A really dumb question

Bern · Post by **Bern** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:44 am

A new boy so forgive. I've only just got this game - can't think why I delayed so long. All seems relatively easy to pick up - and enjoy. One thing I do not understand - how do I get the UK unit off Scapa Flow?

Bern

firepowerjohan · Post by **firepowerjohan** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:50 am

Bern wrote:A new boy so forgive. I've only just got this game - can't think why I delayed so long. All seems relatively easy to pick up - and enjoy. One thing I do not understand - how do I get the UK unit off Scapa Flow?

Bern

You cannot sea transport Garrison units, this to prevent very unreliatisc exploitive behaviour. Garrison is meant for protection only. I am glad you like the game

By the way, did you try the demo before deciding to get the game?

Bern · Post by **Bern** » Thu Aug 21, 2008 9:07 am

Goodness me, that is the speediest reply I've ever had about any game in any Forum. I get the point about garrison units and have now reviewed posts on the subject.

I did not get the demo. To be honest, my overwhelming interest is Napoleonics and I suppose my real motivation was to get a feel of the game engine in CEAW prior to the release of the Nappy game. Having said that, I suddenly find myself drawn in to a WW II game - cant stop playing it. It is such a refreshing change to be able to concentrate on pure strategy without the micro-management which seems to be the vogue these days.

Cant wait for Napoleon

Bern

firepowerjohan · Post by **firepowerjohan** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 12:58 am

Commander Europe at War
Commander Napoleon at War

Differ in many ways that owning one product does not exlude the other. Those who liked CEAW will most certainly enjoy CNAW and CEAW will hardly be obselete just because CNAW come out

I also think CNAW will be a bit broader catching more ppl due to better graphics & sound and also the variety of scenarios ranging from very short skirmish like scenarios with combat focus to real huge campaigns more similar to CEAW

Bern · Post by **Bern** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 10:03 am

Please stop - I am positively drooling over the prospect of the Napoleon game.

I have a long history of wargames, going back to the old SPI days. That should give you an idea of how old I am.

I've been involved in game development and alpha and beta testing - including the famous (or should that be infamous) 3rd Reich, so I believe I have an idea of what I'm talking about when I say that CEAW is a very, very good game; well conceived and superbly executed. It should be a classic.

Bern

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:00 pm

Bern wrote:Please stop - I am positively drooling over the prospect of the Napoleon game.

I have a long history of wargames, going back to the old SPI days. That should give you an idea of how old I am. I've been involved in game development and alpha and beta testing - including the famous (or should that be infamous) 3rd Reich, so I believe I have an idea of what I'm talking about when I say that CEAW is a very, very good game; well conceived and superbly executed. It should be a classic.

Bern

Hello, Bern, and welcome to the Slitherine community!

Another old SPI Grognard, eh? Hail, well met! Let's see, let's see, my first issue of SPI was Destruction of Army Group Center, I forget the number (#65 or #66 perhaps?), but it was right after Armageddon, which I was heartbroken to have missed.

Those were the days, alright. Did you see the sad news about a year ago that Redmond Simonsen had passed away?

Bern · Post by **Bern** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:48 pm

Thanks - old is spot on unfortunately.

My first issue was The American Civil War - I still have it and occasionally still play it - when I can get the grandson in the mood

I have kept all of my issues and can still recall the excitement every couple of months when the postie brought the brown envelope. You're right those were the days. Later I spent a long time computerising some of the games - it was always difficult to get an opponent - but then the real stumbling block was a lack of computer resources, plus a lack of brain to produce reasonable AI.

One of the games I particularly remember was on Frederick the Great - some of the ideas in that were just genius.

I hadn't heard about Redmond - what a shame - bet he's got a good game going in Heaven.

Bern

Redpossum · Post by **Redpossum** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 3:03 pm

Bern, Frederick the Great was a classic alright. I remember that one quite well, and I recall playing it endlessly

Do you recall SPQR? It was a solo-only game of the fall of the Roman Empire, with regional movement, and a map of the whole Med basin by province. IIRC, the turns were one year. I remember it as being horribly desperate, with barbarian invasions up the wazoo, revolting legions marching on Rome or forming an Independent Republic, Persians on your butt every 5 years, and generally a nail-biting, cliff-hanging, "OMFG WTF do I do now?" crisis every turn.

Needless to say, I loved it to pieces. I do have a weak spot for hopelessly desperate last stands.

I think I remember ACW, the game you're talking about. Didn't it have some squirrely random activation thing for the Union, and positioning your armies on hexes with certain last numbers gave you better odds of activation that certain other hexes?

Speaking of which, I have actually started to wonder about McClellan in recent years. I wonder if many of his apparent shortcomings were actually a vast reluctance to make war on his fellow Americans. If he was stalling for time, desperately hoping for a political solution, that would explain many of his hesitations, and his habit of making endless preparations but never being ready. After the war, Ulysses S. Grant was asked to evaluate McClellan as a general. He replied, "McClellan is to me one of the mysteries of the war." And let's not forget that McClellan won 45% of the popular vote in the 1864 elections, as the "Peace Party" candidate.

Bern · Post by **Bern** » Sat Aug 23, 2008 10:50 pm

I do remember. What I liked about SPI was that every so often they would come up with a really good solo game. I think another one was called Ambush and there was a completely off-the-wall one about assassinating Hitler.

One thing I cant understand is with the current sooper dooper computers, why doesn't somebody produce a computer version of some of their classics. A hex map, simple counters and use the power of the modern pcs to produce first class AI opponents. I get tired of so many of the modern games which are all about visuals and micro management and fail to focus on battle strategy. This is why I like CEAW it reminds me so much of what a war game should be.

Correct about ACW - it is still a game worth playing. I also tried SPI's monsters - Terrible Swift Sword was my favourite. It had a huge hex map of Gettysburg - had it spread out on my dining room table for months and poured over the cardboard counter positions for hours. Wife wasn't happy - we had to eat in the kitchen

Interesting point about McC. I think something of the same could be said about a number of Civil War Generals, particularly early in the war. It comes across in the books I have on the period - in a number of memoirs quite a few leaders reflect about the difficulty they had in going up against former friends and classmates.

Bern

JonnyA · Post by **JonnyA** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:17 am

The nearest thing you will find to SPQR today is the excellent Rome: Total War, with the Barbarian Invasion expansion pack. I highly recommend using the mod Darth Mod 8.1, which makes the tactical battles much better. This is the only PC game I haven't been able to beat yet - playing the Western Roman Empire and trying to keep the Goths etc at bay while your own cities and generals rebel is quite a handful.