Armchair General writes: "In 387 BC, an army of Gauls had taken most of Rome and were besieging the remaining Roman garrison on the Capitoline hill. The Gaul's leader, Brennus, demanded 1,000 pounds of gold as ransom to leave the city alone. The Romans brought out their gold, but they noticed that the weights and balances the Gauls were using were fixed. The Romans complained to Brennus, who became angry, drew his sword and threw it on the balance. "Vae Victis", he declared, or woe to vanquished. This was a lesson Rome would never forget.
One of the reasons why Paradox is such a strategy-game powerhouse is that they never stop improving their core titles. So now, six months after Europa Universalis: Rome hit the store shelves, Paradox has released the first expansion; Vae Victis."
Direct2Drive has slashed $15 off the price of Paradox's strategy title Europa Universalis: Rome Gold, taking the game down to $5 as part of the digital distributor's Deal of the Week.
The Reticule writes: "Paradox may be all hands on deck at GamesCom in Germany but I managed to sneak some questions through to the companies CEO, Fredrik Wester. Read on for his comments on DLC and newly announced titles from Paradox.
The Reticule – You describe the new titles as being a 'tribute' to those who play your games, to what extent does this mean the new games will be designed according to what your fans want to see?
Fredrik Wester – We are always working close to our customers when designing and developing games. This is the result of many years of interaction between our studio and our fans. Several people from the publishing team also interacts with our forum users on a daily basis to discuss, get feedback and to help us develop the company and our games."
Passing laws to achieve your ends means currying favour with certain parties in the Senate, but it's not as easy as granting titles or smearing the reputation of the opposition. New laws always upset the balance a little and decrease the stability of the country, the cost of which can far outweigh the benefit unless considered carefully. Vae Victis comes with interface tweaks and an updated military AI; it's enough to extend the playtime and enhance the experience for EU Rome veterans.
