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		THE GREAT CRUSADES V 1.0 README
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After a fast Seljuq expansion in Asia minor, the byzantian 
emperor Alexios cries for military help from west. On a church 
meeting the 27 of august 1095, the pope Urban II exhorts the 
Christian kings to help the Byzantines and retake the holy land 
from the heathens. The west prepares for war, to stop the Muslims 
and free the holy land in the name of God!
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This is a scenario depicting Europe and the Middle-east during the 
Crusader peroid, it is made by me, Joel André and requires civilization 
v 2.78 (Fantastic worlds) installed on your computer. Just unzip the 
files to a directory named whatever you wish, and load the scenario
from there. In this scenario almost everything has been changed, all 
the units, most buildings, wonders and some terrain etc.. The scenario
takes place between 1095 and 1292 giving you 196 turns to play. It is 
also forbidden to change government and all polution is elliminated.

Sound:
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I didn't include any sound in this scenario as it would make it about
five times as big. Just turn off the sound if you wish, or make your own
ones, wich shouldn't prove to be to hard.

History:
--------
I've tried to make this scenario as historically accurate as possible,
but I have had to make some small changes in the Islamic world to make the 
scenario playable. But because of the limits of the events file, I 
couldn't include as many historical events as I would like to.

House Rule:
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If you play as the holy Romans I want you to accept a small house rule:
don't disband your troops in the independent Italian cities or the (barbarian)
Pope in Rome.

Civilizations:
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THE FRENCH: France was the main crusaders and participated in seven of
the eight great crusades. France is a strong military force on the continent
with a stable monarchy and a strong influence from the church.

HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE: The empire was the largest nation in Europe at this time,
but the power of the king was very unstable, and the crown was moving between
the noble families. There were also a struggle between the pope and the emperor
and no certain capital or even name of the German empire at this time, but most 
of the time during the crusades, the crown was in the hands of the Hohenstaufen 
family.

THE FATIMIDS: Since the decline of the Abbasids of Baghdad, the Fatimid dynasty 
of Cairo has been the dominating nation of the Islamic world. The Fatimid empire 
is a wealthy nation with its center in Egypt, and with both the holy cities, Mecca 
and Medina in their hand.

ENGLAND: England is a growing power with a strong monarchy on the isles of Britain.
England didn't participate to much in the crusades, but the most famous crusader
king Richard I Lionheart lead the English knights in the third crusade.

THE SELJUQS: The seljuqs where a Turkish tribe named by their leader Seljuq, who
introduced Islam to them. After the decline of the Caliphate of Baghdad, the Seljuqs
freed themselves and conquered an empire. They conquered most of Asia minor from the
byzantian empire, but also the holy city Jerusalem and other cities in the mid east.

THE BYZANTIANS: Byzans is the rest of the once so glorious roman empire. Byzans is 
the old eastern roman empire with it's old capital Constantinople. The Byzantines
have given up all their ambitions to create a great power, since they lost southern
Italy and Sicily to the Normans and most of Asia minor to the Seljuqs. And is now
crying for help to prevent their empire to collapse.

AL-ANDALUS: Al-Andalus is the umayjjads of Cordoba, the moors who conquered Spain.
Many of the minor crusades where led against them, but plays no greater part outside
the Iberian peninsula, and are not intended for gameplay. If you are interested in 
Al-Andalus, try Jesus Balsinides excellent scenario Al-Andalus.

BARBARIANS: All other tribes nearby, as the Christians of Spain, the Hungarians, the
Russians etc... is played by the barbarians.
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Feel free to distribute this scenario as long as nothing in the zip file has been
altered in any way, and of course (takes an enormous amount of stupidity) as long
as no money is involved

I also want to thank everyone who have created the icons I've stolen, and Harlan
Thompson for his excellent ancient units collection.

If you have any comments, suggestions, questions, complains, etc. please mail me at
af_ulm@hotmail.com.

I hope you enjoy it.
