Detailed version 1.1.0

This is a mod-pack for the Freeciv computer game.

This mod-pack was inspired by the "ancients" mod by Bobby Bryant and Moses Lei (many thanks), and a contains material borrowed from Ancients version 1.3. See http://www.cs.utexas.edu/users/bdbryant/freeciv/ancients.html for more information on that Bryant and Lei's mod.

Some material was also barrowed from the Fantasy mod pack by Mark Polo.

The purpose of this was to create an intermediate hybrid of ancients and the standard freeciv game. Its goals include the following:

• Increased diversity of ancient units, so as to increase variety in the pre-modern era.
• Less linearity: the tech-tree and governments have been designed to allow multiple paths to success, rather than a simple "get the republic and then race for cruisers" approach.
• A more realistic rate of technological advance (no ancient rifflemen), so that earlier technological periods can be enjoyed. Also, its unlike that all the technology will be developed, so racing for modern units and then turning to conquest -- since most of the technology is likely to go uninvented the tech-tree is practically open-ended.
• To focus on ancient and midevial periods primarily, but without forcing a recapitulation of history nor being excessively Eurocentric.
• To capture some of the spirit of antiquity while being a less radical departure from the ancients modpack.
• To force players to use the land they have rather than to re-invent it.
• To generally increase the level of realism.
• To weigh the game in favor of competetive development rather than violent extermination of opponents (while still allowing conquest).

Several important difference should be mentioned. First, the only major transformation in the land is to clear woodland to grassland, but not all forests can be cleared -- and when the game starts there will be lots of woodland and not grassland (most of the grassland in scenarios is naturally wooded and only cleared by humans).

You may want to hold off on exploration until you have built other units to guard your cities -- otherwise your cities are vulnerable, as all players start out with warriors in stead of explorers.

Key your strategy to your land -- if you start out alone on a small island, then democracy might be an excellent starting government. Otherwise, monarchy might be prefferable, to guard and develop your land, followed by a republic. (For conquest imperial monarchy is or theocracy would be most desirable.) Seafarring will be less importent if you start out on a large continent.

The scenarios have all been set to end at 1600 AD, though you may choose other years. I have found that this time frame is good for a short game and fits the purpose of the mod, but can sometime seen too short or leave the game seeming unfinished.

Unhappiness is used to discourage small-pox in most govs, but in moderation, and the gov you have makes a big difference. This and corruption levels make democracy and monarchy good for small empires and republic, imperial monarchy, and theocracy good for larger ones. Only anarchy and federal republic (available late in the game) allow huge empires -- unless you stay in anarchy you will have to focus on developing. (Oh yeah, perpetual anarchy is now available as a government.)

There are two bugs: (1a) Roads cannot be built on grassland unless you have bridge building, as it used the same tile as civ1 rivers, so build roads first, then irrigate; (1b) you must play civ2 rules, as civ1 style map generation will create lost of grassland in river-bed shapes.

One Note: The Americans have been swapped with the Japanese, and the Aztecs with the Kenyans, in nations.ruleset and the scenarios, to avoid having one or two players with with a whole continent to them self/selves early in the game -- if you want the new world, you have to colonize it! Sorry if the breaking the "don't move nations around" rule confuses anyone.

License:

This material is derived from material furnished by Freeciv, and therefore falls under the GNU Public License. See the file GPL for more information.

Requirements:

Freeciv 1.13.0 and trident+ graphics to work properly. It will work without the graphics enhancement, but many units may look alike.

To Use:

Place this directory imediately under your FreeCiv directory (usually $HOME/.freeciv). Upon starting the civserver type "rulesetdir detailed."

In addition, there are several saved game files which may be used as scenarios with the server's -f option.