History of the World

It has been many years since I last played the epic boardgame Civilization. But to get the full experience you’d want the full complement of seven players and maybe ten hours. It would likely take thirty minutes to set up and teach new players. To get a similar but broader experience, there’s always History of the World. Easier to teach, faster to set up, and you’re looking at four hours for the epic experience. You don’t need the full complement although I think five players is the sweet spot.

 

Today’s post is an overview of the game, some of its features, and then several snapshots of a recent game so you get a sense of what an alternate world history might resemble. Replaying the tape allows you to explore these different possibilities! I have the old Avalon Hill version (no figurines) from 1993.

 

The game begins with the Sumerians, circa 2600 BC. Then it proceeds through seven epochs. Each player controls one empire in each epoch, for a total of seven empires throughout the course of the game. Each empire has a Strength (corresponding to the number of units you can use to expand), a Start Area, and sometimes a Capital city. Each player also has nine event cards to play throughout the game that may consist of temporary military strength, a minor kingdom you can control, fortifications, natural disasters to afflict your enemies, and so on. But once you play an event, you’ve played the event card. So you have to be strategic. But how? Especially when the main catch of this game is that you don’t know which empire you will be controlling in advance!

 

That’s the beauty of the game. Each epoch begins with the assigning of empires. The player with the lowest strength draws the first empire card, looks at it, and then decides whether to keep it or give it face-down to another player. If given a card by another player, you cannot look at it until all empires for that epoch have been assigned. The player with the next lowest strength draws the next empire and looks at it. If this player was given an empire card this turn, then the newly drawn card must be given away to a player who doesn’t yet have an empire. If this player doesn’t already have a card, there are the usual two options: keep or give away. This is the heart of the game and not only does it provide, a self-balancing mechanism, there is room for scheming and strategy.

 

After all players have received an empire, they are revealed one at a time according to chronological order. The controlling player expands the empire by placing units in the starting area and then expanding while possibly fighting battles. In Epoch 1, the empires are (in order) Egypt, Minoa, Indus Valley, Babylonia, Shang Dynasty, and finally the Aryans. If there are six players, all will eventually have their several hundred years of fame. If there are fewer players, not all these empires might show up. In Epochs 2-7, there are seven possible empires. Thus, even with the full six-player game, there is some uncertainty as to who will be the no-show. (If there are only two or three players, each gets to control two empires per turn.)

 

There aren’t many options during a player’s turn. Expand, fight, or build a fortress. Combat is handled with a simple die roll. There are some combat modifiers, but they are few and simple unlike your typical wargame; thus each turn proceeds quickly without too much fuss or muss. You score points for controlling capitals, cities, monuments (which you can build), and areas. The world map is divided into regions (as you’ll see in the pictures below) and you can score for having presence, majority control or full control of each area. The values change with the epochs. When you tally your score each turn, you count your control for not just your present empire but any of your past empires still on the board (if they haven’t already been wiped out).

 

And yes, that’s it to the rules. Now onward to some pictures to illustrate some moments in history! (I apologize in advance for my poor photo-taking skills.)

 

Figure 1: Epoch 1. The Babylonians expand their empire with advanced weaponry, overrunning the Hittite capital in Eastern Anatolia. The Sumerians are confined to the Lower Tigris, To the East, the Indus Valley civilization is thriving. To the West are the Minoans and to the southwest the glorious civilization of Egypt with a monument! (The Epoch 1 counters are supposed to represent a sling and a stone but I always think I’m looking at an amoeba!)

 

Figure 2: Epoch 3. The Macedonians expand to the south and east, controlling the Eastern Mediterranean, but they have to fight their way through in several costly battles. The old Egyptian empire is engulfed but the Persians still maintain much of their former territory. A Jewish revolt has established a kingdom in Palestine. In India, the Maurya dynasty has displaced the Vedic City States but the Indus maintain its capital of Mohenjodaro.

 

Figure 3: Epoch 4. The Tang Dynasty takes full control of China, expanding into the Mekong Valley. A remnant of the Vedic dynasty holes up in the Burmese highlands while a Malay state has been established to the south. The Guptas now rule most of India. To the west of China’s great wall lurk remnants of the Hsiung-Nu (the “White Huns”) in Mongolia, while Attila’s horde still controls most of the Eurasian Steppes.

 

Figure 4: Epoch 4. The Arabs under Omar launch their expansion. All of North Africa falls to their advance, except they leave in peace an old fortified kingdom of allies in the upper Nile. The Arabs expand as far as Iberia in the west, but their eastern advance is severely hampered by the Persian-Sassanid alliance. To the northwest the Byzantines control the Mediterannean waterways while old Rome’s waning might still hold sway over parts of Southern Europe.

 

Figure 5: Epoch 7. The French launch their conquest starting with the Inca Empire where they take heavy, heavy losses. But along with their Spanish allies, they are able to control all of South America. The Aztec empire still holds Central America and Mexico, while the Russians control the the eastern half of North America.Their eastward conquest of northern Europe is more successful, but they run out of steam before reaching the Baltics and Eurasia. Remnants of the Holy Roman Empire still persist, and ancient kingdoms in England and Scotland hold their own. (Area scoring table is in the lower left.)

 

Figure 6: Final scores with Purple having the highest score (175 points) while having the lowest total strength (67). Purple controlled four kingdoms on the Indian subcontinent and having that controlling stake brought in a raft of points.

 

In this game, Russia turned to overseas expansion in North America and in sub-Saharan Africa, leaving the Huns in control of most of the motherland. North China is stilled controlled by the Mongols while being held off in the south by the Ming dynasty. The Manchurians are no-shows. Another notable no-show: the Ottoman Turks. Thus at the beginning of the twentieth century, the Arabs still control north Africa, Crusader states hold Palestine but have also ravaged Mecca. Remnants of the Persians, the oldest empire, still exist with a fortress in the Anatolian highlands. France has a colony in Madagascar. Remnants of the Tang and Sung dynasties control Mekong and the East Indies respectively, untouched by the European powers.

 

And that’s a wrap! Or at least it’s one version of the History of the World.