The player is given the option to conquer either the country of Mongolia as Temujin, the man who would one day become Genghis Khan himself, or as one of three other rivals in that region; or to take over the known world of the time as one of several rulers from throughout Europe, mainland Asia, and North Africa. Conquests are made through the balance of economy, population, buying and selling manufactured goods, family relations, promoting and demoting generals, developing military, all in a turn-based fashion. All of these actions can happen only within a given amount of "turn points", so some actions are given priority while others are overlooked. The game also includes a turn-based battle sequence, allowing specific control to the player or delegated to a general.
Events[edit]
Random occurrences[edit]
During play, the player can expect some random events, including typhoons, droughts, epidemics, sand storms and blizzards. There can also be bountiful harvests in some countries in the autumn.
Family relations[edit]
An important aspect to the game is to raise your family; choose who your daughter is going to marry and who will succeed your ruler when he dies. As is the case with any scenario, without any successors, the game is over. A strong family-oriented empire is less susceptible to revolutions. The US version of the game removed the harem subgame entirely, in which you raised your affinity with one of your wives, much like a dating simulation game.
Revolutions[edit]
Appointing one's son as a general or governor or marrying one's daughter to an already appointed general or governor guarantees that as governor of a province he will not rebel and declare independence from the player's empire. This is especially important when controlling large numbers of provinces, as multiple governors may decide to declare independence at the same time.
If a governor declares independence, a new country is formed in that state, and all troops and resources in that state become at the disposal of the rebellious general. There is no battle for control of the province, as the governor is already established; however, if there is a peasant uprising in a player-controlled province, the computer chooses a general to command units of troops against the governor of that province; then the appointed governor must fight a pitched battle for control of the province. If the peasant rebellion wins, or if the province does not have any troops to defend it, then the general in charge of the victorious army forms a new country in that province.