Paal_101

This is a really neat little video to drop into the middle of such a discussion. It is the last stand scene taken from the movie The Myth, featuring a rather uncharacteristically, and quite refreshingly, serious Jackie Chan as a Qin general, the last of his men alive, facing off against an army of adversaries. Quite impressive actually, so check it out. Obviously fictional, but it matches the theme and tone of the discussion

Carthaginian names were provided by a language whiz named Aviv who used to be a member of the team. As for Hittites, same reason as the Egyptians - the time period of the game doesn't cover the Bronze Age

Thanks for your kind words, Abadu! I too do not know that much about the Babylonian army and I have been quite curious about about it for a while simply because there seems to be almost nothing available to read on it. Editors will be simple to use and you can expect easy access to information on their use. Egyptians are not in because 0 AD focuses on 500 BC to 500 AD, outside the time frame of the glorious Middle and New Kingdoms. Ptolemaic Egyptians could be an option to put in, but they wouldn't be the Egyptians we all know and love. Plus Bronze Age Egyptians would fair pretty bad against iron-equipped Greeks, Persians, and Romans. We love questions, so keep 'em coming

The 1964 film "Zulu" actually does an excellent job of portraying the battle, albeit with some obvious flaws. A remake would be awesome, ala the "Alamo" with Billy Bob Thorton (another good movie).

I would have to say Rourkes Drift, if just for its sheer strangeness of the confrontation. Two forces on completely opposite sides of a technological gorge. On one side the Zulus' greatest strength was the fact that they had absolutley no fear, allowing them to perform amazing feats of bravery and courage in the face of almost certain death if targeted by a British soldier. Likewise the British relied upon the quality of their equipment to win the day for them. A Martini-Henry rifle with the short chamber .45 Boxer-Henry cartidge is a massively powerful weapon and despite its tendency to jam when it is fired too quickly in hot conditions, it meant that British troops were easily a match for 3 or 4 opponents with less advanced weaponry. To paraphrase Tom Cruise from Last Samurai, the Martini-Henry could quite literally "blow a hole in your daddy six inches wide". But the similarities of the two sides at Rourke's Drift are offset by just how similar the two sides were. Both were highly trained professional armies made up of volunteers who had chosen military service as a career, equipped and fed by the state. Both had highly organized command structures and possessed highly involved tactics and strategies. In the end the Zulus only lost because they simply couldn't match the firepower of the British, even though they had numerical superiority of 20 to 1. Thermopylae is the classic example of the last stand, but I've seen it too many times on these kinds of lists to actually endorse it, because everyone does However one must remember the 700 Thespians that stayed with the Spartans at the end, something that is often sadly forgotten. These Thespians were for the most part citizen soldiers with families, children, jobs, and lives back in Thespia, they were not professional soldiers and they did not as a general rule have the fatalism of the Spartans. For instance their leader at Thermopylae, Demophilus, was an architect, no professional killer. A man who has been trained from birth to die can easily lay down his life, but a man who has something to live for has to force himself to do likewise, showing amazing courage. For me men like Demophilus showed more courage than even Leonidas himself and I greatly respect that. Plus, I'm sorry Leonidas, but I have to laugh at the 2 million-man strength of the Persian army. Herodotus was a crazy one with his numbers There is an old saying in the study of ancient military history: knock a zero off the army's strength. Which in this case is very true, since surveys of the path taken shown by Xerxes and his army show that even 2500 years ago, with the increased rainfall back then, there would have only been enough water to have refreshed 250,000 men and 75,000 animals of all kinds. This does not diminish the Greek holding of the Pass in the face of overwhelming odds, since they were still fighting odds of roughly 35 to 1 for two days. I must also mention that a distant relation of mine, Colonel-General Heinrich von Vietinghoff-Scheel, was in overall command of the are in which the Battle of Monte Cassino was fought. Truly, Leonidas, we all face our own Thermopylaes at one time or another. We can take courage from the men who have faced down far worse and remain triumphant to this day.

Nope, no Assyrians as such. 0 AD uses classes of troops determined by their armament. Unfortunately for the Persians the roles of spearmen and cavalry archer had already been filled in. But again, practically all one would have to do would be to change the name on the Asabari and change the head gear from a tiara to something more Assyrian to make it such. We went with a slightly more eastern approach for the Persians, with lots of Persian, Median, Bactrian, and Scythian style influence for them, along with more western peoples like the Cappadocians, Phyrgians, and Mesopotamians. This was mostly because we wanted to use more traditional Persian/Iranian weaponry, which if we were using large numbers of more western nations would not be possible. In the end there is only so many units one can put in before it becomes overwhelming and not an advantage for the player. However modding is the answer to all your desires That's our logic And yes to create new units is easy, human or building.

Actually they provide crew for the scythed chariot.....Whoops....that slipped They are however armed with a bow, so they are archers, albeit not horse archers.

Not to mention its heavy use on foot alongside its cousin the kopis.

