Ancient Rome Centerpiece of New Europa Universalis edition

"Grand strategy games that model centuries of history across multiple continents can often be complex and intimidating, but the Europa Universalis series has always attempted to bridge the gap between hardcore, high-level strategy, and accessible, dynamic real-time gameplay. The series is now turning its sights to the ancient Roman Empire, with a brand-new setting, new armies, and many more new features. Producer Johan Andersson explains.

The Roman era depicts some of the greatest cultural and military civilizations that have ever existed. We felt there was so much more of this era to explore, and that the time period lends itself perfectly to the type of deep and challenging strategy we have specialized in. In addition, we are all fans of the era, which helps immensely, since we will be well familiar with every inch of it after finalizing this project.

There will be more than 50 playable nations ranging from Rome itself to smaller Gallic tribes. Of course, we have nations like Carthage, Egypt, and Macedonia as well. We chose 280 BC as our starting point because there was a type of balance between several major nations at that time, and essentially any of those major nations could have created an empire similar to that of Rome. Players will have different resources, geographical locations, characters, and governments at their disposal, which will define their strengths and the capabilities of the nations."

Europa Universalis: Rome is set for release in the second quarter of 2008.

Settlers VI: Rise of an Empire Released

In this game, the player builds lively, bustling towns in a medieval world. Everything is visible, lovingly animated and realistic.

Each settler has his or her own daily routine, with a range of different actions and behaviours that can be observed by the player at all times.

This enables him to get the best out of his Settlers, build up a flourishing economy, tend to his settlers' needs, and protect his empire against danger from the outside.

By expanding his empire, the player can aspire to becoming a legendary king or queen.

The most popular features of the predecessors in the series have been retained, and many of the fans desires and wishes were incorporated into the new game to create a very special Settlers atmosphere.

The result is a realistic medieval world, captured in intricate detail. The game features an immersive, yet transparent economic system based on the resources, wares and goods produced by the settlers in their various trades and occupations.

Features
A very special Settlers atmosphere in a lively medieval game world!

The primary objective of the game is to create large, lively medieval towns.

The settlers interact with each other in a completely natural way and have wants and needs of their own.

Female settlers appear for the first time in the series: Men and women fall in love with each other and marry.

The lively, detailed game world is rich in animal and plant life.

The settlers' busy life is presented in lovingly rendered animations that show what is going on in a transparent way.

The world is divided into four climatic zones with changes of season and weather which influence expansion and resource gathering.

The best Settlers game of all time, featuring the best from previous games and lots of gameplay innovations!

The game's instant accessibility and gentle learning curve ensure long-lasting fun; even in advanced game missions, new features are introduced.

All interventions by the player are reflected in the behaviour of his subjects and made transparent through the animations in the game world.

Starting with a small settlement, the player builds up flourishing towns, maintains trade relations, and claims land and villages. This requires diplomatic skills.

Mining, gathering resources, and food production result from wise planning and the various occupations of the settlers.

Goods transport is optimized through skilful road planning. Upgrading buildings step-by-step improves the effectiveness of the economy and towns.

By hiring travelling entertainers and organizing fairs, the player acts as a matchmaker by enabling male and female settlers to get to know each other.

The player can build walls to protect his towns from enemy attacks. In military actions, the player must prove that he has built up his empire in such a way that it can defend itself effectively.

Missions featuring noble knights with various skills accompany the player through the epic storyline penned by Jeff Grubb.

Included in the game: dynamic single player campaign, freeplay mode with a multitude of maps, numerous multiplayer options via LAN and Internet, and a map editor.

The Mummy Returns Live Stage Show

I stumbled across this website today when I was looking for promotional images from The Mummy 3. I didn't realize there was a traveling Mummy Returns Live show. I would love to see it but couldn't find any schedule for it.

"The The Mummy Returns LIVE!

Don't wake it!
Imhotep and Anck-Su-Namun have unleashed the Mummies curse. Our heroes, Ardeth Bay and Rick O'Connell, need your help! But be warned, 'Think twice before entering as you may never escape alive!'

Be thrilled and more than a little wary as you venture inside the dark tomb. Look out for menacing demons and ancient ghouls as the world as you know it is turned upside down. It's a race against time to make sure the evil Mummy never rises!

The experience
The stage show can host over 750 patrons an hour through an exhilarating and nail-biting set of 8 darkly ominous theatrical scenes. As you move through the scenes, up to 12 cast members will take you on a journey through a grisly underworld. Be careful and keep an eye on our heroes, there are nasty surprises waiting around every corner!"

Role of Evie Recast in Mummy 3: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

September 11, 2007 - Actress Maria Bello is best known for appearing in serious arthouse films such as A History of Violence and The Jane Austen Book Club rather than effects-heavy Hollywood popcorn flicks, but all that will change next summer when The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor opens.

Bello, who takes over as Evelyn Carnahan from Oscar winner Rachel Weisz, even dyed her trademark blond locks auburn for the Rob Cohen-directed actioner. The actress says her version of Evey, wife of adventurer Rick O'Connell (Brendan Fraser), will be tougher than Weisz's bookish heroine.

"She has the same name, but she's a very different character than Rachel played," Bello informed Sci Fi Wire at the Toronto International Film Festival. "She's a bad-ass action chick. I had to train a lot. I had to do wushu, a martial-art form, some kickboxing, swordfighting, rifle training for a couple of months before we even started shooting."

Pompeii film delayed, Roman Polanski withdraws

"Oscar-winning director Roman Polanski has pulled out of a screen adaptation of Robert Harris's best-selling novel Pompeii, reports say.

"I put a lot of work and energy into the development of Pompeii, so it is not without regret I have to decline my further involvement," he said.

Filming of the $130m (£64m) movie was to have begun in Italy this summer.

According to Screen Daily, however, the 74-year-old film-maker was unable to commit to a postponed shooting date."

A Salute to Ray Harryhausen developed with iClone 2.1 Software

I am learning how to create avatars and digital videos using software called iClone 2.1 and have found other history enthusiasts using the software to recreate ancient history and mythology and sharing their efforts on YouTube. User abukhatar has created several videos about ancient legends including the Minotaur and the following video based on the skeleton fight scene from the classic Ray Harryhausen film "Jason and the Argonauts".



"Jason and the Argonauts" is one of my son's favorite films from his childhood as well. Recently, I was teasing him about the ponderous soundtrack and he said "Hey, you don't criticize a classic!!" I'm going to send him a link to this video so he can enjoy it as much as I did.

So far, my efforts have been limited to creating characters with the software. I have created a Roman Legionary wearing lorica segmentata body armor and given him the face of actor Ciaran Hinds who played Julius CAesar in the HBO miniseries "Rome". Caesar, of course, would not have worn infantry armor like this but a commander's cuirass. I'll change the head to Pullo and create commander's attire for Caesar when I get the chance!

Last Legion suffers from Weak Lead and Weak Director

Well, I saw The Last Legion on Saturday afternoon and must admit, even though I wasn't expecting a lot, it was still a bit of a disappointment. It was supposedly based on Manfredi's book but the screenwriter used only the beginning and the end and skipped all of the hair raising journey across Gaul and narrow escapes from Wulfila. Kevin McKidd's screen intensity as Wulfila outshone almost everyone else and instead of capitalizing on it, the director chose to limit his screen time and spend an inordinate amount of time focusing on the PG-13 adolescent fencing between Aurelius and the woman warrior, Mira.

I'm afraid I also found Colin Firth less than charismatic and his performance rather lackluster. There was no sense of comradeship with little band of men and not enough screen development of each member of the group to generate pathos when one of them died.

The young man that played Romulus Augustulus, Thomas Sangster, was good and those piercing eyes should serve him well if he should make acting a long term career choice. I see he already has quite a start on an impressive filmography even at his young age.

