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                          AGE OF BASILIUS Version1.0
                   The Last Reconquests for the Roman Empire
     An original scenario By Masis Panose-mail me at Khatchik@cwcom.net
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ACTIVATE WORDWRAP!

Installation
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If you don't have the Fantastic Worlds add on, then I offer my condolences in that this great scenario is currently unavailable to you to play on Civ II alone as the FW add on has extra units and uses an Events system.
For those with the FW add on, you may know the procedure to install a downloaded scenario. If not, let me explain it to you in stages;
1) As a Windows user, open My Computer and click on the C drive icon. Then open the Mps folder and then click on the CivII folder.
2) If your folder contains a Scenarios folder, good, if not make a new folder and call it Scenarios and open it.
3) Create a new folder and call it Basilius and highlight and drag all NON Wav files from the Winzip into this folder.
4)Within the Basilius folder create a new folder called Sound and highlight and drag all wav files from the Winzip into this new folder.

Now you can open the scenario from Civ II.

It is recommended you remove the GETINFO file from the Pedia folder so that you can view the actual texts for the new city improvements, wonders and units. Don't worry, you can restore the file afterwards from the Recylce Bin.

After a series of scenarios (mere proto-types still) about the Roman era, I realised that there were currently no Civ II scenarios that spefically focused on the amazing age of Basil II which saw the last bursts of military and political might from the Roman Empire before the decline after his death on the 15th December 1025 AD.
This scenario tries to solve that. 

Historical Background
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When Basil I came to the throne in 866AD he heralded in a new military era for the Roman Empire* halting the decline that had set in after the anarchy of the Islamic invasions in the east and south and the Lombard and Slavic invasions in the north. The dynasty he created was known as the Macedonian dynasty# and lasted until the death of Theodora in 1056AD.
*The correct name for the otherwise falsely known 'byzantine empire' which never existed in reality but was always reffered to as the Roman Empire or Romania and its peoples as the Romans by both westerners and easterners in documentation.
#Though Basil I was an Armenian, one of thousands deported to Thrace during the reign of Maurice 582-602AD in an attempt to stabilise the Danube frontier. Basil's own son Alexander died, possibly poisoned, it was his step son Leo who would create the Macedonian dynasty-so therefore the dynasty had nothing to do with Basil's blood linege at all.
View the plots to see what the Roman Empire should look like at the death of Basil II in 1025AD.

Recommended Play Level:
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Basilios, any lower level is a walk-over

Units and Other Game Changes:
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Sapper units are destroyed after attacking, the Bishop plays the roles of Spy except that inciting a revolt and stealing technology is banned, I have cranked up the attack/defense strength of certain units to make a more dynamic game. Also some city improvements cost a lot to build and to maintain, just as it was in reality.
Essentially you will quickly find out the quailities of each unit type, I must admit that the values were 'of-the-head' and have not been subjected to a long evaltuation-that may be corrected in a later version.
The graphics originate from various sources, some of the units I created from scratch, some were edited from another source and others are directly taken from other sources without changes-the MRP signature is mine (Masis Reuben Panos). The Border graphic is a copy of part of the interior decoration of Haghia Sophia, though the colour does not make the wording show very well in the scenario-something to do for version2.
The Paved Road graphic is meant to demonstrate the continued use and maintainance of the road network built during the expansionist years of the Roman Empire. The village graphic replaces the Airbase, used for hills to produce an extra unit of food, just as in reality the presence of villages outlying a Metropolis boosted the resources of the Metropolis itself, they can be built by Serfs using the 'e' command. Pollution should not be a major factor in this scenario, but if you are playing the Romans you will find the City has a fair amount of disease which, if not remideed by the building of Hospitals, could result in the appearance of Plagued areas nearby. The fortress graphic is meant to represent the Roman style of fortress building. Justinian's column is featured as a part of the Roman Metropolis graphic together with Haghia Sophia. The banners (flags) I designed, as the flag form we use today was not used then. The reason why there is a mixture of bmp and gif files is that originally I had used a demo version of Paint Shop Pro, but when it expired (and it forbids you to re-download it!) I went to using Microsoft Paint, saving them as 256 bmp files, they should work withour any problems. The Orthodox and Armenian Monasteries graphic I created to represent the presence of this institutions during this time. The Orthodox Monastery is to represent the Monasteries of Karoma and Thassos. The Armenian Monasteries are there to show the abundance of these buildings in the region, the old capital of Armenia, Ani, is said to have contained over 1,000 churches, a few still survive today. The double-headed eagle emblem cursor I made, it was used by the Romans and adopted by the Seljuks of Romania (Seljuks of Rum-i.e.-Roman Anatolia) and also the western Frankish emperors. The People graphic is my own creation, designed to be as authentic to the 11th century Roman Empire/Levant as posssible. Some of the wonders graphics I made as well as the Oud (Lute) graphic which replaces the normal Luxury graphic, and the Hammer replaces the Shield graphic, the Dagger replaces the Corruption graphic, the pile of waste replaces the black shield waste graphic and the hand with a money bag replaces the normal trade arrow graphic. The Rotting head (symbolise spread of Plague) replaces the pollution graphic and the opening book replaces the beaker graphic. The Framland graphic I made, showing Cypress and Olive trees.

