In terms of the mechanics, Ancient Cities for PC / Windows is similar to popular RTS games and simulators which require the player to manage a city. Consequently, the player needs to gather resources for construction of new buildings, take care of security-related issues through building defensive structures, as well as to provide adequate means and tools for everyone, so they can do their part for the group. Our ancestors were also familiar with supernatural phenomena, so a wise leader provides appropriate places for worshipping, or monuments allowing pleasing local gods.
The unfriendly and wild environment makes gathering resources feel more like a survival game. Wild plants and animals in the area are eventually not enough sustain a tribe that is constantly growing, and regular access to food can pose a problem at the beginning of one's adventure. Both flora and fauna are simulated as part of a dynamic ecosystem – if one's hunters kill every antelope in the area, the source of meat will disappear. When the season is harsh, the leader must be wise with distributing supplies, especially because they deteriorate over time. Bread does not remain edible forever, and lack of fridges makes storage of meat much harder.
The Neolithic era was not free of radical climate changes and natural disasters. The leader has to decide whether to remain in warm huts during an unfriendly period or to abandon the base the tribe struggled to build in order to travel to a warmer zone. The decision between migration and staying in the base is always incredibly important, as a bad move can lead to the extinction of the player's subordinates.
When it comes to the members of the tribe, each of them lives their life in this small society. Moreover, they have individual statistics, talents and skills, which resembles mechanics from role-playing games. Consequently, it is worth sending a skilled hunter after the animals; an experienced farmer on the other hand, will provide better yields. In difficult periods, adequate distribution of tasks is a fundamental element of survival. One also has to remember that their tribesmen aren’t the only humans in the area. Other tribes can have different kinds of relations with the player's people – while one can trade with some of them, other ones will try to attack the player and plunder their base.
An extensive technology tree constitutes another important part of the game. This section allows the player to improve their methods of crafting tools and cultivation, as well as to provide the tribe with other ways to make its existence easier. Created at the very beginning, the simple settlement based on gathering and hunting, can develop into a small village (as new things are being invented), and over time, it can become one of the first towns on the planet, with durable staircase houses made of clay, and a diverse, class-based society. As technology develops, the manner in which the player manages their subordinates evolves.
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