Islandis: A World of Lucidia Boardgame

Intoduction:

Author and game designer, Elree Ellis, is the mind behind "The World of Lucidia". Lucidia is a living, high fantasy world manifested though a series of epic works. These epic works include a series of novels, graphic novels, short stories, board games and a role-playing game. The first of his works, Islandis: A World of Lucidia Boardgame, will be released in 2012 via Time Warp Games.
Theme:

Entitled Islandis: A World of Lucidia Boardgame, this prologue will transport players to the humble beginnings of Lucidia, to a place far removed from the mainland, to a time before time, to the very birth place of life.
Islandis is the largest and most populated island in the Tokelau Sea, serving as the cornerstone for the exploration and settlement of the Asazi Isles. The island is teaming with culture, beauty, bountiful sea life, a seemingly endless supply of resources, and all of the essentials for a growing populous.
In time, through innovation and exploration, neighboring islands are discovered and populated. The new found islands introduce the Asazi people to previously undiscovered resources, thus giving life to a perpetual network of trade routes, and an incessant market place.
Island life is sublime, until...
Villages wake to the sound of chaos. The island pulses and cries with anguish. Families stumble out of their bungalows and into the night, only to find themselves dodging debris from the sky. Turning toward the summit, screams echo across the sea as bursts of lava erupt into the night sky. Dark clouds loom overhead, and no stars are watching from the night sky. Almost word for word, prophesy unfolds. This way of life is coming to an end,it is time for a new beginning.
In Islandis, each player takes on the role of a great leader of the Asazi people. It is each player’s charge to lead their tribe in this prophetic time.
Each player has a whole host of strategic colors in his pallet. Some may decide to stay on the island and continue to gather resources, make trade, and nourish culture. Others may gather resources to build vessels, explore and settle undiscovered islands. The most successful leaders will exhaust both of these options in perfect harmony. Whether choosing to make significant contributions in trade, develop high culture, or spread the seeds of their people across the vastness of the great sea, one common goal remains: To not be forgotten, to make your mark on the history of the World of Lucidia.

Game Play:

At its core, Islandis is a 1-4 player, turn based worker placement game for ages 13+; however, due to the nature of epic works, players will find that Islandis is truly a set of mini games within the whole part. In accord with the worker placement mechanic, players will enjoy fending off sea creatures, making trade, exploration, variable player powers, dice rolling, set building, and empire building (including conversion sites, villages, monoliths, colossi, and temples).
There are five primary building resources found on Islandis (Stone, Iron Ore, Gold Ore, Cotton, and Timber). These five resources, in many cases, will need to be converted into their more useful forms (Ashlar, Iron, Gold, Textiles, and Lumber). In order to upgrade resources, you will need to utilize your conversions sites, and workers. Dice serve as workers in the game and the results of a roll indicate the productivity of workers. Throughout the game players will find ways to "inspire" their workers to be more productive with the assistance of innovative tribesmen and women!
In addition to the five primary resources, and their upgraded incarnations, players will find many uses for the four major imported goods (Copal, Bamboo, Dyes, and Fruit). These imported goods are earned by lending workers to the four neighboring islands as trade.
Finally, and most important, players will need to feed their people! Players will rush for the opportunity to fish from the shore, however, due to limited space, most will be required to employ their sea vessels to earn fish. The most successful players will begin planting fruit trees early in the game to supplement the demands of fishing.
During the game, players will be able to develop culturally, allowing for a variety of new uses for the 14 resources. These cultural advancements include heirloom recipes, jewelry, musical instruments, and more, each lending their tribes the ability to earn victory points through trading cultural goods.

Goal:

The goal of each player is to earn as many victory points as possible before Islandis is destroyed by molten lava. Victory points are earned in a variety of fashions: Trading resources at the markets, developing cultural items and trading at the markets, fighting off sea creatures, surviving deadly storms, building villages, monoliths, colossi, and temples on newly discovered islands.