The interface is .... how could I say ...

[vonpaul]

I think most things can be forgiven...ai, yeah lots of games fall down there, bugs..yeah seen it when a game is pushed out too early, but IMO the UI is the one massive suprise with EIA, it is woeful.

I'm hoping Marshall, you have flexibility in your code to overhaul it, cause no matter what you do with the rest of the game (fix the bugs, fix the AI) only fanatical EIA grognards would ever consider sitting down for the hours/days to become familiar with the nuiances of it.

[Marshall Ellis]

vonpaul:
 
Code is always flexible How would you have done this?
 
 
 

[vonpaul]

Marshall, I'll come back to you in full on the weekend, but very quickly at a high level I think would like to see the advantages of a PC used to breakdown a quite complex game. ie a more contextual interface (with the full interface accessible via alternate methods).

[Marshall Ellis]

Got it!
 
 

[Grapeshot Bob]

ORIGINAL: pzgndr

[There have been a lot of comments, for sure. This thread, however, started off by offering nothing constructive.

Maybe we should make a tutorial for people to make suggestions and criticisms?

Sorry, I couldn't resist. It's just so funny because the lack of tutorials is kind of an issue with the game itself.



GSB

[Maladominus]

Hi all,

First of all, this will be my very first post to these forums. Please realize that I'm not new to Matrix strategy games. Heck, I'm an old school gamer... all the way back to Avalon Hill games (Third Reich!), and other quasi-miniatures games such as StarFleet Battles. So I count myself as a veteran wargamer, boardgamer (Milton Bradley wargames anyone?), RPG gamer (Traveller and D&D), and in modern years online MMORPG games. I've tried a little of everything, and I've done it all.

So why is my first post on these (forums) on this topic of the Empires and Arms UI? Well, as some of you can sorta guess.... it's because my heart was set on this game when I found out the old Avalon Hill EiA was going to become a beautiful PC wargame. Yes, I played the old Avalon Hill Empires in Arms. I'm not saying I played it extensively. I played a couple of campaign games at most, which was back around the early 1990s. I wasn't even a very competent player. My Austro-Hungarian Empire was always the first one crushed and steamrolled by any competent French player. Despite all that, the old boardgame was a thing of beauty!

When Matrix Games finally released this game (I never came here for the Beta, I don't enjoy doing Guinea Pig Work for buggy half-finished beta games), my heart sank when I realized that the UI is well.... I was at a loss for words.

To this day, I have not purchased this game. I've played many many games, and bought many in the past. And I know that the few games that have really "won me over".... those games are not just fun to play, not only do they have solid game mechanics, but those games also have GORGEOUS and stunningly beautiful production values. In other words, those are the kind of games with gorgeous miniatures pieces, or heavy-weight and artful game counters. Or maybe it was a game with a stunningly well-designed mounted playing board. The same thing goes with PC wargames that I've played in the past. The ones that I have completely enjoyed and cherished were the ones where everything about the game simply looked "polished".

Right, that's the word I think that we are looking for. Polish. It's not good enough that the game has good innards, and a solid playable set of mechanics and game design. It also has to look professionally designed, and pleasing to look at from an aesthetic standpoint. You see, part of enjoying wargames is the appeal of immersion. You want to be looking at the game components and the game board, and "feel" as if you were indeed a Marshall of France. Or that you were the powerful Czar of All the Russias, marshalling your forces to defend against the invaders. It's kinda hard to be immersed in any game when the "looks" and interface of the game is.... uhh.... well... not that stunning?

So, rather than continue to ramble on, I'd like to make at least one constructive suggestion. I suggest perhaps looking at the User Interface and production values of comparable contemporary PC wargames in recent past. My suggestion to look at is to look at the interface and maybe the "aesthetic design" of another Matrix wargame such as Gary Grigsby's World at War. Or perhaps learn and pick up something from the interface of similar "grand strategy games" such as the world-class appeal of the Europa Universalis games from Paradox Entertainment. The interface and look of the recently released Gary Grigsby's War Between the States looks reasonably nice too!

Maybe one of these days I'll pick this game up. But another hope is that one day, a future version of this game (Empires in Arms) will release with a stunningly appealing interface, looks, and aesthetics.

[Gravit]

Maladominus,

Lucky for you that you have waited to purchase the game (and perhaps never will).  I made the mistake of buying as soon as it was released, expecting the normal Matrix quality.  I own many Matrix titles and was quite the fan of Matrix Games.

However, for EiA, I've been sadly disappointed, and won't buy another Matrix game (even WIF) until this one is playable or Matrix offers up refunds to all of us who were misled into thinking that EiA was a prime time product.

I appreciate Marshall's good intentions and attempt to fix things, however, as the saying goes: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions".  There should be a disclaimer on this game making it very clear that it is not a finished product.

Perhaps patch 1.03 will improve things, but based on the current track record, I am not holding my breath.

[Edfactor]

the thing i would like most is an economic popup that i could do all of my economics from.

A simple list followed by money/manpower available for your major power and all freestates under your control.  .