Digging around for a new game

[rroberson]

...long time strategy player looking for a new game. Read a lot about it last night, but not quite sold on it (that 72 dollar price makes me leary of picking it up and then watching it collect dust if I dislike it).


SO is it worth the 70 plus dollars (UPS) that I would have to pay to get it to my house?

I don't mind games with high learn curves (big WITP player here) so that doesn't intimidate me.

Sell me on it

[Yogi the Great]

Well, if your are referring to Forge of Freedom, I believe you can get it for about $49.99.

[Mr. Yuck]

It is worth it. It's all I've been playing for a couple months now. Do the download and you won't have to pay UPS.

[BigJ62]

Strangely enouph this game reminds me of WITP. I like very much how the game plays. Read some of the stickied AARs for details on how the game plays.

[General Quarters]

I love it. It has a smart AI and gameplay that feels historical to me. I have played it almost every evening since the day it was released -- 7 months ago! That may be a record for me.

[dude]

Well worth it... the improvements from the latest patch clinched it as perhaps one of my favorite war games (turn based) of all time (i'm actually having a hard time recalling one I really enjoyed more during the last 20 years).  It has a very good historical feel and for me it has just the right amount of detail at each level of play (economic/strategic/tactical).  Most war games have a tendency to be "too" much in one of those categories.  I enjoy Crown of Glory for example (which FoF is based off of) but at times felt overwhelmed by the economic aspects.  FoF tones those down enough but without loosing much while keeping the strategic/tactical aspects of CoG that I enjoyed.
 
Also with the large set of "options" you can really fine tune it to the level of play you enjoy most... not to mention that the data files are just text files that you can easily modify if want to try your own modifications...
 
Dude

[rroberson]

ORIGINAL: Yogi the Great

Well, if your are referring to Forge of Freedom, I believe you can get it for about $49.99.

59.99 for a physical copy which would include a cherished manual.

plus like 8 more for ups delivery .

[rroberson]

I have read mixed reviews at a board that will go unnamed here regarding the tactical battles. It is the one thing I dreamed WITP had, and FOF does.

How do they play out? Are they fun or is the AI easy to pound through its own stupidity?

[cesteman]

ORIGINAL: rroberson

...long time strategy player looking for a new game. Read a lot about it last night, but not quite sold on it (that 72 dollar price makes me leary of picking it up and then watching it collect dust if I dislike it).


SO is it worth the 70 plus dollars (UPS) that I would have to pay to get it to my house?

I don't mind games with high learn curves (big WITP player here) so that doesn't intimidate me.

Sell me on it

First off, I'd like to point out that the manual is included with the download. The game has been updated since it was released, so there are some things in the manual that will conflict with the updated patch. I'd also like to point out that the manual has not been updated since the new patch was released, so you will have to review the notes for the patch to see what issues have been updated. I'd suggest downloading the game from Matrix and then saving the manual which is in PDF format to another file so you can review it without having to load the quick menu from the game. Well worth it to purchase btw, everyone here has provided feedback to help improve the game quality and play ability. I would say that the game is well worth buying.

[Yogi the Great]

ORIGINAL: rroberson

ORIGINAL: Yogi the Great

Well, if your are referring to Forge of Freedom, I believe you can get it for about $49.99.

59.99 for a physical copy which would include a cherished manual.

plus like 8 more for ups delivery .

$49.99 at Naval Warfare and the shipping is cheaper too.[8D]

http://www.navalwarfare.org

[Drex]

Depending on what level you want to play at, the AI is challenging. I'm stuck at the major level myself. the tactical battles are another game all by themselves. You can be good at the strategic yet suck at the tactical. but for me the tactical(detailed combat its called) is the most fun with cavalry, artillery , manuever.

[Gil R.]

ORIGINAL: rroberson

I have read mixed reviews at a board that will go unnamed here regarding the tactical battles. It is the one thing I dreamed WITP had, and FOF does.

How do they play out? Are they fun or is the AI easy to pound through its own stupidity?

rroberson,
I just bumped up an old (pre-patch) poll thread that shows that about 75% of FOF's players play detailed battles. (The thread also has some discussion of detailed battles.)

Regarding that board you've been to, it's important to consider how old the comments are -- the recent patch has so many improvements to both the strategic and tactical games that criticisms made before the patch might be obsolete.

[rroberson]

okay, I'm sold. I will be making the purchase in about an hour (when work ends). I will go digital download only since the paper manual isnt updated...and that 70 bucks was a big factor in me holding off.

I'll let you guys know how it goes.

thanks for your time.

[rroberson]

ok, purchased. In 90 minutes I will be entering a new genre (for me anyway ).

[cesteman]

Good luck [:)]

[rroberson]

so....

I was up till 2 am [X(] playing.

I barely scratched the surface of the game.

of course 4 of those hours was a large battle between my forces and the the evil feds. Good stuff.

Found the tactical battles somewhat unwieldly...once I got all my brigades in a line I kept look for the all button to move them forward as oppose to having to move them one at a time.

Other then that.

Good stuff.

Of course I'm a wreck at work. [:D]

[chadandpia]

I always lose track of time when playing FoF. I think i've only been sitting there for 30 minutes when i look up and see that 2 hours have passed!! [:D]

Never thought any wargame would beat out how much I loved Uncommon Valour (or witp)but FoF is doing it! [;)]

[Gil R.]

Found the tactical battles somewhat unwieldly...once I got all my brigades in a line I kept look for the all button to move them forward as oppose to having to move them one at a time.

There's definitely a group-move function. I don't have the manual handy, so I can't give you the page number, but it's in there.

[Ironclad]

Its a great game but can end up dominating your waking hours.

Re moving your brigades together. Sometimes at the start of detailed battle you will get the chance to place a complete group in one move by selecting just one unit to place - the others then form around it. (This occurs when a container has good command ratings.) Other options for moving group units together are shown on the advanced menu. This is the button on the right hand side at the top of the battle information box.

The ones used most regularly are the Set Center and Auto Move buttons on the other side at the top of the box. Set Center allows you to fix a group center location when one of the group units is awaiting a move order. Having placed the group center location marker , you then click Auto Move and all the brigades in the division that haven't yet moved will be moved in and around the marker - in a cluster, not in line (or towards it if they haven't enough movement points to get all the way there). Next turn you can then repeat Auto Move or can relocate the Set Center Marker (cancel it by right clicking when you are setting the marker). Even if the marker is still located you can choose to move the group's units in the normal way, one at a time.

Details of these various options can be found in the Intermediate Game section of the Manual pages 121-124.

[parusski]

YES, YES, YES. This game was slow to take up a lot of my time, but it does. Among FOF, TOAW and SPWAW I no longer work.