MOVES 58

SCENARIOS & VARIANTS

EMPIRES FOR TWO

A Play System for General Application to the Scenarios

by James F. Epperson

Empires was well regarded at this year's awards ceremonies: It took both
an Origins Award and a Game Designer's Guild Award. Empires sells well
although (I think) not as well as it deserves. The nominal subject
probably deflects a good number of people who would really enjoy the
game if they'd just imagine that it's a science fictional or fantastic
continent instead of Europe. Perhaps when I get around to having most of
it transferred to microcomputer format, some of you footdraggers will
take up the scepter. - Redmond 

Empires of the Middle Ages, or just Empires for short, is one of those
dream games that comes along once in a very blue moon. It is original,
innovative, challenging, and best of all, one helluva lot of fun!
Unfortunately, a geat deal of that fun is lost when there are only two
or three people to play a scenario. The game loses much of its flavor
with each empire that is not active in the game. 

This article is an attempt to present a mechanism by which any of the
scenarios can be played by as few as two people, without losing all of
the multi-player flavor. The key idea is that those empires which are
not player-controlled still enter into the game, as empires. They may
either function as Independent Empires (operating according to a
standard procedure, sort of like a peaceful Magnate), or as
Allied Empires (controlled by one of the "live" players). The status of a
given Empire may change over the course of time, from Independent to
Allied and back, and even to Alliance with different players. Players
can gain or lose Victory Points due to the handling of their Alliances. 

[33.0] INDEPENDENT AND ALLIED EMPIRES 

COMMENTARY: 

These rules can be used whenever the number of Empires in a scenario is
greater than the number of available players. There are three kinds of
Empires: Player Empires, directly controlled by a player; Independent
Empires, which function according to a set program; and Allied Empires,
which are more or less controlled by the player with whom they are
allied. 

[33.1] COURSE OF PLAY 

[33.11] Every Empire listed in the scenario description is used in the
game. Exception: The Millenium Scenario (28.0) lists seven possible
empires, and there are only six different marker colors. Therefore, the
players may decide to eliminate one of the smaller empires from the
game. 

[33.12] The normal Sequence of Play is followed. The order of play is
determined as usual in the Initiative Determination Phase. Independent
Empires always take their turn as soon in the Round as possible; Allied
Empires choose spots according to the desires of the player to whom they
are allied. 

[33.13] All Empires, regardless of status (Player, Allied, or
Independent) use their own markers to indicate claims, ties, possessions
or conquests. The fact that one Empire is allied to a player does not
mean that that player "takes over" the Allied Empire as part of his own.

[33.2] INDEPENDENT EMPIRES 

[33.21] Independent Empires function according to a standard procedure
each turn. Although the procedure as given below is fairly inclusive, we
do not even hope to have covered every possible circumstance of play.
For this reason, it is suggested that a different player run each
Independent Empire each turn, and that this player's interpretations be
regarded as binding. Serious disputes can be resolved through diplomatic
parley. 

[33.22] The general course of action for an Independent Empire is as
follows: 1) draw and act upon Event Card; 2) tax, if possible; 3)
conduct four endeavors, if possible; 4) tax, if not possible in #2 and
possible now. 

[33.23] The general order of endeavors for an Independent Empire is as
follows: 1) Rule Areas in Unrest; 2) Rule other Areas; 3) Fortify; 4)
Conquest or Pillage. The specific rules governing endeavors for
Independent Empires are given in Case 33.24. Note that an Independent
Empire always saves one Year Card and two gold units for a Defensive
Endeavor, even if there is no one following the Independent in the Round
who could attack it. Independent Empires never conduct Diplomatic
Endeavors, although they do have Diplomatic Statutes. Furthermore,
Independent Empires always conduct Defensive Endeavors if they have the
necessary funds and Year Cards to do so. 

[33.24] Independent Empire Procedure 

A. Event Card: Draw the Event Card, which is immediately revealed to all
players. If it is the Missionary Fervor Card, it is replaced in the deck
and another card is drawn. If it is not a Holding Card, it is treated
normally and all effects of it should be duly noted (see below for
special effects of the Leader Dies Heirless Card); if it is a Holding
Card, it is kept and played as soon as possible. Since only three cards
may be kept at any one time, discards will have to be made of unplayed
cards; those cards held longest are discarded first, regardless of
content. 

