Experience with combining nations for multiple human players

Empires in Arms is the computer version of Australian Design Group classic board game. Empires in Arms is a seven player game of grand strategy set during the Napoleonic period of 1805-1815. The unit scale is corps level with full diplomatic options

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runekchristensen
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:20 pm

Experience with combining nations for multiple human players

Post by runekchristensen »

Hi,

I am about to start a game with a friend where we each want to play 1-2 nations. Have you any experiences with which combinations are best suited. We considered the following combinations:

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England+Turkey
Spain+Russia
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Prussia+Austria
Russia+Turkey
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France
Russia+Spain
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Any good combinations are welcome.

Thanks,
Rune
pzgndr
Posts: 3483
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 12:51 am
Location: Maryland

RE: Experience with combining nations for multiple human players

Post by pzgndr »

Considering the AI weaknesses for your computer opponents, I would suggest at minimum one player take France and the other Britain. Combos could then be France+Turkey or France+Spain on one side, and Britain+Russia or Britain+Austria on the other side?

Despite the AI issues, the computer-controlled players do provide certain elements of uncertainty for DOWs, control of minors, etc. You should be able to get a decent game out of one of the combos. I've been advocating for a long time the merits of small-group games with 2-4 human players rather than 'regular' pbem games with 7 human players. For this reason alone, AI improvements and enhancements for even those games with only a few AI opponents would be good. Hopefully we'll get there one of these days. Let us know how your game goes, post some AAR comments?
Bill Macon
Empires in Arms Developer
Strategic Command Developer
runekchristensen
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Apr 14, 2008 6:20 pm

RE: Experience with combining nations for multiple human players

Post by runekchristensen »

One very annoying thing I noticed about France as AI is that if you (Austria, Prussia, others) are knee deep in trouble waring against France you can usually just sue for an informal peace and then it is granted. Shortly after the AI will then declare war once again and this could in practice continue on and on. Very annoying.

I really wanted to play a two player game against France but it's AI is simply too weak.

Then there is the problem with Britain's AI. For some reason it believes that the best way to intervene in the mainland war is to send 1-2 corps to France and fight it out. The result is naturally that Britain is beat up severely.

Sigh
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