Is It Ready Yet?

[New York Jets]

I've been loosely following this forum for awhile. I own Guns of August but, am looking for a more in depth WWI experience. I noticed in the threads that there were many bugs and such associated with this game, at the start, which had rendered it pretty much unplayable when compared to GoA.

I understand there have been several patches and updates since release and have a question before I purchase the game.

Is it a good product, worth buying, yet?

I'm not meaning to be snarky, or anything like that. I'm just wondering if it is yet worth what's being charged for it?

All opinions welcomed.

[Blueprint]

Yes.

Full manual is online and CTDs are very rare now. Most bugs affecting the gameplay have been adressed.

Try the demo on AGEOD forum.:

http://www.ageod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12891

[Eastern]

It could be a great game, however not a perfect in-depth game. But it wasn't ready for release, Ageod came with some patches but if I am honest those aren't nearly fixing all the buggs. You have to save every round or lose several times your game, crashes all around (especially when the newspaper pop up) It's a shame, it could be THE game of the year for the WW one fan

[JudgeDredd]

I haven't had a single crash in all the times I started it up...I think I played to the end of December 1914, that's all though, so I'm not sayin crashes aren't there, just that I have not encountered.
 
And from what I've seen in the short span of playing it, I like it. I'm not sure I could in all honesty recommend it to anyone yet because I haven't nearly played enough of it...but I like what I see so far.

[Arsan]

Chris,
You can try for yourself if the game looks like your cup of tea and/or if your computer have CTD problems with it by taking a look at the demo, which is updated to the latest official patch.

Here is the demo
http://ageoddl.telechargement.fr/3rdPar ... c_DEMO.zip

Here the patch for the demo
http://ageoddl.telechargement.fr/3rd...ch_v1.0.5f.exe 

And here you have the full 190+ pages manual to take a look at all what the game offers
http://www.ageod.com/forums/attachment. ... 1232391332

Hope it helps to make up your mind! [:)]

Regards!

[Capitaine]

I've been playing the betas for a while.  I'd say it's not quite done yet.  At least a half dozen more beta updates are needed IMO (assuming as many things get resolved as in previous patches).

[JudgeDredd]

Capitaine

Can you tell me what you think is wrong with the game?

I've got

• Where battles occur - never knowing where they are taking place. It's very difficult to get your bearings when the battle screen shows and at present, I have to take note of the region and go scouting for it on the map afterwards
• Unit sensitive spot - still seems overly difficult to pick units up (although it seems to be better in flat 3D for some reason)
• Interface - annoys me the small spelling errors around and the way the interface works at times (text overwriting where it is meant to be contained...popup text not being placed properly)

But that's all that springs to mind for me

[Capitaine]

Judge, well that would be a long list right now.  It's mainly discussed over on Ageod's forum.  There are a number of map errors, there are issues with reserves, merging detachments, interface glitches, AI stallling out, certain events not playing out as described, the music freezes...  It's much more playable now than before but there are a ton of "punch list" items IMO.  To me it's kind of like death by a thousand stings.  Some of the glitches might never be fixed because it's inherent in the program.

[JudgeDredd]

Clearly you've played it more than I have! [:D]

[EUBanana]

So whats the word now?  Being a WW1 game fan I dearly want this game to be playable!

I might be getting bored of GoA - sacrilege, I know...

[Blueprint]

patch 1.06b is available here:

http://www.ageod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13508

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: EUBanana

So whats the word now?  Being a WW1 game fan I dearly want this game to be playable!

I might be getting bored of GoA - sacrilege, I know...

I have been using the 106b version with very good results. After approx 4 hours of play, I have not had any technical problems. So, to answer your question; I would say it is getting very close to a "strong buy" recommendation.

I have been a supporter of this game since its release, but have avoided recommending anyone to buy it just yet. If the next non beta patch runs as good as the current beta, I will have full confidence in recommending the game to any WW1 buff. At this point I think it is reasonably safe-the major snafus have been ironed out, plus many improvements. I'm not sure of its multiplayer functionality at this point. I'm not aware of any who have played online yet. I am ready to give that a whirl anytime now-I have a few days of peace-what better time for war?

