Grand Ages: Rome is a city-building game where the player takes the role of a Roman patrician, a nobleman, who has just started his political career. His ultimate goal is to become the Governor of Rome.

Throughout the game the player can develop his game character by gaining favor with various historical figures such as Julius Caesar, Pompey and Octavian. The benefits provided by these relations are carried over not only for the rest of the campaign but also in free-build maps and multiplayer scenarios.

Grand Ages: Rome features completely new graphics, new buildings and environments, a new and improved economic system, an improved battle system and a comprehensive multiplayer mode.

The character you choose to play can belong to one of five families. Your choice of family is important to your future strategy, as like in life, families have character traits which lead to both strengths and weaknesses.

The Five Families

1. The Aemilii are born soldiers, not afraid to resort to unpopular actions in time of crisis. Their iron resolve and decisiveness brought them the recognition and loyalty of the militant Equites. Cold-blooded and merciless, the Aemilii always find a way out. Motto: The end justifies the means
2. The Valerii are skillful merchants and control the largest trade network in the Republic. While their contacts are hard to trace through time, a well-placed bribe and favors from distant connections are the main tools for achieving their goals. Motto: Throw enough money at a problem and it will go away
3. The Lucii are crafters and workers and have the reputation for being able to produce large quantities of any commodity in the shortest time. Their taskmasters make excellent use of slave workforce, often basing major enterprises on slave labor. The abundance of goods and slaves allows the house to accomplish even the hardest of projects with ease. Motto: Work hard, seize the rewards
4. Sophisticated and refined, the Flavii are the ideal young nobles often aspired to. Lavish lifestyle, strong connections, and devotion to knowledge describe the family quite well. Some prominent family members have taken keen interests in philosophy and history, which has caused many famed scholars to regard the Flavii as their patrons. Motto: Knowledge is power
5. Holding vast amounts of fertile land, the Julii have helped solve Rome’s problems with starvation on several occasions. But the real power of the family is their ability to bend the plebs to their needs. As a rule, a member of the Julii will accomplish his goals with the support of the crowd, cheered by the common people while doing so. Motto: Bread and circuses

Key Features :

• A new and improved graphics engine.
• Persistent Player Character - benefits gained from completed quests are persistent and can be used on any mission, including campaign, free-play and multiplayer
• Campaign that features 20 maps of historical cities and locations
• Patrons - more than 20 historical figures that offer additional objectives to the player
• Over 60 buildings & 50 units
• Ships and Islands
• New and Improved Economics
• A multiplayer mode which includes both co-operational and competitive tasks as well as a range of exclusive multi-player maps.
• Enhanced battle system with standard RTS control of the squads
• Grand Monuments such as the Coliseum, Circus Maximus and the Pantheon
• City States - famine, siege, riots, etc.
• Disasters - random disasters such as plagues, fires and earthquakes. All such disasters will be visualized.

Grand Ages: Rome is scheduled for an release in March 17, 2009.