OVERALL DESIGNER'S NOTES 

IMPERIALISM 1870

by Phenix Benton


During the latter half of the 19th century, the European and other imperial powers acquired the 
industrial and technological might to stretch out their collective hand and partition the world 
between them. As noted by other authors of the period, this wasn't so much due to the weapons 
technology by itself, but by the manufacturing processes that emerged and to other highly 
significant developments. During the centuries prior to 1850, the tropical regions had been 
rightly termed the "white man's grave" because of the lethality of endemic tropical diseases. 
Expansion into the tropical regions by Europeans had been severely limited because of this. 
Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" sums up the popular view of the time quite well. One of the basic 
techs in this scenario is Medicine, and its impact was vital. It opened up the entire world to 
penetration by Imperial powers. And, while we can rightly cite the potentcy of weapons like the 
Maxim gun, breech-loading cannons, and steam-powered, armored warships, what should not be 
forgotten is the role of trade. Many times, indigenous economies were ruined by the intrusion of 
foreign goods and the domination of local markets by commercial interests of the imperial powers. 
Impoverishment was one of the unseen weapons of the imperialists, but was every bit as effective
as the bullets and artillery shells hurled at native peoples around the globe. The general pace
of European (and American) technology was staggering, if seen in retrospect. As I've pointed out
before, in 1865, an ironclad warship was a stunning new innovation. By 1895, the powers were all
producing pre-dreadnought battleships. This period saw an extremely fast-paced technology race,
and the civ2 game works well within this context. As the technology of war moved forward, so did
the ideology of human relations. New theories were popularized and became widespread throughout
the so-called "civilized" world. Social Darwinism, an over-extension of Darwin's speculations 
about the rise of new speicies, was seen as an explanation for the dominance of the Europeans 
over the rest of the world. Rampant industrialism and the horrors it produced in the major cities
of the world spawned socialism, and it's cousin, communism. Alfred Thayer Mahan, an American 
military academic, wrote "The Influence of Seapower on History," and, in doing so, altered the 
outcome of world events. Navalism, the theoretical offspring of Mahan's book, dictated that, for
a nation to become a world power, it must have control of the seas. At this very same time in 
history, the rationalization of agriculture and intensive use of fertilizers made Malthusian
notions of overpopulation obsolete and a tremendous population boom occurred in the developed 
nations. Mass warfare would now have the necessary "mass" of bodies to accomodate it. Theories of 
Imperialism and colonialism appeared which spurred the powers to heights of 19th century 
brinksmanship, the first arms races, and perennial international crises virtually every northern 
hemisphere summer. At precisely the time when this was occurring, a popularization of western 
culture subtly usurped the seat of control away from the monarchs and generals, and placed it in 
the hands of "the people" or "the nation" or "the race." The entire process of Imperialism set 
the European powers on the road to war. And it was to be a war like no other in history. The civ2 
game is uniquely suited to reconstruct this historical drama, and I have endeavored to do just 
that. My hope is that all who play this scenario will enjoy it, and maybe even learn a little 
something as well.

