Rise of Nations

Rating:
Summary: Rise of Nations
Review: What I find as an anachronism about this game is that you can build pyramids while you are in the Information (or current) Age of mankind. In this game, there are eight ages in time: the Ancient Age, the Classical Age, the Medieval Age, the Gunpowder Age, the Enlightenment Age, the Industrial Age, the Modern Age, and the Information Age. I have played the archetype or demo of this game for many months and it has led me to believe that it is bellicose. You, the person playing the game, are the avant-garde of your nation and cities. Some people think that the tutorial to this game is bombast and has no meaning to them. That would be true if you have played the game or games like it long enough, but there are people who haven't played the game and find the tutorial very informative of the games functions and the purpose of the game. You start out in the Ancient Age and it is bucolic and you have to grow a lot of farms and build lots of timber camps so that you can gain the most possible amount of each before the enemy comes and raids your city. The game gives you a caveat that your city or cities are under attack so that you can get back to them and get them protected before they are destroyed. People have been known to hold collusions against computer players so that there is no way the computer can win. They go online to get cheats and then playing the game and ruining the point of the game. There are many ways to give a coup degrace such as gaining 70% of the whole map, capturing the capital of the enemy, Building enough Wonders of the World to gain enough Wonder Points, or by running the Armageddon Clock to zero, which in turn makes you lose also. The enemy can be craven and run away when his troops get too low to keep up the attack. When all hope seems lost because you don't have enough resources, you can send your scout out and like a deus ex machina, there are runes, which replenish your lowest resource. After you have captured enemy capitals, everything but there military and workers become yours. This allows you to be draconian and so you kill them fast and painlessly or slowly and mercilessly. You can make the enemy forces seem flaccid if you overwhelming forces. Beating the computer is always hedonism to most if not all gamers. Usually peasants are meaningless and are in infinitesimal numbers. The game is pragmatic in that it shows how armies are built and how fast or slow people advance through the ages. The basic juggernaut in the game is the one you or the enemy creates. Be afraid if it's the enemy with the juggernaut of an army. The game is laissez-faire in that it lets you advance and grow as fast as you want. The game is also lissome in that the rules can be bent depending on what rules you choose to use. The game seems to be misogyny in that women are the builders and workers and get the lowest working jobs in the game. The men are also builders and workers but they get to be everything else in the game also. Overall this is a great game and I can't wait to get enough money to buy it.

Rating:
Summary: This Game Rocks!!!
Review: So far, I have only played the demo. And that rocks. You can zoom in and out and work yourself through different ages. As the different epochs of time elapse, new and more intresting factors develop in this game. For example, you "evolve" from a barbarian with a sword, to a heavy machine gun man (after about seven time periods). And you eventually go from a horseman to a tank(after a long time). This game is in extreme depth, and its graphics are exceptional. But this game does appear better with a newer computer. The newer computer enhances the graphics, and makes the game smoother. Another factor of this game that I specifically like is that you can build wonders to boost your economy and/or for military benifits. For example, the Eiffel Tower increases your oil flow, and Collosus of Rhodes increases your wealth income. But the Terracotta Army produces one ounit of foot soldiers every 30 seconds. There still are 11 more wonders to build, including the Space Program, Statue of Liberty and theKremlin. But if the demo has so many kudos, by my part, I cannot wait until I purchase the real thing. but I am just going to wait until the expansion comes out to accompany the original.

Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: first i ordered this, it came with no problem in 2 DAYS! then i popped it in and it was like heaven of all RTS and strategy games. everything about this game is good.i have CeasarIII and age of empires, i have also played empire earth and all 3 of them combined would not even compare to RoN! GET THIS GAME NOW IF YOU ARE READY FOR A REAL STRATEGY GAME!!THIS GAME IS THE BEST

Rating:
Summary: An improvement on the RTS engine
Review: I really didn't know what I was going into buying "Rise of Nations." I was already a fan of "Empire Earth" and had heard RoN was so-so. Then I met an individual who told me it was definately worth my while, so the minute I had spending money I went to my local Best Buy and got me a copy. Not only was I impressed, but RoN soon replaced EE as my game crack!

