AGEOD Forums

Full disclosure: I found this game on a torrent. I thought it was an older abandonware title or something. (who makes modern wargames nowadays I thought). Turns out Ageod has some pretty cool games and this one rocks. I really like this game and want to support the developer but I had a few questions before I can convince myself to drop 50$ on it.

1. How much longer will it be supported? If it's been out for 2 years then it has to be coming close to end of life which leads into my next question.

2. Will there be a price drop for it soon. I notice BOA is only 15$ and I might buy that instead because it's the same engine. (I'm a poor unemployed college student after all).

3. Also a related question, I saw that AACW 2 is mentioned occasionally. Is there one in the works and should I wait for it if there is?

Thanks in advance.

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Buy the game Cleburne - I recommned it to anyone, especially if strategy games are to your tatse, support the developers who to thier credit are continually supporting the game with updates and fixes.

I think that my money for buy those games was the best investment of my life. I bought the AACW one year ago and I still playing it. If you buy a shooter game, you will bore at two weeks.

Cleburne, this is definitely one of those must have titles. Even after the support has stopped, which has not happened yet, this will be a game that you will want in your collection.

I myself have this game as well as the other 2 ACW games that you have likely found. This is my favorite without a doubt.

Definitely recommend the game. Been playing it now for just over a month. Before AACW, Hearts of Iron 2 was my favorite strategy-level wargame. Terrific support/mod community here. Gray Lensman in particular is a tremendous resource for game explanations and he also plays an important role in patches, quick fixes, support questions.

Among the "forumites" here are Civil War historians who help drive discussions about fixing ahistorical game mechanics and Order of Battle accuracy. There's a ton of energy here on the support/developer side and the gamer side that keeps things hopping and interesting. Ageod tapped into a vein of Civil War buff gamers who have been waiting years and years for a good ACW game to come out. I give this one two big thumbs up.

I judge a game by many factors:

1. Replayability....does the game lend itself to multiple plays? The Civilization and Total War series are games which I keep coming back to. I'm already invested 500+ hours in AACW. A+ rating here.

2. Return on investment of hours and dollars.

My investment of hours for the learning curve and dollars for a game need to be rewarded. AACW has a steep learning curve that I as a grognard, almost balked at. It is a hard game to understand and master. The detail is extreme both under the hood and from the chrome on the outside. The manual definitely doesn't give its designers enough credit for the richness that is deeply woven within. You get a sense of it but it takes the forums to explains the rationales you get to taste. A+ rating here.

3. Attitude of the manufacturer and developers

I am a game professional in that I made a career of selling games (mostly board) for a living on a very large scale. I have had a fascination with games from early adolesence that I parleyed into my livlihood. My particularly personal fascination was with strategy games that deal with history. Over that career I have run into game producers who are obsessed with quality and their love for product (history) and those who sell games for a quick buck with little intent other than to churn out sequels, add ons and scenarios for an often underbaked product, for a price. Although the interest in dollars DOES lend itself to continuing development, too often a company becomes overly preoccupied, like movies, with the next sequel to keep the money rolling in. It's rare to find a company like AGEOD who operates with a dedicated and I'm assuming largely underpaid/unpaid core of dedicated historians/programmers who keep the product alive and vibrant. That is more a labor of love than a concern for fiscal success. Just today I made an observation and within an hour, Grey Lensman had created a Quick Fix to correct a very small problem that I didn't even know was one. THAT is the kind of game I want to invest in. A+ for this rating.

4. Historical authenticity. AGEOD's forums, staff and players combine to keep this game's heart beating lively. Pocus has over 3,000 support posts as a designer. The forums and beta teams seem to take delight in a continuing refinement of art, maps, historical authenticity and detail. THAT is more than making a game. It is breathing life into it. A+ for this rating (even in Milroy and Hamilton's ranks are premature according to WIKI)

5. Flawed game mechanics. Most games disclose their gamemanship flaws over time. Ultimately uncorrected flaws lead players to "gamey" decisions in their quest to win. And the company stands by and does little to correct obvious flaws. I am observing in AACW a continuing process of refinement despite there is little revenue to be gained by it. A+ for this rating

6. Qualities of a GREAT game
GREAT games are rare. They unfold gradually with new learnings over time. They stay fresh because great care and genuine love went into their construction and refinement in such a way that game secrets reveal themselves gradually over time. AACW is such a game. A+ for this rating

7. AI
AACW's AI is weak. At first I found it was strong until I found ways to exploit its weaknesses. I like the way it chooses multiple strategies over time and doesn't just repeat the same tired sequences. But ultimately no AI I know of can duplicate real competitve flair. C for this rating


8. Accessibility of other players

Wargames often have such a limited audience that solo is the only way to play them. And let's face it, NOTHING beats a live player. Now AACW's AI as I said above, is not as sophisticated as I would like. But within 24 hours of posting, I had three PBEM opponents. That speaks highly of AACW's ability to attract a strong following.


