Ageod's American Civil War PC Game

[Buccaneer]

DaddyTorgo was kind enough to bring to our attention, a soon-to-be-released American Civil War game from the makers of Birth of America.

http://www.a-acw.com/

What I did not realize about Ageod is that Phillipe Thibaut is there, one of the original designers of Europa Universalis.

In looking at the review at wargamers.com of Birth of America, I saw this

Artificial Intelligence

Birth of America provides four settings for artificial intelligence. I only used the default medium setting playing though the campaigns and scenarios since the difficulty for each varied widely. The AI seemed solid, pouncing on openings, not exposing itself too easily, and attacking objectives that were necessary for its criteria to win.

For a strategy game, that is refreshing to read. And here's a link that DaddyTorgo provided to a forum post showing screenshots

http://www.ageod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2047

[Grammaticus]

This game looks awesome. When is it due?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Grammaticus

This game looks awesome. When is it due?

it's due sometime in February, March at the latest apparently according to the devs, depending on how bug-squashing goes.


I didn't know if Phillipe's name would hold any sway with you Bucc, but apparently it does in a good way

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

it's due sometime in February, March at the latest apparently according to the devs, depending on how bug-squashing goes.


I didn't know if Phillipe's name would hold any sway with you Bucc, but apparently it does in a good way

LOL, you're right. As much as I had a falling out with EU, I was glad that Ageod has some pedigree, esp. since I had not heard of them (or had forgotten about BoA).

[SFL Cat]

The reviewer at pcgames wasn't high on it. Of course, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

hxxp://pcgames.gwn.com/reviews/gamereview.php/id/991/p/0/title/Birth_of_America.html

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by SFL Cat

The reviewer at pcgames wasn't high on it. Of course, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

hxxp://pcgames.gwn.com/reviews/gamereview.php/id/991/p/0/title/Birth_of_America.html

Yeah, esp. since they got 12 yr old kids doing PC reviews online at pcgames. Definitely a huge grain of salt site.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

DaddyTorgo was kind enough to bring to our attention, a soon-to-be-released American Civil War game from the makers of Birth of America.

http://www.a-acw.com/

What I did not realize about Ageod is that Phillipe Thibaut is there, one of the original designers of Europa Universalis.

In looking at the review at wargamers.com of Birth of America, I saw this



For a strategy game, that is refreshing to read. And here's a link that DaddyTorgo provided to a forum post showing screenshots

http://www.ageod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2047

Yeah let's not forget he also was the producer of fine products like 'Pax Romana " and "Great Invasions"

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by SFL Cat

The reviewer at pcgames wasn't high on it. Of course, that isn't necessarily a bad thing.

OMG, IT HAS A LEARNING CURVE!!!!1!1!!!!

PEOPLE LOST GAMING TIME!11!!!!1!

That was a horrible review...

[Icy]

Their Birth Of America game is said to be the best wargame of 2006 in a lot of places, I have been tempted to buy a it a few times already, but now i'll wait for this civil war one as the period is more fun for me.

[Narcizo]

"There is literally tons of information available"

[Grammaticus]

Originally Posted by Icy

Their Birth Of America game is said to be the best wargame of 2006 in a lot of places, I have been tempted to buy a it a few times already, but now i'll wait for this civil war one as the period is more fun for me.

Gotta like a Spaniard who digs the American Civil War period.

[Buccaneer]

Any further news?

[DaddyTorgo]

nope. i'm checking the site 2-3x a day and nothing yet. sometime before march is still on target according to phil though

[Buccaneer]

i'm checking the site 2-3x a day

LOL. Thanks and let us know.

[DaddyTorgo]

of course.

[DaddyTorgo]

philippe just provided an update on the release over on the site..."not before late march. Before April unless something unexpected crops up in which case we could push it into early April."

so there you have it guys. We'll be waiting a little while longer it appears.

[Buccaneer]

Thanks.

I wonder if their boards are filled with internet morons who are screaming, "I WANT IT NOW" and threatening lawsuits if they don't get it right this minute?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I wonder if their boards are filled with internet morons who are screaming, "I WANT IT NOW" and threatening lawsuits if they don't get it right this minute?

Not much of that, but someone did mention that the beer tent RoXored and that Quantrill's Raiders were looking great in the pre-season.

[Drake]

Found this after following Bucc's links above:

If World War Two had been an online Real Ttime Strategy game, the chat room traffic would have gone something like this.

