| Great Empires Collection | 
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| From: Vivendi Universal
Category: Video Games
Buy New: $29.99
New (1) Used (11) from $15.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 16666
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 95
ESRB: Everyone
Media: CD-ROM
Discs: 3
Age: 5 - 20 years
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 7.9 x 1.9
Model: 71198
UPC: 020626711982
EAN: 0020626711982
ASIN: B000056OYO
Release Date: December 18, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: USA/UK DVD CASE EDITION. $3.99 USA 3-7 business day shipping. 24/7 customer service. Shipping/tracking emails.
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| Features:
| • | Includes Caesar III, Pharaoh, and its Cleopatra expansion. |
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
 Pharaoh is the best August 26, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I have played Pharaoh since it came out. It really is the only PC game that I have returned to, many times over many years. It's insanely addictive, so I try not to start playing except during summer. Once I start, I'm locked in until I have to start teaching again in the Fall.
If you get hooked on this game, be sure to go on line to Pharaoh Heaven on the Heaven Games site (at http://pharaoh.heavengames.com/). A few of the past grand masters of this game (with names like Brugle, TryHard, and VitruviusAIA) still monitor the site to offer excellent tips to beginning players. I actually loved the game enough to devote the time to figuring out the algorithm that governs about 90% of the behavior of the supposedly "random" walkers in the game. If you want to see the fruits of my efforts, look for the most recent posts from StephAmon related to Ambulomancy.
Whether or not you become as obsessed with a particular aspect of the game as I did, I have difficulty seeing how most people could fail to fall in love with Pharaoh and its expansion pack, Cleopatra (also included in the Great Empires Collection).
Windows XP users have no fear, I've got Pharaoh+Cleo running under XP. I make no guarantees about Vista, however, due to lack of experience.
excellent games... get the newer collection, though... September 6, 2005
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
These are excellent games. But don't buy this collection, buy the newer Great Empires Collection 2. It has the same three games plus two expansions (separate review).
Pharaoh/Cleopatra has a sequel "Children of the Nile" (separate review) and Caesar III will have a sequel Caesar IV (due Fall 2006.)
 There are better games out there July 4, 2005
2 out of 9 found this review helpful
These games expect too much from you. What I mean by that is that everything has to be perfect in the city that you are building in order for the people who live there to be happy.
You have to build their houses in a desirable location, otherwise the houses will be of poor quality and the people will move out. You have to make sure that the people have food, water, jobs, are healthy, have a source of entertainment, and have access to religious services. Providing these things for the people will cost money. If you run out of money, you have to find a way to make more money. One way to make more money is to establish a trade route to another area to trade your goods. This can be hard to do because you will have to find an area that will accept your goods and will trade them for other goods that are useful to you but that you can't produce yourself. You have to make sure that your city has a strong army of soldiers in case of an invasion. Even if you are confident that the people are happy, it seems like they will always have something to complain about. It seems like businesses always complain that they have too few employees. It seems like no matter how many firehouses and architects' posts you build, buildings will constantly be bursting into flame or falling to pieces. Your entire city that you have worked so hard on will be in ruins in just a matter of seconds even if you have the best fire and damage protection. And, you have to make sure that the gods are happy. You need to be constantly throwing festivals in their honor, otherwise they'll do things like send down plagues of locusts or what have you to wreck havoc in your city. What I'm trying to say is that these games are a little too hard. Also, the games have lots of typos, which can be annoying.
These games belong in a 6th grade history classroom to teach kids how hard it was to rule one of these empires. I would not recommend these games to anyone, especially people who are easily frustrated. If you like city-building games, I would recommend Majesty, the Fantasy Kingdom Sim. Now that's a fun game.
The best ever! February 21, 2004
I have quite a few modern games (Empire Earth, Age of Mithology, Rise of Nations, you name it!) but the aging Caesar3 is still my favorite, it is relaxing, fun, enjoyable. It is true you won't find zoom capabilities or fancy graphics or complicate interface, it is just the best! By the way, Sierra, where is Caesar4?
 good city sims August 18, 2003
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
cleopatra and pharo are some of my favorite city sims. I found ceaser 3 chunky and hard to play. But getting 3 games in one is a great value. Get ready to lose some major time here!! A good value.
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