Playtesters for historical simulation of 1493

From: Constantine Xanthos <xanthos@dakota.gate.net>

Date: Sun, 17 Jan 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Playtesters are being sought for the final playtest of AGE OF EXPLORATION, a
play-by-email, multi-player, open-ended, historical simulation set in the
year 1493.

AGE OF EXPLORATION is the product of a great deal of painstaking research
 which
has allowed the development of a massive data base of 5,000 historical
characters and 4,000 locations.

Each participant is assigned a historical family, composed of from one to
five historical characters. After receiving his initial setup, which consists
of a text file indicating the family's assets, positions and skills as well
as the economic and political characteristics of each of the locations at
which he has a family member, he may send in orders for his family members
approximately once every three weeks.

Among other things, these orders may include such activities as fighting
field battles, buying, or selling, various trade goods, going on pilgrimage,
assaulting towers, venerating icons, colonizing locations in the New World,
fighting duels, collecting taxes, granting ingress to cities in his control,
assaulting city walls, sailing down navigable rivers such as the Rhine and
Volga, raising tariffs at markets he controls,  voting for the election of
grand masters of military orders or pirating other players' ships.

At the end of each movement period, he receives a journal containing various
reports on game events plus material contributed by other players. In
addition he receives a new text file indicating the current characteristics
of his family and its members' locations.

AGE OF EXPLORATION is the creation of Constantine Xanthos who also designed
RENAISSANCE, a historical simulation game which is currently in its seven-
teenth year of continuous play. Over 200,000 orders have already been
processed in RENAISSANCE.

Playtesters who decide to join the actual game will receive priority in
selecting their starting position. Their comments about the playtest will
help
shape the final structure of the simulation.

The playtest is, of course, free of all charges to playtesters.

Anyone interested in participating in the playtesting of AGE OF EXPLORATION
should contact Constantine Xanthos at 71360.1316@compuserve.com