mARDA

A suggestion for a simplified ARDA for Machiavelli and other games. "m" can be read as both "machiavelli" or "mini".

A) Main categories

1) Scenario map

  1. S = Standard/Classic (mach in italy)
  2. A = Alternate (approximately geographically and historically correct)
  3. X = Abstract (not S or A)

2) Scenario type

  1. H = Historical
  2. F = Fictional

3) Rule system

  1. S = Standard rules (mach 1st or 2nd ed)
  2. V = Variant rules

B) Subcategories

1) For map geographical location (approximate geographical area intended). Used as qualifier suffix for the scenario map category.

  1. m = Mediterranean (spain-balcans-turkey-palestine)
  2. c = Central european (england-france-poland-hungary)
  3. n = Northern european (england-scandinavia-russia-northermost germany)
  4. s = Eastern european (russia-poland-balcans-turkey)
  5. e = Europa (all of europe incl. turkey, kaukasus and russia to the urals)
  6. i = Italian peninsula
  7. t = Mid east (turkey-pakistan-egypt)
  8. a = Orient (india-vietnam-china-japan)
  9. o = Other

2) For historical theme. Used as qualifier suffix for the scenario type.

  1. v = Viking
  2. b = Byzantium
  3. r = Roman empire
  4. c = Classical world (greek persia egypt)
  5. n = Napoleonic
  6. h = Holy roman empire
  7. m = Classic mach
  8. t = Crusades
  9. o = Ottoman empire
  10. s = Other storical
  11. 1 = WW1
  12. 2 = WW2

Fictional themes

  1. w = What if storical
  2. f = Fictional
  3. y = Traditional mythical (arthurian beowulf gods etc)
  4. l = Modern mythical (tolkien pendragon dune midkemia donaldson etc)
  5. g = Other fantastic/mythical

3) Time period. 2nd qualifier suffix for scenario type.

  1. a = ancient/classical 1000bc-475ad
  2. m = Medieval 476ad-1500
  3. r = Renaissance 1501-1720
  4. e = Early modern 1721-1910
  5. t = modern 1911ff

The code is combined thusly: [A1][B1][A2][B2][B3][A3]

Thus the classic mach balance of power scenario would be categorised: SiHmmS.

The classic mach spanish preponderance scenario: SiHmrS.

And machfive woulde be: XFfS (maybe XiFfS as it depicts the italian peninsula X 5).

Note: this is version 2 (feb. 23rd, 2002). The changes are as follow: category A1 is now scenario map and A2 is scenario type. The coding order has changed from [A1][B2][B3][A2][B1][A3] to [A1][B1][A2][B2][B3][A3].