Subject: Re: AH: New World From: GREG SCHLOESSER Tenniel wrote: > Could someone send me a review of this game please I'd suggest checking out the Game Cabinet to see if there are any reviews there. In the absence of that, I will attempt to give a brief synopsis of the game ... but it has been over 2 years since I last played it. The game is a simplified version of Conquistador (which was published by SPI then Avalon Hill). Players represent various European nations in the age of exploration and must outfit expeditions, sail and discover the new world, then successfully and profitably colonize the new found areas. Along the way they must deal with hostile natives, the elements, and their opponents. First off, the game has a strong economic element as players must manage their limited finances successfully. Ships & military must be purchased and maintained each turn, while colonists appear free of charge. Income primarily comes from the resources ripped from the new world in the form of mines, crops, etc. Gold from mines can be lucrative, but the mines must first me discovered. Unfortunately, they are usually located in inhospitable areas filled with angry natives. Once discovered, the gold must be mined each turn AND shipped back to Europe. Plus, there is always the threat of the mine depleting each turn. Attrition is tough as the elements tend to take their toll on the colonists & solders. This requires a steady stream of new men to be sent to the colonies each year. Further, unless the natives are pacified by a large military presence, they have a tendency of uprising and slaughtering the hapless peasants. The ultimate objective is to secure political control over areas. This is done by a combination of colonists & soldiers in an area with the natives pacified. The game ends once a player achieves political control over 5 (if I remember correctly) areas OR if the end of the time record chart is reached. Sailing the high seas is not without its perils. The further a player sails during a turn, the more dangerous it is and the more likely he will lose ships (and whatever they are carrying) to sea perils. These perils must be traversed on journeys both to and from the new world. Players can also contest other players actions and presence militarily. The game uses a rather simple .. and bizarre .. combat system, but it works OK for this game. Options include pirates and discovering the land as you go by a system of face-down tiles being flipped up as they are discovered. I rather enjoyed the game, but in spite of its simplification versus Conquistador, I still found it rather long (sometimes more than 8 hours to play). I certainly look forward to playing it again soon. Hope this helps! Greg J. Schloesser The Westbank Gamers: http://home.earthlink.net/~gschloesser/