Thinking about buying this game...any advice?

[dinger]

Hello everyone....my name is Tim. I have been looking at this game now for several months(actually probably about a year now.)
Can anyone give a little insight into this game...about gameplay....mods(maybe a few links to the mods?) would be greatly appreciated.

[:)] is this a good game to get involved in? how is it pbem and how hard to find an opponent? I know this game is about 6 years old or older, also does matrix offer discounts for this game since it is several years old?
I mean 80 us dollars is a lot for an older game!!!! not being cheap but every bit saved helps!!!! Thanks for any and all replies!!![;)][;)]

[wdolson]

Hi and welcome. There are many mods for this game, there is a sticky for mods on the front page of the forum. There are several in development right now.

The game does require paying attention to a lot of details, but most players find it very rewarding in the end. Some player created aids have been developed.

Matrix doesn't share sales numbers, but I'm pretty sure AE is one of their best sellers, even after all this time. They do put the game on sale from time to time, usually around the end of the year. But the wargame industry works differently from the mainstream game industry. The mainstream industry is more like the blockbuster movie market. They try to make a killing up front with lots of sales, then flog the DVDs in bargain bins at Walmart a year later.

The sales volume for serious wargames is a tiny fraction of a blockbuster game. Something like Grand Theft Auto sells in the 10s of million copies in a few months. A mega hit wargame sells about 10,000 copies in its entire lifetime. It takes longer to recoup the development costs and the margins are a lot smaller, so prices don't tend to drop that much over time.

AE is expensive, but it's also probably one of the most ambitious wargames from a data perspective ever done. It details the entire OOB of all participants in very fine detail. You can keep track of individual pilots and have ships as small as landing craft and PT boats. Some land units are as small as companies, though most combat units are regiments or larger. It doesn't have lots of flashy animation (though there is some), the focus is instead on the details and accuracy.

Some people can get overwhelmed with the details, but if you stick with it and get your arms around the game, it can occupy your gaming time for years, literally.

Bill

[dr.hal]

Greetings Dinger and welcome aboard! Bill is right, this is about the most bang you can get for 80 bucks anywhere. Just think what you spend on a date to the movies, which lasts one evening if you're lucky, or less than two hours if not. This game however will give you hundreds of hours of fun and frustration all in one! Of all the games I've invested in, this is undoubtedly the most "cost effective" despite its age (BTW it goes back a LOT longer than 6 years, indeed it goes back to the late 70s when it was a board game from Victory Games). It takes time to get the hang of it, given its complexity (some are still getting the hang of it since 1978, like me) but the journey is part of the joy. This forum is great and VERY helpful so there is LOTS of support and Matix Games is unequaled in its support for this game, despite its age. OK, some of the graphics are a bit "hokey" but once past that, you don't even notice them anymore. The level of DETAIL is amazing (which a lot of us get off on) and they are open to new input if you find something our of sorts. So go ahead and invest and start learning. You will soon have no time to go on that date to the movies so don't worry about the cost!!!!!

[Kull]

Go into the "After Action Report" (AAR) subforum and read some of the threads. To get a real flavor, start in the middle of something popular so you don't get bogged down in all the minutiae of the game set-up. Hunt around until you find one with lots of in-game pictures.

[dinger]

Thanks everyone for your fast replies[;)]....I went ahead and took the plunge[:)]....I am sure I will enjoy this
game.....will look forward to maybe doing some pbem with some of you. I will take a look at this game tomorrow...thanks again to all

[wdolson]

The learning curve has been described as a learning cliff. Many newbies have asked lots of questions here. Few new players learn the game without some help. Feel free to ask questions if you don't find an answer, the forum folk are usually pretty helpful.

Bill

[Itdepends]

For the price of a night out you'll get a game that you will be playing with an active community and fan base years from now.

How many games can you find that still have as active a community as this after 6 years?

It is highly detailed- what is your existing wargaming experience? Have you played Victoria? Hearts of Iron? Europa Universalis?

However - the PBEM gameplay is very rewarding. The long build up to a big (or not so big) battle and the fog of war is brilliant.

[m10bob]

Welcome to The Pacific..
When I was new to the game system, I was compelled to start and restart every time I learned something new about the game. It has too many "features" to list, and much chrome that is not even considered.
In my personal opinion, knowing the history of that era will help you a lot.The game is very accurate in its' representation of the units involved.

This forum is the best place to come for help, advice, observations, etc.
The folks here are VERY open and will jump to help and/or answer your questions or respond to criticisms.

As long as I have been playing this game, I believe the cost of the game is down to maybe a few cents foe a day of play, (including the cost of the electricity.)[;)]

[AW1Steve]

Buy it! Play it! Enjoy it! Rinse, repeat! Say goodbye to your family , and your life as you know it. [:D] Welcome to the cheapest , healthiest, and best drug on the planet! [:D][:D][:D]

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: AW1Steve

Buy it! Play it! Enjoy it! Rinse, repeat! Say goodbye to your family , and your life as you know it. [:D] Welcome to the cheapest , healthiest, and best drug on the planet! [:D][:D][:D]

+1.

[pmelheck1]

Welcome to the asylum. This game has a very good player base as others have stated. Also how many games are anywhere near this well supported. It just had a large patch released. I know this is the best money I ever spent for a game. It's still installed on my system. I have a new PC coming in and this will be the first program to go in after configuring it.

[rockmedic109]

Advice? Hmm.

Call a local pizza place and have a standing order for pizza to be delivered once a day at whatever your meal time is.

Play on a laptop and have a small table set up in the bathroom for when nature calls. However, it is not recommended that you play while taking a shower so forget the shower.

If you are married, call a florist and have them deliver a dozen roses to her on her birthday and anniversary for the next ten years.

And remember, this is not just a game but a way of life.

[m10bob]

ORIGINAL: rockmedic109

Advice? Hmm.

Call a local pizza place and have a standing order for pizza to be delivered once a day at whatever your meal time is.

Play on a laptop and have a small table set up in the bathroom for when nature calls. However, it is not recommended that you play while taking a shower so forget the shower.

If you are married, call a florist and have them deliver a dozen roses to her on her birthday and anniversary for the next ten years.

And remember, this is not just a game but a way of life.

[rustysi]

Welcome to the asylum.

Well put.[:D]