I. TECHNOLOGY

I've used many of the same tricks that have appeared in my scenarios prior to this one, but I'll
go over them for those who may be coming upon one of mine for the first time. [For clarity, when 
I refer to a technology, unit, improvement, or wonder, I will capitalize it. When I refer to the 
default name of the same, I will capitalize it and place it in parentheses.] In general, the civs 
in the game begin at roughly equal levels of development, with two exceptions. The "barbarians," 
renamed "Oriental" units and cities will start with no techs, but will probably acquire a few as 
time goes by, depending upon how aggressive the imperial powers are during the first 100 turns of 
the game. The 2nd exception is the Latin American/Italian/Spanish civ. This civ does have quite a 
few cities, but is substantially behind all the others in terms of technology. The primary 
difference that will become immediately apparent is the trade technology; the Independents will 
produce the Raw Materials (caravan) unit, whereas all the rest will produce the Manufactured 
Goods (Freight) unit. Each civ is, however, slightly differentiated from the others. France  will 
receive the Republic tech just after the start of the scenario and the United States starts with 
the tech and is in a Republic governement at start. The Germans and British each have a few techs 
that the other doesn't. The Russians are slightly behind the other Europeans, as they don't have 
Consription quite yet--general conscription laws weren't instituted until 1874. Land Reform is 
(Mysticism), and has the effect of reducing civil unrest once acquired. Oil Industry is 
(Automobiles), and Public Utilities is (Electronics). Once these two are acquired, the city 
graphic will change from the "early" industrial to the "late" industrial graphic and the People 
gif will also change slightly. (Alphabet), (Writing), and (Literacy) have been renamed Basic 
Literacy, Literacy, and Cultural Literacy and so do reflect the general progress of learning in 
any given civ. Legalism is (Code of Laws), and the Magistrate (Courthouse) improvement is 
assigned to it. Philosophy is NOT (Philosophy) and Construction is NOT (Construction). 
(Philosophy) is Existentialism, no civ in the game has it at start, and the first to reach it 
will gain the free tech bonus upon doing so. (Construction) is the Fortification Design tech, and
will allow a civ's settler units to construct fortresses. Construction is (Bridge Building), and 
is the basic "building" technology of all empires. Radio Telegraphy is NOT (Radio). (Radio) is 
Airparks, and will allow settler units to construct Airparks. Industrialization, Banking, and 
Railroad are NOT (Industrialization), (Banking), and (Railroad). (Railroad) is not in the 
scenario. Banking is actually (Currency), and the (Industrialization) tech has been given to all 
the imperial civs (not the Independents) to force the city graphic to appear correctly. 
Nationalism is the (Mobile Warfare) tech, and will obsolete all Barracks improvements when 
acquired. Conscription is NOT (Conscription). Conscription is (Gunpowder), and will also obsolete 
all barracks when gained. Steam Turbines is (Nuclear Power) and will give a 1 space bonus to all 
ship movement. Fertilizers is (Refrigeration), and allows the Intensive Agriculture (Supermarket) 
improvement to be built. The Romanticism tech is the (Theology) tech and will consequently help 
all Stadiums (Cathedrals) to reduce civil unrest. Militarism is the (Space Flight) tech and will 
sour diplomatic relations with other civs. The 20th Century is (Future Tech). 

II. UNITS

There is quite a bit of advance during the course of the scenario from the units available at 
start to the units that can be built later. All civs start with a "Troops" type of infantry unit.
Some will also have a cavalry unit. The Russians have a Cossack unit, the Americans and French
each have a Cavalry unit, and the British have a Sepoys unit. The Independents, Germans, and 
Japanese do not have cavalry units. The cavalry units are intended to represent the "flying 
columns" used in colonial warfare to outmaneuvre and/or outdistance colonial foes. There are also 
Tank units that will appear much later in the scenario and these units only have a 1 movement 
value. Native Uprising, Native Horse, and War Party units, all only available to the Orientals, 
will all move more than 1 space/turn, the latter two moving at 3 spaces/turn. The Guards unit is 
the (Fanatic) unit, and will only be available to civs in the Autocracy (Fundamentalism) 
government. The Irregular unit is the (Partisans) unit. The Machine Gun unit is a cheap, 
high-defense value unit available w/the Repeating Weapons tech. The Colonialism tech is needed to 
begin building both the British Sepoy unit and the Colonial Troops unit for the French. Only the 
British can build the Highlander unit, which becomes available w/the Elite Troops tech. The 
Marines unit is indentical to the default (Marines) unit, but it is weaker on the attack. There 
are several types of artillery in the game, each type slightly better than previous types, 
culminating w/the Heavy Artillery, which, besides having a very high attack value, negates city 
walls and is therefore a very potent weapon. The air units are relatively simple. The Biplane is 
the first to appear, followed by the Early Bomber, with the Monoplane being the final type. 
Additionally, there is the Airship unit, whose main difference is its range. The Airship can stay 
aloft for much longer than the other aerial unit types. As usual w/my scenarios, some thought has 
gone into the naval units. The imperial powers all begin the game w/the ships that are available 
w/the Steam-powered Ships and Ironclads techs. Subsequent naval techs allow the construction of 
increasingly more powerful and faster ship types. The Destroyers unit is intended to represent 
not only the traditional destroyer flotilla, but also the sundry torpedo boat fleets fielded by 
various nations during this period, and these units only become available w/the Naval Torpedos 
tech. This tech is on the way to the Submarine tech which, of course, allows the building of 
Submarine units. There are also several sea transport units, each successive type more durable 
and slightly faster than previous ones, culminating w/the Ocean Liner, the fastest and most 
spacious type. The (Caravan) and (Freight) units have been renamed Raw Materials and Manufactured 
Goods respectively. They are less expensive to produce than the default units, and the 
Manufactured Goods unit only moves 1. Generally, all the units available to the player civs are 
slightly more expensive (and in some cases, MUCH more expensive) then the default types which are 
similar. 
 
