Game playable now?

[Treefrog]

I have been watching for five years as the game moved through many years of development comment and subsequent release to criticism that people were being sold an unfinished game; as late as July 2009 the existing program was described as a beta version.

However, with more than 22,000 posts it is clear that interest in this game is very strong.

Decades ago I played the original boardgame and understand that the computer version has taken it's own direction.

My questions are:

Does the program work reliably for both AI and PBEM?

Does the current AI play well enough that you avoid the feeling that you are like a cage fighter beating up a kindergardener?

Can you come home from a stressful day at work and lose yourself to decompress without being irritated that you paid good money for a game that is disappointing?

[Grapeshot Bob]

ORIGINAL: Treefrog
Does the program work reliably for both AI and PBEM?

Does the current AI play well enough that you avoid the feeling that you are like a cage fighter beating up a kindergardener?

Can you come home from a stressful day at work and lose yourself to decompress without being irritated that you paid good money for a game that is disappointing?

No to all three.

But I'm hopeful that there will be something reasonably playable in the next twelve to thirty-six months. I bought the game in 2007 and each patch gets us closer and closer to adequacy.

If you are concerned and want to help, please purchase the game. The more people we have reporting bugs and doing beta testing the faster we can get an accepable product.

The motto at the bottom of your post ("L'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace.") adequately describes the mind-set of the people who approved this game for release. Their audacity was truly breath-taking.



GSB

[Dancing Bear]

I'd disagree with GSB's PBEM assessment. I think with 1.08 we'll have a fun PBEM game (likely with version 1.08.03). However, having said that, there is still room for improvement, particularly for the interface for new players and cleaning up some bugs that have cropped up.

I have not tried the AI to comment.

As GSB says, the more players than buy the game and report bugs/make suggestions for improvement, the better it will be.

[NeverMan]

1. PBEM is mostly playable.
 
2. AI is horrendous (though I don't care about the AI at all).
 
3. That is up to opinion and mostly based on #2 I would say no.

[AresMars]

@treefrog

My questions are:

Q1. Does the program work reliably for both AI and PBEM?

my response: AI is a joke - PBEM is playable, but you have to REALLY suspend your expectations that playing is like playing the old boardgame....

Q2. Does the current AI play well enough that you avoid the feeling that you are like a cage fighter beating up a kindergardener?

my response: the AI is like a new-born......only good to teach complete newbies the mechanics of the game.....

Q3. Can you come home from a stressful day at work and lose yourself to decompress without being irritated that you paid good money for a game that is disappointing?

my response: Save YOUR Money.....and your sanity......

@GSB/Neverman

I agree with you....

@Dancing Bear

Man, you are starting to worry me.....now you know why I had to leave our game.....


On a positive note: Marshall does make an effort to improve the game, however, I am now jaded.....

[bresh]

I have no idea about the AI, but from what i heard its not so good, but its not as easy as it used to be, though vs ai, ai gains alot of bonus vps.

For pbm, it truely has improved, but we still have gamestopping bugs, and while Marshall is around, its bearable.

But, to me there are 2 issues.
Eighter some host-edit for ongoing games needs to come, or we need to get much closer to bugfree(Especially the gamestoppers).


Regards
Bresh

[pzgndr]

If you are concerned and want to help, please purchase the game. The more people we have reporting bugs and doing beta testing the faster we can get an accepable product.

What he said. If folks want to help move the game along, then help.

Despite the remaining issues to be resolved, pbem games seem to be moving along and getting better with recent pbem enhancements. A recent quote from Sorta the other day:

I realise that there are many other requests but speed seems to me to be a priority over gameplay improvements as the game is playable and fun right now.

Treefrog is also another potential player asking about AI, again. Must be some interest there for a computer opponent, and not just 7-player pbem games. Uh-huh. Nice to know that AI enhancements and improvements are still on the roadmap. [;)]

[easterner]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewuh7FGV ... re=related

Play above then read below.
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1. PBEM is mostly playable.

Neverman said something positive!!!!!!

[Marshall Ellis]

LOL! You guys are great!

[gazfun]

Im in shock [X(]

[NeverMan]

ORIGINAL: easterner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewuh7FGV ... re=related

Play above then read below.
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1. PBEM is mostly playable.

Neverman said something positive!!!!!!

It's not that I'm negative, I'm just unbiased and honest...unlike most of you.

[pzgndr]

I'm just unbiased

Main Entry: un·bi·ased
Pronunciation: \ˌən-ˈbî-əst\
Function: adjective
Date: 1607
1 : free from bias; especially : free from all prejudice and favoritism : eminently fair <an unbiased opinion>
2 : having an expected value equal to a population parameter being estimated <an unbiased estimate of the population mean>

synonyms see fair

— un·bi·ased·ness \-&#601;s(t)-n&#601;s\ noun

[Thresh]

It's not that I'm negative, I'm just unbiased and honest...unlike most of you.

I laughed so hard at this I think I cracked a rib...

I'd hate to see the biased version Neverman...

Thresh

[Marshall Ellis]

You guys are so great (Yes, you too Neverman)! LOL!

[NeverMan]

ORIGINAL: Thresh

It's not that I'm negative, I'm just unbiased and honest...unlike most of you.

I laughed so hard at this I think I cracked a rib...

I'd hate to see the biased version Neverman...

Thresh

LOL, maybe you would.

Seriously though, why do I have reason to be biased? I have NO stake in this game succeeding or failing. I have no money involved with this game in any way, directly or indirectly. There's absolutely no reason for me to say anything but the truth.

In fact, if anything, I REALLY wanted this game to succeed. I had been looking forward to this game's release going back YEARS (to when it was first announced).

The fact that this game is a disappointment (not as much so now) is just a reflection of the truth and is not injected with any bias.

[gazfun]

Honesty only comes from a persons point of view, and from there own experiences of life.

Now Ive done my philisophical question for the month
Keep the tanks rollin rollin rollin rollin
from your beloved egohead[:D]

[Kai]

Does the program work reliably for both AI and PBEM?

For the most part, yes. I don't think I've ever had a crash with the AI. I've encountered a couple of glitches with PBEM, mostly as a result of the software being patched during our PBEM game, and differing players playing with differing versions. There are a couple of other glitches, but the game is enjoyable.


Does the current AI play well enough that you avoid the feeling that you are like a cage fighter beating up a kindergardener?

I have found that I can almost always prevail against the AI. However, it is challenging enough that I have fun along the way. The AI seems to have trouble with coordinated attacks between allied AI powers, so if you are playing France, you can usually defeat the AI handily through superior strength. Playing Prussia or Austria is more challenging, however.



Can you come home from a stressful day at work and lose yourself to decompress without being irritated that you paid good money for a game that is disappointing?

This best describes my most common playing of the game. It's a great way to spend a few hours in the evening. I have definitely received my money's worth with this game. I can't think of very many other computer games that I'm still playing several years after they are released. EIA has retained its interest for me quite a long time.

[Treefrog]

With respect to all other responses,

Thank you Kai. You addressed the questions very well. Too bad I didn't buy while the holiday sale was on. I'm just about ready to move on to another game.