The Grand Passage, Chapter 1

[Rhothaerill]

The Grand Passage is a five player PBEM set in the scenario Age of Discovery. Only the European nations will be available. All three native american tribes will be played by the AI.

Because of the close nature of the European nations, there will be a "no war in starting locations" agreement. No European power may attack any other European Power in their starting lands. This includes the Portuguese city in Northern Africa, as well as the Spanish/Portuguese starting islands. I just want to see this game progress more as a colonization and piracy game rather than a 'beat up the homeland and your opponent is out' game of war.

Any other colonies settled are fair game as are any ships if a war is desired. This agreement precludes the seemingly common tactic in some of the earlier Age of Discovery PBEMs of eliminating a player early on and increases the fun of the game for all of us in my opinion.

The game will hopefully progress much like it was intended to with players setting up colonies in the New World, battling the natives and each other in the New World (but not at home), pirating your opponents shipping lanes, and finally with someone winning via the victory point condition....or an AI civ winning the one city culture victory.

Further, I'd also like to institute some sort of role playing element to the game. As we all start out knowing each other the game is rife with roleplaying possibilities right from the start. As we are all European nations I'm sure we can think of something to say. You don't have to roleplay anything in your posts if you don't want to, but it's just a nice addition. Posting screenshots of particularly fun things (such as the Portuguese fleet sinking the English fleet) is also welcome if anyone so desires.


Civs, in play order:

Spain - SirOsis: sirosis TA hotmail TOD com
Portugal - Rhothaerill: rhothaerill TA comcast TOD net
France - Paddy the Scot: paddythescot TA hotmail TOD com
England - Beta: brucehynes57 TA rogers TOD com
Dutch - Wittlich: wittlich TA sbcglobal TOD net
Maya - AI
Inca - AI
Aztecs - AI

This setup actually works out quite well since Paddy is in Australia and sending to Beta who is on the east coast of North America, while Wittlich, SirOsis and I are all in a row and on the west coast of North America.

And thanks to Paddy the Scot for suggesting the name of the thread and giving me the picture.

[Rhothaerill]

Assuming that everyone is okay with the setup above then we can get going as soon as we want. Alternatively we can wait an extra day or two to see about 'pre-game' diplomatic matters.

As Spain is always the first player in this game I have PMed SirOsis asking him to set the game up for us with our Poly names as our PBEM names, and to make sure to add the three native civs.

[Rhothaerill]

Rules of the game

There are some FUNDAMENTAL rule changes everyone should be aware of, to make the game more fair.

- The game automatically has Accelerated Production on which makes it different than the SP version.
- OCEAN tiles take 2 movement points away, COASTS and SEAS only take 1.
- There are 4 "sea lanes" between Europe and the Americas, which allow fast travel. Make sure to watch where you send your ship, as moving onto an ocean tile is costly.
- Archers and Longbowmen do NOT have a defensive bombard
- Medieval Infantry, Musketeers, Musketmen, and Conquistadores can do amphibious assaults
- Pikemen do NOT require iron
- You CANNOT build cities on jungles or forests until you have chopped them.
- The resources have changed. check the civilopedia for this.
- The tech tree is different so check it out.
- Many units and some wonders are different than they are in a stock Civ3 game so just check out the Civilopedia for the changes.
- And the big change is TREASURE

Treasure Resources (produces a treasure every X turns)
Furs (12 turns)
Gems (5 turns)
Gold (3 turns)
Silver (5 turns)
Spice (10 turns)
Sugar (10 turns)
Tobacco (8 turns)

When you want a treasure, you have to build a city next to it. the treasure has to be within the city's radius, and it has to be connected to the city. when that is done, the city can build a special building (for example, a city near a gold can build a "Gold Mine"). That building will produce a treasure every X turns (see above), and the treasure unit is immobile. ANOTHER unit must come, pick it up, and bring it back to YOUR CAPITAL CITY. when it arrives you get 1000 victory points and 200 gold.

