Should I buy?

Armada 2526 continues the great tradition of space opera games. You guide your race from its first interstellar journeys, until it becomes a mighty galactic empire. Along the way, you'll explore the galaxy, conduct research, diplomacy and trade, found new colonies, maneuver mighty star fleets, and fight epic battles.

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Titanwarrior89
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by Titanwarrior89 »

It seems the diplomacy in Sins misses the point. To me it is basicly a RTS.
ORIGINAL: Zakhal
ORIGINAL: 06 Maestro

The graphics look pretty good in Sins, I wonder how they compare to this game?

Sins has clearly better graphics but it feels more like an RTS game than 4x because there is no turn-based part in it at all. Id say its a pure RTS game mixed with elements from 4x games. A hybrid of sorts.

I always get a bit depressed when I play sins. Its weird. Perhaps because I dont like pure RTS games and hate to see potential for good 4x game spoiled that way. Its a 4x game for those with short attension span as somone might say.
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gijas17
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by gijas17 »

ORIGINAL: Zakhal
ORIGINAL: Iceman

So how did you rate them if you haven't played them?!  [;)]  Hear say?
Lets just say that I studied them "intensively". Some games are so hard to decide whether buy or not that I put hours if not days of work on getting out every bit of info about them.

Well, I've played and own SOTS (bought the original on release and it was full of bugs and sooo indie u could smell it) now its a decent 4x - tactical space game but how many years did it take to get there! Sins was by far more polished than most games in this genre but (theres the b word") Im sure they had more money as developers than most of these games in this genre do. Sins is kind of clicky but is great fun and the battle are strategic with a hint of tactics. GalCiv, is more tech heavy and customizing units is what makes it so popular since u can watch your own creations battle it out but its not exciting for me watching movies of battles since I feel I have no control over them as a leader. Now, I prefer wargames based in WWII especially the eastern front, but space has a lot of posibilities since in space u can move in all directions. This is what is "wrong" with most games in this genre. The developers dont take this into account and if we as humans ever get to the point were our wars are fought in space this would be a reality. Empire Total war imho is one of the worst comparisons one could make to any strategy game since the AI plays its self and is dumb to this date even with all the patches. Rome and more importantly (Rome - Alexander) were the last great Totol War games to hit the market but after that it just went downhill. Now with Napoleon TW on the horizon next Feb which is a great time period in European history for me Im hesitant on buying since Empires did not follow through for me. I dont own this game yet and thats why Im here to find out what exactly people playing it currently think about it. I know a lot of gamers here are "old-school" like me and want to be surprised or even trilled at something new that reminds us of older games that got us into this business in the first place but with todays games becoming less about strategy and tactics and more about eye candy and quick action I wonder if there will be such a game that satisfies both old and new players alike?
"Our strategy is to destroy the enemy from within, to conquer him through himself."

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killroyishere
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by killroyishere »

Rome and more importantly (Rome - Alexander) were the last great Totol War games to hit the market but after that it just went downhill

Well you lost credibility there because Rome and any of its expansions were one of the worst in the entire series except for the more recent ETW. The ai is brainless in the RTW version it never was fixed to be any good and modders weren't allowed to get to it to make it any better. The only help the RTW series got was by changing the stats and that didn't even help it much with the mods for it. I used to play it on vh/vh and never lost a battle and certainly never lost any games against the ai even as the Armenians. If one didn't go inside the .ini and turn off morale it would be very hard to ever lose a battle on any setting of that series. Sorry, but there is nothing great about the Rome Total War games.
Star Ranger
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by Star Ranger »

I'd say no buy - if you ask me - I'd even ask for my money back. The game is a dissappointment - too many micro managing details and obsession about the economy.
killroyishere
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by killroyishere »

Did anyone ask Star Ranger? (total silence) hrmmm Star Ranger I don't think anyone asked you. roflmao [:'(] Too much rum in the punch yesterday having too much fun. [8D]
Warspite3
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by Warspite3 »

Hey thanks for the opinions. I did buy the download version last night and I was up to 3am so I suppose thats a good sign. [;)] From what I recall, any game that did this was a winner! I'm not sure about all the comparisons and all of that but I can tell you this game is very addicting.
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Warspite3
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by Warspite3 »

ORIGINAL: Zakhal
ORIGINAL: Warspite3

Well, here is one of those "should I buy threads" [:D] Ok, I have always been a big fan of just about any space strategy game. My current favorites are... GalCiv2 (of course), Sins of a Solar Empire, Sword of the Stars, Space Empires V, and Lost Empire: Immortals. I am considering purchasing this one, I have seen some really good previews. So if I have all of the above games, I assume I can't go wrong with Armada 2526?

