<s>
Ancient	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
:	I-Application
Sparta	I-Application
(	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
video	O
game	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developed	O
by	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
and	O
published	O
by	O
Playlogic	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Russia	O
in	O
December	O
2006	O
,	O
in	O
Europe	O
and	O
North	O
America	O
in	O
April	O
2007	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
Australia	O
in	O
October	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
's	O
debut	O
title	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
featured	O
a	O
newly	O
designed	O
game	O
engine	O
dubbed	O
the	O
Ancient	O
Wars	O
Engine	O
(	O
AWE	O
)	O
which	O
was	O
specifically	O
developed	O
by	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
for	O
Sparta	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Only	O
a	O
few	O
days	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
published	O
,	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
accused	O
publishers	O
Playlogic	O
of	O
failing	O
to	O
provide	O
the	O
agreed-upon	O
funding	O
during	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Issuing	O
a	O
breach	O
of	O
contract	O
notice	O
,	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
claimed	O
that	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
reverted	O
to	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
so	O
they	O
sued	O
Playlogic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
District	O
Court	O
of	O
Amsterdam	O
later	O
ruled	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
rights	O
were	O
owned	O
by	O
Playlogic	O
and	O
had	O
never	O
reverted	O
to	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
did	O
release	O
three	O
further	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
games	O
using	O
the	O
AWE	O
and	O
with	O
very	O
similar	O
gameplay	O
-	O
Fate	B-Application
of	I-Application
Hellas	I-Application
(	O
released	O
as	O
Great	B-Application
War	I-Application
Nations	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Spartans	I-Application
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Sparta	O
II	O
:	O
Alexander	O
the	O
Great	O
in	O
some	O
territories	O
)	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Golden	I-Application
Horde	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Age	O
of	O
Alexander	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
voice	O
acting	O
and	O
script	O
were	O
singled	O
out	O
as	O
especially	O
poor	O
,	O
and	O
most	O
critics	O
felt	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
unoriginal	O
,	O
bringing	O
nothing	O
new	O
to	O
the	O
genre	O
,	O
and	O
failing	O
to	O
stand	O
out	O
from	O
current	O
and	O
previous	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Medieval	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Total	I-Application
War	I-Application
,	O
Supreme	B-Application
Commander	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Command	B-Application
&	I-Application
Conquer	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
Tiberium	I-Application
Wars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ancient	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
:	I-Application
Sparta	I-Application
is	O
a	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
,	O
controlled	O
via	O
a	O
point	O
and	O
click	O
interface	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
primary	O
goal	O
on	O
most	O
maps	O
is	O
to	O
build	O
a	O
strong	O
enough	O
army	O
to	O
defeat	O
the	O
opponent	O
or	O
opponents	O
by	O
destroying	O
their	O
settlement	O
,	O
or	O
,	O
on	O
occasion	O
,	O
killing	O
a	O
specific	O
unit	O
in	O
their	O
army	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
campaign	O
mode	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
complete	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
missions	O
,	O
the	O
goal	O
of	O
many	O
of	O
which	O
is	O
to	O
defeat	O
the	O
computer	B-Application
controlled	I-Application
opponent	O
or	O
opponents	O
by	O
destroying	O
their	O
settlement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
non-campaign	O
single-player	O
and	O
multiplayer	O
modes	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
chooses	O
the	O
map	O
on	O
which	O
to	O
play	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
selects	O
the	O
type	O
of	O
game	O
,	O
choosing	O
from	O
"	O
No	O
other	O
players	O
"	O
(	O
the	O
player	O
plays	O
the	O
mission	O
without	O
any	O
opposition	O
)	O
,	O
"	O
AI	B-Application
"	O
(	O
the	O
player	O
competes	O
against	O
only	O
computer	B-Application
controlled	I-Application
opponents	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
Open	O
"	O
(	O
the	O
player	O
competes	O
against	O
either	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
computer	B-Application
controlled	I-Application
and	O
human	O
controlled	O
opponents	O
,	O
or	O
all	O
human	O
controlled	O
opponents	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiplayer	O
mode	O
allows	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
four	O
players	O
,	O
or	O
any	O
combination	O
of	O
human	O
players	O
and	O
computer	B-Application
controlled	I-Application
opponents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiplayer	O
games	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
either	O
via	O
a	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
or	O
online	O
,	O
using	O