III. GOVERNMENTS

Monarchy, Republic, and Democracy are all identical to the default government techs, remaining 
unchanged. The Americans begin the scenario with the Republic tech and are in a Republic. The 
French are researching Republic as the scenario begins and should get it around turn 6 or 7. 
France did not initiate the period of the 3rd Republic until after the Franco-Prussian war, which 
would start on Turn 5 or 6 of the scenario. It's very likely, however, that France, whether 
played by a human or an AI, will not remain in Monarchy after Republic is acquired. The 
(Fundamentalism) tech has been renamed Autocracy, and its power has been sharply reduced. 
Autocratic governements CAN still build Guard (Fanatic) units, which require no upkeep, but the 
number of other units that may remain unsupported has been cut in half from the default number, 
to 4, only slightly better than either Monarchy or Imperialism. Autocracy also has a better 
science rate and maximum science rate than (Fundamentalism). The (Communism) tech has been 
renamed Imperialism and, although the spy/diplomat effect is irrelevant in this scenario (no 
spies/diplomats), the government form is an advantageous one. Corruption is eliminated, and this 
can be a real blessing to a colonial power like the British, whose decentralized empire spans the 
globe. Additionally, the Imperialism government does not drastically reduce the tech acquisition 
and martial law becomes twice as effective. With no spies/diplomats in the game, the Monarchy 
tech is very similar to the Imperialism tech in most respects, and is intended to represent the 
creation of an efficient colonial administrative structure along with the popular support that 
colonial expansion acquired during the period. The fact that there is no government switching 
will necessitate some careful planning prior to acquiring the government techs, because the only 
time that an empire can voluntarily switch governments is when a government tech is gained. And, 
once switched, it cannot be changed again until another government tech is acquired.

IV. WONDERS

Here is a list describing the Wonders in the scenario. "Start" indicates that the wonder is 
placed at the start of the scenario and where it is. Only a few of these go obsolete during the 
game. Consult the pedia to see which ones do and when. The few wonders that can be built during 
the game have different production costs, usually, but not always higher than their deafault
equivalents.

Kremlin   .    .    .    .    .  Shakespeare .    .    .    .    .  Moscow, Start
Britannia Rule the Waves .    .  Lighthouse  .    .    .    .    .  London, Start
Ukraine   .    .    .    .    .  Pyramids    .    .    .    .    .  Kiev, Start
Suez Canal.    .    .    .    .  Colussus    .    .    .    .    .  Alexandria, Start
Prussian Militarism .    .    .  Sun Tzu     .    .    .    .    .  Berlin, Start
Workshop of the World    .    .  Rich's Crusade   .    .    .    .  London, Start
German Empire  .    .    .    .  Oracle      .    .    .    .    .  Berlin, Start
Diplomatic Corps    .    .    .  Marco Polo  .    .    .    .    .  Can be built -
Free Enterprise     .    .    .  Michaelangelo    .    .    .    .  Washington, Start
Ecole Polytechnique .    .    .  Copernicus  .    .    .    .    .  Paris, Start
Ruhr Chemical Industry   .    .  Issac Newton's   .    .    .    .  Frankfurt, Start
British Empire .    .    .    .  Adam Smith  .    .    .    .    .  London, Start
Arms Race.     .    .    .    .  Darwin's    .    .    .    .    .  Can be built +
Women's Suffrage    .    .    .  Women's Suffrage .    .    .    .  Can be built +
Imperial Powers.    .    .    .  United Nations   .    .    .    .  Can be built -
Meiji Restoration   .    .    .  SETI        .    .    .    .    .  Tokyo, Start
Third Republic .    .    .    .  Eiffel Tower.    .    .    .    .  Paris, Start
Edwardian Age  .    .    .    .  Hanging Gardens  .    .    .    .  Paris, Start
Edwardian Age  .    .    .    .  J. S. Bach's.    .    .    .    .  Berlin, Start
Edwardian Age  .    .    .    .  Cure for Cancer  .    .    .    .  London, Start

V. IMPROVEMENTS

Most everything has been renamed. Here is a list. The 1st column is the new name for the 
improvemnt, the 2nd column is the default name for the improvement, and the 3rd column is the 
prerequisite tech to build the improvement. A "+" sign at the end of the 3rd column indicates 
that the improvement is now more expensive to build or to maintain or both. A "-" sign indicates 
that the improvement is now cheaper to build or maintain or both. In many cases, the 
construction cost of these improvements are considerably higher than the default costs, but the
Maintenance costs are cheaper. Consult the pedia for details. Some few improvements (Factory,
Steel Mill, and Commercial Exchange) are VERY much more expensive than the default price and the
reason that I increased these so sharply was to discourage building them, or to at least 
discourage routine construction of these improvements. Building these improvements will either 
take a LOT of time, or will require a LARGE expenditure of money to rush-build.