Although a little low key at times, Ben Kingsley did a good job as Ambrosinus/Merlin and could join the ranks of Liam Neeson and Ian McKellen as a believable "wise mentor" figure. Indian actress Aishwarya Rai was beautiful and quite physically energetic despite the confines of a PG-13 script. It's just too bad she didn't have someone to play opposite that could engender more screen chemistry.

I'm disappointed that Alexander Siddig, another fine actor as evidenced by his turn in Syriana, was given practically a cameo role as the Byzantine ambassador who was quickly dispatched after revealing that the emperor of the East had chosen to recognize Odoacer rather than give refuge to the boy Romulus. And, John Hannah was totally miscast as complicit Senator Nestor. In fact, a friend of mine said she wondered if his death scene was supposed to be humorous!

As for director, Doug Lefler, he'd better not give up his day job as a storyboard artist.

The Last Legion promoters gearing up for August release

The marketing blitz for "The Last Legion" has started with the release of it's official movie poster.

"Rome, 476AD. The Roman Empire is under threat. A mighty force for almost 500 years, at its height Rome’s power spread from Mesopotamia in the east to the Iberian peninsula in the west, from the Rhine and Danube in the north to Egypt in the south. This story follows the events surrounding the historical capture of Romulus Augustus and his imprisonment on the island of Capri.

On the eve of the ceremony to crown twelve-year-old Romulus Augustus as the new emperor, the Barbarian general Odoacer arrives in Rome to make a deal with Orestes, patrician and father of the young Caesar. Odoacer makes demands on the power of the Roman Empire, in fair exchange for his decade-long support of the Roman legions in the east. Orestes refuses.

On the day of the coronation, as the whole of Rome gathers to watch the proceedings, Ambrosinus, the shaman who is a mentor and tutor to Romulus, predicts danger. Orestes is worried for his son’s safety and appoints Aurelius, the tribune of the fourth legion, as his personal guard. That night Aurelius and his legionnaires are confronted by a real danger—Odoacer and his army of Goths have returned to the outskirts of Rome to conquer the city.

With a deafening roar, the Barbarian army storm the city. A terrible battle ensues, the brutal invaders show no mercy and blood flows through the streets.

With Orestes and his wife Julia slaughtered, Romulus is captured along with Ambrosinus and both are taken to the island fortress of Capri built by the emperor Tiberius. It is there that Romulus finds the mythical sword of Caesar that holds the prophecy ‘One edge to defend, one to defeat; In Britannia was I forged…to fit the hand of he...who is destined to rule’."

I read the book by Valerio Manfredi and found it well paced and the characters better developed than those in Manfredi's previous books. Of course I'm also anxious to see Kevin McKidd, our dear Vorenus from HBO's Rome, playing the relentless villain, Wulfila. This film is scheduled for an August 17 release in the US.

Putting the Sin back in Cinema?

Somehow I don't think the religious right is going to take to this new approach to evangelism.

"Directed by Wain and written by Wain and Marino, THE TEN presents a series of interconnected comic sketches designed to reinterpret – and reinvent – the Ten Commandments, making them “meaningful” (and funny) to a young, hip, audience of contemporary sinners. With each story told in a different style, but containing overlapping characters and themes, the film is a grand burlesque boasting an all-star cast that puts the sin back in cinema."

Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms Coming Soon!

Medieval II: Total War Kingdoms will feature 4 brand new campaigns, including an opportunity to more fully explore The New World that was unlocked toward the end of Medieval II.

In the Americas campaign, players will be able to retrace the steps of Hernán Cortés in 1519, as he seeks to explore and conquer The New World.

Players can earn the support of Spain and explore the mystery and riches of the New World, or take control of the Aztec or Native American factions and call on the Gods and the bravery of vast armies to see off this new threat.

Three other campaigns will offer more detailed “magnifying glass” campaigns within Great Britain, Northern Europe and the Holy Land, with many more regions than were originally shown in Medieval II.

13 new playable factions and over 150 new units, Kingdoms will allow players to control thousands of men on a single battlefield and lead them into conflict with new hero characters such as Richard The Lionheart and Saladin, each armed with new, powerful battlefield abilities.

In addition, players will use moated forts to garrison vast armies or seize control of key strategic points and explore new technology trees, governed by religion and prestige.

Players can experience a bloody clash between pagans and Christians in the Northern European Teutonic Wars, or take control of one of 5 factions in the Britannia campaign when England faces war on 4 fronts as once conquered lands rise up against them.

Kingdoms will also include a new expanded Crusades campaign, where players renew their fight for control of the Holy Lands, with new factions, devastating new units such as the terrifying Greek Flame Thrower, legendary heroes and powerful holy relics.

Features
More than 75 hours of epic new gameplay.

Four huge new campaigns: Britannia, The Crusades, The Teutonic Wars and The Americas.

13 new playable factions, including Aztec and Native American factions.

Over 150 new units, including the devastating Greek Flamethrower.

Follow in the steps of Hernán Cortés and explore a vastly expanded New World map.

Open up a wide array of new regions in the Americas, plus four brand new factions and a cast of new agent characters.

Experience unprecedented detail, including 30 regions of Britain and a region map of Teutonic Europe.

Control multiple armies in battle - command reinforcement armies.

New hero characters feature powerful battlefield abilities. Encounter a huge roster of new historical characters and events.

Build permanent forts to garrison troops or seize control of key strategic points.

Release Date: Aug 29, 2007

History Channel and maker of "Legion" team up for "Great Battles of Rome"

"With a name like The History Channel: Great Battles of Rome, it's not too difficult to figure out what this game is about. Developed by Slitherine Software, Great Battles of Rome is a tactical battle simulator that lets you control Roman legions in battle against their many foes. Like Slitherine's previous games, Great Battles of Rome focuses just on battles. There's no strategic layer that presents you with a map of the Roman world, so you don't have to worry about moving armies around the map or managing cities. All you have to worry about is managing your army, both in and between battles.

There will be more than 100 battles in the game, divided among 14 Roman campaigns. They're all linear, too, so you must win a battle in order to progress to the next one. Most battles will be won and lost in the planning phase, before the fighting even begins. During the planning phase, you deploy your troops onto the battlefield, taking into account terrain and tactics. You'll then give them initial orders and formations for when the battle starts. For instance, you might want infantry to hold in place, and cavalry to move forward and charge. Your opening moves and stances will be critical, because once the battle begins you won't be able to micromanage it. Instead, you'll have only a limited number of points, which you can use to issue orders. That's to model the difficulty of generals to manage a battle once it has begun.

Should you win the battle, you'll move on to the army management screen, which lets you recruit and customize squads. You can control up to 20 different squads, consisting of more than 20 troop types. There are infantry, cavalry, archers, and whatever else you'd expect from this era in history, such as elephants. You earn gold for winning battles, and you can use it to purchase new squads, replace losses in existing squads, pay for specialized training for squads, or buy better weapons and equipment for your troops. The amount of customization and training is extensive, so you can really make your squads feel like your own. Once everything is set up the way you want, you'll launch into the next battle.

The battles are historically based, so you may battle Germanic barbarians in the North or campaign in much warmer climes. Each battle presents a different tactical challenge thanks to the terrain. Rough terrain might make things difficult for mounted units and ideal for infantry, while open terrain reverses the situation. Woods or hills might create obstacles that can be used to your advantage. You'll also need to study the composition of the enemy force and its deployments. If you see a weakness in their lines, figure a way to exploit it. You don't need to kill everyone in order to win a battle. That rarely happens in history. Instead, you just need to kill enough of them to make the survivors panic and flee."

Days of Wonder offer intriguing board games

I was researching a link to information about the Persian salt mummies and noticed a link to an interesting board game about ancient Egypt.

