Ancient Rome city-building PC games

[Optimo Principi]

Hi all,

Having just got a new computer I am looking to enjoy some PC games that my old machine could not cope with, wish was pretty much everything!

I think I would particularly enjoy a city building game set in the ancient Roman world and was wondering if any Forum members are gamers? If so, do you have any recommendations about the best games set in the ancient world?

I have heard of Civcity:Rome and the Caesar series but do not know which one was the best overall   ..and which will run on Windows 7.   

[Aarmale]

I can't tell you about city building, but my favorite historical games are Rise of Nations (old, but I still like it) and Rome: Total War, but those are both strategy games.

-Aarmale

[fluffy82]

I found the graphics and overall gaming in CivCity more fun to play, but the game itself is relatively easy.
The Caesar IV graphics are less detailed and more static, but as far as the game and goals go it is more challenging.

Another one of my favorites is "Egypt", and the expansion "Cleopatra, Queen of the Nile"

[lykourgos]

I think "Grand Ages: Rome" and the expansion pack "Augustus" is the best roman city building game out right now. You can see videos of it on youtube if you want to see how it plays.

Full disclosure: I played a demo of it for an hour or two when Augustus came out. I didn't buy it because I thought it was a tad expensive at the time, and there were reports that people couldn't get it working on their system. Now, however, the gold edition (original + expansion) is available on Steam for $20, which is a lot better.

[Mark Z]

I can't tell you about city building, but my favorite historical games are Rise of Nations (old, but I still like it) and Rome: Total War, but those are both strategy games.

-Aarmale

Usually I buy games and then resell them after playing, but "Rome: Total War" is without a doubt one of the coolest games I've ever played and is one of the few I have NOT resold after several replays. Yes, it's mostly about empire building, but it does have an interesting city building aspect to it in that you can tailor each city to build specific buildings and improvements as well as building specific military units.

As you might expect, the actual battles are spectacular and it is quite a thrill to win a battle in which you have actually commanded separate and diverse units to do your bidding.

Another nice feature is that you can play as any one of SEVERAL different civilizations and try to conquer the world as each. How cool is that?

Heartily recommended.

mz

[Chrismon]

CivCity Rome has always been my favourite Ancient Rome city builder. I've always felt that the game had more of a "real" and authentic Roman flavour to it. Rome Total War is great too, but I think Medieval Total War is better - there's nothing like playing as Byzantium and getting back at Venice and the West for the 4th Crusade! (Anyway, by playing as Byzantium you are, in a way, playing as Rome  )

[superflex]

Oh my area of expertise, i may have more experience on this topic than most !

While many of my friends preferred games such as call of duty i personally preferred to take over the roman empire.


I  cannot wait for Rome:Total War 2 to be released later this year - The best game for managing an economy from a campaign map and a focus on realistic battle game play. This new version also has naval battles !


Take a look at this mouth watering trailer of the siege of Carthage ! Scipio's speech sends shivers down my spine.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvuuX64LaEI


Save your cash for Rome:Total War 2 if your budget is limited !!!


For something more passive with an emphasis on city building there is Caesars 4, i highly recommend for city building. Again this is more laid back watch your city grow etc, it is fun but relative to the total war series quite boring for me. But now that you have me talking about it i may have another run at Caesars for old times sake.


Age of empires also has a series on Rome.


HERE ARE SOME PICS OF CAESARS AND ROME 2:

[Chrismon]

WOW! From those screenshots it looks like Rome Total War 2 is going to be an awesome game! 

Thanks for sharing these screenshots! 

[Gilgamesh]

Rome Total War (RTW). I suppose if I was a junkie I would recommend heroin. In much the same vein (sic) I would recommend RTW. When I was young I liked the excitement of video games, the skill, the challenge, the adrenalin rush (better, safer and cheaper high than cocaine). One night, in the 80's, I played every Galaga game machine in Sydney, Australia's largest city, and placed the five highest scores. Now, I am less inclined to such stimulations. RTW is now the only game on my computer. I suppose that I have matured into the finer things of life in my old age - mindless, mundane violence; symbolic mass slaughter. RTW is good for that. I am a Poliorcetes, a besieger of cities. I take no prisoners and I never lose - because in true war style, I cheat. I know it's just a sham. Real old people should start real wars and send real young people to fight them. Sometimes fantasy is preferable to reality.

[SC]

I don't play video games.  But my son plays minecraft.  He recently showed me a Rome texture pack you download and then a couple of Roman style cities that you can download.  I have downloaded them and just enjoy "walking" around them.  But you can also build and modify them.

Nothing like the graphics of the game shown above in this thread but still neat.

Shawn

[Robert_Brenchley]

I just hope they've improved the AI on the new version! I'll get it, but I like battles which turn out reasonably realistic, and rarely get them!

[Joe S2]

This game for the new X-box looks amazing,
http://news.cnet.com/1606-2_3-50148627.html

I don't buy games but this one makes me want to.

[Akropolis]

In Superflex's second picture, do I see the remarkable bronze statue of Zeus-Poseidon now residing in the National Museum of Greece?  :-)
PeteB

[brianV]

Wow, I played the first three Caesar games back in the '90s, and they were a blast. Never tried Caesar IV, but it looks great.

There's a few other suggestions in this thread that I'll have to try. In the meantime, I'm firing up Rome: Total War for the first time in years. Time to revive and old addiction (and give my current love affair with Crusader Kings II a break...)

[superflex]

A new trailer with Cleopatra in the mix !

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zQIFpmdPDc


Here is the first one

www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvuuX64LaEI


Can't wait 

[ancientdave]

This game for the new X-box looks amazing,
http://news.cnet.com/1606-2_3-50148627.html

I don't buy games but this one makes me want to.

Wow! That does look incredible! Dang it, I thought I would not have to care for awhile, but this makes me want XBox One also! I used to love playing a game called "Shadow of Rome" on Playstation 2, and have been waiting for years for another console game that could match it. This game looks magnitudes better!

[superflex]

Can't believe my luck - pre-ordered game and my graphics can't handle it 

Positive: Excuse to upgrade computer