Capital .  .  .  .  .  .  . Palace    .  .  .  .  . Construction
Training Camp .  .  .  .  . Barracks  .  .  .  .  . Conscription, +
Warehouse District  .  .  . Granary   .  .  .  .  . Construction
Garrison   .  .  .  .  .  . Temple    .  .  .  .  . The Nation State
Bank    .  .  .  .  .  .  . Marketplace  .  .  .  . Banking 
School  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Library   .  .  .  .  . Basic Literacy
Magistrate .  .  .  .  .  . Courthouse.  .  .  .  . Legalism
Fortifications.  .  .  .  . City Walls.  .  .  .  . Fortification Design 
Water Supply  .  .  .  .  . Aquaduct  .  .  .  .  . Construction, -
Light Industries .  .  .  . Bank      .  .  .  .  . Regional Trade, +
Stadium .  .  .  .  .  .  . Cathedral .  .  .  .  . Popular Culture
University .  .  .  .  .  . University.  .  .  .  . University
Theatre/Ballet.  .  .  .  . Colusseum .  .  .  .  . Construction, -
Factory .  .  .  .  .  .  . Factory   .  .  .  .  . Industrialization, +
Industrial Complex  .  .  . Manufacturing Plant.  . Military Industrial Complex, +
Steel Mill .  .  .  .  .  . Power Plant  .  .  .  . Steel, +
Commercial Exchange .  .  . Stock Exchange  .  .  . Economics, +
Sewer System  .  .  .  .  . Sewer System .  .  .  . Sanitation, -
Intensive Agriculture  .  . Supermarket  .  .  .  . Fertilizers, +
Railway Station  .  .  .  . Superhighways.  .  .  . Railroad, +
Coastal Fortifications .  . Coastal Fortress.  .  . Rifled Artillery, +
Harbor  .  .  .  .  .  .  . Harbor    .  .  .  .  . Construction
World Port .  .  .  .  .  . Offshore Platform  .  . International Trade, +
Airpark    .  .  .  .  .  . Airport   .  .  .  .  . Airparks, +
Secret Police Station  .  . Police Station  .  .  . Socialism, -
Coaling Station  .  .  .  . Port Facility.  .  .  . Naval Bases, +
Oil Field  .  .  .  .  .  . Hydro Plant  .  .  .  . Oil Industry, + (*)
(Capitalization) .  .  .  . (Capitalization).  .  . State Subsidies

(*; The Oil Field improvement can only be built where, historically, there are petroleum deposits
to exploit. Kuwait, Baghdad, Mosul, Brunei, Galveston, New Orleans, El Paso, Pittsburgh, Baku,
Tsaritsyn, Teheran, Caracas, Aden.)

VI. STRATEGY

1. Great Britain

Britain starts with by far the largest empire on the map and its position is very strong, but not
as strong as it first appears. Britain is in monarchy at start and, unless they can trade with 
France or the U.S. for Republic, the next nearest government tech is Imperialism, which is
somewhat better, but still not the equal of Republic or Democracy. Many of the British "cities"
are actually small islands with very little resources other than food and trade, and the rapid 
population growth of some of these small places might be more of a drain on the English economy
than an asset. Additionally, being decentralized has its disadvantages as well. The widely-
separated territories of the British Empire are susceptible to being picked off piecemeal by a 
well-prepared and determined foe. Set on the deity setting, the Orientals can become more than 
just a nuisance. Being the largest also means being a target for an anti-British grand alliance.
If you're #1, there is nowhere to go but down. Canada is valuable, and will become more so as the
game continues, but is vulnerable to attack by the Americans. To forestall this, a smart British
player will try all means to remain on good terms with the U.S. and this neatly mimics the 
historical reality. The German civ, although apparently small, is actually very powerful and 
therefore very dangerous. A mutual defense pact with France is certainly advisable, and a 
cordial relationship with Russia should be given serious consideration as well. Thus, the 
scenario propels one toward the historical "Triple Entente." Britain does have some real 
advantages though. Australia and New Zealand will develop, as the scenario progresses, into real
powerhouses of trade and military might and should be guarded, especially from the Japanese. Even
so, the remoteness of these territories will provide some protection. India is the real jewel of
Empire for Great Britain, and will be a major source of power, wealth and production. The sub-
continent is dense enough to withstand an attack and productive enough to generate its own 
defenses. Britain also has the lion's share of wonders, all conveniently located in London. There
are; the Britannia Rule the Waves (Lighthouse), the British Empire (Adam Smith), the Workshop of
the World (King Richard's Crusade), and one of the 3 Edwardian Age wonders, in this case the 
(Cure for Cancer).