The pyramids are crumbling, the temples are in ruins and even the nose of the Great Sphinx looks like it might fall off any day now. Cleopatra is one unhappy queen. Now she has called on the members of the Society of Architects to build her a magnificent new palace in Alexandria - with a Pharaohs ransom to the design that pleases her most. Cleopatra & the Society of Architects is the newest big-box board game from Days of Wonder. This fun and engaging family game includes a true, three-dimensional palace that players compete to build. Players strive to become the wealthiest of Cleopatras architects by constructing the most magnificent and valuable parts of her palace. The twist however is that players will be tempted to deal with shady characters and trade in materials of dubious origins in order to help them build faster. While these corrupt practices might allow an architect to stay a step ahead of the rest, they come with a high price ? cursed Corruption Amulets honoring Sobek, the Crocodile-god. When Cleopatra finally strolls into her new palace, at the end of the game, the most corrupt architect (the one with the most amulets) will be seized and offered as a sacrifice to her sacred crocodile. Only then will the wealthiest architect, from among those still alive, be selected and declared the winner of the game. The component design in Cleopatra is one of the most innovative that Days of Wonder has undertaken to date with dozens of 3D pieces, Column walls, Doorframes, Obelisks, Sphinxes, and a Palace Throne ? that create the sense youre truly constructing a royal palace. Players- 3-5 Ages 10 and up Playing Time- 60 minutes

When I checked the company for other games I found this one about ancient Rome:

In Colosseum you are a Roman impresario - producing great spectacles in your arena in the hope of attracting the most spectators to your events. You'll earn wealth and glory for each event you run, using it to build ever more ambitious events. Attract the most spectators to one of your events and you'll be granted the title of Grand Impresario, with tales of your extraordinary spectacles acclaimed throughout the empire! 3-5 Players Age 10+ 60-90 minutes Content1 Rules Booklet 1 Game Board 10 Arena pieces & Expansions 5 Emperor's Loges 10 Season Tickets 1 Emperor, 2 Consul and 3 Senator miniatures 80 Roman Coins 4 Podiums 152 Event Asset Tokens and Storage Bag 7 Star Performer Awards 30 Event Programs 18 Emperor Medals 6 Help Sheets Days of Wonder Online Access Number.

I like the idea that these games can be played in 1 hr to 90 minutes. I love the beautiful graphics of computer games but most of them consume hours that I really can't spare at the moment.

Ankh: Heart of Osiris

After a wild party at Pharaoh's pyramid, young Assil accidentally dumps holy urns and gets himself a death curse - there he also discovers the precious amulet Ankh.

Only Pharaoh can save Assil - however not only is it impossible to get an audition, but Assil also has another problem: Osiris, God of the Underworld, is after the Ankh.

Features
At last a new humorous Point&Click-Adventure in state of the art 3D-graphics with attention to detail.

A funny and romatic story in a mystical and inspiring setting.

Numerous original localtions and characters create an immerging atmosphere that will amaze you.

The puzzles are always integrated to the gameplay - forget frustrating logical puzzles that have nothing to do with the game.

Self-explaining, uncomplicated interface, fair difficulty-level and above all: black humour in abundance!

Ancient Wars: Sparta filled with beautifully detailed images

I see that "Ancient Wars: Sparta" has been released and is presently being offered on GoGamer during one of their 48-hour specials for only $27.90. I checked the game review on Gamespot and noticed it received a "fair" rating from the pros but a "good" rating from the regular gamers posting reviews. I browsed through the 111 screen shots and loved the detail of the imagery, particularly the sea battle scenes so I decided it was worth the $27.90 just for the pleasure of looking at the scenery alone! If the game itself is interesting, and it sounds like it would be from the overall description of the game play including the ability to individually select weapons for your troops, that will be icing on the cake.

I am also interested in the possibility of creating online history vignettes using text from original sources accompanied by images like those in this game. It would be even better if I could capture short action clips to use in the presentation.

Playmobil's version of the Roman Empire displayed in Belgium

Playmobil does its best to introduce little ones to the Roman Empire at a young age:

"If you haven't heard of Playmobil then take me to your leader so that I can persuade him not to destroy this helpless planet of ours. Space exploration is one of the only aspects of human existence not covered by the Playmobil Expo in Verviers. Displayed on three floors of the former Wool Factory, dramas have been re-enacted behind Perspex, case after case lit with colour and character(s).

A small boy ran around the Roman Empire exhibit incongruously uttering modern sounds of war while other children followed a quiz set by the organisers; one little girl was clearly tired of quizzing her little brother on the characters' occupations – "No, he's obviously a plumber!"

Dutifully, I visited each and every display, stepping with ease from the Arctic to the Sahara, travelling from ancient Egyptian to the Viking era, leaping from a pirate galleon to a 747. But I stopped dead in my tracks – as did every male of every height – at the panorama that was the Wild West."

Playlogic releases Ancient Wars: Sparta Demo

I see that Playlogic International based in the Netherlands has released an online demo of their title "Ancient Wars: Sparta" that is due to be released this month:

"Sparta is based on the history of the ancient ages and their main nations. Spartans, Persians and Egyptians are fighting for influence around Little Asia, Europe and North Africa. Historical correct timeline is 500-450 BC and the action takes place with different campaigns for all three races. Sparta represents 3D strategy in real time with the new developed “Ancient Wars Engine” (AWE), where the player will have to use each nation’s powers to be superior over other competitors and build up a driving and ruling faction.

The main emphasis is on large-scaled battles and complex tactical manoeuvres. Additional to this, a new method of army equipment is represented. Warriors can be equipped with weapons and shields, can be put on horses or on chariots and be given special abilities. The player can collect abandoned weapons after battles or import powerful weapons from other cultures to build more powerful and different special units. Additionally the forces of nature are very important, because fire, find etc. will affect the whole environment. Cities can be upgraded (e.g. turned to fortresses), workers gather resources to ensure the economic part. Sparta offers every aspect RTS gamers like."

Features

• Haunting storyline based on proven history 500-450 BC
• Play three different tribes to conquer the known ancient world with 27 missions to play through
• Huge choice of weapons, kit and armory
• Usage of a self developed physics engine in RTS game play
• Unique weapon equipping & trading system
• Specific flora and fauna for different climate zones
• Heroes with different role system effects
• More than 15 different buildings for each tribe
• Beautifully detailed full 3D environments
• Breathtaking visuals with lovely details on every unit
• Experienced team supported by the German “The Settlers” veteran Torsten Hess

Rich Persian history portrayed in new animated film

Nader Yaghma'ian, the director of Jamshid and the Sun, says his animated film, which took three years to make, is a portrayal of the "glorious realities" and "rich civilization" of ancient Persia.

He suggested Iran should make more programs like Jamshid and the Sun to depict the reality of its history and to replace what he described as "imaginary heroes" fabricated by Hollywood.

"The Tablet of Human Rights by Cyrus the Great and a famous poem by Iran's Sa'di at the United Nations is evidence of the peaceful way of life which Iranians have always searched for," Yaghma'ian said during the forum.

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising slated for Summer 07 completion

Recently the folks at Gamespot had a chance to try out the developing combat system driving the upcoming game "Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising".

"Sony Online Entertainment and Perpetual Entertainment want you to start thinking about the upcoming Gods & Heroes not as a massively multiplayer role-playing game but as an action adventure massively multiplayer role-playing game. That's because the style of gameplay in Gods & Heroes is inspired by fighting such games as Mortal Kombat. When you attack something in Gods & Heroes, it looks like you're actually attacking it, and that translates into a much more intense feel to the combat." - Game spot

What I thought was particularly interesting is the inclusion of a character builder:

Characters can only be human, but you can choose a gender and a class, including gladiator, soldier, priest, and healer. The class that you select will determine which two Roman gods you can choose from to worship, and that will play a significant role throughout the game. After that, you can customize the appearance of your character, from various facial features using sliders (such as the size of eyes, the separation distance between them, and their color), to hairstyle, body build, skin tone, and more. In no time flat, we made a sleek female Roman soldier, as well as an albino male gladiator. - Gamespot

"300" places graphic splendor over inspiring story

I dutifully took the afternoon off and took my husband and another couple of friends to see the highly anticipated film "300". I had read an article by the producers of the film in which they stated their movie is more about the legend and not the actual event so I wasn't expecting much in the way of historical accuracy.

