The main idea of Hispaniola is the same as it's ancestors - Civilization II and Sid Meier's Colonization:
You must start your colony from nothing! No European participant has a mother country city at the start. Only the Natives have a numerous, but weak local civilization - and you have no contact with them. The map is 100% dark as in original Civilization.

Become a participant of the war for survival on this fertile but dangerous land. You must combine the art of warlord, builder, and diplomat in order to earn the favor of your king, who financed the expedition.

The Toronto Globe and Mail reported of this little known conflict, "Shifting alliances, security problems along volatile borders, greed for mineral resources and a complex web of rebel movements are fuelling fears that the rebellion in Congo could trigger a wider war across Central Africa."

The combination of opposing alliances of African nations fighting with limited numbers of modern weapons across a huge expanse of rain forest and navigable rivers makes for a very different and interesting scenario. Test of Time's superior events capacity allows the complex international military situation to be simulated more accurately, then was previously possible in FW.