Like EE, you play a game against computer opponents on a variety of maps and victory conditions (conquest, wonders, etc). You also get to update your culture through the different time periods - although unlike EE, RoN does not have a high-tech future with fighting robots. You get things like "advanced battleship" and ICBM missiles in the last tech tree, but that's about it. Also, like EE, you can choose what culture level you start and end at. The added bonus is that the different updates and micro-managing of your civilization techs reminds me of the Age-of-Empires or even Age-of-Mythology games. The different ways you can customize the head-on games alone leaves for much added replay values.

There are two things that I like about this game that ranks it above other RTS of its kind: the political system and the national borders. Most RTS games have the political system of a Middle East conflict - me at war with you. RoN, unless you set it so the alliances/wars are fixed, allows a much more reliable and flexible political mod in the vein of the Civilization games, and you can declare war, form alliances, and make peace as best you see fit. Also, the construction of cities and forts will influence your national border...basically, the area of land your nation controls. What does this mean? Well if you research such things as "Patriotism" your enemies will get attrition when they invade, their units getting damage the longer they stay. Don't worry, you can help supply vehicles to keep your troops supplied and therefore attrition free. This not only prevents those annoying endless rushes RTS AI's seem so keen on, but it adds to the realism of the game. Watch as your enemy carries out an invasion that ends on par with Napoleon's retreat from Moscow!

There is a "campaign" game in here, called the "Conquer the World" scenario. Imagine Risk with combat being portrayed as RoN missions, units and buildings all. The only thing I didn't like was the positioning of the different civilizations. Some seem trapped inside other cultures, and you might find yourself forced to go to war sooner than you want. If you fear no one you probably won't care, but if you want to secure your borders before attacking then you will probably find this aggravating.

If you like RTS games give RoN a try. If you play strategy games like "Hearts of Iron" or any thing along those lines, then introduce yourself to RTS games like this. It's not revolutionary, but it's fun.

Rating:
Summary: One of the best RTS games ever made.
Review: I'm extremely glad I bought this game. Rise of Nations is one of the most entertaining and addictive games I've ever played. There's a lot of similarities between it and Civilization III and the other top RTS games, but for some reason this game really pulls me in. There's so much entertainment value seeping out of it that I can't stop playing. I won't list all the pluses I have for it because that'd be too large of a list, but there's a few miniscule minuses. For one, it's great that there are 18 nations to play as, but once you get going which ever you choose doesn't really matter; the nation special abilities don't alter the game that much and can even be disabled. My other complaint is that the game goes pretty quickly no matter the speed setting. I like to relax and build up my empire when I play sometimes, and that goes by too quickly to really enjoy the different ages within the game. All in all, this is the most fun RTS game I've ever played.

Rating:
Summary: RON (Rise of Nations) rocks!
Review: At first when I bought this game, I was a little bit worried. I thought it would be boring and the same as all the other "Age of Empires" games. Boy! Was I wrong! This is a very fun game! The graphics are "sooooo" much improved! It feels like, to an extent, you are really in the game. Resource gathering is more realistic and you can now build more buildings! However, the soundtrack is a little bit dissapointing. To me it seems like there are only two songs. One of them, the singer goes "UOHHHHH" the whole time making it an annoying song. The other is good but not the greatest I have ever heard. However, the gameplay is more important than the music so I will not drop the star ranking at all! Anyway, get this game!

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Summary: The BEST RTS Game Available!
Review: I have owned this game since it has been released, and ever since I started playing it, I can't stop! The game has everything you need to get a feeling of realistic war. I personally love the online gaming feature, since I can play with other people.

One of the greatest things about the game is all of the different civilizations. Every one of them has it's own strengths. In order to get to know all of the strenths better, I purchased the Sybex Official Strategy Guide, which is a great help. I suggest that anyone who buys this should also purchase the strategy guide along with it.

Another great thing is the fact that the wonders offer bonuses when you build them. Some allow your cities to expand by 3, and some give you free foot troops, etc. My personal favorite is the Statue of Liberty, which upgrades your military for free.

One of the most challanging features in the game, which is also very fun to use, is the nukes. You have to be careful not to destroy the game, but you still get to use them and destroy other nation's cities, etc. However, if they get them before you do, you had better be able to research the missil shield at the library.

