posted 02-20-06 11:37 AM EDT (US)
Age of Astarte is an RPS age-style game, following the history of Carthage, an ancient-time metropolitan Phoenician city in North Africa, modern day Tunis. The Phoenicians originated in the two cities of Tyre and Sidon, located in Phoenicia, between mesopotamia and canaan. Carthage itself was founded in 814 B.C. by Dido, a Tyrean princess. Her brother murdered her husband, in order to ascend to the throne himself. She fleed the city with a group of loyalists, and settled in the location of Carthage. Slowly, the ideal city grew, throwing away the shackles of it's home-city, Tyre. Carthage then slowly rose to power, as a commercial and colonial power. The The The Disatvanages: Patron God: Units: Disadvantages: Patron God: Disadvantages: Patron God: Units (both Tyre and Sidon): Disadvantages: Patron God: Units: Disadvantages: Patron God: Units: Disadvantages: Patron God: Units: Disadvantages: Patron God: Units: Siege Machines: Ships: [This message has been edited by Empror (edited 02-21-2006 @ 00:09 AM).]
Basically, this is your everyday RPS age-style game (would I ever stop making these? - who knows). You send Citizens to gather resources, build buildings, and the building train units, and the units destroy your opponents. The special features included are: the main resource, Whealth, is produced only by trade but productive trade relies on trade goods. Buildings can only be erected within the range of City Centers, which expand when houses are built in it. Military buildings can also be built in ranges created by Fortresses. And, each resource has it's unique role.
The 
800-700 B.C.
The first founding of Carthage, and the concentration of civilization around the mediterranean.
700-500 B.C.
Carthage's slow rise to power, along with Romes, and the naval explorations of the Phoenicians from the British Isles to India.
500-350 B.C.
Carthage was now a fully-oiled commercial empire, ruling over Sardinia and Sicily. It is now a mediterranean major power.
350-146 B.C.
Carthage's great wars with Rome, and the most memorable story of Hannibal Barca.
Okay. Now that we are over with that, let's go to the basic resources:
Wealth 
Most basic resource. Generated by cities and trade routes.
Food 
Most basic resource. Harvested by hunting, herding, fishing, or farming.
Wood 
Used for both buildings and unit. Gathered by harvesting lumber.
Stone 
Used only for buildings. Gathered by mining from natural rock formations.
Iron 
Used only for units, and from the Exploration Age. Gathered by mining from natural metal formations.
Gold 
Used only for researches and upgrades. Gathered by mining from natural metal formations.
Now that that's settled, lets move to complex mathematical systems and formulas. First, let's talk about Wealth. You get Wealth from a city based on it's range. A City's range is expanded by building houses in it, but you also generate Whealth by having Merchants travel between Markets. But that's not a lot of whealth. This is were goods come into play. Goods, such as animals, spices, and cotton, are naturally found. If an item of goods is located in a City's range, then it's Market and Dock yield +150% gold then it's normal worth. If a good is found outside of any city's range, you can send Merchants or workers to travel up and down between the good and the market\dock, increasing the incom. Goods are never depleted or destroyed.
Monopoly: all markets and docks can only hold trade routes to your 'capitol' market and dock. These are located in your first city (or first coastline city if capitol is landborne). If your capitol is not the largest city, you can move the capitol to another city using leaders. Your capitol Market and Dock, when exposed to external trade routes, with other players, provide an income of all your empire's combined Goods.
Basic structure. Generates a range in which all other structures must be built. Produces Citizens, Scouts, and Merchants.
Houses are cheap, fast-built structures. They increase the range of the city they are in, and provide +8 pop each.
Recieves harvested food, and researches food-related technologies.
Food can be harvested from a farm.
Recieves gathered Wood, Stone, Iron, and Gold, and researches technologies related to them.
Resources are bought and sold at the Market, according to Stock Market rates. Merchants can also be trained, to travel between markets, generating Whealth, or to supply the Market with goods.
Special building. Researches most essential market and Whealth related technologies, along with military-related-economical upgrades.
Special building. Researches most essential market and Whealth related technologies, along with military-related-economical upgrades.
Special building. Researches most essential market and Whealth related technologies, along with military-related-economical upgrades.
Trains Fishing Boats and Trade Cogs, and researches fishing and sea-trade technologies.