GameSpy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gold	O
and	O
wood	O
are	O
required	O
to	O
construct	O
buildings	O
,	O
research	O
new	O
weaponry	O
and	O
technologies	O
,	O
equip	O
warriors	O
with	O
weapons	O
and	O
shields	O
,	O
and	O
build	O
war	O
machines	O
such	O
as	O
catapults	O
,	O
siege	O
towers	O
,	O
and	O
chariots	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
also	O
occupy	O
and	O
perform	O
the	O
requisite	O
task	O
of	O
each	O
building	O
,	O
whether	O
the	O
building	O
is	O
a	O
resource	O
building	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
goldmine	O
or	O
farm	O
,	O
a	O
research	O
building	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
drafting	B-Application
room	I-Application
or	O
House	O
of	O
Knowledge	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
manufacture	O
building	O
such	O
as	O
an	O
armoury	O
or	O
forge	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
the	O
Egyptian	O
headquarters	O
is	O
the	O
Pharaoh	B-Application
House	O
,	O
the	O
Persian	O
is	O
the	O
Tachara	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Spartan	O
is	O
the	O
Acropolis	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
three	O
basic	O
types	O
of	O
soldier	O
;	O
Light	O
(	O
Nubian	O
Mercenaries	O
for	O
the	O
Egyptians	O
,	O
Kara	O
Warriors	O
for	O
the	O
Persians	O
,	O
and	O
Psiloi	O
for	O
the	O
Spartans	O
)	O
,	O
Medium	O
(	O
Mighty	O
Nadsez	O
for	O
the	O
Egyptians	O
,	O
Nobles	O
for	O
the	O
Persians	O
,	O
and	O
Spartiate	O
for	O
the	O
Spartans	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Heavy	O
(	O
Pharaoh	B-Application
's	O
Guards	O
for	O
the	O
Egyptians	O
,	O
Immortals	O
for	O
the	O
Persians	O
,	O
and	O
Hoplites	B-Application
for	O
the	O
Spartans	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
also	O
have	O
access	O
to	O
support	O
units	O
-	O
for	O
the	O
Egyptians	O
there	O
are	O
Horus	O
Priests	O
(	O
capable	O
of	O
blinding	O
and	O
burning	O
enemies	O
)	O
,	O
Anubis	B-Algorithm
Priests	O
(	O
can	O
weaken	O
enemy	O
armour	O
and	O
poison	O
enemy	O
soldiers	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Bast	O
Priestesses	O
(	O
can	O
heal	O
troops	O
and	O
call	O
a	O
panther	O
into	O
battle	O
)	O
;	O
for	O
the	O
Persians	O
there	O
are	O
Fire	O
Acolytes	O
(	O
can	O
attack	O
enemies	O
with	O
mystical	O
fire	O
)	O
and	O
Healers	O
(	O
can	O
see	O
through	O
the	O
fog	O
of	O
war	O
and	O
place	O
healing	O
tents	O
on	O
the	O
battlefield	O
)	O
;	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
Spartans	O
there	O
are	O
Mysteries	O
(	O
can	O
heal	O
individual	O
troops	O
and	O
see	O
through	O
the	O
fog	O
of	O
war	O
)	O
and	O
Flautists	O
(	O
can	O
raise	O
troop	O
morale	O
,	O
making	O
them	O
stronger	O
in	O
battle	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Egyptians	O
use	O
battering	O
rams	O
,	O
throwing	O
machines	O
,	O
and	O
heavy	O
battle	O
chariots	B-Application
;	O
the	O
Persians	O
use	O
battering	O
rams	O
and	O
stationary	O
ballistae	O
;	O
and	O
the	O
Spartans	O
use	O
chariots	B-Application
,	O
battle	O
chariots	B-Application
,	O
siege	O
towers	O
,	O
and	O
catapults	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
features	O
naval	O
combat	O
,	O
with	O
three	O
different	O
types	O
of	O
ship	O
available	O
:	O
light	O
battleships	B-Application
(	O
Biremes	O
for	O
the	O
Spartans	O
)	O
,	O
heavy	O
battleships	B-Application
(	O
Triremes	O
for	O
the	O
Spartans	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
barges	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
defenceless	O
and	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
transport	O
large	O
groups	O
of	O
soldiers	O
and	O
equipment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
486	O
,	O
Xerxes	O
became	O
King	B-Application
of	I-Application
Kings	I-Application
of	O
the	O
Empire	O
,	O
instituting	O
a	O
policy	O
of	O
aggressive	O
expansion	O
,	O
colonisation	O
,	O
and	O
subjugation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
town	O
of	O
Sais	O
,	O
Inaros	O
(	O
grandson	O
of	O
Psamtik	O
III	O
,	O
last	O
Pharaoh	B-Application
of	O
the	O
Twenty-Sixth	O
Dynasty	O
)	O
has	O
been	O
appointed	O
to	O
oversee	O
the	O
Egyptians	O
 '	O
training	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shortly	O
thereafter	O
,	O
Leonidas	O
,	O
king	B-Application
of	O
Sparta	O
,	O
lands	O
in	O
Egypt	O
with	O
plans	O
to	O
lay	O
siege	O
to	O
Sais	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
490	O
BC	O
,	O
five	O
years	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
Egyptian	O
revolt	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
Persian	O
invasion	O
of	O
Greece	O
ends	O
with	O
King	B-Application
Darius	O
returning	O
to	O
Persia	O
in	O
disgrace	O
having	O
been	O
defeated	O
by	O
the	O
Athenians	O
at	O
the	O
Battle	O
of	O
Marathon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Behind	O
the	O
scenes	O
,	O
Xerxes	O
had	O
secretly	O
enlisted	O
the	O
aid	O
of	O
the	O
exiled	O
king	B-Application
of	O
Sparta	O
,	O
Demaratus	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
agreed	O
to	O
help	O
Xerxes	O
become	O
king	B-Application
,	O
as	O
long	O
as	O
Xerxes	O
promised	O
to	O
appoint	O
Demaratus	O
satrap	O
of	O
Sparta	O
once	O
the	O
Persians	O
conquer	O
Greece	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Leonidas	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
refuses	O
to	O
back	O
down	O
,	O
and	O
tells	O
Pausanias	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
his	O
early	O
days	O
as	O
king	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Known	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
