🚀 go-pugleaf

Capt Stern (cpts...@wolfenet.com) wrote:
: In article <43k5pv$f...@news2100.microsoft.com>,
:    ric...@microsoft.com (Richard Sauer) wrote:
: >Raven (Raven) wrote:
: >
: >>I saw this game in Electronic Botique today and was wondering if
: >>anyone has it and what they think.  It was rumored that units can be
: >>configured to fight with things like swords and bows, is this the
: >>case?
: >
: >Yes, this is the case.  Lots of cool stuff has been added to the game.
: >My only complaint about the game is that's it's not Empire.  Not at
: >all.  It's no longer a world conquest game. It's a scenario based game
: >like so many others out there.  What's the point?
: >
: I am very disappointed in the game.  It's a pretty good, uncomplicated war 
: game.  This wasn't what I wanted.  I like empire... take over the world, 
: capture resources (cities) to build more units, etc.  Now it's just another 
: war game much like all the others with nothing to make it worth recommending 
: to fans of the original.


The game IS quite different from deluxe -- in short, smaller scale and NO 
PRODUCTION.  But does this make it a bad game?  Or just a mis-marketed game?

I think the game is truly excellent.  The features of it that I found
compelling (parallel turn structure, different tech levels, full-featured
editor, nice interface, and easy networkabilty) are discussed in my longer
review posted a bit ago to this newsgroup.  While some people may be
disappointed b/c of expectations about getting a better strategic level
game, they obviously 
1) didn't give the game a chance or 
2) failed to read the back of the box before they bought the thing. 

So in short: if you want an excellent tactical level game (think perfect 
general series but much better done) buy it.  If you want a strategic 
conquest / empire deluxe type game you may still like it, but it is quite 
different.  The joy of the game is playing against other humans and 
dealing with limited time and information in giving orders to your 
troops, and then watching your plans as they are carried out (and then 
your troops get butchered by unexpected artillery fire or you succeed in 
rolling up someone's flank).  THis game has much of the feel of the best 
table-top simulations, and a computer implementation makes line-of -sight 
and parallel execution of orders possible.  

So.  Go buy it.  Play it a while.  Write scenarios for people on the 
net.  Stop bitching that it isn't empire deluxe II and start critiquing 
it on its own merits.
sd