My Last AGEOD Game. Period.

[Omnius]

I gave up on AGEOD after trying to play that Napoleonic rubbish heap and finding it pathetic in the extreme. I liked Birth of America although I had serious problems with the retreat illogic that is the industry's absolute worst. It was really stupid to watch armies retreat into places with no supply, merely because that was the way they came from. In the 1806 scenario I found it really ignorant that a defeated Prussian corp would retreat back into the woods region it came from instead of across the river towards the capital and a supply depot. The weather effects in the Napoleonic game were way too extreme, I saw how the scenario designs had to have earlier than historical starting dates to overcome the too extreme weather effects.

Instead of trying to fix these serious problems AGEOF offered nothing but lame excuses as to how these effects were realistic, a pack of self serving lies rather than fix the problem. The winter effects were ridiculous as some armies would actually show taking longer to get to their intended destination with each passing turn. That was when I gave up on AGEOD products.

A real shame because I love the WEGO game system that AGEOD uses. I wish AGEOD would admit prior mistakes and fix the problems and make sure to let those of us who gave up on them years ago for good reason now have a good reason to return to their products. Until I know for certain that current AGEOD products have logical retreat rules and weather effects I will just say NO to their offerings.

Omnius

[Rosseau]

Bought it on game day, and will play it at some point. There are few developers I have more faith in than Ageod. At the same time, the suggestion that they bit off more than their AI can chew would be a bummer. I hope they come up with something better as I don't MP Ageod games.

I paid $26 for Centennial, played through a few years, and had some fun. But like the war it simulates, the lack of maneuver just got me bored.

Commander: The Great War might be the best game we have out there now on WW1.

[mkjhartmann]

I totally agree. I buy almost everything Matrix/Slitherine publish, but this one had me bored to tears. Maybe it is the nature of WW I, or the incredibly dated system, but this was just a waste of money. A store credit would be a good gesture.

[Queeg]

ORIGINAL: rosseau

I paid $26 for Centennial, played through a few years, and had some fun. But like the war it simulates, the lack of maneuver just got me bored.

I do agree that WWI G/CE combat is a slugfest. I like it just because it is so different than warfare in any other era. Definitely a matter of taste, though.

So far, TEAW is more a model of what WWI might have been like had the armies had the sort of maneuverability of other eras or if the war, for whatever reason, had not bogged down into trenches. It is an interesting presentation, but it doesn't yet feel much like WWI to me.

[ETF]

ORIGINAL: vonRocko

Ah the old excuse for a lame AI: "Play pbem"! The facts are the vast majority of people do not play that way. A semi competent AI is possible these days, if the developer isn't lazy.

I have been playing Wargames for 25 years. Never seen an AI that is even better than an intermediate Human. I never understood why people even feel the need to play the AI unless it was for tutorials to learn the game.

This game was a tad slow when learning against the AI. Mp games it is amazing. I would have to say better than any AGEOD game. I have most. Mind with out MP WEGO it would be a dud like all wargames here.

[elxaime]

Not sure why PBEM is seen as so daunting. It is not that hard to find opponents.

[Aurelian]

ORIGINAL: elxaime

Not sure why PBEM is seen as so daunting. It is not that hard to find opponents.

It depends. I'm not going to play PBEM in CWII again thanks to the "Put everything in the East" nonsense.
One doesn't have to worry about that against the AI.

[Gilmer]

Sometimes it is your own schedule that makes it impossible to play PBEM. I'm sure opponents REALLY enjoy it when people take off for weeks at a time and have no turn incoming.

(That was sarcasm eh eh.)

[MikeS369]

I want a store credit for every game I bought from Matrix that I think is crap. Wah wah wah.

[FroBodine]

ORIGINAL: elxaime

Not sure why PBEM is seen as so daunting. It is not that hard to find opponents.

Where is the best place to find opponents for AGEOD games, please? I would like to try some PBEM AJE or TEAW as soon as I get more comfortable with the systems.

Thanks!

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: jglazier

ORIGINAL: elxaime

Not sure why PBEM is seen as so daunting. It is not that hard to find opponents.

Where is the best place to find opponents for AGEOD games, please? I would like to try some PBEM AJE or TEAW as soon as I get more comfortable with the systems.

Thanks!

Hi best is on the AGEOD forums, put a post into this thread. I think most of the AGEOD PBEM community tend to use their forums rather than those over on Matrix.

having said that, if you fancy some AJE PBEM then drop me a PM and see what/if we can work out?

[mikeCK]

ORIGINAL: elxaime

Not sure why PBEM is seen as so daunting. It is not that hard to find opponents.

Well, like many wargamers, I am not in college or single. I have a full time career, a wife and 2 kids; kids that need to be taken to baseball practice, piano lessons, volleyball games, etc. Kids that need dad to help with homework ...blah blah.

