4000 Ad is a strategic game (no Dice!) of empire building and hidden movement set in Interstellar space. It was created in 1972 by House of Games Waddingtons, out of Bramalea, Ontario, Canada.  Since then, they have been purchased by Parker Brothers and then Hasbro, I beleive. The game is out-of-print.
  What follows is the rules, edited only for simplicity.

When opening the game, you have a choice of several ways to play 4000 AD:
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*The Alliance versions- these are two player and four player games, where the conflict revolves around two sets of alliances (Algol/Regulus and Antares/Pavo).  In the two player game, each player rules over the whole alliance (however, he must use them as an alliance, not as one 'government'). In the four player game, each player takes one home world, but is in strict alliance with the given system/player.
   2-Player:  Each player takes a whole alliance- (Algol/Regulus- Green/Blue) or (Antares/Pavo- Red/Orange). Victory is determined immediately when a player has both Home worlds lost to the other player. Use the 2player.ops file.

   4-Player: Each Player takes a home star- (Algol- Green), (Regulus- Blue), (Pavo- Orange), or (Antares- Red). The Alliances are Algol/Regulus and Antares/Pavo. Use the 4player.ops file. 

The standard rules are used for the Alliance versions.

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*The Independents versions- these are three player and four player games, where each player may never ally with another. In both versions, the players will take one of the available home stars.

   3-Player: Each player will take a home star- (Regulus- Blue), (Antares- Red), or (Mira- Green). There are no alliances to be made. Use the 3player.ops file.

   4-Player, 'Independents version': Each Player takes a home star- (Algol- Green), (Regulus- Blue), (Pavo- Orange), or (Antares- Red). Use the 4playerINDEPENDENTS.ops file.

There are special rule changes for these versions which are detailed at the end of the standard rules sections.
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*The Wild Alliance version- this is a four player game where each player takes control of one of the four home systems. Alliances may be made, and broken, as the game progresses.   

   4-Player, 'Wild Alliance version': Each Player takes a home star- (Algol- Green), (Regulus- Blue), (Pavo- Orange), or (Antares- Red). Use the 4playerINDEPENDENTS.ops file.

There are special rule changes for these versions which are detailed at the end of the standard rules sections.
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STANDARD RULES:
  
A NOTE ON TERMS: It is important to note that there IS a difference between the terms player and ally. Each ally is considered to be one color group (called 'Home Systems' or 'HS'): (Algol- Green), (Regulus- Blue), (Pavo- Orange), or (Antares- Red), whereas a player may control two allies. In the three player game, Green is the Home system of Mira.

Game Components: You now are confronted with the game components: the game-board, the Turn Counter, the ships, the warp counters and the Departure counters.

