Gangster - The Taking of Chicago by Cam Hills - who's Civ 2 page resides at http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Battlefield/1977/ for 1998 (at least). My e-mail address should be there also.

(Use 'Edit - Word Wrap' if lines extend beyond the screen)

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Version 2 - Spt. 98

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Welcome to my scenario - hope you (1.) play it, (2) have some success with it, and (3) enjoy it. Welcome also to this readme.txt file, which is divided in the following sections;

. General scenario information including playing guidelines (for all to read)
. Suggested broad and simple strategic approach (read at your own discretion)
. Design notes (may be of passing interest to scenario developers)


1.    General Information

1.1   Difficulty level

The recommended / default level of difficulty is set at Emperor, which should be a challenge for most Civ2 players for their first attempt at the scenario. Players not confident at winning consistently at King or higher levels may choose a point more attuned to their normal playing level. Deity level play is quite possible if this is desired.

Note that the level of citizen discontent has been dropped down a notch from the standard game, although other aspects, such as shield production and scientific development, are consistent with the difficulty level. The objective of this scenario is not to be completely preoccupied with quelling citizen discontent, which playing at Deity level can sometimes involve.

Regardless of difficulty level, there will be no city revolts on the opening turn, as the starting government form is a penalised version of Fundamentalism.

1.2 Diplomacy

The four 'playable' gangs may negotiate amongst themselves, however attempts to open discussions with the Police, Federation, or Camorra gang will be met with a 'cold shoulder'.

Diplomatic units are permitted in the scenario.

It is most unlikely that 'identity units' can be bribed as precautions have been taken. Regardless it will work to your disadvantage by attempting to bribe any of the following; Bonnie and Clyde, Al' Capone, John Dillinger, or Dutch Shultz. Additionally, do not attempt to overthrow the city of Chicago while under Camorra rule (red tribe), for the same reasons.

1.3   History and Theme

The scenario is fictitious. It is set in North America during a period of gun-running, bootlegging, and power building overseen by criminal syndicates. The scenario makes historical references, and features renowned mobster names from about the period of prohibition. It is not an attempt to accurately recreate the "mob wars", but set a theme or genre for an imaginary game.

Some films and media have focussed on many of these characters, often glorifying and legitimising this violent and ugly business. As the author of this scenario, I am not endorsing or supporting gangster, terrorist, or anti-police activity, however presenting a milieu for which a game of Civilization II can be played (so endith the disclaimer!)

1.4   Civilization Advances

The advances for this scenario are more based along the lines of skills and fields of understanding (e.g. 'guile' and 'raiding') than particular scientific landmarks as seen in the standard game (e.g. 'steam engine' and 'radio'). This may in part represent a short-term learning curve for a ruling political syndicate rather than a tribe developing over centuries.

There are a number of advances titled 'Zenith', which are game mechanics advances placed at the end of the technology tree. It is very unlikely that a player will ever reach the point of being able to research 'Zenith' in this scenario. Researching these is discouraged. If no alternative presents itself other than 'Way Too Clever' and 'Zenith', then chose the former and boost your score. Alternately, reduce science to 0%.

Technology advances are available by the conquest of enemy cities.

1.5   City Placement

Approximately two-dozen cities have been placed in the scenario, a few already with Wonders of the World. Some cities are 'barbarian' cities, which do not offer any immediate science or financial rewards through capture, although if they are taken largely in tact, these add to your empire's domain. The placement of these cities is approximate to their 'real' locations, however may in some instances may be a square or two off the mark; this has been done for game playability purposes. The landscape has been modified only marginally, again for game purposes. 

There are no 'goodie huts'.

While obviously railroads were abundant in the 1920's and 1930's, only roads join the cities. This again is for gameplay purposes.

1.6 World Wonders

Most of the really good World Wonders have been deliberately omitted from this scenario. What are the "really good World Wonders" that have suffered such a fate? Many, but they include; The Pyramids, The Great Library, and The Hoover Dam. Leonardo's Workshop is available only to one of the computer tribes. The Statue of Liberty is actually the equivalent of The Eiffel Tower, not its standard game namesake.

There are a host of WoWs that would rightly belong in some cities that may be built anywhere - for instance, the Indy 500 being built in Guatemala. This is the same licence that allows the Eiffel Tower to be constructed in Osaka in the standard game.