[SIZE="5"]Net Conclusion:[/size]


Support these guys and yourself and buy this game. At the most expensive price you can find. They deserve it.

SkyWestNM

AACW is the very best simulation of the period out there. Period. I bought the game over a year ago and have been playing it ever since...something which I've NEVER done with any game. Even the addicting Sid Meier's games.

This is my favorite strategy game of all time and it likely remain so for quite some time.

Banks6060 wrote:AACW is the very best simulation of the period out there. Period. I bought the game over a year ago and have been playing it ever since...something which I've NEVER done with any game. Even the addicting Sid Meier's games.

This is my favorite strategy game of all time and it likely remain so for quite some time.

+1. except this is going for me since April 2007

+1 Couldn't agree more.

Pat "Stonewall" Cleburne wrote:1. How much longer will it be supported? If it's been out for 2 years then it has to be coming close to end of life which leads into my next question.

AGEOD supports its games like few, if any, other companies. Not including hotfixes, Birth of America was patched up to version 1.13. Then BOA2 followed. Pocus and others read, and more importantly act upon, feedback posted on these forums. There is also a very active and talented modding community here. Taking all these things into account I would say that "end" is not in sight.

This is an excellent game that will continue to get better and is worth picking up.

Banks6060 wrote:AACW is the very best simulation of the period out there. Period. I bought the game over a year ago and have been playing it ever since...something which I've NEVER done with any game. Even the addicting Sid Meier's games.

This is my favorite strategy game of all time and it likely remain so for quite some time.

I can't add anything else to what has already been said but as Banks said above outside of BattleFronts excellent Combat Mission games (the original WWII 3, not the current version) this is going to be a game I will continue to play far into the future. It is the best strategy game really by far, I have ever played. It is a must have especially for ACW buffs.

Mark

Agree with all of the above.Bought it on day one,still my favorite game.

Pat "Stonewall" Cleburne wrote:Full disclosure: I found this game on a torrent. I thought it was an older abandonware title or something. (who makes modern wargames nowadays I thought). Turns out Ageod has some pretty cool games and this one rocks. I really like this game and want to support the developer but I had a few questions before I can convince myself to drop 50$ on it.

1. How much longer will it be supported? If it's been out for 2 years then it has to be coming close to end of life which leads into my next question.

2. Will there be a price drop for it soon. I notice BOA is only 15$ and I might buy that instead because it's the same engine. (I'm a poor unemployed college student after all).

3. Also a related question, I saw that AACW 2 is mentioned occasionally. Is there one in the works and should I wait for it if there is?

Thanks in advance.

Well, I think the OP has already got the idea that we all love this game...

Trying to answer his questions :

1. Support: Realistically, probably there are not going to be many more patches (my guess: perhaps one or two). Why ? Because they are not needed ! . After 2 years, there are no bugs that I know of, huge improvements in rules and AI have been added, map corrections were made, etc, etc. And, of course, with VGN coming close, inevitably the devs (Pocus) will focus ( ) more on it. We can only hope that as has been done with WIA, that some of the engine and AI improvements that are done in VGN are retrofitted to AACW, but it is not guaranteed.

2. Price drop ? No idea, really. Not likely in a short/medium time, because AACW still seems to be selling good, but inevitably in the looong run. But the price you pay for the game is different depending how you but it. Good deals exist for the box version, for instance in Amazon. If you buy it directly from AGEOD, it will be a bit pricier, but what you pay will go (almost ?) fully to the developers, which for some of us is a good way to support them. Boa is cheaper. But is an entirely different game...

3. AACW 2 ? I bet that it is definitely NOT in the works. It is a game that we fans would like to see developed in the future. (That's one of the reasons that I will keep supporting AGEOD, BTW )

And finally a piece of advice: keep away from those torrent sites. Mummy allways says that they are bad to your health...

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You can purchase the game in the U.S. from Best Buy (in-store and on-line) as well as Amazon. It's still priced at the original $29.99, which is a very good sign. It's one of the better strategy games available, so spread the word.



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Continued support of this game has lead me to buy the other Ageod titles and their support is great also. Kuddos to Adeod for keeping their fan base happy.