Trains Priests, which convert other unit. Has religious upgrades available for research.
Trains infantry units (and archery for Greece and Rome), and researches unit-specific technologies.
Trains archers, and researches unit-specific technologies. Unavailable for Greece and Rome.
Trains cavalry unit, and researches unit-specific technologies.
Trains light war machines, vehicles, and researches unit-specific technologies.
Builds heavy siege machines, and researches unit-specific technologies.
Carthaginian unique building. Trains War Elephants.
Trains military ships, and researches unit-specific technologies.
Light defense structure, the most essential defensive building.
Heavy defensive structure, generates a field in which military buildings can be built. Contains wall & tower related technologies.
Blocks enemies. Can be destroyed by siege units.
In Age of Astarte, formations play a greater role, kinda like in Age of the Aegean. A formation bestows bonuses but has it's disadvantages.
*Breaking Formations: cavalry and chariots find their main role in breaking formations, particularly infantry formations. When a formation is broken, it's bonuses dissappear while units suffer from it's disadvantages for another minute, plus a 10% attack strength penalty
There are four possible formations for infantry\archery only formations, and three mixed formations. Additionaly, there is a single cavalry only formation.
Line
+20% movement speed, -15% LOS, unbreakable from sides
Good for marching to a desired location, or for countering a Phalanx
Bettalion
+20% attack strength, -10% armor, unbreakable from front
Good when working with archers, or for countering a Line
Box
+1 morale, +10% armor, -25% movement speed, hard to break from any angle
Good when heavily outnumbered or surouned, or for countering Bettalion
Phalanx
+20% armor, +10% attack strength, -15% movement speed, unbreakable from front
Good when working with infantry, or for countering a Box
Line
+20% movement speed, -15% LOS
Good for marching to a desired location, or for countering a Crescent
Crescent
+15% LOS, +15% attack range, -20% armor
Good for making light assaults, or for countering a Spearhead
Spearhead
+15% attack strength, -10% movement speed
Not good or bad for anything, but effective in countering a Line
Double-Crescent
+20% trample strength, +15% formation-breaking strength, -20% armor
Bonuses and Advantages:
-10% Stock Market rates (positive), infantry and cavalry trained 30% faster, get free Trade Cog when building a Dock, +20% health and attack strength for ships, 'Carthaginian units' receive permanent +25% morale, can have 3 capitol Docks, can train War Elephants
Cannot have mixed formations (except for 'Carthaginian units'), technologies cost +20% Gold, all units -20% loyalty (except for 'Carthaginian units')
May Choose any God:
Zeus (infantry are faster, temples cost gold)
Melqart (Stone and Wood gathered faster, Trade Cogs provide less Whealth)
Eshmun (units regenerate health, archers have less attack-range)
Baal (all units gain a slight health bonus, advancing ages costs +150 Iron)
Astarte (ships -20% cost and build time, buildings have reduced LOS)
Infantry
Light, armored spearman, especially effective in large formations. Excellent against cavalry.
Infantry
Fast trained, cheap infantry unit. Good against archers.
Infantry Carthaginian Unit
Elite warriors of Carthage, good against anything, but expensive.
Archery Carthaginian Unit
Unique unit. Requires early-game research to be able to morph Citizens into City Guard, and late-game research to enable the training of City Guards.
Archery
Heavy, short-ranged archer, good against infantry. Lousy against other archers.
Archery
Light archery unit, good against anything, and especially in large numbers.
Cavalry
Superb counter to heavy cavalry unit. Very manouverable.
Cavalry
Provides the 'beef' of any cavalry force. Good against infantry.
Cavalry Carthaginian Unit
Deadly behemoth, good against archers and buildings.
Chariot Carthaginian Unit
Combines the range of an archer with the speed of a horse and the strength of a machine. Not very manouverable, though.
Commander Carthaginian Unit
Commander unit enhances other nearby units. Can convert enemies with low loyalty for 10 Whealth.
Infantry
Converted for 10 Whealth by Officer. Good against buildings.
Ship
Unique ship that replaces the regular Trade Cog. Provides 15% more Whealth.
