Reign of Augustus, the official expansion pack for PC strategy game Grand Ages: Rome will be released in January 2010.  Normally PC game news doesn't figure particularly highly on my gaming radar due to the lack of a rig decent enough to play anything remotely new but flicking through the features of this game and what the expansion pack brings to the party really makes me miss playing RTS games.  I have sunk more hours in to Age of Kings and the Age of Conquerers expansion than probably any other game and kicked off my online-gaming career in ernest.

This is one of the reasons I'm most exciting about the potential of Cloud Gaming. With a bit of luck it will bring back to the masses the ability to play new release PC games on old machines and, for me personally, bring back new release RTS games as a valid persuit.

Failing that a Mouse and Keyboard set up for console RTS games would almost certainly find it's way into my gaming set up.  Finding console based RTS games less than fulfilling, even the most well adapted title doesn't feel or play comfortable enough for any serious time spent in-game.

So here's the latest on Reign of Augustus, Grand Ages: Rome, the game and expansion that has got me excited about RTS games again and makes me seriously consider investing money in a rig that will get me back into the genre.

Reign of Augustus, Grand Ages: Rome features:
• All new campaign with 12 Missions
• 12 new maps
• 6 new multiplayer maps
• 4 new buildings: Senate, Tax Office, Odeum, Hospital
• 20 new estate bonuses
• Roads - connect your city to the major roman roads to gain or generate additional resources and enable units travel faster
• Authority - certain buildings generate Authority that can be used to benefit the player or hinder opponents
• New talents for each family (21 new talents in total)
• Remove tool for roads, trees, platforms and decorations
• New decorations – statues and gardens
• God Mode - free build map with few disasters and unlimited resources
• New campaign intro video
• Additional multiplayer features including pre-built towns & pre-built town walls
• 3 new patrons (Agrippa, Nero, Drusus)

As is becoming increasingly popular for PC games Reign of Augustus will only be available via online download, priced at £19.99.