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AUSTRALIAN EMPIRES

Peter Calcraft, Software Simulations, 3rd July 2002,
updated 19th September 2003.
Phone:   01935 475657 
Fax:   01935 475659 
Email:   peter@pbmsports.co.uk

SCENARIO & RULES
Australian Empires is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Resources are scarce and population is sparse, but an assortment of isolated groups are attempting to restore civilisation (or conquer the world, which may be the same thing). The map is Australia and New Zealand with the nearest parts of Indonesia and a few Pacific islands thrown in.
The usual rules for Empires apply, except as amended here (and subsequently in the messages section of the game report). Air forces ARE allowed in Australian Empires.
Some areas are occupied by "tribal" people. These may be the descendants of native populations who remained in touch with their pre-modern cultures (and presumably were therefore better able to cope with the collapse of civilisation) or they may be groups of formerly "civilised" people who have adopted a tribal culture.

A.1  STARTUP POSITIONS
There are twelve players at the start. The starting positions are Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Adelaide, Darwin, Perth, Alice Springs, Hobart, Auckland, Christchurch and West Timor. Two additional areas will be allocated for each empire at the start (the same way as for Medieval Empires). Initial population levels are reduced from the standard rules.

A.2  RESOURCES
There are six resources types. These are Food, Fish, Fuel, Gold, Munitions and Water, abbreviated to FO, FI, FU, GO, MU and WA in orders and reports (that's the first two letters in each case). For many important actions there is a cost in resources as well as the normal cost in BPs.
Each area on the map that contains population (or your road warrior - but not just a watcher) can produce resources according to the population level. Each area produces only one resource type at a time (see A.4). 1 Pop gets 1 Resource, 3 Pop gets 2 Resources, 6 Pop gets 3 Resources, 10 Pop gets 4 Resources and 15 Pop would get 5 Resources (and so on). Each turn one area picked at random produces one extra. In game reports the multiple production areas are shown as "x2" (etc) and the extra production area is shown as "+2" (etc).
Resources can be either on the map or in your stockpile. Each map area can hold up to fifteen of each resource, but there's no limit in your stockpile, which is "off map". Excess production (ie. resources that are produced when the resource level is already reached a given limit) can be moved along trade routes (see A.14) or dumped in any adjacent land areas you own if there's room, or added to your stockpile if there's not (at a cost of 1 BP, shown in game reports as "production costs" and deducted from income along with maintenance costs). The resource level that starts a trade route is THREE and the level that causes production to be dumped adjacent or sent to your stockpile is NINE.
Resources can be moved between adjacent areas overland, and between coastal areas and your stockpile (in either direction). They can also be captured (while on the map) or traded between players (trades go between stockpiles, and are ordered in a separate section of the turnsheet).