Bonuses and Advantages:
Iron and Gold mined 10% faster, infantry and ships trained 30% faster, when building a City Center across the sea instantly receive 1 free Scout and 1 free Merchant, +20% speed and LOS for ships, when a City Center is destroyed buildings in it's range can still function, market prices 40% cheaper, Archers have a researchable mode in which they act as scouts
20% of the wood of every tree is lost, ships or siege machines cost +25% wood, first Scout and first Priest die after 120 seconds
Melqart (Stone and Wood gathered faster, Trade Cogs provide less Whealth)
Bonuses and Advantages:
Start with +2 Houses, a Citizen can be morphed into Priests by paying the total cost of a Priest in Gold, -10% cost and build time for Priests, +20% power and conversion strength for Priests, -20% tribute tax, start with Astronomy, Literary Teachings, and Ceremonial Art pre-researched
Cavalry cost +20 Iron, cavalry move 20% slower, commander units have smaller enhancement range
Eshmun (units regenerate health, archers have less attack-range)
Infantry
Slow, heavy infantry unit. Benefits nothing from formations.
Infantry
Quick-moving, anti-infantry infantry unit. Weak against cavalry.
Infantry
Archery
Light, cheap, fast-trained archery unit. Long-ranged, weak, and effective only in large numbers.
Archery
Hidden javelin-hurling soldier. Invisible when not moving or attacking.
Cavalry
Ranged cavalry unit, the only great counter to the deadly Numidian Light Cavalry.
Chariot
Heavy, blade-spinning vehicle powered by 4 steeds. Deadly effective in slaughtering and breaking formations.
Cavalry
Medium-speed, heavy anti-archery unit. Mainly effective as a supportive force.
Commander
Commander unit enhances other nearby units. Can enter ships to become a commander-ship, enhancing other ships.
Bonuses and Advantages:
Capitol city produces +50% Whealth, all units +30% loyalty, wall & tower related upgrades -25% cost and research time, start with Burning Arrows pre-researched
+20% tax tribute, Workshop units +30% cost and build time
Zeus (infantry are faster, temples cost gold)
-or-
Eshmun (units regenerate health, archers have less attack-range)
-or-
Melqart (Stone and Wood gathered faster, Trade Cogs provide less Whealth)
Infantry
Slow-moving, heavily-armored infantry unit, good in steady formations
Infantry
Quick-moving, fast-trained, yet strangely expensive infantry. Useless against cavalry.
Infantry
Elite corpse of mercenary warriors, good against archers.
Archery
Syraci longbowman, an archery unit particularly effective vs. buildings.
Archery
Light javelineer, has the ability to block incoming attacks. Weak vs. cavalry.
Archery
Light archery unit, good against anything, and especially in large numbers.
Archery
Slow-firing, long-ranged anti-infantry archer. Ultra-weak against cavalry.
Cavalry
Light mounted spearmen, effective in raiding other cavalry forces.
Cavalry
Fast-moving, manouverable, rapid-firing, long-ranged cavalry unit. Health equivalent of a Citizen.
Commander
Commander unit enhances other nearby units. Can enhance workers to work faster.
Commander
The first Gamaroi trained. More suitable for military activity, and renders all units in enhancement-range un-convertable.
Bonuses and Advantages:
Houses +2 pop, can research Greek Fire (Burning Arrows for siege machines), walls +50% health, gates are free, can build Farms from Founding Age, -20% cost and build-time for ships, does not suffer from patron god disadvantages
-20% movement speed for all units, when City Centers or Temples are destroyed they deal damage to all surrounding units
Zeus (infantry are faster, temples cost gold)
Infantry
Slow-moving, heavily-armored infantry unit, good against cavalry.
Infantry
Fast-moving, slow-attacking swordsman, good for both offense and defense.
Infantry
Ultra-fast infantry unit, good against other infantry.
Archery
Light, fast-moving archery unit. Has a very long-range, but expensive.
Cavalry
Heavy cavalry, good against infantry and buildings alike.
Cavalry
Elite cavalry unit, but serves more like a chariot. It's main function is to break infantry formations.
Cavalry
Another heavy cavalry unit, but slower. good mostly for defense.
Heavy Siege
Slow-moving tower, that fires arrows and javelins at any nearby enemy. Can garrison infantry and archers for increased firepower.