Holding Cards which are played and kept (like the Tactical Systems or
Enlargement of King's Personal Demise Cards) are never discarded so long
as there are any unplayed cards still held by the Independent Empire. 

B. Taxation: If there exists at least one Area in the Independent
Empire, besides the Court Area, which may be profitably taxed at a
rebellion value of one or less, then all such Areas, including the
Court, are now taxed for the maximum gold which can be obtained for a
rebellion value of one or less. If the Court is the only Area which
meets the above criterion, or if no other Area does, then taxation is
postponed until after endeavors are conducted. Independent Empires never
plunder. 

C. Endeavors: The choice of endeavors to be attempted is made by
following the decision flow chart below. Note that only four endeavors
are ever attempted, sometimes less. The last Year Card is saved for a
Defensive Endeavor, even if there are no Empires that follow play next
in the Round. The manner in which gold may be spent to increase
Effectiveness Ratings is given below, as outlined in Case 33.25. 

To determine what endeavors are attempted, the following series of steps
is followed four times in succession; the result, each time, will be the
next endeavor to be attempted. 

1. Has the Empire been attacked since its last turn? If so, attempt a
Fortification Endeavor in one of the Areas which was attacked.
("Attacked" means either a Pillage or Conquest Endeavor from a Raider,
Magnate, or other Empire.) . 

2. Is there Unrest in the Empire? If so, attempt a Ruling Endeavor in
one of the Areas in unrest. 

3. Are any Areas at less than maximum possible Social State? 1f so,
attempt a Ruling Endeavor in one such Area. 

4. Are any Areas totally without Fortification? If so, attempt a
Fortification Endeavor in an unfortified Area. 

5. Do any Areas have Fortifications of only Level 2? If so, attempt a
Fortification Endeavor in such an Area. 

6. Is there gold to pay for a Conquest Endeavor? If so, a Conquest
Endeavor is attempted, with the target being picked as though the
Independent Empire were a Magnate. 

7. Attempt a Pillage Endeavor. Pick the target as though the Independent
Empire were a Magnate. Any gold is collected. 

Note that the endeavors are only "attempted." It is, of cpurse, possible
that the first endeavor called for by the above steps will be
impossible: The Empire may not have sufficient gold to fortify, or may
not have the Administrative Stature to rule with a high enough
Effectiveness Rating, etc. If this is the case, then return to the
series of steps above, at the step after the one which called for the
impossible endeavor. Example: If the Empire had just been attacked, but
had no gold at all, then it could not pay for the Fortification Endeavor
called for by Step 1; therefore, play would proceed to step 2, and if
necessary, step 3, and so forth. 

In an extreme case, it may be that the Empire will be unable to do
anything whatsoever. Simply save the Year Cards for possible leader
stature checks at the end of the Round, and proceed to the next
Player-Turn; Independent Empires are not bound by the normal requirement
that at least one endeavor be attempted. 

If there is more than one possible target for an endeavor, then choose
the one Area most like the Court Area of the Empire as target; if
thereare still multiple targets, resolve the situation by means of a die
roll. 

D. Second Taxation: If the Empire were unable to tax at Step B above,
then it taxes now, using the same criteria. 

[33.25] Gold is spent to raise the Effectiveness Ratings for endeavors
according to the following schedule. If the basic (i.e., pre-gold)
Effectiveness Rating is less than +1, then gold is spent to raise it to
+1, but no higher; if the basic Effectiveness Rating is greater than +1
but less than +5, then gold is spent to raise it to +5, but no higher;
if the basic Effectiveness Rating is greater than +5 but less than +8,
then gold is spent to raise it to +8, but no higher. The gold is always
spent, if available, except that two gold units are always saved to pay
for a Defensive Endeavor. 

[33.26] Independent Empires are subject to stature checks in the normal
fashion. 

[33.27] Independent Empires may vote in parleys. Their votes are
controlled by the real players, according to dice rolls, For each
Independent Empire, each player rolls two dice and adds his Diplomatic
Stature; the player with the highest total gets the votes of that
Independent Empire. The dice rolling is done for each individual issue
being voted upon in the parley. 

[33.28] It is not at all uncommon for an Independent Empire to be an
interested party in a parley. For example, a player could attempt to
gain a claim to one of the Independent's Areas. In this and similar
cases the Independent votes its own self-interest, regardless of Case
33.27. 

