The Salad Days: Hegemony Rome
Gather round to hear a tale never before told! There was this general, Caesar, and he conquered a huge region that went by the name of Gaul, fighting off potion-swilling men of wildly varying proportions and taking control of awesome military power. With the great name he made for himself, and the awesome military power he controlled, Caesar triumphed in a civil war and became dictator of the most powerful empire in the world. Then (Spoiler Alert) people stabbed him. A lot. Now you can be Caesar but without the puncturing perfidy of his later life. Hegemony Rome: Rise of Caesar is an indie RTS about the conquest of Gaul and Ceasar's time as a great general. Judging by Longbow Games previous Hegemony titles, it'll offer a surprising amount of tactical depth. Here's a trailer with a bit of Placentia in it.
Yes, yes, yes, it's not the most thrilling trailer in the world. But what it doesn't actually tell you, and it's not clear if you haven't played a Hegemony before, is that the maps are as seamless as shown, zipping from the more abstract strategic view to the tactical bird's eye view on the fly. Hegemony Gold: Wars of Ancient Greece was a great game, which offered pleasing tactical flexibility without becoming bogged down in complexity. There is basic construction and the use of supply lines, which has been expanded allowing starvation of enemy settlements and armies. Brutal. But I do like conquering Gauls.
I shall have to wait until Spring 2012 though, but will certainly be taking a closer look as soon as possible. Now, argue about whether they are right to say that he returned an "Emperor".