Someone dropped the ball?

[JudgeDredd]

I know nothing about this game...never heard of it.

Is this a new aquisition for Matrix? Has the game been in development under the Matrix umbrella? If so, why no forum until now.

I don't understand where this game came from or why it "suddenly" turned up...and the lack of forum and posts makes me very wary of it simply because without forum posts and discussions you don't know what people think of it.

So come on....any chance you could give us an insight into where this came from?

I will be downloading the demo and reading the website (I see box and manual are available...NICE!)...

Edited to say I'd just noticed this has been about since Februrary...so I'll go and find an active forum on it for news on how it plays...

[Hertston]

I assume "and more great strategy games like it" means Matrix will be publishing the ACW game as well? Seems that is due for early 2007.

Looks nice, but it's over-priced. Why should it cost a whopping 46% more than it was sold for (by the developers) before!

[Marc von Martial]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

I know nothing about this game...never heard of it.

Is this a new aquisition for Matrix? Has the game been in development under the Matrix umbrella? If so, why no forum until now.

I don't understand where this game came from or why it "suddenly" turned up...and the lack of forum and posts makes me very wary of it simply because without forum posts and discussions you don't know what people think of it.

So come on....any chance you could give us an insight into where this came from?

I will be downloading the demo and reading the website (I see box and manual are available...NICE!)...

Edited to say I'd just noticed this has been about since Februrary...so I'll go and find an active forum on it for news on how it plays...

You must be kidding. It is a pity you never heard of this before. BOA is an excellent operational game about the American Revolution. A "must have" IMHO.

Do you never go to "The Wargamer" website? IIRC the game was even discussed here on our forums.

As for why it just popped up at Matrix, well David managed to get a deal with AGOED (the developer). It was not developed under our umbrella.

[JudgeDredd]

No, I seldom go to Wargamer...perhaps as a "wargamer", I should consider it! [;)]

Anyway, I'll check it out.

[Trigger Happy]

it was discussed in the CotA forum too. Robin le Guetteur is the graphic artist. BTW I bought it through steam...

[von Beanie]

I've been playing BOA for months. It is the best strategic level Revolutionary War game I have ever played. It took me at least 15 games to beat it in the 1775 scenario at the "hard" level. I haven't yet tried the "very hard" level.

If you want a fun game that models an insurgent operation, I would highly recommend it. But you have to get used to a campaign with no front lines, a willingness to abandon whatever the British decide they really want, and to fight for six years using month-long turns. You'll learn to appreciate the French because it is impossible to win the 1775 campaign without their intervention. What's interesting is that this game was produced in France (perhaps to refresh American memories that we wouldn't be a nation without their help).

Anyway, I would give this game my highest recommendation for a highly playable computer game with an outstanding AI. If it wasn't for the new Civil War game, I'd still be spending most of my time playing BOA.

Norm

[Helpless]

ORIGINAL: von Beanie

I've been playing BOA for months. It is the best strategic level Revolutionary War game I have ever played.

Second that. Glad to see BoA in da house of Matrix. [:)]

[USS Yorktown]

+1

BoA feels and plays like these 70's monster boardgames. The AI is cunning, and the 18th century warfare is really well simulated. There are also 2 scenarios and a campaign about the French and Indian War, plus a War of 1812 bonus scenario.

[Rabbitman]

Sounding good to me so far.[&o]
 

front lines, a willingness to abandon whatever the British decide they really want, and to fight for six years using month-long turns. You'll learn to appreciate the French because it is impossible to win the 1775 campaign without their intervention. What's interesting is that this game was produced in France (perhaps to refresh American memories that we wouldn't be a nation without their help).

 
The Patriot came in for a lot of criticism(mostly deservedly so)but I did like the French touch. Especially that bit at the end, where it goes "Viva la France" to  "Viva le America"(sorry for the bad quoting[:-])

[Haplo_Patryn]

If one of the best games (wargame) of the last years, awesome game. Great game, great playability, clean of bugs, great support, etc, etc.

The next game will be focused in the ACW (february 2007)

[Marc von Martial]

It certainly is one of my favourite games of 2006.

[Marc von Martial]

Btw, boxed copies with printed manuals should be available sometime next week.

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: JudgeDredd

I know nothing about this game...never heard of it.

I don't understand where this game came from or why it "suddenly" turned up...and the lack of forum and posts makes me very wary of it simply because without forum posts and discussions you don't know what people think of it.

So come on....any chance you could give us an insight into where this came from?

LOL[:D]. Judge I heard about this game via the war-historical NG and had no idea it was available via digital download via the developer www.ageod.com until a couple of days ago. Many consider it to be "the" wargame of 2006. There we go! <shrug> [;)]

Therefore, I'm totally new to this game too but it is a blessing in disguise:

1. Great novel approach to graphics.
2. Only 44 pages of large font and spaced rules.
3. Amazing scenario spread - and how's this? Even a 4 turn scenario covering the campaign for South Carolina which is a total blast to play of itself. 4 turns! This game has something for players of all tastes (I've lost that scen the 6 times I've played so far - but I haven't yet fully read the rules.... to be rectified shorty [:D] ).

