Matrix Games Forums

Hey all:

Well we've implemented a small development pause to allow the testers to review any design issues that might detract from the game. As you know, we found that the TMR was and is critical to game play thus we're adding it. We're now allowing our testers to look for other hidden gotchyas!

Apologies but please understand that this original engine design was NOT EiA and was simply "The Wars of Napoleon" and did not comply with EiA / EiH rule sets thus TMR was not in the system.

I cannot honestly tell you the severity of this impact yet! We're optimistic that it is minimal but I was optimistic before the TMR issue was found so I'm probably not the best source of good judgement on these types of isses. I'm deep inside 250,000 lines of code which makes it a bit difficult to see all of these things!


Can't be that bad since the EiA rule book is only 47 pages right? LOL!

Thank you

"TMR"? What is it please?[&:]

TMR = tactical maximum rating. The TMR of the leader in charge dictates how many corps he can command without being penalized in tactical rating, and is used in assorted rules specifying how much he can go over, as well.

Though we may be dissapointed that there is again a delay, we very much appreciate being kept well informed of how things are going.

Thanks for posting the upate Marshall.

good to hear that the TMR was added.

i do pitty the position you guys are in. you're dealing with a bunch of people who have played this game for years and you're forced to please them. i started playing the game almost 20 years ago when i was 10, so it's very much a part of me.

plus you're dealing with a game that takes 100's of hours to finish the grand campaign, so it only makes sense the play testing takes a while. but it'd be better for the release to be "right" than to miss a few important rules.

very much worth the wait. i know several people that can't wait to buy it.

flick

----
http://www.eagertofly.com

Most people have a positive time preference for everything, including hobbies.

When I began wargaming in 1959 the entire wargame library was basically one game: Avalon Hill's Gettysburg. Thereafter Avalon Hill released two new games per year. Those two releases constituted the entire addition to the library of military simulations for the year. We were absolutely elated and counted ourselves fortunate as the new games entered the pipeline: Tactics II, D-Day, Stalingrad, Midway, Waterloo, etc., all now classics (as in modern gamers probably never heard of them).

A good simulation is like a good woman: don't rush'em. [;)]

Treefrog...you forgot "Kriegspiel". and "Blitzkrieg"....these were the wargames that I cut my teeth on!...[:)]

Ah, the good old days of Avalon Hill wargames. The first game I ever owned (at age 12) was Richtofen's War, followed quickly by Luftwaffe. After this "air force phase" I read C. S. Forrester's Hornblower series, and in my later teens moved into a naval fascination -- Midway, Jutland, and my favorite for many years, Wooden Ships & Iron Men (I've sometimes wondered how long it would take to play an EiA game where, for every naval battle, the players involved would move to WS&IM to play out and resolve the battle tactically with that game!).

Then I moved into my 18th century strategic phase -- 1776, War and Peace, Soldier King, and ultimately, like finding my soul mate, EiA, where I have remained ever since, almost like a monogamous lover! I play EiA to the exclusion of all others, and am devoted to it. I can guarantee I will buy this game when it is released, and, although some of what I have learned has disappointed me slightly (I'm glad TMR got included!), and I am not thrilled with some of the graphics (I agree with whoever it was who said they like the corps counters "nice'n'square"), let's face it, even with a few (from my point of view) disappointments, there will be nothing like it in all the world.

So keep at it, Marshall and all the rest. I'm waiting faithfully and, well, as patiently as I can. But I'm not getting any younger![:)]

I totally agree with you Regeurk. It would be GREAT to play EiA with the WS&IM naval rules!!

That will be f**** realistic and LONG game to play, probably a real year for a game year!

But, yes, I had to admit that I love naval fighting and that this game, EiA would be even better than perfect if they got some more realistic naval warfare system...

Hope with time MG will do and upgrade for it and that we enjoy as much as land battles the naval ones, left out in this game and as important as the land ones!!!

But now lets help and cheer up MG to finish the game as it is and they we will talk about upgrades and scenarios.

MG upgrading???

Let's just worry about ACTUALLY getting the original. Here it is February and no game in sight. Not even close. Still running into bugs and still having to add things that were left off to begin with (TMR). Let's just hope for a product within the next 20 years, I am not even going to think about upgrades or patches just yet.