After two days I would rate this game as follows. The comparison has only those games that I have played recently so I excluded i.e Moo2:

Sword of the Stars>Empire at War>Armada2526>Sins of a Solar Empire>GalCiv2>Space Empires V/Lost Empire: Immortals.

Its not as good as Sots but from the start it has been more exciting game than galciv2. Its just slightly above sins because I dont like the fact that sins lacks the turn based galactic "strategy mode". I havent played either SEV or LE:I because I have found so much bad things about them. Empire at war has the SW bonus and its production quality easily puts it above armada.

Note that I put lot of importance on tactical battles which are usually done awfully in these games. Also Im not too interested of galactic strategy games based on excel sheets.

You can say lots of things about the tactical part of armada but its still nowhere as boring as the one in galciv2 or awful as in moo3 (I still cry at night when I remember it).

As for price if Id have to choose between digital 27€ or physical 44€ I would most likely choose the first one. Its easily worth 27€.

Something funny, moo3 was one of the only games like this I never ended up buying. I still remember all of those posts on that forum when that game came out, it was just not normal. I mean, every game that is released, you have a few that like it and a few that don't, just the normal stuff and a few lucky games more like it then don't which is how it seems here. Now this said, when you go on a forum and EVERYONE is making fun of the game you know for sure it is a complete total disaster. I still remember being in tears from laughing so hard at some of the things people were posting on that moo3 forum after it was released. It was getting to the point I would go to that forum just to get some laughs.
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gijas17
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by gijas17 »

ORIGINAL: killroyishere
Rome and more importantly (Rome - Alexander) were the last great Totol War games to hit the market but after that it just went downhill

Well you lost credibility there.

Did, I? Hum.... imho is what i should have said but u should have to. Bad day? ...lol

"Our strategy is to destroy the enemy from within, to conquer him through himself."

- Adolf Hitler

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swetiger
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by swetiger »

My question too. I am no fan of RTS. Have GC2 and enjoys it. How much RTS is it really in Armada 2526?
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Si vis pacem, para bellum - If you want peace, prepare for the war (Vegetius)
Archy
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by Archy »

It has RTS elements, mostly structure/defense and also the whole 3d combat mode.
 http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2308357
 
Read my thread for a short review.
 
If you like 4x games enough to play them sp, buy it
If you want multiplayer buy it , it will come faster (lol). Hotseat is in already.
 
to OP : A2526 is a pot pourri of all the games you named (played em too).
It the one that really makes me better immersed in my games due to pace quality. Its by far theone with most potential as well.
 
Its obvious your a 4x fan so yes you should buy , you will not regret, Tutorial perfect for learning.
Then you can either do the 12 race map or make a custom campaign that suits your style/wishes.
I think that the current custom game allows enough to play a satisfying game but it will also reveal the potential.
 
read my thread for review and pm if you have questions. 
 
 
 
 
S!
Nicolas "Archy" Menard
Warspite3
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by Warspite3 »

Hi Archy, you must have missed my post just above here because I bought it last friday and been playing the heck out of it. Everything you say at the bottom is right too. [:)]
ORIGINAL: Archy

It has RTS elements, mostly structure/defense and also the whole 3d combat mode.
http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2308357

Read my thread for a short review.

If you like 4x games enough to play them sp, buy it
If you want multiplayer buy it , it will come faster (lol). Hotseat is in already.

to OP : A2526 is a pot pourri of all the games you named (played em too).
It the one that really makes me better immersed in my games due to pace quality. Its by far theone with most potential as well.

Its obvious your a 4x fan so yes you should buy , you will not regret, Tutorial perfect for learning.
Then you can either do the 12 race map or make a custom campaign that suits your style/wishes.
I think that the current custom game allows enough to play a satisfying game but it will also reveal the potential.

read my thread for review and pm if you have questions. 



