PhilThib wrote:We understand your concerns. However, as we mentioned earlier many times, we are a very small team with low time available on the "old" Ageod engine, because 99.9% of our resources are committed to the new engine development. The time we give to the game (and we do give quite a lot despite what some - not you - may think) is entirely taken on our free/personal time, our professional time going almost in full to the new engine or to support external teams active on future titles.
After much retrospect and reading the players' remarks and complaints, I believe now it was a mistake to "listen" to the demands of some crowd asking for a grand campaign with diplomacy and all major nations playable. I personally feel that my original design decision back in 2008 was better: 2 sides, no "open" diplomacy, no sandbox gameplay style. This used to be, even if sometimes too rigid, the 'Ageod Style' and we should have kept it likewise. I realize that listening to the sirens of the majority was a mistake.
This said, we can work out improvements on the current game to fix the most problematic points. We have duly noted the various points and remarks made by all our faithful players. We just lack - for now - the necessary hours to implement the corrections and suggestions
I want to thank you and Pocus for taking your personal time to work on improving this game and others. I appreciate it more than I can say. And I will thank you once again for not abandoning PON, which has given me more gaming enjoyment and immersion than any game I have ever played.
I have greatly enjoyed WON during various scenarios and the first two years of the Campaign game. You have already fixed a number of issues. And I do think that most of the other major issues will be fixed by the upcoming two player expansion. I expect that this expansion will return to the old AGEOD style, two player, no open diplomacy, no sandbox. I welcome that.
And I will mention that I enjoy some of the enhancements that have been made to the Ageod system, such as the improved battle circle, the ability to pick strategy during battles, the regional decisions, and production. And I do enjoy the massive sweep of the campaigns, which requires a level of strategic thinking and advance planningnot necessary in the superb Napoleons Campaigns.
I am not denying that there are some serious issues with the game, some of which I have complained about. But I have faith that you will make this a much better game, and I think it will happen in the two player expansion.
All the best,
Vaalen