Matrix Games Forums

What actually is fixed in this patch? Is it playable after that, does it offer
atleast average AI opponent already? I am going to buy this game as soon
as it happens.

ORIGINAL: von altair

What actually is fixed in this patch? Is it playable after that, does it offer
atleast average AI opponent already? I am going to buy this game as soon
as it happens.

If you are trying to play just the AI then you should wait.

The AI is MUCH better, but that's saying that a 3 year old can do a lot an infant baby can't. Know what I mean?

The only real challenge the AI provides you is that you have to make sure you ride the 13+ VP every ECO phase since the AI gives itself A TON of extra PP/VP when playing on "hard".

As Russia I had all of Poland and 3 provinces from Turkey. I also had Denmark and Sweden. I had gotten an unconditional from Au, Pr and Tu, and conditionals from Au, Pr, Tu and Fr. When I won (mid 1811 I think) Spain had 96% to my 102% and I'm pretty sure Spain didnt' win any wars.

ORIGINAL: von altair

What actually is fixed in this patch? Is it playable after that, does it offer
atleast average AI opponent already? I am going to buy this game as soon
as it happens.

Check out the release notes and you should see that there are several fixes and AI improvements BUT there will be more AI improvements in 1.04! I did not get as many AI improvements installed in 1.03 as I wanted since I wanted fixes to get out quickly! there were a few crashes and I like to address those QUICKLY!

ORIGINAL: Marshall Ellis

ORIGINAL: von altair

What actually is fixed in this patch? Is it playable after that, does it offer
atleast average AI opponent already? I am going to buy this game as soon
as it happens.

Check out the release notes and you should see that there are several fixes and AI improvements BUT there will be more AI improvements in 1.04! I did not get as many AI improvements installed in 1.03 as I wanted since I wanted fixes to get out quickly! there were a few crashes and I like to address those QUICKLY!

Marshall,

I strongly suggest toning down the AI VP totals once you think the AI has been improved some.

Neverman:

I cannot debate that. I may have to down her a little 1.04 but tell me what you think is reasonable? There needs to be some amount emulating more difficulty (i.e. other players getting their nations for smaller bids).

ORIGINAL: Marshall Ellis

Neverman:

I cannot debate that. I may have to down her a little 1.04 but tell me what you think is reasonable? There needs to be some amount emulating more difficulty (i.e. othe rplayers getting their nations for smaller bids).

I would say that the balance should be left up to the game testers. I have only played 1.03 once and even riding dominant zone THE WHOLE GAME, I BARELY won (102% to 96%), as described above. If I was playing France maybe I could have won by a bigger margin, I don't know. If I was playing Prussia or Turkey, maybe I would have lost.

Winning with Prussia isn't too hard because 100% isn't as far away. I actually find it harder to win as France, because even pinned to the top of the dominant zone you can't win unless you keep everybody else (especially Spain and Turkey) down in the fiasco zone enough of the time. It's kind of silly to defeat Britain (and everybody else), conquer most of Europe, including half of Spain, and still "lose" to Spain.

In general, I prefer the bonuses that give the AI more to work with against you in the field, rather than just handing them a pile VPs at the beginning. First choice, of course, is further actual improvements in the AI. Next best, I think, is giving the AI extra $ and manpower to fight you with. Third best is extra PPs--not because it helps them toward VPs but to make it easier for them to keep out of instability and so retain minors, which give them resources to fight you with. Extra VPs--that's just handicapping, doesn't make the game more challenging or fun to play.

It would be nice to be able to set those parameters separately instead of just choosing easy, medium, or hard. Then you could, say, bump the AI's production way up but let it start at 0 VPs--or the reverse, if that's what you prefer.

ndrose, i like that idea, but the game needs both.  A new player isn't going to understand the PP and VP until he gets into the game and plays.  You need some pre-configured AI levels, but an editor to tweak this would be a good addition.

ORIGINAL: ndrose

Winning with Prussia isn't too hard because 100% isn't as far away. I actually find it harder to win as France, because even pinned to the top of the dominant zone you can't win unless you keep everybody else (especially Spain and Turkey) down in the fiasco zone enough of the time. It's kind of silly to defeat Britain (and everybody else), conquer most of Europe, including half of Spain, and still "lose" to Spain.