Warning to purchasers:

1. Be sure your download is at least version 1.08 and above. The current version is 1.10d. This will ensure you also gain benefit of a 150meg map redo in the install .exe. My purchase 2 days ago from Ageod was only 1.02. (The lead developer Pocus was kind enough to admit his vendor made an error and fixed it for me).

2. There may be a screen refresh issue. Initiating the game lowered my screen refresh rate. The developer advised that if so affected, the fix is to use a tool in the game folder called "AGESettings". Go to the display tab set Screen Mode as "Standard (Optimized)" and Window Mode as "Maximized".

Ageod has a very active forum for the game at its website and I assume like Run5 for SSG, it will remain the developer's prefered forum for now?

Well done Matrix [;)] Ageod needed huge help with its shopfront. Isn't it great to get the timing right? [:D] Let's help them get their ACW game now.

[Gibbon]

This is great news.

Birth of America is a classic "easy to learn, hard to master" game. You better have an answer to the "what is your strategy?" question, because harsh winters and smart AI won't forgive you much...
I agree with Adam, the AGEOD guys support to their game is top of the pop! [8D]

Nice move, will Matrix distribute Ageod's American Civil War too?

[Lebatron]

If I recall, Strategy First was the publisher before, maybe still is. But I wonder if they are getting the boot now that Matrix Games is promoting the game. Perhaps they felt Strategy First was doing a poor job???

When it first came out I recall a long tread over at the wargamer comparing Crown of Glory and BOA. Many considered BOA a much better game yet COG got all the glory (sorry) in terms of sales. Mayby Matrix will help this game reach its full potential.

[m10bob]

I am very interested in this period of American history, but am looking for something along the lines of "Age of Rifles".
If this game could allow that kind of detail, this will be my game.

[Gibbon]

I agree that Matrix is very likely to do a much better job than SFI. So much the better for all wargamers!

I am very interested in this period of American history, but am looking for something along the lines of "Age of Rifles".

I guess you don't know For Liberty then. Matrix is selling it with a discount. Give it a try.

[Moltke71]

BoA doesn't have the tactical elements of AoR. For that you need either the tactical element of For Liberty!, HPS' Campaigh 1776 or the Amer Rev scenarios in Shrapnel's Horse and Musket.

I'd love to do a comparitive piece on BoA and FL!

[Adam Parker]

ORIGINAL: Lebatron

When it first came out I recall... the wargamer comparing Crown of Glory and BOA. Many considered BOA a much better game yet COG got all the glory

My goodness. you can't compare the two can you? [:)]

Comparing CoG to BoA is like in board gaming - comparing Drag Nach Osten to Russian Campaign or War in the Pacific to Midway! The two just don't even come close!

CoG/FoF is a game for those who wish to invest many-many hours trying to work out how to first, use an interface and then how to play. Hundreds of pages of rules - 50 pages of appendices in FoF alone!

BoA is a breath of fresh air. It's like a classic board game in look and feel brought to the PC. The features of the "classic" genre being; slim rules, approx 200 units per side and as Gibbon said, forming the challenge of being "easy to learn and hard to master". Avalon Hill's 1960's classics DDay, Stalingrad, Afrika Korps, Bulge, Waterloo, Chancellorsville, come to mind.

BoA's artists deserve applause for creating something very different. The screenshots of Ageod's Civil War game are stunning with their little blackboards showing various tallies, ledgers, the shadows behind the "Mark Herman-ish units on stands"... Excellent atmosphere building stuff.

Pocus (Ageod's lead developer) suggests that his Civil War game will ramp up the complexity from BoA a little way. But even then these games will be nothing like the well-intentioned but different world chaos called CoG/FoF.

If Matrix does now become involved with Ageod's development I pray 3 things:

1. It does not add anything to the designs that makes them chug on system resources like CoG/FoF/W@W. Note: Just like FoF, BoA suggests 512MB Ram but recommends 1Gig. However, the difference is, FoF barely plays on my 512MB Ram system, whereas BoA absolutely flies in full flavor, no hastles whatsoever. Ageod is doing something right.

2. It does not become involved in editing any rulebooks until it can guarantee quality control in proof reading.

3. It fully retains BoA's artists.

Yep! BoA looks like the game I've been looking for all year. Ageod's ACW looks to fill the Civil War gaming void left by Forge of Freedom... much as I hope, Carriers at War will fill the void left for those who find 2by3's War in the Pacific unplayable.

I hope this also inspires Matrix to develop games - other than those no longer supported by other developers (the Talonsoft, Shrapnel et al., lines soon to be re-released) and those only suitable for for monster wargamers. Clean, manageable, engrossing, historically relevant war gaming is what a lot of us hobbyists always keep and eye and a wallet out for.

[Temple]

I'll just make a quick post here and second (or third or fourth) the comments made that BOA is a great game. It's definitely got a board game feel to it, which is a good thing in case you were wondering[;)]. It was a little rough at first with some minor scrolling problems and other issues, but the developer has been extremely responsive to identifying needed fixes. AGEOD also has been constantly improving the game and enhancing the interface and the gameplay. And, unlike many developers, they have been updating the PDF manual as well; not for every revision, but as part of the major updates.

AGEOD has a downloadable demo as well http://www.ageod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1179&nbsp;