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

What If Alexander the Great had gone West and not East?

I stumbled across this archive of and interesting BBC Channel 4 radio show originally broadcast in 2003.

History - Radio 4: "Imagine if, one hundred and fifty years before Hannibal, Alexander moves his army around the North African coast of the Mediterranean, conquers Carthage, and crossing at Gibraltar takes Spain, crosses the Alps, and easily subdues what in the 3rd century BC was the relatively ineffectual army of the Republic of Rome, then still a mere city-state.

What kind of world would that have given rise to, a Europe with a Greek rather than a Roman legacy? What would its legacy have been?"

Wildfire Games continues to make progress on "0 A.D."

I see the interesting independent game developers' collaboration on a freeware strategy game entitled "0 A.D." continues at Wildfire Games. These passionate developers are also interested in historical articles to enhance their website. If I can find time, I hope to lend them a hand and encourage other ancient history enthusiasts to do the same!

• Unique Civilisations - In 0 A.D. each civilisation will be unique. They will have unique appearance, units, structures, and technology trees. You are not simply playing carbon copies with a few alterations when you play. Unique civilisations with unique characteristics.
• Powerful Editor - The Atlas Editor is a feature-complete tool used to design the 0 A.D. World. Atlas gives the end-user unprecedented power, the power to design, edit, and articulate every aspect of the game. Atlas allows you harness the full power of the game engine in every way imaginable.
• Accurate History - All our content is validated by our History Department to ensure that it is true to source wherever possible (unless it negatively affects gameplay).
• Citizen Soldiers - There will be no standard villager unit. Instead, regular infantry and cavalry have not only military capabilities, but also economic, making them substantially more versatile than in typical RTS games.
• Unit Auto Upgrading - Citizen Soldiers will gain experience and automatically gain promotions. With each rank, they become stronger, and don a unique appearance.
• Units on Structures - Some garrisoned units will be visible on the battlements of structures or the decks of ships, and capable of firing on opponents at range.
• Realistic Ships - Ship gameplay will include a variety of new features, from a much larger scale, to ship capture, to sea rams, to a modular design that allows catapults to be stationed on the decks, and units to fire from the bows.
• Excellent Moddability - Our aim is to make the game as data-driven as possible, and allow end-users to override that data, using custom independent mod packs, to have as much control over adding assets and editing existing content as our own scriptors. Savvy modders could potentially have all the necessary tools to program an entirely different game using our engine.
• More Multiplayer modes - The host will have a wide variety of game types and features to tweak when creating a game session, permitting the kind of gameplay that he and his opponents most enjoy.
• Seasons - Over time, the environment will cycle through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Combined with the scenario's climate, rain and snow will fall with varying severity. Trees blaze into Autumn red or the fresh greenness of Spring, flowers bloom, and denuded husks of trees smother in the snow of Winter.
• Provinces and Territories - In some game types, the map is subdivided into Provinces that must be captured and annexed into a player's territory in order to reap their valuable resources and construct forward bases in these areas. If the host wishes, a player's starting Province can also be surrounded by attrition borders to reduce early rushes.
• Real World Map Realism - Random Maps based upon geographical regions where the civilisations of the ancient world lived and 'died'. These will be generated with biome specific-to-location features that replicate (as best we have researched) the look and feel of the world as it existed 2,000 years ago. This provides for further player immersion into the game.