I might be getting older, but as I am not dead yet, I have to admit to enjoying the Spartan "eye candy". However, I would have preferred a more realistic depiction of the Persians. Everytime I saw Xerxes I would think of the villains of Stargate and of course, like many people, I thought Ephialtes was a thinly disguised Gollam character. I saw no reason to portray the Ephors as leprous trolls either. The men in the audience could have still enjoyed the writhing prophetess (I actually found that scene at least somewhat artistic) without deforming the Spartan elders.

I think overall, though, the film suffered from a lack of exploration of human emotions. We weren't provided with enough interpersonal relationships in the film to develop much empathy for any of the characters. I think this is a major oversight in a film whose purpose was to inspire and sadly, a common flaw in many of the films Hollywood now produces.

Of course it is accompanied by the release of a Playstation Portable game based on the film where players are invited to "Decapitate, dismember, and disembowel your enemies in bloodthirsty sword-and-spear combat."

Real World Places in Second Life: Ancient Rome

This sounds like great fun! I also like the learning potential of such a simulation. I had written to the producers of the Caesar III PC game and suggested they incorporate some of the features Mr. Golding has incorporated into his sim like being able to attend a play once you have built a theater in your virtual city, being able to attend a chariot race if you have added a hippodrome, or being able to watch a gladiator match. Mr. Golding has all of these activities included in his sim as well as the ability to drive a chariot or be a gladiator!


The Click Heard Round The World: "Torin Golding's outstanding sim called simply 'Roma' is a feast for the senses and a powerful demonstration of the potential for virtual environments to immerse you in historic places.

Upon arrival at the Roma "customs house", you are presented with a number of orientation materials as well as a free toga to help you fit in better, and get into the spirit of the locale.

Roma is a no-fly zone, so bring your walking sandals and a good map or be prepared to get lost. There are handy "magic fountains" everywhere, which when touched rez fancy litters that transport you to various spots on the sim. You can also wear a free HUD map of the city, that helped me in my meanderings.

The sim is dominated by a giant legion fortress and official structures that rise high atop the Palatine Hill. There's also a wharf area, marketplace, museum, and lush gardens.

Lots of nice accents add to the immersiveness and context of what you are experiencing. Clicking on the red markers on various sites brings up notecards that give you historical background on the structures around you. Legionaires, Roman citizens and gladiators walking around greet you with a hearty "Ave!" as you pass by. I learned more than I thought I would at the museum on Palatine Hill, which features an exhibition on sexual mores in Roman times.

You can do things you only imagined doing in the real life Rome, like climbing Trajan's column! There's a free "play" you can watch in the amphitheater, which is quite cleverly done using text, images and sound. There's action afoot in the chariot races. You can also enter the gladiator pit and duke it out with other would-be warriors. Or sit in the stands and render judgement with a thumbs up or down."

Heart of Empire: Rome release cancelled!

This is a real bummer!

"Paradox Interactive confirmed today the official cancellation of "Heart of Empire: Rome". The strategy title was to be published in Q1 2007 in North America by Paradox Interactive.

"Rome is a very popular era and there is still much ground that can be covered for this time period as far as computer games are concerned, said Fredrik Wester, Executive Vice President for Paradox Interactive. "It's unfortunate that this title will not be released, but we look forward to reveal new projects and new releases for 2007 and 2008".

"300" not just a retelling of Thermopylae

I see excitement is building for the "300" due out next month. Although I had certainly planned to see this latest ancient epic when it opens, I was a little dubious when I saw the trailer and it contained "ork-looking" humans and mounted rhinocerous. But this review points out that there has been a lot of care taken with the development of the characters in the film so I'm becoming more optimistic about the film's potential.

"A feared and revered military king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, Leonidas rules with the guidance and support of his queen, Gorgo. "Gorgo is, by all accounts, brilliant," says Miller. "She and Leonidas watch each other's backs and she is a great contributor to his strategic thinking. There is a great depth of emotion and intellectual partnership between them. Spartan women are Spartan warriors just like the men. They send the men out first, but you'll see in the movie that the women can play pretty tough, too."

Born in the rugged north of England, Lena Headey possessed an innate strength and grace that proved essential to the role of Gorgo. "Lena is so tough and down to earth and strong. And she's beautiful, with such wisdom in her eyes," says Butler. "Lena brought incredible charisma, intelligence and fire to Gorgo."

Calling the film "a story of honor, fearlessness, passion, blood and faith," Headey was ready to portray the Spartan Queen. Gorgo is not a prominent figure in Miller's tale, so Headey had freedom in crafting the character, guided by her conversations with Snyder. "She's a really strong character in the movie, just because of everything she goes through and is prepared to sacrifice," Headey remarks. "She has already lost her husband, but to admit that would be too much, so she fights, with her heart, in the political arena. I see Gorgo as the heart and instinct of Sparta, and instinct usually guides us through to the right decision."

The Mummy: One more time!!!

It looks like we're in for another helping of "The Mummy" as details start to surface about the 3rd installment scheduled for a summer 2008 release.

Jeff Giles writes: "Once, twice, three times a "Mummy": ComingSoon.net reports that screenwriter Al Gough, who is co-writing the third installment in the "Mummy" series with Miles Millar, recently divulged a few storyline details to Sci Fi Wire. Turns out that Alex, the young son of the explorers played by Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz in the first two films, is all grown up and ready to battle the undead himself.

I wonder who will be "The Mummy" this time out since Imhotep fell to his everlasting punishment in the flames of undead hades last time around. Maybe there will be a volcanic eruption that spews him back into the world of the living.

Bookworm Adventures

This is not the typical game I usually include in this column but, being an educator at heart, I couldn't help being intrigued by its concept. What a great example of a game that people would find immersive but with a twist that you have a better chance for success if you build your vocabulary! What would be even better would be if teachers could use the game engine but supply the words that result in the highest hit level to overcome the game's villains that are attempting to destroy the Great Library. The game could also serve as a foundation for versions about particular historical periods or topics with accompanying reading assignments. The most powerful words would be those from the reading assignment.

Indystar E Technology Marc Saltzman:

In case you've never played "Bookworm," the core game play in "Bookworm Adventures Deluxe" involves a 4-by-4 grid of randomly placed letters and it's your job to create words out of them. Unlike PopCap's "Bonnie's Bookstore," the letters you click to make a word do not need to be adjacent to one another. The longer the word or the higher the letter value (think "Scrabble"), the more points you'll earn.

Our hapless hero is a tiny green worm named Lex (short for Lexicon, perhaps?), and in the main Adventure mode he is magically zapped into books to confront a threat to the Great Library. The tale spans 30 chapters in all, each with a different theme as our little bookworm traverses a huge map to confront enemies of all shapes and sizes.

Confused about how a word game mixes in fighting bad guys? Here's how it works:

While you create words with letters from the middle of the screen, Lex faces off against foes at the top, be they ancient Roman soldiers, mystical Sirens or sea serpents onboard a ship or even angry ewes.

Depending on the word you create, Lex charges his enemy and inflicts damage. The enemy then takes a turn and retaliates. If your word is just so-so, such as P-E-A-R-S, then you may only take away one heart (symbolizing health level) from above the enemy's head. But if it's a good one, such as Q-U-A-I-N-T or U-N-A-L-T-E-R-E-D, then expect to finish the monster off by taking away two-and-a-half or three hearts of a total of five. This game offers more than 150 different enemies, each with a unique look, fighting style and short description.

