From: Lutz Pietschker Subject: Age of Exploration replay report here is a report of some journeys I did with Age of Exploration (Tim Jim/Prism Games) on one rainy and windy April afternoon in my caravan. This was a solitaire session to get acquainted with the rules, not a race for victory points (the results were miserable, in fact). Explorers were drawn at random. The numbers are turn numbers. "Move" is synonymous to "progess" (one space if not noted otherwise), "change" denotes a status change along an arrow, directions are compass directions (N=North, E=East etc.). The keywords "discovery" amd "rumors" point to the draw of a (D) resp. (R) card. Magellan's First (and only) Journey ----------------------------------- 1. Set out with my fleet of 3 caravelas, 3 crew and 3 provisions, some trade goods to placate any natives we may find, and a fervent missionary to strengthen our resolve. May God be with us on this journey. (Change to sea) 2. Ride before a storm, move 2 but damage one ship. We are SE of the Azores now, still in known waters. 3. Some cases of scurvy. We are down to 2 provisions. Move west- we are on the edge of the Unknown now. Change to Azores to repair ship. 4. Stay to fill up provisions to 3. 5. Some cases of disease are noted just off the coast, some casualties, only 2 crew left. Always the same when your crew enter those tourist dens! Change to sea. 6. Again cases of scurvy. If only we knew what causes this affliction! 2 provisions left. We move 1 westward, into unknown waters. 7. Storm again, run with it (move 2, W + SW) but again 1 ship is damaged. I feel we are near coastal waters now. 8. Storm. Batten down hatches and ride with the waves. Everything wet. I am sick as a parrot. 9. The crew gets nervous. A speech by me and some prayer sessions with our missionary do the trick and placate them. 10. We discovered land! (Change to Carribean coastal waters) 11. (Capitano Luciano continues the narrative:) We stumbled upon a feast of natives- the meat over the fires looked horribly human (cannibals). Hasty negotiations and the offer of trade goods does not impress them- Magellan and 1 crew went into their stew pots. As second in command I take over. Consolidated ships, left with 2 ships and 2 crew. Move southward. We are off another coast now. 12. No events. Move SE, land (change to CB1). Fill up provisions to 3. 13. We encounter friendly natives but in negotiating fail to make sense of their friendly babbling. But we discover pearls! Change to coastal waters again. 14. Our over-zealous priest seriously angered the natives by waggling his cross in a manner they must have thought hostile. In the ensuing combat we lose 1 crew. Change to sea. 15. Storm again. Lash everything in place and wait. No damage. 16. Same as before. Nasty region, or season. 17. Still no change in weather. Everything wet and cold. One could nearly envy poor old Magellan, simmering away in his warm cauldron. 18. The crew is afraid but can easily be brought to sense again. Move 1 eastward. 19. Quiet progress east. 20. Again, cases of scurvy. provisions down to 2, move East-Southeast. 21. Continuing scurvy. Down to last provisions. A move eastward brings us into sight of land. Change to coastal waters of Capverde Islands. Take up provisions. 22. Change to sea again. 23. Eventless journey now, move to NW. 24. Talk about eventless- a hurricane hits the flotilla. We ride it out without damage, but make no progress. 25. Cases of scurvy. Again down to last provisions. Move N, are now (probably) south of Madeira. 26. A short attack of panic that we are lost proves unfounded. Move eastward and change back to Europe. Home, sweet home! Reporting to the court: Sighted a new world (1 nod from the king), reported 1st landfall (another nod), delivered pearls to His Majesty (enthusiastic nod) (3 nods = 3VP). Cartographers hurry to enter 2 "land sighted" marks on their maps (both off the Carribean Sea). The known waters in the northern seaway to the new world are extended 2 spaces to the West. The King demands that a new expedition be fitted out. A young capitano named Columbus is promoted to commodore. 7 credits are granted to him, 2 of those for the extension of known waters by the previous expedition and 3 for the other accomplishments (as acknowledged by the royal nods). A new expedition is fitted out: 3 sturdy caravelas, fully laden with 3 crew and 4 provisions. Also on board is Magellan's rutter. Thus starteth... Columbus' First Voyage ("Go North-West, Young Man!") ---------------------------------------------------- 1. The flotilla launches to the sea area off Jamaica and uses up 1 provision in the progress. No news about Carribean bases so far. 2. Cases of scurvy, fleet is down to 2 provisions. Move to NE, out to last known sea area. 3. Eventless journey to NW. 4. Again, a move to NW without incidents worth mentioning. 5. The crew is afraid and threatens mutiny. No words or pleads can change their minds and I must promise to return. Move to SE. News about a new base in Hispaniola are received- just about time, eh? 6. No event, crew is quiet again. Move to SW again and change to Carribean coast. 7. Negotiations with friendly natives for gold fail. Change to Hispaniola base and report to the Viceroy. Nothing much to report this time, except an extension of known sea space to the north-west. The Viceroy is not pleased, only grants 4 credits to fit out a new expedition and on top of that demands that the outfitting stock be re-shuffled. No friendly nods this time. The new expedition is formed on the spot to get out of sight of officialdom: 1 caravela with 2 crew, 2 provisions, the rutter, a missionary and a couple of soldiers (who may have their own reasons to want to leave Hispaniola). This is the start of... Columbus' Second Trip (the "Jamaican Spree") ------------------------------------------------- 1. Leave the ship without any crew at Hispaniola, 2 crew (who carry 1 provision each) and soldiers at a land expedition. Meet friendly natives, but negotiations have no result. Collect 1 provision (carried by soldiers). Rumors of gold are heard (place marker in CB2). 2. A rival conquistador challenges Columbus. After negotiations fail, Columbus holds his own in a duel. Ha! Didn't know he could fight, too. 3. Hostile natives, but no immediate damage. Lose 1 provision for a move westward. Flip rumor counter- this has been low-grade grapevine. 