Advanced History of the World
by Pete Busch
from Declination, 2, #3, pp 1-3 & insert
One of the hallmarks of a great game is its adaptability to the "tinkering effect," a phenomenon that causes certain gamers to feel the irresistible urge to alter and "improve" certain aspects of their favorite games for a variety of reasons, the end result of which is supposed to be making the game more enjoyable to play. History of the World is definitely one of those games. Having played HOW more times over the past few years than I can remember (I acquired a copy of the original English version almost two years before the Avalon Hill redaction came out) I quite naturally succumbed to the impulse to create a few additional rules of my own. The group that I normally play with prefers to use all of these rules together--a sort of Advanced HOW--but some of them are independent of each other and can be added to the game to suit your own preferences.
1. PACIFIC EXPANSION MAP: This map should be abutted to the regular HOW map along the same edge as the Americas and Nippon. There are two major aspects to this map: 1) there are now four additional Lands in the Australasia Area (Hawaiian Islands, Micronesia, Melanesia, and New Zealand) and one new Land in the South East Asia Area (Philippine Islands); and 2) the borders of Seas adjacent to the Pacific Ocean are altered. The mainland of Asia, Australia, Nippon, etc, should be used for reference purposes only; continue to use the original HOW map for placement of playing pieces in these Lands. You may find it helpful to color in the new Lands with magic markers or colored pencils to make it easier to distinguish which Area they belong to. If you're so inclined you can glue the maps onto cardboard backing so that they are a little more sturdy and are level with the main map.
1.1 AUSTRALASIA VICTORY POINTS: When using the Pacific Expansion Map increase the victory point value of Australasia to two points during Epoch VII.
Commentary: This map --along with the revisions to navigation capabilities (rule 2.2) and extended seapower (rule 3) -- reassesses the growing importance of the Pacific to the European empires in the last 200 years and allows for a more historical depiction of events in the last epoch.
2. REVISIONS TO EMPIRE CARDS: The following Empire Cards should have the appropriate changes made to them.
2.1 MONGOL EMPIRE CARD: Add a star to the Mongol Empire card to indicate that it has a Capital (named "Karakorum").
2.2 REVISED NAVIGATION CAPABILITIES: Macedonia: delete "Red Sea"; Romans: delete "Red Sea" and "North Sea" Arabs: add "Eastern Mediterranean"; Vikings: add "Black Sea"; Mongols: add "South China Sea" Ming Dynasty: add "Bay of Bengal"; Portugal: delete "+" for Atlantic Ocean; Spain: delete "Indian+" and add "Pacific" (no +); Russia: delete "North Sea" and "Sea of Japan"; Netherlands: delete "Pacific+"; France: delete "Pacific+ United States: add "Pacific" (no +).
Commentary: The Mongols most certainly had a capital and recently the first systematic archaeIogical digs there have begun to uncover the fascinating urban sophistication of this once great city. The revised navigation capabilities are especially important to incorporate when you use the Pacific Expansion Map. AlI of the navigation changes are based upon the historical capabilities and/or activities of these empires coinciding with the epoch in which they are active in the game. Where capabilities have been deleted it is because I can find no historical precedent that any significant use was made of those Seas/Oceans by the empire in question during that period of history. As an example, the Romans did build a fleet to cross the English Channel in order to invade Britain, but in my opinion this limited usage is reflected by the crossing arrow; the Romans certainly didn't employ their fIeet to actually control the North Sea or to land armies elsewhere in Northern Europe. Conversely, there are several empires that now have the opportunity to launch overseas expeditions to places that they really did historically. The Mongols, for instance really did try to invade Java (the East Indies) in 1292-93. They failed, but they did make the attempt and I think it is safe to say that this was a more significant venture than a few Viking sailors visiting North America. As for the changes to Spain's and some of the other European powers' navigation, I point out that after the Treaty of Tordesillas of 1494 Spain agreed not to use the established Portuguese trade routes around the Cape of Good Hope into the Indian Ocean. This treaty was the major factor in Magellan's attempt at a round-the-world voyage. Once it was proved possible to cross the Pacific, the Spanish used that route exclusively to access their dominions in the Philippines. The other European powers essentially ignored the treaty and almost always used the Indian Ocean routes. The effect here is to steer the players into making the same sort of decisions that their historical counterparts did.
