Gameplay - Early Impressions?

[stevekten]

I like the game, but i seem to be spending an awful lot of time getting used to what i can  and cannot due, as stated above a F.A.Q and more indepth manual/tutorial would solve a lot of the complaints about the interface. I have not had the privious experience with  Mr. hunters games so this is all ground breaking for me.

[sol_invictus]

This all sounds like my experience with The Road From Sumpter to Appomattox. That game took a few false starts until the interface and phases made any sense, but after I got comfortable with the engine, it turned out to be a classic.

[Procrustes]

Oh, man - I'm still learning Blue&Gray and now this comes out... where's that credit card???

[Erik Rutins]

Thanks again everyone, we are listening to both the compliments and the criticisms.

[Terl]

Oh, I can hardly wait! I just bought it and dl'd it here at work. Now I have to wait for the day to finish...gah!!! 4 hours to go!!! [:D]

[JD Walter]

Thanks again everyone, we are listening to both the compliments and the criticisms.

My own appreciations to yourself and Frank, Eric.

Both your company's and Frank's dedication to customer support is well-known, and I am glad to have purchased this game from you.

I believe the criticisms levelled at GoA are more excessive than actually warranted. Although I understand many of the initial reactions (and support the right of the purchaser's to state them), the game itself is an incredible achievement. The design is well-constructed and thought-through. There is an amazing subtlety in the opening moves, not only in how one apportions starting forces, but the tasks and operations he commits his HQ's and infrastructure to. This is true of both sides.

I also note no one has yet posted that the design is broken, or is impossible to win with a given side. This is a testament to Frank Hunter's skills as not only a researcher, but first and foremost a game designer. Frank's always had a good sense of balance.

I am confident GoA will garner more positive comments as players become more familiar with the game and it's great depth.

I have been very satisfied with my purchase, and would not hesitate to recommend this title to other potential players interested in WW 1. It is a fine counterpart to such games as GMT's "Paths of Glory" and Ted Racier's other designs.

[06 Maestro]

I got about 5 hours of play under my belt last night. I have no problem with the UI at all; the choices are clear. I don’t understand the complaints about the UI. What is a little odd is the phase sequence of a turn. This type of a turn is something new for me, so it took a while to sink in. It is simply a way to include things that should occur only once during a turn/time period (R&D, unit construction, diplomacy) and things that occur 2 or three times during a turn (movement, combat). It is actually a brilliant way to set up a turn.

Supply is handled very well through the use of HQ’s. It is very difficult to have a sustained offensive-if you are haphazard with your HQ’s, you will get no where.

The R&D factors make sense; you will have to economize and prioritize as there is no “having it all”, The same goes for unit construction.

Losses are kept track of apparently at any given point of a turn you choose. This is a good tool to help you avoid wasting your army on non productive attacks-or bad defensive positions.

Air and naval forces are represented-I’ve only just begun to toy with them. Their deployment is easy enough-haven’t had contact on the high sea yet.

On the negative side, the manual could have been a little larger-even 2 pages just to better cover the flow of a turn. This would have saved me a little trouble. What’s a “no brainer” for some is “Greek” for others. It should be assumed that all new players have never seen such a system before.

The screen resolution issue is real. I change my monitor (21’’LCD) resolution to get a full screen map. The map and units still look good, but are stretched somewhat. Although it’s not a game breaker for me, it should be taken care of ASAP. It only takes a few seconds to change resolutions-but why should players have to do this? If I do not change the resolution I have about 2 inches of desk top showing all around the game window.

The sounds and music are fine-although I generally mute all sounds for my games (probably would have divorced years ago if I didn’t).

I’ve been a war gamer for about, eh, 40 years. I’ve seen many different types of games-some good, some bad. Guns of August is definitely in the good category-I will certainly get my moneys worth out of this interesting game.

So F. Hunter thanks for a very good game, but don’t slow down yet.

[06 Maestro]

I should have added that the game window can be minumized or move around. I appreciate the ability to move the cursor out of the game. This enables me to fully utilize a second monitor while playing the game. As someone noted above, this allows for having the manual open while playing. When PBEM starts up, this flexibility will be even more important.

I recently purchased a non Matrix game and was unpleasantly surprised to find that I could not move the cursor from the game window or minumize the game. Talk about dated software...

[Erik Rutins]

<bump> for those looking for impressions.

[*Lava*]

Still playing Erik and working my way through the game...

Patience...

Edit: Okay I will give you one thing I really like so far... and that is the heavy FOW and the ability to pierce it using the air recon feature. Quite nice.

