Welcome to the world of dead reptiles and avian ancestors.
The map is a low resolution image produced from NASA topological data. The globe was rotated to center Iceland on the equator before slicing it open and laying it flat. This reduces distortions for all land, since only water remains at the poles. A small section of turf around Greenland is used for JURASSIC. Greenland's massive ice block makes it the perfect volcano for the Dimorphodon, one of the first Pterosaurs. This location is impassable and the capital of Tithonia.
The players are named after the eleven periods of the Jurassic era. Their positions on the board make game play more or less difficult. This is reflected in the player list order with easiest on the bottom. The top player is unique with a special dinosaur; Dimorphodon. All other players have a full list of other dinosaurs from the Jurassic Period. The first player is meant to be a nuisance; a leftover from the Triassic. Even though the capital is impassable, you can still create but cannot return; like deamons emerging from the pit of Hell.
| Jurassic Period | Mya | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Late |
Tithonian | 152.1 ± 4 | 145 ± 4 |
| Kimmeridgian | 157.3 ± 4 | 152.1 ± 4 | |
| Oxfordian | 163.5 ± 4 | 157.3 ± 4 | |
| Middle | Callovian | 166.1 ± 4 | 163.5 ± 4 |
| Bathonian | 168.3 ± 3.5 | 166.1 ± 4 | |
| Bajocian | 170.3 ± 3 | 168.3 ± 3.5 | |
| Aalenian | 174.1 ± 2 | 170.3 ± 3 | |
| Lower Early |
Toarcian | 182.7 ± 1.5 | 174.1 ± 2 |
| Pliensbachian | 190.8 ± 1.5 | 182.7 ± 1.5 | |
| Sinemurian | 199.3 ± 1 | 190.8 ± 1.5 | |
| Hettangian | 201.3 ± 0.6 | 199.3 ± 1 | |
The map is colored for topologic elevation and not actual vegetation conditions. Sea level after the last Ice Age, ten-thousand years ago, was nearly 400-feet lower than today. This is easy to see as the continental shelves (light blue areas). Sadly, all that topology has been washed clean. Territory Effects are employed to allow land reptiles to swim, and ocean dwellers to flop around on land. Study the Effects chart below, or snap a screen shot and place it on your desktop for reference. Territories are labeled with a Terrain Tag: M-mountain, H-hills/low vegetation, F-forested plains, S-shallow water, D-Deep water. Combat is based on 12-sided dice.
| (att/def/mov) | MOUNTAIN | HILL | FOREST | SHALLOW | DEEP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| tyrannosaurus 2 | 1,1,1 | 7,7,1 | 9,9,1 | 6,6,1 | 4,4,1 |
| stegosaurus 2 | 1,1,1 | 5,5,1 | 7,7,1 | 5,5,1 | 3,3,1 |
| triceratops 2 | 1,1,1 | 6,4,1 | 8,6,1 | 6,4,1 | 4,2,1 |
| ankylosaurus 2 | 1,1,1 | 4,6,1 | 6,8,1 | 4,6,1 | 2,4,1 |
| coelophysis | 3,3,1 | 4,4,2 | 5,5,2 | 3,3,1 | 1,1,1 |
| iguanodon | 3,5,1 | 4,6,1 | 5,7,1 | 3,5,1 | 2,3,1 |
| pachycephalosaurus | 3,2,1 | 4,3,2 | 5,3,2 | 3,2,1 | 1,1,1 |
| ornithomimus | 2,3,1 | 3,4,2 | 3,5,2 | 2,3,1 | 1,1,1 |
| plateosaurus | 3,3,1 | 4,4,1 | 5,5,1 | 3,3,1 | 1,1,1 |
| parasaurolophus | 2,2,1 | 3,3,1 | 3,3,2 | 2,2,1 | 1,1,1 |
| pterodactylus | 5,3,5 | 5,3,6 | 4,3,5 | 6,3,4 | 3,2,3 |
| dimorphodon | 7,4,3 | 8,4,4 | 7,4,3 | 6,3,2 | 4,2,1 |
| sharovipteryx | 2,2,2 | 2,2,3 | 2,2,3 | 2,2,2 | 2,2,1 |
| tylosaurus 2 | 1,1,1 | 1,1,1 | 3,3,1 | 7,7,1 | 7,7,2 |
| liopleurodon | 1,1,1 | 3,3,1 | 4,4,1 | 5,5,2 | 5,5,1 |
| diplodocus 2 | 1,1,1 | 3,3,1 | 5,5,1 | 5,5,1 | 3,3,1 |
All territories have production capacity (including water), capped at the territory's production level, and units can be placed in any territory that you control. Each unit has an overall limit. The attack, defense, and movement are modified depending on the terrain. For example, a Triceratops will be nearly useless in the mountains, excellent in forests, and still efficient in the water due to its underwater charging attack (Get Creative!).
The only bird is the Pterodactylus. It attacks and brings food back to the kids. Sharovipteryx is an agile glider, good in all terrains. Dimorphodon has the same land agility, and is extremely aggressive. Iguanodon is a lumbering vegetarian armed with a cleaver in the thumb area. You'll notice: all creatures looking right are defense oriented. Diplodocus goes both ways! It's another vegitarian with enormous size. Very similar to a giraffe, it stomps and swings its head like a club. It also has a killer tail.
Blue dinosaurs in the list are healers. The long neck of Diplodocus allows it to feed from the tops of trees, causing a shower of food. Because it increases the available nutrients, Diplodocus is a healer. Parasaurolophus has a long nazal horn. Always alert this future rooster warns others of attackers, producing a zone of security which allows Bigs to heal. The Bigs are all twoHit and must have a healer to repair. This dynamic should produce more diverse herds and require injured Bigs to fall off the front lines pending the availablity of healers.
It is very easy to see these dinosaurs evolving into modern birds. The ostrich provides a good example of dinosaur feet and short winged arms. Yep! T-rex was a bird with small flightless wings upfront. Each critter has its advantages, and the project purpose is to bring dinosaurs into the Triple-A family.
ISSUES====================================================================[]
maxBuiltPerPlayer is not working properly. It prevents the AI from purchasing anything. This unit property is useful to encourage more diverse herds and late game balance. It will get implemented when corrected by the game gods.
requiresUnits and consumesUnits have the same AI problem, thus no Dinosaur Eggs. Very sad.
repairsUnits is implemented but behaving badly. Diplodocus can heal Bigs, this includes itself. Sometimes when damaged, it will heal itself and all others in the territory, instead of just one as it should.
Twelve-Sided Dice were acquired from PactOfSteal II.
Dinosaur images from WikiCommon and various online museums were heavily modified.
Terrain and JURASSIC game elements generated by homegrown PERL scripts. ================================================================================
- OstrichEyes.com - by John Gregorek 2013