M.U.L.E. Overview
M.U.L.E. is a competitive economic simulation for one to four players set on an undeveloped planet. Participants assume the roles of colonists whose primary goal is generating wealth through the production and trade of four key resources: food, energy, smithore, and the valuable crystite. The game's structure is divided into distinct phases that repeat over a series of turns, with a standard game lasting twelve rounds.
Gameplay begins with players selecting a character race, which influences difficulty, and then claiming plots of land. Different terrain types are optimal for specific resources, with rivers favoring food, plains energy, and mountains smithore. Crystite deposits are hidden and must be discovered through exploration. Once land is claimed, a cultivation phase allows players to develop their plots by purchasing robotic M.U.L.E. units, which are essential for production. During this phase, players can also engage in activities like hunting the Wumpus for money or attempting to sabotage rivals.
The core economic loop involves production followed by a trading auction. The output of a player's land is influenced by stored energy, terrain, adjacency bonuses, and random events. Goods are then bought and sold in a market where prices fluctuate based on overall supply and demand, creating opportunities for monopolistic strategies. Hoarding resources carries a risk, as surplus stock degrades each turn. Several random events can disrupt the economy, such as pirate raids that steal stored crystite, planetquakes that reduce mineral output, or meteor strikes that can destroy a M.U.L.E. but reveal rich crystite veins.
Resource management is critical, as shortages have direct consequences. A lack of food reduces the time a player has to act, an energy deficit lowers production, and insufficient smithore creates a shortage of the M.U.L.E. units needed to operate plots. The game's design, requiring only simple inputs for the auction phase, facilitates multiplayer sessions with both human and computer-controlled opponents.
