Caesar

The first in the strategy series set in the Roman Empire's peak era starts off with you as ruler of a small province, although if you're successful you will get tougher assignments.

You must build the city, placing crucial features such as housing estates, roads, policing, water supply, social events and the like. You're not restricted to one city - you can build another area, linked by roads, once you've got the first one running smoothly. You have slaves at your disposal to build and maintain everything.

All this would be easy if you had an infinite supply of money, the civilians didn't complain about anything, there was no threat of combat, and you didn't have to keep the people above you happy. Needless to say, all of these problems crop up.

Via the forums, you will get public opinions, which are affected by how high taxes are, and whether people feel they're getting value for money. If they don't they could riot; what will you tell the Emperor if that happens?

Barbarian threats are commonplace, so you need to maintain an army, and at times send it into battle. If you own Cohort II, you can fight the battles using that, but otherwise you just issue the orders then learn of the result.