Opinions From People with the game

[theonlystd]

I have FoF i enjoyed it quite a bit.. Tho some issues.. Horrible loading times even on beast of computers.. And the Ai seemed a bit easy esp on tactical battles ..

Also do tactical battles work in Lan/Ip now? Could not get them to work at all in FoF and well that could of been pretty enjoyable ..

Any of these issues addressed?

And whats just your general opinion of the game altogether .


Thanks

[DasTactic]

I don't have FoF and can't really help with your specific questions other than give a general opinion.

I have the original CoG and this version, while looking pretty much the same, is light-years ahead in terms of game-play and fun. I consider myself a casual gamer who puts games down for months then likes to pick them up again without needing to re-read the manual. The first CoG was not suitable for this casual style of play, but this version is great in that regard.

As far as the tactical battles are concerned, I've been impressed with the AI executing lightening oportunistic charges on artillery that completely obliterate your strategy - just as one example. Also seen the AI pull back forces to defensible positions if they are looking to be overwhelmed. The random nature of the detail maps mean that you need to scout ahead where possible with your cavalry, take heights with your infantry, and pre-plan fields of fire for your artillery. The additional terrain types work well.

The graphics are the only problem I have with the game as they don't look great on large/wide screen monitors. Mind you, they don't look bad, just not great.

[morganbj]

There have been some improvements to the AI, at times I think very significant ones.  I also have COG and FOF, and find that COGEE is better than both.  A human SHOULD do better that the AI, unless there are biases built in to help the AI (like +10% more effective fire combat, etc.), but the HW battles in COGEE are pretty good, especially with the will to fight rules.

[theonlystd]

Ok how are the Naval tactical battles. That sounds like one of the coolest features.. And always wanted a decent simulation of those kinds of naval battles..


And idea if there are plans for a demo?

[lenin]

My opinion: A horrendously complicated but brilliant game!

[Hard Sarge]

LOL, you guys are lucky, if the Testers had, had there way, it would of been more complicated

[WallysWorld]

I own CoG and also FOF, but never got into CoG because of the advanced economy. Now with the simplified economy, I'm really enjoying CoG:EE.

The decision to allow a choice for the economy was a great addition.

[moose1999]

ORIGINAL: Hard Sarge

LOL, you guys are lucky, if the Testers had, had there way, it would of been more complicated

Ohh,I wish the testers had had their way, then.
Things can't really get complicated enough for me... [:)]
And I don't find CoG:EE too complicated at all...!

Naval battles:
Great fun!
The really big ones can get quite messy if you don't stay disciplined, but there's a real sense of reality to everything.
It gets messy because you make it messy!
There are a few things that need to be adjusted, but it will come.

Land battles:
Big improvement from CoG, in my opinion.
Better graphics, better AI.
I think one of the reasons it has been challenging is that I play a minor nation with a small, mediocre army, but there's no doubt the AI is of a very high standard.

AI:
Both strategic and tactical AI has impressed me so far.
There have been no really stupid blunders from the AI and I have had a few really nasty surpises. As well as a few pleasant ones.

FOF is my favorite wargame of all time - and I'm pleased to say that CoG:EE lives up to its American brother while still delivering a very different playing experience.
So I very much recommend buying this gem - if you like FOF you can't miss with CoG:EE.

Have fun!

[Erik Rutins]

For those looking in here for customer impressions, you may also want to read these threads:

tm.asp?m=2052382

tm.asp?m=2048854

[Marshall Thomas]

ORIGINAL: briny_norman

ORIGINAL: Hard Sarge

LOL, you guys are lucky, if the Testers had, had there way, it would of been more complicated

Ohh,I wish the testers had had their way, then.
Things can't really get complicated enough for me... [:)]
And I don't find CoG:EE too complicated at all...!

Naval battles:
Great fun!
The really big ones can get quite messy if you don't stay disciplined, but there's a real sense of reality to everything.
It gets messy because you make it messy!
There are a few things that need to be adjusted, but it will come.

Land battles:
Big improvement from CoG, in my opinion.
Better graphics, better AI.
I think one of the reasons it has been challenging is that I play a minor nation with a small, mediocre army, but there's no doubt the AI is of a very high standard.

AI:
Both strategic and tactical AI has impressed me so far.
There have been no really stupid blunders from the AI and I have had a few really nasty surpises. As well as a few pleasant ones.

FOF is my favorite wargame of all time - and I'm pleased to say that CoG:EE lives up to its American brother while still delivering a very different playing experience.
So I very much recommend buying this gem - if you like FOF you can't miss with CoG:EE.

Have fun!

The land battles have new/better graphics in Emperor's Edition?

[barbarossa2]

I have a question about the play by email mode. A few years ago a friend of mine bought CoG and really wanted me to try it. His initial reviews were very favorable. I was close to buying and joining in play by email games. Then came the bad news when he said that they had tried a few play by email games and had several problems. Including techs developed by one nation apparently being applied to another (for instance, stuff developed by France being given to Turks).*
Has this been solved? How is play by email working now?

Thanks

*Pure opinion of my friend and presented as my PURE opinion as well.

[Erik Rutins]

Please do not repeat the same essential post in multiple places in the forum. That's considered spamming.

[theonlystd]

purchased it is.. Tho wish the download speed was better *pokes it*

[Anthropoid]

My impression: Not quite complicated and detailed enough, but very good, and very close to my ideal!
 
I miss a couple of the features from FoF: being able to promote/demote generals, being able to set supply levels on units, etc.
 
Tactical battle play seems ~about~ the same as in FoF, but the AI is definitely better.
 
