A Guide for CIVILIZATION Players
The following article is directed at those who are familiar with CIVILIZATION It explains the main differences between CIVILIZATION and ADVANCED CIVILIZATION, and is intended to ease the transition from the old game to the new. The organization format of the ADVANCED CIVILIZATION rules has been used, as it essentially follows the sequence of play for each game turn.
The Components
ADVANCED CIVILIZATION uses the CIVILIZATION mapboard, including, if available, the Western Expansion Mapboard. Similarly, the nine sets of players tokens from the original game are used. Many of the other game components have been redone, although their general design and intent is unchanged.
Eight new civilization cards have been added, and all the civilization cards have been reprinted, with their attributes appearing on the back of each card. The sixteen civilization cards from the original game are used in ADVANCED CIVILIZATION although some costs, credits and groupings have been changed.
There are also four new calamity cards, to be used with the eight calamities from the original game.
The four redbacked calamities have been reprinted with brown backs.
This gives a total of 24 civilization cards and 12 calamities.
The total number of commodity cards has been increased from 66 to 114. Players who have used the expansion trade cards will be familiar with timber, oil, wine, silver, resin, dye and ivory. In ADVANCED CIVILIZATION the number of each commodity is generally greater, in part to balance the new calamities.
One important new component is the Civilization Card Credit Sheet, which is meant to be photocopied and used by players during every game. This handy table shows the credits given by each civilization card, as well as the cost and prerequisites, if any, of each civilization card. A player can thus see at a glance the credits he has amassed towards the purchase of new civilization cards. Space is also provided so players can keep track of the civilization cards they have acquired and their cumulativepoint totals, which are so important for A.S.T. advancement.
Finally, the attributes of the various civilization cards and the effects of calamities are set out on separate player aids for easy reference.
Starting the game
Few changes have been made in setting up the game, other than in the preparation of the trade card stacks. Simply put, the tradable calamities are shuffled into the bottom portion of each trade card stack, so they won't be drawn right away. At least as many commodity cards as there are players are placed at the top of each stack. Nontradable calamities are placed at the bottom of each stack. This method has generally met with approval, although there are many optional rules permitting different approaches to calamities (see "Season to Taste", p.46).
The Sequence of Play
The overall sequence of play is unchanged from CIVILIZATION, except that calamities are resolved before the acquisition of civilization cards. This prevents players from purchasing a civilization card in order to reduce or avoid the effects of a yet to be resolved calamity.
The sequence of play, and the important changes in play during each phase, are set out below.
Taxation
Cities belonging to players who hold Democracy never revolt. This change is not particularly significant, as city revolt is rare in any case.
Population Expansion
Here there are no changes. Population expansion occurs in A.S.T. order if any player wishes, although it will usually take place simultaneously in order to speed play, especially when players have enough tokens in stock to allow for maximum expansion.
Census
No changes.
Ship Construction
Players now build ships in census order, so that the largest nations build their ships first. This makes ship construction consistent with movement. Players with Military build their ships last.
Movement
Movement still occurs in census order, although players who hold Military move after players who do not. Census order applies as between all players who hold Military.
Players who hold Roadbuilding may move their tokens through two land areas, provided the first area does not contain units belonging to anyone else.
Conflict
City surrender has been abolished. If the defender does not have the normal six tokens to substitute for a city, he uses what tokens he has and combat is resolved normally.
A significant change involves the pillaging of destroyed cities. A player who eliminates a city in combat may pillage it by transferring up to three tokens from stock to treasury. The defender's treasury is unaffected, as he has already lost the city. In addition, the attacker draws one commodity card from the defender's hand and retains it for his own use.
These changes not only make aggression profitable in some circumstances, but add an element of uncertainty in the handling of trade cards. A player who tries to corner a market by holding a large number of valuable commodity cards for a turn may find his precious hoard under attack from jealous neighbors. These changes do not make war itself profitable, but the occasional raid, especially if the victim can not or does not retaliate, can be quite rewarding.
Engineering now aids in the attack, as well as the defense, of cities. A player who holds Engineering may attack a city with only six tokens, while if the defender holds Engineering eight tokens are required. If both players hold Engineering, the effects cancel.
City Construction
Players who hold Architecture may use tokens from treasury to assist in the construction of one city each turn. At least half the cost of construction must be paid with onboard tokens.
Removal of Surplus Population
No changes.
Reduction of Unsupported Cities
No changes.
Acquisition of Trade Cards
Here there are no changes, although the increased number of trade cards makes for greater variety in this phase.
Trading
The rules for trading have been simplified and improved. Each player involved in a trade must trade at least three cards, truthfully stating the number of cards traded. In addition, each player must honestly name two of the trade cards being traded. There is no requirement to state the total point value of the cards being traded.
