<s>
The	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
of	I-Application
Caesar	I-Application
is	O
1998	O
computer	B-Application
wargame	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
Erudite	O
Software	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Interactive	O
Magic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
on	O
the	O
board	O
wargame	B-Application
The	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
of	O
Julius	O
Caesar	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
the	O
third	O
and	O
final	O
entry	O
in	O
the	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
computer	B-Application
wargame	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
of	I-Application
Caesar	I-Application
was	O
announced	O
by	O
publisher	O
Interactive	O
Magic	O
and	O
developer	O
Erudite	O
Software	O
in	O
early	O
1997	O
,	O
alongside	O
its	O
direct	O
predecessor	O
,	O
Hannibal	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Erudite	O
had	O
signed	O
with	O
the	O
company	O
in	O
mid-1996	O
to	O
publish	O
both	O
games	O
 '	O
forebearer	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
of	I-Application
Alexander	I-Application
,	O
after	O
that	O
title	O
's	O
long	O
and	O
troubled	O
development	O
cycle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
publisher	O
declared	O
its	O
intent	O
to	O
release	O
all	O
three	O
games	O
as	O
the	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
series	I-Application
in	O
January	O
1997	O
,	O
and	O
assigned	O
S	O
.	O
Craig	O
Taylor	O
to	O
be	O
their	O
producer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Alexander	O
launched	O
in	O
June	O
,	O
while	O
Hannibal	B-Application
appeared	O
on	O
November	O
7	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Erudite	O
based	O
Caesar	O
on	O
GMT	O
's	O
board	O
wargame	B-Application
The	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
of	O
Julius	O
Caesar	O
,	O
but	O
built	O
it	O
with	O
a	O
modified	O
form	O
of	O
the	O
mechanical	O
game	O
system	O
it	O
had	O
previously	O
used	O
in	O
Alexander	O
and	O
Hannibal	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
simulate	O
the	O
Marian	O
tactical	O
reforms	O
that	O
occurred	O
after	O
Hannibal	B-Application
's	O
defeat	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
altered	O
the	O
series	O
 '	O
mechanics	O
to	O
change	O
the	O
basic	O
unit	O
from	O
the	O
manipular	O
legion	O
,	O
with	O
its	O
three	O
lines	O
(	O
hastati	O
,	O
principes	O
and	O
triarii	O
)	O
of	O
infantry	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
more	O
homogeneous	O
Marian	O
legion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
early	O
January	O
1998	O
,	O
Interactive	O
Magic	O
confirmed	O
the	O
spring	O
release	O
date	O
for	O
Caesar	O
,	O
and	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
cease	O
publishing	O
Great	B-Application
Battles	I-Application
titles	O
thereafter	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
wargame	B-Application
columnist	O
Terry	O
Coleman	O
lamented	O
this	O
decision	O
,	O
which	O
he	O
called	O
"	O
a	O
real	O
shame	O
for	O
fans	O
of	O
[	O
GMT	O
Games' ]	O
Samurai	O
in	O
particular	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
of	I-Application
Caesar	I-Application
was	O
the	O
runner-up	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
1998	O
"	O
Best	O
Wargame	B-Application
"	O
award	O
,	O
which	O
ultimately	O
went	O
to	O
The	B-Application
Operational	I-Application
Art	I-Application
of	I-Application
War	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
Jim	O
Cobb	O
called	O
Caesar	O
"	O
not	O
only	O
the	O
best	O
of	O
the	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
series	I-Application
to	O
date	O
,	O
it	O
's	O
also	O
the	O
most	O
realistic	O
ancients-era	O
game	O
yet	O
on	O
the	O
PC.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Caesar	O
,	O
rumors	O
spread	O
inside	O
the	O
game	O
industry	O
that	O
publisher	O
Interactive	O
Magic	O
intended	O
to	O
reuse	O
the	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
game	O
engine	O
for	O
another	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Later	O
renamed	O
North	B-Application
vs.	I-Application
South	I-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
launched	O
in	O
February	O
1999	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
1998	O
,	O
Interactive	O
Magic	O
announced	O
The	B-Application
Great	I-Application
Battles	I-Application
:	O
Collector	O
's	O
Edition	O
,	O
which	O
bundled	O
Caesar	O
with	O
its	O
two	O
predecessors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
SKU	O
updated	O
Hannibal	B-Application
and	O
Alexander	O
to	O
match	O
Caesars	O
visuals	O
and	O
programming	O
,	O
and	O
includes	O
a	O
mission	O
editor	O
that	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
create	O
hypothetical	O
battles	O
.	O
</s>
