Should I get COTA & House Rules

[MarkShot]

Sooner or later Dave is going to finish this game and then I expect to see the weekly thread "Should I get COTA?".

Typically replies will focus on a list of features or detailed comparisons with other games.

Well, I hate to focus on such low level and mundane information like "this game models the 1942 version of the German anti-tank rifle with field upgrades only seen used in the battle for Crete whose designer was Prussian born Rudolf Heingarten ...". Clearly someone will think that essential, but, myself, I prefer to make much more sweeping generalizations.

For HTTR, I had said that this engine uniquely allowed strategy wargamers to actually play a game at the strategic level.

A Perspective: What Makes HTTR Truly Special

Here is what I want to tell you about COTA (and if you are a gamer, then you will know what I mean), COTA requires no house rules to play and enjoy. This is very significant.

However, I'll explain myself anyway. With many games I have played, when the player goes from intermediate to experienced the quality of game play falls off rapidly. This happens usually due to the following key reasons:

(1) The AI becomes very predictable and well understood.

(2) Numerous exploits or weaknesses in the system become apparent and accessible. I would say that given how almost any popular game has multiple discussion forums, it usually doesn't take long for an interested player to pick this stuff up.

This leaves the player with a number of options as how to continue enjoying the game:

(1) Switch to MP.

(2) Seek third party mods which may close some exploits, fix some data driven short comings, and often increase challenge by stacking the deck against the player.

(3) Invent a series of "house rules" that voluntarily limit what the player can do in the game to either close exploits or by handicapping the player shift play balance back towards the AI.

Okay, now back to COTA and PG's engine in general. I've been playing and beta testing RDOA, HTTR, and COTA since 2002. Although I am not the best player, I would have to say that I understand the game and the engine better than most.

Despite all this familiarity, I have found no need to develop a set of house rules to put the game play and fun back into COTA. Ask yourself how many game engines could you play for four years with the familiarity of a beta tester and not feel a need for house rules to spice it up again?