Hobbies And Interests
Card-Driven War Games
You play these military games over the table-top and rely on packs of illustrated cards to decide events and influence the action. "Hannibal: Rome vs. Carthage" matches two players, and is set during the Second Punic War. Players aim to control a map board using counters representing armies, while cards introduce random events such as disease and reinforcements into the game. In "The History of the Roman Empire," a strategy title which extends from the reign of the first Triumvirate to the last few Roman emperors, players aim to seize control of kingdoms spread across Europe and Asia. Players command both Roman and barbarian factions, with a deck of cards used to introduce random elements into proceedings.
Board Games
These games are typically multiplayer. "Tribune: Primus Inter Pares," for example, is concerned with the politics and intrigue of ancient Rome. Players place workers on the board to attempt to rule factions and gain sets of particular cards. The goal is to achieve victory objectives determined as the game begins. Set in ancient Britain, "Britannia" depicts the struggle between the Romans and the British natives through re-enactments of battle scenarios, such as Boudicca's rebellion. Players also have the option of playing through campaigns stretching beyond the Roman presence in the country.
P.C. Conflict Games
Some games for the P.C. focus on Roman battlefield scenarios. In "Rome: Total War," players command Roman troops led by one of three Roman families, and must expand the Empire, building forces and defeating the opposition in locations such as ancient Carthage, Gaul and Greece. Players experience turn-based campaign gameplay along with mass real-time battles. "Praetorians," meanwhile, is especially focused on events on the battlefield, with players involved in plenty of strategic decisions as they command Roman forces across desert, woodland and even snow. Troops behave differently during battle, with barbarians for example attacking in mobs, while Roman legionnaires are efficiently organized.
P.C. City-building Games
These P.C. titles focus on building up settlements and on civil decisions. "Glory of the Roman Empire" tasks players with planning and growing Roman towns, choosing which structures to build where. During the game's campaign, players must complete objectives across the Roman Empire, such as dealing with a plague-infested town or constructing an archway to glorify a city. In "Caesar IV," players set out to develop Roman cities, with objectives to be met at each stage, such as creating a suitable port for empire trading. The game offers complex challenges to players. In addition to choosing structures to build, players must consider the look of their city and deal with ancient Rome's class structure, too.