The Journals of Jayhawk: The Demo Adventure

The first adventure consists of three chapters, the first and the last are set in the city of Mycenae, the middle one is set in the colony Aegyrus. One other town will come into play, Taphos. Both maps are smallish but contain enough space for all the needed buildings and crops.
The adventure was played on Hero (Hard) level.

Chapter 1. The Hydra and the Boar

Contrary to what Angel Reckless Rodent did, I left the original city intact. I slowed to 10% speed and looked around to see what was located where, what resources did I have and what else could I build. The Northern meadowland is used for goats and cheese shops, a few fisheries are located on the shore, and the Southern pastures are used for sheep and carding sheds. I expanded the Southern housing block and added some more roads. Next I planted some olive trees and a growers lodge or two. I added fleece sellers to both agoras and when the olives were ripe I added 2 olive presses.

A little later Taphos appaers on the map and grows into a small city.

Having checked the requirements for convincing Hercules to visit:

• Good culture access around the hall
• Victory in and Pan-Hellenic game
• Excellent city-wide gymnasium access
• 1,500 people in the city
• 32 amphorae of wine in your city’s storehouses

I increased my culture buildings and added oil sellers to the Southern agora. The hydra will appear and wander in the Northwestern corner, where you don’t have much reason to build anything, so that wasn’t a problem. I build the hall and all I needed was wine and some 20 odd people. The town could hold some hundred more so I wasn’t really worried about that. I send a gift of 4 olive oil to Taphos and requested some wine.

By now Aphrodite has shown her face a few times, but as there is no marble there isn’t much you can do to make her happy. She will however request Hercules to go and catch himself a giant pig, the Erymanthian Boar.

When Taphos supplied the wine, I summoned Hercules. A simple right-click on his hall and hit the Summon button did the trick. The brawny hero arrived and quickly dispatched the seven-headed monster that was wandering around the map.
A click on the map tab brought up the list with remaining tasks. Here you simply click on the little green square next to the boar picture and you can then click on Herculess and the Dispatch button.

A few minutes later the victory screen appears telling me Hercules succeeded. This happened in February 2997BC.

• Population — 648
• Treasury — 8725 Drachmes

The minimap shows the final configuration of the city, with the central housing block clearly visible.

Chapter 2. Working with Bronze and Marble

In Aegyrus your task is to provide Mycenae with marble and bronze for the coming sanctuary to Aphrodite. Taphos is building a site to Hermes and will put in request for the same. Copper can be found near the red recrectangle on the map (Northeast) Marble can be mined in the Southwest, the grey rectangle. The meadows in the Southeast are needed for grain farms.

I built the main blcok of house in the central plain with a block of grain farms to the South. Then I added some industry to go get me some marble. I started to quickly and my town almost became a ghosttown through lack of food. I changed the worker priorities a little and soon the population was back to working strength. Two quick requests for 25 marble and 9 copper from Taphos followed, quickly followed by an invasion by Hermes who killed a few walkers and stole a 1000 Drachmes. Of course I was late fulfilling the requests from Taphos, which still went Rival on me. I guess I should have ignored them and I could have finished the chapter before the second request came through if I had.

I wait around a little more, being just nine workers short until I realise I have way to many farms. Housing evolvement stops at hovel on local resources, you probably can beg for fleece, but it’s not really necessary.

September 2994 comes and I have enough goods to dispatch to Mycenae. The Victory screen tells me Taphos went rival so I assume it’s a preprogrammed event.

• Population — 1916
• Treasury — 11803 Drachmes

The minimap again shows the final configuration of the city, with the central housing block and farming area clearly visible.

Chapter 3. Cleaning out the Stables

Back in Mycenae you are told to fulfil a quest, conquer Taphos and build a sanctuary to Aphrodite.

I started building a tradepost and some sculpture and weapons industry. Export an dimport are set to modest amounts. Then I demolished the Northen hosuing block to make room for some elite housing. I made a small miscalulation and could only place 7 houses, but didn’t want to spend more resources and redo it. The four statues I gathered fit nicely around the new housing.

The gifts from Aegyrus arrive, you knowthe once you dispatche din the previous chapter, and I fit the sanctuary between my two blocks of housing. I play around a bit with adding some more houses to get enough people and watch my industry and the growth of the sanctuary. When I have enough wood and sculpture I shut down the workshops.

Hermes pops in again and kills a few more citizens, steals some money and kills the land trade. I send a few gfts of fleece and cheese to Aegyrus and ask for some more bronze, while trading for the last marble I need, which arrives just before Hermes’ second visit.
The sanctuary is completed and I need to add a few more houses to supply it with workers. So far the game has been a fine balance of just enough workers. Soon after Aphrodite request the presence of Hercules to go and clean out her stables.

Autumn 2989 I order a raid on Taphos The raid succeeds and brings me 32 amphorae of wine. Luckily my first victory in the Games still counts and soon Hercules is summoned and dispatched to clean the stables.

Hercules returns and together with an little force from Aegyrus and my own 14 hoplites I send them off to Taphos. The city promptly goes hostile on me, even though I sent them some olive oil. I wonder why? A month later I get the message they plan to invade in two months, but another month later my troops are victorious, so the invasion falls flat.

The victory screen appears and the first adventure is done. The date is March 2987

• Population — 1714
• Treasury — 13425 Drachmes

The elite housing is visible as two rows in the Northeast. The sanctuary is next to it.

I’m definitely looking forward to giving it another try and even more to playing the full game.