We have already agreed to no fighting in continental europe/starting locations, but two other 'rules' I'd like to see are:
1. no moving your capital. it's too big an exploit when you're taking treasure there.
2. no "treasure whoring". you COULD build a cities around a gold resource like this:

XXX
CXCXC
XXGXX
CXCXC
XXX

but i think thats quite an exploit, using 1 gold resource to generate 6 treasures every 3 turns. i'm sure if we all use common sense, and play for fun, this rule will be self fufilling.


Thanks to UberKrux for posting this elsewhere for me to copy.

[Beta]

Re: The Grand Passage, Chapter 1

Originally posted by Rhothaerill
(such as the Portuguese fleet sinking the English fleet)

It is clear to me sir, that your eyesight is as sub-standard as your nation's nautical abilities. It was the other way around.

(btw - what's the rule on attacking ships in and around Europe. I presume that is verboten as well. And if so - what constitutes "in and around" Europe. The reason I ask is that for the French to get their caravels out of the med, they are greatly exposed to both the Spanish and the Portuguese. Ditto for the Dutch in the English Channel (note that their is a reason it is called the ENGLISH channel - we own it.). Or is the general view that atttacking ships in Europe is OK - and that caravels with their 1-2 rating sort of exclude any reasonable success at naval combat until frigates arrive.)

[SirOsis]

I was going to set it up ASAP but we need to address something before hand. There was an issue with the random seed not being preserved in another Discovery game. Looking at the scenario it is not on by default.

I can change it so it is, if that is preferable.

The following are on:

Accelerated Production
Victory Point Scoring
Capture the Princess
Allow Conquest Victory
Allow Cultural Victory

So do we want to turn on preserve random seed? We could also get rid of AP if we want to slow the game down. Do we also want to increase the difficulty from Regent to Monarch or Emperor?

I'm for turning on preserving the seed and Emperor difficulty. AP I could go either way.

[SirOsis]

Actually I'm feeling that Sid level might be required. Definately will boost the AI and give the barbs some spine. I also can adjust the barbs. They are Sedentary in the scenario.

Let me know how we want to proceed.

[Wittlich]

Just checking in and standing by.

The Dutch will be fine. (As if I have a choice!)

[Rhothaerill]

I do not have a problem with upping the difficulty to at least emperor. It will present a bit more challenge that way since we have to be more wary of happiness. I'd definitely like to see the random seed on. As to accelerated production I'm fine with it either way. I played through the SP conquest without it (as the English on emperor and won ), but I'm also in two other AoD PBEMs with it on so it's fine with me whichever way it goes.

I'm not too sure about forbidding attacking shipping in and around Europe. Primarily because of the nature of returning treasure units to the capital, it may become necessary to...ahem...stop one civ from returning too many units and piracy while in Europe would be necessary. Like Beta said the nature of caravels and carracks will preclude it early on when it's necessary for ships to pass through. What do the rest of you think?

[Wittlich]

Eh, I'm easy either way.

[Beta]

The more I think about it - naval warfare in Europe should be Ok. That's what blockades are all about - or as you have pointed out Rhoth - nabbing treasure fleets.

But no land warfare, crossing borders, or invasions.

And Rhoth - thanks for posting the rule changes. I headed into teh last game quite unaware of them.

[Paddy]

Looks like a great game about to start

[SirOsis]

Ok. I've set it up as follows:

Default rules +

Preserve Random Seed
Restless Barbarians
Emperor difficulty

I've also put the AI in locked alliance.

If anything seems a bit much I'll restart. I think it should be interesting with the above settings.

1490 sent to Rhoth

[SirOsis]

The Emperor of Spain wishes the best of luck to all. May we all have fair winds and clear skies.

[Rhothaerill]

Ah very nice. I like the changes you added SirOsis. It will make it a bit more challenging for everyone. And thanks for setting up the game. That's one of the problems of a conquest PBEM since there is a set order of play that I couldn't be the one to set up the actual game.

The Portuguese will play their turn after work today.

[Beta]

And meanwhile - that rumble you hear in the distance is the crack crew of HMS Fearless practising with the guns.