The game is full of strategy, and it's a great game all around. If you love to go to "war" and have a great time, this game is for you! It's easily the best RTS ever made.

Rating:
Summary: Best Game by far
Review: Theres no way to decribe it, this game is just the best. 18 nations (24 with expansion pack on april 28th) all sorts of maps and modes, great graphics. NOT another remake of AoE.

Rating:
Summary: The best RTS game so far!
Review: Simply the best strategy game yet! I've played Civilization 1,2, and 3. Age of Empires, Empire Earth, and even Europa Universalis (a real stinker). RoN is by far the most advanced, and has the best AI and playability of them all. When I first played at the Easiest level, I did well enough and it was fun from the very beginning. Then at the next level I was defeated nearly every time! I was ready to give up. But I kept trying to figure out what I could do to win. So I learned new tactics and some "tricks", without which playing at the more difficult levels would have been impossible for me. So, if you don't want any tips, but want to figure it all out yourself, then don't read anymore - just get the game and try the Solo / Conquer the World campaign. If you want some tips, then read on...

First, when playing solo (which is what I always did) make extensive use of the pause button. I re-assigned the space bar to be the pause button for quick easy use. You can't do things as fast as the computer and you will probably get wiped out if you don't pause the game. When the game is paused you can still assign work to citizens, select and point to where military units should go, select research to do or units or buildings to build, and review your resources to see what you need to increase. (BTW, at the end of each battle, your resources should be maxed out. If not, you will probably be defeated because you can't build military units fast enough.)

In a 90 minute Conquest Battle I would use the pause button maybe 200 times for a total of about another 90 minutes. That would make each game segment about 3 hours in length (some are easier and don't take as long, and if you lose it will probably happen pretty quick.)

Second make extensive use of hotkeys. You will drive yourself nuts scrolling back and forth across the map and trying to find the building you want. You only need to memorize a few to make a big difference - k, s, o, d, and x for military buildings (so you can order units to be built) and the L and the TAB key for research that needs to be done.

Third pay close attention to what units your opponents is attacking you with and make sure you are building the appropriate counter units. And keep in mind your opponent (the computer) will change the units it uses as its resources and research progress.

Fourth, in the modern and information ages use Howitzers and Rocket Artillery extensively. They are expensive to build, but worth it. Also use Bombers and Jet planes. They are devastating and excellent for "seeing" unexplored areas fast and for destroying your opponents resources.

Fifth, in all battles with water separating you and the country you are attacking (or defending against) you MUST gain naval superiority. Emphasize naval units over land units until you ensure your opponent cannot attack you from the water. Then build a bunch of military units and invade. Use battleships to pound buildings, resources, and units near the water - and destroy all offshore oil platforms. In the modern and information ages oil is everything - if you don't have enough you will be screwed. If you can make sure your opponent doesn't have much, you will be victorious!

Sixth, concentrate on destroying resources (mines, oil wells, etc). They are more important than attacking units or cities.

Seventh, make sure you always have some infantry units. Tanks, Howitzers, or cavalry units cannot capture an enemy city. It is very frustrating to reduce a city's "health" and then not be able to capture it because you don't have any infantry units there.

Eighth, don't give up when you get nuked. It is surprising how fast you can come back from having a city and all the nearby buildings destroyed from one nuclear missile. BTW, as soon as the "Nuclear Missile Launch Detected": warning goes off, hit the pause button and then go to the city being attacked, select all the citizens and Caravans close to city and point them to move away from the city. then unpause the game and allow the missile to fall. Many times they will be able to move far enough away before the missile strikes to survive. Also the computer will never run the Armageddon clock down past 2. The only way you will lose due to Armageddon is if you do it. Nukes are most useful to reduce a city right before your ground troops attack - they can usually take the city without a fight then. But defending it will still usually be required.

Ninth, always use the rally points for each military building, and always move them to battles. Other wise you will constantly be looking for your units and having to send them to the battle, wasting precious time. It makes a big difference when they come right to the battle or city you are defending. In fact, if you set rally points and use the hotkeys to select military buildings and build new units, then you can even be looking elsewhere on the map, doing something else (like attacking oil wells with bombers), while your ground units are fighting to take or hold a city.

