'Renaissance: 1453' is based on 'Renaissance', itself based on the 'Classic' map. Some subtle changes were made from the original:

Special Rules: Hannover, Denmark and Constantinople are canals.

Background: A few liberties were taken with history, which will be outlined briefly below:

Country: VENICE

Starting Units: A Venice, A Trieste, F Athens

Background: The 15th century was Venice's 'Golden Age'. After the long war with Genoa in the 14th century, Venice emerged as one of the leading powers in Europe. Unrivalled commercially until the rounding of the Cape of Good Hope late in the century by the Portugese, Venice was spectacularly wealthy and powerful. It could boast the largest and best navy in the world (at least in the European world), and had many overseas colonies, including many former Byzantine possessions in Greece, Cyprus, Crete, the Black Sea, along with the coast of Dalmatia (modern Yugoslavia), and even some possessions on the west coast of Asia Minor. The Republic was to last over 1000 years in total. Unmatched to this day by any state in Europe (well possibly San Marino).

Country: SPAIN

Starting Units: F Madrid (South Coast), A Lisbon, F Naples

Background: With the marriage of Ferdinand to Queen Isabella of Castille, Ferdinand became ruler of most of what we now call Spain, along with the Island of Sicily. Naples was only added to the Kingdom in 1503, and Portugal was an independent kingdom (which it still is today), but for the purposes of the game, they will be incorporated into Spain.

Country: FRANCE

Starting Units: A Paris, A Marseilles, F Brussels

Background: France had just recently thrown off the English yoke some 20 - 30 years before and was beginning to re-emerge as a European power. The main result of the hundred years war, or one of them anyway, was to crush the nobility. The King could now effectively wield absolute power. Soon his hand would be grasping southward into Italy to join with Spain in a long struggle for domination of the peninsula.

Country: ENGLAND

Starting Units: A Chester, F London, F Brest

Background: Henry V had conquered France, and had made himself heir to the French throne upon the death of Charles VI. He never saw the crown, however. He died soon after; and on the death of Charles VI seven weeks later, his infant son, Henry VI became king of both England and France. He proved a weak king, and soon lost his French possessions; all except Calais. (Note. Calais is not in the vicinity of Brest, it's further east, on the straits of Dover... but what the hell).

Country: POLAND-LITHUANIA

Starting Units: A Novgorod, A Warsaw, F Belgorod

Background: The Polish-Lithuanian union in 1384 created the largest nation in Europe. Ruled from Krakow, it stretched from the Baltic sea to the Black sea. Warsaw became the capital in 1569, and was second (in Europe) only to Paris in magnificence. A couple of liberties were taken for the purposes of the game: 1) Although P-L stretched to the Black Sea it only ruled the western half of "Sevastopol". The eastern half was still controlled by the Mongols (the Golden Horde, to be exact). 2) P-L controlled Novgorod (i.e. StP) as a vassal state for a very brief period around 1470, but in 1454, Novgorod was an independent republic. After 1470 it was occupied by Ivan the Great (Ivan III) of Muscovy.

Country: HOLY ROMAN EMPIRE

Starting Units: A Vienna, A Munich, F Berlin

Background: The Empire was a loose confederation of german and italian states; the emperor being little more than a figure head in that he had little or no control over the actions of his vassals, most especially those in Lombardy (Piedmont) and Tuscany. e.g. Francesco Sforza, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, and the other leading figures in 15th and 16th-century north italian politics were, technically at least, subjects of the Empire. The emperor himself did rule over his own home state, however, and usually had a formidable army.

Country: TURKEY

Starting Units: F Sofia (North Coast), F Smyrna, A Ankara

Background: Being about to conquer Constantinople, and in the process of destroying forever the last remnants of the old Roman Empire, the Turks steadily and rapidly advanced on the Balkans and on Europe, up to the very walls of Vienna (twice). The next two centuries would see many great battles first between Turkey and Venice/Hungary, and then when Budapest fell, between Turkey and Venice (e.g. Lepanto).

OTHER POWERS (neutral, no units):

THE PAPACY: Papal States. KINGDOM OF HUNGARY: Hungary. GRAND DUCHY OF MUSCOVY: Muscovy. KALMAR LEAGUE: Denmark (+ Hannover), Sweden, Norway . KINGDOM OF SCOTLAND: Scotland, Clyde.