Commander
Commander unit enhances other nearby units. Mounted on a chariot, can fire from a range or blast through infantry.
Bonuses and Advantages:
-25% cost and build time for Barracks, Stables, and Workshop, +1 morale for all infantry, +1 morale for infantry\cavalry mixed formations, +25% formation break and trample resistance, start with +1 Centurion, +20% LOS for all buildings and ships
-20% mining rate for Gold and Iron, -20% research speed for all technologies, has no archery capabilities
Jupiter (aka Zeus; infantry are faster, temples cost gold)
Worker
Cheap, fast-trained, badly skilled worker. Has very low loyalty.
Infantry
The strongest basic infantry in the game, but can be matched by Libyan Spearmen.
Infantry
Highly skilled infantryman armed with a medium sword. Has very low loyalty.
Infantry
Fast-trained, cheap, basic infantry. Good against surprise attacks.
Infantry
Slow-moving, but fast-attacking infantry. Good for raids or defensive purposes.
Archery
The only Roman archery unit, armed with a heavy javelin. Short-ranged and rather weak.
Cavalry
An exact duplicate of the Legionaire, only with greater speed and lesser armor.
Cavalry
Light cavalry unit, good against archers.
Cavalry
Heavy cavalry unit armed with a pike, good against other cavalry.
Heavy Siege
A version of the catapult, but can already be built in the Exploration age.
Commander
Commander unit enhances other nearby units. Has very good attack strength.
Bonuses and Advantages:
-25% cost and build time for infantry, +20% movement speed for infantry, +25% health for cavalry, all units are hidden when not moving or attacking, +10% wood gather rate
+25% technology cost and research time, +20% age-up cost and research time, -15% loyalty for all units
Zeus (infantry are faster, temples cost gold)
-or-
Baal (all units gain a slight health bonus, advancing ages costs +150 Iron)
-or-
Astarte (ships -20% cost and build time, buildings have reduced LOS)
Scout
Fast-moving, invisible scout. Can also serve as a combatant.
Priest
Unique clergy unit that can counter-convert friendly units, increasing their loyalty.
Infantry
Light infantry unit, very vesitile and mobile.
Infantry
A heavier swordsman, better in orginised formations.
Infantry
Slow, heavy infantry unit, good against buildings. Recieves stone, wood, and iron when attacking buildings.
Archery
Heavy archery unit, can only attack at a short range, but deadly vs. infantry.
Archery
Medium-ranged bowman, good against anything but cavalry.
Cavalry
Light cavalry unit, very versitile and mobile.
Cavalry
Heavy cavalry unit, good against infantry and buildings.
Cavalry
Though fast-moving, it cannot break through formations or stand against other cavalry. Good mostly for defense.
Light Siege
Hand-to-hand siege weapon, that batters-down walls and buildings. Has build-up attack speed. Good only against buildings.
Light Siege
Light, mobile, short-range missile launching device. Good only against units.
Light Siege
Heavier, slower, missile launching device. Great against units, but slow.
Heavy Siege
A balistic machine that launches bolts or stones lying in a strap. Rather fast, but weak.
Heavy Siege
A heavy, lumbering siege machine, that launches heavy units of ammo at any location, destroying anything in it's way. Very slow.
Heavy Siege
A slow, moving tower, that has several ram and pike like hand-to-hand weapons against buildings. Soldiers garrisoned inside provide additional attack strength, plus shooting arrows at enemies below.
Ship
Medium battle ship, that has no natural weapon capabilities. Can be mounted by a single, ranged siege weapon, plus 8 soldiers to fire arrows. Good against small squads of ships.
Ship
Medium ship, but faster then the Bireme. Good for early game, but can easily be replaced by Trireme.
Ship
Lighter assault ship, mounted with a ram. Good against other ships, esepcially civilian ships.
Ship
Unique, technologized vessel, that uses a special weapon to incinerate enemy ships and buildings, causing overtime damage.
Ship
Heavy battle ship, with a weak naturaly-given balista-like weapon. Can be mounted with two ranged siege weapons, plus up to 20 soldiers to fire arrows. Good when facing immense fleets of ships.
I devized a new method for orginising maps, more easily. You have eight checkboxes, with different features. If none are checked, the map will be set to normal plains, if only one is, it will be the dominant feature.