2. France

France is in Monarchy at the start of the scenario. Additionally, France starts the game w/the 
Guerilla Warfare tech. The French Empire is not nearly as extensive as the British, but it is as
far-flung. There are Caribbean, Indo-Chinese, and African colonies, and New Caledonia in the 
South Pacific. After Great Britain, France is in the best position at the beginning of the 
scenario to expand and capture a good number of the Oriental cities. There is one major danger to
the French, however; a Franco-Prussian War. Historically, the German Empire attacked France on or
near turn 5, destroyed their armies in the field, seized Strasbourg, and went on to beat several 
Guerilla armies before extorting a large monetary reparation as a condition of victory, and 
Strasbourg remained German. The best defense against this maneuver is to seek allies. Russia is 
the natural choice, but Great Britain could also be a major asset, as the Scandinavian cities are
very exposed to a potential British attack. The French capital has several wonders that impart a 
distinctive edge to this civ. The Ecole Polytechnique (Copernicus' Observatory) will 
substantially enhance France's technology acquistion. The Third Republic (Eiffel Tower) will tend 
to bring France something it needs very badly, (especially at the start of the scenario); allies. 
France also has one of the 3 Edwardian Age wonders. In this case, it's the (Hanging Gardens) and 
will help to preserve civil order in the country and colonies.

3. Russian Empire

The Russian Empire is the 2nd largest in the scenario and appears formidable. Looks can be 
deceiving, however. Although Russia has the Industrialization tech, it has very few established
Factories. The fiscal situation is not good; Russia runs a deficit at the start of the scenario.
It does, however have a healthy growth rate which could well alleviate the tax shortfall--given 
sufficient time. It also has a large standing army, but at the start, most of these troops are 
garrisoning the populous and potentially unruly cities. The Russian fleet is small and the 
Russian army has few artillery units. Given time, they can build into a great Empire, but will 
need to build, almost from scratch, production, financial, and educational infrastructures. This 
is a farily tall order, especially considering the lure that the central Asian cities affords. 
There are quite a few of these Oriental cities and expeditions should be sent to subdue and take
as many as is feasible. While war with the Japanese isn't inevitable, it's probably very likely.
Some care should be taken to defend Vladivostock and by all means a trans-Siberian railway should
be undertaken as soon as possible. The war that is slighly more likely will be the one with the
Germans. The very capable German Empire will be a constant danger to the underdeveloped, over-
populated, unrest-ridden Russian Empire. Once again, mutual defense pacts and alliance systems
will help to disuade an aggressive German player, if played by a human. The Russian civ also has
the Ukraine (Pyramids) and Kremlin (Shakespeare's Theatre) wonders. The former propels Russian 
growth at a very healthy pace and the latter preserves civil order in Moscow come hell or high 
water.

4. German Empire

Although seemingly small, the German Empire is the game's powerhouse. The Germans start with a 
large army, equipped with a good number of artillery units. The Germans also have strong 
production, financial, and educational infrastructures. There is a strong temptation to launch an 
historical Franco-Prussian War sometime during the first 12 turns. The payoff is worthwhile. The 
capture of Strasbourg will add another valuable city to the Empire and the monetary gain from the 
capture would help to offset the initial fiscal deficit run by the Germans at the start of the 
scenario. Unlike most of the other civs, the German civ's cities are at or near their population 
limit at the start, thus, expansion is not simply advisable, but imperative. The problem with a 
policy of initial naked aggression is that, no matter whether one turns the armies east or west, 
there is always a danger from the "peaceful" front on the other side; the historical two-front 
war so feared by German strategists from Bismarck to Rundstedt. Additionally, the German civ has 
several strong positions outside of Europe. In the far east, there is the Dutch colonial Empire 
in the East Indies and the Boer cities in South Africa. The German Empire also has several of the 
wonders. Located in Berlin is the German Empire (Oracle), the Prussian Militarism (Sun Tzu), and 
another of the Edwardian Age wonders, (J.S.Bach's Cathedral). Also, located in Frankfurt is the 
Ruhr Chemical Industry (Issac Newton's College). 