In general, I prefer the bonuses that give the AI more to work with against you in the field, rather than just handing them a pile VPs at the beginning. First choice, of course, is further actual improvements in the AI. Next best, I think, is giving the AI extra $ and manpower to fight you with. Third best is extra PPs--not because it helps them toward VPs but to make it easier for them to keep out of instability and so retain minors, which give them resources to fight you with. Extra VPs--that's just handicapping, doesn't make the game more challenging or fun to play.

It would be nice to be able to set those parameters separately instead of just choosing easy, medium, or hard. Then you could, say, bump the AI's production way up but let it start at 0 VPs--or the reverse, if that's what you prefer.

We already are bumping money and manpower at the Hard level. I think 10%?

That sounds good, Marshall. I also like some of Ndrose's other comments.

I love playing Russia and stomping people...[8|]

Since I installed the 1.03 ### patch, the minor choices by countries were better. But Turkey still needs some help. One issue that affects that a bit, it the interaction between the wienee countries, such as Turkey, Spain and Prussia and the money powerhouses England and France. On the board game, Spain goes to England and France each turn and says "Who's giving me money?" If France does, they build ships. If England does, they build cav. (There's more nuances, but you get the drift.)

For Turkey $10 an eco phase goes a LOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNGGGG way. It should be easier for them to get this type of moolah from an allied England or France.

Well, back to work and then more Turkey stuffing (hee hee) tonight!

Jason

ORIGINAL: Marshall Ellis

Neverman:

I cannot debate that. I may have to down her a little 1.04 but tell me what you think is reasonable? There needs to be some amount emulating more difficulty (i.e. other players getting their nations for smaller bids).

In order to know that, we have to know what the current algorithm is for calculating them.

But, if you can reduce by a percentage, that would be OK. For instance, say the tallies are:

weak AI gets +1 per phase
normal AI gets -2 per phase
strong AI gets -5 per phase

Then, change all three down by 1.

Well, I just downloaded the newest patch during the game I was playing. 1.03v14 or something like that. I had a couple of issues.


I beat Prussia unconditionally. I must have had my "make a treaty with Prussia" button checked because within a few turns of surrender they wanted an alliance again. (That was probably near a year since I "broke the treaty" and dowed them.)

A second issue was that I sailed my Russo-Swedish-Danish navy into a Prussian port. (I have access after beating them.) During the land phase the navies were back at sea.

I took Mazovia and Posen during the surrender. During the Eco Phase I created Poland. Should that just have been Mazovia and Posen? That was all that was highlighted at the time. I would never add my own provinces. In a later turn "Poland" was huge encompassing all of my Russian provinces with a "P". There should be some mechanism to determine which are added. Also, one should be able to add other provinces to a minor as they are acquired. (Of course they shouldn't be able to subtract provinces once the minor is made.

On another note, I couldn't build for Poland during the Eco Phase where I created them. Don't know if that's a bug or not.

I gained control of Naples and made them a free state. When it came time to place my fleets, I placed the counter and it ended up in a controlled Egypt instead.

Does Siciliy get added into "Naples" when Naples is made a free state?

Can cossacks actually take control and a change ownership of an enemy city? I thought that they were not allowed, but I did in central Germany.

Finally, the Austrian and French armies have just sat in Linz (AU) and the space to the West (FR) for a few years.

On a side note the Prussians put up a spirited defense. They struck at my lone corps to relieve sieges and such. They are playing a bit better.

Well, Prussia is down, it's about time to go and crush the Turks for the third time. I mean, I don't own Anatolia, Bulgaria and Rumelia yet...

Jason

Oh yeah, one last thing. I own

Sweden
Denmark
Poland
Persia
Syria
Egypt
Cyrenacia
Tripolitania
Armenia, Wallachia, Moldavia, Bessarabia, Bulagaria (?)
and some German states

I am in 5th place, followed only by Turkey, who has surrendered unconditionally twice. I'm close to Prussia, but nowhere near the leaders of FR, GB and then AU, SP. Seems kinda odd. I have only economically manipulated at a +1, mostly, but this is kinda wrong, I think! [:-] I just think that this needs to be adjusted a bit.

