From the Manufacturer

From acclaimed game designer Brian Reynolds and Big Huge Games, comes Rise of Nations an epic, historical, real-time strategy game. For the fir st time, gamers will experience the pulse-pounding thrill and speed of real-tim e gaming combined with the epic scope and depth of turn-based strategy games. T he game brings to life 6,000 years of history from the ancient age to the infor mation age--not just in warfare but in city building, trade, and diplomacy. Des pite the long timeline in the game, Rise of Nations is designed with the casual audience in mind, meaning gamers will be able to move through the game quickly.

Rise of Nations: Gold Edition includes both the award-winning Rise of Nations and the critically acclaimed expansion pack, Rise of Nations: T hrones and Patriots. Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots, the expa nsion pack to the critically acclaimed, best-selling Rise of Nations, ad ds a barrage of new features to the original game. The expansion introduces six new nations, four unique single-player campaigns, more than 20 original units, new wonders, and government types.

The original Rise of Nations has garnered several Best of 2003 awards an d "Editors Choice awards" from major media outlets. Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots, released in April 2004, has also been awarded a number of "E ditors Choice awards" and has been praised as one of the best expansions to dat e.

Key Features:

Lead one of 24 highly diverse nations: With the Gold Edition, players can l ead one of 24 nations--in the single player campaigns or on a multiplayer battl efield. Each nation has its own distinctive national powers and special units.
Engage in five single player campaigns and over 130 scenarios: Non-linear, single-player campaigns based on historical epochs will keep players busy as th ey plan their moves on the strategic outer map and play out battles in over 130 scenarios. Campaigns include Alexander the Great, Napoleon, the New World, Col d War, and the ultimate challenge: the Entire World.
Command over 240 different units: players can lead their armies to fight on land, sea, or in the air with everything from slingers, musketeers, tanks, mas sive Persian War elephants, aircraft carriers, and nuclear missiles.
In-depth game experience: Gamers will be able to create a truly strategic g ame experience by using national borders, flank attacks, spies, and generals. I n addition, as a nation advances through the ages, players can decide between s ix different government types, from socialism to capitalism, despotism to repub lic, each government type has a different power that allows players to customiz e their nations and open up new tactics and strategic possibilities. A unique P atriot unit is available with each government type, bringing a variety of power s to the battlefield.
Cross-genre gameplay: Combining the speed of real-time gaming with the epic scope of turn-based strategy games, Rise of Nations: Gold Edition allow s players to have a fast and fun experience with the option to complete a game in less than an hour. The games epic scope moves through eight historical epoch s, tying together the mysteries of ancient philosophy and the wonders of the wo rld.
Multiple ways to achieve victory: Players succeed through nonmilitary and q uasi-military strategies including espionage, political maneuvering, technology races, and population growth. Players can also choose to win through military action.
No Online Play available.