Ancient World
Created by: Ryan Fickes
Variant Description:
The Ancient World is an eight-player Diplomacy variant based on the empires that dominated the Mediterranean area during ancient history. The powers are Rome, Carthage, Gaul, Greece, Egypt and Persia. Lying in wait in the north are the two Barbarian powers, the Scythian and Germanic Hordes.
Much emphasis has been placed on the playability of the variant. As for its historical accuracy, the game depicts a period of history which is quite broad - not a single point in time. The rules are consistent with the normal rules of Diplomacy, with some minor exceptions due to the geography of the area.
Variant Rules:
VICTORY CRITERIA
40 supply centers total, 21 supply centers to win.
IMPASSABLE SPACES
Any areas that are not named on the board are not passable. The Atlantic
Ocean can not be occupied by any units.
ISLANDS
Islands are distinct spaces. An island may be occupied by an army or a fleet.
Each island has one continuous coast, therefore a fleet on an island may move
to any space adjacent to it. For example, a fleet could move from the
Egyptian Sea to Crete in one turn, and then move to the Aegean Sea in the
next turn.
ATHENS PORTAGE
Athens works as a canal province, similar to Kiel in a standard game. (The logic being that the boats could be lifted up out of the water by a combination of slaves/work animals and portaged across the peninsula.) There is only a single coast, and fleet movement from Athens is allowed either east into Aegaeum Mare or west into Ionian Sea.
GAME CHRONOLOGY
The Ancient World game begins in the year 220 BC. The years are counted backwards - so the second game year is 219 BC, the third game year 218 BC and so on.
Starting Positions:
The initial board placement is as follows:
Carthage:
a Sagentum
a Cartenna
f Carthaga
Egypt:
a Memphis
a Thebes
f Alexandria
Gaul:
a Burdigala
a Lugdunum
f Lutetia
Greece:
a Pella
a Athens
f Sparta
Persia:
a Nineveh
a Antiochia
f Attaleia
Rome:
a Aqualeia
a Genoa
a Roma
f Neapolis
Germanic Hordes
a Alisa
a Biskupin
f Treva
Scythian Hordes
a Gelonus
a Maikop
f Kul Oba
