Sponsor: Sirian
Opening Date: Monday, September 30
Duration: Four Weeks
Map Generation: Random

Difficulty: Monarch
Civilization: England
World Size: Standard
Opponents: Seven
Terrain: Archipelago, 70% water
Climate: Rugged
Barbarians: Roaming
Rules: Standard
Victory: All options enabled, but player is aiming for a Diplomatic victory.

Scenario Concept: In all Epics so far, we have varied the civ, the map size, terrain, land mass, difficulty level, victory conditions, opponents and more. We have never varied the start date. For Epic Sixteen, instead of starting fresh, on a clean slate, you will have to step in to rescue a troubled civilization.

The mystics have been in control of England since the dawn of civilization. Research has been focused solely on religious matters: mysticism, warrior code, polytheism, monarchy. With the church in total control of every aspect of the kingdom, life has been good for thousands of years. The world's first great wonder, the Oracle of London, is the envy of all civilizations and has guided England's every move. The Oracle has given forth a vision, that one day England shall be hailed by all nations as the flower of civilization itself, and shall rule them by way of their devotion to our enlightened mystical teachings. England's strong military easily dispatched various nagging barbarian threats, and the English are the most numerous population on the earth, with the largest, greatest city!

There are serious problems developing, though. In recent centuries, the great wealth of England has been diminishing as the military payrolls climb. England's hordes of archers and axemen keep the kingdom secure, but there are rumors of other armies with stronger weapons that greatly worries some in London. And now the very shores of England itself, in outlying, poorly explored areas, are attracting the ships and settlers of other great nations, who are -- though it be blasphemy to admit -- more worldly and enlightened than we are, having had centuries of trade amongst themselves.

The way's of England's isolation will be her undoing! We must have a new form of government, a new leader, someone who will lead us into the midst of these other kings and bedazzle them all!

To top it all off, there has been a massive barbarian uprising in the north, with hordes of Gepid horsemen racing down to attack London. The English Army stands ready to meet these forces on the field of battle, but the scope of this war will be unlike any the kingdom has ever known. This is a time of great uncertainty and upheaval. Your first test will be to fight off the barbarian hordes, and that may be the easiest challenge you will face, as there are even greater threats lurking just over the horizon.

England, though rich and deeply cultured, is bloated and dying. Your job is to rescue the kingdom, to save the future. Your goal is a diplomatic victory. You must make the Oracle's vision come true! You must bring the teachings of the Church of England to every corner of the earth and prove to one and all that our way is the most enlightened.

Scoring: Diplomatic victory in this Epic counts as a Win. Any other victory condition counts as a Draw. Defeat or Retirement counts as a Loss.

Wins will be ranked by the Margin of Victory in the UN Vote:
* Each vote "For" your civ in the final UN vote counts as 4 Victory Points.
* Each abstention in the final UN vote counts as 2 Victory Points.
* Each against vote counts as 1 Victory Point.
* Civs who have been eliminated will, obviously, be unable to vote and add to your score.

In case of ties involving players scoring the same number of Victory Points from the vote, ties will be broken by fastest finish.

Draws will be ranked by fastest finish, regardless of victory type.

Losses will be ranked by game score.

Strategy: Although this is only Monarch difficulty, you will be starting from a deep hole and having to work your way out without upsetting too many of your neighbors in the process. At the very least, you need to survive and stay caught up through the modern age in order to win, yet any temptations to play OCC style with London as a supercity could place you in danger of triggering a one-city cultural victory before you can get to the modern age. You will be taking over in 110BC, with critical decisions facing you and a nation awaiting your orders.

Closing Day: Monday, October 28. Reports due on Oct 28 or 29.

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