Xconq version 7 is not directly compatible with any previous version of Xconq, although most of the basic game concepts remain unchanged. If you've played Xconq before, you should have little trouble getting used to the differences.
If you've designed any games (periods, maps, or scenarios)
for version 5, you will discover many changes.
Version 5 of Xconq
used a mix of crude fixed-format syntax and a simple postfix language
for game designs (which were then called "periods").
This version has changed too radically to be able to read
any of the old period, map, or scenario files.
In fact, version 7 eliminates the formal distinctions
between "period", "map", and "scenario".
Therefore, if you have old Xconq files,
you should invest the time to convert.
You may even discover that some of the new features of Xconq provide
a better solution to your design problems.
(The shell scripts per2game, map2game, and
scn2game will help you get started on conversion;
you can find them in the misc directory.)