[Dabo]

The game is really stable now I haven't had a CTD for ages, there are still few bugs but nothing you can't live with and I guess they will be ironed out. I think the area that really needs an improvement is the AI: it does a decent job in WEGO mode, but it's really awful in turn based army by army activation mode. As the central empires I usually manage to take Paris by spring 1915 while as entente player I'm always able to stop the Germans in Belgium well beyond the historical lines.
 
Given the complexity of the game I don't know if this will ever be fixed and it's a real pity since the army by army activation mode  captures the feeling of thrench warfare better than any WWI game (either pc or board game) I've played. BPEM would probably be the best was to play the game but given the number of interaction between the players it's almost impossible and given the lenght of the game I don't know if online play is really practical.
 
 

[Erik Rutins]

Great to hear that v1.06b is being well received. As soon as it goes official, we'll host it here as well.

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: Dabo
BPEM would probably be the best was to play the game but given the number of interaction between the players it's almost impossible and given the lenght of the game I don't know if online play is really practical.

Email play is not a feature of the game, but online multilayer is.

You are right about PBEM game using the army by army activation, it would take forever to finish a game. I am playing a game now in the turn based mode-it adds some depth to the game, but even playing against the ai, it takes more time.
I think I will be sticking to wego mode long term.

[JudgeDredd]

I still have issues with the game and couldn't recommend it as a buy...unfortunately, the problems I have with the game will not be in a patch.
 
I still find it a nightmare to locate where a battle took place. Even taking other peoples recommendations on board, I use the breakthrough thing to see surrounding regions, but this brings me to my other gripe...I find the map extremely difficult to find anything. So even if I take the name of the region where there's a fight, I simply cannot find it.
 
My final gripe is again with the map. I find it nigh on impossible to distinguish between borders.
 
These are my own personal gripes and, like I said, prob not going to be fixed in a patch. In all honesty, how could I recommend a game if I have issues with it. Technically, it's there...but it is simply too rough on the map front for me.

[Blueprint]

you should try this:

http://www.ageod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12690


http://www.ageod.com/forums/attachment. ... 1231958682

http://www.ageod.com/forums/attachment. ... 1235817881

[06 Maestro]

ORIGINAL: Blueprint

you should try this:

Damn! I didn't know he made that last one. That JMass is some kind of graphics genius. Ageod should consider hiring him. His mod for Great Invasions not only made it look better, but made it run better-seriously.

[Anthropoid]

ORIGINAL: Blueprint

patch 1.06b is available here:

http://www.ageod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13508

That is weird. I looked over at Ageod and it appears to have been utterly DEAD in the WWI forums for the past few weeks!?! And no link to any 1.06b patch either?

ADDIT: Okay I had a look at that thread; sounds like some things got better and maybe some things got worse, and some thing still have not been addressed. How can I say this without sound snarky . . . SHOULD I even say this . . . *sigh*

Yes, the truth should be told.

I resent paying $50 or $60 to be a Beta-tester, and no matter how beautiful a game I'm not prone to do it.

Were this a sequel to a game that I had played and loved, or were I recruited to be a beta-tester before I paid, that would be different. Here we have a situation where paying customers are acting as beta-testers. To me that just does not seem right. Maybe it is just reality, and there is nothing to be done for it, but honestly it does not seem right.

[JudgeDredd]

ORIGINAL: Blueprint

you should try this:

http://www.ageod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12690


http://www.ageod.com/forums/attachment. ... 1231958682

http://www.ageod.com/forums/attachment. ... 1235817881

Well thx for those links. I'm not convinced the transparent battle window is going to help though and I'm not convinced that the new map colours will help me distinguish borders, but I'll give it another look.

I'll tell you what happens - every time I fire this game up, I go through the same motions for setting up and selecting war plans etc, and then as soon as the first wave of battles kicks off, I'm lost and leave. That's about it.

I don't know...I'll have another look.