Catanism

“Age of Enlightenment” Expansion –
“The Era of Prosperity” Theme Set

Chapter 1 of 4

In the fictitious history of Catan, the Era of Barbarians is followed by the Era of Prosperity. The barbarians have been defeated, and Catan has defended its independence. The returning prosperity improves the Catanians’ living conditions and allows the arts – influenced by the European Renaissance – to flourish on Catan. This has a positive effect on the contentment of the citizens.

In the game, the citizens’ contentment is represented by the “Public Feeling” marker card. The blue stars symbolize contentment points. A player can earn or lose contentment points by means of certain actions – in each case, the card is rotated in the corresponding direction.
Being in the role of princes or princesses, it is in our – the players’ – hands whether our people are content or whether the next insurrection is just around the corner … Let’s see how our nameless Prince deals with his new possibilities:

“Good morning, Your Princely Highness. Congratulations to your inauguration! You rested well, I hope?”
“No, not at all, Chancellor! Almost all night long I asked myself the nagging question of how to replenish my empty coffers.”
“Your Highness should build schools.”
“Schools? Those country bumpkins are supposed to drudge, not laze around!”
“Of course, Your Highness. But please consider that he who is literate and numerate will be more successful as a craftsman or merchant. And he who is more successful is more content and can pay higher taxes and thus will fill your princely coffers faster.
“Good point, Chancellor. Well then, let schools be built. But those yokels have to learn fast. I can’t wait forever to get my money.”

At the same time, in the Princess’s chamber:
“Good morning, Princess. I hope you had a good night?”
“No, unfortunately not, dear sister. I had to think incessantly of the poor in my principality. There are so many who have no land to cultivate grain or at least sustain a skinny cow on a pasture.”
“Maybe you should establish common property. That is, land that every inhabitant of a village can use. In old Europe, which I recently visited, they call it Common Land.”
“That’s a good idea, dear sister. I will immediately decree that parts of my princely property be designated as common property.”

“You won’t regret it. With Common Land in the future, not only will your people be better off, there will also be fewer resource shortages.”
“Yes, those shortages are really a pain in the neck. In one area the granaries are filled to the brim, while in another area people don’t have a single brick for building.”
“So why don’t you also give your people places where they can meet to trade?”
“You mean, I should establish a Small Market Town between larger market towns?”
“Yes, then people won’t have to travel too far in order to use their abundance in one resource to balance their shortage in another.”

“The Era of Prosperity” is the first of three new Theme Sets of the “Age of Enlightenment” expansion for “The Rivals for Catan.”

Klaus Teuber

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