This is version 1.4 of the Ancients modpack for Freeciv.

A modpack is a kit that allows you to play Freeciv with customized rules.
The Ancients modpack is designed to provide Freeciv with a flavor of the
pre-gunpowder era.  The current version focuses on the nations of
Mesopotamia, the Mediterranean, and surrounding regions.  Changes to the
Freeciv rulesets may make it possible to to give the modpack a more
world-wide outlook in the future.


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License:

This material is derived from material furnished by Freeciv, and therefore
falls under the GNU Public License.  See the file GPL in the Ancients kit
for more information.


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Requirements:

Version 1.5 of the Ancients modpack requires Freeciv 1.14 to work properly.


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Installing:

See the instructions in the separate file INSTALL.


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Using the modpack:

There are two PostScript diagrams of the technology tree in the kit, one
squished onto one page and one on two pages.  It is probably easier to read
the two-page version.  The tree may be helpful for you when you play,
since there are many differences from the standard game.

For network play, be sure the modpack is available both on the server and on
all the clients' systems.

Start the server normally, and issue the following commands:

	rulesetdir ancients
        
These server commands can be used in conjunction with most other server
commands that you want to use.

Optionally, the commands can be placed in a file and loaded automatically
with the server's -r command line option.  The file civserver-script.ancients
is an example for using the Ancients modpack.  Other server commands can be
added to the script if desired; see the Freeciv documentation for more details.

Start the clients with the command:

	civclient --tiles ancients

If you do not specify --tiles, then you will get the default tileset, which
will not make any sense as a representation for your units.


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Playing under the modpack:

It is VERY IMPORTANT to remember that you are not playing the standard
game.  The technology tree is different, and units, technologies, buildings,
and governments all have new characteristics.  Do not assume that things
work as before!

You can examine the technology tree by viewing the PostScript files that
are included with this kit.  Additional information is available under the
Help menu of the game client.

Certain aspects of maintaining your civilization will be difficult to manage,
and this is deliberate in the Ancients modpack.  You should often face tough
decisions between progress and survival, and you may find your research forced
to directions you did not want to take.  Learn to enjoy the challenge!  If you
continually feel that your civilization is teetering on the edge of chaos,
then I have designed the modpack well.

If you feel frustrated after playing under the modpack, start again and
pursue a different tech strategy.  This will often result in a completely
different style of game.  Units that seem worthless in one game will prove
to be quite valuable in the next.

Miscellaneous warnings:

 o The Ancient Democracy represents the government of Athens and its small
   empire during the Peloponnesian War.  This government type is unsuitable
   when you have more than a handful of cities; changing to it after your
   nation has grown large will have disastrous results.

 o The Petty Kingdom and Republic are suitable for medium-sized empires;
   you will need to change to Imperial Monarchy or the Principate to manage
   the largest empires.

 o The AI nations will periodically flood their continent with rampaging
   Levies.  This can be very hard on your budding civilization.  I have
   found that the more advanced Spear Phalanges, when fortified, provide a
   good defense against these hordes, so you might want to research Bronze
   Working early if you find yourself sharing a continent with AI nations.

 o All naval units in the game risk sinking if they do not end a turn
   adjacent to a shoreline.

 o The percent chance for diplomatic sabotage differs from the standard
   game as follows:
    - Military installations suffer only a 10% chance, since they will
      usually be guarded.
    - The palace and all wonders suffer a 1% chance, just to keep things
      interesting.
    - All others suffer a 50% chance.

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Known Bugs:

 o Freeciv's hard-coded calendar is very unsatisfactory for this modpack.
   It would be desirable to end the game around 1500 CE, but this would not
   provide enough turns.  I have put in a request for the maintainers to
   provide a more flexible calendar for Freeciv.  Meanwhile, go ahead and
   run the game up to the year 2000 or so, to get enough turns, but ignore
   the actual dates in the display.

 o The city display -apparently- does not always properly show all the
   shield support consumed by an excessive number of units.  For example,
   the production may show up as "8 (+4)" indicating that 4 shields are
   being consumed, while the Supported Units display only marks shields
   on three units.  So far as I can tell, the numbers are correct and the
   graphic shields are wrong.  (Has anyone seen this while not using a
   modpack?)

 o Boats are supposed to have a movement rate of 1, but are actually able
   to move 2.

 o The modpack uses many of the new customization features that have only
   recently been incorporated into Freeciv.  I have playtested the modpack
   as much as I can, and I will continue to "test" it by playing under it,
   so keep an ear to the Freeciv mailing list for announcements of fixes
   and other updates.  Meanwhile, please report any problems to the maintainers
   at the addresses below.


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Changes:

 o For v. 1.4
    - Added a draft splash screen.  (Needs better graphics!)
    - Added Armenia.
    - Other very minor tweaks to nations.ruleset.
    - Removed redundant .ps files.


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Maintainers:

	Bobby Bryant <bdbryant@mail.utexas.edu>
	Moses Lei    <mlei@symphony.dhs.org>

The modpack has a Web site at:

	http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/bdbryant/freeciv/ancients.html

Feel free to send feedback to the maintainers, or to discuss the modpack
on the Freeciv mailing list.

Bobby Bryant
10-Aug-2001
