How accessible is this game?

[Dual_CoRed]

Hello all. After the disaster of Rome 2 I'm looking for another Roman themed strategy game and was wondering if this one was extremely difficult to get into. I don't have that much time to play games, but this one looks interesting. Does it take very long for the average guy to grasp? Thx for any answers..

[Durk]

One thing which is great about AJE and BOR and their additions, so many short scenarios to explore and so many long scenarios to relish. I think you will find this historically grounded game much better than Rome 2, but you will also find it very playable. Some learning, of course, but sensible and grounded so well in the history.

[arsan]

I would say AJE is intermediate difficulty, but it depends much of your gaming background. This is a wargame, and has quite a lot of detail on military issues.
By checking the demo
http://www.ageod-forum.com/showthread.php?26405-AJE-DEMO-is-out

And taking a look at some of the game's AAR, like this one from Narwhal
http://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/showthread.php?632034-The-Hero-The-Traitor-and-The-Barbarian-an-AJE-PBEM-Beginner-AAR

i think you could get a very good idea about the game's style and what it has to offer.
Regards

[Gerry58]

They are very different kind of games. I much prefer AJE but you have to take your time to understand the game engine and how it works. I love it.

[Highlandcharge]

+1

You can do a small scenario or the tutorial to learn the system and when you feel ready dive in a play say Caesar v Pompey which is the biggest scenario...

I used to play total war games religiously, shogun 1, MW 1 and 2, after that I tried a ageod game, Napoleons campaigns... and I was converted, real strategy without swamping you and without those what I found boring after a while TW battles.

You will find ageod games make you think and they will surprise you by how much detail they have in each scenario, and they manage to do this without being to hard to learn and without swamping you, likes been said above try the demo and see what you think

[PJJ]

The biggest difference is the approach taken to historical accuracy. Total War series is Hollywood history (I think the devs themselves said that somewhere), AGEOD games try to be historically accurate, which means that you have to take into account factors that were also relevant in real life, and much more so than when playing arcade strategy games.

However, that doesn't mean these games are hard to learn and play! If you are willing to devote some time into learning the system and don't expect to be winning every scenario after a few hours practice, AGEOD games offer you a great and fun experience. You might even learn something while playing! Compared to many truly hardcore strategy games out there, these are easy to approach and play. There's also plenty of replay value in scenarios, and the experience can be vastly different depending on which side you play.

[JWW]

I think it it quite a daunting task if you try to understand everything that is going on right from the start. The game has a lot of subtle complexity, including things not clearly spelled out in the rulebook.

However, I think it can be played on several different levels. I think you can start playing if you just do the tutorial and read through an AAR or two and do quite well. I think it is very accessible and enjoyable that way. I initially got frustrated at not knowing everything, but then when I just decided to play for enjoyment and not worry about not knowing everything, I found the flow of the game (really I'm talking about any of the AGEOD games) and started having fun. And the more I play the more I learn about the complexities and subtleties.

I still can't, for example, tell you exactly how supply works in this game, though I have a good general idea. And I can tell by watching the supply status of my forces when I am running into supply problems.

So the bottom line answer to your question is, in my opinion, it doesn't take very long for the average guy to understand the basics and have fun against the AI. And then the more you play and the more you read this forum, the more you learn and then more fun you have. Just don't get frustrated that you don't know everything about it right from the start.

I would definitely try it. It is quite a different experience.

[Dual_CoRed]

Thx guys. I think I'll give it a go. Is Birth of Rome the later released game and should I go with that game?

[Philippe]

They use practically the same engine and are practically interchangeable.

BOR has a few short scenarios that are good for learning the system, but whether it's the right game for you depends a lot on what you've read and how much you enjoyed it.

If you've read a lot of ancient authors you'll get a kick out of the Third Samnite War and Pyrrhus' intervention in Italy. And you'll get a big kick out of the First Punic War.

If these names mean little or nothing to you, you might enjoy AJE more because Julius Caesar's showdown with Pompey is more recognizable.

Personally I'm very fond of BOR and wish they would do more games in that vein, but, truth in advertising, when I was in graduate school I wrote a paper arguing that the currently fashionable opinion about the First Samnite War was bunk and that the war really had taken place more or less as described. I'm not holding my breath for anyone producing a First Samnite War scenario, but a Second Samnite War with the disaster of the Caudine Forks would be really cool.

If all of this reads like gibberish to you (and it should) and you're not already a First Punic War fanatic (which you might be if you remembered Claudius' chickens and/or if you had studied the fragments of Naevius and Ennius), I would go with AJE and Parthian Wars because the situations covered are very cool and will give you some neat insights into Ancient History that you aren't likely to get without far too much study.

[Durk]

Wow Philippe, you nailed it. I would only add that with this game the date of release does not matter. It is the same game, just other scenarios. So choose what is your interest. AJE is most likely of the most interest to the most people.