Open: (The standard save)

Starting save for

• Civilization: Dalecarlia
• Difficulty: Sid
• Map size: Standard
• Map topology: Archipelago, 70% water
• Rivals: 6 pre-selected opponents
• Victory conditions: All enabled.
• Required victory: None specified.
• Options: No scientific leaders. Plenty of barbs.
• Submissions due by January 11, 2017
  PLEASE NOTE THE DATE.

In the Sid game of the year, you will rule as king Gustav Eriksson (Vasa) of Dalecarlia. In Sweden, Dalecarlia is known as the quintessetially patriotic and archetypical Swedish historical province. From here, peasant armies have been collected to make and break the rule over all of Sweden. The copper mine in Falun, for a time the main source of this metal in the world, financed Sweden's great-power ambitions of the 17th century, and as side effects originated the Falu sausage, a typical Swedish sausage in oxen casings, and Falu red paint, visible on so many Swedish cottages. The company created for running the mine is known as one of the oldest public-equity corporations in the world.

Dalecarlians are so patriotic, it is said, that once one of them went into a store to buy a globe of the earth with only Dalecarlia on it -- which brings us directly to the game design. Although in the real world this province is landlocked, the starting location in this game is the lonely and beautiful island of Dalecarlia.

As you can see, I have made a few changes in order to make this game playable by not just the most hardened and masochist Civ Fanatics. If you look closely, you will discover Bonus Grassland under both the Wines and the Cattle. You have also gotten a bonus Worker and a Spearman. Workers move two tiles per turn. While Dalecarlia is based on Scandinavia and has the Berserk as Unique Unit -- at a discount price of 50 shields and added Zone of Control -- it has the Commercial trait in addition to being Militaristic and Seafaring. You thus start the game with the knowledge of Masonry, Alphabet, Pottery and Warrior Code. The favourite government of Dalecarlia is Republic. You should take good care of these gifts, because they are coming to get you!

First of all, the Barbarians. The setting is actually No Barbarians. But even so, they are there. Zombie Barbarians, most likely. In masses. The only way to turn Barbarians off at Sid level is to set the basic and advanced Barbarian unit both to "none". I opted not to do so. There are, however, no Goody Huts at all.

Then there is the competition. I'm afraid the Dalecarlian in the shop didn't quite get the world he wished for. There are six select AI tribes out there. They are less aggressive, which will probably suffice. Each has its own island on this archepelago map.

The normal changes to the Conquests rules apply to this game: Iron locations are fixed, and Workers insted of Settlers can be popped from Goody Huts. In addition to this, the following changes have been made to terrain causing Disease in order to limit the impact of chance on the competition:

• Flood Plains do not cause Disease
• Jungles and Wetland have their Disease level lowered from 50% to 25%
• Knowledge of Sanitation cancels Disease in Jungles and Wetlands

Here is the start position. Click it for a larger version.