Civilizations:
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The scenario is aimed for play by the Romans, but you can play the other civs as well:

Romans
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The great Empire still survives, with a splendid exile-Capital; New Rome to work from. By the stage of the scenario, they have lost a lot of territory, mainly to the Bulgars, Lombards and Muslim Arabs. If you want to play the Romans stablise the eastern frontier first, reconquer Cyprus (which will act as a god base to launch attacks on the Syrian coast), make some regional conquests in nearer-Armenia before marching against the Bulgars which may take some time to finish. Basil II last project, unfurfilled, was to reconquer Sicily from the Muslim Berbers.
Ionnes Tzimiskes reconquest of Syria and Palestine proved temporary due to his poisoning by hostile Anatolian landlords who feared that he would break their power. The reason why he had such a clear way into Syria was that the majority of peoples living their were Sunni Muslims who needed liberty from the oppresive Shi'a Muslims (Fatimids) of Egypt.

Franks
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King Otto attempted to reunify the Frankish realm, but he could not bring the western Franks into his new Empire. He made Rome his residence and when he died he was buried in St. Peter's Basilica, the only Frankish Emperor to have this granted. If playing the Franks, take back western Frankia and Slavonia (Croatia, Serbia) before moving against the Lombards and islands of Corsica and Sardinia. 

Bulgars
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Initially a Turkish Khanate which had originated in central Russia before being broken up by the Khazars in the 7th century AD. A branch fled to the south-west were after migrating to Moldovia and Wallachia then crossed the Danube to settle and conquer the Slavic peoples who had earlier migrated there. Under Khan Krum the Bulgar Khanate came to rule Transylvania as well, after destroying the Avar Khanate in alliance with CarlusMagnus Emperor of the Franks. They later embarked on conquering the south as far as Thessaly in Hellas. However, despite their veneer conversion to Christianity, they were to become the objective of Nikephoros Phokas, Ionnes Tzimiskes and Basil II, being conquered and ruled by the Roman Empire for almost 200 years.

Persians
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The Buyids were Sunni Persian soldiers of fortune who undertook the military campaigns the Abbasid Caliph was no longer competent enough to do himself, they ruled most of Iran and Iraq until falling to the more dynamic Turkomen of Mahmud of Ghazni, Afghanistan.

Fatimids
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A Berber dynasty that had traced its linege to Fatima, daughter of the prophet Mohammed, setting up base in Mahdiya (City of the Saviour) they tried on numerous occasions to conquer Egypt before finally succeeding in 969AD*. They were Shi'a Muslims and antagonistic to the Abbasid Caliphate of Baghdad.
*Yes the scenario begins in 963AD, 6 years too early, but without a human player, it is unlikely the Fatimids would conquer Egypt and the Levant.

Iberians
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An interesting civ to play, they have to conquer Abasgia (in history the two realms were later united) when this is done an Event will notify the creation of 'Georgia'. They are ruled by a branch of the Armenian dynasty-the Bagratuni's

Armenians
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Acheiving independence from the Abbasid Caliphate in 885AD under the Bagratuni's. Initially the capital was Kars, but Ani* was the famous city that brought it reknown through-out the Levant. As in the past, the still face the incursions of nomads from the east and the vain-glory of the westerners. Despite being Christian, they follow a different doctrine from the Chalcidonian doctrine, beleiving Christ as purely Divine in nature and thus ending up on the antagonistic side of the Romans and Iberians.
*An Armenian capital city that once had over 1,000 churches in both its viscinity and suburbs-now a ruined desolate land just within the Turkish border.

Barbarians
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They play the role of the west Franks, Corsicans, Sardinians, Lombards, Venetians, Croatians, Serbians, Hungarians, Pechenegs, Khazars, Emirates of Shirvan, Arran, Azerbaijan DiyarBakir (Amida), Mosul, Aleppo and central Arabia. As you will know, they can not be played

Technologies
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More alternative names for techs are still to be thought up.
Otherwise the objective of the Game is to conquer, the civs have their required technologies to begin with.

The Map
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An edited version of Maciej's 'Comneni' scenario map.

The Title.Gif
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My own creation, using the famous Basil II psalter (the face is a resoration I did, the original is badly defaced) showing the prostrating Anatolian landlords at the feet of the legitimate 'born-in-the-purple' ruler, Basil II, dressed in exquisite Roman military armour. The top left coner is a region of Bulgaria, the top right is a picture of the Ararat region of Armenia, the bottom left is a picture of syracuse bay in Sicily and the bottom right is a picture of Palmyra in Syria-all regions which Basil II reconquered or wished to reconquer for the Roman Empire. to the left and right of the psalter is splendid Bible covers depicting Mary the Mother of God and the warrior St. Michael.

Government types:
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The Romans have a corrupt government now, a long fall from the order of the Justinian era, then again so does the Frankish Empire. The others have the opportunity to expand to a certain degree as a Kingdom. The Fatimids have the most oportunity using a Caliphate (Fundamentalist) government.

Other Notes&Bugs:
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-When moving the units you will notice a hazing of the unit graphic, this may be due to the large map and files that are used but should not cause any problems.

-Need to create some more sounds.

-This is the first version, so God Willing, I can imporve this in time, with either more Events or text changes.

Credits:
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Many thanks to JayBee, Arne, BeBro, Maciej and others for their help and ideas in making this scenario.

Sources:
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For the placing the locations of each civ I used The New Penguin Atlas of Medieval History by Colin McEvedy ISBN 0140512497
For literature sources I have used Byzantium the Apogee by John Julius Norwich ISBN  0140114483

Yet This is my scenario and all referances to 'byzantium' have been removed acept for here. Despite their scholarlyness they are mere perpetuators of lies.

