What if the Kingdom of Macedonia (Ancient Greek Empire) did not fall apart, and what if the Roman Republic became the Roman Empire 100 years earlier? These changes could have been arranged by the machinations of the Gods. Let's imagine what that world might have been like, under constant threat of war, the dawn of democracy and the Gods reining supreme high from their thrones on Mt. Olympus.
In this megagame, most players will take the role of either a Greek or a Roman, attempting to develop the largest, most impressive empire. Some players will be building up their home region by managing their resources, building industry, and manufacturing fleets to sell artisanal goods to distant lands. Other players will be moving troops around the Mediterranean and conquering regions for the glory of their faction. Others will be taking the role of political leaders, developing laws for the betterment of their people whilst vying for their own political standings.
Meanwhile, a third faction of players will assume the mantle of the Ancient Gods - Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, etc. These players will be seeking to gain prayers from the mortals which will empower them to perform miracles and gain influence over their rivals.
What is it all about?
At it’s core, this is a faction vs faction game, where the Greeks and Romans are capturing foreign territory and shipping artisanal goods great distances in order to earn Gold. The faction at the end of the game is the winner! Sort of….
This is a megagame so things are never that simple! Individual regions within the faction will have slightly differing objectives and even the roles themselves may appear a little selfish at times. The senator, for example, yearns for more political influence over their rivals, even though they are supposed to be working on behalf of the citizens of the empire.
And the mysterious Gods will be causing trouble the entire game. For the mortals, it’ll be hard to know exactly what the Gods are up to (why did they just send a plague of rats to my farm?!?). But it’s still probably worth praying to them, just in case they’re listening. Perhaps if we collectively pray hard enough to Poseidon, he might send a whirlpool to destroy our enemies ships?
Gods of the Ancient World at Gencon 2023
Mortal Player Roles
Governor
As the governor of a region, you’re responsible for setting strategy to make your region prosperous. You dictate where your resources should be used, attempt to keep your citizens in-line and speak on behalf of your region to your King/Emperor.
Commander
As the commander, you are in charge of your region’s military strategy and tactics. You’ll be working with your faction General to determine where your forces are needed most and which of your neighbors is ripe for the picking.
Priest
As a priest, you are the primary conduit between the people and the great and powerful Gods. You’ll have to interpret signs from the Gods and convince the people of your region to pray to specific Gods. You’ll pray out to the Gods and hope that they’re listening to your pleas.
Lawmaker
As a lawmaker, you’ll be meeting in the Senate and passing laws to the betterment of your faction. You’ll represent your region and use the influence you’ve gained to help sway laws in directions that are most beneficial to your aims.
Guildsman
As your regions guildsman, you are responsible for your ships and ports. You’ll also be training soldiers, building new buildings and creating artisanal products that can be shipped to foreign lands for great profits.
Overseer
As your regions overseer, you’re the beating heart of your regions industry. You’ll manage resources and have your production buildings working as efficiently as possible to supply your guildsmen with the resources they’ll need to be successful.
The Gods
Reigning from their thrones on Mt. Olympus, the Gods will be meddling with the mortals whilst dealing with their own internal strife, vying for power over the other Gods.
The Romans and the Greeks share the same pantheon of Gods but they are called by different names.
The miracles performed by the Gods are great and terrible and can affect all areas in the lives of the mortals - from bountiful seas, to erupting volcanoes. From the vantage point of the mortals, their power is vast but their will is fickle and strange. In one period of time, a given region may appear favored by the Gods, only to have a vicious storm appear days later which ravages their crops.
Somewhat ironically, the mortals have influence over the Gods - the prayers of the mortals empower the Gods. And there are only so many mortals who are praying. Therefore, the Gods will be competing with each other for power and influence. The squabbles between the Gods are legendary so perhaps the mortals can make use of these strained relationships?
The Gods featured in Gods of the Ancient world are: Jupiter/Zeus, Neptune/Poseidon, Pluto/Hades, Vulcan/Hephaestus, Apollo, Mars/Ares, Mercury/Hermes, Juno/Hera, Minerva/Athena & Ceres/Demeter.
Quest of champions
In the middle of the game, when the mortals are fighting for their faction and building their regions, the Gods (in all their infinite wisdom), may initiate a QUEST OF CHAMPIONS.
Like Jason and the Argonauts, or Perseus with the shield of Athena, mortals will be chosen by the Gods to go on epic quests where fame and fortune await.
Game Stats
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31-62. Max player count equates to an emperor and general of each faction, 4 regions per faction, each containing a governor, priest, overseer, guildsman, commander and lawmaker. Plus 10 Gods.
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In a fictionalized version of the Mediterranean region approx. 300 BCE
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6 hours (much like a typical megagame), not including setup or teardown time
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For a maximum player count, we recommend 7 control to help facilitate
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The game will be run first in June 2023
Role Breakdown
Our player feedback is all anonymous, so I’m afraid we can’t provide sources, but we promise these are legitimate quotes!
Player feedback, Gencon 2023
“The one of the best MegaGames I’ve ever played. I love this theme!.”
Player feedback, Gencon 2023
“Amazingly designed and executed event.”
Player feedback, Louisville June 2023
“Great job putting this together! I can tell it was a lot of work and it was a great success!”
Player feedback, Louisville June 2023