This means that in every trade two cards from each player will be known, although at least one card will be unknown. This change not only makes trading simpler and faster, it encourages the trading of calamities. At the same time, a player who risks getting a calamity can be certain of getting something of value.
Another major change in trading involves tradable calamities. No calamities are revealed until trading has concluded, and thus the eight tradable calamities may be traded repeatedly until the trading session ends. Whoever holds a calamity at that time becomes its primary victim. This change makes every trade exciting and dangerous.
Resolving Calamities
Again, it is important to note the change in the sequence of play. Calamities are resolved before the acquisition of civilization cards.
At the end of each trading session, all calamity cards are revealed and acted upon. Calamities may not be discarded or held for the next turn. A player who failed to trade a tradable calamity card himself becomes the primary victim of the calamity.
The only exception to these Draconian rules is that a player may not be the primary victim of more than two calamities. The two which take effect are selected randomly. Stoics may play without this rule. Calamities are still resolved in ascending order, after which they are put to one side until shuffled back into their trade card stacks.
There are four new calamities: Treachery, Superstition, Slave Revolt and Barbarian Hordes. In addition, changes have been made in the other eight calamities. These are examined in greater detail later.
Acquisition of Civilization Cards
Apart from various changes in credits, civilization cards are acquired as before. A very important change is that there is no limit to the number of civilization cards a player may acquire, nor is there a limit to the number of each type of civilization card. A player may thus acquire all 24 civilization cards, and in fact it is theoretically possible for every player to acquire every civilization card. Because of this change, the order in which civilization cards are acquired is usually not important. If a player wishes to see what a neighbor acquires before making his own civilization cards purchases, A.S.T. order is used.
Once civilization cards have been acquired, all commodity cards used to pay for civilization cards, excess commodity cards and tradable calamities are shuffled together and returned to the bottom of their respective trade cards stacks. Non-tradable calamities are then returned to the bottom of the appropriate trade card stacks.
A.S.T. movement
Movement along the A.S.T. takes place as before, but the requirements for the various epochs have been changed.
Two cities are required to enter the Early Bronze Age.
Three cities and civilization cards in three of the five groups are required to enter the Late Bronze Age.
Four cities and nine civilization cards, including one card from each of the five groups, are required to enter the Early Iron Age.
Five cities and a specific number of points in civilization cards, depending on the nation, are required to enter the Late Iron Age.
Each square in the Late Iron Age has a point value. To advance further in that epoch, a nation must have that point value in civilization cards.
Another change in the A.S.T. is that a nation which has entered an epoch, but no longer can meet the entry requirements, remains frozen on the A.S.T. Since civilization cards, once acquired, can never be lost, this rule only applies to the city requirements. It gives players an opportunity to catch up to the leader, as well as justly causing difficulties for nations which barely meet the city requirements when entering a new epoch.
Victory Determination
In contrast to the original game, ADVANCED CIVILIZATION can be played to a time limit. This time limit, which can be anywhere from three to seven or eight hours, should be set before the game begins. This allows a game to be completed within a set time, without the nagging feeling that the best was yet to come. This rule change is probably the one most appreciated by people who do not play the game. This improvement is a result of a new formula for determining the winner of the game. The winner is determined by adding the following values once play is completed:
1. Civilization cards values
2. Commodity cards
3. Tokens in treasury
4. A.S.T. position (100 points per square)
5. Cities in play (50 points per city)
Calamities
This article would not be complete without a more detailed discussion of the new calamities and civilization cards. With twelve calamities, ADVANCED CIVILIZA77ON can be brutal at times, but the challenge of guiding a nation through dark ages makes the game a true test of leadership and resilience. Because many of the original calamities have been modified, it is worth looking at all twelve calamities.
Volcano/Earthquake.
This calamity is more or less the same, although the location selected by the victim must maximize the total damage. Engineering is powerless against volcanoes, but reduces the effects of earthquakes.
Treachery
The primary victim loses one city to the player who traded him the card. If Treachery is not traded, the player who drew it has one city reduced.
Famine
The primary victim loses ten unit points, and must instruct other players to lose 20 unit points, no more than eight of which may come from any one player. With Pottery, each Grain card held by a victim reduces the effect of Famine by four unit points, although Grain cards used for this purpose may not be used to acquire civilization cards until the following turn.
Superstition
The primary victim has three cities reduced. The effects of Superstition are reduced by Mysticism, Deism and Enlightenment.
Civil War
Civil War is still potentially the most devastating calamity, but victims now have some chance of control over its effects. As before, the victim's nation is divided into two factions. Normally the first faction will consist of 35 unit points, although this is increased by five for each of Drama and Poetry and Music, and increased by ten if Democracy is held. A nation with all three civilization cards would thus retain 50 unit points, making the civil war bearable.
