The dominions thread and other PBEMs got me thinking of Empires in Arms.
It takes a grognard to appreciate this classic monster game but we may have one or two here. The version linked to here is really pricey for what it is so make sure it’s really what you’re looking for. But I am posting this on the chance that we may have seven people willing to take a look at the possibility of getting a game going here.
For people unfamiliar, I am also posting the boardgamegeek link if you would like to know more about the original Avalon Hill game.
Whoa, that’s an actual thing? How is it that I didn’t know about that? An adaptation of a grand strategy boardgame from back in 2007? Surely it’s awful and it just falls apart completely after a few turns, right?
With this program I know there were some network and other stability issues. There have been some major patches done including changing the diplomacy UI and such. I have never played this online so as too the success of those sessions, I cannot say. I have participated in a face to face game where we would meet every week and play for a couple of hours and your comment about the game falling apart after a couple of turns could easily apply to the board game as well ;)
It is hard to guage how succesfull online games do. It’s a PC port of an already niche game. There are some die hards I am sure out there making a good go of it and the reason I post is that some might be on QT3. I certainly wouldn’t push this on to a run of the mill pc strategy gamer. It would totally be lost on them and quite frankly not worth it. The game was pretty obvoiusly targeted at people like me who have experinces playing face to face and will get the added nostalgia value out of it as well.
Tom Mc
Side bar: The developers are also trying to get another classic ‘monster’ game out, World-in-Flames but I do not think that exist in a finished form yet nor do I know the likelihood of it reaching that state. Here is the link to the matrix page.
2007? I don’t want to whip out my grognard cred, but we were playing the original board game from ADG back in 1985 or so. I think I still have my boxed copy around here somewhere!
I was involved in a PBEM game back when this was first released, but it fell apart pretty quickly. I haven’t looked at the Matrix version in years, but would be willing to reinstall/relearn it for the sake of a game here.
It’s been years since I last played this. I bought the 2007 version, and even forced my friends to do the same. But our game fell apart quickly.
I too, would be interested if something would start here. I’ve played the boardgame several times, and still consider it one of the best boardgames I’ve played. I have many memorable moments from EiA sessions.
EiA is the kind of game where it takes a very dedicated group to survive past the first 2-3 years in game-time. I’ve played a number of games face to face, and a single PBeM, and they all invariable fall apart after that amount of time.
First, because it is a slow game that takes a lot of time (132 multi-phase turns, as I recall). Secondly, because it is not really a very good competitive game. It is incredibly entertaining as a game experience (i.e., generates good stories), but the likelihood of keeping seven players all equally interested in a year-long game where it soon becomes apparent that only two or three have a realistic chance of winning is minimal. EiA for PC is a very niche title. Strangely, I haven’t noticed the PBeM scene (which exists) really picking this up, which has always left me a little bit dubious about the product.
Correct. It’s not very good. It isn’t even a proper port of the board game as it incorporates a ton of quite controversial fan made changes. The guy who did all the work (and kudos to him for making it this far!) creating it had never played the board game before starting on the project.
As a longstanding EiA fans, my now far-flung group took several stabs at pbem, never making it past 6 turns before serious problems set in. The pbem system itself is very clunky and not well streamlined (though pbem EiA is hard to streamline in general).
It would be easier to simply play via vassal using some of the pbem rules already out there quite frankly. Then at least you have control over optional rules and can actually play the original game rule set.
Edit: as terrible as it is if someone here wanted to get a game going, I would play. When I have some time later I’ll link to the classic counter set I made for the PC version, and my vassal mod also. I am a crazy EiA fanboy ;)
I then went about making a VASSAL mod (as I was disappointed with the quality of the existing ones). It is mostly complete and I think in a playable state:
EiA is a game that has inspired my game design quite a lot. I bought the original boardgame in the mid 90’s, and the boardgame which upon EU was created pays heavy homage to Empires in Arms.
March of the Eagles was one of the things floating around in my head while I was thinking of this. Since I am a big fan of CDGs (Card Driven Games) a good port of Napoleonic Wars would be pretty awsome too. On that tangent I would thing more CDGs should make the jump to PC if Hex and Counter can do it so can they.
After consideration for the amount of time I would be willing to devote to playing, one to two hours a week, Vassal is probably the best option to move through turn order efficiently. The PBEM over many turn segments probably means never finishing. With some coordinated live play on Vassal there may be a prayer of moving through a game in a way that can at least be seen as having an end. With 132 turns if one or two were done a week it is at least approachable, most likely the game will be called long before that end a couple years down the line. The alternative of increasing the length by just doing a segment of a turn makes the game stretch out beyond the madness of playing a monster in the first place.
That being said Vassal doesn’t frighten me and it is alot cheaper (free) compared to the matrix version. I would be up for giving it a shot. If we are considering Vassal I just ordered GMTs Napoleonic Wars and that game can apparently be wrapped up in 2-3 face to face hours. Anyone have experince with that one?
2-3 hours for the TNW is veery optimistic; it is not a game I’d sit down to with less than 5 hours on the clock, and I still wouldn’t expect to finish. True, the game can conceivably end on Turn 2, but that is not the norm.
The only Napoleonic strategy game dealing with the entire war that I know of that reliably comes in on 3 hours is “Age of Napoleon” - and its a 2-player.
I’ve been looking for the author and would like to know if you made it with a vector-drawn based program. I’d like to re-covert it to .gif at a higher resolution and also modify it for fan made scenarios set in alternate periods.
I can’t figure out if this forum has no DM options or if they just don’t work for me. Pls contact me with your contact information if you can.
PS: There’s a small mistake on the map: The river between Freiburg and Zurich should extend a little more to the east. ;-)
Hey, welcome. I can’t speak for this seven year old thread, but you may be interested in the map@Juan_Raigada made for our aborted game of EiA that petered out…over a year ago, now. Wow. Time flies.
I made it with photoshop. Unfortunately I lost the original files awhile ago (I had an enormous psd with all the elements on different layers) and all I have now is the flattened image.
