Conan of Aquilonia, version 0.00001,
by Steve "Peaster" Hudson, for Civ2MGE, August 2003.

Play Aquilonia. Do not change any city or king names.
You should get at least one text message within the first 10-12 turns.
Some of these messages contain major info. 

Robert E Howard (born in Peaster, Texas) wrote the original Conan stories in the 1930's. In this secenario, Conan, a barbarian from 
the icy wastes of Cimmeria, has just taken the throne of mighty Aquilonia. For years, the Picts, also barbarians, have raided Aquilonian towns along the northern and western borders, such as 
Veletrium and Gunderland. They are aided by strange abominations,
driven on by some greater power... Also, Aquilonia has no friends among the other kingdoms, and is at peace only with little Argos, mainly a naval power. 

To the south lies wealthy Zingara, not a major threat to Aquilonia, but 
well-defended, both by the living and the dead. To the east lie mighty Nemedia and the mysterious desert country of Zamora. Stygia is "the Serpent of the South". Its army may be ill-equipped, but it welds terrible arcane powers. For more about the Hyborian World, you can read my hyboria.txt file. Or even better - read the books!

Ideally, your goal is to conquer this world, including 9 specific centers of power. The time limit of 150 turns may make that impossible, but you can win a marginal victory with 6 of the 9 objectives, and a decisive victory with 8. 

You have time for city developments, Wonders, and tech advances to pay off. Conan depended on strong warriors and horsemen more than spies, merchants or wizards. One of your objectives lies across the southern seas, so you may eventually need decent naval tech ... from one source or another. ;)

There are a few special destinations where you might need your Conan unit, and your wits, to succeed. Text messages from your scouts and generals will describe (just once!) some of these areas, and maybe some of your options. Your Conan unit is pretty tough, and can recover from amazingly horrible wounds. He can lead the charge (but remember - he is still mortal).


Acknowledgements:: I was very impressed by the following scenarios:

  LOTR, by H Thompson
  Imperium Romanum, by BeBro
  (many), by J Balsinde
  Underdark, by Mr Temba

I have blatantly ripped-off ideas and unit graphics from them - and probably also from some other older scenarios (eg Dungeon, by Blacklove; Midgard, etc). The unusual events.txt is my own, though FavFly did such things before me in his ROTK. Maybe half the unit and Wonders graphics are mine. The title.gif is a bad copy of the cover art from "People of the Black Circle" (and the Yimsha objective is loosely based on that story). I have refered many times to Vincent Darlange's excellent Conan website for well-organized info about Conan's world.
For now, I can only thank my play testers in advance.

And now, you can PLAY!

*****************************************************
DO NOT READ PAST THIS LINE UNLESS YOU WANT HELP !!! 
*****************************************************
 
STRATEGY

Defend the west until the Pictish raids lessen, and eventually attack south and east. Kozaks work well against the wolves in the northern plains. Legions serve better against the Hordes at Veletrium. Use Conan as you like (I prefer Jerida). You can also go after the Pictish villages if you don't waste too much time and units. Be very cautious about killing holy men (hermits) from ANY civ, or you may be cursed. Also, certain sites are guarded by "ancestor spirits", which are very hard to defeat in direct battle. Try to dispell them or avoid them. 

Only your Conan unit (and maybe a few latecomers) will be able to attack aerial units, such as Sorcerers or Thoth Amon. This is one of his main purposes. Conan has multi-lives (like Gandalf in Thompson's LOTR scenario), so be bold, be bold, but not TOO bold. Your other units will suffer against shamans and sorcerers.

TECH and UNITS

Aim for Heavy Cavalry and Bossonians ASAP, or maybe seige weapons. If you plan to attack the Tower, on the Isle of the Black Ones, you'll need a strong naval unit to get there and back, either via research, or via Argos. But ships are not very urgent. 

You'll get a few unique units that you should take care of. At the start, only two of your cities can make Black Legions and Wolves. Don't change those productions until you've got enough - you can't change back. Diplomats/Spies are common in Argos and Zamora but will be VERY scarce in Aquilonia. Conan never invited wizards to tea, and you probably shouldn't research necromantic advances either.

WONDERS - 

You won't have time to build many yourself. But foreign lands have a few that could benefit a new owner, directly or via events.

You don't have to follow the path hinted at in the text messages, though that should help. I have play-tested the scenario mainly assuming conquests in roughly this order: 1) Stabilize vs Picts, 2) Conquer Zingara (Jerida, then Malaca, then Kordava), 3) Develope horses and/or steel, and attack Nemedia [hopefully you'll find Python and a way to take it], 4) take Zamora, [including Yimsha, using the Conan unit] 5) invade Stygia, taking Luxor first. Then final battle with Thoth Amon at Khajar. If you can build Decimeres (or maybe even Penteres), assault the Isle of the Black Ones. You can hope for peace with Argos, and try somehow to get her naval tech, but if Argos attacks you ... 

good luck!
