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Best Files » Cincinnatus : The Liberator of Rome v1.3
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Cincinnatus : The Liberator of Rome v1.3
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Author |
File Description |
Shiva |
Posted on 03/25/02 @ 12:00 AM
File Details |
Version: |
The Conquerors 1.0c |
Style: |
Role Playing Strategy |
Welcome back!
Cincinnatus : The Liberator of Rome v1.3 is finally in your hands! Be proud of it. Right off the bat, i want to tell you, this is a completely true story. Nothing written here in the story is wrong. It\'s all historical. I tried to portay it as best as i understood it. I hope you\'ll learn more about Cincinnatus and his legendary adventures. Well, not Genghis Khan legendary, but close. Very close.
Story :
Cincinnatus, Lucius Quinctius (circa 519-430BC) was a Roman hero who was instrumental in saving the early Republic. In 458 BC, Rome was in danger of being destroyed by the Aequi, a neighboring Italian tribe. To defeat this threat, the Senate voted to appoint Cincinnatus as dictator, a temporary office vested with unlimited powers. A deputation was sent to his small farm, which was the smallest landholding allowed to qualify for citizenship. The senators found Cincinnatus at work tending his crops. He was told of the Senate\'s decision and was saluted as dictator. However, the plebeians, the ordinary people, feared that Cincinnatus might abuse his position. Their fears proved groundless and, after the defeat of the Aequi, they voted Cincinnatus a golden wreath at the end of his sixty days of office. He then returned to his fields and was remembered as the perfect example of a virtuous and dutiful Roman citizen.
Cincinnatus was not and never was emperor of Rome. There was no emporer in his lifetime because Rome was still a republic then. What he was was a senator who stepped down when his son defamed the republic. That alone would have made him unusual, to relinquish a powerful elected office on a matter of principle. But he is remembered by history because the Roman senate, realizing that a debating society such as they were might not be able to make a decision when the republic was in danger, established the office of dictator. The dictator was to be elected by the senate. The office would last as long as six months--shorter if the dictator could solve the problem in less time. But, in six months, the senate would review the appointment and either remove him and take over themselves, remove him and replace him with another dictator, or give him six more months. Regardless, the man filling that position was supposed to relinquish the dictatorship and the power it entailed.
What happened was that a tribe in northern Italy, called the Aequi, surrounded a Roman army at Mount Algidus. If the beleaugered army was lost, it was feared Rome might be lost. The senate decided the time for debate was over. They needed action now; they needed a dictator to save the republic. But they looked around the senate, and realized they didn\'t trust each other. Whoever they elected dictator would become the most powerful man in Rome and might not be willing to give up the power once he got it.
Then someone thought of the former senator, Cincinnatus, who had quit the senate in shame. They knew that none of them would have done it if they were in his place.They elected him, sent messengers to his farm where they discovered him behind the plow, and told him he had to serve as dictator.He went to the city, took command of a consular army, and marched north where he defeated the Aequi. A week later he returned to Rome and was now the most powerful man in Rome. But gave up his power, as everyone hoped he would, and went back to finish plowing his fields.
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Special Features guaranteed!
:. 1 scenario campaign
:. Great Map Design
:. Many trigger tricks
:. Secrets for the curious
:. Extensive play-testing
Shiva
Woad Creations |
Author | Reviews ( All | Comments Only | Reviews Only ) |
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Tanneur99
Official Reviewer |
Posted on 03/31/02 @ 12:00 AM
Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus was an exemplary politician, not only for the Roman Republic, but also for the whole civilized world. The Founding Fathers named the Cincinnatus Society after him and that society gave the town of Cincinnati its name. He was a Roman general, who after the exile of his son Caeso, lost his fortune in 461 BC. He was elected consul for the year 460 BC, in order to help the patricians against the plebeians and tribunes. After that, he worked on his farm of only three acres until his election as dictator in 458 BC for a period of six month. As he finished his job in fifteen days, he stepped down, giving back the power to the Senate of Rome. His political mission, specially the one of 439 BC, can be described as opposition against all tyranny or despotism on behalf of the Roman Republic, even if the danger could come from himself.
Minucius was defeated by Aequi at mount Algidus and the senate of Rome is asking Cincinnatus for help, to save the army, this is were you’re story begins.
PLAYABILITY: This improved version reminds me of George Lucas, who, before releasing Star Wars I, brought improved versions of IV-VI into the cinemas. If that is the reason, I am already all excited to download the second part of one of the greatest story’s in the history of civilisation, which will tell us of the confrontation between Cincinnatus and Maelius in the year 439 BC. But as with Lucas, not all the improvements of Shiva are for the good. Specially the adding of the cliffs do affect the playability. At the Circus I go north and got the final objective at the cliff. A sneak attack is still announced, but there is none anymore, instead you watch the monkey, who came down in the 1.2 version to attack you, attacking and killing all the woad raiders for you and I also missed the surprise attack of the monkey from the left. After the circus I did the fighting too aggressive and load saved game at the circus before going north. As I knew about going north and back south again, I go east right away and achieve the final objective, no victory. I reload go north, get objective, go south etc., to find out that this time the victory conditions do work. 4
-You should have given the final objective when getting the army back, the place which works for 1.2 doesn't’t automatically fit for 1.3. The idea behind the blocking off that road was, that people see the circus and do not miss swordsmen and cavalry to get a better balance, which is basically right. But in exchange you give this boring go north and then south again, only to get the final objective and have potential enemies killed by a monkey.
BALANCE: The balance has improved in some areas, but lost in others. It takes too long before encountering the first enemies. In version 1.2 Cornelius thinks to go north, in 1.3 he proposes south, avoiding the ambush. When I went east, my first wounded man took the monk with him and you can make him follow all the way. After one reload, as described above, I won far too easy, as in front of the base you are attacked only in small enemy groups, when you destroy one building after the other with the trebuchet. This was better in the original, as most of your enemies were attacking right away and faster than your monk could heel. 4
-The monk should have been replaced to make this the perfect balance. If the designer gives a monk, the player will take him. Or you could have added enemies. For example on the way, very dramatic in the thunder-storm, could have been Volscians as a second enemy. In 458 BC the Aequi and Volscians were attacking Rome from the east and southeast.
CREATIVITY: Like we know from version 1.2 this is great, thunder and lightening, the carnivores fish, an explosion, the story and circus tricks. Now there are more circus people at another location, which is a nice idea. Unlike in the first version, the elephant is not changing the colour back, so look close, as you only have one try. 5
MAP DESIGN: Still far above average and the new base and the village with the music surprise add to the overall good impression of the design. 5
-But why didn't’t you get rid of the fleeing ships? They only serve to train your trebuchet, as nobody is fleeing like in the original and what is the meaning of clicking a tent to win, as the end scene is totally different?
STORY/INSTRUCTIONS: Shiva chose one of my favourite historical characters, with the best history section I have seen so far, you have a bitmap from Andres Age, a good hint section, in game hints, during the game changing instructions and you always know what to do. 5
-Good work Shiva
Overall: I recommend to download this great campaign, but I am not sure which version, as the original was flawless, there were improvements, but I have the impression, that version 1.2 was better play-tested. |
HGDL v0.8.2 |
Rating |
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4.6 | Breakdown |
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Playability | 4.0 | Balance | 4.0 | Creativity | 5.0 | Map Design | 5.0 | Story/Instructions | 5.0 |
Statistics |
Downloads: | 3,743 |
Favorites: [] | 1 |
Size: | 242.31 KB |
Added: | 03/25/02 |
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