The Conquest of Nile
Before the Pyramids, before the Sphinx and before the Valley of the Kings, there was the Nile and it was Egypt. It was life and sustenance where all else was sand and rock. It was wealth and power.
This NES will focus on the consolidation of control of the Nile valley from the Mediterranean Sea to the Second Cataract. To win a player needs to unite the Nile under his rule. This is a game more of conquest than empire building. For the most part the action will be limited to the Nile Valley, the narrow strips of arable land on either side of the river. As a player you will begin with a short strip of river valley and city.
for game purposes the map area has been divided into three sections: the Delta (Lower Egypt), Upper Egypt (from the delta south to the first cataract) and the land south of the first cataract. Three players may start in the Delta; five in Upper Egypt and one south of the first cataract, for a total of nine players. Players will choose a city (from the city map) as the center of their fledgling kingdom.
Each turn will have two parts: the Nile in flood and the Nile not in flood. The turn starts with the Nile in flood and ends with it not in flood. The game will begin in year 1. Players may act in either part (or both) of a turn, but the state of the Nile will affect play. All farming and other agricultural work happens in the Nile not in flood part of the turn. Pillaging land during the agricultural part of the year may reduce income from that land in the next turn. Pillaging during the Nile flood, may yield more plunder. Crossing the river will need boats if the Nile is in flood etc.
The flood level of the Nile is determined every year (turn) and its level will set the amount of wealth that is created in that turn. A low level of flooding will mean a lean year in which crops and animal production is low or poor. A higher than average flood can mean an abundance of food and animals and hence more wealth. Wealth is measured in gold and determined by how much of the river or delta you control. Unspent wealth is kept in a treasury that can be looted by other players.
Spending:
1 gold supports 10 men for war
Troops must be warriors (spearmen & axmen) or archers
10 gold builds 1 ship (no support needed)
Ships hold and can transport up to 100 warriors each
300 gold builds a small fort at a named town
600 gold builds a large fort
300 gold builds a small temple in a named town
500 gold builds a large temple
In addition to building temples, gold can be spent on feasts and ceremonies for your god to increase their influence and intervention.
Combat:
Attacker points minus defender points determines the winner
Loserminimum losses 30% of actual men
Winnerminimum losses 15% of actual men
Forts increase attacker casualties, but all fort bonuses only apply to a fort that is defended by at least 100 men.
Higher point differential increases casualties to the loser.
Defenders
2 points per archer
1 point per melee warrior
+200 points for a small fort
+400 points for a large fort
Bonus for submitting a good plan that turn
Attacker:
2 points per melee warrior
1 point per archer
Bonus for submitting a good plan that turn
Example:
A small fort is defended by 100 archers and 300 warriors: 200+200+300 = 700
The attackers: a +20% General, 200 archers and 400 warriors: 200+800 = 1000+20% = 1200
The attacker wins.
Attacker: minimum losses 30 archers, 60 warriors; capture fort and may continue to campaign
Defender: minimum losses 30 archers, 90 warriors, fort lost; survivors retreat and may fight again
Expansion and War
Expansion into land that is not controlled by another player will have to be won. NPC land is defended.
Armies are raised for the upcoming year and are not held over. Each time you win a battle your general improves his skill and gets a bonus next time he fights. Losing generals earn a negative effect. If you capture a city with a fort/temple, you can destroy the fort/temple and lessen the influence of that god or the defense of that city.
Stats
City/Player
Treasury: Accumulated unspent wealth
Income: New wealth for the turn
Warriors:
Archers:
Ships:
Forts: listed by location
Temples: listed by location
Generals Bonus: xx%
Temple influence:
How turns will work
For this game I am trying something new. The stats are very simple and the game is designed to be mostly about conquest. I am only allowing 9 players and the game will end when one of them has conquered all of Upper and Lower Egypt. Once a turn starts, players will post public diplomacy, announcements or stories in the thread.
Short, very structured orders will be sent. The format TBD at this point. Every few days or when I have an evening free, I will end the turn and update based on what has been submitted. There will be no extended announcement or warning other than my perhaps being around or a 24 hours left post. With so few players, updates should not take long. Players who have not sent or posted orders will just accumulate wealth or defend themselves. My goal is have the game move along and to have missing a turn not a huge deal. Spending options will be few: raise armies, build forts and ships, fight wars and worship the gods. There will not be any tech growth or change, nor any way to improve wealth production. The weather in the Ethiopian highlands determines the year's income.
If you are interested, please post. You may request a specific city as your starting location. Before the game begins all players will have to post a 50 words or less description of their city-state on which I will base initial stats. There will be a 9 player limit, but the selection will not necessarily be first come first served.
Comments, questions and suggestions are welcome.
Map:
Awesome looking idea!
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