After the magnificent Cleopatra and Zeus: Master of Olympus lifted the genre to an unprecedented height of passion developers a little abated. But as time passed, and suddenly as if a dam had burst: in a year, we received a series of urban simulation - and Caesar IV, and CivCity: Rome, and the Glory of the Roman Empire, the predecessor heroine of our review of the same studio.
True, all of them for some inexplicable reason, with the tenacity of the doomed city was built on the lands of the Roman Empire, as if in the history of the ancient world there were few other states! But sometime after the "Caesar" we are not only pleased with the original games, but also acquainted with the originality of Greece and Egypt in the same "Cleopatra" with "Zeus".
It is a pity that the developers have not gone down this path, because apart from colonization in the ancient world, there are many winning themes: the formation of barbarian kingdoms in place of Roman cities, such as, say, or colonies of European states XVII-XVIII centuries, side by side with completely dissimilar cultures and developing quite differently - in accordance with the traditions and opportunities of countries from which colonists arrived, and the places where they fell. Imagine how it would be nice under the banner of the Portuguese king to establish a sales office on a small island off the coast of Japan and to negotiate with the powerful shogun, and the detail on the level of urban simulation? A growing cotton or sugar cane hands of French or Spanish settlers of the feasible means ... umm ... the necessary resources from Africa?
But there was nothing to be done, Rome as Rome. Where's my parade toga?
 | |  | The game is very pretty water, and generally landscapes delight the eye. | | The village of barbarians. While calm and, incidentally, pretty neat for the barbarians ... |
Summary of the previous series So, at our disposal the usual, although qualitative urban planning simulator. People here, as it should, prefer to settle close to shops, baths, benches and so can not stand when dirty and smelly companies are near their homes. But the owners of such enterprises have simply adore your shop closer to the people. Finding a middle ground between the desires of both is not limited to, one can not overlook the need for residents of goods: if only the city of plenty, the quality of houses is increasing, and hence the taxes can be collected much more. For welfare to create a chain of producing and processing enterprises.
Usually in such games main objective of the mission - to bring the city up to a certain economic level, in our case it is necessary to perform a specific task.
Say what you like, Imperium Romanum is very similar to the predecessor - Glory of the Roman Empire. Yes, and it would be strange, it appear the game in the same genre, and by the same authors is quite different.
As we all recall, one of the main advantages of Glory of the Roman Empire was the freedom of construction: a player must not pave the way for the building to work properly.The authors of our lives easier by linking the proper functioning of the buildings with the distance between them, as the old scheme of "Caesar" - the house should keep the road which run hither and everything from the priest and fire up the bathhouse attendant and school teacher - will not old enough. These gentlemen often move quite erratically: send a gladiator in the Colosseum a slightly different way - and the beautiful buildings on its old path instantly lost its splendor.
This scheme was unlikely and cumbersome, in the Imperium Romanum is much more convenient: it is necessary to click on a building and immediately visible to the zone of its action. But dependence on roads really seemed, and seems a bit far-fetched, too bad they still have to build in the city - let the residents themselves would tread the path, and we as urbanists would only have improved the prestige areas, bridges, roads at the expense of the treasury.
 | |  | Discordant crowd, yelling incoherently and disciplined Roman legions rushed to the screaming barbarians. But even in "Caesar" Romans trim systems were the enemy! Still, such a lack of attention to detail is very frustrating. | | Beautiful picture ... so not to think about what field do inside the city walls? Really fell on "Dark Ages" and the eternal city was sacked several times? |
Quests and random events Another remarkable feature of the game - a system of random assignments that until the court so it performs the player. Of course, this system is generally taken from the global strategies of Paradox, but it has some pretty entertaining "buns." Firstly, besides the usual "good" and "bad" event gets quests, doing that, the player must earn a delicious bonus. Secondly, it is possible to choose - whether to undertake for a case or not, although there is a mandatory assignment.
These things give the game dynamic. Dropped you, for example, make use of the architect, reduces the cost of buildings - and we should hastily pile up as many buildings, because its running time is limited. These things happen quite often, adding to your "Roman Holidays acuity and causing nervous.
