<s>
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
is	O
a	O
turn-based	O
4X	B-Application
strategy	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
franchise	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
Republic	O
of	O
Venice	B-Application
during	O
the	O
Renaissance	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
three	O
were	O
developed	B-Application
by	O
Holistic	O
Design	O
(	O
HDI	O
)	O
but	O
had	O
separate	O
publishers	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
two	O
use	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
;	O
the	O
third	O
Windows	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
has	O
left	O
the	O
player	O
a	O
yearly	O
stipend	O
of	O
100	O
florins	O
(	O
i.e.	O
,	O
ducats	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
map	O
of	O
the	O
known	O
world	O
,	O
at	O
least	O
one	O
trading	O
vessel	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
advice	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
Machiavelli	B-Application
:	O
"	O
you	O
must	O
stick	O
to	O
the	O
good	O
so	O
long	O
as	O
you	O
can	O
but	O
if	O
compelled	O
by	O
necessity	O
you	O
must	O
be	O
ready	O
to	O
use	O
other	O
means	O
"	O
and	O
the	O
"	O
Golden	O
Rule	O
"	O
that	O
"	O
he	O
who	O
has	O
the	O
gold	O
makes	O
the	O
rules	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
competes	O
with	O
three	O
other	O
families	O
—	O
either	O
other	O
humans	O
or	O
AIs	O
of	O
variable	O
difficulty	O
—	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
most	O
successful	O
clan	O
in	O
Venice	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Council	O
of	O
Ten	O
may	O
all	O
be	O
bribed	O
into	O
service	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
be	O
appointed	O
as	O
Venice	B-Application
's	O
council	O
head	O
,	O
general	O
,	O
admiral	O
,	O
or	O
minister	O
of	O
construction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Support	O
from	O
a	O
majority	O
of	O
the	O
council	O
at	O
the	O
decennial	O
election	O
allows	O
one	O
to	O
hold	O
the	O
office	O
of	O
doge	O
,	O
controlling	O
other	O
appointments	O
and	O
Venice	B-Application
's	O
taxation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
map	O
the	O
player	O
receives	O
from	O
uncle	O
Niccolo	O
resembles	O
those	O
of	O
the	O
period	O
:	O
it	O
is	O
highly	O
accurate	O
close	O
to	O
Venice	B-Application
but	O
grows	O
much	O
less	O
so	O
the	O
further	O
one	O
goes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mechanic	O
has	O
been	O
praised	O
by	O
reviewers	O
:	O
"	O
Though	O
its	O
gameplay	O
was	O
nowhere	O
near	O
as	O
sophisticated	O
as	O
that	O
of	O
its	O
near	O
contemporary	O
Civilization	B-Application
,	O
Merchant	O
Prince/Machiavelli	O
did	O
a	O
better	O
job	O
of	O
capturing	O
what	O
exploring	O
is	O
really	O
like	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Defeating	O
a	O
city	O
with	O
Venice	B-Application
's	O
armed	O
forces	O
or	O
one	O
's	O
own	O
mercenaries	O
permits	O
one	O
to	O
control	O
it	O
(	O
closing	O
it	O
to	O
rivals	O
)	O
or	O
to	O
negotiate	O
its	O
status	O
as	O
a	O
freeport	O
(	O
left	O
open	O
to	O
rivals	O
but	O
providing	O
a	O
large	O
boost	O
to	O
popularity	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
time	O
and	O
effort	O
exploration	O
takes	O
is	O
somewhat	O
compensated	O
by	O
the	O
occasional	O
discovery	O
of	O
extremely	O
valuable	O
relics	O
—	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
head	O
of	O
John	O
the	O
Baptist	O
—	O
that	O
are	O
sold	O
to	O
the	O
cathedral	O
at	O
Venice	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Trade	O
is	O
possible	O
via	O
small	O
or	O
large	O
galleys	O
(	O
fast	O
and	O
nimble	O
but	O
frail	O
in	O
storms	O
)	O
,	O
small	O
or	O
large	O
cogs	O