Cheers!
Jason

On the navy being in Egypt; I have "accidently" placed navies in far away ports when I failed to right click and clear my previous left click on an area.  So when i brought up Sweden and clicked to place the fleet counter, it went were I had previously clicked...whew, that was confusing.
 
In the board game, all Polish provinces MUST become part of Poland that you posses when you declare Poland.  I magine the computer game is the same.
 
There is no difference in the AI if you play easy, medium or hard, but there is a big vp bonus on hard, which makes the game difficult to win if you do not manipulate your economy at +2.
 
yamma

ORIGINAL: yammahoper@yahoo.com

On the navy being in Egypt; I have "accidently" placed navies in far away ports when I failed to right click and clear my previous left click on an area.  So when i brought up Sweden and clicked to place the fleet counter, it went were I had previously clicked...whew, that was confusing.

In the board game, all Polish provinces MUST become part of Poland that you posses when you declare Poland.  I magine the computer game is the same.

There is no difference in the AI if you play easy, medium or hard, but there is a big vp bonus on hard, which makes the game difficult to win if you do not manipulate your economy at +2.

yamma

Hey Yamma, interesting on the missed placement.

You are incorrect about Poland. I've played Russia, Austria and Prussia and created Poland as each. You have to commit Mazovia, but only need another province when you create it. Thus you COULD give up one or more of your provinces, but don't have to. Here is a copy of the rules.



OPTIONAL RULES

The optional rules are just that-optional-and may be used or not used in any combinations desired by the players of the game.

Their use is suggested only for experienced players of the game.

11.0 NEW POLITICAL COMBINATIONS

The Napoleonic Wars saw many changes in the map of Europe, some proving to be only temporary and others proving to be more permanent. These options permit players to recreate some of these changes by arranging new combinations of minor countries and/or ceded provinces to form new "super" minor free states and also permit the possibility that any major power can become dominant in Europe. In all cases, these changes are declared by the controlling player during the New Political Combinations Step of an Economic Phase (covers 11.l - 11 6 and 11.8).

[ 11.1 ] POLAND (GRAND DUCHY OF WARSAW: Poland, once one of Europe's great powers, had been dissolved, carved up and divided into separate provinces by Austria, Prussia and Russia in the 1790s. The Poles hoped to regain their independence and loyally supported Napoleon after he created the " Grand Duchy of Warsaw. "

11.1.1 CREATING POLAND: If any (the Poles will accept anyone's help) major power controls two or more possible Polish (marked "P" next to the province names on the map) provinces including Masovia and no other major power holds the Polish loyalty marker, then the Polish free state may be declared by that major power with Warsaw as the Polish free state capital.

11.1.1.1 POLISH PROVINCES: The exact Polish ("P") provinces making up the Polish free state must be announced when the creation is declared. In the cases of Austria, Prussia or Russia, any of their own home nation provinces included as part of Poland are then considered to be ceded provinces that are part of Poland. Once established, a controlling major power may, if desired, add additional controlled "P" provinces to Poland during later New Political Combinations Steps.


From the last paragraph, there would be no need to announce if they were all automatically added. I see how you could infer that all are supposed to be added.

Jason

Thanks for the clarification.  I never got to make Poland in the board game.  I only ever got to the Ottoman and Kingdom of Italy...which the French tore all apart, btw.
 
yamma

Yamma,

My favorite two countries to play are Russia and then Spain. I usually make Poland as Russia...[:'(].

Well, I had another bug. Not really a bug but just kinda dumb.

I was assaulting Bolgona with two corps. I attacked an enemy corps adjacent to Bologna with my third corps. He successfully withdrew, but two Bologna! I then killed the guys in the city and magically the corps was in city, so I couldn't take it...Kinda frustrating.

Just so you guys know.
Jason

Had another bug. Put 18 Spanish militia into Florence and next phase it's gone. What's going on?

The Poland issue is in another thread being discussed.

Marshall, regarding what VP totals to use for the AI, I suggest putting in a spinner, so the player can select it. Right now, we have easy, normal, and hard to choose from, and each picks a lot of values for various things. I might be interested, say, in playing against a "hard" player for everything but VP, for example.