The only trouble - in each scenario, they fall in a certain order, so that, once blowing a second time, you can easily adjust their actions under the already famous "surprise". Strange move. Random events - they are so called because that happen for no reason at all!
 | There is one thing |
There is one thing that almost always upsets in the games of this genre - the economic system. After all, in a sophisticated "Caesar" we really did not manage a normal economy and not even its simplified model, and the odd farm, completely devoid of ordinary private enterprise and political struggle classes. Is a simple Roman praetor wondered where to put the mill? The same delusion of some! If he wishes to develop forestry, then produce a different function.
And in ancient Rome? Surely no one heard that there citizens in general to the period of the Empire did not pay taxes? That in those days the economic system was fundamentally different than now, although still very interesting?
Not to mention the extreme urban development of a free city in the Middle Ages, associated with the shops, neighbors, knights, kings and bishops?
In human history, very often there are not similar to each other's cities, where it primarily a question of originality in economics and management.And to show their remarkable differences - the means to make the game particularly interesting and quite different.
Why do we still do not control the cities and farms to build a country?
 | |  | Camera in the game can be rotated and this way and that, and comfortable and beautiful. In colored clothes - happy citizens and guest workers are engaged in carrying the same weight. | | Gorgeous sunset. Wonderful holiday for a tired ruler - admire the views of the city and happy nature. |
Feudalism - our bright future! In addition to these features, the great change the gameplay, there are still several points that are worth mentioning in detail. The local residents are divided on its own citizens engaged in production, and the slaves who takes care of all these parts logistics. Slaves are moving there precisely where to deliver the goods, and only one at a time dragging his unit. Very convenient difference: the player may choose to accelerate the movement of heavy loads, simply by building more barracks.
This same division of labor allows you to create outside the city walls needed for resource extraction "workers' settlements, with minimal infrastructure. Thanks to this city, surrounded by artisan settlements, looks more natural and, pardon the expression, historical.
Incidentally, there is another group of local inhabitants! Because the work is for men and women, in possible unemployment only among women, if a player is engaged primarily produce, requiring great physical strength. The reverse situation is much less common.
The main building in the city - forum. Having spent a certain amount, you can raise his level, and it gives access to new buildings and can collect a lump sum tax - permanent levies or wage is not here. But the player may choose a rich family, to rob him all the money and send into exile. Oddly enough, but this kind of measure is very similar to the social relations in antiquity and in particular the completion of the municipal budget by the oligarchs.
 | |  | Here is a fisherman goes to work. Want to know more about this guy - click on the hut and find out the name of his wife and where she works, and whether children are learning at school (past - a joke, of course). | | Majesty and tranquility - here it is, blessed, prosperous city. Now the Senate will come the task to prepare 50 persons. Awaiting shipment, the bastards will make a row and spoil everything. |
Warfare In the best traditions of the genre, "boevki" is unpretentious, and it looks unconvincing. Usually located near the city of a barbarian or a few villages. Constructing barracks and planed them soldiers, you can go to war. Soldiers cheerfully chopped to pieces by barbarians, and then burn and the village. Even in "Caesar" it looked better: Men at least built in the wall of shields. And, for example, "Zeus" the war was generally excellent - a couple of rounds triremes, there was only sad to see the destruction of lovingly constructed by the economy - all true, and went to war!
Unfortunately, there's nothing like it.Not able to keep the system Legionnaires crowd, as if attacking players, rush to the barbarians who just run out to meet them ... ... Uaaa (suppressed yawn)
In defense of the game you can say this: Normally, when the RTS economic model of primitive ... and normally, when the town-planning simulator primitive war. In the end, she's not important, but only one of the challenges that require a timely response.
General impression In fact, the game is gorgeous! Captivates her two very important things: it all happens very quickly (especially if you turn on full speed), and the goals and the outcome of any obvious choice due to clear descriptions of quests and a very handy control. Player all the time something is busy, and his every action is important.
Never before has the simulator controls the Eternal City was not so quick, intuitive and easy to handle - like a good shooter.
| To be continued ... |
In the nearest plans of developers, meanwhile, supplement, dedicated to the Roman colony of Britannia (not to be confused with the native land of Lord British). Among the scenarios - Londinium, Hadrian's Wall and the Aqua Sulis (now Bath). By the time you read this article, the British Value Pack will be available for download from the game for about $ 4.
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