Tag: Strategy Games

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From the archive: this review first ran on the Mac Gaming Alliance (MGA), the Mac games site that lived here on DimensionZ in the late 1990s. It was published around 1998 and is reproduced as originally written. More in the Mac Gaming Alliance archive.

You lead a group of Romans, who lost their boat and everything except a few supplies, in an attempt to grow, prosper, and CONQUER!

Gameplay

The gameplay is pretty good. You can lead the group of Roman soldiers in a campaign to conquer the world or you play unlimited play in which you get to set the game up how you like, number of enemies, whether you are against the computer or other humans, map, alliance types, etc… In campaign mode, you start out with a simple introductory/training mission and work up to the harder ones. There are 10 missions and they act out like a small story. You use the mouse to do most of the control including building structures and attacking your enemy. You can also use the keyboard for some of the control. As you expand your territory, you will encounter your enemy(s) and you may have to go to war with them. One thing that I didn’t like about this game is that you couldn’t control some of the more useful functions like cutting down trees. Once you have build the appropriate structures you can start cutting down trees for lumber, sometimes opening up a place to build more structures. Unfortunately, you can’t tell them to cut down a particular tree thus allowing you to build something in it’s place.

Interface, Difficulty & Bugs

This game had a poor interface. Only part of the time did the program tell you what button you had your mouse over which would have been okay if the manual had told you about the different buttons but it only showed some of them, unusually the ones that the program told you about. Trying to start playing this game, even after reading the manual twice and having it beside me, was difficult. More than once I found myself pressing a button just to find out what it did.

The game isn’t easy but it also isn’t so hard that you won’t have fun playing it. Under unlimited play you can make it harder or easier but only to an extent which is good. This game isn’t for those who just want a game that they can finish easily, in fact, this game is one that you can never fully beat. You can enhance the game by playing a multiplayer game or by designing your own mission in the unlimited play.

Only at one time did I have a problem with the game itself. While playing it one time the game froze my Mac and I had to turn the computer off and then on with the power switch. Other than that there weren’t any bugs that I could find.

Conclusion

This game is a very good strategy type game. You will never completely beat the game because you can play against other people in a multiplayer game or you can play using your own setup. If you want a strategy type game that you’ll never be able to say that you beat the entire game then this is a good choice but be ready to spend some time learning what the different buttons do and how to do some of the more intricate functions.

Find a copy

The Settlers 2 has been out of print for years, but used copies of the original Mac release still turn up, and some classics have been re-released for modern systems. Search for The Settlers 2 on Amazon.

Ratings use the MGA’s original 1–5 apple scale. Prices, system requirements and web links in this review are from the time it was written.

This post has affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.

From the archive: this review first ran on the Mac Gaming Alliance (MGA), the Mac games site that lived here on DimensionZ in the late 1990s. It was published November 1997 and is reproduced as originally written. More in the Mac Gaming Alliance archive.

Civilization II is the sequel to its predecessor, Civilization. Civilization II is very different from the original game in terms of units, rules, terrain, etc. While the original Civilization was a success, Civilization II is expected to be even more popular. In general terms, Civilization II puts you in command of an entire empire, you get to choose from over twenty. You also have to keep your people happy, keep other empires under control (including wars and espionage), make sure the environment is not harmed, and make sure your empire grows (either by building new cities or capturing other empires’ cities.)

Gameplay

Civilization II is very easy to play, once you get used to its concept. You basically control cities’ production and move units, both civilian and military. The game also comes with an appropriate soundtrack, with titles like “Ode to Joy” and other unique titles. An extensive map editor also comes with the game.

Graphics and Sound

Civilization II has much better graphics than its predecessor. They look like they were created on a Macintosh rather than a PC. Civilization II also comes with many sounds to accompany events that occur, most of them for battles and wars.

Interface

The interface for Civilization II is done mostly through the menu bar. This makes things very convenient. For those who like to use keys instead, you can control some operations through the keyboard. If you need help, there is a High Council which utilizes video so you can find out what you need to do. Also, there is a program called the Civilopedia which contains documentation on anything you will need in the game. There is also a massive cheat menu, but you will be penalized if you turn them on.

Difficulty

Civilization II has many difficulty levels. Be warned, however, that the easiest difficulty level itself is not as easy as you may think. While you can turn off barbarians, who cause various chaos, you will be penalized if you do. Also, you are penalized if you cheat.

Conclusion

Civilization II is an excellent game. It provides hours of exciting gameplay without severe problems. I highly recommend this game!

Find a copy

Civilization 2 has been out of print for years, but used copies of the original Mac release still turn up, and some classics have been re-released for modern systems. Search for Civilization 2 on Amazon.

Ratings use the MGA’s original 1–5 apple scale. Prices, system requirements and web links in this review are from the time it was written.