Point is that some of us might get 3 hours of gaming time one night but not even touch the thing for a week. No one wants to wait days on end for a turn. So, like Queeg and many others, I only play single player. The game is advertised as having a single player component so people have a right to expect a competent AI. Personally, I love AGEOD games and find their AI to be pretty good...particularly if you place house rules on yourself (like not just rushing to promote all the best generals in ACW2 in 1862 as if you would actually know)

I like this game. But if someone has a complaint about the AI, it's a bit disingenuous to suggest that is THEIR problem because they should play PBEM.

[Aurelian]

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

Sometimes it is your own schedule that makes it impossible to play PBEM. I'm sure opponents REALLY enjoy it when people take off for weeks at a time and have no turn incoming.

(That was sarcasm eh eh.)

HA. After two months, I gave up on my WiTP PBEM. (Way back in 2005.) Still haven't heard from the guy.....

[Gilmer]

ORIGINAL: Aurelian

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

Sometimes it is your own schedule that makes it impossible to play PBEM. I'm sure opponents REALLY enjoy it when people take off for weeks at a time and have no turn incoming.

(That was sarcasm eh eh.)

HA. After two months, I gave up on my WiTP PBEM. (Way back in 2005.) Still haven't heard from the guy.....

I always wondered about that. I see AARs that are two people playing then they just stop. And I always wonder if one of them just stopped playing. Ideally, you'll find someone with a very similar schedule who is also on pretty much your same skill level. It hardly ever works out that way and I'm pretty sure some people have not played me again in PBEM games not because I'm unethical but because they might have thought, "This guy is hopeless. I'd have more of a challenge playing my cat!" I don't think I have ever won a PBEM game, my total count is about 5-6 though, haha.

[Symple]

H Gilmer, you not only make me laugh but you make me identify.
Lots of reason other players drop out, but my opponents who are better than your cat, they love playing me.

[Aurelian]

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

ORIGINAL: Aurelian

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

Sometimes it is your own schedule that makes it impossible to play PBEM. I'm sure opponents REALLY enjoy it when people take off for weeks at a time and have no turn incoming.

(That was sarcasm eh eh.)

HA. After two months, I gave up on my WiTP PBEM. (Way back in 2005.) Still haven't heard from the guy.....

I always wondered about that. I see AARs that are two people playing then they just stop. And I always wonder if one of them just stopped playing. Ideally, you'll find someone with a very similar schedule who is also on pretty much your same skill level. It hardly ever works out that way and I'm pretty sure some people have not played me again in PBEM games not because I'm unethical but because they might have thought, "This guy is hopeless. I'd have more of a challenge playing my cat!" I don't think I have ever won a PBEM game, my total count is about 5-6 though, haha.

Heh.... Wasn't that big a deal. Playing as the Japanese, I had just seized Palmyra IIRC. I jst hope he's still around and well.

[decaro]

ORIGINAL: Queeg

ORIGINAL: Haplo_Patryn

West Front, 1915 february.

WWI, real WWI. Playing this game (or WitE, WitP/AE, BA, AT) against the IA is wasting time. IA will never play better than a human opponent, not even close to what a bad human player will. Why don't you try PBEM game guys? It's so easy, not problem at all.

Come on, if you want to play against IA it's ok but don't come here and tell us that this game is crap, bad or that is the last game i will buy from AGEOD. It's ok, but not fair. Do you really think that WitP/AE is a bad game because the IA is crap? Or WitE?

PBEM isn't an option for everyone. Some of us have schedules that make MP impractical.

No one expects an AI as good as a human player. An AI comparable to AGEOD's other games would be fine. Here's hoping.

Isn't this game using AGEOD's Athena AI?
That's one the best AIs around.

[ETF]

Sorry double post

[ETF]

ORIGINAL: H Gilmer

Sometimes it is your own schedule that makes it impossible to play PBEM. I'm sure opponents REALLY enjoy it when people take off for weeks at a time and have no turn incoming.

(That was sarcasm eh eh.)

I have done that.....no problem usually. Mind you most people don't do that
PBEM is just that for people with real lives and families. Ideally for the best experience I like LAN wargaming. Mind you THAT is not for everyone. PBEM though I find hard to see how one can't play that? Turn once a month sure...once a week .....sure....once an hour sure. It all depends on how YOU and your opponent want to play. SIMPLE

[operating]

I find the frequency of play usually has to do with what time zone the players are in, and as ETF points out, depends on individual's choice of play. I'll admit; that doing turns once a week is a bit of a drag, that means it would be 2 years to complete a 118 turn match. Currently in 4 Matches that average about 1 turn a day each, sometimes more on weekends, mind you that is CTGW matches, however, bought EAW to learn and play in MP, because of some of the reviews. So far find the game somewhat more complex than CTGW, where I could understand a greater turn around time on turns (at present). Where ETF is from Canada and I am from the East coast of the USA, we would more than likely have a considerably faster game than an opponent on the other side of the world. What I do like is; When up against these distant locations is an appreciation for their use of the English language and learn about their culture, points of view, things like that, gives me an idea about what makes them "tick", and I'm sure it is the same for them in the same respect.