Age of Exploration From: "Hurricane" <bhowell@shreve.net> Date: Sun, 20 Feb 2000 00:00:00 +0000 AGE OF EXPLORATION is a play by email, multi-player, open-ended simulation of the world at the end of the 15th century. Each participant controls the destiny of a historical family whose initial assets in the simulation, as nearly as possible, match those of the actual family in history. Although the strengths and weaknesses of his family may tend to push him in directions similar to those pursued by the actual historical family, each player is free to seek his family's fortune any way he deems fit (within the scope of the rules) without regard to the precedents set by the actual historical family. Families are composed of up to five members, referred to in these rules as "personae". (For the sake of play balance, the more powerful families are given fewer members.) These personae may hold offices, exercise feudal powers, engage in commerce, organize the production of useful goods, seek elevation within the ecclesiastic hierarchy or lead troops, ships and goods from one place to another. The game is open ended geographically in that any location may be added to the 4,000 already in the database. It is open-ended in regards to playership in that any family extant in 1493 may be added to the 1,100 already in the database. The game is, however, structurally limited in that no player may perform any game action not specifically countenanced by these rules. Each turn represents one month of historical time. At the start of each game month, players are sent a file containing data on their family's personae and on the locations at which these personae are situated. They also receive a journal, called the CHRONICLES, containing information about the major events of the preceding turn. Moves are sent to the GM, who processes all player actions, prepares new data files, and sends them out to the individual players at the start of the next month of play. Approximately eighteen turns are processed each calendar year. Contact Constantine Xanthos at Xanthos@gate.net Referenced By Up