The scenarios in the Age of Astarte campaign are unique; they are long, very long each scenario at least as a heavy skirmish game. This is because new missions and objects keep popping-up, continuing the gaming. Each scenario, actually, covers the history of an entire war, thus the length.
Carthage is rising as a regional power. It has numerous colonies on the island of Sicily. Hamilcar must assemble men from Libya, Iberia, and the nearby islands (miny objectives), while all-the-time defending the Sicilian bases against the tyrant of Syracuse, Gelon, from destroying the colonies on Sicily. Once the army is assembled, however, it is scattered across the shores of Sicily by a storm. Regroup, Hamilcar must regroup his forces and face Gelon. When realizing the battle cannot be won, Hamilcar must be safely escorted to the Temple where he dies an honorable death by suicide.
Carthage regained it's strength conquering most of western north-africa. Hanno the Navigator must journey out into the atlantic, and found a colony on the west-african shore. Meanwhile, Mago Barca, grandson of Hamilcar, must lead an expedition into the sahara, recruiting more troops, and finally assault Sicily. There, he is required to take the island city-by-city, while all the time harvesting important 'medicine' goods, and researching technologies to battle a plague. In the end, you must win domination over Syracuse with a combination of slick diplomacy and military force.
Agathocles, tyrant of Syracuse, has broken the peace treaty. Another Hamilcar, this time grandson of Hanno the Navigator, must lead a force to recapture all of Sicily. Once Syracuse itself is in Hamilcar's grasp, however, he is recalled to Carthage, for Agathocles has lead a surprise attack on it. Eventually, Carthage must again negotiate peace with Syracuse.
With their foothold in Sicily reduced, the Greeks hired Phyrrhus of Epirus to battle Carthage. He defeated every Carthaginian force on the island, while also clashing with Rome. The Carthaginians must now fight a final battle to defeat him. Meanwhile, a large army of Italian mercenaries called the Mamertines, who served Syracuse, have gone marauding and siezed the city of Messana. Threaned by Syracuse, the Mamertines sought the help of both Carthage and Rome. Carthage must send a fleet and an army to guard Messana. However, Rome will try to stop her.
Rome quickly annhilated the Carthaginian presence in Sicily, forcing Syracuse into an alliance. Now, the Romans besiege the city of Agrigentum. Precious resources, technology, and naval equipment must be saved from the Romans. What is not brought to Carthage, is captured and used by the Romans. Now, general Hamilcar Barca must lead an offensive to reclaim most of Sicily, meanwhile admiral Ad Herbal must hold-back the Roman navy, and spartan hired general Xanthippus must hold-back the Roman army in north-Africa, until Hamilcar's conquests are complete. The player may choose to play any of the three roles.
Rome has won the first punic war. More then two decades have passed, since. Hannibal - son of Hamilcar Barca who was sworn to hate Rome forever as a child, was now in-charge of Carthaginian forces in Iberia. He recruits iberian (Barbarian) mercenaries, and assaults Saguntum, an iberian (Barbarian) city allied with Rome. Rome then declares war on Carthage. Hannibal must overlap the large Roman army sent to iberia to stop him, and recruit Gallic mercenaries as he crosses the alps. The alps are challenging as in certain places units take attrition damage. Once arriving at Rome, he must defeat the Roman armies sent to stop him. Over time, as the Carthaginian-provided economy dwindles, Hannibal's campaign becomes a defensive war of survival. Eventually, he must go to face the son of a Roman commander he had killed at north-Africa itself. Realizing he has lost the war, Hannibal must be safely escorted away from the western-mediterrenean.
Carthage has again lost the war, with Rome being the victors. Carthage is no longer an empire, but now a mere shadow of its former glory. The small city-state is attacked by Numidia, it's former subject-state. When the Numidian invaders are finaly defeated, their Roman allies arrive. The Romans start besieging the city, as Carthage is forced into an economical race to satisty Rome's threatning demand of resources and goods. Finaly, however, the city is taken, thus ending the legacy of Carthage.
--Upcoming:
Twilight: Empires of Light and Darkness
Insight
Wars of the Prophets
Kanenas; rise of a nation
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(O.o )
(> < )This is bunny. Copy bunny into your siginature to help him on his way to world domination!
I didn't catch that fact.