Time Commanders: The battle of Marathon 1/5

Time Commanders is a series of programmes made by Lion TV for BBC Two that ran for two seasons from 2003 to 2005.

It uses an edited version of the game engine behind the real-time strategy game Rome: Total War by the Creative Assembly to recreate famous battles of the ancient world.

The battles are replayed by 4-player teams from diverse backgrounds. The teams are unfamiliar with computer games, to make sure their gaming skills do not influence their success. After a brief introduction of the battle, including an overview of military units, terrain and available forces, the players have to develop a strategy and then deploy their forces. Two of the players are selected as generals, who will direct the battle and have access to a strategic map. The other two players are designated lieutenants, the units are indirectly controlled by the lieutenants, who issue commands to program assistants, who in turn use the game interface to control the units.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• time
• commanders
• rome
• total
• war
• ancient
• famous
• historical
• battles
• athens
• hoplites
• persia

[XxRoZaBoIxX]

i sware richard hammond presented the last few ??

[doubleestark]

PM Papademos vs Chancellor Angela Merkel, Nicholas Sarkozy and IMF

[smallchrst]

I knew 06:42 sounded familiar! It is Arab Battle 1 from medieval total war.

watch?v=CrEumdFk2Ek

[jeevesthepunk]

@ThePalaeontologist that's precisely why this show could never be re-made (at least not with the same RTW engine). The show would just consist of RTW experts bulldozing through every battle. I'd still watch it for the historical info and such, but it wouldn't be as good without bumbling fools forming the testudo when being attacked by infantry and what not.

[okainio]

@iridium249 cool beans, thanks for not losing your cool like 99.9% of the 12 year olds on here

[TheShame311]

Who is the guy presenting? He's a miserable bastard.

[ThePalaeontologist]

I loved these...but after a half dozen year loyal veterancy to Rome Total War....I'd end the battle in 10 Minutes, no messing around, no listening to those pompous prick 'experts' and no deligation of command. I remember shouting at the tv sometimes how thick and worthless the people in command could be, and not just for this episode. If I was there...I'd have them feck off while I just rampantly annihilate the enemy.

[migkillerphantom]

@iridium249 No, the Sparabara and the Thanvrabara were not equipped the same way.

[iridium249]

@migkillerphantom Even the most conservative estimates put the Persians at twice the number of the Greeks. If the Persians were fighting 7 ranks deep then Miltiades would have had to extend the line somewhat more than he did. Please, where have you read this disposition of the Persian army? I have flicked through Herodotus to no avail.

Last time you checked? The Persian shortbowmen would have used the large wicker shields of the infantrymen as cover. 4 ranks will not hold 20 ranks. See Leuctra.