Thinking of Buying!?

[drillerman]

Hi all,
I am thinking of buying this game but have a couple of questions:
1. Do the maps in the tactical battle section reflect the main map of the USA, Or are they just generic maps depending on whether you are fighting in fields or forests etc.
2. Can you move anywhere on the large USA map and therefore fight your battles where you intercept the enemy or is each battle map one per state/ region.
3. What resolutions does the game support?
Thanks in advance.

[terje439]

1. Generic maps created by what province you fight in. One of the sides gets to chose what sort of battlefield he wants (decided by a scouting check). If the province has alot of woods, most of the options will contain wooded terrain, if there is alot of marshes, you can expect to see marshes on the battlefield etc.

2. Not quite sure what you ask here. Each province has an unlimited mix of possible battle maps generated before the battle if that is what you wonder (so that not every battle in Fredricksburg looks the same). You can move anywhere on the map and battlemaps will be genrated as you intercept the enemy forces based on the terrain in the province.

3. Not sure

Terje
(probably too early and too hung over to make a good reply now...sorry)

[drillerman]

1. Thanks, understood!
2.What I mean is when you move an army is it just from state to state or can you move within the state?
 
Also, does the USA map zoom in and out?
 
Thanks

[Gil R.]

The game's resolution is fixed, but there is a zoom function that lets you zoom out (and then back in, of course). But the screenshots you usually see are when fully zoomed in, and you can't zoom further because the graphics would start to break down and look bad.

[drillerman]

What resolution is it fixed at?
 
Also, I suppose the other problem I am fighting with is the price. For me to buy the digital version is £40(inc. VAT). For a game without a demo that's 4 or 5 years old now is a lot. Might it be a good idea for Matrix to a) reduce the price of older games and b) push out a demo of the game.
I have tried to glean as much info about this game from the dev. website, pub. website, youtube vids. and AAR's and generals reviews but there is nothing quite like a demo to see if you will like the game or not......and when it means spending £40 I cannot quite bring myself to commit.
I think for now I'll probably have to pass. I love the American Civil war period and do like the look of this game but £40...hmm.
I have tried AGEOD's ACW and quite like it so may give it a try as it's cheaper, though it doesn't have the tactical battles which I like the look of.
Do Matrix have any sales of game and is there one coming soon for this game?

[Ugly Guy]

The price is a tad steep, I would have liked to have seen it $10 or so cheaper when I bought it a few months ago, but I was looking for another Civil War and the tactic battle model of this one appealed to me. I used to play the old Robert E. Lee Civil War General games and that is what this tactical model reminded me of from the screen shots. This is all ironic now that I have yet to play a tactical battle, but that is an aside. I went ahead and bought it anyways as an early graduation present for myself. I have enjoyed in thoroughly, so I think its well worth the money if you are into civil war games. I haven't played GG's CW game and I have just played the demo for AGEOD's (the little board game counter look just doesn't appeal to me), so I can't compare this game to those.

[drillerman]

Hi Gil R.
You said "The game's resolution is fixed, but there is a zoom function that lets you zoom out (and then back in, of course)".
Could you tell me what keys to use. When I use the scroll wheel it just moves the map north and south.
Thanks

[terje439]

+ and - on your keyboard should do the trick [:)]

Terje

[Floyd]

Hold the CTRL-key pressed and use the scroll wheel to zoom  in/out.

[bbmike]

ORIGINAL: Ugly Guy
This is all ironic now that I have yet to play a tactical battle, but that is an aside.

IMO you're missing the best part of the game! The tactical battles are fun. You might even think the game is priced just right after trying it. [;)]
Also, check out the upcoming Brother against Brother if you haven't already.

[mbar]

The store page says 1024x768

[olperfessor]

The tactical battles are wonderful, remarkably tense and involving, and really requiring your input, your decision to be bold or cautious as the fight evolves. I had no idea how wonderful the tactical battles were when I bought the game. The game allows you to outfit individual units (e.g. a military band to rally troops, improved weapons, scouts...) and the tactical battles make very clear how important these can be, so choose wisely (and be lucky). My advice? Figure out what portion of the game price seems excessive, and then cut back on drinking or eating by that amount, or skip a movie or two . . . then buy the game. There are so many user-adjustable features that the game will likely be right for you.