Ubuntu / Linux news and application reviews.

0 A.D., a free, open source historical war and economy game has reached alpha 21. The new release includes new maps, new game modes, as well as the official introduction of the Seleucid Empire.

0 A.D. alpha 21

Important changes in 0 A.D. Alpha 21 "Ulysses" include:
  • 11 random map scripts and 2 skirmish maps;
  • the Seleucid faction was completed by adding the models for the Colonnade, Barracks, Wonder, Market, Corral, Blacksmith, Dock, Library, Military Colony and City Walls;
  • new gameplay features:
    • Herocide/Regicide: you start with a hero and are defeated when he or she dies.
    • Wonder Victory: now you can change the time from when the wonder is built to when you win. Either set it to 0 so you win as soon as the wonder is built or to anywhere between 1 and 120 minutes for a chance for the opponents to destroy it before the match is won;
    • Last Man Standing: only one player can win the game. Form temporary alliances to eliminate common competitors. But be careful: as the remaining players struggle for victory, allies are forced to turn against you. This mode can be played with every victory condition;
    • new balancing;
    • buildings and units can now be upgraded;
  • the game now supports hosting on arbitrary UDP ports, which can be useful if your ISP blocks the default port;
  • various user interface improvements, like multiplayer lobby match details, a new Objectives dialog that reveals the chosen matchsettings in running games, and more.

Here is a screenshot of the new Seleucid buildings (via):

0 a.d. alpha21

As usual, the list of improvements is pretty large, so check out the official release announcement for a complete list.

You can see some of the new features in the latest 0 A.D. Alpha 21 in its official trailer:


(direct video link)

0 A.D. is still considered in alpha because some features are still missing. However, the game is playable, and it features great graphics and sound, as well as a powerful map editor.

There are also a few bugs you should be aware of. Most importantly, large maps are known to problems, formations are disabled, and you may experience lag when there are many moving units.

If you can contribute to 0 A.D. (programming, art, sound, documentation and more), see the programmers getting started page and join #0ad-dev on QuakeNet on IRC.


Download 0 A.D.


Download 0 A.D. (available for Linux, Windows and Mac)

Ubuntu 17.04, 16.10 and 16.04 / Linux Mint 18 users can install the latest version of the game by using its PPA. Add the PPA and install 0 A.D. using the following commands:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:wfg/0ad
sudo apt update
sudo apt install 0ad

On Linux, the game requires a 1 GHz Intel or x86 compatible processor, at least 512 MB of RAM, and any graphics card supporting OpenGL 1.3 with 3D hardware accelerated drivers and at least 128 MB memory (e.g., Radeon 9000 or GeForce 3).