What's new in the French edition?

Eurogames released a new version of AOR, "L'Age de la Renaissance” in 1999.

This version integrates the official errata and brings modifications to simplify and speed up the game. Major modifications are:
• Initial deal of cards
• Advances attributes
• Patronage
• Misery Relief
• Board changes

1. Initial Deal of Cards

Move an Epoch 2 Timber to Epoch 1.

Remove all cards concerned with the Crusades and Far-East : Crusades, Walter the Penniless, Rashid ad Din, Spice and Silk.
These 5 cards are reshuffled back into the deck :
• after card draw on turn 1 if there are 3 to 4 players
• after card draw on turn 2 if there are 5 to 6 players

3 cards are dealt to each player and 1 of them, at player's choice, is shuffled back into the deck. There is no first turn card draw.

2. Advances Attributes
[D] Enlightment : A player with this advance can reduce by 1 space his position on the Misery Index at each revenue phase.

[J] Wind / Watermill : After the first player of the turn has decided to adjust or not the surplus/shortage level, from each players
with [J], the one with the highest rank in order of play can adjust the surplus/shortage level of commodity of one from Grain, Cloth,
Wine or Metal. He can then eliminate one surplus or shortage or create one surplus or shortage.

[N] Written Record : When a player gains a Market from another player who doesn't have [N], he can force to exchange any card
of his choice from his hand and randomly choose a card from his victim's hand. This can be done only once in every turn and
volontary exchange are prohibited.

[P] Master Art : Player may immediately discard a card as soon as this is purchased.

[U] New World : Only allows the entrance to the New World.

3. Patronage
There are now 3 Leader boxes on the board.
• The first Leader to be placed on the board is completely protected from Patronage [E].
• The second Leader to be placed on the board can only be claimed by at most 1 other player with Patronage [E].
• The Third Leader to be placed on the board can only be claimed by at most 2 other players with Patronage [E].
• All other Leaders placed are not protected by Patronage [E].

4. Misery Relief
Like the original rules, by buying [B] Human Body or [K] Improved Agriculture, you reduce your Misery by one space. See also the
previous description of [D] Enlightment.
The moment the player gets the advances in Science and Commerce and Civics, he reduce space on the Misery Index :
• Two advances each, reduce 1 space.
• Three advances each, reduce 2 space.
• All advances in each, reduce 3 spaces.

5. Board Changes
• London connect with Chester, allowing London to have one more Market on Turn 1.
• Novgorod absorbs Smolensk. Thus Hamburg is a bit closer to Area V if it buys both Galley 2 and Caravan [I] on Turn 1.
• The W.Med/E.Med/Libya/Barca sea border is flipped so that Genoa can buy The Heavens [A] on Turn 2 and reach
Alexandria (before Venice or Barcelona).
• An extra French wine province (Loire) between Paris and Bordeaux helps Paris.