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THE GAME-BOARD
   The central map represents an area of the galaxy extending to several hundred light-years around Sol (Earth's sun).  
   Since the Milky Way is a spiral, it conforms to a somewhat flat shape, but there a still systems that are above each other or below.  To simulate a rough third dimensional enviroment, the map is divided into sectors.  
   First there are 12 areas, labelled A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K, or L.  The letter is noted on the stars in each area at the top of the star.
   Each area contains two sectors, one 'above' and one 'below'.  The YELLOW sectors are above. The WHITE sectors are below.  The color is noted by the use of the color of the star.
   So, this means there are a total of 24 sectors: A WHITE, A YELLOW, B WHITE, B YELLOW, etc.  Thus, the game-board looks like 24 'blocks', a set as 3 wide by 4 long by 2 high.
   The big yellow and white circles on the map represent only those star systems that mankind has use for, either through colonization of mining of raw materials. A system noted with a '+' has raw materials, while a notation of  '0' signifies a system allowing colonization.  Some systems have both, one or the other or neither. No symbol means a system know only for strageic purposes. 
   A star system can be noted as such: MARKAB  0+ C YELLOW.  This would represent the system Markab, which has both a inhabitable world and raw materials and is located in the upper sector in the C area.
   Outside the main central area are four tracks of squares, each track containing blocks numbered 1 to 7 and an Entry Space.  These are the Hyper-Space tracks, one for each player.  Green is on the left, Blue at the bottom, Red is on the right and Orange is at the top.
   There is also the turn indicator, consisting of two black boxes labeled 1 and 2. A turn is over when all the HS involved in the game have completed movements. Though there can be any number of turns in a game session, there are really only two types: Non-Resource and Resource turns.  Each even numbered turn is a Resource turn. The Player who begins a new turn should not only switch the game-turn program flags (AFTER veiwng the other player's moves, of course) but should also move the Turn Counter to the opposing turn indicator box on the map-board.
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STARSHIPS
   The vast distances between systems are crossed by starships, powered by the Potential Sphere engine and guided by stalwart men and women of the major stars. 
  They are represented, in the game, by two ship sizes (small and large) of the proper colors (Red, Orange, Green, Blue).  The smaller vessels represent one strength point, while the larger ships represent a group of five smaller ships and thus is of five strength points. There is no requirement to gather your ships into ones or fives or combinations.
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WARP COUNTERS
  Early in the 30th century, Earth devoloped technology to create an expanding sphere of potentiality.  What that meant, in short, was that an object could go (called Departure) into a different quantum nature - one which expanded at a steady given rate outward in a spherical pattern - and then go back (called Arrival) into normal space potentially anyhere at the outer rim of that sphere.  It gave Earth access to the stars.  By 4000AD, earth was regulated to a minor star system, a possible possession of one of the major governemnts that formed in the new frontier.  As is human nature, rivalries began and war was declared.  At this time, the major governments have managed to create two, each, of the devices needed to enter into the different quantum 'dimension'. Additionally, the known quantum physics of the operation allows for only a small amount of operation in a given time period.
  Each HS has two warp counters. All  movement on the map is accomplished by using a space warp, as the distances are too far to be travelled conventionally. Any number of ships may be sent through one warp, but they must all depart from the same star and arrive at the same star. Each HS is limited to only one Departure each turn.
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DEPARTURE COUNTERS
  When a player Departs a fleet into warp, he will use the ships, the Warp counter and a Departure counter.  The Departure counters are the white and yellow counters on the outside edge of the player's Hyper-Space track.  There are two sets for each HS, one white and one yellow. Each set contains TWO each of the letters A to L. A player, during Departure, uses a Departure counter that labels the location of the system he is DEPARTING from (not his destination!) The Departure counter and the Warp Counter travel with the ships until Arrival, at which time the Warp Counter returns to the Entry Space and the Departure Counter returns to its side space.
  When using the Departure counters, it is a good idea to 'sort' the counters in the warp group (the group consists of a warp counter, a Departure counter and the ships in warp). IF the warp group does not have the Departure Counter visibly 'on top', one should always put the Departure counter on the top of the group.  SORTING is an ADC2 function that can be carried out by left-clicking on the counter group and looking at the top corner of the new window for a button named 'SORT'.
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GAME-PLAY

  Turns proceed in this manner: Pavo-Antares-Regulus-Algol (or Antares-Regulus-Mira in the three player game). Then:
  (a) The First Player moves the turn marker from 1 to 2 or from 2 to 1 and resets the turn.  On an Even numbered turn, it is a production turn, and all HS recieve their new ships as by resources.  This also must be 'given out' (meaning the player will add the new pieces as by the ADC2 functions) by the First Player at this time, according to the resources available to each HS.
  (b) Each HS, in turn order, seperately double checks his resources, and makes his moves.


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When a HS takes his turn, he may make several moves that are part of different journeys, but they must be made in the following sequence:

 1) -- If he has one or both warps already on the path, he moves the leading one first, pushing it forwards into the next space. Then----
 a. If it is a continuing journey, he simply leaves it there, or 
 b. If it is due to make an Arrival he tranfers the ships to the star and moves the warp counter to the Entry Space on the Hyper-space track and moves and the lettered Departure counter to it's starting spot on the side-board.

 2) -- If there is second warp already on the path, it is treated the same way.

           -or-

 1) -- If, however, both warps are due to arrive on that turn AT THE SAME STAR, to combine numbers against an enemy fleet for battle, then both warps are pushed forwards together and make a simultaneous Arrival. Sometimes, two ally HS (whether or not the two HS are controlled by the same player) group together and will, thus, move out of HS sequence. See the ALLIANCES section, below, for these functions.

         -then, after one of those two options-


 3) -- If there is NOW an empty warp counter available, then the HS may also make ONE Departure from ONE star. This may be any or all ships at that star. A HS may make ony ONE departure into Hyper-space per turn. The HS will assemble a Warp Group, consisting of one Warp counter, one Departure counter and the ships that are Departing. The Warp Group will begin on the Entry Space, and then move one forward.
   

