Haven't seen anyone post about the AGEOD games, and I'm wondering if anyone on Civfanatics has played them. While they have been acquired by Paradox Interactive, their series of games have retained a distinctive style separate from the Clauswitz-based Paradox games (EU3, Vic2, HoI3, CKII, etc.).
For those uninitiated, the AGEOD games usually focus on one major conflict, such as the American Civil War or the Seven Years War. The engine is a simultaneous-turn-based model; both sides issue orders, usually over a 1 or 2 week period, and then the orders are executed simultaneously. Play is on the grand-to-small strategy level, but excludes direct tactical combat. Instead, players must marshal their nation's (or nations') resources, organize their troops, send them into theatre, etc. However, your generals actually fight the battles and you receive a summary of the action after it happens. So, deciding who will lead what force, designing your forces well, and positioning your troops to get an advantage is the key in deciding conflicts.
I have fooled around with the American Civil War game and right now I'm playing Rise of Prussia, on the Seven Years War. I am on my second serious try (third or fourth if we count learning experiences) with Austria in the 1756 grand campaign. Here's a brief synopsis of my experience so far (I realize AARs without pictures suck, so I'm trying to keep it at a minimum):
As a Friedrich player (board game) as well as a avid reader, I came in with some familiarity with the strategic situation. However, the experience with the abstracted rules of the board game did not translate well to the AGEOD engine. What has amazed me about the game so far is the aggressiveness of the Prussian AI and the effective modeling of the Austrian difficulties (scattered troops, poor top-level leadership, praying for winter to come and stop the pounding). I was floored when I saw the Prussian-Hannoverian force approaching the Swedish garrisons--this is something I never would have expected from the board game, but I suppose it is an aggressive, Prussian-like option. We are getting into the summer of 1757, so the Russians should activate soon, and I'll be able to campaign more with the French. Hopefully, this will take some of the pressure off Austria. And I suspect I stopped a turn too soon last night--I am outnumbered and likely out-generaled in Bohemia, it's only a matter of time before Friedrich closes the trap and deals some damage to Charles of Lorraine's forces. Reinforcements are en route to Prag, but they will probably be too late.
EDIT: So, does anyone else play these? Have any strategies to share?
For those uninitiated, the AGEOD games usually focus on one major conflict, such as the American Civil War or the Seven Years War. The engine is a simultaneous-turn-based model; both sides issue orders, usually over a 1 or 2 week period, and then the orders are executed simultaneously. Play is on the grand-to-small strategy level, but excludes direct tactical combat. Instead, players must marshal their nation's (or nations') resources, organize their troops, send them into theatre, etc. However, your generals actually fight the battles and you receive a summary of the action after it happens. So, deciding who will lead what force, designing your forces well, and positioning your troops to get an advantage is the key in deciding conflicts.
I have fooled around with the American Civil War game and right now I'm playing Rise of Prussia, on the Seven Years War. I am on my second serious try (third or fourth if we count learning experiences) with Austria in the 1756 grand campaign. Here's a brief synopsis of my experience so far (I realize AARs without pictures suck, so I'm trying to keep it at a minimum):
- 1st Try: I sent the main Austrian army under Browne as fast as possible to save the Saxon army. The Prussians, instead of waiting for a surrender, assaulted Pirna and either killed or captured the entire Saxon army of about 27,000. King Friedrich II then led his forces south to fight me at Dippoldswalde (sp?), where I lost roughly 8,500 men to Prussia's 3,000. He pursued my retreating forces to Lobositz, inflicting another two brutal defeats on my troops, and then crossed the river to besiege Prag. Total losses on the Austrian side: 27,000 Saxons, roughly 24,000 Austrians. Prussia has only lost about 10,500 men and will capture Prag in a turn. Prussia's morale is over 200, mine is around 70. It's early November and no snow is on the ground in Bohemia, so Friedrich will be able to take the city and winter there. Cue a restart.
- 2nd Try: This time, I don't run up to support the Saxons and instead fortify along the rivers northwest of Prag, recruiting as many extra battalions as I can. The Saxons surrender after two months (Prussia doesn't assault this time), then start moving south to attack Prag. We fight a battle at Lobositz and another across the river from Prag, but I manage to hold losses to around 10,000 casualties on each side. A quick attack on Koeniggratz (sp?) by the Prussians is forced off by Piccolomini's column. My army moves to Prag for the winter, and although Wilhelm attempts to siege the city, winter comes in November, and a quick counterattack in December leaves his troops shattered. I re-arrange my forces, move up reinforcements, Browne dies, and the 1757 campaigning season starts up in late February/early March. Charles of Lorraine marches out of Prag with 50,000 men, meets Friedrich with around 80,000 and somehow manages to avoid a serious fight (casualties are around 1,500 on each side). Leopold von Daun marches towards Silesia with about 30,000 men and has Glatz, I think, under siege. Fortunately, the French are activated, and I have taken Wesel and moved Chevert's column towards Hesse-Kassel. Russia enters the war, but her army hasn't appeared yet. Sweden also enters, but much to my surprise roughly 20,000 Prussians and Hannoverians rush against Stralsund before the Swedish troops can even move. Rostock and Wismar are already lost causes. Currently, I'm down around 12,000 men (39,000 including the Saxons), Prussia has lost around 16,000, although part of that is because of their failed November siege and my counterattack.
As a Friedrich player (board game) as well as a avid reader, I came in with some familiarity with the strategic situation. However, the experience with the abstracted rules of the board game did not translate well to the AGEOD engine. What has amazed me about the game so far is the aggressiveness of the Prussian AI and the effective modeling of the Austrian difficulties (scattered troops, poor top-level leadership, praying for winter to come and stop the pounding). I was floored when I saw the Prussian-Hannoverian force approaching the Swedish garrisons--this is something I never would have expected from the board game, but I suppose it is an aggressive, Prussian-like option. We are getting into the summer of 1757, so the Russians should activate soon, and I'll be able to campaign more with the French. Hopefully, this will take some of the pressure off Austria. And I suspect I stopped a turn too soon last night--I am outnumbered and likely out-generaled in Bohemia, it's only a matter of time before Friedrich closes the trap and deals some damage to Charles of Lorraine's forces. Reinforcements are en route to Prag, but they will probably be too late.
EDIT: So, does anyone else play these? Have any strategies to share?
The turn times in ACW and RoP are around a minute of processing and then stuff happens over a couple minutes (the battles are nerve-wracking to watch, especially when you get notes that the enemy is maneuvering around your forces, your reserves are committed and are locked in battle, etc.). The caveat is that I have a pretty old computer where games like Civ4 and EU3 even lag, so I assume other people will get better performance.
