Grand Ages: Rome

[Bateluer]

Sequel to Imperium Romanum

IR was pretty cool, but did suffer from some flaws. Hopefully this game improves on it. I'd like to see city builders outside of Rome and the modern era. Seems like we only get a few titles outside those time periods, and they are far between. We're due for a polished ancient Persian/Arabian/Middle Eastern city builder or a Chinese/Korean/Japanese set city builder.

GA:R definitely looks pretty though.

* Cooperative Multiplayer Mode ? play with your friends over the Internet. Each player can create and expand his own city or enjoy the unique Team City mode in which all players build a single city.
* Competitive Multiplayer Mode ? compete against your friends over the Internet in one of six Multiplayer Modes ("Last Man Standing", "King of the Hill", "Monument Victory", "100,000 Denarii", "Last Barbarians" and "All In One")
* Persistent Player Character ? talents and estates gained by the character are stored and are used on any subsequent mission in campaign, free-play and multiplayer modes.
* Non-linear Campaign that features 40 missions of historical cities and locations
* 60+ buildings
* 50+ units ? including citizens, animals, and 18 military units
* Naval Warfare and colonization of Islands
* New and Improved Economics ? easy to use resource mechanics, fall-off areas of effect for buildings
* City States ? special effects, such as Riot, Plague, and Golden Age, which modify the gameplay
* Research ? 30 technologies that grant new buildings, upgrades and military units
* Castes ? slaves, plebs (the main body of Roman citizenry), equites (members of the Roman middle class between the plebs and patricians), and patricians
* Improved battle system with standard RTS control over squads
* Military units gain experience and get better over time
* Information overlays visualize the city economy and the happiness of the people in every location on the map
* Grand Monuments such as the Coliseum, Circus Maximus, and the Pantheon

 

[TehMac]

This game has been released in Europe, and it's gotten decent scores. A spanish reviewer gave the game an 8/10.

Also, the warfare aspect of this game is a bit disappointing because its more in the vein of Caesar 4 than anything else.

 

[TehMac]

That said, the graphics are a huge step up.

 

[Bateluer]

I usually play these games for the city building and management aspects rather than the combat and military aspects.

 

[TehMac]

Yeah I can see your point of view, but I think the main issue is that they're going to continually give us the same thing over and over again--these games could be so much better if they expanded their gameplay options.

 

[acheron]

Originally posted by: Bateluer
I usually play these games for the city building and management aspects rather than the combat and military aspects.

Me too, but at the same time if they're going to include a military portion anyway, I wish they wouldn't half-ass it. That was my main problem with Caesar IV -- either have a military be a good part of the game, or don't have a military at all. (Not that no military at all is thematically appropriate for Roman sims, but gameplay-wise I mean.) I still think the way Caesar II handled it was pretty good, but it seems the trend since then is to integrate all parts of the game.. in C2, the city was almost completely separate from the province, which was almost completely separate from the military battles.

 

[Slew Foot]

Is this similar to Rome:Total War in any way? Is it supposed to compete with Empire Total War?

 

[TehMac]

Originally posted by: Slew Foot
Is this similar to Rome:Total War in any way? Is it supposed to compete with Empire Total War?

Heh, its only similar by its Roman theme. There are a few assortment of military units, horsemen, inf, some elephants and camels. The enemy has some units, but overall, nothing like Total War.

 

[Bateluer]

Originally posted by: TehMac

Originally posted by: Slew Foot
Is this similar to Rome:Total War in any way? Is it supposed to compete with Empire Total War?

Heh, its only similar by its Roman theme. There are a few assortment of military units, horsemen, inf, some elephants and camels. The enemy has some units, but overall, nothing like Total War.

Yeah, these types of game of more focuses on city building, ala Sim City or the Caesar franchise.

 

[Red Storm]

For some reason, I've always ignored these types of games.... and yet I'll be playing Total War and thinking to myself, "It sure would be fun to focus on the building and economy aspects rather than just combat for a change."

I guess I need to find myself a demo to try out.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: Red Storm
For some reason, I've always ignored these types of games....

I eat this stuff up - there's so few large scale builder/strategy games that I'm happy to accept standard fare. Most RTS has turned into tower defence and turn based games are few and far between, as opposed to RTS and 3rd person action games, multi-million-£ examples of which seem to come out every week. I'll play this one.

 

[paperfist]

So did anyone give this demo/game a go?

Was just checking out some of the older city building games, namely Children of the Nile...pass... so I guess this is next on the list

 

[pontifex]

i tried the demo a little while back. the city building was pretty interesting but a bit confusing and maybe a little odd. I didn't care for the combat. I didn't quite figure out how to build more than 1 squad so I kept getting my ass handed to me by enemies with multiple squads.

 

[Bateluer]

I haven't bought the game yet. Too my other projects and goals keep getting in the way, running, house hunting, etc. I'm still interested, and if it ends up a good weekend deal, I'll probably pick it up.