How's the PBEM experience working out?

[John_C]

Ok, I have received very positive feedback on the game itself. Now just wondering if anyone with experience playing by PBEM could give me their honest feedback as to how they find the experience?

Is it too slow, or boring, or does it provide a pleasant experience too?

[Fouche]

Hello,
A good friend of mine who also posts here and I have been playing various wargames since the 1960's. In the recent decade we have played a number of computer games PBEM (HPS...Battleground...etc). I can honestly tell you we are both happy with this game as PBEM. Yes some gamers feel the PBEM system can be a little clunky (there may be some improvement of that in time). In fact if you check elsewhere they are working on bringing in a type of a replay function for the player who is does not host (the non-host can read through text messages on the actions that took place-my opponent and I have no problem playing with only that information as the non-host) -- however...once you start playing the game PBEM you will see how easy and painless that is....
This is a great game....with very good support...(no I am not getting paid to say this. ...)...anyway....
from what I understand the demo will be out very soon....so you could hold off and wait...
Have a good day...!

[K-1stPennaRes]

(I think!)

Anyway, I have to concur with M. Fouche (a deuced odd name for a Civil War forum poster!). To me, a human opponent is always far more challenging than any AI, and we are realling enjoying this game more than any other similar PBEM (such as the John Tiller games, to give one example, as good as they are, and even BOA) games.

Touch the elbow.

[jimkehn]

John C., I am just getting going with a PBEM game, so I can't tell you much about the PBEM experience. However, I HAVE played BoA by email and I can tell you, the method is a little different at first, but once you have played a couple turns, there is nothing like it (almost). The turns will work seamlessly. And the simo-move is the most realistic method going. Fouche and friend mentioned HPS and Tiller's games. I have played a ton of Panzer Campaign and can tell you that, while it is nice to watch the opponent's replay of Panzer Campaign, it still always seemed damned odd that my units would just sit there and not respond while the opponent would surround me with a regiment of tanks. This simultaneous move system fixes much of that. BoA was pretty exciting, I thought, as PBEM. And from playing AACW solitaire, and now just starting PBEM, I know AACW will be too.

[jimkehn]

One other thing.

I know it's personal preferrence, but this game is hardly boring. Resolving the turns may be slow compared to most games we play. But the game is anything but boring. In fact, I was thinking this morning while going over the turn results, how exciting it was to scroll thru the events list to see what all happened. To read about the battles, and see where my newly built recruits landed. Hopefully in all the cities I neeeded them most (but, nope....some land way da hell across the state). I am CSA and Mclellan is launching an invasion at Wilmington, NC. I am frantically trying to rush reinforcements there. I had three corps and a division attack into Alexandria, Va. But the North had half of mankind waiting for me under McDowell (I think is who it is). Kept losing the battles, but lo and behold it was the North who pulled out. I had one corps left in Alexandria beseiging the city. More? Stirling Price marched into St. Louis province with about 8 brigades only to find J.C. Fremont there with a host of men. He bloodied Fremont's nose every round and Price, who I thought would get his arse kicked remains in the province beseiging the city. Reinforcements from Rolla are on their way. Holding my breath to see if they get there before Price is completely decimated. Then there is Earl van Dorn's Corps who crossed the Mississippi to circle around behind Cairo to take it. He has left on a pretty daring excursion into enemy territory to try an take this important river city. His commrade in arms (sorry, I forgot his name) is pulling his division across the river from Paducah to protect van Dorn's flank and supply line. And not the least of the activity is PGT Beauregard's arrival in Little Rock to form the Army of the West with Gustavus Smith as Corps commander with William Hardee's division to chase the Yankees out of Fort Smith, then hopefully Missouri with Indiana and Ohio next. (all solitaire experience...can only speculate what kinda stuff my human opponent will throw at me). Different strokes for different folks sure applies, but for me, boring is not the word I would use to describe this game.