Kotaku
Rock, Paper, Shotgun linked to this nice retrospective of Roman-themed games over the years, starting with Legionnaire (1982) and ending with Rome: Total War (2004). The series of musings includes wrap ups and discussion, strengths and weaknesses. I began my academic life as a classicist with a knack for lyric poetry — while I hopped ship to history (East Asian at that), I still have many reminders hanging around of those halcyon days spent with Horace and Livy. A nostalgic look back at how and why these classically-themed games have succeeded (or not) is a welcome reminder of many games I played as a youngster:
... SimRomes stick around for a reason. As much as I loved the alien nature of the Egypt in Tilted Mill's Children of the Nile, Rome remains the most accessible ancient city. A century of movies and books have primed us for gladiators, togas, legions on the march...much moreso than, say, Sophoclean drama, chitons and peltasts.
Oh, sure, they're generally wildly historically inaccurate (what else is new?), but panem et circenses, people - who needs realistic class conflict, slavery, and rioting when you've got red-caped legions and chariot racing? The wisdom of Roman satirists still holds true today. Anyways, it's a fun look back at one popular theme if you're a closet (or not) classics geek, or just a fan of some of the titles.
A History of the Ancients Game [Flash of Steel via Rock, Paper, Shotgun]
Comments
As an ancient Roman geek (I took Latin in high school for FUN), I salute you, Maggie. Salve!
i <3 Rome Total War, i thought it was a blast, and i learned a lot of history through it too, especially through geography and cities, and the people who inhabited them.
Shadow of Rome is an awesome game.
Actually, it's an awesome game diluted by a thoroughly average one, but still.
No Viva Caligula?
Needing to plan and execute a Rome-circa-45 BC-themed party for a class of mine (long story), I find it ironic that one of my best sources for random information (to impress the teachers with during the course of said party, of course :D) is Age of Empires 1.
I'm still waiting for an Official Roman Emperor Assassin game. Here would be some of the bullet points:
-Play as Brutus in the assassination of Julius Caesar! Don't strike too early now, make sure everyone gets a turn!
-Help the Roman Senate carry out the damnatio memoriae on Nero by leveling his Golden House using real-time destructible enviornments!
-Play as a professional wrestler in the assassination of Commodus! Watch out for his club!
I would buy it.
*is graduating in Classics this term* My lecturer is AWESOME. He does 'Rome in modern media', and writes papers on the classical stuff turning up in films and video games. And he's addicted to Rome Total War. *grins* He also teaches Martial really well.
Europa Universalis Rome lets me play as Sulla. It automatically becomes my favorite Rome game for that reason alone.
I spent a ton of time playing Rome Total War. Plus it has some pretty sweet mods.
Caesar III was my addiction back in the day, after a fairly decent bout of Caesar II. Then came Praetorians.
Ah, peel me a grape.
Really, nobody's imagination was stirred by my gratuitous Shadow of Rome name-drop? That game deserves far less obscurity. Everybody should play it.
I reviewed it here. The lead-in sentence, which for some reason the site omitted, is "Can't decide if you want to be a hulking gladiator or a helpless pipsqueak? Why not be both?"
@frostcircus: I loved 50% of the game. Damn the poorly-implemented stealth sections, give me the glory of the arena. Nothing like slicing off a man's arm and beating him to death with it.
Or, breaking someone's skull in a bloody explosion of gore, with the combo name of "Juicy Tomato" flashing and the crowd roaring.
Hail, Caesar! The yay leavin' San Fierro, right?
I've always been a fan of Marcus Aurelius and Hannibal Barca.
@frostcircus: Damn that had me LOL, well done.
I had a bad addiction to Ceasar III. I think I'll look for a copy of Praetorians, it's been too long since I've visited ancient Rome.
I like playing the Romans in the Civilisation games, but beyond that I haven't really dealt with them in a serious fashion. I do know they're obsessed with troop formations though, Asterix taught me that :P
@frostcircus:
Thanks for making me smile in an article/comment thread filled with pretentious bollocks.
For about a year in high school I carried a toga around in my backpack 'just in case.'
@ShirtGuyDom:
My favorite has to be Elagabalus-- imagine an incredibly complicated relationship system where you can end up convincing your nephew to appoint your son as heir, then murdering his mother (Your sister) and him.
On another note, a text-based Catullus themed dating sim would certainly be fascinating:
Lesbia is concerned about gossip regarding you.
--GIVE KISSES
How many?
--1000
Lesbia remains concerned.
--GIVE KISSES
How many?
--100
Lesbia remains concerned
--GIVE KISSES
How many?
--1000
Lesbia remains concerned.
--GIVE KISSES
How many?
--100
Lesbia remains concerned.
--GIVE KISSES
How many?
--1000
Lesbia remains concerned.
--GIVE KISSES
How many?
--100
Hooray! You have mixed up all of your kisses!
ABILITY GAINED: Immunity from Evil Eye.
@NotPigeons: That poem contains one of my favorite examples of elision in Latin (deinde usque altera mille ...). What a sad dating sim that would be! Poor Catullus. :(
I can read latin, but not speak it.
O tempora, o mores.
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