Rise of Nations vs Sid Meier's Civilization III
Rise of Nations
Rise of Nations is one of the most iconic yet somewhat underrated, completely unique real-time strategy game that is possibly inspired by games like Risk. Unlike most games where you simply build bases, amass armies and send them to destroy your opponents, Rise of Nations has more of a diplomatic and governing aspect that allows you to forge alliances and break them, as well as a series of Wonders of the World which, when built, will grant your nation unique bonuses. Aside from a ton of maps, the game also has a comparably wide variety of nations, each with their own special abilities and special military units, for you to play as.Although the gameplay in each individual battles are set in real time, the gameplay for the world map view is turn-based, supplemented with ability cards. There are also valuable resources that you can capture to give your nation certain perks. Best of all, you can immerse yourself in historical battles via the game's campaign which consisted of multiple scenarios or you can test your mettle by playing the game via its online multiplayer mode.
Rise of Nations is one of the best classic strategy games that definitely had managed to not only withstand the test of time but also thrive, somewhat, in today's day and age. If you're a fan of nation-building, this is a game you should most certainly play.
Sid Meier's Civilization III
Sid Meier's Civilization III is a compilation of the third iteration of the award-winning grand strategy game franchise, Civilization, as well as all its associated DLCs, namely the updated and enhanced multiplayer expansion in Civ 3: Play the World and new civilizations, scenarios, and features in Civ 3: Conquests. The game definitely improved on its predecessor by a mile, providing players with basically more ways to play. Due to this, the game has a depth that surpass the other games the franchise has produced.However, its multiplayer has been suspended but if you like, you can still play the game on LAN. Not to mention, many other aspects of the game, like the graphics and some of the features, are becoming rather dated as well. So, unless you plan on playing only single player or on LAN, you might want to grab a slightly newer version of the game if a deeper gameplay is what you crave.