Why GoA?

Adanac's Strategic level World War I grand campaign game designed by Frank Hunter

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mantrain
Posts: 444
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 6:54 pm

Why GoA?

Post by mantrain »

WWI, the first six-weeks were an interesting study, but after that trench warfare for 4 years -- not exactly a dyanmic conflict in terms of movement. Is this game dynamic, or trenchy??? what has grabbed people here? thanks!
boogada
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Location: Germany

RE: Why GoA?

Post by boogada »

You are wrong. If you take your interest away from the Western front you'll see that this war was not as trenchy as many think. The other fronts were different. Also new nations enter the war all the time opening new fronts/threats/opportunities. There are times when both sides have done their digging in that you'll rather not attack because of high losses. But I've won games by just throwing waves of men against entrenched positions by attrition alone.
Another thing is that you are free to put your troops whereever you want from the beginning. Germany goes east first? no problem! Italy joins the CP instead of the Entente? sure, why not?! Britain does not sent the BEF and invades Constantinople? do it!

GOA is highly entertaining and challenging, especially with a human opponent.
mantrain
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RE: Why GoA?

Post by mantrain »

Well Thanks for the feedback.... just trying to get a groove on this game at this point.  I will take ur word on this..
boogada
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Location: Germany

RE: Why GoA?

Post by boogada »

The game is capable of recreating the historical WWI events - static Western Front, big offensives crushed by enemy trenches, huge casualties, attrition warfare, fighting fanatically about one hex at a time. Yet as a player I don't like this strategy. I prefer trying to win with other strategies. I've had some really great and surprising results, good and bad.
Kaliber
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RE: Why GoA?

Post by Kaliber »

ORIGINAL: mantrain

WWI, the first six-weeks were an interesting study, but after that trench warfare for 4 years -- not exactly a dyanmic conflict in terms of movement. Is this game dynamic, or trenchy??? what has grabbed people here? thanks!

You shouldn't ask yourself why play GOA, but what good excuses you have for not playing!
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Sewerlobster
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Location: Reading, Pa. USA

RE: Why GoA?

Post by Sewerlobster »

This game is fluid, the HQ activation point system focuses the game on well thought out offensives. Yes there are trenches but the game seldom bogs down. It takes just a couple of runs versus the AI to get a feel for the mechanics and then it's a blast.
Why choose the lesser evil: Vote Cthulhu.
justaguy93
Posts: 47
Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:01 pm

RE: Why GoA?

Post by justaguy93 »

Part of the appeal for me, aside from it being rather rare subject matter for a strategy game, is the total war strategy required. This game really gives a great feel for how you need to balance your military strategy with solid economics, keeping morale up, r&d, diplomacy, resource management, etc. I've gone on some WWII style assaults and then realized that my poor nation may never recover from what I put it through even after spending years trying to rebuild. Too many games you can get your whole standing army annihilated and just throw a new one together and be fine. In GoA you have to weight each military opportunity against the terrible cost to your country as a whole.

At least in the games I've played that's a pretty unique feature.
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Sieben_slith
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RE: Why GoA?

Post by Sieben_slith »

Read the "Problems with 1.30F" thread before you plunk down your money, mantrain, especially my posts and the replies to them. If you want to pay money to be a beta tester for Frank Hunter and Matrix Games, go for it, but I don't. Unfortunately, they've already got my money.
A soldier has a hard life, and but little consideration.

Robert E. Lee (in a letter to his wife, Mary), 1855
ulver
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Location: Danmark, Europe
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RE: Why GoA?

Post by ulver »

First of all it’s only listed at $24.99 - dirt cheap.

Pretty much the best value for money I’ve ever gotten. – Had it for two years and still enjoying it immensely. The deceptively simply game play hides ever deeper levels of strategy.

Support for the game has been unprecedented. The game was perfectly playable after the first few patches - additional patches have mainly been concerned with improving non-technical aspects such as game play and historicity.

I expect this may be a game we’ll be playing in 2010 – it has the rare quality of never feeling dating. A sort of chess-like simplicity.
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von Schmidt
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RE: Why GoA?