Philosophy still ensures the loss of at least 15 unit points, while Military has the effect of eliminating five unit points from both factions once the civil war is resolved.
Another very important change is that the beneficiary of the civil war is now the nation with the most units in stock. This seemingly small change has a tremendous positive effect on play, because the nation which needs help the most usually benefits. This means that no player is ever completely out of the running.
Slave Revolt
Fifteen tokens belonging to the primary victim may not be used for city support until the following turn. This number is increased by five by Mining and decreased by five by Enlightenment.
Flood
If the primary victim has units on a flood plain, the effects are unchanged. If the primary victim has no units on a flood plain, one of his coastal cities is eliminated. If the primary victim holds Engineering, the coastal city is reduced rather than eliminated.
Barbarian Hordes
Once you've played a game with this calamity, you'll wonder how you ever played without it. Fifteen Barbarian tokens begin in one of the primary victim's starting areas, and flow through the richest areas of his empire until they comply with population limits. The Barbarians then remain in the areas they have occupied until attacked and eliminated. Crete, which has no start areas on the edge of the board, is immune from this calamity.
Optional rules allow the number of Barbarians to be increased. Use at your own risk.
Epidemic
Epidemic is essentially unchanged. Medicine reduces the primary victim's losses from 16 to eight unit points, and reduces secondary victims' losses by five unit points. Roadbuilding increases losses by both primary and secondary victims by five units points. As with Famine, the secondary effects are not optional - the primary victim must designate secondary victims until the epidemic has run its course.
Civil Disorder
All but three of the primary victim's cities are reduced. Possession of each of Drama and Poetry, Music, Law and Democracy saves one city, but Military and Roadbuilding each cost an additional city.
Iconoclasm and Heresy
Here the calamity is the same, although the effects of civilization cards on its effects are different. The primary victim has four cities reduced, but saves one city for each of Law and Philosophy, and three cities for Theology. One additional city is reduced for each of Monotheism and Roadbuilding. Two cities are lost by secondary victims, with Philosophy and Theology providing protection for secondary victims.
Piracy
Piracy has been completely revamped. The primary victim replaces two of his coastal cities with pirate cities, which remain on the board until attacked and destroyed. The primary victim selects two secondary victims, each of whom has one coastal city replaced by a pirate city. As usual, the player who traded the calamity to the primary victim may not be selected as a secondary victim. Ships play no part in the resolution of Piracy.
Civilization cards
An entire new category of civilization cards has been added to the game, with a corresponding increase in the possibilities open to the players. The Religion category consists of Mysticism (also an Arts), Deism, Enlightenment, Monotheism and Theology.
In addition, there are two new Crafts cards (Roadbuilding and Mining), one new Science/Arts card (Mathematics) and one new Civic (Military). This gives a total of 24 civilization cards, four of which belong to two groups (Engineering: Crafts/Science; Mathematics: Science/Arts; Literacy: Arts/Civic; Mysticism: Religion/Arts). The eight new civilization cards are worth a closer examination, as are a few familiar cards with different attributes. The civilization cards are analyzed in detail elsewhere in this publication.
Mysticism (Religion/Arts - 50)
Mysticism reduces the effects of Superstition, and otherwise is valuable for its credits and because it belongs to two groups.
Deism (Religion - 80)
Deism saves two cities from Superstition.
Enlightenment (Religion - 150)
Enlightenment completely nullifies the effects of Superstition, and reduces the effects of Slave Revolt. In addition, it is a prerequisite for both Monotheism and Theology, and therefore its acquisition always is a cause for comment and concern.
Monotheism (Religion - 220)
Monotheism is expensive and aggravates Iconoclasm and Heresy, but has a unique property which inspires dread out of proportion to its real value. The holder may convert one area each turn, by replacing the units in the area with his own. Players with Monotheism or Theology are immune from such conversion.
Because only one area may be converted each turn, the effects of Monotheism are not as drastic as they may seem. Even so, when several players have Monotheism near the end of the game, it is unpleasant to be one of the few nations open to conversion.
Theology (Religion - 250)
The most expensive of the new Religion cards, Theology is benign and protects its holder against both Monotheism and Iconoclasm and Heresy.
Roadbuilding (Craft - 140)
Roadbuilding allows land movement through two areas, provided the first does not contain enemy units. Roadbuilding aggravates the effects of Epidemic, Civil Disorder and Iconoclasm and Heresy, but provides enormous flexibility during play- Engineering is required for the acquisition of Roadbuilding.
Mining (Craft - 180)
Mining allows the holder to increase the value of it set of Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gems or Gold by one card. Four Bronze are thus treated as five when used for the acquisition of civilization cards. This ability may only be used once cach turn, but Mining still pays its way, especially if acquired early. Engineering is required for the acquisition of Mining.