as	O
Sparta	B-Application
:	I-Application
Ancient	I-Application
Wars	I-Application
,	O
it	O
was	O
touted	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
in	O
a	O
proposed	O
series	O
of	O
historical-based	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
games	O
under	O
the	O
Ancient	O
Wars	O
banner	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2005	O
,	O
Russian	O
studio	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
was	O
revealed	O
as	O
the	O
developers	O
,	O
with	O
Ancient	O
Wars	O
set	O
to	O
be	O
their	O
first	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Initially	O
hired	O
to	O
"	O
analyse	O
the	O
game	O
documents	O
and	O
storyline	O
"	O
,	O
IMC	O
came	O
to	O
feel	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
potential	O
triple-A	O
title	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
"	O
needed	O
support	O
to	O
push	O
it	O
into	O
the	O
right	O
direction	O
for	O
the	O
Western	O
market.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Speaking	O
of	O
combat	O
and	O
the	O
AI	B-Application
,	O
they	O
explained	O
,	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
's	O
development	O
director	O
,	O
Vladimir	O
Nikolaev	O
,	O
"	O
the	O
milestone	O
split	O
was	O
such	O
 [ that ] 	O
the	O
largest	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
funds	O
was	O
to	O
come	O
from	O
Playlogic	O
at	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
development	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
DirectX	B-Application
9	I-Application
based-engine	O
is	O
capable	O
of	O
vertex	O
shading	O
,	O
self-shadowing	O
,	O
dynamic	O
lighting	O
,	O
bloom	O
effects	O
,	O
parallax	O
scrolling	O
,	O
bump	O
mapping	O
,	O
specular	O
highlights	O
,	O
and	O
shadow	O
mapping	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
18	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
posted	O
on	O
their	O
website	O
;	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
20	O
,	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
filed	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
against	O
Playlogic	O
for	O
ownership	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
copyright	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
said	O
that	O
Playlogic	O
's	O
first	O
milestone	O
payment	O
(	O
upon	O
approving	O
the	O
alpha	O
)	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
paid	O
in	O
May	O
2006	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
money	O
never	O
materialised	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Europe	O
on	O
April	O
20	O
,	O
2007	O
(	O
although	O
British	O
company	O
Eidos	O
Interactive	O
handled	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
regional	O
distribution	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
April	O
24	O
,	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
and	O
Play	O
Ten	O
issued	O
a	O
formal	O
breach	O
of	O
contract	O
notice	O
against	O
Playlogic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
,	O
Playlogic	O
continued	O
to	O
promise	O
payment	O
,	O
but	O
no	O
money	O
ever	O
changed	O
hands	O
,	O
and	O
when	O
the	O
breach	O
cure	O
period	O
of	O
thirty	O
days	O
expired	O
,	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
asserted	O
that	O
the	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
returned	O
to	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
,	O
Playlogic	O
won	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
,	O
when	O
the	O
District	O
Court	O
of	O
Amsterdam	O
concluded	O
that	O
all	O
rights	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
belonged	O
to	O
them	O
and	O
had	O
never	O
reverted	O
to	O
World	O
Forge	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
was	O
also	O
critical	O
of	O
the	O
voice	O
acting	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
concluded	O
,	O
"	O
Ancient	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
:	I-Application
Sparta	I-Application
does	O
n't	O
have	O
anything	O
special	O
in	O
a	O
genre	O
filled	O
with	O
incredible	O
game	O
experiences.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
did	O
acknowledge	O
that	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
later	O
missions	O
had	O
more	O
of	O
a	O
tactical	O
element	O
to	O
them	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
liked	O
the	O
ability	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
arm	O
their	O
own	O
soldiers	O
with	O
enemy	O
weapons	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
compared	O
the	O
game	O
unfavourably	O
to	O
Medieval	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Total	I-Application
War	I-Application
,	O
Supreme	B-Application
Commander	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Command	B-Application
&	I-Application
Conquer	I-Application
3	I-Application
:	I-Application
Tiberium	I-Application
Wars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultimately	O
,	O
he	O
cited	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
"	O
stuck	O
in	O
the	O
past	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
compared	O
it	O
unfavourably	O
to	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Age	B-Application
of	I-Application
Mythology	I-Application
,	O
Medieval	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
Supreme	B-Application
Commander	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Command	B-Application
&	I-Application
Conquer	I-Application
3	I-Application
.	O
</s>
