From: johnson@ferret.cig.mot.com (Brad Johnson) Description: Re: History of the World History of the World Variant -- "Simultaneous" Empire Play ---------------------------------------------------------- Instead of having each empire "stride colossus-like across the world", only to be instantly replaced by the next empire, try playing all of the empires in a single epoch pseudo-simultaneously. This would change when you get victory points and how many you can expect. While it may not really be terribly historically accurate, the rest of the game certainly takes liberties with history as well. (This can also cut down on those long between-turn gaps too.) 1) For each epoch, after empires are distributed, the first empire in the normal chronological list first plays 0, 1, or 2 event cards that must be played before his turn begins. Event cards that may be played any time during your turn may still be played at any time your empire is ACTIVE. The first empire then places its units in its start land. If it has a capital, the capital is placed and any required retreats are carried out normally. The empire may then place 1 to 3 armies in its start land, plus a fort (or fortress), if desired. All units still cost the normal amount of strength points. 2) Then, before the first empire can expand any further, the next empire (chronologically) places the units it desires in its start land in the same way. Repeat this with all empires in chronological order. 3) After all empires have been started, the first empire again becomes active, and may now attempt to expand into ONE adjacent land, sea, or ocean, using normal expansion and combat rules.attempt only ONE attack, whether successful or not. If successful, the active empire may immediately "garrison" the newly acq(or fortress), if desired. During its turn, the active empire may also increase the garrison of any lands it currently occupies, up to the stacking limits. Regardless, the active empire may NOT attempt to ATTACK any other location until its turn comes around again. 4) Continue to repeat this procedure with all empires in chronological order until all empires have exhausted their strength points or have terminated their empires' expansion (see rule #9). 5) When an empire's turn comes around, if it has no remaining strength points with which to buy more units, or has already been terminated, its turn at being active is skipped. 6) All normal restrictions on unit purchase are still handled normally. (For example, if an empire has navigation, it must still buy and attempt to place at least one fleet sometime during the epoch, if possible.) 7) As soon as an empire acquires the second in a new pair of resource lands, it must IMMEDIATELY build a monument in a legal space, with the normal priorities (i.e. capital first, if possible, then cities, if possible, then resource lands). If no legal space without an already existing monument is found, no new monument may be built. 8) When an empire's turn comes around, if it no longer controls any lands on the board from which to expand but it still has remaining strength points, it can only attempt to attack back into its normal start land. NOTE: This is NOT a normal start. The empire does NOT get a new capital, and does not get an automatic retreat to clear the space. It must ATTACK to get back in. The defender in the space does not get any difficult terrain bonuses, but does get to use a fort (or fortress) in that space. Normal conquest rules also apply. 9) Upon completing any active turn of his own empire, a player may declare that his empire's expansion is terminated. At that time, the player may count his victory points for that epoch, subject to the normal victory point counting rules. Any strength points remaining for that empire may only be used to fortify or garrison spaces that are already held; the empire may expand no further. A player MUST count his victory points as soon as his empire's strength points run out, but he MAY terminate his empire and count victory points earlier, if he so chooses. A player may only count his victory points by terminating the expansion of his empire, and he may only count victory points once per epoch. 10) If a player plays a Minor Empire event card at the beginning of his turn, the minor empire is active at the same time that the player's normal empire is active. The player may make one expansion attempt with the minor empire IN ADDITION to his one attempt with his normal empire, either before OR after the normal empire's move. The minor empire is still considered completely separate from the main empire for all purposes, but the minor empires's expansion must be terminated must be terminated on or before the termination of the main empire. Victory points are NOT counted when the minor empire terminates, unless the main empire terminates at the same time. Brad Johnson (johnson@cig.mot.com)