Tenth, always use control groups for your military units. I often used one group for siege units, one for naval units, and one for other ground units. Sometimes I combined all ground and siege units into one "army". But either way, if you don't set up any control groups you will constantly be looking for your units and/or ordering them to move into position - and you won't have time for that when you are attacked - you need to be able to mover them all at once.

I think that's enough. There are more, and I'm sure many that I don't know; but that will help you out enough to play well and then you can learn some more yourself. Oh, maybe one more tip - when you are done with your research then kill the scholars. That will allow you to build more military units because there is always a population cap. Always try to minimize the number of citizens you use to for the same reason - you want just enough to get the jobs done.

I will be waiting impatiently for RoN 2!

Rating:
Summary: Read This then buy this Game!
Review: I've had this game for a long time now (In computer software terms) and I wasn't going to write a review considering there are so many other great reviews out there but I just don't see this game getting the play it deserves.

Rise of Nations is hands down the most complex, engrossing, tactical, mentally challenging RTS I have ever played. I've been playing RTS's since their inception and have been a big fan of games like Warcraft 3, Starcraft, C&C, Cossacks, among countless others so I'd like to think I write with some knowledge about the genre.

Graphically RoN is solid but not out of this world like we saw with the release of Blizzard's Warcraft 3. Not to say the graphics aren't great but there was certianly no graphical revolution occuring do to the release of this game. Units are detailed pretty well with average particle effects. However the missle and nuke explosions are great. Maps look pretty solid and building design is above average.

I really like the soundtrack, kind of a low barely audible classical style of music that you can hardly hear when getting into intense parts of the game. Which is perfect, I dislike games that the music overpowers the experience like Cossacks. I'd prefer when engaging enemys to hear my cannons howl and arrows zing. I never even concern myself with turning off the music which I enevitably do with most other RTS games due to the monotonous nature of the music. The sound effects rip especcially with a good sound setup, so crank it up!

As all RTS players know it's all about gameplay, and RoN is a Superstar. You should peruse other reviews for more indepth detail about specifics because there is no way to fit all the unique features in one review. I'll point out a few that have won me over.

1) National Borders - This game is about building a nation not just a couple outposts to produce military units. You need to constantly build new cities and other structures to expand your area of influence. As you do it has a direct effect on how much the oppent can gather resources as well as creating more area for you to defend. National borders indirectly increase wealth as well as resource gather rates for your own nation.

2) Attrition Damage - Enemy units in your territory are subject to attrition damage if they are without certian units in their grouping. That means left unattacked an enemy would eventually be killed if he stood within your borders for a certian amount of time. This lends to the tactical natures of the battle as Supply Wagons which stop attrition damage become major focal points of flanking manuvers.

3) Three Styles of play - The balance of the game is amazing, no longer is the RTS about amassing resources, build the most units, destroy everything in your way. RoN is about tactics and counter moves during battle. All units have a counter unit that is most effective when fighting it and it is extremely well done. Building 100 tanks won't mean victory if 30 of the counter units are handging around to defend. This leads me to the styles of play, Boom, Rush and Defensive. All have there benefits but the most common complaint in most RTS games are rushers. RoN has balanced it so you can effectively hold off rushes if defensively focused on it as well as created the starting point of the game a much more difficult situation to rush without hurting research. If someone rushes and fails which happens pretty regularly they subject themselves to massive fall back in research. The player who doesn't rush successfully destroys resources that could have been put to better use.

4) Conquer the World Campaign - Single player campaign has no cut scenes and is not story driven. It's basically a dumbed down version of Risk where you make stratical moves on a map then play out the battles in reat-time. The options are many and its incredibly well executed.

That's about it although I could write forever about the fantastic stuff implemented in this game. A few down notes : Your rig needs to be solid, I run a P4 1.9 620 RAM and an ATI Radeon 8500 LE. It runs great(I running 1024res with effects maxed out) but I needed new drivers for my vid card. Anything lower than a 1.2 could be looking at performance hiccups, you'll have to turn down the graphics features a bit. I've heard a lot about crash issues and the like but the patches that are out have cleaned up almost all the problems (I never had a crash issue).

Multiplayer is tight as well as single player so don't think you need to be an online gamer to enjoy this one. RoN is the Cadillac of RTS Games. Don't miss out.