Mathematics (Science/Arts - 230)
Mathematics doesn't do anything, but it provides a useful outlet for the credits accumulated by a scientific and artistic civilization.
Military (Civic - 180)
Military allows tile holder to build ships and move after other players. This attribute is extremely powerful, as it lets a large nation wage war effectively or embark upon unanswer able raids for pillage and trade cards. In theory, it is also useful for defense.
Even so, Military is very expensive because there are almost no credits available towards its purchase, and also because it provides no credits to other cards.
Architecture (Arts - 120)
Architecture is virtually a new card. It belongs to only one group, is more expensive and has a powerful attribute: the construction of cities using tokens from treasury, as described above.
The Effects of the New Civilization Cards
The civilizations which are possible in the game are now more diverse and complex than was ever the case in CIVILIZATION. The personalities of the players and the requirements of the various nations ensure unique patterns of development for each culture.
This would not have been possible without the introduction of the new Religion category, together with the creation of several higher level Crafts and Science cards. While it is theoretically possible for a player to acquire every civilization card, most games will end long before this happens. When the victor is determined, each civilization will be different. In the meantime, players have the satisfaction of creating something original, rather than marching down a predetermined path.
Conclusion
Few players who play ADVANCED CIVILIZATION will ever go back to the original game. The overall effect of the rule changes is to make ADVANCED CIVILIZATION more challenging and interesting, although no more difficult, to play.
The increased number of calamities make them a constant threat to every nation's civilization. Far from introducing more luck into the game, the new calamities force players to be more attentive to external dangers, and the skilful player will always "somehow" be lucky when it comes to calamity effects. The balancing effects of Civil War, one of the best new rules, ensure that no nation is ever really out of the game because of calamities.
The new rules relating to city elimination make aggression more profitable, without turning ADVANCED CIVILIZATION into a wargame. Aggression is now a more reasonable policy, and this forces players to pay attention to threats from other nations. Again, the overall effect of the changes is to make the players aware of just how many things the ancients had to worry about.
Finally, the new method of victory determination allows games to be played in a reasonable time, which means that relatives and friends who previously couldn't afford to spend twelve or fourteen hours playing a game can now be enticed into an afternoon of ADVANCED CIVILIZATION. This is one of the great attractions of ADVANCED CIVILIZAT70N - because it is not a wargame and every player engages in a creative activity, it is suitable for a much wider range of players. It is, in fact, the epitome of a "social game", so much so that true enthusiasts sometimes find that they don't really care whether or not they win the game.
On the other hand, the sense of history generated by ADVANCED CIVILIZATION can be so great that players find themselves identifying with the nations to an alarming degree. In the games I have played, passions have been aroused, tensions have been high and holy wars of revenge have been launched. Only a truly classic game can bring out the best (and worst) in people.
In short, there is something for everyone. Both "nongamers" and hard-core wargamers can enjoy themselves. Every player's personality will be reflected in his or her civilization. You will always have fun playing ADVANCED CIVILIZATION but of course whether your nation develops an advanced civilization is another question.
Putting It All Together
The ADVANCED CIVILIZATION expansion kit consists of the following components:
1. 24 civilization cards, eight of each type.
2. A deck of 80 trade cards, as follows: eight Iron, seven Papyrus, eight Timber, seven Oil, six Wine, five Silver, six Spices, five Resin, five Gems, four Dye, five Gold, four Ivory, one each of Volcano/Earthquake, Treachery, Famine, Superstition, Civil War, Slave Revolt, Flood, Barbarian Hordes, and two blanks.
3. An Archaeological Succession Card.
4. Summary of Calamity Effects.
5. Rulebook and Gamer's Guide.
The ADVANCED CIVILIZATION expansion kit must be used with a CIVILIZATION game. The mapboard, playing pieces, player mats and place cards from the original game are used.
In addition, the Ochre, Hides, Salt, Grain, Cloth and Bronze commodity cards from CIVILIZATION are used, together with the Epidemic, Civil Disorder, Iconoclasm and Heresy and Piracy calamity cards. The remaining trade cards from the original game, including the four redbacked calamities, are not used in ADVANCED CIVILIZATION
In short, the expansion kit is combined with the original CIVILIZATION game to create ADVANCED CIVILIZATION. Virtually all components which have changed have been redone, but the original mapboard and units are still used, and for this reason it was decided not to simply issue ADVANCED CIVILIZATION as a complete, but more expensive, game. The expansion trade card deck, which introduced a number of new commodities, has been incorporated into ADVANCED CIVILIZATION and is thus no longer required.
The Western Expansion Mapboard, on the other hand, is not included in the ADVANCED CIVILIZATION expansion kit. The Western Expansion Mapboard is not strictly necessary for ADVANCED CIVILIZATION but it is highly recommended and can be purchased separately from Avalon Hill.