Acw or forge of freedom

[Marc gto]

ok guys help here i have both games but was scared off by the rule book and tutorial of forge of freedom..is Acw any easier or should i dive into forge

[Twotribes]

FoF is easy to play.

[Hertston]

I wouldn't say AACW was any 'easier', no. I wouldn't say it was 'harder' either.

[Crimguy]

I'm finding AACW a bit harder because of the very large number of units + the number of counties.  FoF has a very useable interface in my opinion.  Just get in there and start fiddling around.  What's the worst that can happen - Sherman marches on Atlanta?

[Queeg]

I find AACW to be the easier of the two to play in terms of the interface, etc.

[General Quarters]

I think both games have some sort of in-game tutorial. That would be a quick way to see which one seems more intuitive to you.

[Missouri_Rebel]

That is like asking what you need to survive; water or oxygen? By George, you must have them both.

Me, I prefer oxygen.

Hope that helps you a bit.

ORIGINAL: Crimguy
What's the worst that can happen - Sherman marches on Atlanta?

Hehe.....Grrrrr

Mo Reb

[jimwinsor]

LOL, it seems like this topic likes to pop up anew, every 3-4 days!  And here (for what seems to me, the zillionth time!) is the real simple answer to it...ask youself if you like the idea of playing out in detail the tactical battles generated by the strategic game.
 
See, thats the key difference between the two: FoF has a tactical battle game built in, which you have the option of playing (but you can choose not to, and just have the game autocalc the battles for you....but if you did that all the time, you'd be basically throwing away half the game and half the fun, IMO).
 
AACW, by design, does not have a tactical battle game; it's focus is pure strategy....with a very clever and elegantly designed game engine to do just that.
 
So, the question turns on whether you really like playing your battles out or not. If you feel the desire to general your troops on the battlefield in person, then FoF is the way to go.  OTOH, if tactical battles are not your thing, then AACW might be more your taste.

[Arsan]

To me FoF gives you the grand strategical and tactical levels and AACW gives you the strategical and the operational level, the intermediate step that FoF doesn´t have.
 
With AACW yopu lose the posibility to "play" the battles but gain the  possibility to "play" the campaigns bucause for any FoF region you get about 10 or 15 on AACW on wich maneouver, march, countermarch, feint, entrench. assault or siege at your hearts content.
 
So... it depends of what do you prefer to control or to be abstracted : battles or campaigns??
 
Cheers

[freeboy]

I love the FOF detailed combat.. and you can SUPER micro manage what troops have what guns and specialties as the uniun, the conferderacy too its just much harder to do with the economy.. Want to manage ana economy? manage a nation, play politics with the goveonors. FOF has a TON more depth.. BUT IS IT BETTER? band G is a great game with a good to great engine.. other than I really tried to find that part where you have to cont click to org a division! did not see it anywhere in the manual, finally the third time through the second tut.. ok, slow lerner on that one!
 
My recomendation, I think they are both A/B games... for different reasons... is if you want to get into extream long detailed warfare and economic growth, and trust me fof has depth but you do not need to get  a phd to understand, not complex , more intricate.. go for FOF..
On the other hand, if you want LESS control on things like what city is building what, and how many horse farms etc to build, and want to concentrate on army makeup, and manuever.. STRATEGIC manuver, then go for B and G... I am playing both and it is not an easy choice ...
 
 
Why only a A/b?... for FOF it is too complex for a casual gamer, and managing the econeomy is, while engrossing, draining as well. For B and G I also give it a A/b for the simple reason is I am still peaved about taking three hours to figure out a simple thing, I know user error but still. What are hte good points of B and G and FOF.. very challenging to impoosible on the hardest levels... want some humility? play detailed battles in fof on a harder setting! I love it! [:D]