by design: the game is a fast-paced space war game that can be finished in a few hours.

You can compete with up to 9 other players, any of whom can be controlled by the computer, in 6 preset scenarios or in an unlimited number of random scenarios. The game is easy to pick up and enjoy. One of the things I like the most is the amount of fun options the game has. For example, you can set the initial strategy for the computer players. Do you want your opponent to be more aggressive? Cautious? You can change it with a mouse click. You can also change the victory conditions, set the number of factories and planets, and even set reinforcements or ongoing attacks when the game starts. This means you can create a 'white knight' scenario where you play the knight (or in this case, commander) charging valiantly into battle to defend a planet while its defense systems are failing. Fun, and a great way to boost your self-esteem ;)

Otherwise, the gameplay is identical to other 4X games, except that it's much more transparent and easier to learn than most. At the top of the screen, you can see the current morale level of your galactic empire, the current turn number, as well as the current odds for ground and naval attacks. Although there are a limited number of units you can produce and no research is possible, the units are more than adequate, as the focus is on strategic level planning rather than tactical combat. Both space and planetary battles are quickly resolved based on the statistics of both sides. You can send military units on attack, probing or resource raiding missions. Computer players provide a decent challenge on any difficulty level above 'easy', although it's still much more fun to play against human friends (unfortunately, only hot-seating is supported).

With fast, fun gameplay and an excellent user interface, Second Conflict is worthwhile for anyone who wants a quick, no-fuss galactic war game. two thumbs up!

It is possible that we have multiple downloads available when different versions exist.