hopefully someone can help i played a PC game when i was younger and vaguely remember it all i can remember is it may have been set in the new world, was an RTS and i also remember mainly that you sent a merchant like unit with a donkey into hill areas and prospected for gold that's all i can remember with any luck someone will know but also if we get a discussion going help others with the same problem as me as i myself am quite knowledgeable with games just not this one lol

Probably isn't, but, Gold Rush! maybe? I don't think it fits the RTS...

hey thanks for the reply but i also remember it looked better than that graphics wise kind of like emperor by sierra its been driving me crazy trying to remember my brother also says he remembers as we use to play alot of pc when we were younger so i dont think it was a dream

No worries! :) The other one I was going to suggest was The Yukon Trail, but that doesn't sound right and again isn't really RTS.

im really sorry to mess you about but like i said i vagualy remember but i was sort of a city builder/ rts i think

I've one more suggestion :D How about the image search for it)

If not that, then here's a list of Western-set games that might fit, maybe the title will seem familiar?

(double edit: probably not Westward, that's too recent...)

A stab in the dark, but could it be Seven Cities of Gold Commemorative Edition?

And one real final guess, No Man's Land, from 2003?

That's a good movie. :P
Sorry but I'm suffering a breakdown not having heard of any of these. I thought I knew my stuff. This thread has become both educational and REALLY depressing.

Ah, but which one? :P

(it's spiralling moments like these that let you begin to connect to the infinite nature of the Universe. Well, that, or drink :D)

city builder/ rts in the new world? what about the older settlers games? I know you used to have to send geologists to prospects for ores etc?

Rise of Nations started with a scout & donkey.
http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/rise-of-nations/

ok last ditch attempt as i have played/own all the games mentioned has any one played any of the early anno series it may be my mystery game

this was what I was going to suggest... but someone else did... so I wont :p