anyone else about read to give up??????

[tevans6220]

Erik, I'm sorry but I don't ever remember reading that the AI was mainly going to be a practice tool. Had I known that, I never would have purchased this game. It may be your opinion that the AI works well for novice or average players but I disagree. Before purchasing this game I played the boardgame a total of one time and that was twenty years ago. Surely not enough to really know all of the game's intricacies. So I'm pretty much a novice. Yet in my one week of playing, I was able to take any nation and wipe the floor with the AI. I understand fixing crashing problems and major system failures as a priority for bugfixes. However I don't understand how you can call improving the AI an enhancement. The AI doesn't work as it should and it's my opinion that it should be considered a major bug. Maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me from what you've said that Matrix priority is to get this game working for PBEM first and only then will the AI be worked on. That's not fair to those of us who bought it with no intention of playing PBEM. Calling the improvement of the AI an enhancement is like saying wheels on your car is a feature. Apparently the AI was supposed to be a major feature of this game or the game would have been advertised as PBEM only. So it's not fair to put it on the backburner and continue work so that only PBEM players can enjoy it. Those of us who don't PBEM paid just as much and deserve what we paid for too. This seems a little like a bait and switch to me.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: tevans6220
I understand fixing crashing problems and major system failures as a priority for bugfixes. However I don't understand how you can call improving the AI an enhancement. The AI doesn't work as it should and it's my opinion that it should be considered a major bug.

It's a matter of semantics. Please re-read my posts, I am not diminishing the importance of working further on the AI. We consider the AI the next priority immediately after severe bugs.

Maybe I'm wrong but it seems to me from what you've said that Matrix priority is to get this game working for PBEM first and only then will the AI be worked on.

Not exactly. Our priority is to fix all severe and serious bugs, including PBEM bugs, before making the AI the next priority. Severe and serious bugs are not only those that affect PBEM games. They are those that we feel affect all play in a serious or severe fashion, including vs. AI play.

That's not fair to those of us who bought it with no intention of playing PBEM. Calling the improvement of the AI an enhancement is like saying wheels on your car is a feature. Apparently the AI was supposed to be a major feature of this game or the game would have been advertised as PBEM only. So it's not fair to put it on the backburner and continue work so that only PBEM players can enjoy it. Those of us who don't PBEM paid just as much and deserve what we paid for too. This seems a little like a bait and switch to me.

As far as I can tell, you are reading things I didn't write. When I say that we will be enhancing the AI after we get through with fixing the serious bugs, I'm not calling the AI a new feature. I'm simply pointing out that there _is_ an AI now and although it's not very good, it's also not causing any crashes or putting a stop to any games in progress (whether single or multiplayer). Any issue that prevents you from actually playing through the game is a higher priority than making something that does work better.

What I find surprising is that the point of my posts above was to reinforce that we have not forgotten about the AI and that we do not consider this a multiplayer-only game. That was the bulk of my posts. I think they really have to be read selectively to get the opposite meaning from them.

Let me repeat once again that the AI is the very next priority once all serious bugs that affect all play and can be resolved are resolved. I hope that 1.02 official will bring us to that point, but development and testing continues.

Regards,

- Erik

[Tater]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

The sad thing is that EIA has been our most problematic release, by far, for the last year at least and I know folks are judging us by it. As I said above, which was the real point of my post - we are committed to improving it, but fixes come before other enhancements like improving the AI.

The irony is that EiA, the boardgame, had quit a bit of errata...several pages worth. What's more the rules were so vague and uninterpretable on many points that the game was only playable with a number of agreed upon house rules...which themselves varied from group to group. The errata and HR were developed over years of people playing the game. [:D]

Nehemiah ran into the same kind of negativity when he was working to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. He ignored it and just kept building the wall. So you are in good company. [;)]

So Erik...just keep building that wall brother. [:)]

[Tater]

BTW...

To those who are ready to give up...what are you waiting for...get 'er done...and spare the rest of us the whining. [:D]

[borner]

"get er' done"? Come on Tater you can do better than that.
 

[borner]

I want to repeat a question I raised a few days ago....  with all these patches, if I have to load this game onto a new computer, will loading the latest patch only work?
 
Was this game released too soon. YES. I think even Matrix will agree on that point. The idea behind this thread was to see if I was the only one out there putting my head through a wall. It actually makes me feel far better to know that others out there feel the same.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: borner
I want to repeat a question I raised a few days ago....  with all these patches, if I have to load this game onto a new computer, will loading the latest patch only work?

Yes, every new official patch will be comprehensive, meaning no previous patches required.

