Start with a single city in the Ancient Age; gather resources; build an infrastructure; research technologies; construct Wonders of the World such as the Pyramids and the Eiffel Tower; and expand your military might across the world, conquering hostile nations with bombers, battleships, and tanks—all over your lunch hour!

Players have the option to win through military might using everything from slingshots to cannons to stealth bombers, corner the market on key commodities, and wheel and deal with a wide variety of Nations. Unlike other historical RTS games, Rise of Nations allows gamers to quickly play through eight historical epochs of time from the Ancient Age to the Information age, covering 6,000 years of history.

Microsoft has apparently reacquired the Rise Of Nations franchise after the demise of 38 Studios, which had acquired RoN developer Big Huge Games after THQ went belly-up. Microsoft plans to re-release it as an Extended Edition with updated graphics and some new features.

The extended edition includes the original Rise Of Nations game, the Thrones and Patriots expansion, as well as:

• Improved Visuals
  
  • Improved water
  • Improved textures
  • Full-screen anti-aliasing
• Full Steamworks Integration
  
  • Multiplayer with ranked matches (ELO)
  • Achievements
  • Trading Cards
  • Cloud saves
• Extended Features
  
  • Twitch Integration

Rise of Nations: Extended Edition requires Win7/Win8.

Key Features:

• 18 Nations—each with special abilities and unique military units.
• Over a hundred military units operating on the ground, sea, and air— from Hoplites to Frigates to Helicopters.
• Over two dozen buildings with upgrades and technologies that will take your nation from a small City to an Information Age society.
• 14 Wonders of the World—the Terra Cotta Army, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower. Each gives your nation special bonuses.
• More than a dozen map types, ranging from the Amazon Rainforest to the Himalayas to the Nile Delta.
• Conquer the World campaign—a linked series of dozens of scenarios.

Rise of Nations: Extended Edition will be available as digital download for $19.99.