Another Al_Kharn! I haven't even played the existing ones yet! So much left I still have to play and catch up.

Looks interesting Al_Kharn!

Yay! You're back!

Wait, AK isn't even out yet?

He's works with us AoF folks so it makes sense.

Ah, I was wondering when you'd post your next project thread here

The topic is quite interesting (and historically debated!) so I'm looking forward to how you portray it in your scenario!

Thanks for the positive comments!

I think I'm not violating any NDA by saying I designed one of the campaigns for The African Kingdoms expansion

The new DLC provides so much for designers that I actually went on a tear and made six more scenarios not making the official release (unfortunately).

It's why I haven't posted any screenshots here (the scenario is done minus playtesting, actually) because it uses a lot of DLC content.


Sam:
I combined the theories of ecological depletion and (possibly Toltec) invaders. Fighting against nature wouldn't make good B&D!

Of course, the Mayans had no idea about climate change or soil depletion. Instead, I have them ascribe their afflictions to angry gods and we all know what Mesoamerican religions diagnosed as the remedy for divine punishments.

I must provide a disclaimer. This scenario is not at all narrative in the traditional sense. It's B&D with a twist (like The Magyar Conquest or Way of the Buddha).

Researching this topic, I realized this period provides a rich canvas for interesting stories. I'm a B&D believer, however, so I've discarded the linear narrative focus of my earlier works. I prefer the player to write his own story through the gameplay. I just provide a backdrop spiced with a historical flavor (through triggered mechanics, map layout, a few lines of text, etc.). The Magyar Conquest had no story and Way of the Buddha had very little but the player created his own narrative different from a normal random map B&D.

FYI, I did touch on a Mesoamerican civilization during collapse in my technically inferior but narratively-focused Children of the Dying Sun campaign.

Interesting. Not sure if you've ever played Mark Stoker's "Nyctophobia" - it deals with a similar subject but tends to focus entirely on the Toltec invasion (and uses a fabricated storyline as well, so I'd class it more as historical fiction). Your scenario seems more comprehensive (and accurate), so needless to say you have me hooked

Well, so I had pretty much finished the scenario last weekend but when I went to play it, I just wasn't feeling it. While the map design is really pretty thanks to Jorgito's eyecandy for the new expansion, the scenario just doesn't do the period justice. It's not compelling.

I'm going to scrap what I have and start over. Bought a book called The Maya by Coe and Houston for immersion into Mayan history and culture.

I think I'll take my time with this one.

[This message has been edited by Al_Kharn the Great (edited 10-30-2015 @ 06:21 PM).]

Story/Scenario Instructions:

The eastern sun rose low over the forests, a blanket of color laid and stretched across the canopy, revealing a
vibrant sea of innumerable greens and browns. The uncountable multitude of trees seemed to strain and push upon each
other, a tangle of branches, vines, and leaves reaching ever upward to feel the radiant fingers of the god on his
daily journey. How much like us, Janaab Pakal thought, as a grand and long shadow emerged from the central pyramid
and fell over Lakamha.

Lakamha was a great city once, filled with warrior merchants who carved an empire in the Maya highlands with the
same perseverance and diligence with which they carved the chiseled glyphs on the pyramid walls praising the gods
of the heavens and the underworld. But the gods had abandoned Lakamha. The city was a ruin, its people dispersed,
the remnants living in ramshackle thatch huts along the once grand avenue beneath the shadow of the great pyramid.

The gods were angry and had scorned the land. The rains were scarce and the desiccated soil was brick. Maize
withered on the stalk and the city's stone walls cracked and crumbled. Sores appeared on the flesh of the young and
healthy, foretelling their passage to the underworld. And now, the city of Tonina, the ancient rival of Lakamha,
itself suffering the gods' disfavor, had sent armies to plunder food and take captives to sacrifice on Tonina's own
pyramids.

Janaab Pakal was powerless. The king sought explanation from the priests. For too long, the priests said, the Maya
had neglected the gods and these afflictions were the outcome of their anger. The pyramid was built to praise the
gods but it was a hollow temple without fresh warrior's blood.

The gods were hungry and only one thing could sate their appetite.


Objectives (+ main objectives, - secondary objectives):
+ Survive one cycle of the tzolk'in calendar.
+ The priests must be able to read the omens. Research all monastery technologies.
+ A king provides for his people. Do not run out of food.
- Sate the gods' hunger. Sacrifice warriors at the pyramid of Lakamha.
- Protect Lakamha's food supply; do not allow the storage huts to be plundered.
- Find black soil to build farms.
- Recover lost relics in the forest.

I always love reading these little write-ups. It's a rather underrated thing that brings a lot to the atmosphere of the scenario.

Nice, Kharn! Definitely interested in this one. I particularly like the unique sounding objectives; they seem to fit them the theme well and are much more interesting than typical "go around the map and gather allies" formula.

Thanks Sam and Prester John.

I particularly like the unique sounding objectives; they seem to fit them the theme well and are much more interesting than typical "go around the map and gather allies" formula.

haha. You sound like you've never played any of my scenarios! I'm the guy that made a scenario about writing haiku


I'm glad I started this one over. The map looks awesome and fits the theme better. I can't wait to show screenshots.

The expansion is releasing tomorrow so I think I can sneak in some screenshots of the new assets from this campaign.

Survivors huddle in thatch huts beneath the shadow of the pyramid in Lakamha (Palenque)


Jaguars prowl the tiny villages among the ruins of Mayan cities


The overgrown swamps are filled with dangers


Secluded temples lie in the harsh jungle


The gods have brought a strange cold to the mountains above the Yucatan

[This message has been edited by Al_Kharn the Great (edited 11-05-2015 @ 05:21 AM).]

Looks great, Al-Kharn!

The gods have brought a strange cold to the mountains of the Yucatan

I chuckled at this, because Yucatan is a big flat plain and the region where Palenque is located is a mountain forest region way to the south, in Chiapas.

And no, Yucatan is not the name of the Mayan realm, it's the name of the peninsula.

You're right.

Look nice

[This message has been edited by Bala Arizalu (edited 11-05-2015 @ 05:18 AM).]

Absolutely gorgeous. Loving the use of the new objects, terrains, and buildings. In conjunction with the old ones you can create some very interesting landscapes!

Thanks. Jorgito did a great job.

Jungles can be jungles now. I've heard alot of people say they don't like jungle maps because the jungle terrain is so monochromatic. A large percentage of the world's flora is compressed in the relatively small areas of the world's rainforests but that wasn't being depicted with the jungle terrain.

Now, by mixing bushes, acacia, baobab, and dragon bloods into the jungle, along with the old bamboo and oak, you can make a compelling jungle that looks like a diverse wilderness.

You sound like you've never played any of my scenarios!

Haha yea I know...Haiku and Way of the Buddha are on my list though! And now this...there's just too much haha. Screenshots look dope, by the way.

Pretty much ready for playtesting. Unfortunately, Custom Campaigns appear to not work properly in the current version of HD with African Kingdoms.

Anyone interested in playtesting when it's resolved?

I'll especially need help balancing the sacrifice mechanic.

Depends on whether or not I'm home when it's resolved, but if so then I'll be willing to playtest.