1.7 Which Tribe?

All four of the 'playable' tribes begin with approximately the same starting base. Geography and city placement are the key differences, in which case, the Gambino tribe possibly is slightly hindered as part of their empire is on an archipelago and as such have a little less power on the principal landmass. It was intended that this gang could make better use of amphibious warfare.


1.8 'Fantastic Worlds'

This scenario requires the Civilization II Fantastic Worlds CD-ROM installed to play. I cannot vouch for how it will run on a Macintosh system, as it was written on a PC.


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1.9 Version 2

The scenario was modified September 1998 - changes to the cost and maintainence of some city improvements were made. Additionally, some of the less potent units were given improved attacking strength in order to improve game balance. The shield position on one unit has been improved.

Most importantly from a game design sense, the Camorra Gang has been given "Tax Case Legal Defence" as a starting WoW, rather than being given the necessary advance halfway through the game with the hope that the WoW would be built.

Otherwise the scenario is as it was!

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Below this line is brief strategic commentary - read at your own discretion.
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2.1   Conquest is the key to Victory

Conquest of enemy cities is a requirement to win this scenario. In order to seize cities beyond the initial thirty or forty moves, you will require some reasonably strong offensive units which, like the standard game, are obtained through scientific development.

2.2   Initial government options

An immediate dilemma when commencing the scenario is whether to remain in the existing government form - Federalism - with no scientific development, or move to Despotism. The former government will allow you to construct Vigilante units, which have a better defence than the other units directly available after the switch. The Vigilante unit may continue to be built in cities (1.) already producing the unit under Federalism, and (2.) that have not switched to any other production objective in that city. Under Federalism, scientific advancement is obtainable by taking cities by conquest (done using 'blitzkriegs' of at least four offensive units such as Street Thugs or Convertibles) or possibly through negotiating with other tribes (most unlikely to succeed, as you have nothing much to trade).

Note that barbarian cities (grey) will not extend technology advances from seizure. They tend to be defended by two or three Vigilantes that rarely initiate attack.

2.3   Some cities are tough to seize

Take into account the defensive strength of cities with outposts (city walls), or placed in terrain which offers defence bonuses such as rivers and forests. 

2.4   Settling many new cities is advised

The start of game is similar in many respects to normal game in that new city development is of high priority to many of the gangs and the Police. Development tends to spread centrally - that is, new cities are established at a frantic rate in the mid-West of the United States, and the southern parts of central Canada.

2.5   'Arms Proficiency' is a key advance

Progress to modern forms of government and high attack units is probably the best approach. The path to 'Arms Proficiency' is a winding one, but this is a prerequisite to a series of advances that offer potent units.

2.6   Seek out Wonder Cities

Panama has considerable strategic value to maritime-inclined warfare, allowing navy units to pass between the East and West coasts (plus contains The Colossus). Alternately, there are a few squares in Central America where another city may be built with same effect.

Santo Domingo has the Lighthouse which will be of extra benefit to the Gambino tribe, which is well poised to pursue city attacks using amphibious assaults and controlling the Florida Keys etc.

Los Angeles has The Hanging Gardens equivalent WoW, which can further ease the discontent endured at the tougher player levels.

2.7   'Identity Units'

Defeating the 'identity units' of Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger, and Dutch Schultz is not necessary to game success, however their defeats do provide advantages. Defeating Al Capone will give game victory, however this is 'a pretty tall order'. 

Victory by spaceship launch is not possible in this scenario. 







Below this line are notes by the scenario designer - read at your own discretion.
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3.1   My Inspirations

This scenario was primarily inspired by;

. A desire to improve on my first scenario (Pyramid Pursuit), which was largely developed out of curiosity as to how to go about developing such a thing.

. The World of Jules Verne scenario on the Fantastic Worlds disk. I was initially hesitant about this scenario, as I am with any scenario that commences with more than half-a-dozen cities and two dozen units, although I thought the unit graphics were most commendable. Having later dissected it, I was impressed by the complexity and thought that had gone into it, and now rank it as amongst my favourites (if not indeed my favourite).