[33.29] If an Independent Empire is forced to move its Court Area, then
it chooses the Area of appropriate language and religion which has the
highest total of population plus maximum possible Social State. If the
Court cannot be relocated, see Case 33.6. 

[33.3] ALLIED EMPIRES 

[33.31] Allied Empires are controlled by the player with whom they are
allied. (See 33.4 for procedure on how to gain and lose alliances.) That
player conducts the Player-Turn for his Allied Empires just as if he
were playing them himself. Each Allied Empire has its own spot in the
rotation of play during which the controlling player conducts its turn;
he may tax as he wishes, conduct endeavors as he wishes (using, of
course, the stature of the leader of the Allied Empire, and not his
own), and, in short, do all that a player of a "normal" Empire might do.

[33.32] Deals may be made between a player and his Allies and even
between two of his Allies at his behest, but they are strictly
regulated. Gold may only change hands if it is being used to pay the
direct costs of an endeavor, or as directed below. (Gold from an Ally
may never be used to pay endeavor costs for the player's own Empire.)
Claims and Areas may be exchanged, but on a strict one-for-one basis: a
claim for a claim, an Area for an Area; an Area which is claimed and
possessed may only he exchanged for another Area which is also claimed
and possessed. When Areas are traded, any difference in Social State is
made up in gold; if an Area in unrest is involved in a trade, the Empire
receiving it obtains an extra five gold units as compensation. 

[33.33] Allied Empires undergo stature checks in the normal fashion.
Such checks may affect the status of the alliance, however; see Case
33.4. 

[33.4] GAINING AND LOSING ALLIED EMPIRES 

[33.41] Allied Empires are gained by conducting Diplomatic Endeavors
against the Court Area of an Independent Empire. (This is an exception
to Case 12.12.) The process is similar to conquest in that, in general,
several ties will be needed to gain the Alliance. The number of ties
required is equal to the maximum possible Social State of the Court,
plus the population value, using a population of "one" for all Areas of
smaller population. Note: The actual Social State of the Court is not
important - the maximum possible is. A standard Diplomatic Endeavor is
carried out, using all appropriate modifiers; a "C" result counts as
enough ties to reach the maximum number required for Alliance. Note that
these diplomatic ties are against the Court of the Empire, not that
particular Area. So, if the Court of the Empire is moved to another
Area, the ties move with it. The number of ties held by any one player
does not change when this move happens, even though the number needed
for alliance might change. 

[33.42] An Independent Empire may not play a Diplomatic Coup Holding
Card to remove ties against its Court. However, a player may use such a
card to remove ties against the Court Area of one of his Allied Empires.
The Card must have been drawn by the player's Empire. 

[33.43] If one player is allied to a given Empire, and a second player
obtains the requisite number of diplomatic ties, there is no immediate
change in the status of the original alliance. However, the second
player may, at his whim, subtract two from the Effectiveness Rating of
any endeavor attempted by the Allied Empire. Moreover, he will be in a
position to acquire the Allied Empire for his own should a stature check
occur (see 33.44). 

[33.44] If a stature check is made on a non-player Empire (i.e.,
Independent or Allied), the status of the Empire may be changed. Each
player having sufficient ties to qualify for an alliance rolls two dice,
adding his Diplomatic Stature to the result; a similar die roll is made
on behalf of the non-player Empire. The player with the highest total
retains/acquires the non-player Empire as an Ally, and continues that
Empire's turn. If the non-player Empire itself has the highest total,
then it retains/acquires Independent status, and the turn is completed
via the procedure of 33.24. 

[33.45] If a non-player Empire draws a Leader Dies Heirless card, then a
different process is employed. Each player having any ties to the
Empire's Court now rolls two dice, adding in his own Diplomatic Stature
and the number of ties he has, and subtracting twelve. The result is the
number of ties he now has to the Court, up to the maximum of the number
required for alliance; the negative results are treated as zero. If,
after all this is done, any players have enough ties to qualify for an
alliance, then 33.44 is used to determine which, if any of them, gains
the alliance. 

[33.46] Players may spend gold to improve their dice rolls in either of
Cases 33.44 and 33.45, but the amount to be spent must be secretly
declared prior to any dice rolls being made. 