Technorati tags: game words puzzle library

Apocalypto provides visceral insight into early American cultures

Like many history buffs, I went to see Mel Gibson's latest offering, Apocalypto, this weekend. I had read a mixed lot of reviews and, although there seemed to be no consenus, I thought it worthwhile to see a film depicting a civilization rarely if ever the centerpiece of a Hollywood production.

I found the film quite visually interesting. The costumes and makeup reflected the unique designs I have seen in museum exhibits of central American art at the de Young Museum in San Francisco, the Dallas Museum of Art, and the University of Utah Museum of Fine Art in Salt Lake City. I found the set detail in the scenes of the Mayan city with its smoking pyramids and streets seething with people utterly fascinating. It really brought the civilization to life just as the gritty scenes of Roman streets and temples did in the HBO miniseries, "Rome".

My primary regret was that the plot for the film was a basic chase and the villains in the film were rather two-dimensional. Every civilization has its good aspects as well as its bad and to allow the practice of human sacrifice to overshadow some of the Maya's phenomenal accomplishments in mathematics, astronomy, and engineering was a disservice to their culture and to history. As for the violence, I found it graphic but no more so than the arena violence in "Gladiator" or the battle scenes in "Troy". The ancient world was a violent place. I think the outcry about the film's violence is just posturing by the politically correct who must find fault with the film not because of its actual cinematic shortcomings but because of the publicly acclaimed "dark nature" of its director.

From a historical perspective, Mr. Gibson chose to interject European intervention several centuries too early. I don't know if this was the result of trying to find some dramatic way to end the chase or to draw a social parallel but it did not accomplish either of these goals.

I think the film would have had far more impact if it had depicted the decline of the Maya from a catastophic drought, as historical evidence indicates, and used their desperation as the reason for their frenzy of human sacrifice. It would have provided the opportunity to introduce at least some empathy for their own situation as well as illustrated the futility of their extreme actions.

Great Invasions The Dark Ages

Great Invasions The Dark Ages 350-1066 AD

Great Invasions is based on pure historical facts designed in collaboration with historians and includes 150 historical events and over 3700 key figures of this period. Manage the finances, diplomatic, religious and military needs of a nation.

Apart from managing the conflicts between borders, you must control population migrations, heresies and confront the fall of kingdoms and empires facing barbarian attacks. Manage up to 10 populations simultaneously, selecting them via a bidding system with over 80 difference nations.

Multiplayer mode supporting up to 4 players via LAN or Internet.

Features
Live the greatest moments of the times! This historically accurate recreation allows you to encounter over 150 nations / tribes.

More than 30 religions and heresies, as well as thousands of historical characters drawn from the pages of world's richest historical sources.

Great Invasions is an extremely elaborate real-time strategy game covering over 700 years of history.

Put your leadership and visionary skills to the test and drive your population to the dawn of the Middle Ages!

Great Invasions puts you in command of one or more of Europe's nations between 375 and 1066.

You decide their path? and their fate!

Scheduled for January 2007 release.

Love and Virtue

Movie News: "Cast Set for Charlegmagne Epic

Director Raoul Ruiz has found a cast for his period epic Love and Virtue, about the battles fought within King Charlemagne's empire. John Malkovich, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah, Peter O'Toole, Damian Lewis, Saffron Burrows, Virginie Ledoyen and Stephen Dillane are all set to star. British actor Lewis will play a knight in Charlemagne's court who falls in love with Ledoyen's character. Malkovich and Madsen will play barbarian marauders, and Dillane will be the king, who was the first ruler in a united Western Europe since the end of the Roman Empire many centuries before. Mia Sperber and Stefano Pratesi wrote the script, which is adapted from epic poems The Song of Roland and Orlando Innamorato.
Source: Variety "

Ignite to offer Myrmillo and other Gladiator 12" figures

I was checking the Ignite site for new releases and noticed that they will be offering a series of gladiator figures including a Myrmillo and Retiarius. Although Ignite figures are quite a bit more expensive ($75 and up) then 12" figures offered by Dragon and Sideshow, their figures include real metal accessories.

Recently I took advantage of a 30% off sale of Ignite figures at Michigan Toy Soldiers and managed to get the new Julius Caesar figure and a Roman Vexillarius, the standard bearer for the legion. The Vexillarius is wonderfully detailed. I only wish his wolf skin headdress was made of faux fur instead of soft vinyl.

The Julius Caesar figure's costume was puzzling - a white cuirass and caligae with a conical helmet sporting wings??? I have never read about this attire anywhere so am a bit skeptical although Ignite prides itself on its figures' historical accuracy. I think I prefer to email them and see if I can get a standard Roman officer's helmet for him.

Conte Collectibles Releases 300 Spartans Series

I see that Conte Collectibes has released a beautifully detailed series of 1:32 scale metal figures depicting Spartans in various poses defending the pass at Thermopylae. Perhaps this is a prelude to the eventual release of the film that it is production starring Gerard Butler as Spartan King and commander, Leonidas.

13 New Screens released for Caesar IV

WORTHPLAYING - - All about games !: "Developed by Tilted Mill, Caesar IV advances, refines and updates the city-building gameplay pioneered by Caesar III, while remaining true to its predecessor's proud legacy. In Caesar IV, players take on the role of an aspiring provincial governor within Caesar's empire as they build and manage an individual ancient Roman city and its province.

Players lay out each city, road by road and building by building, making sure citizens have all they need to remain healthy, happy and safe from barbarian threats. As the city grows from a simple village to a cosmopolitan metropolis, so too do the challenges it presents. The ultimate goal is to rise among the political ranks of the empire, and become Caesar.

For Plebs and Patricians alike, enduring the hardships of life in the days of the Roman Empire was no easy feat. In 'Caesar IV,' players keep citizen morale levels up by building entertainment venues and holding festivals in their city. Revels such as Bacchanalia and Cerealia elevate the happiness levels of the citizenship, making them more productive and your city more prosperous."

Total War games pack includes Alexander expansion

For the first time ever, all three award-winning Total War games and their official expansions are now available in one ultimate collector?s edition compilation: Total War: Eras Collector's Edition.

Since the debut of Shogun: Total War in 2000, the Total War series has impressed critics and consumers alike with its unique blend of turn-based empire building and real-time combat.

With its realistic gameplay and historical authenticity, the franchise has gone on to sell over three million units worldwide and garner numerous awards from leading publications like PC Gamer, Computer Gaming World, GameSpot, and IGN.

With Total War: Eras, newcomers to the franchise can now experience all the award-winning gameplay in one premium package.

Long-time fans of the series will also find special bonus material to commemorate the art and music of the series.

This is a must-have collection for diehard fans and general strategy gamers alike.

Six Award-winning Titles
Shogun: Total War, Medieval: Total War, Rome: Total War and the official expansions ? Mongol Invasion, Viking Invasion, and Barbarian Invasion.

Bonus Expansion
The Rome: Total War ? Alexander expansion is a digital download-only expansion available on disc format for the very first time.

The Making of Total War Documentary
Includes a behind-the-scenes look on DVD at the development of Medieval II: Total War ? due in Fall 2006 ? that includes an interview with The Creative Assembly studio head, Mike Simpson.

Total War Soundtrack CD
Featuring musical selections from Shogun, Medieval, Rome, and the upcoming Medieval II.

50-page Artbook
Beautiful art highlighting the best of Shogun, Medieval, Rome, and Medieval II.

And More!
Customers will also find a Medieval II poster and full-color artcards with memorable images from the Total War series.

Civilization IV: Warlords released!

Requires Civilization 4

Overview
Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Warlords is the first expansion pack for the award-winning game that has become an instant world-wide hit.