On the whole, it is a brilliant game, and the rulebook/tutorials should allow even the most ADD-afflicted to learn the ropes.

[Russian Guard]

ORIGINAL: Anthropoid

My impression: Not quite complicated and detailed enough, but very good, and very close to my ideal!

I agrued vehemently for a game option that allowed your Army to forage for spent musketballs after a battle, to save on supply costs. No joy!

(I'm kidding)

[Anthropoid]

Yeah, I was just slightly disappointed that tobacco, shoe-leather, bandages, and playing cards were not in the "resources" list, cause I know that all of those were critically important in Napoleon's leadership and rapport with his beloved Grognard.

Maybe for the mods!? [:D]

Rereading my previous post, I want to make one thing more clear, that I think I did not come through clearly enough in that previous:

THIS GAME IS ASTOUNDINGLY GOOD!

Quite possibly the best game that will come out this year (well WiTP Admiral's Edition might give it a run for its money . . . but that is a totally different crate of peches).

I have not played it enough yet, and it is quite maddening because playing it is what I've been thinking about MOST of the time since DLing it on Sunday! (It is THAT good!) But knowing what I know about the depth, detail, and exquisite balance and integrity of FoF, I will state that: based on how much I've played it so far, this is one of the finest works of art in strategy games that I've ever encountered.

Anyone who actually has even a passing interest in strategy should own this game. The beauty of it is that, if you really don't want to mental load of the really high-detail and complex rules, you can play it with the simple settings (Simple Economy; Simple Combat Determinations; anything else I'm forgetting?), you can turn down the difficulty, and adjust your handicap so you have an easier time of it, and enjoy!

Plus, in comparison to other games of the same or similar genres that are also recent releases, this game actually installs easily WORKS WELL, and appears to be almost completely bug free! Add to that: Devs who are great guys, and solid gamers themselves, an outfit like Matrix that is the retail foundation. Seriously, there is NOT a single game company out there that can compete with Matrix for good service, good comraderie, and good discussions/modding/tips and tricks/entertaining AARs, etc. In short, from what I know, COGEE beats the competition hands down in pretty much all departments, with the possible exception of the fact that it has a pretty simple graphical interface at the national-map level. BUT! do the battle maps in some other game compare favorable to those in COGEE!? I bet they do not.

For me, I made the decision to purchase at about 8:38 AM on Sunday, and I had the game DLed and installed and I was playing it by about 10AM. For more details about my system spec, and just how EASY and simple it was to purchase, DL, install and get running with this wonderful game, here is an AAR that I'm going to have over at another game site, the 1BC Forums for the Civilization series. I know guys who spent literally hours, and HOURS fiddling with DRM on other games that have come out recently, and it literally took them days to get their game running, despite having bought a CD in a shop!! Me, I'm not going to subject myself to that kinda crap. I do NOT want to support game companies that feel they need to go to those extents to punish gamers.

I also have not had a single CTD, or even a noticeable delay, hang or stutter in game play. This is in spite of running the game with lots of other stuff running (Outlook, Powerpoint, Word, Paint, IE, etc.!!).

Not only is this game athestic, balanced, playable, easy to install and run, fun, compelling, elegant, and ingenius, but it is an efficient machine from the code/system-load perspective too. I have a game on my machine right now, which I bought a couple of weeks before I bought COGEE which has been out since the Fall. That game is STILL being patched up just to bring it up _close_ to the level of finished polish of COGEE right now! I have my doubts that it will EVER get there and in order to play the thing with a low probability of suffering a hang or CTD, I have to turn off my wireless, and go into my Taskmanager and turn off a bunch of stuff!

I don't wish to bash that game or its Devs etc., but it is a simple reality that in any comparison of this nature COGEE stands head and shoulders above the competition. You'd be insane if you actually took the time to think it through, and chose to purchase one of the other games first before you bought COGEE!

If you could only buy one game this year, I'd say either this one or WiTP Admiral's Edition, depending on your preference for historical period. But seriously, if you can afford to buy ONE surely you can afford to buy two!?!

[IronWarrior]

Agree with what Anthropoid said. For me this purchase was a no-brainer. I've only had limited play-time with it, but I am really enjoying it so far. Don't know if anyone else has mentioned it, but I really like the music as well. Everything appears to be well done and you can tell a lot of effort went into this one. If there is anything that I would crtique, it would be the UI. Not even a big deal, just takes some time to get used to. Some things that are the norm across most games like zooming with the mouse wheel are different, but certainly nit-picking stuff.

Congrats on the release guys!

[WallysWorld]

ORIGINAL: IronWarrior
Don't know if anyone else has mentioned it, but I really like the music as well.

Ah yes! The music! Such a little part of the game, but it adds so much to the game's atmosphere. I too enjoy listening to it.

Is there some way to listen to the game's music outside of starting up the game? I would like to listen to the music while I work on my PC.

[Anthropoid]

ORIGINAL: WallysWorld

ORIGINAL: IronWarrior
Don't know if anyone else has mentioned it, but I really like the music as well.

Ah yes! The music! Such a little part of the game, but it adds so much to the game's atmosphere. I too enjoy listening to it.

Is there some way to listen to the game's music outside of starting up the game? I would like to listen to the music while I work on my PC.

Agree, it is great selection of music, and would also like to be able to 'play the soundtrack' while not playing.

[ericbabe]

Thanks for the kind words everybody.

The music is in the Music\ folder.  They are .wma files, and so should play in Windows Media Player or (my personal favorite player) VLC without any problems.