[33.47] If a player goes through a stature cheek and emerges with a
lower Diplomatic Stature as a result, then the status of each of his
alliances is checked using Case 33.44 

[33.48] If a player draws a Leader Dies Heirless card, then he loses all
alliances (since he loses all ties). Any other players who possess
enough ties to his (former) allies may then attempt (via 33.44) to gain
these alliances. 

[33.49] Alliance may be voluntarily terminated at any time by the player
involved. 

[33.5] VICTORY POINTS 

Clearly, players must be judged on how well they manage their allies,
else they will just suck them dry. Accordingly, whenever a player
acquires an alliance, the current Victory Point total for that Empire is
noted, as of the instant the alliance takes effect. When the alliance is
terminated, any change in Victory Points is added directly to the
player's own Victory Point total. Thus, if his allies go down in Victory
Points, so will he, and vice versa. 

[33.6] DEMISE OF EMPIRES 

[33.61] If an Independent Empire ever loses its Court Area and is unable
to establish a new one, then it must either be granted asylum by some
player, or cease to exist entirely. If more than one player wishes to
grant asylum, a procedure similar to 33.45 is used: each player adds his
Diplomatic Stature, number of ties to the Independent's Court (before it
was lost, of course), and the result of rolling two dice. The player
with the highest total is able to grant asylum to the Independent
Empire, and necessarily gains an alliance to the Empire in exile. This
is treated in all respects as a normal alliance, but the rules governing
exile apply in full force (see Section 21.0). 

[33.62] An alliance to an Empire in exile is represented by granting the
player Empire which has the alliance a number of diplomatic ties
sufficient to gain an alliance to the last Court of the Empire now in
exile. When the Allied Empire leaves exile, this is the number of ties
which the player Empire has to the new Court. It thus behooves the
player Empire to so arrange things that the new Court does not require
too many ties for an Alliance! 

[33.63] If an Allied Empire loses its Court and cannot establish a
legitimate new Court, then the player to whom the Empire is allied has a
choice: either grant asylum to his ally, or voluntarily terminate the
alliance, thus letting 33.61 take effect. 

[33.64] If no one wishes to grant asylum to an Independent Empire, then
the Empire is more or less dismantled and removed from the game. All of
its claims, however, do remain in place. If a Magnate ever appears in an
Area of the same language and religion as the Court of the "dead"
Empire, and if this Area was ever possessed by the "dead" Empire, then
instead of a Magnate the original Empire reappears. Leader Statutes are
determined as though from a Stature Check on a 3-3-3, and six gold units
are placed in the Empire's treasury. 

The original purpose behind the development of these rules was to allow
two friends to play any of the scenarios without having so much extra
space on the map. It makes a great deal of difference to the German
player that Burgundy, France, Denmark, and Poland are real,
semi-coherent Empires on his borders, rather than just more areas to
conquer and rule. This difference becomes acutely obvious when the
Byzantine gains alliances with some of his neighbors. It makes for a
much more interesting game, even with only two players. 

There are two reasons for gaining alliances: one, to do nasty things to
your live opponents; and two, to get cheap Victory Points because almost
any fool can run an Empire better than the above procedure allows. In
most cases, the Independent Empires will cycle through good times and
bad, depending on the luck of the draw and geography (it's tough to be
in the Western Mediterranean when the Saracens are active), but they
will rarely expand much. Under the more flexible management that a
player can provide, however, it is quite possible that these smaller
Empires can bloom rather nicely. Of course, it is in your opponent's
interest to see that your ventures with your allies fail, and fail
miserably. 

The procedure is by no means perfect, and may not even be complete
(hence 33.21), but it is the best compromise between efficiency and
simplicity that could be had, 

It should be fairly obvious that gaining alliances is not easy. A lot of
ties are required, since the Court Areas tend to be the more prosperous,
heavily populated ones. It is for this reason that "C" results give the
whole ball of wax. Also, note that when a non-player Empire draws a
Leader Dies Heirless card, then anyone with any ties has a chance at
getting an alliance. It thus may pay to establish at least one tie with
each possible Court. 

I'd like to thank Mr. Jamie Adams for his assistance with this project.
 
NB submitted by John Kula (kula@telus.net)
on behalf of the Strategy Gaming Society
(http://www.boardgamegeek.com/~sgs), 
originally collected by Andrew Webber 
(gbm@wwwebbers.com)