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## Starting Play

What you'll first see depends entirely on the interface you're using. Typically there will be at least a map and a list of sides. Help is available by typing ``?`' or clicking on a button that says "Help". You can also just try to find your way around by experimentation. (This is best done in a game by yourself, rather than in one with a lot of other people.)

The game proceeds as a sequence of turns. During each turn, you and the other players get to move your units, which can be anything from cities to submarines to insects, depending on the game. In addition, there may be backdrop activities, such as changing seasons and weather, that go on all by themselves. These typically happen at the beginning or end of a turn, not while players are moving their units.

Your exact goal depends on the game's scorekeepers. Most games have at least one, some have several, and some have none. There are many kinds of scorekeepers, so be sure you know and understand what they are before getting too far into a game! If there are no scorekeepers at all, you can do whatever you like; any AIs playing in such a game will behave quite randomly. A game may last anywhere from a few turns to many hundreds. Again, this may be limited by the game design, or perhaps by the nature of the game. For instance, a game of oil empires might be forced to end when the world's oil supplies are exhausted...

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