I loved this game when it came out years ago, even was part of the closed beta for the Cleopatra expansion. Reviving the game with improved graphics seemed a great idea. I liked the flexibility of choosing stable populations and universal recruiting, both of which make the game more realistic and playable in my opinion. Sadly, the playability of the game remains poor. Problems: 1. Work camps stop working randomly and can sometimes be restarted by loading an older sva - but not always. 2. Ferry crossings will always move immigrants but frequently will not allow the distribution of goods. Relocating ferries after you have built up a city can be problematic and frustrating. 3. Soldiers will not use ferries, period. This means that your recruiter and all forst must be on the same chunk of land not separated by rivers. 4. Pests/predators - in the original game, policemen would kill pests walking around populated areas if they came onto roads. Not in this revival. A tower manned by an archer would also engage in pest control. 5. Invasions. While I don't mind the off-map combats, there is one episode that has become impossible to win. Police in the original game would also confront enemy soldiers with moderate success and manned towers provide additional defense. Without these auxilliary forces the episode Qadesh (I believe) becomes unplayable. None of this has stopped me from playing, but it could certainly be improved.
