Incunabula (Game)

Incunabula

GAME » on 1984

One of the earliest civilization-building games, loosely based on the 1980 board game Civilization.

Overview

Incunabula, also known as Incunabula: The Ascent of Man, is a turn-based 4X (Concept) strategy game developed and published by The Avalon Hill Game Company (under their "Microcomputer Games" label) for DOS PCs in 1984.

Loosely based on the publisher's real-life 1980 board game Civilization, Incunabula has up to seven players (human and computer AI) managing their prehistorical civilization in the mythical continent of Zaumulor as they race to be the first to establish themselves as an empire.

As an early example of the 4X (Concept) sub-genre, much of the game involves expanding and moving units (or "tokens") across a hexagonal-tiled board while managing supplies, mitigating disasters, trading goods with other players, and battling other players for territory and resources. The game is known for its "Basis Of Law" system, which affects the player's goal and several stats based on the social system they've chosen.

Gameplay

Phases

Population Growth (every other turn) - Produces grain/metal based on the terrain occupied, as well as additional tokens for population growth (which are fed primarily by grain produced).
Migration & Battle (twice per turn) - Allows each player to issue their movement orders on the board, all of which are in effect simultaneously. Afterwards, battles occur on contested spaces.
Production of Trade Goods - Produces trade goods based on excess grain production.
Trade - Allows players to auction off batches of their trade goods. Can be repeated.
Arcana Acquisition - Similar to the Civilization board game, Incunabula makes use of a tech tree for purchasing civilization upgrades (or "arcanas"). These make use of "Trade Points",
Disasters - Gives a random chance for each of the five disasters that they will occur, where they spread, and how much damage they do to the player's cities and token count. These include famine, plague, civil war, insurrection, and earthquakes, most of which start on particular terrain or occupied space. Can be made tougher.
Tribute & Alliances - Allows Khanate players to bully non-Khanate players to giving them grain to reduce the chance of battles occurring. Then allows non-Khanate players to form temporary alliances that allows them to share spaces on the board. Can be disabled.
Population Adjustment - Determines where cities are formed, and if they are disbanded.
Status - Shows a game summary, and affects whether or not the player wants to save, quit, or change particular players between human and CPU.

Scenarios

Along with the game's main Incunabula scenario, the game includes two alternate, more simplified scenarios:

Imperium tasks players with being the last civilization standing through combat. The Trade phase is omitted.
Traders is built solely around the Trade phase, tasking players with being the first to accumulate 1,000 trade points through making shrewd deals. Every other phase is omitted, and there is no BOL or Humor system.

Basis of Law

Early in the game, players can choose from three social systems, or "Basis of Law" (BOL). This determines the types of Arcanas they need to win, as well their effects on production, battle strength, population increases, and the severity of different disasters.

Theocracy - Improved grain/metal production, but has less population growth. Requires both Theology and Philosophy to win.
Oligarchy - Improved trade good production, but are more likely affected by disasters. Requires both Theology and Law to win.
Utopia - Improved overall production, but has weaker battle strength. Requires both Philosophy and Law to win.

If the player does not have any cities, they can opt to become a nomadic Khanate instead. Khanate players have numerous differences:

They cannot purchase Arcanas or build cities, and only require the prerequisite trade points to level up and win.
Although they have weaker grain/metal production, they are much efficient at developing trade goods and have unique ways of stealing grain from other players.
They have stronger battle strength, and steal grain on victorious fights.
They cannot form alliances, but can demand grain as tribute from non-Khan players (with the amount given reducing the chance of them attacking on the next turn).
They are more likely affected by disasters.

Humors

In addition to a BOL, each computer opponent also has four "personalities" to choose from, each named after the four humors:

Choleric players try to play smart in order to win, and tend to be more defensive and less retaliatory.
Phlegmatic players are opportunistic who tend to ally with stronger players and attack weaker players.
Melancholic players are equalizers who tend to ally with weaker players and attack stronger players.
Sanguine players are similar to Melanchonic players, but are less predictable.

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