4. A cavalry demonstration seems to impress the natives, but subsequent negotiations have no result. 5. Seems we are lost in the jungle- no, I just checked, we are not, just the map held upside down. Pooh! Lose 1 provision. 6. Negotiations with friendly natives yield no result, but gold is discovered (carried by soldiers). 7. An interpreter offers his services but in the end declines to go with the expedition. Discovered another gold! Move back to Hispaniola and end the expedition. The report of the first gold from the New World evokes another royal nod. Together with the 2 gold delivered to the authorities this gives a credit of 5 for a new attempt. A new expedition is fitted out in Hispaniola with 2 sturdy caravelas, 3 crew and 3 provisions, and forth sets.... Columbus' Third Excursion ("To King and Country") ------------------------------------------------- 1. Launch expedition into coastal waters. No events. 2. Still no events. Travel the Carribean to NW, off Florida. 3. An ambush is avoided by skilled seamanship, and a channel is discovered. Progress to N. 4. Hostile natives show up, but leave again without doing damage. A bay is discovered and then the ships move N again. Change to land (NA1, New York?). 5. Gold found; skilled negotiation enables me to take it on board. Change to coastal waters again. 6. Mutiny! At last, the unruly elements of the crew prevail, probably lured by the promise of more gold. 1 ship lost, only 2 crew remain. 7. No event, move to NE (off Newfoundland). 8. Hostile natives, but no damage. Discover Hudson Bay and move NW into the bay. Wrestle with marine fate (reshuffle deck). 9. Found an uninhabitated isle and discovered St. Lawrence River. Moving E again with the solitary ship and change to sea. 10. Fast journey now, move 2 to SE. We are back in known waters now! 11. Still the winds are very favourable. Move 2 E. We are now SW of the Azores again. 12. Another fine day. Move E. 13. Ditto. 14. Crew is afraid but is easily satisfied when they are told that we are near Spain again. Move east and change to Europe. Home again! Cartographers note that the known sea now is extended to North America (place "Land Sighted" marker). The first reports of a river and a bay cause a friendly royal nod each, and one more follows for confirming the first landfall in North America. Ample credit is given for this journey: 10 altogether, including 3 for the reported features, 2 for the extension of known seas, 2 more for the channel reported, and 1 for the gold delivered. Off to new adventures! The Pacific coast awaits European eyes, thinks Columbus, transfers to Hispaniola, gets himself 3 carracks, the old (and by now rather moldy) rutter, 3 crew, 3 provisions, trade goods, a missonary, a platoon of cavalry, the inevitable missionary and goes on... Columbus' Fourth Travel ----------------------- 1. Launch from Hispaniola to the E. 2. No special events today, move south. Sun is blazing. Time to get to Panama to buy a hat. 3. Encountered friendly natives, but with no more success than mutual grins and nods. Discovered a river but do not want to stay here. Move west. 4. A huricane in coastal waters is not an easy thing, and one carrack is damaged in my move westward. Change to land at the coast of Panama. 5. Starvation brings provisions down to 2. I form a land expedition, leaving 1 crew and 1 provisions behind with the ships. Everything else is packed and taken along. 6. Gold? One provision is gained and traded for a move south, though rumors of gold are reported from the northern regions. No gold found yet, but I set my eyes on the Pacific ocean! Ah, the beauty! the sun, the beach, the surfers, the bikini girls... 7. Hostile natives make trouble. Gold discovered, and I decide to trade 1 provision for a move north. The expedition is living off the land now. 8. An ambush costs one crew section. I decide to slaughter the horses for provisions and trade them for a move north, to the source of the rumors of gold (flip the rumors marker). 9. A disease kills off the other crew section. I have to abandon the trading goods because I can no longer carry them. 10. Friendly natives appear, but negotiations yield no result. We stay. 11. The scene repeats itself. 12. The natives become hostile (have we been their guests too long?). No damage, but no progress either. 13. The natives are friendly again, but this does not help us at all. 14. Neither does it help that they turn against us and become hostile again. We still have to stay put. 15. No change in the situation. Life is miserable in the jungle. 16. We try to impress the natives with a gun demonstration. They are shocked, and some of them join the expedition as porters. 17. We encounter warring tribes, but there is no change in our overall situation. 18. An ambush again! So one gun demo was not sufficient, it seems. A feat of personal arms saves my skin, and I trade the remaining provisions for a move eastwards. I am glad to see that 2 ships are still where I left them. The gold is loaded, and the porters and I embark. 19. An interpreter (Carribean-Spanish-Carribean, more than 1000 words) decides to join us. I declare that the expedition will return now and change to coastal waters. 20. A quiet passage to the East. 21. Another quiet day, another move eastwards. 22. Ambushed again, I lose my last crew section and run the ships with only a few hands now. No progress. 23. A storm surprises us. Running before it, I lose 1 ship but move north and can change back to Hispaniola. What a journey! Not many of us returned, and luck stood between me and an unmarked grave a few times. But the gold is brought back safely. I report to the Viceroy in Hispaniola again, and again he is not too pleased but then he may be just an old grumbler. After all, the report of the South-American river and especially of the first view of the Pacific coast should be worth two royal nods (and the next expedition would start with 7 credits)! Columbus is not satisfid and decides to take a break. Which is as well because I just finished my last can of beer and have to go and find new supplies :-) Cheers, -- Lutz Pietschker Berlin, Germany