3.0 EXTENDED SEA POWER: When an Empire builds and places a Fleet in a Sea/Ocean to which it does not have an adjacent controlled Land but which is only connected to an adjacent controlled Sea/Ocean then the cost for building that Fleet is doubled. This doubling continues each time a Fleet is built and placed one further Sea/Ocean away from the closest occupied Land. Example: If France builds a Fleet for placement in the Atlantic Ocean then it only costs one Strength Point because Western Gaul is adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. If France then builds and places a second Fleet in the Indian Ocean then that Fleet costs two Strength Points. Should France then build a third Fleet for placement in the Bay of Bengal, then that fleet will cost four Strength Points. If, on the other hand, France were to place an Army to occupy Southern Africa before building and placing a Fleet in the Indian Ocean then that Fleet would have a "Port" in Southern Africa thereby reducing the cost of the Indian Ocean Fleet to only the normal one Strength Point. The Bay of Bengal Fleet would still cost two Strength Points unless France first had an Army occupy Ceylon in which case the Bay of Bengal Fleet would also only cost one Strength.
Commentary: This rule is designed to create a more historical decision-making process about overseas expansion and reflects the extreme difficulty and cost of extending seapower far away from bases of support. I highly recommend the book Command of the Sea by Clark G. Reynolds as an excellent source of information and commentary on the impact of seapower upon world history.
4. RETREATS FROM COMBAT: Defending armies and fleets may now exercise the option of retreating after the active player has placed an attacking army/fleet in the same Land/Sea/Ocean, either before the combat dice rolling begins or after the resolution of a round of combat (assuming there are any surviving defenders). Retreating armies must move to any adjacent Land occupied by the same type and color of army. Retreating fleets must move to any adjacent Sea/Ocean occupied by the same color of Fleet. If there is no available friendly Land/Sea/Ocean to retreat to then no retreat is possible. Stacking limits must be observed at all times; if a retreat would cause a Land/Sea/Ocean to overstack then a retreat cannot be made there. If more than one piece is retreating these pieces may be split so as to move into more than one Land/Sea/Ocean but all pieces must retreat; you cannot leave some pieces behind to continue defending while others retreat. Armies cannot retreat over Seas/Oceans except across the arrow of a Strait and then only if a fleet of their color controls the intervening Sea and their empire had navigation into that Sea. Only armies and fleets can retreat; any capital, city, and/or fort/fortress must be left behind and is subject to the rules of Conquest.
Commentary: This rule reflects the tendency of an empire under stress from outside forces to fall back on its core homeland in order to preserve itself for as long as possible.
5. BARREN LANDS: Barren Lands can be moved into but not out of (i.e., an empire cannot expand into other Lands adjacent to the Barren Land unless it does so from some other non-Barren Land). Exception: Once an Empire occupies a Barren Land it can play an "Allies" Event card to occupy empty Lands on the other side of that Barren Land.
5.1 BARBARIAN ARMIES: Barren Lands are initially considered to contain one Barbarian army which defends using the Difficult Terrain Bonus (i.e, it throws two dice). This Barbarian army must be defeated before the attacking empire can occupy the Barren Land. A Barbarian army never retreats (if using rule 4). If, for whatever reason, a Barren Land should become vacant again then this defending Barbarian Army immediately returns automatically.
5.2 OCCUPATION OF BARREN LANDS: Any occupying army or armies defend using the Difficult Terrain Bonus. Forts/Fortresses can be built in a Barren Land. Occupation of each Barren Land counts as one victory point for that empire. Barren Lands are not associated in any way with any adjacent Areas/Lands in terms of scoring points. If a "Barbarian" Event card is played on a Barren Land occupied by an Empire then the Barbarians must first defeat the occupying army or armies before the Barbarians can attack out of that Barren Land. The defending empire does not receive the Difficult Terrain Bonus against the Barbarian Event card although it does receive the benefit of any fort/fortress present.
