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Also, quite important, will it run on me 700MHz P3 Geforce 4 MX440 set uP?
cheers
Sticks and stones may break their bones, but tanks and bombs break nations…
As you might expect from aptly named developer Big Huge Games, Rise Of Nations is no lightweight. In fact, as gaming concepts go, they don’t come much bigger or more epic than this. The latest brainchild of Civilization II designer Brian Reynolds, RON fuses the sizeable enough task of conquering the world with an epic journey of societal development through the ages. Primarily a real-time strategy affair, it adds a whole new level of depth to the tried and tested Age Of Empires formula by allowing players to build a powerful nation hand in hand with the chance to advance their civilisation through the entirety of history.
While the single Battle mode allows for progression from ancient times through to the information age within one epic RTS scenario, the crux of the game comes from undertaking a much more gradual trek through the eras in the massive Conquer The World campaign. Players choose to control any of the 18 empires on offer and begin the game from their appropriate home nation. The subsequent quest for world domination follows a turn-based system reminiscent of the classic board game Risk, yet the battles resulting from each move are actually played out in an RTS scenario. For instance, the Roman empire is accordingly based in Italy and will initially have the option to move into the adjacent unclaimed territory of the Alps or Balkans by land, venture south to the shores of Africa and claim the Sahara province, or, least advisably, invade the stronghold of their Greek neighbours to the east. As with the Civilization series, your allies must be chosen as wisely as your enemies, and striking up a friendship with the Greeks early on could provide some much needed support in conflicts with Europe’s many other aspiring empires as events unfold. Electing to invade unclaimed territory will usually cause a stir with the locals, and the resulting RTS scenario may have you defending your newly founded settlement against rebellious attacks. The battle sections take place on appropriate terrain for the geographical location and if you were to attempt an invasion of Britain, for example, you’ll find the English Channel standing between your mainland Europe position and old Blighty on the RTS map.
The campaign begins with all nations in the ancient age of civilisation and, whatever the objectives of the specific scenario, will typically give you a capital city surrounded by a couple of farms and a woodcutting operation to accumulate the food and wood you’ll need to start building your nation. Unlike most RTS games, however, stockpiling resources and researching new capabilities in RON isn’t simply a means of putting together your military force. Other key areas at the heart of your society’s development are advancements in commercial, scientific and civic knowledge. Of course, a powerful military is also crucial to defend your cities as they multiply within your nation’s borders, but only by amassing a productive society and completing the technological race quicker than the enemy will your empire be equipped to tackle the more demanding hostile situations.
When it does come down to fisticuffs, the combat dynamics and AI strategies are among the best we’ve seen in the genre. Most notable is how the art of war changes so dramatically as players advance through the ages – either during the single skirmishes or over the course of a campaign. RON excels in depicting the mass battlefield confrontations of medieval days, the seafaring invasions of new lands, and eventually today’s distanced dependency on air raids and missiles. The variety of strategy involved in battles across the eight epochs of civilisation is superb, and experiencing the replacement of arrows with gunpowder or the transition from horseback to mechanical vehicles makes for a truly epic voyage. When you’re nuking your bordering nations from the comfort of your own capital, it can be pretty rewarding to think back a few hours to when you were just a small farming community defended by a bunch of simpletons with slingshots…
Even in the single battles, the underlying Civilization-esque context makes RON by far one of the most wholesome RTS titles we’ve ever played. Those who want to fully immerse themselves in everything this game has to offer will find an endless complement of things to do and strategic directions to explore. However, the fully customisable scenarios also allow the less patient strategist to defer their more complex responsibilities and enjoy RON simply as a top-notch battle sim. Even better, since the action can be staged during any historical period, or over a specified range of eras, this game really can be anything you want it to be. Whether you’re after the engrossing depth of Civilization in real time, or simply want an RTS title that offers ancient, Napoleonic and WW2 warfare in the one package, RON will answer the wishes of beginners and seasoned campaigners alike.
All The Small Things
Okay, so the traditional isometric viewpoint Rise Of Nations uses to depict the action may lack the 3D perspective of certain other games in the genre, but that certainly doesn’t mean the game isn’t a looker. Animation of the beautifully rendered characters and unit models particularly livens up the screen, and the attention to detail is often quite remarkable. Along with the more obvious changes to architectural style and combat units as you advance through the ages, even the most intricate elements of your civilisation will accordingly progress. In fact, you’d do well to even notice how the logging techniques of your woodcutters gradually become more mechanised over history, and the construction methods your citizens use to build new structures will similarly evolve.
9 / 10
It's a great game, and requires more than "tank rush" or a variant of it, to guarantee success.
I don't know what it's like in comparison to C+C Generals because my crusty PC won't run it :P
Not sure about min. specs, though. Sorry.
Also, quite important, will it run on me 700MHz P3 Geforce 4 MX440 set uP?
cheers