Introduction by Fred Schachter: Part 1 of this series provided General Background regarding GMT’s upcoming Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East (ACME). Part 2 covered a recommended player attitude when engaged in a game of ACME (to best get into the spirit of the game and have a grand fun time): Playing Your Role.
This Part 3 is intended to address the curiosity of folks who wonder how ACME differs from the first game of the series: Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea (ACIS).
To best appreciate this series of articles, some knowledge of ACIS is helpful. GMT has a wealth of information regarding ACIS in its site for the game: https://www.gmtgames.com/p-624-ancient-civilizations-of-the-inner-sea.aspx .
Differences Between ACME and ACIS
Although the basic game system is the same, here are some of the differences between ACIS and ACME:
*Terrain:
ACIS has but two types of terrain, Land and Sea (Shallow and Deep). ACME’s terrain is more varied…
Fertile Area (green)
If controlled by a civilization, a Fertile Area will generate Growth of one disk each turn: That means a Camp, Settlement, or a City. Consequently, unlike ACIS, the owning civilization gets both a VP and a disk of Growth for a City in a Fertile Area. However, if a Fertile Area is CONTESTED, only a Settlement generates Growth. This can make sequence of civilization play important.
Mountain Area (dark brown)
If controlled by a civilization at the very beginning of a turn, the Mountain Area gets a small “Stronghold Cube” which is the equivalent of a disk for absorbing Competition losses. It does take two Settlements in different Mountain Areas to generate a disk of Growth, so these areas, due to their enhanced defense value, tend to become good City locations. Stronghold cubes pictured in the InsideGMT article of an ACME New Hampshire game After Action Report are those little yellow cubes. You can get a card to designate one of these a Gold Mine (for mina).
Desert Area (tan)
No growth is allowed and maximum stacking is two disks. But you can get a card to designate one of these an Oasis (for mina) and they can serve as useful invasion paths as Mark McLaughlin did so well with his Egyptians in marching on Babylon through the Desert during that New Hampshire Guys game described by this InsideGMT article: https://insidegmt.com2019/10/the-new-hampshire-guys-visit-ancient-civilizations-of-the-middle-east-well-at-least-via-the-game/ .
Sea Areas (blue)
Same as ACIS, but you can get a card to designate a Sea Area as a Fishing Grounds (for mina).
Plains (brown)
Same as an ACIS Land Area.
* Different “At Start” civilization disk deployments
Because there are areas of the map where civilization homelands are close together, particularly in the Tigris-Euphrates Fertile Crescent, all civilizations deploy their disks after the players select civilizations and those disks could be placed adjacent to another civilization’s homeland (but never in a homeland). This could result in a competition during the game’s first turn. Furthermore, a civilization’s homeland is represented by a large stickered block of its color rather than being map printed.
* No Wonders – Deities Instead…
A Deity, one of seven (plus Monotheism), is represented by a card and small stickered block placed atop a civilization’s homeland block… which serves as its temple. Having a temple with an active Deity allows a civilization to utilize its “Granary” ability: during Growth, the player may trade two disks for a mina (money); an option absent from ACIS. Each civilization can have one Deity (and only one, which is considered its primary Deity): No disks are placed atop them so their use, while active, is unlimited. A civilization can capture a Deity of another civilization for mina and VP’s. It literally takes the Deity block of the defeated civilization and places it face-down by their Civilization Display. Of course, the capturing civilization can return the Deity… statues and the like, for a VP award. The preceding just scratches the surface of what Deities bring to the game.
* More Barbarian Invaders!
These include Hordes from the North (98), Eastern Powers Attack (100), Invaders from the Sea (101), Mountain Tribes Descend (102), and Desert Raiders (103). There are also two Fate cards which allow the expansion of already on-board established Barbarians… a kind of “second wave”, e.g. Barbarian Migration (84). These are not as powerful as an Event card invasion, but they create a possibility players need to contend with.
* Religion Cards
New to ACME are Religion cards; which can only be played by a civilization possessing an active Deity. A “godless civilization” (one without an active Deity) may not play a Religion card for its effect(s), but may still discard it in lieu of losing a disk, or as a resource when establishing or re-establishing a Deity. Examples of Religion cards include: Heresy (89), Blasphemy (90), and the powerful Negate card Handwriting on the Wall (94).
* Additional Investment Cards
You put your civilization’s disks on these to absorb card inflicted losses, Competition losses, or negate Fate cards played against your civilization, etc. An example of such a card is Giver of Laws (19).
* No Fate Cards get Reshuffled into the Deck
Unlike ACIS, there are no Fate cards which get reshuffled into the deck after being played and only two, really nasty disasters, which when played, are set aside until an Epoch’s conclusion.
* This game differentiates between disks that are “removed” vs. those that are “replaced”.
* and yes, there are now Fate cards with disasters of truly Biblical Proportions.
Hopefully, the preceding indicates there are differences between the two games… differences which make ACME a rather different Devil’s Road of History experience from ACIS. It also, (forgive the shill) hopefully encourages your interest into placing a P-500 order for Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East.
Next Part: “The ‘Real History’ Behind the Game”
Author: Fred Schachter
One of my complaint about ACIC is the lack of terrain, makes warring pretty boring. looks like I will enjoy ACME even more.
Hi Wes,
Interesting that you mention terrain for Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea. It is something the game’s two designers are considering.
Whether that will be in the form of an article or part of an ACIS second edition remains to be learned. It will likely be based on the successful precedent being set with Ancient Civilizations of the Middle East.
More to come, but please be patient. Thanks for your interest and support of both ACIS and ACME.