Ray (alias Lava)

[dave74]

My early impressionns (im at the end of 1914 with the central powers) is that the interface is fine and that the game has the feel of ww1, i mean you have to plan your offwnsives on a grand scale and it seems to take a lot of your forces efforts to push the enemy back a little way.

I started to worry because i had left the east very thinly protected and the ai did not attack. Then after the 3rd strategic turn the russians attacked all along the front pushing the austrians and the germans back!!!

all in all, if you like ww1 i dont think you will find any other game coming near to this for capturing the feel of it.

Good stuff.

[ojnab_bob]

Agree with dave74 - this is a very tightly made and well-done game, and I have been quite impressed with the AI so far, as well as with the economic model forcing you to make tough economic choices.&nbsp; It blows the board game GoA out of the water...&nbsp;recommended.

[Terl]

I got it yesterday and have been enjoying the game a great deal. The interface works well for the game's design and after working with it for a while I got the hang of it quickly. I do recommend the tutorial Lava (Ray) put together for newcomers as it does make it easier to acclimate oneself to the game.

I can see much time spent playing this.

[Redan]

Everyone seems to be playing the huns, but I have encountered some entente puzzling features. Most are my own rookie mistakes, but there is no indication I could find in the rules or anywhere else to let me know that Southampton is an atlantic port and portsmouth plymouth or whatever it is is a north sea port. Not fair. I put the BEF at these 2 ports then couldnt move from portmouth because I'd only assigned shipping to the Atlantic. Who knew? How was I to know?

Otherwise, this is a most subtle and pleasant game. If anything about the Great War may ever be termed pleasant.... Please someone give a little more set-up and beginner aide for the entente! Vive la France! Death to the psycho grandson of old Queen Vicky! Death to the impossibly old Emperor as well.

Thanks for breaking my WitP addiction! Wonderful game.

[flintlock]

ORIGINAL: Redan

Who knew? How was I to know?

Wily subterfuge woven by the Kaiser!

But yeah, Southampton is considered on the North Sea side and Plymouth on the Atlantic side.

[Monkeys Brain]

all in all, if you like ww1 i dont think you will find any other game coming near to this for capturing the feel of it.

Good stuff.

Hmmm, I appreciate your views but TOAW scenario The Great War 2.0 HAVE great feeling on WW1. It is great that WW1 games are being made.

[*Lava*]

DAMN!

Well I'm having a great time with this game.

First real game in progress for me at the moment (though I'm pretty up to speed on how to play due to my experience alpha testing this thing). Took out Belgium, France and Serbia. Bulgaria than joined up with me as well.

At that point, when France fell, things were looking okay, though Russia had plowed through East Prussia and was hammering the Austrians. I then decided I was going to attack Greece, take out Holland, while shoring up the Austrians to give me some time.

To make matters short, Italy declared war against me and reinforced Greece as did Britain... stalemated. The Russian's were pressing so hard for Austria's capital I had to give up the idea of attacking Holland and rush everything to the eastern front. Then Romania declared war against me and I was having a real heck of a time keeping the Austrians from collapsing. Just as I was starting to feel comfortable again... with all my forces shifted to the eastern front, and starting to win back East Prussia... the US has just declared war on me.

[X(]

WOW! I'm having just an absolutely great game against the AI and I finally took a breather to eat. 3am! Talk about just one more turn...

I've been saving all the way along and when it's over I'll put up an AAR, but I'll tell you, the AI is putting up one hell'va fight.

The most fun wargame I've played this year.

Ray (alias Lava)

[sol_invictus]

Yep, this is the best wargame I have played in ten years, and there have been some really good ones scattered over the years.[&o]

[Berkut]

Lava, what happened that made France fall? Just the taking of Paris?

What happened when they fell? Did you occupy all of it? Is there anywhere for the Brits or Americans to land?

[*Lava*]

ORIGINAL: Berkut

Lava, what happened that made France fall?

Well...

I would imagine there are a number of factors involved. I took a lot of French cities and destroyed a lot of French troops. Paris was the last straw. But probably, in an off itself, it is enough to cause France to surrender.

Interestingly, even after I occupied Paris, there were French counters co-existing with my troops for 2 full turns (not phases.. but 4 months). This gave the Entente a chance to try to retake the city. On the third turn that I had occupied Paris, France fell.

When France, and Russia too, falls, your troops are reset along some programmed border through the country. You can see that in my animated AAR in the AAR section. During my game, the Brits never attacked me in Germany, but came to the aid of the Greeks.

Ray (alias Lava)