Babylonians are in Assyrians are not in as such, but the Asabari could easily be Assyrian as much as Median. What with the massive amount of shared armor and equipment in the Achaemenid Empire among the Mesopotamians and Iranians it will be quite simple to simply state that many are either, despite their official name. Plus mods of Assyrians and Babylonians will be insanely easy to create.

They use the original languages. The Carthaginians use Phoenician (organized by Aviv aka Jeru, who is now serving with the Israeli Army) and the Iberians are slated to use Basque, since this is the closest relation to the original Iberian language

A show where some unsuspecting construction contractors are greeted at the ruins of an old Roman arena by a man who looks, acts, and sounds remarkabley similar to everyone's favorite Roman. for anyone who likes Gladiator

Welcome Alexander! I'm glad you enjoy our screenshots and our attempts at creating something true to the spirit and authenticty of those men long ago. Who knows? Our ancestors may have meet in some way way back when (my background is Illyrian, so the possibilites are there ) .

I know what you mean about the mashing of the events of Gaugamela and Issus. Most of these relate to the actions of Alexander and his cohorts, but for the layman it gives them an idea of the goings-on. The simple basics of Gaugamela, the initial chariot charge, the attack lead by Alexander and the Hetairoi, and the fleeing of Darius, are well shown. However, for buffs like us it gets a little hazy. One part that is not shown well at all is the Persian penetration of the Macedonian line, which is only hinted at during its occurance in garbled and half-mumbled shouts by Parmenion, rather than being visually shown. Vice versa the Macedonian splitting of the heavily bent Persian line is not well indicated. The Bactrian and Massagetae are shown to have been completely tricked out of the battle, but in reality they continued on to nearly envelope the right flank of the Macedonian army. It was thanks to the efforts of Greek mercenary and allied infantry that this was contained, thereby also ensuring the weakpoint in the Persian line exploited by the Macedonians. Obviously annoying but considering what we got its not bad at all. It is more a matter of Oliver Stone being able to show only so much rather than not wanting to show it or do his own thing *cough* Ridley Scott *cough*. For instance Stone does not show any kardakes in this battle. Rather he uses traditional Persian and tribal troops using far less Greco-influenced equipment, something to be expected at Gaugamela where the kardakes were not present. Although Ridley Scott is my favorite director, he would have simply said "They had troops with different looks besides these? They we'ren't at Gaugamela? Who says? Ancient sources? What do they know? Kardakes are in!" I admire Stone for going with history in the general scheme of the battle.

Funny you should raise the issue of the Chinese There is currently a large debate raging on Roman Army Talk concerning an essay written by a member of that forum arguing for Han dominence over the Roman army in a theoretical situation. A lot of partisan positions, but its is coming down to the agreement that in whole the Romans may lose a couple battles but most likely would win the war. Disregard the massively off-topic argument of gladius slashing capabilities Interesting but wholey out of place. So what needs to happen after the release of 0 AD is for someone to manufacture a faithful Han Chinese mod and see the fun we could have when the greatest civilizations of the 1st century AD go at it. Obviously won't settle anything but it'll provide substance for substantial "game history" debate. Plus this post gets revived for some more votes to be tallied. Hmmm....Romans seem to have the edge....

Mine would have to be a white spruce. Very graceful looking trees when they are smaller. Plus they keep you very warm in winter time

Regarding Toledo Steel - That is perhaps not the best name for it That is an old name that resides in a rather dusty section of the DD. More to the point the historical Iberians were granted with extremely high-grade iron deposits in the Peninsula, allowing them to make excellent weapons with very little refinement of the ore. However steel it was not, but probably the closest natural thing to it. As with several other things in the DD i.e. Amrtaka, it could use a rename

This is for anyone who has not seen the excellent combat sequences from the film "Alexander". Whatever your opinions of the film (and I have many) this scene is perhaps the the greatest cinematic battle ever filmed. It is without doubt the most historically accurate in terms of equipment, weapons, and tactics. Macedonian infantry officers are seen ranging in front of the phalanx fighting Persian troops in the open rather than sticking to the safety of the formation, mostly for dramatic effect. In addition Oliver Stone was forced to combine several events from the earlier battles of Granicus and Issus. The scene were Alexander is nearly killed is taken from the Battle of Granicus, where his opponent's arm was severed before the final blow could be struck. This incident did take place on horseback, but Stone admits this in the directors commentary, saying he wanted to show the Hetairoi's ability to fight on foot when necessary (historical fact). Additionally the wound to Alexander's leg was suffered at Issus. One last minor flaw is the attempted killing of Darius by Alexander. Sources say that Alexander came within sight of Darius, but it is unlikely that he was able to make an attempt to engage the Persian king. Again this is for cinematic effect but it is forgivable. Considering the amazingly accurate costumes, weapons, tactics like the sloped Macedonian batle line, and events such as the chariot attack and the panic of Parmenion at the puncture of his ranks by the Sacessinian and Hyrcanian cavalry, I believe Mr. Stone can be allowed this one unlikely although not improbable event. Gaugamela 1 - The prelude to the battle. Mostly a lot of talk, but it shows the true depth and structure of the Macedonian phalanx. Gaugamela 2 - The battle itself. Shown is an example (perhaps slightly fanciful) of the massive archery barrages the Persians were famous for. In addition the famous Gaugamela chariot charge and the fearsome forest of Macedonian sarissae are admirably portrayed in convincing fashion. No fancy choreography in most of the fighting, very practical and ergonomic for the most part. Perhaps not totally realistic but far from stylized. Also note the total absence of stirrups and the many signature pieces of Macedonian and Persian equipment shown. Enjoy and relish this rare example of the closest thing to a real ancient battle yet shown on screen. Now for a shameless plug For some background info on the history, troops, and weapons shown be sure to check out some of the articles in the History section of the main 0 AD page written by our various history buffs: Persian Army - Discussion of its organization and structure. Macedonian Army - see above Tactics and Elite Units - discusses some of the tactics shown in the clips as well as some of the troops seen, such as the Hetairoi, Pezhetairoi, and in an indirect way the Immortals. Arms of the Shah-an-Shah - Persian weapons, many of which are shown in the clip. Soldiers of Bronze - Hellenistic and by extension Macedonian equipment, again seen in the film. Weapons - discusses, among others, many of the weapons used by both sides in the clip

