<s>
Space	B-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
is	O
a	O
turn-based	O
4X	B-Application
strategy	B-Application
computer	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Malfador	O
Machinations	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Strategy	B-Application
First	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Space	B-Application
Empires	I-Application
series	I-Application
in	O
which	O
players	O
control	O
an	O
alien	O
race	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
at	O
galactic	O
conquest	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
Civilization	B-Application
style	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
sense	O
that	O
one	O
controls	O
the	O
overall	O
organization	O
of	O
the	O
alien	O
race	O
on	O
a	O
scale	O
far	O
above	O
that	O
of	O
controlling	O
individual	O
persons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Space	B-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
the	O
galaxy	O
is	O
represented	O
by	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
discrete	O
areas	O
called	O
"	O
systems	O
"	O
which	O
represent	O
complete	O
star	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
stars	O
may	O
be	O
more	O
prone	O
to	O
going	O
supernova	B-Application
which	O
will	O
destroy	O
the	O
entire	O
system	O
,	O
or	O
may	O
cause	O
effects	O
to	O
ships	O
passing	O
by	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Space	B-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
select	O
one	O
of	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
alien	O
races	O
to	O
represent	O
them	O
and	O
then	O
compete	O
against	O
a	O
selection	O
of	O
the	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Space	B-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
an	O
empire	O
's	O
facilities	O
and	O
ships	O
become	O
steadily	O
more	O
powerful	O
,	O
efficient	O
and	O
varied	O
as	O
they	O
conduct	O
scientific	O
research	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2003	O
,	O
writer	O
Mark	O
H	O
.	O
Walker	O
noted	O
that	O
Shrapnel	O
Games	O
had	O
"	O
made	O
serious	O
money	O
"	O
with	O
Space	B-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
of	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
nominated	O
Space	B-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
as	O
the	O
best	O
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	O
2000	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
lost	O
to	O
Sacrifice	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
described	O
Space	B-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
as	O
"	O
very	O
old-school	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
noted	O
its	O
"	O
almost	O
obsessive	O
level	O
of	O
micromanagement.	O
"	O
</s>
