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This week begins a three part series on "Ancient Civilization of the Inner Sea", recently published from GMT Games. Join Chris and Laura as they gush over the gorgeous artwork and clearly written rules (seriously, we cannot emphasize enough how important those are), talk about a game mechanic inspired by an epic poem, and discuss how resilience and negotiation skills can be developed though the unpredictable game play.    Be sure to listen through to the end. We have a brief sneak peak at our interview with game designers Christopher Vorder Bruegge and Mark McLaughlin and game developer Fred Schachter which we will be airing in the coming weeks.    Recommended  Games:   Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea - This recently published game from GMT is a board game which abstracts the growth and competition of great civiilizations around the Mediterranean Sea during antiquity. Along with a link to purchase, GMT's game page contains tons of supplemental materials including players' aids, a living rule book, and numerous articles well worth reading. Civilization - The classic Avalon Hill game. Copies are most easily found on eBay.  Sid Meier's Civilization - This video game series continues to grow and gain a following, proving that a fascination with the growth of civilizations is perennial.   Recommended Viewing:    How to Play Ancient Civilizations of the Inner Sea - This YouTube video is a must watch for new players. Game designer Mark McLaughlin walks viewers through a sample of game play, explaining the various phases of a turn and showing how tiles are placed, cards are played, competition is resolved, and victory points are tallied.   Recommended Reading:   The Aeneid for Boys and Girls - Alfred Church's retelling of the Aeneid simplifies the epic poem for younger readers. In Search of a Homeland - Gorgeous illustrations and moving prose help retelling the moving story of Aeneas as he undergoes trials and searches for a new home in the wake of the Trojan War.   Can't see the links? Podcatcher turning my painstaking labor into plaintext? Come visit the podcast page at  https://played.podbean.com/ and get the full experience, complete with all the links in perfect functioning order.    Intro and Outro Music: "Crunk Knight" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/