5. Empire of Japan

The Japanese Empire has several distinct advantages that do much to offset its small size. Even
though Japan is the smallest civ in the scenario, they have much to offer an aggressive player.
In historical game terms, the Meiji Restoration only occurred just prior to the start of the 
scenario. The initial reforms were to the military, society, economy, transportation, and 
judicial systems. What remains is to industrialize--an expensive and/or time-consuming task. 
Trade will help immensely in providing the resources necessary to undertake the industrialization
of Japan. The Japanese Empire has a rather small fleet and army, including a small merchant 
marine. Once Japan has been thoroughly industrialized, they will become a serious power in their 
part of the world. What will keep the Japanese Empire moving steadily through the tech tree is 
the Meiji Restoration wonder (SETI Project). This should allow an otherwise comparatively 
miniscule Japan to keep up with the larger empires in terms of science.

6. United States of America

Isolated by its global position, the American Republic has some advantages that the other civs
don't. It is the only Empire that starts the scenario in Republic, and is consequently wealthier
from the beginning. Unlike many of the other empires, the U.S. does not start the scenario with a
deficit and will not run one until some significant new construction is undertaken. Although a 
Canadian conquest is tempting, America's natural enemies are the Latin territories and cites 
southward. Not simply because the Latin civ has less real power in terms of imperial domains that
could produce a credible counter-invasion force, but also because the Latin civ is farther behind 
in terms of science, and therefore more vulnerable to attack. America has 1 important wonder; the
Free Enterprise (Michaelangelo's Chapel) which effectively puts a free Stadium (Cathedral) in 
every American city with no maintenance costs, thereby keeping the city populations relatively
quiet.

7. Latin America/Italy/Spain (Independent Nations) 

This civ is not really intended for play by human players, and it is advised that the AI be 
allowed to run it. It is, however, possible for a human to play it and could well be very 
challenging. This civ is not completely without power, but lacks the production 
(no idustrialization tech), the wealth (no Railroad tech), and the science (no University tech) 
to keep pace with the industrialized powers. The Independent Nations' units are also somewhat 
weaker then the Imperial powers. Additionally, this civ starts the scenario with a fiscal deficit 
and less money than any other civ. Although the AI would cheat to solve these problems, they will 
remain a sticky situation for the human player deciding to play them. Some lucky tech trading 
might well alleviate the situation, but wily Imperial players would be wise to refuse to trade 
the necessary techs. 

VII. TRADE

For those who have not yet noticed, this scenario is intended to rely very much upon TRADE. The 
period was one in which international trade figured very prominently. The central idea of Mahan's
Navalism theories was the wealth generated by trade. If Adam Smith defined the characteristics of
the "Wealth of Nations," Alfred Thayer Mahan delineated how that wealth must be transported, and, 
perhaps more importantly, protected and preyed upon. Although the British Empire wonder precludes 
an English deficit, the British are more likely to engage in profitable trade than any other 
empire. There are tangible payoffs other than the money to be earned upon delivery of goods to 
their destinations. Firstly, there are the additional free beakers with each trade unit 
delivered. Secondly, there is the side-effect of lessening of international tensions with trading
partners. Trade with America is an extremely good idea. Not only will the transatlantic payoff 
be highly profitable, but, given sufficient numbers of trade routes established, it might also 
eventually make a powerful ally of the U. S. For the other European civs, the American shore has 
a strong allure. Trade with a civ on another continent will be very lucrative. For the American, 
this desirability is a real asset. With the European civs striving to establish the most 
lucrative trade routes, the U.S. will be able to reap the rewards of the best ones. The 
"alone-on-a-continent" effect also works for England and, to a slightly lesser extent, for Japan 
too. This is a good example of how well the civ2 engine can function to recreate an historical 
context. Potentially, the 3 major international trading powers will be the U.S., Great Britain, 
and The Empire of Japan, just as it was historically. For all the powers, the Latin civ will be a 
valuable dumping ground for their trade goods. Many of the Latin cities are far away and 
relatively populous. Establishing trade routes with these cities will payoff. Historically, 
England and the U.S. were the principal participants in the South American trade and the game 
will tend to reflect this. For each of the empires that are running fiscal deficits, trade will 
be their saving grace. It will provide much-needed cash for purchasing new improvments and 
rush-building units. Most of all, and especially given the 8:1 tech ratio, the extra science 
beakers generated by trade will allow acquisition of technology at a much faster rate than would 
otherwise be possible.
