Introduction by Fred Schachter: I’m having a Game Developer’s blast working with Designers Chris Vorder Bruegge and Mark McLaughlin on Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (ACIS)’s successor, Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East (ACME… yeah, we’re aware of the Coyote/Road Runner cartoon alliteration, seems worth a guffaw or two, eh?).

The purpose of this article is two-fold. First, to provide background regarding the historical environment players will experience playing ACME (and why the game contains certain design elements) as well as explain, at least on an overview basis, the differences between ACIS and ACME.

To best appreciate this article, some knowledge of ACIS is helpful. GMT has a wealth of information regarding ACIS on the game page.

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Civilizations Always Fall

We are so used to Civilization BUILDING games that we forget that Civilizations not only RISE but ALWAYS FALL.

EVERY Civilization goes through a period of decay and collapse – often from within, sometimes from without.

Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East is only partly about BUILDING a Civilization; it is mostly about SURVIVING. That is the true test for the players. That is the historical reality in which the game’s civilizations are placed which becomes that of the player or players. Yes, ACME can be played both solitaire and with from 2 to 6 players. The game’s solitaire system allows a mix of both live and “Non-Player Civilizations” (NPC). During play testing, two gamers enjoyed pitting wits not only against one another, but have thrown one or two aggressive NPC into the mix… and yes, they’ve been beaten by ACME’s well-designed solitaire system.

Some ACIS players groused about their civilizations seeming helplessness when confronted by the game’s environment. Players should note that the longer the game goes on, the more ‘mitigating’ factors you will get – as with more Cities you get more cards, which means likely more mina… ACME’s “money”, (as well as cards) to expend in lieu of disk losses – as well as more opportunities to draw Negate cards.

On the other hand, as your civilization grows, you are a more attractive target for invaders (inflicted by the player in last VP place) and other problems: ranging from rebellions and civil war to disasters (the bigger you are – the more opportunity to be hit). Most of these will be played by those below you on the victory point track.

A World in Chaos

In Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East, just like in the real, chaotic, horrific, apocalyptic periods it historically covers; there comes a time when empires reach their limit (as the 48 disk limit represents), and have to struggle to hold on to what they have – or save what can be saved as they struggle not to grow or dominate, but to simply survive.

A game of Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East can be as long or as short as you wish. You can set time, Epoch, turn, or victory point limits for a short game. You can also play an exploration game (as noted in the playbook) where you start and go looking for other civilizations.

The cards do not always have to be played for the effect listed. You can use cards to buy off losses from cards played by opponents and in competition and, of course, to acquire your civilization’s Deity. You can also bluff and threaten others so that they think twice about playing a card that hurts you – as you can retaliate and won’t hesitate to do so.

The game is as much about managing – and surviving – chaos as it is about building a civilization. The longer you play, the more cards you will encounter – and especially the more powerful Event cards, notably the big Barbarian invasions. These, however, are run by the player with the fewest victory points – which helps restore balance by making things harder for the players in the lead and perhaps even knocking them down to the level of the player who directed the invasion.

Of course, there may come a time when you, as a player, may find your current civilization in an untenable, unendurable, situation. In this case you have the “Gilgamesh” Rule (“The Aeneas Rule” in ACIS) which allows a player to exit the game as one civilization and return to it as another completely different civilization.

Such a change allows you to keep the Victory Points accumulated to the point you transition. Think of it like Britannia, where you play different powers during a game except with ACME you choose the civilization which follows the one you began the game with and it’s your cumulative VP score which measures success in coping with ACME’s World in Chaos.

Disaster Mitigation

So many civilization games become runaway races where once someone is in the lead they cannot be overtaken, or once somebody is left behind, they cannot catch up: not Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East. In this game, it pays to be nice to the little guys – because they can unleash hell.

The Fate cards also provide a way for a player at one end of the board to strike at a player on the far side; without having to sail across the Med, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, etc. or march across the deserts to get at their foe. Interaction is what this game is all about.

In ACME, there are historical (and short) setups and scenarios such as Sargon the First, The Lion of Judah, The Sea Peoples, Agamemnon, Cyrus the Great and the Rise Persia, Darius and the Great Rebellion, Alexander, Successors, Mithridates, Here Come the Romans, Rome vs. Parthia (as well as more!), that provide for more historical, more focused games, some of which reward players who merely survive, and others of which reward players who make sure the others do not survive.

Disaster mitigation is there in the game as you can expend mina and cards to limit losses – and play Negate cards to prevent them altogether. The larger and stronger your civ, the more mina and cards you have to do just that; and there’s a Deity and Investment cards you can build that give you even more cards, disks, and mina to help absorb or otherwise mitigate disasters. As such, the Design folds in sanitation, roads, education, bureaucracy into that matrix.

Then there’s the advantages an aggressive civilization can obtain by sacking other civilizations’ Cities for loot. Loot not only denies the victim civ a Victory Point but gains the victor a VP and a mina. Every mina obtained is more buffer against a game’s vengeful other players.

That said, the beauty of buying a board game is that you can make house rules. If you wish to add such advances to mitigate disaster, perhaps tying those to Victory Point Levels, The ACME Design/Development Team wholeheartedly encourage you and others to do so….you can play the game as designed…or you can modify it to be the game you want….go for it!”

Next Part: “Playing Your Role”.

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