Some questions and comparison with ACW2?

[penlin]

I have been having a great time with ACW2, and I'm deciding which AGEOD title to get next. I am mostly leaning towards Espana, but also considering one of Alea Jacta Est series or To End All Wars. Historically, I am more interested in SCW than either other title. Here are some questions:

1) How big is Espana in terms of number of units etc? One thing I like about AGEOD (versus traditional hex/counter games) is that there are not too many units/micromanagement, letting the player focus on big picture and completing games in a reasonable amount of time. ACW2 feels big to me but not unreasonably so. My impression is that Espana is a little smaller and AJE is even smaller? Is that right? Also, it seems like To End All Wars is a huge monster. It seems like it could be fun/interesting ... in a world where I have infinite time.

2) How well does the engine do with the feel of the SCW? How much, if at all, does it model political factors? Are there historical options the player can choose? Random events? How many? Examples?

3) Lastly, this is clearly a niche title compared to WWI or ACW2. These forums seem pretty quiet in comparison. Does anyone feel held back by the small-ish user community?

Thanks!

[Taciturn Scot]

This game is a very good size for learning the game and having fun. You have almost all the features, Regional decisions, the advanced Supply system, tanks and aircraft etc, on a small map and yet still have great strategic depth. The Battle Planner is not in Espana though.

And I don't let the lack of forum activity deter me from enjoying the game at all. I prefer to play games and read about them and it seems like the AGEOD community are largely the same. Players first and foremost, posters, a distant second.

I don't think you'd be disappointed with Espana. It only has the Grand campaign and one scenario but the campaign is very good. AJE is also superb although I prefer the Late-Republic, Imperial scenarios to the early Rome ones. EAW is indeed a huge beast but, like other AGEOD games I play, they take some time to get started but once you have played a few turns and the fronts are defined, play speeds up considerably. You might want to have a look at Rise of Prussia too. It's a fantastic game. There are some really good AARs you could look at if you're having a hard time deciding.

Ah, what the heck, just do what I did. Buy them all

[PJJ]

España is one of my favourite games here. It's big enough to offer you plenty of things to do, but small enough to not drown you in tedious micromanagement, which in my humble opinion is the bane of too many wargames. Especially if you're interested in the history of the Spanish Civil War, España is a must.

[Templer]

I'm now astounded.
Taciturn Scot made an absolut perfect description!

[Durk]

2) How well does the engine do with the feel of the SCW? How much, if at all, does it model political factors? Are there historical options the player can choose? Random events? How many? Examples?

3) Lastly, this is clearly a niche title compared to WWI or ACW2. These forums seem pretty quiet in comparison. Does anyone feel held back by the small-ish user community?

Thanks!

Hopefully you own this title by now; if not, I thought I might comment on your second question. This is not a political game, it is a wargame, so that is its focus; however, many of the political decisions which directly impacted the war are modeled. For instance, the different Republican factions, regional, ideological and such. Not really any random events, but many historical events - relations with outside powers, naval strategies, use of air power.

For me, if you wish to know the Spanish Civil War, this game models it. One of my favorite games was with a player who really knows the history of this war. He followed Franco's plans to a totally successful outcome.