From: karlb@soda.berkeley.edu (Karl Bilawski)
Description: Re: [AdCiv] More Variants
 
        Having played Ad Civ almost every weekend for the better part of a
year now, my group and I have come up with many variations to make the game
have new life. Three of the most successful arose because in addition to
AdCiv, there are many other games with those little cardboard markers to
be found around my house. We were playing with eight players when we ran out
of pieces to use as barbarians/pirates, so we raided my kingmaker game for
more markers, and it occurred to us that these could be useful...
 
        Variation the first: Modified Civil War
 
        Everyone, myself included, gripes about the debilitating effects of 
Civil War. Particularly in my usual group, where everyone is generally out
to have a good time and not get into vicious wars with other players, it was
unsatisfactory to have another player simply take over a chunk of one's
civilization. Moreover it was not terribly logical - how would Iberians 
suddenly swear mass allegiance to Babylon? So instead of this, what we have 
happen is that the revolting citizens become barbarians, rather than citizens
of another civilization. The same number revolt, and the affected player
still has the hassle of trying to reconquer them, but inter-player hassles
are avoided without losing the effects of civil war. Note: the barbarians,
although they do not expand, do reproduce - so if left to their own devices,
barbarians in a territory capable of supporting 2 units will have 4 units
(combat before starvation) when they are attacked there.
 
        Variation the Second: Barbarian Flood
 
        However, we decided that our kindly playing style was making the game
somewhat too easy, and we wanted a more difficult (masochistic) approach. So
we came up with the barbarian flood concept - the barbarian horde card aside,
each player would be subject to barbarian invasion periodically. We would
take the turn cards (the numbered ones determining who gets to choose their
civilization in what order), shuffle them, and at the end of each turn,
during the calamity phase, the top one would be drawn and that civilization
would face a barbarian invasion, ten units strong. This modification was
not as damaging as it appeared it might be, and now is a regular component
of our games. Note: the cards are all drawn before they are re-shuffled,
so the likelihood of an invasion grows the longer it doesnt happen. Also, we
correspond the card numbers to the positions on the AST; both for simplicity
and because this allows for some periods (determined beforehand) in which 
there are no barbarians (as the civilization whose number it is is not in 
play.)
 
        Variation the Third: Military
 
        This is a variation we have just begun experimenting with. Much like
civil war, we decided that having combat based on the civilian population
was not terribly realistic, and as we had jillions of extra tokens from other
games, we decided to create the military. Basically, a military unit is just
like a boat. You "buy" one for two units, either from the board or in one's
treasury. Each turn they must be paid for with one unit from the treasury -
if unpaid, they disband. Combat is now resolved via *gasp* dice-rolling
(or die-rolling to be precise). Each unit tried to hit opposing units by
rolling a six-sided die. Normal settlers hit if they roll a six, and armies
hit if they roll a 4,5 or 6. Metalworking allows units to hit with one lower
than they would normally, i.e. 5 or 6 for settlers and 3,4,5 or 6 for armies.
Defenders go first, unless one of the sides has military, in which case it
goes first. If a side is eliminated, it loses. Combat is *not* simultaneous.
        So far this variation has worked fine. We have turned all barbarian
invaders into armies (without military though), and now they are much more
fearsome. Combat between players is also much more feasible now (I recall
a long running war I as Egypt had with Babylon over the Holy Land). As far
as civil war goes, one half (rounded down) of all military units join the 
rebels, and the other half join the loyalists. This is a great modification
for those who like their games difficult and/or those who like combat between
players. Note: military units do not need supplies, and move one space per
turn (unless there is roadbuilding). The player whose forces are being hit
chooses which units are eliminated.
 
                                                Karl Bilawski
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testing, testing, 1 2 3
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