Ohhhhh if you INSIST.
Note that none of these are on Steam (yet)...at least I don't think so. Just replying to the conversation about the Impressions city builders on the previous page.
Incidentally, of all the Impressions/TM city builders, the gods in Pharaoh & Cleopatra are far and away the most vindictive. They will seriously wreck your shit.
The gods in Zeus & Poseidon are a bit different in that, depending on your patron gods, there are some gods that just won't like you no matter what you do. But if you build temples and keep your patron gods happy, they'll physically enter the city and knock the shit out of whatever god is attacking you.
Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom has "ancestors," and they are by far the easiest to deal with. So if you don't like the gods in the other games, this might be the title for you. It's my 2nd favorite in the series (after Zeus & Poseidon).
Zeus & Poseidon has a very unique quest system the other games don't have, and this is what really makes it shine above the others, in my opinion (well, that and greek gods duking it out in the middle of your city). So for instance, you might need to summon a legendary Greek hero to slay a hydra guarding the only quarry on the map. To beat him, you need Hercules - so you build the Hall of Hercules. You'll then see a checklist of city improvements your capital needs to summon Hercules...this is typically a list reminiscent of scenario goals in the rest of the series (i.e., have a culture rating of 20, stockpile 32 jugs of wine...etc.). Once you meet every requirement, you can summon the hero. He'll make his way to whatever monster needs stomping. Furthermore, he'll lead your troops into battle if you decide to invade a rival city.
(that wasn't much of a spoiler by the way, I think I just took bits from three different scenarios and mushed them together)
Finally, Zeus utilizes established cities in ways the other games don't. Each campaign is called an "adventure," modeled after a particular Greek myth. You will start on a gigantic map - this is your capital city. Every two or three missions you will leave to build an outpost on a much smaller map...other than that you just keep building up that primary city...which is really fun and satisfying. They do this to some extent in a few of the other titles, but Zeus & Poseidon does it best. If you despair at the sight of a blank map after you just built the city of your dreams...you must own Zeus & Poseidon.
I have played all the 2D titles to death, they are soooooo fucking good. I will not hesitate to double dip if they ever pop up on Steam.
Opened a support ticket..