5.3 RESOURCES IN BARREN LANDS: Both Siberia and Northern Lakes are considered to contain a Resource symbol which counts towards the requirement for building a Monument. A Monument can only be placed in either of these Barren Lands if no Capital, City, or regular Resource site is otherwise available to the building Empire.
Commentary: Some very interesting things happened when empires tried to extend their influence into these so-called "barren lands." For example, the conquest of Siberia was an important expansion in the growth of the Russian empire, and I think we've all heard something about a little difference of opinion between England and France concerning the Northern Lakes. Both of these places harbored vast natural resources that were crucial to the development of the empires involved.
6. PRESERVATION OF CULTURE: Make sure each player has the six monument markers with his own color on the back. When an empire first builds a monument use the matching color side when placing the monument marker. The first epoch that an empire builds a monument it scores the normal one victory point. If the empire still controls its monument at the end of that player's turn in the following epoch then score two victory points. This increase in victory points continues each time the empire retains control for another epoch; e.g., if the Romans build a monument in the Southern Apennines and they still control that monument at the end of the owning player's turn on Epoch VI then the monument is worth four victory points. Whenever a monument is taken by conquest it is immediately flipped over to its neutral color side and its victory point value goes back to one, regardless of its former accumulated point value. If a monument is destroyed it immediately loses any accumulated point value and if subsequently rebuilt by another empire, it must begin as a one point monument. Sumeria cannot build a monument when this rule is in effect.
Commentary: I believe that this rule makes more sense than the optional rule included in the game. Historically speaking, a preserved monument has its greatest value to the empire that built the object and the longer it lasts in its original state the more the people come to revere it as a symbol of their national identity. From a game standpoint this serves to reward players who find ways to retain control of the core of their empires while at the same time providing a real incentive to the other players to conquer these monuments.
7. NEW EVENT CARDS: Shuffle the seven Kingdoms II/Migrants II Event cards in their own pile and deal out one to each player at the beginning of the game just as you do with the other Event cards.
7.1 KINGDOMS II: Each Kingdoms II card has three Kingdoms listed on it and the Start Land where the Kingdom begins is listed underneath. The player gets one army for each Kingdom listed on the card (preferably of a type used by a past empire, but it may be necessary to use ones of a future empire to avoid confusion with pieces already in play). A Kingdom II uses three dice to attack any armies in its Start Land. If the Kingdom II conquers its Start Land then give it a City in its Start Land and then the option of taking either a fort (which must be placed with the City) or another army (which may either be placed in the Start Land or moved into any adjacent Land). If this other Land is defended then the second army attacks using the usual two dice. The rules for Conquest apply. A Kingdom II cannot build a monument but it can conquer them.
7.2 MIGRANTS II: The Migrants II card has three Migrants listed on it indicating each of three Areas where the Migrants appear. The player gets two armies (of a type used by a past empire) for each Migrant listed on the card. These must be placed in a vacant Land or Lands in each of the Areas listed. If there is no vacant Land(s) available then an occupied Land(s) must be attacked by the Migrants using two dice. The rules for Conquest apply. Migrants II cannot build a Monument but they can conquer them. Note that the listing for N. and/or S. Europe is one Migrant; i.e, the player gets two armies which can both be placed in just one of these Areas or can be split between the two, depending upon where there are vacant Lands available.
Commentary: There are so many interesting realms that flash upon the world's stage and then disappear again that I just had to find a way to give them a chance to show their faces. I think it's a good way to emphasize how a lot of larger empires crumbled away at the edges from multitudes of small usurpers.
Pacific Expansion Map Instructions
The Expansion Map (see below) should be cut in half along its center fold, so the individual Northern and Southern portions can be separately positioned on the game board.
Updated 14 Jan 08.Back to Boris Home