I did not play at the release so I cannot say how much this game was improved but it is a hell lot of fun right now. Imperator Rome fells like something in between Crusaders Kings 2 and Europa Universalis 4. It has much more character development then EU but less then CK2. And it has much more in term of realm government then in CK2 but smaller scale then EU.
And that middle ground actually did the trick: you finally feels like you govern a realm with a ruler. Not with just nice picture in a window you will open once or twice in hundred years but a person with quirks virtues. And different type of government finally feels like something different. It is not just some background percent changes it is really something you will see a lot. You will understand why dictatorship is better then republic (to hell with all this stupid senators who only cares about their own good and cannot agree on starting a war) and why it is other way (hello you, stupid ugly monster who everybody hates but who refuse to die already or step back from throne).

I did not play at the release so I cannot say how much this game was improved but it is a hell lot of fun right now. Imperator Rome fells like something in between Crusaders Kings 2 and Europa Universalis 4. It has much more character development then EU but less then CK2. And it has much more in term of realm government then in CK2 but smaller scale then EU. And that middle ground actually did the trick: you finally feels like you govern a realm with a ruler. Not with just nice picture in a window you will open once or twice in hundred years but a person with quirks virtues. And different type of government finally feels like something different. It is not just some background percent changes it is really something you will see a lot. You will understand why dictatorship is better then republic (to hell with all this stupid senators who only cares about their own good and cannot agree on starting a war) and why it is other way (hello you, stupid ugly monster who everybody hates but who refuse to die already or step back from throne).