Construction of spaceships

A recurring segment in Kosmopolska is a real time strategy game where you must construct different kinds of spacecraft.

How to play

The strategy game is only controlled with the mouse. You have an overhead view of the game map that you can move around, and you can click on the units and buildings on it, and on different buttons to the right. You can control your own units by clicking on them and then click on the map where you want them to go.

The goal of each level is to construct some kind of spacecraft, and do it before the other competing nations do it. To construct the spaceship, you must first research blueprints for its different components in your research center, and then build these parts.

Research and construction are done by different workers who have different occupations, and therefore different skills. You begin each level with your three loyal cosmonauts, who have some knowledge in all the necessary competences. The cosmonauts can also hire different workers who have better knowledge than the cosmonauts, but only in certain specific competences. The workers cost money as long as they’re employed, but can be fired at any time (and will quit by themselves if your money runs out completely). The cosmonauts don’t cost anything, though.

The different levels become more difficult, when you compete against more opposing nations, and have to build more spaceship parts.

Units

Cosmonauts: Your three cosmonauts don’t cost any money, and never stop working for you. They can be used for different purposes, including hiring other workers. They also have some knowledge in all theoretical and practical competences, and can therefore be used both to research blueprints and to build things, but they’re not as good at any competence as other workers. The competing nations also have three astronauts who are trying to recruit workers and build spacecraft, so try to be quicker than them!

Theoretical professions: Physicist, architect, electrical engineer, designer and machine engineer. These workers can, if they’re hired, be sent to your research center and contribute with their knowledge in the theoretical competences (physics, architecture, electronics, design and mechanics) to research blueprints. Each worker is best at one specific competence, but sometimes have some knowledge in other competences as well.

Practical professions: Carpenter, welder, electrician, painter and mechanic. These workers can be sent to buildings or spaceship components to contribute with their knowledge in the practical competences (carpentry, welding, electronics, painting and mechanics) to complete the construction. As with the theoretical professions, they often have knowledge in some different competences.

Tourists: If you build an ice cream kiosk, groups of tourists will show up, buying ice cream and giving you money. They can sometimes be in the way when you’re trying to build other buildings.

Buildings

Your warehouse: This building exists at the beginning of the level, without you having to build it. Here the raw materials you need for construction of other buildings are stored, materials that you can retrieve from the different communal warehouses.

Communal warehouses: There are three different warehouses with a different raw material each (sheet metal, wood and paint), in different places on the map. You have to retrieve material from these warehouses to your own warehouse, by sending one of your cosmonauts or workers there. They will then drive a truck with a load of the material back to your warehouse.

Research center: In the research center you can research different blueprints for building and spaceship components, if you have cosmonauts or workers with the right competences inside the building. Different blueprints require different competences, so make sure that you have the right workers.

Launch pad: On the launch pad, the spacecraft grows when you construct different spaceship components. A certain number of completed components are required to complete each step of the spacecraft.

Spaceship components: When you’ve researched the blueprints for a component, you can construct it on the map just like a building. When enough components are constructed, they disappear from the map and become part of the spacecraft on the launch pad.

Distillery: Aside from the components, the spacecraft needs fuel, in the form of vodka. It’s produced by itself once the distillery is built.

Ice cream kiosk: Your main source of money. When you’ve built an ice cream kiosk, tourists will go there to buy ice cream, which gives you money.

Bank: This building can only be constructed in later levels. When it’s finished, you’ll receive interest on the money you have, meaning that you get more money gradually.

Pub: A building located somewhere on the map, where unemployed workers gather. Send a cosmonaut here to hire necessary workers.

There are also some other units and buildings that were planned for the game, but were never implemented.