Grand Ages: Rome

Grand Ages: Rome  (previously known as Imperium Romanum 2 ) is a city-building and real-time strategy developed by Haemimont Games and published by Kalypso Media. It was released in Europe on March 6, 2009 and in North America on March 17, 2009. It is the sequel to the Imperium Romanum.

Classes
The player builds a Roman colony city by zoning housing for three classes (Plebians, Equites, and Patricians) and workplaces for them. The poorest among the three classes are the plebians and endure the hardest and most labor intense occupations offered to them. The Plebians, or Plebs, live in insulas and can only occupy buildings designed for them and within their radius. Most building have a dual option for workforce. For instance, Lumbermills, Brickworks, Watermills, Mines and Farms can only be worked by slaves and the Plebs. Keep in mind that although certain buildings give the option to use slaves, they will not be as productive as using Plebs. Farmer's Markets, Bakeries and Butcheries can be manned by Plebs and Equites. Again, using Equites instead of Plebs to man these buildings will provide a boost to their output. Like all other RTS building games, each class requires a certain amount satisfaction to prevent desertion or crime. Plebians only require food to satisfy their needs and placing their insulas inside the radius of a distribution center like a Farmers market, satisfies their needs.

The Equite class are the next tier up in the social class and being the second level of wealth. Being of a higher stature, they require more needs or higher than that of their lower class (i.e. Farmers Market, bakery and an Entertainment center). Distributing these needs, their houses must be placed within the radius of the distributing center (i.e. Farmers Market, Bakery, and Enterainment center). Equites are required to work in less labor intesive buildings than that of the Plebs but nonetheless these buildings provide a certain need every colony needs. Every Equite house also provides ten soldier to the army.

The Patrician class is among the wealthiest of the classes. Their needs are much higher and more demanding than that of the other classes (i.e. Farmers Market, Bakery, Butchery, Entertainment center, Linen, and Religious center).

Controlling the transportation of goods is unnecessary, as is the zoning of roads (except for decorative boulevards), as all buildings have a radius of effect and are connected to all other buildings within this radius (with some building affecting the entire playing area). Battle is performed with squads, rather than the widely individual units used in other strategy games. Some units include Hastati, Equites, and Praetorian Guard.

Buildings

 * Resource Buildings
 * Lumbermills - Depending on the number of trees around and research done, provides wood supply for buildings. Requires an available source of Plebs or Slaves within its radius to function.
 * Brickworks - As long as there is a water source and available Plebs or Slaves within its radius, it will provide a set number of bricks for buildings.
 * Stone Quarry - Built on top of stone deposits and provides stone. Must have an available source of Plebs or Slaves within its radius to function.
 * Iron Mine - Provides iron to such buildings as weaponsmiths and blacksmiths. Requires an available source of Plebs or Slaves within its radius to function.
 * Flax Farm - Provides flax for linen makers to make linen. Requires an available source of Plebs or Slaves within its radius to function.
 * Food Production Buildings
 * Farmer's Market - Provides food from other food production buildings to the population within its radius. Requires an available source of Plebs or Slaves within its radius to function.
 * Wheat Farm - Provides wheat to supply population with food via farmer's market or supplies wheat to watermill. Requires an available source of Plebs or Slaves within its radius to function.
 * Pig Farm - Provides meat to supply population with food via a farmer's market or supplies meat to butcher's shop. Requires an available source of Plebs or Slaves within its radius to function.
 * Olive Farm - Provides olives       Requires an available source of Plebs or Slaves within its radius to function.
 * Grape Vinery - Provides grapes

Plot
In the single-player campaign, the player undertakes missions for his/her family members as well as historical figures like Marcus Tullius Cicero, Pompey Magnus and Marcus Crassus. The plot concerns events surrounding the fall of the Roman Republic.

Expansion
An expansion pack titled Grand Ages: Rome - The Reign of Augustus (known as Imperivm Online in Spain and Italy) was released in November 26, 2009 in Spain, December 1, 2009 in Italy and in January 2010 worldwide. It is sold worldwide online and sold in retail stores only in Italy and Spain.

The Reign of Augustus is a mix of previous releases with a city builder mode (as in Imperivm Civitas games) and a conquest mode (as in Imperivm RTC games, like Imperivm III: Great Battles of Rome). It is focused on politics, conquests and government in the time of Augustus.

Development
The game was developed by Haemimont Games.