History of the World

[admiral_yamoto]

I'm quite interested in this game and am thinking of getting it. Can someone sum up to me how it is played? What are Epochs, etc. Also, is this game out of print?

[Moderator Sinister]

Yam,

The game is played through 7 turns. During the first turn everyone is dealt a random empire. You try to expand and score points. The more control over an area you have the more points you score. You can also get points for building monuments to your empire.

Then at the end of round #1 the person with the lowest number of scored points draws an empire from epoch #2 if he doesn't like it he can pass it to anyone (thus sticking the leader with a crappy empire). He must take his second card. Then the next lowest person draws and keeps or passes until all the empire cards are dealt out.

High score at the end of epoch (or turn) 7 wins. (which is bascially right about WWI)

Combat is very simple, in fact I find it more simple than risk. We've created a house rules version that use infantry, artillery, and cavalry but the game itself just has infantry.

Its a very fun game. I beleive the game is out of production right now but you should be able to find it some places online.

[Yoper]

A clarification to the empire card draw: The statement that he must take his second card doesn't mean that he draws a second and has to keep it. What happens is that if the player gives away the card he draws, he then waits until someone else gives him an empire. He is stuck with that one.

Also, if a player is given an empire by another, he can't look at the one given to him until after he has drawn an empire (the player gets to look at the drawn empire to help in his deciding who to give it to) and given the drawn one away. He can only give the drawn empire to someone who doesn't already have an empire.

Craig

[Y2UAsk]

I agree that this is a game well worth finding a copy of. It's one of my favorites from the first batch of "new" AH titles.

To expand a bit on what's been stated already --

Because you play a different empire in each epoch, you might wind up ruling most of North Africa in one epoch and most of Asia in another. Once the epoch changes, you don't control your units from earlier epochs at all. They become obstacles to everyone, including yourself (though you may still collect VPs for them). Basically, you're trying to score as many points as possible in each epoch, with no eye to the future because you don't know where you'll be next turn. It's a little like the game Geronimo in that respect, although HotW is a lot more fun and a lot less grim.

Steve

[zooooma]

Another thing which makes HotW unique is the manner inwhich your units are deployed.

At the start of your turn, you collect a number units (from the appropriate epoch) depending on which empier you play. In Shogun, Risk Godstorm, and many other games, your units would all be placed on the board, and from there they would move around the conducing combat etc.

In HotW, you first place only one unit (on your empire's designated starting space) and put the rest into an off board pool. Then you make attacks, by placing other units from your pool, one at a time in any empty or occupied spaces adjacent to any space where you already have a unit from that empire. Or, you can remove a armie from your pool, and place a fort in any space where you own already have an armie. A combat roll is needed when you attack a space occupied by an opponents piece, but if it fails, you can try again by placing another unit from your pool into the same space. You continue until your armie pool is empty. So, there are never any stacks or piles of armies - you always attack.

Another major difference (between HotW and Risk 2210) is the way inwhich you continent bonuses are calculated. A continent has a base bonus of n, depending on the continent and the epoch. If you occupie at least one space in that continent, you get n points at the end of your turn. (this is where you can score for your armies from previous epochs). If you have at least two spaces, and strictly more than any other single oppoent, you get 2n points. If you occupie at least three spaces, and no other player occupies any (in that continent), you get 3n points. This is less absolute as the continent bonuses in Risk, and I think it's a neat idea.


I'm not sure if History Of The World is less grim than anything. To quote Mr. Spock:

You (humans) find it easier to understand the death of one than the death of a million...
...It might have rendered your history a bit less bloody.

But what kind of game would that be? From the Steve Jackson website:

One can only play a level 13 farmer so long...

Happy gaming
-Luke

[Moderator Sinister]

We made a varient called the test of time varient. Where you can play your past epoch in an attempt to make it last. We revised the combat rolls just a little to make it possible but very hard. Scoring an past epoch though (as your active empire) gets you a number of points x the difference in the current epoch.

[admiral_yamoto]

well, i guess, judging by the way the forum is setup, Hotw is officialy out of print. :(

[pellulo]

In case of interest, I always wonder, if Sid's Civilazation Game, doomed this remake game, thanks, Pellulo