Indeed, the Carthaginians get the actual, from Carthage Liby-Phoenician phalangite, war elephant, and Sacred Band of either Tanit or Baal, haven't trully figured out if the boy is infantry or cav. It keeps changing The rest of the land units are mercs.

Welcome Yamato! Hope you enjoy the forums and the main site

Recently GameDev.net interviewed several members of the 0 A.D. development staff for an exclusive look at the creation of the game for posting on their website. Members including Jason, Stuart, and Jan, among others, contributed their thoughts to GameDev's Jason Adams, who has posted this behind the scenes first look at the development of 0 A.D. Part I, in addition to some tidbits regarding Part II. Included in the interview are some original pieces of 0 A.D. artwork. Check it out! And take time to explore the GameDev site, a wonder unto its own. GameDev.net, for those of you new to that particular site, is a website created in 1999 to provide a home on the web for game developers, professional and hobbyist. A key feature of their website is their impressive collection of tutorials and their ongoing showcasing of games currently in development. Wildfire Games and the 0 A.D. development team would like to heartily thank GameDev.net for their help and support of 0 A.D.!

The Macedonian and Roman heavily cavalry would routinely run down single or small groups of enemy combatants, it has been shown on several tombstones. Plus in close combat a horse would easily knock down men on foot while the wounded could not avoid taking the full weight of a horse. As for intended tactics of trying to trample enemy troops, no. But trampling is inherent to cavalry warfare through history, even before the stirrup.

After an obscenely long period of 31 days without a news update, Wildfire Games is proud to break its silence and announce a new team member from Kansas City, programmer Corin Schedler a.k.a. triumvir. Corin will assist with the entity and gameplay features of 0 A.D. "Corin" is an appropriate name to hold in 0 A.D. for the name is the French version of the Roman name Quirinus, the Sabine name for the God of War, Mars, and directly translated means "spear". That said, a most hearty welcome, Corin, to the Wildfire Games community and the development team! We look forward to working with you! Next, Michael has prepared an awesome game feature showcasing the Charge Ability available to various units within 0 A.D. In particular, the Celts are featured in the showcase as a tribute to their famous headlong charges into combat. Check the Showcase Gallery regularly for new gameplay features. Kudos to Michael on an excellent job! [img center]http://www.wildfiregames.com/~art/showcase/showcase-gameplay-charging-004(thumb).jpg[/img center] Check out the fullsize artwork and detailed information on this ability here. History articles have appeared in increasing quantity in the last few weeks. Joshua has produced some excellent articles covering such topics as the epic twin battles of Plataea and Mycale during the Greco-Persian War and a biographical portrait of one of Rome’s most unconquerable opponents, Mithradates VI of Pontus. In addition my own series of articles on ancient combat has been expanded by the addition of articles covering Armor and Weapons. Keep an eye out for more articles in the near future from the 0 A.D. History Department as new documents are always in the works.

Haha loser Amazing the lengths to which people will go for a couple grand. Write him back again, see how far you can go until he snaps

Perdon 41? Hehehe you have no idea how funny that sounds after watching Ben Hur on TV Saturday night LOL I too am looking forward to cataphracts Vit

BSG is the story of roughly 50,000 human survivors of a human civilization in space. The 12 homeworlds were destroyed by a race of mechanical beings known as the Cylons (uber cool looking) in a massive attack. As many of the human survivors as possible band together and head out on a journey to find the fabled lost colony of Earth. The titular ship is the Galactica of the Battlestar Class, a large combat space carrier. The whole show revolves around that machinantions of the fleet's operations and attacks by the Cylons, who are slowly growing into a highly complex people despite their artificial beginnings. Great acting, great writing, amazing visuals and special effects. We're just finishing up Season 2 here in Canada and I am eagerly anticipating Season 3 Actually our good old leader Jason is a fan as well