Here goes what will probably be my most interesting post ever.
First, we need to divide the game into five ages. In history, the Reniassance is considered to have started the modern age, but that's too early for our purposes. So here goes:
Age of Colinziation (just after the Reniassance, begins with discovery of new world.)
1492-1700
Civs: British(Mother), British (American), Spanish, French, Dutch, Italian, Portugal, German, and Russian.
Of course, this is where it gets interesing.
Age of Revolution and/or Enlightenment (the revolutionaries ideas were Enligntment ideals.)
1700-1819
In this age, the British players have two options: a)Stick with the mother country, Britian, and be British forever. b)Become Americans, but you must fight a war for independence. This can only be done in this age. If you chose to be American, the Mother Country starts to attack you. The AI for this, of course, would be very good, and the troops excellent. In other words, it'd be like figting the Revolution. If you lose, you lose the game, or at least are penalized in some way. Also, the two have different attributes, which I'll get to later.
Age of Industrialzation
1819-1914
In this age, you get industries, such as fabric and stuff. But of course, you have to grow cotton first, or import it. At this point, you can also choose how you econmy is and how your citizens are made. The options for that are:
Capitalism: where you basically put up some houses and stick a man and woman in there, and they do the rest. But the better conditions are, the more children they will have. No chance of revolt.
Socialism: Same as capitalism, except you provide more for your citizens, such a govrnment hospitals and stuff.
Communism: You have total control over people's lives and industries. Of course, you also have to provide everything for them. Bigger chance of revolt, but if times are desparete, the people will be more willing to accept.
Age of War and Depression
War, 1914-1929, and 1936-1959
Depression 1929-1936
Here, the game slows down, becuase this is so important in modern history. In the war part, your econmy skyrockets, and you'll have plenty to spend, and your army will start to reflect that. But in the depression, prices rise, and so does your production. Also, in the German econmy, prices get downright rediculous becuase of runaway inflation. Does not affect communists.
The Space Age
1959-Present
Here, you get your wonder equivlent: the space program. For it to be succesful, you must land a man on the moon withing ten years of builing it, and of course return safely to Earth, and you don't do it becuase it is easy, but becuase it is hard (sorry, I couldn't resist a quote). Anyhow, you can continute playing for the second wonder, which come in to play 35 years later: The Internet. You have to build and network of communication for your entire country, and eventually expend it to connect your friends and foes. Also, you can get satellite recon and stuff like that if the space program was succesful.
And now, the Units.
Military
Barracks (Colinzation)
Basic Infantry (Colinzation)
Equipped with whatever you've resaerched in your armory for the infanty. Defualt is matchlock rifle or longsword.
Heavy Infantry (War and Depression)
Equipped with whatever is current in the armory. Defualt is an early automatic rifle, and a heavy gun per 10 units produced, which must be grouped.
Special Forces (War and Depression)
Whatever is for them in the armory. Must be reasearched from the armory first. Defualt is recon mode or sniper mode, with semi-automatic weapons, but an LOS of +5 and Range of +3.
Stables (Colinzation to Industrialzation, except for Germany, which can keep making throughout them the War and Depression Age)
Cavalary (Colinzation)
Standard cav with sword and maybe some rifles.
Heavy Cav (Revolution and Enlightenment)
Better horses, speed, and weapons, decided in the aromory.
Seige and Armored Weapons Workshop (Colinzation)
Cannon (Colinzation)
Your basic cannon.
Heavy Cannon (Revolution)
Bigger shells.
Rifled Cannon (Industrialzation)
Rifled barrel results in better shell range and accuracy.
Tank (War and Depression)
Kick@$$ armor and weapons characterize this vehicle.
Heavy Tank (Space Age)
Better stuff, period.
Econmic and Water Related
Market (Colinzation)
Place where people sell goods (unless you become communist), and as time goes on, you gain less control over it, unless you're communist.
Dock (Colinzation)
Fishing boat
'Nuff said.
Trading Vessels
Frigates (Colinzation)
Light ships with some weapons.
Destoryers (Revolution)
Upgrade to Frigate, but separate, these are slower but much more powerful.
Okay, that's all for now, but I'll add more later when I'm not tired. Goodnight.
Oh, here are the civs so far
American
British
French
German
Spanish
Portuguse
Italian
Japanese
Russian
Comments? Questions? Just reply.
[Edit: corrected few errors]
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ASimPerson
members.tripod.com/asimweb [This message has been edited by ASimPerson (edited 08-25-99).]