question

[augustus]

Is this Matrix Edition going to be a re-release (with improvements, obviously) of the original AOS, or AOS2, or AOS2: Privateers?

[FMDaun]

Good question!
A propos of the original AOS, I recall that the ship list, though extensive, left out a great many vessels of the period. It would be good to have a proper ship editor, which would enable players to fill the gaps from their own research when creating scenarios.

[David Heath]

We really have not decided what we are going to do with Age of Sail.  We have not found any real fan sites on the game.
 
David
 
 

[ParachuteProne]

There were some for AOS2 for some time, especially for online - mission editors were made by 3rd party etc. but they seem to have died out as the game was so unfinished. Formations didn't work & other features didn't work or were not correct.
However graphically the game was very nice. Akella seemed to just give up on it sadly enough.

Mark

[Mikekiller16]

I played AOS II and its sequel Privateer's Bounty, but feel more confortable with original Talonsoft AOS, graphics are good enough to play big battles, squadron control pretty much easier and controllable than in AOSII, some improvements.... internet multiplayer,
ground needed, a dynamic campaign (maybe with control over ship repairs) and a campaign with some objectives could be definitive. But of course i don´t know the possible audience for this product.... for sure you have one at least.

[rhondabrwn]

ORIGINAL: David Heath

We really have not decided what we are going to do with Age of Sail. We have not found any real fan sites on the game.

David

Hi David,

To be honest, a fresh approach might be the way to go. AOS II usually held my interest only briefly and I found the large battles to be a bit unmanageable. I did have some freezeup problems with the game and that didn't help keep up my interest.

In sum, I'll buy a re-issue (on principal), but would love to see a significant overhaul and enhancement. The "Ironclads" suggestions would be of significant interest, I think. So, let's not dump this one. Maybe just keep it alive with a direct download only update and then work towards building a community interested in taking the game further.

[Ursa MAior]

I played AOS I and WSIM to the death even in hotseat. Since ther is no comparable game on hte market it should not be left to perish. With a good UI and AI it would rock!

[augustus]

I couldn't find any fansites either. In fact, I recently bought Age of Sail II: Privateer's Bounty cheap, and I still had to hunt around the developer's (or maybe it was the publisher's) website just to download the manual. But it really is a great, fun game, and the reason it doesn't have the same kind of fan support as a lot of other games was that the originals often had bugs or problems that were never fixed. Gamespot's review of AOS2: PB said "This is the game that AOS2 should've been", but I think by then the gaming world had given up on the concept.

I don't think it would take much to make this game a good seller. In fact, I think I'll start an idea/suggestion thread, just so we AOS fans can fill the time until we hear something more from Matrix.

[CBR]

I did find one fan site with a forum here: http://forum.sealordsvf.org/


CBR

[Jim Falk]

Talonsoft's "T-34" game has a ship editor for AOS that works very well. I've used it to configure ships such as the massive USS Pennsylvania that was more of a shore-defence 1st-rate than a bluewater cruiser. From what I've read of it, it was probably the most powerful 1st-rate ever built.[:)]

[bradfordkay]

AOS2 had great promise. It was a beautifyl game, with a very good interface. Unfortuntely, it was so bug ridden as to drive away all the fans.

I know that some people complain that controlling large battles was quite difficult, but that was more due to bugs than to the interface. IIRC, the control over a fleet was quite similar to what admirals had IRL - the ability to issue a single order to a group of ships and hope that they follow those orders to the best of their ability.

I'd probably still be playing AOS2 if I were able to grapple a larger vessel without having my ship's hull ground to sawdust...

[histgamer]

Anyone Know if
 
Sealords Virtual Fleet is still around? I was a member of that around 2 years ago, was great.

[scriibe]

The original AOS was one of the very few games I reinstall whenever I get a new computer.  It was a good solid simulation of naval warfare in the American Revolution/Napoleonic period (although it's scenario design system left me bewildered). 

I have been very impressed with the job Matrix Games' reissues of TOAW and Harpoon, and an updated AOS would be on my list of games to get.  I tried the demo of Shrapnel Game's "Salvo" and was not terribly impressed, something just did not feel right.  So I am hopeful you will continue developing AOS.

