PixlBit

Game: M.U.L.E

Version I Played: Planet MULE

Developer Information: Original- Ozark Softscape

                                          Publisher – Electronic Arts

                                          New Version – Turborilla/Blue Systems

Cost of New Version: FREE!

Link: www.planetmule.com

Other Media: Two books by Robert Heinlein:

                        Time Enough for Love

                        The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

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 First off, listen to this

Such a classic…

      In my first of many blogs as I venture onto my Quest for Gaming Enlightenment (Link here), I will be talking about M.U.L.E.  MULE was released in 1983, but has since been recreated in a very faithful update, which you can check out at www.planetmule.com.  MULE is a Strategy game that pits you and 3 opponents against each other to colonize a planet.  I use opponents here loosely, because while you are against each other, you also must work together in order for the colony to survive.  I would go into all of the intricacies of this game, but seeing as how the developers put together a great video on just such a thing, you should check it out here!

Listen to that background music of the original song remade.  They did an amazing job.

Now let me say this: I suck at this game.  Granted, I’ve never been very good at strategy/RTS games to begin with, this game expands on that by forcing me to work with my opponents.  I currently stand at a respectful 3,096 place on the leaderboards, which isn’t respectful at all, and I expect all of you to spit on me if you see me in the streets. 

Actually, I'd prefer to not be spit on.

I’m more of a “lone wolf” when it comes to games, so forcing me to work with the players that I’m supposed to bring down is a recipe for disaster.  I try to build everything to make myself an island, but by the end of 12 rounds, I’m typically at the bottom of the pack as far as income and worth goes. 

Should have never played M.U.L.E.

I believe that Planet MULE should be a game that any economics teacher should implement into their student’s studies.  It is all about supply and demand, and a player can easily dominate the market by hoarding all of one supply.  In fact, that is one of the many strategies that player’s use.  Although players do not actively engage in combat, hurting an opponent through starvation of resources is easy.  MULE’s, which stands for Multiple Use Labor Element, are the main resource, which all players must use in order to produce all other commodities.  In one session, me and another player started buying out all M.U.L.E’s so that the top player would not be able to produce on his next round.  Strategies like these will help player succeed, but in a game where all player’s must depend on one another, it eventually comes back to bite you.  In this instance, the top player would not sell energy to either me or the other player, forcing us both to produce less than we had hoped.

Along with playing the game, I also read two of Robert A. Heinland’s books, which played a role in the inspiration of M.U.L.E. (this is according to Wikipedia, which we all know and trust with our mother-given souls) Those two books were The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, which I completed, and Time Enough for Love, which I am still currently reading. 

           

            I’ve been a fan of Heinland for some time, and actually longer than I first realized, for it was he who wrote Starship Troopers, the book he is most known for.  Although the movie is a horrible take on the actual book, I saw it in the 4^th grade and it first introduced me to the exciting world of invading aliens and a naked woman’s body, both of which were horrifying and electrifying to a young child’s mind.  I remember immediately after, me and my child hood friend playing in the yard and pretending to shoot down the invading aliens with our battle-worn sticks and hardhats for protection from the lava spewing creatures.

            Heinland can be dry to those who prefer action oriented stories, but he is an artist with dialogue.  Most of the books center on individuals having conversations about the action taking place around them.  Harsh Mistress was a very exciting tale about three individuals planning a revolution, with the moon breaking away from the Earth’s reign of terror on them, but akin to the American Revolution.  Time Enough for Love deals with space exploration and colonization of new worlds, and has a more direct impact on the Planet MULE gameplay.  I don’t want to speak to much on this due to the fact that I am still reading through the book and I don’t want to misinterpret anything until I am completely finished with it.

Experience Gained: +10 Historian, +3 Manipulation, +100 Passive Aggressiveness

So what did I get out of my play through of MULE?  Trying to empathize with gamers’ of the early 80’s in an era of Asteroids and Burger Time, where conflict was more direct, I can understand how M.U.L.E. would have a hard time fitting in.  It appealed to a niche crowd of individuals.  While I never played it as a child, the game definitely holds up to today’s standards of strategy/RTS elements, as well as player manipulation.  It’s hard to believe that a game which has hit its 30 year mark this year is still able to captivate thousands of players today. 

            As this is the first of many games on a long and arduous quest that I am undertaking, I can already see the impact that this one game has had on gaming over the last three decades.  As I continue to broaden my gaming foundation, I’m sure that I will run across the many ripples of influence that this game has had on other RTS/strategy titles, as well as any economic venue associated with a video game. 

            Please, if you have any past experience with this game and would like to share it, feel free to post it, leave a comment, shoot me an email, or come to my house and throw toilet paper at me as I walk out my door.  I look forward to any and all feedback. 

            I will continue to read Time Enough for Love as I take on my next game in the quest of forever.  I will try to keep an updated a blog at least once a week to show my current status with a game. 

            Until next time: GAME STRONG!

- Dustin Summers