(	O
slow	O
and	O
unable	O
to	O
use	O
small	O
rivers	O
but	O
resistant	O
to	O
storms	O
at	O
sea	O
)	O
,	O
donkey	O
teams	O
(	O
resistant	O
to	O
rockslides	O
)	O
,	O
or	O
camel	O
caravans	O
(	O
resistant	O
to	O
sandstorms	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cities	O
include	O
major	O
centers	O
such	O
as	O
Venice	B-Application
and	O
Khanbaliq	O
(	O
misspelled	O
"	O
Kahnbalig	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
oddities	O
like	O
Antioch	O
and	O
imaginary	O
locales	O
like	O
Shangri-La	O
(	O
as	O
"	O
Xiangrala	O
"	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Venetian	O
–	O
Genoese	O
Wars	O
,	O
corsairs	O
,	O
Black	O
Plague	O
,	O
condottieri	O
,	O
and	O
indulgences	O
appear	O
and	O
the	O
players	O
 '	O
actions	O
may	O
instigate	O
an	O
early	O
Reformation	O
,	O
recreate	O
the	O
ignoble	O
Fourth	O
Crusade	O
,	O
or	O
mirror	O
the	O
struggles	O
of	O
the	O
Medicis	O
,	O
travels	O
of	O
Marco	B-Operating_System
Polo	I-Operating_System
,	O
or	O
precepts	O
of	O
Machiavelli	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
historical	O
maps	O
,	O
the	O
rounding	O
of	O
Africa	O
and	O
assaults	O
on	O
Turkey	O
,	O
Persia	O
,	O
and	O
India	O
may	O
be	O
achieved	O
by	O
the	O
players	O
or	O
AI	O
ahead	O
of	O
the	O
Portuguese	O
,	O
but	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
effect	O
on	O
the	O
prosperity	O
of	O
Venice	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
mechanics	O
push	O
players	O
into	O
adopting	O
a	O
coasting	O
trade	O
for	O
galleys	O
,	O
large	O
caravans	O
and	O
convoys	B-Application
for	O
important	O
routes	O
,	O
and	O
working	O
for	O
the	O
good	O
of	O
all	O
Venetians	O
in	O
public	O
while	O
covertly	O
bribing	O
officials	O
and	O
sabotaging	O
rivals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Republic	O
of	O
Venice	B-Application
maintained	O
its	O
allegiance	O
to	O
Rome	O
throughout	O
the	O
Western	O
Schism	O
but	O
the	O
earlier	O
Avignon	O
Papacy	O
goes	O
unmentioned	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
II	I-Application
included	O
a	O
few	O
cut	O
scenes	O
and	O
five	O
new	O
scenarios	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
Afro-Eurasia	O
and	O
the	O
random	O
map	O
generator	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
were	O
the	O
Hanse	O
(	O
the	O
Hanseatic	O
League	O
in	O
the	O
North	O
and	O
Baltic	O
seas	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
Mediterranean	O
(	O
a	O
Venetian	O
family	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
Orient	O
(	O
a	O
Shanghainese	O
trader	O
in	O
the	O
Far	O
East	O
)	O
,	O
Marco	B-Operating_System
Polo	I-Operating_System
(	O
along	O
the	O
Silk	O
Road	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
fantasy	O
treatment	O
of	O
Atlantis	B-Application
(	O
represented	O
as	O
a	O
single	O
island	O
city	O
in	O
the	O
Atlantic	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
scenarios	O
were	O
not	O
differentiated	O
apart	O
from	O
their	O
maps	O
,	O
however	O
:	O
players	O
continued	O
to	O
see	O
Venetian	O
gondolas	O
and	O
St	O
Mark	O
's	O
in	O
"	O
Atlantis	B-Application
"	O
and	O
"compete[d]	O
to	O
become	O
the	O
Doge	O
of	O
China	O
or	O
the	O
Pope	O
of	O
Asia	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
was	O
written	O
by	O
Several	O
Dudes	O
Holistic	O
Gaming	O
and	O
released	O
by	O
Quantum	O
Quality	O
Productions	O
(	O
QQP	O
)	O
in	O
1993	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ed	O
Pike	O
credited	O
his	O
rereading	O
of	O
Machiavelli	B-Application
's	O
Prince	O
during	O
the	O
1992	O
US	O
presidential	O
election	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
post-Watergate	O
American	O
politics	O
generally	O
,	O
for	O
his	O