   *If the Departure star and the Arrival star are in the same EXACT sector (Example: both are in D Yellow), then the journey may be done immediatly at the end of that turn. However, a warp group is still used up and the ships get moved, briefly, in and out of the Entry Space and the first hyper-space block on the Hyper-Space path. This is the only time an Arrival occurs at the end of the sequence.
   *If a player's fleet Arrives at a star in the first part of the turn, he may also Depart with any or all of those ships at the end of the turn as his one Departure. However, ships Arriving into a Battle may not so Depart. 
   *Ships Arriving into a Battle perform their battle results IMMEDIATELY at that moment of the turn. 

END OF TURN 
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THE USE OF THE HYPER-SPACE TRACK


  Setting up a Departure:  When travelling through Hyper-space, fleets use the Hyper-space track. Since there are only two warp counters per HS, no HS may have more than two fleets at one time in Hyper-space. The Warp Group will begin on the Entry Space, and then must immediatly move one forward. If the Departure star and the Arrival star are in the same EXACT sector (Example: both are in D Yellow), then the journey may be done immediatly at the end of that turn. Elsewise, the warp group will end it's turn movement there.
 
  Travel time:  Do the effects of the expanding sphere, a ship must Arrive at a system that is determined by the time in travel- but that system may be anywhere around the Departure system as long as it is one sector away per box on the hyper-space path.  Example: if a warp group traveled to box four, then Arrives, it must Arrive in a system that is four sectors counted from the Departure system.

  To count that distance, simply start in the Departure Sector (which is counted as 'one') and then move non-diagonally, sector to connecting sector (up, down, or sideways) until you reach your potential destination, adding one to the count per sector. The distance of the journey is ALWAYS counted using the shortest possible non-diagnol path, and the route cannot double-back or cross over itself.

(Example: Pavo (J RED) to Alkaid (I YELLOW) is 5 sectors - one to enter J-RED, two to enter K-RED, three to enter L-RED, four to enter I-RED and finally five to enter I-YELLOW.) 

  Remember that travelling to a star in the exact same block as your Departure star is a distance of one. 

  Only YOU will know your destination while your fleet is in warp, and you CAN change your mind- just as long as your Arrival point is the same distance from your Departure point as is the amount of blocks you travelled on the Hyper-Space track.
  Remember that an HS may only make ONE departure per turn.
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BATTLE


  Ships of the year 4000AD do battle with the combat energy field. It was developed as a shielding from any of the various weapons of the age, but soon it was discovered that the field had a flaw.  When a weaker shield touches a stronger one, everything within the weaker shield is crushed in a feedback of energy.  Equal shield strengths, however, completely protected both fleets, and thus there could not be any reasonable engagement.  Soon ships were being used jointly to generate stronger shields and ram their opponents.
  4000AD tactics boil down, simply, to having the largest fleet present. The weaker opponent must withdraw, if it can, or be completely destroyed. Equal forces prevent engagement, so a fleet may NOT enter a star system held by an enemy fleet of similar strength.
  The real strategy and game-play is the use of movement in space - getting the proper number of ships in a fleet to the right spots at the right time - merging and timing fleet movements through hyper-space.

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OCCUPATION

 Any system that ends the turn with at least one ship around it is occupied by that fleet's HS.  However, the actual Home Stars of a HS do not require such garrisons and are considered occupied by the original player UNLESS there is an enemy fleet present.
 Capture of any star system is never permanent. It may be-recaptured or 'liberated' (captured from an enemy by an ally HS). The original HS of the liberated Home Star will recieve control upon arrival of one or more of the original HS's ships, or if the star system ever has no ships around it.
 The capture of a home star does not force that HS out of the game, unless he has no more ships.  It just means that HS cannot use resources to build new ships until he regains control of the home star.  An allied HS can re-capture the system with or without his help.
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RESOURCES

  The resources of men and material at an occupied star are transmitted back to a homeworld via a Matter Transmission System. This system converts matter into energy and sends it through a quantum fissure (akin to the Expanding Sphere of Potential) opened by a ship and directed towards the main device at the homeworld. Communications to fleets in Hyper-space also use this method.
  At the start of a Resource Turn, identify and sort all the planets under control of a HS. For each FULL pair of '0' and '+', the HS may build one ship at his home system. Extra, un-paired '0's and '+'s are lost.   
  Each homeworld has one MTS, recieving the resources from all systems under control of the HS.  If the HS loses it's homeworld, that HS cannot use the resources from the controlled systems and loses them.
  A captured Homeworld supplies only it's own resources and never allows the new controlling HS any of the original HS's controlled resources. A re-captured homeworld functions normally. 
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ALLIANCES

Some of these rules require possible e-Mail communication, as it requires one player to take control of another player's forces or resources.  Such communications do not require that all players are aware of such communications.


