This is the story about the PBEM game, played by almost only Dutchmen, that lasted almost three years. The name originated from our disappointment that patch v1.04 doesn't work for the European versions of Play The World. Yet, that was a long time ago and we soon played with the latest patch for PTW.

There are six civilizations, but at least double the amount of players, because not everyone was able to play the full time. Matrix and Kemal were the only ones who never left their throne.

Prehistory
There are two large main continents. On the western continent, respectively from west to east, are Japan, Straland and Egypt. On the eastern continent, respectively from south west to north east, are Iroquois, Persia and ThisIsIt.

The Iroquois, Egypt and Japan started on a beautiful spot. Matrix and Kemal had a fair start. Only ERIKK was unfortunate to have his start surrounded by jungle.

ProPain and Matrix were both lucky with an early extra city from a goody hut. Unfortunately for Plux, Matrix' city (Custa City) was three squares away from Plux' capital. This resulted in both countries being a bit strangled.

History
While Japan, Straland and Egypt traded science a little, ThisIsIt, Persia and Iroquois were busy building a substantial alliance. Their communication was much more intensive than that of the western continent and when contact between the two continents was made in 1525 BC, it appeared the eastern continent was a leap ahead in science. To avoid losing this advantage ProPain built The Great Library, which he finished in 1000 BC. As compensation his loss of production Kemal and ERIKK both donated two cities: ERIKK gave Kemal kemaltown and immortallover, and Kemal gave ProPain Woodbubble, Silkstone, Backyard Burial City and Silkstone.

Meanwhile it was becoming clear that some players have different methods of expansion. Aggie and Kemal build their cities very close to each other, while Matrix and ERIKK build their cities at a larger distance.

Then came the year 1000 BC: Unaware of the close ties on the eastern continent, Plux moved six swordmen to Goon and three to Custa City. In response Matrix offered Goon, Custa City and Beca (the other city in the south west) for 20 turns of peace.

From this moment nations their borders start to touch each other and they cannot expand freely anymore. Matrix is getting stuck between Aggie and Plux and ProPain is getting stuck between Kemal and water. Yet both continents have lots of free land in the north west, though this is mostly jungle.

From 850 BC till 450 BC (give or take) Skyfish temporarily took over ERIKK's empire. It was during this period that almost the whole empire of ThisIsIt was ordered to emigrate and settle to the far northwest. First Houston was abandoned and one turn later ThisIsItCity!!!!!, New York, Boston, Miami and Seattle were left behind as well.

In 550 BC Matrix took revenge against Plux, with help from Killer, Aggie replacer: Japan was attacked. One city of him was destroyed, another one captured by Straland. Yet the war went slower than anticipated and peace was signed in 90 BC, to avoid underdevelopment. Too late, so it will appear. 

Kemal, ERIKK and ProPain were forging a plan to mutually attack Aggie (who returned two turns later) and in 50 AD all three civs deployed a number of units on Aggie's shore, leaving Matrix and Plux with an open mouth. In total three cities were destroyed and two had to be recaptured. In 130 AD the east continental alliance fled back to their home land. But Egypt remained at war with ThisIsIt, Persia and the Iroquois.

In 350 AD Persia entered the Industrial Age. ThisIsIt and the Iroquois followed in the same turn. By this time Stapel had replaced Plux and grs Aggie. Both continents started to get fully built.

Two turns later Kemal deployed a Stack of Doom on Egyptian shores, consisting of at least forty cavalry. A military force not ever seen before in action. Kemal's force was destructive. After one turn Kemal has captured one city and destroyed three others. The next turn four more were captured and eight destroyed. Grs then abandoned four of his five remaining and undefended cities. In 400 AD Egypt was eliminated.

Any sporadic attempt of ProPain to gain a little of piece of Egypt was in vain, as his forces were all killed by grs, Stapel and Matrix. In 430 AD Matrix even destroyed an Iroquois city with berserks.

Kemal's conquest of Egypt went so easily that he was left with still an enormous stack of Cavalry. Kemal then decided to use all his forces on his ally ProPain, who was taken by total surprise. In 560 AD the Iroquois were eliminated in just one turn, with the help of railroads; ProPain literally laid down the path for his destruction.

Being in a winning mood Kemal quickly moved on to his other ally, ERIKK, in 610 AD. Jungle was probably the only obstacle that prevented Kemal from eliminating ERIKK in one turn as well. In 620 AD ThisIsIt was eliminated.

Meanwhile Stapel and Matrix started to attack Kemal, nicely timed as Kemal had most of his forces on his own continent. Yet still they were just too late, because Kemal already had obtained Replaceable Parts, leaving Stapel's and Matrix' cavalries virtually useless. When also Stapel's attempt to get Theory of Evolution failed Kemal became truly unstoppable. His moved his units as soon as possible to the western continent and wiped out Straland and Japan altogether. In 730 AD Japan was eliminated and in 740 AD Straland was eliminated.

Kemal gained a military victory.