Yeah it is kind of funny, awhile back when EIA was delayed,I bought Knights of the Old Republic to "tide me over" until EIA would be out(back in 2003). This week KOTOR 2 was released for the PC. Guess I'll have to go and get that to "tide me over" again until EIA comes out. Certainly hope this game is well polished when it comes out.[:D]

ORIGINAL: NeverMan

MG upgrading???

Let's just worry about ACTUALLY ....

I am talking about upgrades, no patches, the willing of MG is to upgrade with options and new optional rules from EiH the final game, and I think that giving future support to this game is very important, also new scenarios.

Of course, firstable is to finish the game, but this is a very complex game as everybody knows and it is a difficult task.

I dunno if it's difficult, but it's not well managed, that's for sure. It's becoming a joke.

It makes you wonder at what state this beast is really in when Marshall talks about 250K of lines and manages to drop a basic thing like maximum tactical rating while piling them.

Going back to my pet hate, it looks like the bulk of that code has got something to do with squeezing the counters tall and narrow and sticking fuzzy blobs on them.

I'm just happy someone is working on this project and that it continues to progress. In current times, all too often projects are started, hopes rise and then for one reason or another, usually financial, the project is dropped. Matrix seems very committed to completing EiA and for that they have my gratitude.

I'm a bit of a programmer and just pondering this program gives me the willies. It is no wonder things keep popping up during the testing. Converting a face to face boardgame to the PC platform has a host of problems all its own. So I'll continue to be patiently impatient. [:)]

Yes, I am happy someone is doing it. Yes, Marshal seems dedicated to finishing it. If Matrix drops this project, I would forever and always consider them a joke and so would a lot of people. I know this is a VERY hard project to undertake, but they undertook it (if you will), so it is their responsibility.

All that said, I will continue to bitch until this game comes out, but when and if it does, and when and if it is REALLY good (at least 80% of what boardgame EiA is), then I will have no problem singing praises forever and more, and I will have no problem throwing a good amount of cash down for this product and then some.

Until then.............AAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, good old Blitzkreig. It and Waterloo were our first games.

ORIGINAL: J P Falcon

Treefrog...you forgot "Kriegspiel". and "Blitzkrieg"....these were the wargames that I cut my teeth on!...[:)]

ORIGINAL: HordesOfSerbs

I dunno if it's difficult, but it's not well managed, that's for sure. It's becoming a joke.

Have you ever played EiA boardgame? Do you know all the rules for sure, because there are many times during a campaing game where I and my game mates had discussed some of the rules and take a look to the rules, forward and backward and as we many people and sometimes we didnt find the right answer until we asked in the empires in arms yahoo forum.
As many people said and I totally agree with them, the rules are kind of a "mess" and have some weak points.

And if you take this and try to do a program to control everything, even those situations that came out once every 3 or 4 campaings you will understand how difficult it is to program everything right and dont leave nothing out.

But again, I dunno if you had ever played EiA or either if you know about programming.
So, think twice before you make such comments if you "dunno" about it nothing.

HordesOfSerbs:

Just to clarify ... I didn't drop TMR BUT I NEVER added it! There's big difference! I didn't miss it BUT intentionally left it out because our original engine design (NON EiA) did not call for it! There is a long history here but to summarize, let me just say that the engine we're using now was originally designed to be a simultaneous movement / combat system during ther Napoleonic era. We had totally different rules, pieces, etc. I intentionally made the call to list this as a deviation with the thought that the impact would be minimal but the time savings would be great and I was wrong! Our testers brought this up and they made their points crystal clear to me so PLEASE thank them THEN blame me.

Note that I'm not saying I don't miss things because I do and if you don't then send me your resume and I'll make you an EiA developer in a minute

Thank you

No kidding about the rules. I think this is the only game I ever played that ended due to a rules dispute.

ORIGINAL: J P Falcon

Treefrog...you forgot "Kriegspiel

Ahhh Kriegspiel...now that brings back memories. Such a simple game and yet very exciting for a 7 year old learning boardgames.