Paying homage to some of history's greatest military leaders, the expansion will deliver six unique and interesting scenarios.

Giving players the chance to change the course of history with the help of their new powerful "warlord" unit.

New civilizations, leaders, units, and wonders that will offer even more fun and exciting ways for players to expand their civilization's military power as they strive for world domination.

Features
10 new civilization leaders featuring some of history's greatest military leaders

Six new civilizations, each will have a new unique building as well as a unique unit.

New Warlord Unit, A new great person unit, the Warlord, Capable of changing the course of history through military might.

Vassal States, Conquer an enemy and subjugate them to your rule.

Core game tweaks and additions as well as post-release patches and game upgrades.

Six unique and interesting scenarios:
Chinese Unification (350 BC)
Peloponnesian Wars (430 BC)
Alexander?s Conquests (330 BC)
Rise of Rome (300 BC)
Vikings (800 AD)
Genghis Khan (1206 AD)

Atlantis Quest

CNW Telbec: "For anyone who has spent hours playing classic-style matching games like 'Bejeweled,' there is a new addiction arriving in stores this week as Got Game Entertainment LLC today announced that 'Atlantis Quest' for the PC has shipped to game retailers across North America. http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20060801/NYTU011 ) In this classic-style matching game with a fun new twist, you embark on a puzzle-filled journey across ancient Greece, Babylon, Carthage, Egypt, and Rome in search of one of the greatest mysteries of all time -- the lost city of Atlantis. In every location, you must solve a puzzle to help assemble an ancient artifact which will help lead you to your ultimate destination. Beginning in the land of the Olympian gods, you must assemble the precious Amphora of Dionysius by acquiring pieces of the vessel pottery skillfully moved through rows of clever puzzles and then freed through the bottom of the game-field. Once this task is complete, you discover an ancient map inscribed on the vessel and learn your next destination. Using the classic matching game mechanics with the new twist of freeing the puzzle pieces through the bottom of the field, 'Atantis Quest' offers extremely addictive gameplay over 76 brain-teasing levels. While a riveting storyline incorporating interesting facts about the lands you visit, power-ups, and loads of other features can keep you playing for hours on end, the game also offers the option to save your progress automatically, so even if you must stop playing, you can easily continue your quest later. Further, if you want to turn 'Atlantis Quest' into a friendly competition, the game allows creation of multiple profiles for different players. 'Atlantis Quest' is rated 'E' for Everyone by the ESRB and debuts at a suggested retail price of $19.99 (USD)."

Civilization IV: Warlords to include 8 total scenarioss instead of 6

PC News at GameSpot: "If more is better, than fans of Civilization have some good news regarding Civilization IV: Warlords, the upcoming expansion to last year's hit PC strategy game. (Not to mention GameSpot's 2005 PC Game of the Year.) We recently got an updated look at Warlords, and we've learned that there's going to be more content than originally expected, including a cool new scenario that finally lets you play as the barbarians in a Civilization game.

As an expansion pack, Warlords will improve Civilization IV in two ways. Fans of the regular Stone Age-to-Space Age game mode will get new civilizations, new leaders, new Great Wonders, and more, which will flesh out the core game to a greater degree. For example, you can play as the Vikings; if you're England, you can get Winston Churchill as your leader; or you can build the mighty Great Wall wonder, which literally erects a wall on your borders to keep those pesky barbarians out of your territory.

Warlords will introduce eight new scenarios to Civilization IV, each offering a distinctly different gameplay experience.

If you're looking for a different challenge, you can play one of the eight new scenarios in Warlords, and yes, that's a bump up from the original six scenarios that were announced for the expansion. The first of these two new scenarios is Omen, which is an alternative history scenario in which Great Britain and France race to settle North America, yet strange and mysterious events occur along the way. As you can probably guess from the name, there should be a supernatural element in this scenario, which is a change of pace from the six original scenarios, all of which are historically based.

The second new scenario is Barbarians, which finally puts you in the position of those pesky barbarians that plagued you in all of the Civilization games. This mode begins just like any Civilization game, with a map being randomly generated and the artificial intelligence picking civilizations to play and taking their turns. However, after they're done with their turns, you can jump in as the barbarians. You'll start with a large amount of gold, which you'll use to purchase and upgrade military units, such as swordsmen, trebuchets (one of the new units in the expansion), horsemen, archers, and more. After you've selected them, your units will appear on the map from their main base and begin to look for cities to sack. As a barbarian, your ultimate goal is to wipe out all civilizations from the map, and you'll do so by taking enemy cities and burning them to the ground. You won't be able to take over cities and govern them yourself, so the name of the game is pillaging for gold, which can be used to purchase more units. As the game progresses, you'll get more advanced units to keep up with the civilizations. What's really cool about this mode is that it offers a different play experience each time, beause the map and starting conditions are randomly generated at the start."

Civilization IV:Warlords is due to be released July 24, 2006.

If You Want an Intriguing Story try Playing Barrow Hill instead of the Da Vinci Code game

This game review of the Da Vinci Code made me want to delve into the ancient world of the Celts in a game entitled Barrow Hill instead!

New York Times: "It's a shame Da Vinci wasn't handed over to Shadow Tor, a tiny company whose low-budget adventure game Barrow Hill displays a far better feel for story.

Barrow begins as the player's car breaks down on a dark English road. Wander down the road and you soon come across a gas station-hotel, deserted except for a man hiding in the hotel office who babbles excitedly about some sort of creature that is hunting him and has done something awful to everyone else.

The story becomes clearer as you explore the hotel and learn of an archaeological dig at Barrow Hill, a nearby burial mound topped with a stone circle. You also find torn pages from the journal of a seemingly insane archaeologist and the pamphlets of a group protesting the desecration of the mound.

Trapped in the Barrow by an invisible force, you must learn what happened and how to set it right, helped by survey reports, a metal detector and pamphlets on the history of the Barrow. Puzzles are intelligent, fair and uncontrived. The game does an excellent job of placing clever clues throughout the environment; often you'll need to reread journals to catch information that seemed meaningless earlier.

Barrow Hill is decidedly low budget, using a node-based interface popularized years ago by Myst in which the player can stand only in certain spots and look in certain directions. But while the graphics are only serviceable, the game has a strong sense of atmosphere. The woods are filled with the sounds of rustling leaves and snapping twigs, the pay phone whispers eerily when you lift the receiver, and despite its mainly static graphics, the game offers a couple of genuine scares."

"Join the adventure, and uncover the secrets of the past. The legends of the Cornish world will live again; renewed, refreshed and hungry. Time has no meaning, as the sun sets low across the landscape." - Barrow Hill

Hallmark's "The Curse of King Tut's Tomb" sadly inept

"It?s 1922, and free-spirited archaeologist Danny Freemont is infamous for his outlandish theories about the pyramids, Atlantis, alien civilizations, and the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Freemont is certain that if found, the Emerald Tablet, rumored to be buried in King Tut?s tomb, would hold the power to control the world. Unfortunately, the only one who believes Freemont is nefarious archaeologist Morgan Sinclair, a member of the diabolical secret cabal known as the Hellfire Council.

Sinclair wants the tablet to summon and harness an invincible evil, and he?s fully prepared to follow Freemont to the ends of the earth to get it. With the help of a crackerjack team, Freemont will venture into the Valley of the Kings, toward Tut?s tomb, nearer the portal to another world, and closer to the truth behind a mystery that will change the world forever?or end it."

With Hollywood squandering so much money on films with little plot but tsunamis of violence, I truly commend production companies that are attempting to create inspiring films that target a cross section of the viewing audience instead of the seemingly bizarre tastes of adolescent (18 - 25 year-old) males.