Regards,

- Erik

[borner]

that makes me feel much better. [&o]

[JanSorensen]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Just for the record, we've never stated that this game was "intended for multiplayer only". We did however state before the release that the AI was mainly for practice.
- Erik

Erik,

Please show exactly where in the advertisment for the game it says that the AI is mainly for practice.
I tried looking at the ad page for the game and I certainly do not see it. What is written is "AI: Up to 6 AI players each with 3 different difficulty levels". Thats a far cry from "the AI is only for practice".

You cannot both claim that you know and state that the AI is mainly for practice - yet have that statement show nowhere on the page selling the game.

[eske]

ORIGINAL: Erik Rutins

Yes, every new official patch will be comprehensive, meaning no previous patches required.

Regards,
- Erik

So in other words, to ensure absolute 100% identical installed versions in a gaming group, you reinstall the game from scratch and then apply the latest patch. You don't apply the latest patch on top of an installed game with the previous patch, right ???

- and for information to all disappointed EiA owners. I consider - and did consider - my payment for my EiANW more like a contribution and an encouragement to Matrix (and Marshall) to get this game running. Am I the only one, with the feeling, that if Matrix hadn't released when they did, further investments would have stopped and the project abandoned.
Now Matrix has committed their good name and reputation to making this game playable, and hopefully carry on till its excellent and with lots of features [:)]. I respect that, and try my best to help, where ever I can.

And (with the unfortunate exception of Richard Monadman leaving the project [:(] without being replaced) all I hear from from Matrix is in line with that.

So throwing stones from the fortress of consumer rights - however appropriate they are - may get a refund, but I don't believe it will get a good game. And that's what I want.
So I choose to be an - time and again frustrated and very very tired - optimistic realist. Saves me a lot of aggression [;)]

/eske

[Marc von Martial]

So in other words, to ensure absolute 100% identical installed versions in a gaming group, you reinstall the game from scratch and then apply the latest patch. You don't apply the latest patch on top of an installed game with the previous patch, right ???

Nope, you will just need to install it over your current installation.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: JanSorensen
You cannot both claim that you know and state that the AI is mainly for practice - yet have that statement show nowhere on the page selling the game.

<sigh> Jan, I personally said that before release. I can't find the post now. As I said above, I consider _most_ AIs to be only for practice. Please re-read my posts above regarding my real point.

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: eske
So in other words, to ensure absolute 100% identical installed versions in a gaming group, you reinstall the game from scratch and then apply the latest patch. You don't apply the latest patch on top of an installed game with the previous patch, right ???

You can do it either way, since the comprehensive update will overwrite with all the updated files. If people have been applying multiple beta updates it might be safest to start with a clean install + update but it _shouldn't_ matter.

Regards,

- Erik

[timewalker03]

Hey Eric, I know I have contributed to this thread some, more with philosophical views than anything else. I believe it may be time to move on. Please lock this thread and call it good. We all know people are frustrated Myself included, but I will trudge along hence i joined my 5th PBEM game now. I understand your side and that you view it the way you need too. I also have to view my frustrations along with others from the point of view of the consumer. Time will tell if this is all for a good cause or not and I am on the side of hoping that this works out. Just do everyone a favor and lock this thread end put an end to this debate or complaint session.

Also Eske stop posting and get game 4 going again! lol [:D]

[eske]

Oh, but I have [8D]

Arbiter is on it at the moment...
Looking forward to pick chits with you !

(some people, jeeez [;)] )

/eske

[Tater]

ORIGINAL: borner

"get er' done"? Come on Tater you can do better than that.

The question is...do you deserve better than that.

Answer: No!

[Grymme]

Just wanted to say that i am a fan of the game. However o have kept of from buying the game because of what ive read here. Thats the negative. On the positive side i am waiting patiently for all bugs to be fixed and AI to be improved and when that is done i will buy the game. So Matrixgamesdevelopers, there is at least a 70 $ incentive (or&nbsp;whatever the game costs)&nbsp;for you to fix it

[tevans6220]

ORIGINAL: Tater

BTW...

To those who are ready to give up...what are you waiting for...get 'er done...and spare the rest of us the whining. [:D]

Tater here's an idea. Give me the $69.99 that I paid for the game or personally fix the game for me. Otherwise shut your trap. People have a right to complain about a purchased product that doesn't work. Apparently the game works fine for you. So why are you even in this thread? Nobody forced you to read any of this so you're either a troublemaker or an idiot looking for your moment in the spotlight. Either way your smartass comments aren't appreciated and bring very little to the discussion. So either grow up or shut up.

[borner]

I read in another thread that they are working on an editor. That is nice, and will be of use, but I hope it is not at the expense of&nbsp; working on bugs or trying to get a better AI.

[Erik Rutins]

The editor is not a priority until bugs are resolved and AI is improved. I think Marshall posted about that in another thread - the new thread is just to gather ideas in the meantime.