concept	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1995	O
,	O
the	O
renamed	O
Holistic	O
Design	O
(	O
HDI	O
)	O
and	O
Microprose	O
re-released	O
it	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
Machiavelli	B-Application
the	I-Application
Prince	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
Notwithstanding	O
that	O
Machiavelli	B-Application
was	O
a	O
Florentine	O
and	O
not	O
a	O
Venetian	O
,	O
the	O
change	O
was	O
necessary	O
owing	O
to	O
copyright	O
issues	O
.	O
)	O
</s>
<s>
Ending	O
the	O
turn	O
no	O
longer	O
required	O
visiting	O
Venice	B-Application
first	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Machiavelli	B-Application
was	O
released	O
in	O
two	O
boxes	O
:	O
a	O
thinner	O
purple	O
box	O
with	O
just	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
a	O
thicker	O
black	O
box	O
that	O
included	O
George	O
Bull	O
's	O
Penguin	O
translation	O
of	O
Machiavelli	B-Application
's	O
Prince	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
small	O
galleys	O
and	O
light	O
guards	O
were	O
available	O
at	O
game	O
start	O
;	O
other	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
now	O
had	O
to	O
be	O
unlocked	O
via	O
payments	O
to	O
a	O
Leonardo	B-Application
figure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
patch	O
(	O
v.1.1	O
)	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
to	O
fix	O
several	O
bugs	O
,	O
particularly	O
with	O
its	O
TCP/IP	B-Protocol
multiplayer	O
mode	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
offered	O
three	O
multiplayer	O
options	O
:	O
taking	O
turns	O
at	O
a	O
single	O
computer	O
(	O
hotseat	O
)	O
or	O
connecting	O
two	O
computers	O
via	O
cable	O
(	O
null	O
modem	B-Application
)	O
or	O
internet	O
(	O
modem	B-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hotseat	O
play	O
supports	O
up	O
to	O
four	O
players	O
;	O
cable	O
and	O
modem	B-Application
play	O
are	O
limited	O
to	O
two	O
human	O
players	O
against	O
two	O
computer	O
opponents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Machiavelli	B-Application
added	O
features	O
to	O
ease	O
play	O
by	O
e-mail	O
(	O
PBEM	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
supports	O
up	O
to	O
four	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
II	I-Application
introduced	O
TCP/IP	B-Protocol
support	O
,	O
but	O
some	O
players	O
reported	O
difficulties	O
,	O
including	O
buggy	O
trade	O
routes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
warning	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
emphasized	O
trade	O
and	O
popularity	O
over	O
conquest	O
or	O
destroying	O
enemies	O
,	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
stated	O
in	O
April	O
1994	O
that	O
"	O
Merchant	B-Application
Prince	I-Application
is	O
a	O
finely	O
balanced	O
,	O
well	O
presented	O
,	O
and	O
intensely	O
enjoyable	O
game	O
"	O
with	O
random	O
maps	O
and	O
online	O
play	O
giving	O
it	O
"	O
considerable	O
replay	O
value	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
1994	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
the	O
magazine	O
's	O
Strategy	B-Application
Game	I-Application
of	O
the	O
Year	O
award	O
,	O
losing	O
to	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
wrote	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
"	O
captures	O
the	O
greed	O
and	O
treachery	O
of	O
medieval	O
Italy	O
even	O
more	O
than	O
the	O
classic	O
Machiavelli	B-Application
boardgame	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Game	O
Review	O
gave	O
it	O
a	O
platinum	O
triad	O
award	O
(	O
high	O
marks	O
from	O
three	O
reviewers	O
)	O
before	O
naming	O
it	O
the	O
magazine	O
's	O
1994	O
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	O
the	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