The Hallmark Channel, capitalizing on its well-earned reputation for quality enterntainment, showcases a number of these family-friendly films. Some of them, often produced by Larry Levinson Productions, are well made with good (if relatively unknown) actors. "Love's Long Journey", a story of a young 19th century couple's efforts to build a successful cattle ranch, featured an interesting ensemble of actors, and a few plot twists that helped it rise above the overworked B-western theme. It's prequel, "Love's Enduring Promise" was equally well done. Of course, both of these films were written by Michael Landon Jr. and the young writer seems to have inherited his father's "feel" for creating uplifting stories from the lives of everyday people.

Hallmark's "The Odyssey" followed the classical story pretty closely and although their "Jason and the Argonauts" suffered from a really amateur lead, it moved along nicely and had some good supporting roles. But when it comes to action/adventure films, Hallmark and/or Levinson cannot seem to strike the right chord. "The Curse of King Tut's Tomb" not only suffered from terrible acting (mostly attributed to Casper Van Dien) but from the overall air that none of its cast took the story seriously. Of course, I guess you could hardly blame them since it seemed to be a badly blended mixture of the recent "Mummy" sequel that introduced the legend of the Scorpion King and a pathetic remake of Indiana Jones. In fact, several measures of the background music were barely disguised excerpts from John Williams "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" theme.

In addition to a muddled plot (if, in fact, you could call it that), Van Dien's archaeologist, a bumbling n'er do well with two sidekicks that brought neither comic relief nor useful expertise to the story, evoked little empathy (or sympathy). Why any university would ever hire him or a talented, beautiful, respectable archaeologist would be attracted to him is, frankly, beyond me. Unlike the original Indiana Jones who demonstrated an indepth understanding of ancient history, languages, and symbology and made the audience respect his knowledge despite his unorthodox methods, Van Dien's character would not inspire anyone to consider a study of the past as a fascinating pursuit. He approached the job like an undisciplined child in a sandbox. At least in Indiana Jones, the villain and Jones were equally gifted. Here, the villain (played by Jonathan Hyde of "You musn't read from the book!" fame in 1999's "The Mummy") approachs the undertaking with some professionalism which contrasts starkly with Van Dien's ineptitude.

The only bright spot in the film was the brief appearance of a dynamic young man made up to quite closely resemble the latest Tut facial reconstructions. Next time, Hallmark/Levinson, ditch the rest of the cast and focus on Tut and his efforts to escape the fate Horemheb and/or Ay had planned for him.

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising (PC)

Gameplanet (PC): "PART FANTASY, PART HISTORY, Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising will put players in the role of hero at the time of ancient Rome. You will face the traditional enemies such as Gauls and Carthage - however, there are also mythical beasts such as minotaurs, furies and gorgons with which to also contend.

Game features will include:

* Embark on a hero's journey to explore and conquer mythic Rome.
* Acquire, train and control a squad of warriors in epic battles using both traditional and user-created formations.
* Build and customise a squad of soldiers including melee, ranged and caster-class fighters.
* Master forceful hand-to-hand combat tactics in gladiatorial duels based on the ancient pankratic method of wrestling.
* Face and fight fierce mythological creatures including Medusa, Chimera, Cereberus and the Hydra among others waiting to challenge you.
* Experience fast-paced combat featuring moves choreographed and tuned so finely that the timing resonates to the feel of action role-playing games.
* Command and wield the unequalled powers of the gods as you fight to save Rome.
* Fight alongside and control as part of your squad creatures of myth including the Minotaur, Cyclops, Automaton and others.
* Embark on over 1,000 story-driven missions."

CivCity: Rome to be released July 2006

GameSpot: "The Civilization series has always been known for allowing players to create massive, boundless empires through a careful balance of domestic and military strategies. However, in the upcoming spin-off from Firefly Studios and Firaxis games, the focus is instead on a single city. Of course, it's not just any city but the legendary metropolis of ancient Rome. We recently learned more details about CivCity: Rome just in time for E3.

As implied by the title, CivCity is a city-building game in the vein of the classic Sim City. The game plays out as a series of missions that you must complete. In doing so, you'll end up building a living, breathing, highly detailed rendition of ancient Rome. To develop your city you have to use strategic planning to manage technology, production, politics, and more in an attempt to take your city from a humble village to a thriving urban center.

There are more than 70 different technologies to develop in the game, so you can expect to have a wide array of options when it comes to choosing where to focus your efforts as you build your city. In addition to technology, there are hundreds of unique types of buildings that you can place in your city. In fact, the most important decisions you make will be in regards to building placement, because the game is going for simple, accessible gameplay that doesn't get bogged down in complex menus and minor details.

Unlike in many city-building games, the people that inhabit your city in CivCity aren't just mindless masses. Each person in the game is unique, and you can watch families live, grow, prosper, and interact right inside their homes, which sounds like it will provide an interesting and personalized gauge of your success as a city planner.

The city will also be full of touches that will make it feel as unique as Rome itself. You can watch gladiators duke it out in a grandiose coliseum, witness tense political debates, build magnificent structures, the likes of which the world has never seen, and much more."

'The Glory of The Roman Empire' to be released in June

Entertainmentwise: "The Glory of The Roman Empire has taken all the best bits and ideas from previous 'build the world' strategy titles and rolled them into one very nice looking, smooth sounding, un-annoying title that will have you simply pleased to play a game that doesn't mess up in any major area. Searching for potentially annoying features within the game, to be honest - I couldn't find any.

Any tweaks I would suggest are relatively minor things, such as allowing you to build the same structure again after you've made one of them so that you don't have to re enter the build menu from the very top level once again. It would also be nice to have some indication after a structure has burnt to the ground of what you used to have built there, for replacement assistance. On the Quest screen, I would like to see a form of check list indication of what parts of your quest you have achieved, or have yet to achieve. The reason for this one is simple; sometimes in a mission you aren't aware of what left there is for you to do and spending ages trying to complete the level when all you actually had to do was build a woodhouse can be rather frustrating. Stronghold 2 gives you percentages of the work done as well, which I would love to see enter the final version of this game. But I am nit picking, here.

The control of the mouse, scrolling and zoom, buildable and non buildable areas are all dealt with in the easiest and best possible manner. Detail is fully optional and lovely to look at, and the game has a gradual learning curve that is easy to understand and non frustrating, yet challenges fairly quickly. Missions are selectable and non linear, gaming areas are returned to in latter missions like Stronghold 2 giving you a real sense of pride and care in your town set ups, and the background music is very Roman, very gentle and very unobtrusive; you barely notice it unless you're thinking about it. That's how level music should be - atmospheric yet subtle."

Death in Rome interesting and educational little online game

I stumbled across this well done little online game developed by the staff of the BBC.

Description: Be a Roman sleuth - use your detective skills to unravel the events behind a mysterious death. You have until dawn to investigate the crime scene, and crack the case.

Time is short. Each expert you consult will cost you precious minutes. Piece together the puzzle using their evidence, eye-witness testimonies, and perhaps a little detective's intuition.

It was fun and I learned a few things about ancient Roman life too. I?m afraid I didn?t arrive at the right answer the first time though! Watch out for red herrings!

Medieval 2 next full game package from Total War folks

GameZone: "The Total War team is hard at work on Medieval 2: Total War, the next step in the Total War franchise.

The gameplay will span from 1080 to 1530, the largest period covered in a Total War game. The conquest of the Americas will play a pivotal role in the game?s campaign, as the Aztecs will make their first appearance in the heat of the action.

On the battlefield, Medieval 2 is even more detailed than Rome: Total War. The units on the field each have their own unique look and feel to them, some with more armor, and some with nearly none. They also act differently and will do different animations while standing idle, which adds to the game?s sense of realism. Impassable terrains will also play a role on the battlefield, meaning that players will have to exercise a bit more strategy when thinking out their plan of attack.

