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Welcome to the classic computer game of
"Santa Paravia en Fiumaccio"
You are the ambitious ruler of a 15th century Italian city-state. Rule well and you will promoted to King
- and win the game. Rule poorly, and you will die less successful.
Santa Paravia en Fiumaccio was originally a multi-player game for one to six players. For simplicity sake,
this version of the game has been simplified to a single-player game for online play. A multi-player version
may attempted at a later date.
The game of 'Santa Paravia en Fiumaccio' is played in Turns. A Turn comprises one year. Each Turn is played in
phases. Each phase has its own page. To play a game, select 'Play' on the menu on the top. This will take you to
a splash screen with credits. Press 'START' to begin play.
Pressing 'START' will bring you to the player information page. Here you must enter a name for your ruler. You
may select your gender, the name of a city-state to rule, and the difficulty level at which you wish to play.
Once you have completed selecting your player options, press the 'NEXT=>' button to continue.
The next page shows the "Welcome" page. Press 'NEXT=>' to begin the first Turn. Each page represents a phase
in a Turn. The phases are summarized below. Press the 'Help' button on a dialogue to find more detailed
information about a phase. To move to the next phase, press the 'NEXT=>' button.
Your "Steward's Report" gives you vital crop statistics that you will
need to know to make later decisions.
Many of these statistics will be also be shown on later dialogues, but they are summarized here. Of particular
importance is the 'Weather Report' which tells you the disposition of the harvest and how much of your grain
storage was eaten by rats.
The next phase is 'Grain and Land Transactions'. In this phase, you will be able to buy and sell grain and to
buy and sell land. The balancing act begins here. For example, if you have more serfs than you can feed,
you will need to buy more land to produce more grain. Be sure to check you grain demand. If you do not have
enough grain to meet demand, you should consider buying grain. You can also speculate in grain and land.
In the 'Granary' phase, you must determine how much grain to release from your granaries to feed you subjects.
If you do not release enough grain, your serfs may starve. If you release more grain than demanded, subjects
may immigrate to your city-state. If you release to much, you may not be able to feed them next year. Be sure
to keep enough grain for seed for next year's planting.
The next phase is the 'Census of Serfs' report. This report shows the
effect of the 'Granary' phase on your serfs.
The next phase is the 'Census'. The census shows the number of new Nobles, Clergy,
and Merchants and any immigration. The amount of grain you released in the 'Granary Phase' affects this phase but not
as strongly as serfs. These classes always recieve enough grain. It does affect immigration.
The "Excheuquer's Report" show your income from your markets, mills and payments
to your soldiers.
You must maintain a standing army to defend your city-state. If you have less than one soldier per 1000 hectares
of land, you will be invaded. If you are invaded, a portion of your estate
will be seized and you may lose soldiers in battle. You may buy more soldiers during the 'INVESTMENT' phase. Don't
make the mistake of buying more land in the 'GRAIN AND LAND TRANSACTIONS' phase than you have soldiers to defend it.
In the 'Revenue' phase you get to change your tax and justice policies. Taxes you may levy include, customs
duties, sales taxes, and wealth taxes. You may set your justice level from 'very fair' to 'outrageous'.
Keep in mind that you can spend more money than you have. That is, your treasury may have a negative balance.
A negative balance indicates that you have borrowed money. If you have a negative treasury after taxes, you will
enter the 'Bank' phase and you will charged interest at fifty percent. If you borrow more than your station
allows -- plus interest -- you will enter the 'Bankrupt' phase and your assests will be siezed. Bankruptcy
will not end the game.
The Map phase is the only graphics used in the game as it was in the original game. Click the link here or
press the 'Help' button on the map phase dialogue for an explanation of the symbols on the map.
The 'Herald' report shows then number of serfs, nobles, clergy, merchants, hectares of land, and gold florins
for your city-state. In thhe original game, being a multi-player game, this report showed this information for
all the city-states. Since this is a single-player game, it is of little use. However, it is left for historical
significance or future adaptation to a multi-player version.
The 'Investment' phase allows you to buy market places, woolen mills, additions to the cathedral, additions to
your palace, or purchase platoons of soldiers. Markets and mills produce income. You must maintain enough
soldiers per hectares or you will be invaded. Additions to the cathedral and palace -- although they do not
produce income -- provide public works which have positive effects on the economy.
At the end of each Turn your rule will be evaluated. If you have done well, you will be
promoted and the 'CONGRATULATIONS' page will be displayed. If you are
promoted to King (or Queen), then you have won the game and the 'ROYAL'
page will appear annoucing your victory. The game has a random number of Turns. If you are not promoted to
King (or Queen) before the number of Turns expire, you will die, your
'Obituary' page will be displayed, and the games ends.
The last phase in a Turn is 'Happy New Year'. You will enter this phase
only if the game has not ended. Press 'NEXT=>' to start the New Year and the next Turn.
Desiger's Notes:
The original game had the following phases:
- Harvest Phase
- Tax Phase
- Map Phase
- Public Works Phase
In this version of the game, the author has more finely subdivided the phases.
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