. The high quality of many other 'independently' designed scenarios, such as Pauli Paananen's "Trakoria - the Rise of the Clavian Empire" and several of Harlan Thompson's and Jesús Balsinde's scenarios. While there are so many bad scenarios out there, I hope that I could contribute one to 'the pool' that was of comparable standard to the better ones.

. A valuable aid - "Advanced Scenario Design" by Leon Marrick assisted by Harlan Thompson - was enthusiastically embraced in constructing this 'Gangster' scenario.

3.2   Theme

I am somewhat surprised that there are few, if any, other gangster-related scenarios about, which I thought would be a fairly appropriate milieu for Civ II scenario development. I am not from North America, nor have I visited the States, Canada, or Mexico (yet) - yet this realm seemed to offer many advantages, even to "a foreigner".

As noted earlier, while the player is invited to assume the role of mobster, this is in no way a sanction of the activity associated with the criminal underworld (disclaimer repeated).

3.3   Graphics

Most units and icons are new and self-created, although some are obviously copied or modified marginally from the standard Civilization II game. The 'Vito' unit was derived from merging one unit from the 'Conflicts in Civilization' Napoleon scenario, the 'Fantastic Worlds' Iceplanet scenario, and my own 'artistic input' (if you can call it that).

City designs obviously are recoloured versions of the Industrial Age standard design, while the citizen icons are mostly from the same period, straight from the standard game. My attempts to further enhance these, when 'push came to shove' were not worth the effort given the results.

I utilised Paint Shop Pro 5 for these. What's more, I actually bought it!

3.4   Technology Tree - Frustrations

Getting the technology tree to do what I wanted was one significant difficulty in developing this scenario. Despite attempts to use technologies that are given as "no, no" as prerequisites for later advances, the flow-on advance never seemed to be made available. This approach clearly works successfully in other scenarios, however I could not replicate it in my own.

To illustrate, in the Verne scenario, if you destroy one of the two "Navigate the Cataracts", you are provided with a technology "Source of Nile?" Once this is obtained, you can then research "Verify the Source of the Nile"...

"Source of Nile?" has the prerequisites of "Fourth Dimension" (no, no) and "nil".
"Verify the Source of the Nile" has the prerequisites of "Source of Nile?" and "nil".

My difficulty with implementing a similar system was that because one of the prerequisite advances was "no, no" (Fourth Dimension), then its given flow-on advance (Source of Nile?) could not be successfully used as a requirement for a researchable later advance (Verify the Source of the Nile).

I am still at a loss to understand how it either (1) works in other scenarios, and/or (2) fails to work in my own.

As a consequence, I was compelled to instead develop a separate long technology branch at the top of the tree, where players were unlikely to reach, and the A.I. was unwilling to investigate (called 'Zenith'). I have used the end advance from this branch to act as a prerequisite for a number of one-off advances used in gameplay. It's a clumsy system, but works.

The technology tree has basically been 'uprooted' and rewritten - the 'Philosophy' advance remains consistent with the standard game. 

Al Capone's tribe (the Camorras) receive the prerequisite advance for building Leonardo's Workshop in the year 1931. The effect of the units 'upgrade' in fact works in reverse, providing instead weaker but more mobile units. The task of overtaking Chicago is enhanced if the Camorras in fact do build the Wonder, although I could not "force" the tribe start building the WoW so late in the game - I just hope they would by making it available to them.

3.5   Preferred design

My intention has been to design a scenario that is;

. Immediately manageable (small but sufficient number of units and cities)
. Challenging to a reasonable degree
. New
. Not excessively amateurish looking
. Reasonably imaginative
. Objective oriented
. Not totally contingent on military might, allowing for city and scientific development

In doing so, it was a further objective to use the resources of the game;

. Create an events file to add additional 'colour'
. Recreate a balanced technology tree

These are the factors I tend to enjoy when I download a scenario, and therefore clearly my ambition when developing my own.


Again, I hope you play and enjoy this scenario! All the best!

Cam Hills









Below this line is the scenario objective - the idea is to work it out yourself
- read at your own discretion.
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The game is won by seizing a Police Treasury building and taking Chicago.

If you are able to defeat Al Capone, you also win.

If you research toward the end of the 'Zenith' branch of the technology tree, you win, but this is not the intended manner in which victory is obtained.
