Advice, Please on purchase

[basilhare]

I have rediscovered AGEOD games after playing thru a Civil War II Full Campaign. Very enjoyable.

PoN intrigues me, but I am confused about the viability of the game with all the posts about the bugs, various patches, etc..

Q#1: Are the bugs minor in nature for the majority of people and not really game killers?

Q#2: If yes, should you purchase from Steam, Matrix or AGEOD...I have read that there could be patching issues with the Steam version?

I guess Im trying to get a feel or summary of the current state of the game...

Thanks.

[loki100]

well I'm biased, with its flaws, I think it is the best simulation of the grand sweep and political dynamics of the second half of the nineteenth century.

with the 1.04 beta patch and the quickfix, what is left is an annoying bug around the canals (Suez et al) and a diplomatic AI that needs some more help. The first is a bit of a pain, the second limits the challenge to the player but there are fixes and people are working on events to try and improve this.

The game needs some love and care, a few of the events don't quite work. But fixes are in the 'help improve' directory.

I'd say buy from AGEOD, I think they get a higher % of the purchase cost that way.

All in all, the game is stable, plays well, is highly immersive and people will help with specific questions or issues that arise. It is still being supported, but AGEOD's resources are very limited, so this is slow.

[basilhare]

Thanks for the advice...I will purchase and give it a "go."

[epaminondas]

If you've been tracking posts about bugs, basil, you'll probably have encountered some of mine. I can't speak of play with the 1.04 beta but I can speak passionately of the game in 1.03e - in the Grand Campaign scenario at least it'll make you pull your hair out. So here I am, bald but still playing.

I think what you get with AoD at the moment is a bucket-full of potential that's being poured down a funnel narrowed by design issues and development problems. What comes out is some really classy stuff, but it chokes and sputters so much that you rarely get to fully enjoy all that's in there. The reasons I'm still playing it are several. First, it's because the design concept is thoroughly intriguing and addresses key aspects of the period with a degree of sophistication I haven't found in any competing product. Second, it's because there is a group of afficionados here who go out of their way to try to help me deal with the problems the sytem throws up. Thirdly, it's because of La Grande Guerre.

That game was an absolute mongrel when first released - literally unplayable. AGEOD in effect recalled it and hammered on it and hammered on it until they transformed it into the best WWI game I've encountered (haven't tried 'To End All Wars' yet). If they can do that with such a brute I have no doubt that can rescue this lost pup. And when they do I want to have my playbook all tuned up and ready to go.

For that reason, too, I'd recommend buying direct from AGEOD. The business ethics they display deserve to be rewarded by whatever margin boost that would provide.

[basilhare]

If you've been tracking posts about bugs, basil, you'll probably have encountered some of mine. I can't speak of play with the 1.04 beta but I can speak passionately of the game in 1.03e - in the Grand Campaign scenario at least it'll make you pull your hair out. So here I am, bald but still playing.

I think what you get with AoD at the moment is a bucket-full of potential that's being poured down a funnel narrowed by design issues and development problems. What comes out is some really classy stuff, but it chokes and sputters so much that you rarely get to fully enjoy all that's in there. The reasons I'm still playing it are several. First, it's because the design concept is thoroughly intriguing and addresses key aspects of the period with a degree of sophistication I haven't found in any competing product. Second, it's because there is a group of afficionados here who go out of their way to try to help me deal with the problems the sytem throws up. Thirdly, it's because of La Grande Guerre.

That game was an absolute mongrel when first released - literally unplayable. AGEOD in effect recalled it and hammered on it and hammered on it until they transformed it into the best WWI game I've encountered (haven't tried 'To End All Wars' yet). If they can do that with such a brute I have no doubt that can rescue this lost pup. And when they do I want to have my playbook all tuned up and ready to go.

For that reason, too, I'd recommend buying direct from AGEOD. The business ethics they display deserve to be rewarded by whatever margin boost that would provide.

Thanks...I did exactly that and am keen to give it a try...Im sure I will have lots of questions....!

[Peever]

One thing about the game that took me a long time to grasp was that this is not a "war" game and to take your time compared to games like Civil War 2. Having played just about all the AGEOD games I did struggle at first with PoN because of the scope. Don't rush too early and try and conquer the world in this game because that's not what it is about. This game is great but does have a lot of rough edges. I would suggest buying the "Scramble for Africa" DLC and playing through that when starting out. The countries are much more developed and the world is ripe for colonization, wars, and industrialization than the standard 1850 campaign. I found it to be easier to "get" how the game works that way and then going back to start an 1850 campaign.

[basilhare]

One thing about the game that took me a long time to grasp was that this is not a "war" game and to take your time compared to games like Civil War 2. Having played just about all the AGEOD games I did struggle at first with PoN because of the scope. Don't rush too early and try and conquer the world in this game because that's not what it is about. This game is great but does have a lot of rough edges. I would suggest buying the "Scramble for Africa" DLC and playing through that when starting out. The countries are much more developed and the world is ripe for colonization, wars, and industrialization than the standard 1850 campaign. I found it to be easier to "get" how the game works that way and then going back to start an 1850 campaign.

Agreed...you are spot on when you say its not really a wargame...that's just one facet of the game...I jumped into the 1850 campaign as Prussia and am enjoying it, but the learning curve is steep...I have played quite a few grande strategy games over the past 35 years, so some (but not all) of the concepts are familiar to me....I am playing very slowly and looking up things in the manual as I go...learning on the job if you will...its a fascinating game but not for the feint of heart!