Grand Ages: Rome
Encyclopedia
Grand Ages: Rome is a city-building
and real-time strategy
developed by Haemimont Games
and published by Kalypso Media
. It was released in Europe on March 6, 2009 and in North America on March 17, 2009. It is the sequel to the Imperium Romanum
.
during the time of the First Triumvirate
. The player undertakes missions for his/her family, establishing a reputation as a statesman and leader; as well as working under historical figures like Marcus Tullius Cicero, Mark Antony
, Pompey Magnus and Marcus Crassus. Certain historical events are portrayed, such as slave uprising led by Spartacus
and the crossing of the Rubicon
. At one point the player must choose between siding with Julius Caesar
or Pompey Magnus, with missions playing out to wiping out the Optimates
or building armies against the Populares
.
, Valerii
, Julii, Aemilii or Lucii
, each with unique traits that benefit the player in military, civic or economic ways.
The focus of the game is on macromanagement
. Each mission involves building a Roman colony
in various locations around the Roman Republic
, with certain requirements and bonus objectives to successfully complete the mission. A colony includes various food production buildings, such as wheat
and pig
farms, bakeries
and butcher
s; material production buildings such as lumber
camps and brick
works; religious temples; and various types of housing for different citizen classes (Plebs
, Patrician
s and Equites). Emphasis is placed on efficiency and employment, ensuring that all buildings are staffed by the appropriate worker class.
Resources are based on a "flow" economy, in which the player does not actually accumulate a stockpile of resources, but rather develops the infrastructure to construct and maintain buildings. To gain more resources, players may opt to build communities around the map, engage in trade
or purchase estates, which remain with the character for the duration of the campaign.
Players must keep the citizens content through satisfactory levels of food, religion and entertainment. Building benefits work on a radius
system, with buildings providing their bonuses or needing other materials within a certain distance. The player may construct significant monuments for large or global bonuses, such as the Colosseum
, Circus Maximus
and Pantheon
. When players fail to satisfy the needs of their citizens, crime
and disease
may spread and homes may be deserted, which may lead to a chain reaction
in the shortage of goods and services.
Missions will often focus on military skirmishes, allowing the player to recruit, train and command groups of units such as hastati
, triarii
and auxilia
. Battles usually occur on a small scale with a basic experience and morale system. Often, campaign maps will feature barbarian villages or war camps, which can be subjugated for additional resources or razed for money and slaves.
titled Grand Ages: Rome - The Reign of Augustus (known as Imperivm Online in Spain and Italy) was released on November 26, 2009 in Spain, December 1, 2009 in Italy and in January 2010 worldwide. It is sold worldwide online and sold in retail stores only in Italy and Spain.
The Reign of Augustus is a mix of previous releases with a city builder mode (as in Imperivm Civitas games) and a conquest mode (as in Imperivm RTC games, like Imperivm III: Great Battles of Rome). It is focused on politics, conquests and government in the time of Augustus
.
City-building game
City-building games are a genre of strategy computer game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management...
and real-time strategy
Real-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
developed by Haemimont Games
Haemimont Games
Haemimont Games is a Bulgarian video game developer founded in September 1997 and based in Sofia. The company primarily concentrates on producing medieval and ancient history strategy games and has about 50 employees, making it Bulgaria's largest video game developer.-Games:-External links:* * *...
and published by Kalypso Media
Kalypso Media
Kalypso Media is a German video game developer and publisher. Founded in summer 2006 by industry veterans Simon Hellwig and Stefan Marcinek, the company has published and/or developed a number of successful titles such as Sins of a Solar Empire, Ceville, Dungeons, Patrician IV, Tropico 3 and...
. It was released in Europe on March 6, 2009 and in North America on March 17, 2009. It is the sequel to the Imperium Romanum
Imperium Romanum (video game)
Imperium Romanum is a video game for Microsoft Windows developed by Haemimont Games and published by Kalypso Media . The game is a city-building game where players are governor of a province and must build and maintain a thriving and prosperous settlement...
.
Plot
The single player campaign takes place during the final years of the Roman RepublicRoman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
during the time of the First Triumvirate
First Triumvirate
The First Triumvirate was the political alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar, Marcus Licinius Crassus, and Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Unlike the Second Triumvirate, the First Triumvirate had no official status whatsoever; its overwhelming power in the Roman Republic was strictly unofficial influence, and...
. The player undertakes missions for his/her family, establishing a reputation as a statesman and leader; as well as working under historical figures like Marcus Tullius Cicero, Mark Antony
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius , known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general. As a military commander and administrator, he was an important supporter and loyal friend of his mother's cousin Julius Caesar...
, Pompey Magnus and Marcus Crassus. Certain historical events are portrayed, such as slave uprising led by Spartacus
Spartacus
Spartacus was a famous leader of the slaves in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising against the Roman Republic. Little is known about Spartacus beyond the events of the war, and surviving historical accounts are sometimes contradictory and may not always be reliable...
and the crossing of the Rubicon
Rubicon
The Rubicon is a shallow river in northeastern Italy, about 80 kilometres long, running from the Apennine Mountains to the Adriatic Sea through the southern Emilia-Romagna region, between the towns of Rimini and Cesena. The Latin word rubico comes from the adjective "rubeus", meaning "red"...
. At one point the player must choose between siding with Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
or Pompey Magnus, with missions playing out to wiping out the Optimates
Optimates
The optimates were the traditionalist majority of the late Roman Republic. They wished to limit the power of the popular assemblies and the Tribunes of the Plebs, and to extend the power of the Senate, which was viewed as more dedicated to the interests of the aristocrats who held the reins of power...
or building armies against the Populares
Populares
Populares were aristocratic leaders in the late Roman Republic who relied on the people's assemblies and tribunate to acquire political power. They are regarded in modern scholarship as in opposition to the optimates, who are identified with the conservative interests of a senatorial elite...