[waynec]

i agree with the demo for salvo not feeling right. not sure if its just the way the demo has to work or what. probably will hold off buying that game. like most sail games, the tactics just aren't there. there was so much more to getting a sailing ship to go where you wanted than just pushing an arrow; yards are adjusted, sails are raised, lowered, reefed. all the sailing games feel too much like short range jutland games with masts. i have an hms surprise sailing simulator from a dutch guy that is fascinating for learning how to sail a frigate, how to tack and wear ship, etc. great fun and learning experience.

[Alex777]

<< We really have not decided what we are going to do with Age of Sail.&nbsp; We have not found any real fan sites on the game.&nbsp; >>
&nbsp;
I have the feeling everyone else knows the answer to this, but ...
&nbsp;
What's the connection between fan sites and your plan (I hope it's a plan) to release an updated version of Age of Sail?&nbsp;

[John K]

Every computer Age of Sail game has been a total disaster from a realism perspective - none done by anyone that really understood the Age of Sail (caveat - I'm a long time AoS miniatures player and a grognard in that respect.)

I'd really like to see something done new from the ground up....

All I ask is, for the love of God, that boarding (or the lack thereof) be realistically represented, for once. A serious problem with the AoS is there's this ENORMOUS gap between the movie and generalized vague impression of the AoS, and the reality...people just can't get past the ridiculous pirate movie image of guys with cutlasses in their teeth swinging on to decks....

Capture of ships by boarding was INCREDIBLY rare in the AoS and almost non-existent among Ships of the Line (actually in the entire period 1740 to 1815 I believe the only Liners captured by boarding were the two taken by Nelson at Cape St. Vincent.)

All the advantages in boarding combat were with the defense, and the larger ths ships the harder it was. Any ship vulnerable to boarding was likely to strike before it happened. You didn't see fleet battles where one side set out to board the other - it just wasn't a realistic strategy - they were decided by gunfire. There was a computer game some years back (can't remember the title, but the Demo was of Camperdown) where within a few turns not only was virtually every ship locked in boarding combat, but ships were very quickly SINKING (something else which hardly ever happened.)

And ideally it would be a game oriented towards on-line play teams of individual captains for individual ships with extremely limited communication between ships.

[solops]

John K, well said.

I have been patiently and quietly waiting for this game, hoping that the problems of its predecessors would be fixed. Graphics and controls are mostly fine. The problems were in the details, i.e. true differentiation between cannons and carronades, boarding, etc. There was never a whole lot to fix, when the game was taken en toto, but the changes needed were necessary. I bought AoSI, AoSII and AoSPB. I played AoSI more than the others, probably because the followups were so frustrating in their failure to add or fix the obvious!

[Stardog]

My 2 cents worth.
I love AOS! I play it every week. Theres just nothing like AOS out there, yes there are things that could be improved but I care less for graphics( Cartoons ) as to game play and lots of attention to the details.Let us not forget the long awaited AOSIC ( Age Of Sail IronClads ) also.
Having grown up in Hampton Va. ( Hampton Roads ) just afew miles from were the historic Battle between the first 2 IronClads ( USS Monitor & CSS Virginia ) took place.Man I couldn't wait for AOIC but sadly it died along with TalonSoft.
To have these games updated or made in the Matrix Way would be the greatest!![:D]
I would like to thank Matrix Games for all they have done for PC wargames and for us wargames[&o].
Please give AOS/AOSIC its update/remake that it deserves.
B/R
Wm ( Stardog )

[Ursa MAior]

Will buy any good Age of Sail game. Even ironclads. Salvo did not work for me either.

AH's Wooden Ship and Iron men on PC was also a great thing.

Hell I am lacking a good SOL fight I would even buy an AOS I with no upgrades (UNLIKE CAW that is).

[Kai]

I love the Age of Sail.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
I owned the talonsoft games, but the later ones were so bug ridden that they were almost unplayable.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
I'd buy an updated AOS game, particularly if there was a dynamic campaign element.&nbsp;