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Krec
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by Krec »

i would highly recomend SEV  using the 1.79 patch and the Balance Mod 1.19f soon to be 1.20.   Capt. Kwok has spent like 2 yes fixing the game into a very excellent game.  Right now i would say it is the best 4x space game out there.   Be warned thou ,  you will have to invest some time into it.  but believe me its a great game.  really fun  multi player game via email.   the combat simulator alone is worth it.  i think you can pick it up for like 10 bucks.  you cant go wrong.
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JamesM
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by JamesM »

I have played 2526 a couple of times and I think it may be a long time before I play it again.  It does not feel like a worthy successor to Master of Orion or Birth of the Federation.  So I would hold off until a significant patch comes out as stated in another thread the micromanagement of population emigration is a killer.
linger
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by linger »

Would you mind expanding on how much time you spend on the population emigration? That's the one thing holding me back from buying at the moment.
Gertjan
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by Gertjan »

I am also doubting whether to buy the game. Unfortunately there are no reviews yet. It seems to fulfil my necessary criteria for a good 4x space game: good diplomacy, no detailed ship design and tactical battles, focus on empire management, not on micro management (perhaps there are some issues with bureaucracy, happiness and population transport?). Does anyone of you know if Sword of the stars also fulfils these criteria?
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laika
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by laika »

ORIGINAL: Gertjan

I am also doubting whether to buy the game. Unfortunately there are no reviews yet. It seems to fulfil my necessary criteria for a good 4x space game: good diplomacy, no detailed ship design and tactical battles, focus on empire management, not on micro management (perhaps there are some issues with bureaucracy, happiness and population transport?). Does anyone of you know if Sword of the stars also fulfils these criteria?

Read this thread for some information. Its difficult to tell if some1 likes a game or not. There is 1 thing i can say. This game runs great and is not full of bugs like alot other games new on the market.
tm.asp?m=2308357
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Klahn
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by Klahn »

Not counting time spent in tactical combat, dealing with population issues takes about roughly 70% of my game time. It can be more or less depending on which race you play. The game doesn't have much micromanagement, but population is the exception. The races are not evenly balanced and your choice has a significant effect on the difficulty of the game. (More so than the actual difficulty selection.)

I think the big disconnect is that this isn't really a 4X game. It was advertised as such and a lot of people bought the game expecting the same general type of gameplay as other 4X games. Winning in this game is based on collecting points, not on warfare or expansion. In fact, expansion becomes impossible for most races as the game moves into it's later stages and warfare is generally only useful as a method to control your own population. (At one point I would say that 80% of my shipbuilding was trying to construct enough transports and fill them with enough of my people that I could suicide them at enemy fleets as a population control method.)
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Grandpoobah
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by Grandpoobah »

ORIGINAL: Ryvan

I think the big disconnect is that this isn't really a 4X game.

I guess I have to disagree with that sentence. A 4x game by definition is a strategy game in which players control an empire that must "explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate". This game certainly requires you do that. What makes this game different is the you must develop a game play style that pays attention to all four aspects through out the whole game. If you try to play it as a space conquest game (meaning you only concentrate on the 2X's - exploit and exterminate) you will lose.

The real issue is that most are really having difficulty that the game system, as delivered, is very different from all the other games mentioned in the various threads. I like that it is different and I commend the designer for trying to do something different.

My only problem with game is in the end game phase, the need to move population takes on a little too much micro-management to suit me. There have been enough good ideas presented that if any of them are implemented that should address that issue.

One last thing is that this game is easily modified by changing the XML files. I have created races that allowed me to win the game based on armed expansion making it space conquest game. I have even designed new ships, created custom planet names, and altered structure characteristics by just editing the various XML files. You can shape this game to match your whim or play preference. I must confess that I tried changing the XMLs just to see how modifiable the game is as I play most of my games unmodified.
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by ShotmanMaslo »

ORIGINAL: Ryvan
I think the big disconnect is that this isn't really a 4X game. It was advertised as such and a lot of people bought the game expecting the same general type of gameplay as other 4X games. Winning in this game is based on collecting points, not on warfare or expansion. In fact, expansion becomes impossible for most races as the game moves into it's later stages and warfare is generally only useful as a method to control your own population. (At one point I would say that 80% of my shipbuilding was trying to construct enough transports and fill them with enough of my people that I could suicide them at enemy fleets as a population control method.)

Yes, the game in its current state has some gameplay flaws, but it also has positives. As soon as the devs listen to the players and release a patch which fixes all the bad points mentioned on this forum (and maybe adds some new tactical and strategic warfare features), it would be a great game. Now its just good or average, compared to other 4Xs. But patches and expansions can turn even a horrible game at release into good stuff, and already good game can be gradually upgraded to almost perfect (example: Sins, GalCiv2 and its wonderful expansions). So, keep it up guys! :)
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linger
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RE: Should I buy?

Post by linger »

That's a shame...man 70% on population control is ridiculous. Guess i'll have to hold off on this then.
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