Post by von Schmidt »

ORIGINAL: Sieben Elfriend

Read the "Problems with 1.30F" thread before you plunk down your money, mantrain, especially my posts and the replies to them. If you want to pay money to be a beta tester for Frank Hunter and Matrix Games, go for it, but I don't. Unfortunately, they've already got my money.

Sieben,

You misunderstood Kaliber's response to your post in that thread. He meant that some of the regulars are offering a lot of suggestions for improvement and that Frank takes these seriously, but that players were under no obligation to do so ("free rider") and could just enjoy the game as is.

Unfortunately you seem to have taken this as a personal insult - presumably the result of the both of you being non-native English speakers (like myself).
Not to mention that Kaliber is not affiliated with Matrix at all.

On-topic: I think GoA is worth $25. It's not as balanced as it should be, but gives an excellent feel for WW1 and a nice challenge.
It's by no means a game in beta status (unlike the "Other Great War Game", apparently!).

Regards,
-von Schmidt


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Sieben_slith
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RE: Why GoA?

Post by Sieben_slith »

von Schmidt,

Thank you for your courteous response, but let's get a few things staight.

I am a native English speaker, born and raised in the US of A. I never assumed Kaliber was affiliated with Matrix Games, but I know when someone insults me by suggesting I'm taking a "free ride" when I critisize a partially developed game rather than join a group of unpaid fans helping to develop it while praising it to the heavens. And I didn't introduce "beta" into the discussion, Kaliber did, and he's right.

Ulver, I don't know how you've owned the game for two years when it was released in July 2007, but I'm glad you only paid $25 for it. I paid $45.

I expect and welcome patches and updates, since they are a confirmation that the author/publisher supports the software, but if you read this forum I don't see how you can conclude that this is anything but a work in progress. Bottom line, we disagree. My suggestion, save your money.

A soldier has a hard life, and but little consideration.

Robert E. Lee (in a letter to his wife, Mary), 1855
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von Schmidt
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RE: Why GoA?

Post by von Schmidt »

ORIGINAL: Sieben Elfriend

von Schmidt,

Thank you for your courteous response, but let's get a few things staight.

I am a native English speaker, born and raised in the US of A. I never assumed Kaliber was affiliated with Matrix Games, but I know when someone insults me by suggesting I'm taking a "free ride" when I critisize a partially developed game rather than join a group of unpaid fans helping to develop it while praising it to the heavens. And I didn't introduce "beta" into the discussion, Kaliber did, and he's right.
(SNIP)
Bottom line, we disagree. My suggestion, save your money.

My apologies for making the assumption about your background. As clarification, Kaliber's post was: "Everyone can of course be a "free rider" for as long as he wants. I, for example, have had EiA installed on my computer for a year, but still haven't played any PBEM, simply because the game still doesn't work very well. In time, I'll be there. I leave it to others to play the buggy versions."
Since he confirms himself as a "free rider" re EiA, he obviously does not mean the term as a personal insult.

Anyway, I think that we have to agree to disagree on the quality of the game: I think it is a finished product which needs some final polishing (and an ingame or flash based tutorial!).
You do not think it worth your time and $50, and that is fair enough if you have based it on actual experience with the game.

Regards,
-von Schmidt
mantrain
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Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 6:54 pm

RE: Why GoA?

Post by mantrain »

My opinion is that it's not so much about money,as about time, and the many dozens of other games competing for our time and energy to learn..
If I enjoy a game, whether it is $25, or $50, it's not that important. Is the game a good game relative to the others out there on matrix???????

If the game is good, hours will be spent in intrigue, etc., so the money does become nominal. Money is only an issue when you purchase something which does not meet your expectations..
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Sieben_slith
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RE: Why GoA?

Post by Sieben_slith »

von Schmidt, Kaliber, ulver...
 
...and anyone else I may have offended with my rude and intemperate posts of Wednesday. I humbly apologise and have no excuse. This is a civil forum and I breached that civility with my ill-considered posts. From now on you will not hear from me unless I have something positive to offer.
A soldier has a hard life, and but little consideration.

Robert E. Lee (in a letter to his wife, Mary), 1855
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