Online game developer Majorem has announced Ballerium, a new free-to-play strategy game in conjunction with live games operator Sleepy Giant. The game features a real-time economy that lets players influence the in-game market, and gameplay hinges on resource gathering and army-building.

Explains Majorum:

Ballerium is a far off planet facing troubling times. For the first time in its history, the world of Ballerium has been experiencing a global crisis: an oncoming cataclysmic about to bring about the end of the world. Each player in the game controls an Avatar - a spirit of a great hero, and a group of followers (called "units") of that Avatar. Players are free to choose their own goals - whether they wish to try to reveal the mysteries of the gates, to simply amass power and wealth, or to conquer every city and become the ultimate Avatar in Ballerium.

To achieve success, users need to collect money and resources to build their army and then team up with other players, exploring the world in search of challenges. Interestingly, the company claims the in-game AI is capable of finishing combat for users that get logged off, and Ballerium incorporates community features coupled with low bandwidth requirements to lower the barrier to entry.