.
Gameplay
Starting out, players create a character, choosing their name, gender and portrait. They then choose which family to associate their character with, selecting between the FlaviiFlavius
Flavius was a gens of ancient Rome, meaning "blond". The feminine form was Flavia.After the end of the popular Flavian dynasty of emperors, Flavius/Flavia became a praenomen, common especially among royalty: the adoption of this praenomen by Constantine I set a precedent for some imperial...
, Valerii
Valerius
Valerius is the nomen of gens Valeria, one of the oldest patrician families of Rome. The name was in use throughout Roman history...
, Julii, Aemilii or Lucii
Lucius
Lucius is a male given name derived from Lucius , one of the small group of common Latin forenames found in the culture of ancient Rome. Lucius derives from latin word Lux Lucius (Greek: Λούκιος/Loukios, Etruscan: Luvcie) is a male given name derived from Lucius (abbreviated L.), one of the small...
, each with unique traits that benefit the player in military, civic or economic ways.
The focus of the game is on macromanagement
Macromanagement
Macromanagement is the act of leading decision makers or managing the managers. Macromanagement is a close concept to the economic concept of mechanism design....
. Each mission involves building a Roman colony
Colonia (Roman)
A Roman colonia was originally a Roman outpost established in conquered territory to secure it. Eventually, however, the term came to denote the highest status of Roman city.-History:...
in various locations around the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
, with certain requirements and bonus objectives to successfully complete the mission. A colony includes various food production buildings, such as wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
and pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
farms, bakeries
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
and butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
s; material production buildings such as lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
camps and brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
works; religious temples; and various types of housing for different citizen classes (Plebs
Plebs
The plebs was the general body of free land-owning Roman citizens in Ancient Rome. They were distinct from the higher order of the patricians. A member of the plebs was known as a plebeian...
, Patrician
Patrician
The term patrician originally referred to a group of elite families in ancient Rome, including both their natural and adopted members. In the late Roman Empire, the class was broadened to include high council officials, and after the fall of the Western Empire it remained a high honorary title in...
s and Equites). Emphasis is placed on efficiency and employment, ensuring that all buildings are staffed by the appropriate worker class.
Resources are based on a "flow" economy, in which the player does not actually accumulate a stockpile of resources, but rather develops the infrastructure to construct and maintain buildings. To gain more resources, players may opt to build communities around the map, engage in trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
or purchase estates, which remain with the character for the duration of the campaign.
Players must keep the citizens content through satisfactory levels of food, religion and entertainment. Building benefits work on a radius
Radius
In classical geometry, a radius of a circle or sphere is any line segment from its center to its perimeter. By extension, the radius of a circle or sphere is the length of any such segment, which is half the diameter. If the object does not have an obvious center, the term may refer to its...
system, with buildings providing their bonuses or needing other materials within a certain distance. The player may construct significant monuments for large or global bonuses, such as the Colosseum
Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...
, Circus Maximus
Circus Maximus
The Circus Maximus is an ancient Roman chariot racing stadium and mass entertainment venue located in Rome, Italy. Situated in the valley between the Aventine and Palatine hills, it was the first and largest stadium in ancient Rome and its later Empire...
and Pantheon
Pantheon, Rome
The Pantheon ,Rarely Pantheum. This appears in Pliny's Natural History in describing this edifice: Agrippae Pantheum decoravit Diogenes Atheniensis; in columnis templi eius Caryatides probantur inter pauca operum, sicut in fastigio posita signa, sed propter altitudinem loci minus celebrata.from ,...
. When players fail to satisfy the needs of their citizens, crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
and disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
may spread and homes may be deserted, which may lead to a chain reaction
Chain reaction
A chain reaction is a sequence of reactions where a reactive product or by-product causes additional reactions to take place. In a chain reaction, positive feedback leads to a self-amplifying chain of events....
in the shortage of goods and services.
Missions will often focus on military skirmishes, allowing the player to recruit, train and command groups of units such as hastati
Hastati
Hastatii were a class of infantry in the armies of the early Roman Republic who originally fought as spearmen, and later as swordsmen. They were originally some of the poorest men in the legion, and could afford only modest equipment — light armour and a large shield, in their service as the...
, triarii
Triarii
Triarii were one of the elements of the early Roman military Manipular legions of the early Roman Republic . They were the oldest and among the wealthiest men in the army, and could afford good quality equipment. They wore heavy metal armour and carried large shields, their usual position being...
and auxilia
Auxiliaries (Roman military)
Auxiliaries formed the standing non-citizen corps of the Roman army of the Principate , alongside the citizen legions...
. Battles usually occur on a small scale with a basic experience and morale system. Often, campaign maps will feature barbarian villages or war camps, which can be subjugated for additional resources or razed for money and slaves.
Expansion
An expansion packExpansion pack
An expansion pack, expansion set, or supplement is an addition to an existing role-playing game, tabletop game or video game. These add-ons usually add new game areas, weapons, objects, and/or an extended storyline to a complete and already released game...
titled Grand Ages: Rome - The Reign of Augustus (known as Imperivm Online in Spain and Italy) was released on November 26, 2009 in Spain, December 1, 2009 in Italy and in January 2010 worldwide. It is sold worldwide online and sold in retail stores only in Italy and Spain.
The Reign of Augustus is a mix of previous releases with a city builder mode (as in Imperivm Civitas games) and a conquest mode (as in Imperivm RTC games, like Imperivm III: Great Battles of Rome). It is focused on politics, conquests and government in the time of Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
.