Matrix Games Forums

I am one of the beta testers for the game and I will be happy to answer any questions about the game. It was an easy beta test. The game was rock stable when we started. The game has an excellent period feel. Good period music. The French troops are good, but not yet the grognards of imperial times. The French player has to work hard to beat the Austrians as was true historically. I found the AI to be competent and it often gave me a very close game. Leadership is key and you will have to skillfully make use of your best generals, switching them from army to army as emergency situations arise. Players will often have to rest armies between battles or risk defeat from pushing exhausted troops too far. The game seemed smoother to me than For Liberty and I think the game engine works better for an operational theater campaign than attempting to simulate an entire war. I found the game to be quite enjoyable and the best computer simulation of a napoleonic campaign that I have yet played.

how big are the battles? have you a limit in the size of your army?

Hail to all, i am another of the beta testers...
 
Customers who liked For Liberty! will absolutely love this game. The feeling of the period is really reenacted. The map is pleasant to the eye, the units are well done and the leaders abilities are historical accurate. The strategic options are numerous and the campaigns provided give a real challenge playing with France and even with Austria. Concerning tha AI, Alfred (ai) gives a smart challenge on the strategic level capturing cities left alone, changing "his" strategy etc..; during tactical battle Alfred tries to check the advantage of terrain and is competent on making second lines of engagement or even disengagement if the situation it is not so good. Considering the realese will be with an editor, i presume the community might recreate the Marengo campaign, the Massena's campaing in 1805 .... or with some fantasy intention the Eugene campaigns and Catinat ones.

"how big are the battles? have you a limit in the size of your army?"
 
None that I encountered.  I had some rather big battles.  However it usually is a better strategy to have several small armies in different sectors of the strategic map rather than massing your troops into one big army. 

ORIGINAL: mcclarey

"how big are the battles? have you a limit in the size of your army?"

None that I encountered.  I had some rather big battles.  However it usually is a better strategy to have several small armies in different sectors of the strategic map rather than massing your troops into one big army. 

They cost in supply [;)]

How are tactical battles handled in PBEM? I assume you don't resolve them one turn at a time but do you get to input any orders or have any control of the battle? Thanks.

It is one turn at a time. You can have very long games WITP style if you wish. About 100 turns for the full campaign on the strategic level and each battle 15-35 turns.

Most players should agree beforehand which battle to play tactically. If you play all, it is really long.

Interesting.  Thanks.

ORIGINAL: HussarGames

It is one turn at a time. You can have very long games WITP style if you wish. About 100 turns for the full campaign on the strategic level and each battle 15-35 turns.

Most players should agree beforehand which battle to play tactically. If you play all, it is really long.

by my experience in a beta test pbem, i prefer to select only one general with tactical battle active (and so the human opponent), so this general only will activate tactical battle, for istance Bonaparte for france and Davidovich for Austrians. Otherwise you can use a sort of XVIII siecle rule, i explain: you send a message to your opponent saying "i will wish to join battle with your army, i you agree we can play tactical battle"

Remember that in pbem game the tactical battle is always started even if the opponent chooses strategic battle (battle solved by pc) so just a player is needed to start a tactical battle.