BarryMC: I'll answer your second question first: if you could only buy one, I'd buy the second game because it's basically the same as the first except it has a much better interface, more buildings, more technologies and more units in addition to a few more features such as diplomacy and a campaign.

Here's a summary of the gameplay and mechanics: you start out at a map of varying size and terrain with a number of territories and you get to pick one to begin your colony (and then the computer players pick their starting territories). Your first colony begins with one city center, 4 population units (1 population unit represents 100 colonists) , 1 housing building and 1 colonizer in addition to a small stockpile of various resources and credits. Each territory is a 6x6 square tile grid in which you can build various buildings. Each population can be assigned to various tasks on different buildings. Initially, the housing building can only support 5 population units, but you can upgrade it or build more to increase the population unit cap (your population grows automatically in each territory based on the terrain type). Colonizers can be used to start new colonies in different territories that begin with 1 population unit and 1 housing building. You can use your city center to produce more colonizers (at the cost of 1 population each in addition to various resources), produce trade to generate credits or produce culture to improve morale. You need credits and various resources to build buildings and units. Tiles have various resource values based on their terrain and some even have specific resource bonuses that you can exploit with the appropriate building. When it comes to combat you can create troopers, cannons (basically tanks), ships, air units or missiles with the appropriate building and technology (higher tech unlocks better units). You can also build fortifications to defend against enemy attacks. If you move into an enemy territory with your military units, you will engage in battle after you end your turn. Success is based on the number, strength and experience of your units compared to your enemies'. Also, when you attack a territory, all of the population units there temporarily become militia and attempt to defend the colony (your population units will also attempt to defend your territories when attacked), although they are the weakest unit in the game and pose little threat if you have a decent army. You can use missiles to soften up the enemies' defenses in a territory before or during an attack (typically, I fire a volley of missiles before attacking a territory with my ground and air force and I send in another volley as I attack with them the next turn). You can win by wiping out your enemies or by building a certain number of city centers (as set in the victory conditions), each of which requires a large amount of various resources.

Soccorro: are the battles fought in real time?

BarryMC: No. When you move units into an enemy territory to attack, the battle happens after your turn ends. However, at the start of your next turn, you are able to view all battles that occur that are started by you attacking enemy territories and/or enemies invading your territories. You don't have any control over the battles in real time, but you can see how they play out.

BarryMC: Here's a summary of the gameplay and mechanics: *snip*

cmdr_flashheart: Thanks for the review. How is this game overall different from Alpha Centauri?

UniversalWolf: Hmm...well, you build all your resource gathering buildings inside your "city screen," so to speak. Also, there's no terraforming or road building, that all happens automatically. In spirit, Deadlock is less sociological, and more cutthroat. You're not going to be making alliances and trade pacts, at least in Deadlock 1 (I haven't played the sequel, but I'm downloading it as I type this).

Also, the world isn't divided into little squares like the SMAC map. It's divided into "provinces" which are actually geographical regions. Each region is one of four types: plains, mountains, forest, or swamp.

Just a warning: I personally find this game to be an extreme chronovore. It's possible to get so wrapped up in your turn-by-turn progress that you completely lose track of time. And not just that, but you can play it for hours and it doesn't seem like you've been playing that long. It's not just the old "one more turn" syndrome; you don't even realize you've been at it for five hours. It makes five hours seem like two.

UniversalWolf: Just a warning: I personally find this game to be an extreme chronovore. It's possible to get so wrapped up in your turn-by-turn progress that you completely lose track of time. And not just that, but you can play it for hours and it doesn't seem like you've been playing that long. It's not just the old "one more turn" syndrome; you don't even realize you've been at it for five hours. It makes five hours seem like two.

BarryMC: Maybe it's because of Time Dilation. :P

mystikmind2000: ...you can exceed unit restrictions to invade a territory but any excess units left over above the unit limit after the battle, will be deleted, so you have to plan very carefully.

UniversalWolf: Yeah, that is a weird rule, but it does make the game better actually. In Deadlock 1 it often takes 2 turns attacking a 50 population territory to conquer it, assuming you don't want to throw away half your victorious units. In Deadlock 2 you can just overwhelm any territory if you have a large enough force.