ALLIED ATTACK MOVES: When a co-operative action involving the Arrival of the fleets of two allied HS in the same sector for battle, then the two HS make THOSE Arrival moves together, out of player/turn sequence. However, ALL fleets invovled in an Allied attack must have spent the SAME time in Warp (i.e. have Departed from equal distances or the same sector.) Their remaining forces are made seperately, as usual. Furthermore, each HS may use more than one fleet, so that up to four fleets may be aimed at a single enemy target.
 
ALLIED FLEET COMBINATION: From a star that two allied HS occupy, one HS fleet may depart with a fleet comprising his own (at least one ship) and the allied HS's forces (with the owner's permission) using the current movement turn's HS warp and path.  It will form a single fleet for attacking. The other HS may reclaim his ships (except while in Hyper-space) via a normal Departure during that HS's turn. Permanent possession is never granted.

ALLIED OCCUPATION: Without permission needed, an HS may move onto a star occupied by the other ally HS.  If the star in question is a Homeworld, however, permission is required.

ALLIED RESOURCES: If two allied HS occupy the same star at the end of the turn, the HS who was there first in a PREVIOUS TURN is entitled to the resources. However, the two HS may agree to give the later-arriving HS the resources. Allied HS that Arrive on the same turn must decide somehow, between themselves, who gets the resources.

One HS cannot send another allied HS the resources from a controlled star system UNLESS there is at least one of both HS ships present.


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VICTORY

   To win: The alliance that capture both Home Stars of the enemy wins the game, immediatly upon capturing the second Home Star. 

   Of course the game may be conceded by either alliance at any time.

   If the game must be ended before a victory condition is achieved, the alliance with the greatest number of stars is the winner. If the occupied stars are equal, then compare totals in ships - the larger amount wins.

(OPTIONAL: The Alliance that captures both enemy home stars must also have control of it's own home stars to win. When that condition is met, the game will end immediatly.  This rule, obviously extends the game and should be agreed upon at the start of game-play).  


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THE INDEPENDENTS GAME VARIATIONS

  *  On the Resource production turn, each HS takes his new ships himself at the start of his own turn, before making his moves.

  *  When a HS home star is captured, that HS MUST regain it by his very NEXT turn or he is eliminated from the game.
   If he does NOT regain it, he must, on his next following turn, make any fletts he has in hyper-space Arrive at a star of his choosing in accordance with the movement travelled.  If another HS has a fleet already there, then the exiting layer surrenders his Arriving fleet to that HS.  If there are no other fleets present in the Arrival system, the first HS to send at least one ship to that star will gain those ships.  
   The benefiting HS will exchange the surrended ships for ones of his own color through the use of the ADC2 remove/add peices functions.
   !HOWEVER!: If a HS who lost his home star can capture the home star of the HS that conquered his own home star, he may then persuade that other HS to agree to a mutual withdrawal. If they agree, each MUST do so when his next turn comes around.

  *Winning the game in the independents version is, simply, the last player remaining after the others have been eleiminated.  If the game must be ended before a victory condition is achieved, the HS with the greatest number of stars is the winner. If the occupied stars are equal, then compare those HS totals in ships - the larger amount wins.

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THE WILD ALLIANCE RULES

  In the Independents games, the option to form alliances can be used (upon agreement at the outset of the game).  Use the rules, as per the Independents game, but use the ALLIANCE rulings from the Alliance games as follows:

  One HS may propose an alliance to another HS at any time or terminate it without warning. The terms and strategy is up to the players.  The only time an alliance must be announced is prior to taking an Allied action.

  During the time of Alliance, all rules concerning alliances apply to them.

  No agreement between allies is binding. However, once two fleets are together at the same star or Arrive together to do battle with a third force, neither of those fleets can attack the other while they are together.  Nor may one of the players send another fleet there to attack his ally's force while he is still there himself.

  Acts of treachery, of course, tend to terminate alliances.

  A HS whose home star is captured can regain it on the next turn with help of an ally, but at least one of his ships MUST be amounst the recapturing force.  

  In a mutual withdrawal agreement, any allied forces must also withdraw.

  As per the Independents game, the game cannot be won by an Alliance.


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Credits:

Of course the game rights belongs to whomever, if anyone, owns the copyrights to 4000AD.

I would like to thank my Dad for buying me 'L'An 4000' - the French variant (with English rules) way back in '72.  He always knew my hobbies, and that's a wonderful thing for a Dad to do.

MS Callahan

