VENICIA

Difficulty: medium
Military : yes (easy)

Winning Conditions:
Prosperity: 50
Culture : 70
Peace : 70
Favour : 70
Population : 5,000

Realism : geography/history based
Province: central, huge

We are in AD 421. The Empire split into two parts many years ago (AD 395): the Western part still has Rome as capital (sometimes Ravenna), the Eastern one has Constantinople. Unfortunately, we are in the Western part, and invasions threaten us, particularly the Huns (which already have pushed the Goths into the Empire). You are in charge to protect the Roman populations. The best is to install a new city in the islands of the lagoon, moving the population from threatened Aquilea. You won't lack natural resources, like fish, clay, vines, timber. Unfortunately, there is no iron or marble, and the soil is unstable. Also, this is a central place between the Western and the Eastern Roman Empires, and you can rely on much trading capability. Open trade routes one by one, for money will be rare at the beginning. Despite those difficult times, you may expect many requests from Caesar (the one of the Western Empire): he neglects no help, even from the most remote corner of the Empire. But you have the secret ambition of making this city the commercial and cultural link between the two parts of the Empire... Build Venicia !

Tricks: The fall of Western Roman Empire will occur in AD 476. You should achieve this city before... Till that date, invasions will not be numerous; you can manage with 3 trained javelins forts. Before any food, first build your export: open one or two trade routes, have a look what good is cheap to produce and expensive to export. Then enhance and build your city little by little. After a few years, money should be no problem. In the first things you build, do not forget the doctors clinics. Water is not very pure in this lagoon. There are no natives in the main islands. You don't need any missions. Due to little space, manage your city efficiently: you should reserve the straight portions of coastline for docks and wharves. Don't forget to build at least as many docks as trade routes. You don't need to build walls, towers, nor gatehouses: the islands are a good natural protection. You can build your defenses (barracks and forts) outside, on the mainland. Main invasions of the Huns: AD 451-453: Attila, who destroyed the city of Aquilea on the mainland.