Out of conflict, you also have the ability to either make your civilization a castle or a city. Cities are civilian, and tend to do better in trade and mercantile exploits than castles, which excel in military ventures. Princess units are important outside of battle, as well, as they can be used to fortify relations with allies or even turn enemy generals into compatriots through marriage.

The AI in the game has been improved in terms of negotiations. Now, the AI will bring baggage to the table when negotiations are underway, be it failed previous negotiations or battles, and this will have an effect on the outcome of the talks, positive or negative."

Rome: Total War Expansion "Alexander" to be offered as download

TotalVideoGames.com: "SEGA Europe and SEGA of America have today announced the development of a second expansion pack to The Creative Assembly's Rome: Total War, which will be available exclusively via digital download in June for an undisclosed amount.

Entitled Rome: Total War - Alexander, the pack will guide players sequentially through the battles faced by Alexander the Great as he unites Greece and conquers Persia. The game will also feature voiceover content from Brian Blessed and more than a half dozen movies that help unveil the storyline as the player progresses. The six battles are expected to last around thirty hours in total, which will hopefully satisfy fans eager to get hold of the next Total War instalment.

'Digital downloads let us quickly and efficiently get new and exciting content to the players that were outside the scope of the original game,' commented Mike Simpson, Studio Director at Creative Assembly. 'It should provide many hours of new and absorbing gameplay, and will be superb value for money. It's been great fun putting the Alexander pack together and I'm sure the players will enjoy it just as much.'

SEGA also confirmed that new factions and over sixty new units will all play a part in the epic battles of the game, including the Macedonians and Indians, as players get the chance to conquer the ancient world once more... "

Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War Single-Player Demo

Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War Single-Player Demo: "Empires Rise and Fall. But Heroes live forever!
Don't miss the Rise & Fall: Civilizations at War single-player demo! Play as one of the world's mightiest empires, Greece, Persia, Egypt or Rome and navigate your armies through land invasions and ship-to-ship combats. Command your troops as one of history's greatest heroes, such as Julius Caesar, Cleopatra and Alexander the Great, each with a unique set of abilities and weapons and fight alongside your troops to victory! In Rise & Fall, build a thriving civilization from the ground up! "

Younger generation sadly unfamiliar with Cecil B. DeMille's epics

This week I trekked down to Circuit City to get a very inexpensive ($14.99) copy of the 3-disc 50th anniversary edition of Cecil B. DeMille's classic "The Ten Commandments". As I was signing the credit card receipt I thought about the movie and started to chuckle. I handed the signed receipt back to the store clerk and said "So let it be written, so let it be done!"

He looked at me with an expression that told me he thought dementia was just around the corner.

I called and told my son what happened (even though he is in his early thirties, he came to appreciate the historic epics from a young age - thanks to his mother) and he said he couldn't believe how many people from the bible belt (he lives in the Chicago area now) have never even seen "Ben Hur"! He was totally aghast!

Anyway, the new edition, much like the anniversary edition of Ben Hur, contains

• Cecil B. DeMille's original 1923 silent version
• Hand-tinted footage of the Exodus and Parting of the Red Sea Sequence from the 1923 version
• Commentary by Katherine Orrison, author of "Written in Stone: Making Cecil B. DeMille's Epic, The Ten Commandments," on both the 1956 and 1923 versions
• 6-part, 37-minute "making of" documentary, featuring interviews with Charlton Heston and composer Elmer Bernstein, among others
• Newsreel footage of the New York premiere
• 3 theatrical trailers: 1956 "Making of" trailer, 1966 re-release trailer, 1989 re-release trailer

Personally, I liked the first part of the movie best. Moses became irritatingly self-righteous after his encounter with the burning bush. Overall, however, a spectacle worthy of its place in cinematic history.

Sony Partners with Perpetual to co-publish "Gods and Heroes: Rome Rising"

WarCry? Network: "Sony Online Entertainment's Platform Publishing?, a cross-platform publishing, distribution and marketing label, today announced an agreement with San Francisco, CA-based online games developer Perpetual Entertainment to co-publish its online action role-playing game, Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising.?

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising features an innovative style of combat not seen in other online multiplayer games, courtesy of Perpetual Entertainment Lead Designer Stieg Hedlund, lead designer of the best-selling RPG Diablo II. Reminiscent of an Action/RPG, combat moves can be linked together and even include 'finishing' moves to provide a more dynamic, dramatic and visceral feel to battles. Squad-based combat is another unique aspect of Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising; players will earn and command Non-Player Characters (NPCs) in a variety of strategic groupings to form individual squads, create unique formations and implement combat tactics for these squads to execute on command, maximizing their power in combat.

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising brings the bold and dramatic world of ancient Rome online. As Rome grows into its role as a Republic, enemies from Carthage, Gaul and other nations seek their share of the treasures of this new empire. Furthermore, monstrous creatures of myth, such as Gorgons, Minotaurs and Furies roam the land and threaten the safety of Rome. As heroes of the republic, players will embark on epic quests to defend the empire, protect its interests and people, and serve one of the ancient Gods of Roman myth. This alliance with the gods will provide the player with incredible "god powers" that can be wielded in battle against monsters as well as against other players in Player vs. Player (PvP) combat.

Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising? is a subscription-based massively multiplayer game developed and operated by Perpetual using its proprietary Perpetual Entertainment Platform (PEP) technologies. Under the co-publishing partnership, Perpetual will host and operate the game, while SOE's Platform Publishing will be responsible for retail marketing and distribution of the game in North America."

Cult of Mithras adds fantasy elements to Legion Arena

I see Slitherine, producers of Legion and Legion Arena, are preparing to release an add-on that introduces such fantasy elements as demons and shadow warriors to their Roman strategy title Legion Arena. Although I am usually not that interested in fantasy titles, Cult of Mithras may contain enough ancient mythology to be worth taking a look at it.

From the official website:

"In this glorious year of 27 BC, Octavian has been crowned Emperor Augustus of Rome. His enemies lie defeated, his Empire basks in victory. Yet in one corner of the Empire, Spain still resists and troops are dispatched to subdue the region once and for all. You are picked to lead the men. This is your chance to prove yourself - this is your destiny.

But fate is a fickle master. On route to Spain, your men are ambushed. A tribe still loyal to Pompey's perhaps? There is no time to think, only fight! The enemy are many, you are unprepared. It is all you can do to fend them off as you yell orders to your men. A soldier is shouting at you "General! General, are you alright!"

Blood stains your clothing. By the Gods, I am wounded! And then there is only darkness...

Where am I? You are in the saddle. There are shouts. There is confusion... Men are preparing for battle. Another foe, so soon? What's happening? A soldier awaits your instructions "Sir, the Gauls are attacking. We are ready to fight."

Timendi causa est nescire - Ignorance is the cause of fear

The battle is over. You have defeated the enemy, but not your confusion. You summon two of your most loyal officers. Centurion Pollius reports "Sir, the men have been experiencing strange... very strange things. They arrived here by... they do not know how they arrived here. They cannot remember..."

You reply "Is this experience shared by all the men?"

Pollius confirms "Yes sir. All of us, sir."

"What are your thoughts on the matter my friends?"

Centurion Asivius offers "Sir, some of the men believe it is a curse."

"They are nervous, sir. And scared." Pollius agrees

"There is no curse! The Gods favour our venture. Tell them that." you say fiercely, as if to convince yourself

"Yes Sir!" they both shout as they salute.

...But do they? The Gods have never been predictable allies. You examine the eyes of your men. They do not look convinced, but they will do as you command.

"Is there anything else Asivius?"

"Yes sir, there is something. Groups of soldiers have been appearing from the wilderness. They are also... confused.."

"Feed them and employ them. Dismissed."

...Mystery and War do not make good bed-fellows, this much I know. But there is no time to think on it further. Scouts report more Celts approaching?"

Cura ut valeas - Take care