*Hitler[AoE] has joined the game.*
*Eisenhower has joined the game.*
*paTTon has joined the game.*
*Churchill has joined the game.*
*benny-tow has joined the game.*
*T0J0 has joined the game.*
*Roosevelt has joined the game.*
*Stalin has joined the game.*
*deGaulle has joined the game.*
Roosevelt: hey sup
T0J0: y0
Stalin: hi
Churchill: hi
Hitler[AoE]: cool, i start with panzer tanks!
paTTon: lol more like panzy tanks
T0JO: lol
Roosevelt: o this fockin sucks i got a depression!
benny-tow: haha america sux
Stalin: hey hitler you dont fight me i dont fight u, cool?
Hitler[AoE]; sure whatever
Stalin: cool
deGaulle: **** Hitler rushed some1 help
Hitler[AoE]: lol byebye frenchy
Roosevelt: i dont got **** to help, sry
Churchill: wtf the luftwaffle is attacking me
Roosevelt: get antiair guns
Churchill: i cant afford them
benny-tow: u n00bs know what team talk is?
paTTon: stfu
Roosevelt: o yah hit the navajo button guys
deGaulle: eisenhower ur worthless come help me quick
Eisenhower: i cant do **** til rosevelt gives me an army
paTTon: yah hurry the fock up
Churchill: d00d im gettin pounded
deGaulle: this is fockin weak u guys suck
*deGaulle has left the game.*
Roosevelt: im gonna attack the axis k?
benny-tow: with what? ur wheelchair?
benny-tow: lol did u mess up ur legs AND ur head?
Hitler[AoE]: ROFLMAO
T0J0: lol o no america im comin 4 u
Roosevelt: wtf! thats bullsh1t u fags im gunna kick ur asses
T0JO: not without ur harbors u wont! lol
Roosevelt: u little biotch ill get u
Hitler[AoE]: wtf
Hitler[AoE]: america hax, u had depression and now u got a huge fockin army
Hitler[AoE]: thats bullsh1t u hacker
Churchill: lol no more france for u hitler
Hitler[AoE]: tojo help me!
T0J0: wtf u want me to do, im on the other side of the world retard
Hitler[AoE]: fine ill clear you a path
Stalin: WTF u arsshoel! WE HAD A FoCKIN TRUCE
Hitler[AoE]: i changed my mind lol
benny-tow: haha
benny-tow: hey ur losing ur guys in africa im gonna need help in italy soon sum1
T0J0: o **** i cant help u i got my hands full
Hitler[AoE]: im 2 busy 2 help
Roosevelt: yah thats right ***** im comin for ya
Stalin: church help me
Churchill: like u helped me before? sure ill just sit here
Stalin: dont be an arss
Churchill: dont be a commie. oops too late
Eisenhower: LOL
benny-tow: hahahh oh sh1t help
Hitler: o man ur focked
paTTon: oh what now biotch
Roosevelt: whos the cripple now lol
*benny-tow has been eliminated.*
benny-tow: lame
Roosevelt: gj patton
paTTon: thnx
Hitler[AoE]: WTF eisenhower hax hes killing all my sh1t
Hitler[AoE]: quit u hacker so u dont ruin my record
Eisenhower: Nuts!
benny~tow: wtf that mean?
Eisenhower: meant to say nutsack lol finger slipped
paTTon: coming to get u hitler u paper hanging hun cocksocker
Stalin: rofl
T0J0: HAHAHHAA
Hitler[AoE]: u guys are fockin gay
Hitler[AoE]: ur never getting in my city
*Hitler[AoE] has been eliminated.*
benny~tow: OMG u noob you killed yourself
Eisenhower: ROFLOLOLOL
Stalin: OMG LMAO!
Hitler[AoE]: WTF i didnt click there omg this game blows
*Hitler[AoE] has left the game*
paTTon: hahahhah
T0J0: WTF my teammates are n00bs
benny~tow: shut up noob
Roosevelt: haha wut a moron
paTTon: wtf am i gunna do now?
Eisenhower: yah me too
T0J0: why dont u attack me o thats right u dont got no ships lololol
Eisenhower: fock u
paTTon: lemme go thru ur base commie
Stalin: go to hell lol
paTTon: fock this sh1t im goin afk
Eisenhower: yah this is gay
*Roosevelt has left the game.*
Hitler[AoE]: wtf?
Eisenhower: sh1t now we need some1 to join
*tru_m4n has joined the game.*
tru_m4n: hi all
T0J0: hey
Stalin: sup
Churchill: hi
tru_m4n: OMG OMG OMG i got all his stuff!
tru_m4n: NUKES! HOLY **** I GOT NUKES
Stalin: d00d gimmie some plz
tru_m4n: no way i only got like a couple
Stalin: omg dont be gay gimmie nuculer secrets
T0J0: wtf is nukes?
T0J0: holy ****holy****hoyl****!
*T0J0 has been eliminated.*
*The Allied team has won the game!*
Eisenhower: awesome!
Churchill: gg noobs no re
T0J0: thats bull**** u fockin suck
*T0J0 has left the game.*
*Eisenhower has left the game.*
Stalin: next game im not going to be on ur team, u guys didnt help me for ****
Churchill: wutever, we didnt need ur help neway dumbarss
tru_m4n: l8r all
benny~tow: bye
Churchill: l8r
Stalin: fock u all
tru_m4n: shut up commie lol
*tru_m4n has left the game.*
benny~tow: lololol u commie
Churchill: ROFL
Churchill: bye commie
*Churchill has left the game.*
*benny~tow has left the game.*
Stalin: i hate u all fags
*Stalin has left the game.*
paTTon: lol no1 is left
paTTon: weeeee i got a jeep
*paTTon has been eliminated.*
paTTon: o sh1t!
*paTTon has left the game.*

[Buccaneer]

That's awesome.

[King of New York]

That's the funniest thing I've read in a long time--I had tears rolling down my cheeks by the end.

[SFL Cat]

Brilliant!

[WSUCougar]

Perhaps my favorite exchange:

Eisenhower: Nuts!
benny~tow: wtf that mean?
Eisenhower: meant to say nutsack lol finger slipped

[DaddyTorgo]

release date is said to be "before the anniversary of the war's beginning" btw guys

oh, and the manual for the game is out. If you visit the forum there's a link to DL it in the sticky thread at the top.

[WSUCougar]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

release date is said to be "before the anniversary of the war's beginning" btw guys.

April 12th, if you're scoring at home.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by WSUCougar

April 12th, if you're scoring at home.

I was about ready to pick up Forge of Freedom and am curious how this AGEOD game will basically differ from the Forge of Freedom? And wasn't Forge of Freedom pretty good?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by WSUCougar

April 12th, if you're scoring at home.

thanks cougar. I was trying to leave that nice and vague to force people to think

[DaddyTorgo]

woot

just saw this over on the forum, from one of the AGEOD employees

AGEod's American Civil War development has been stopped.

---

... because it's 100% finished!!!!

Sorry, I could not resist this one...


We're busy testing and fixing the last details, you can expect some really good news in the next coming days...

Did we mention something about Fort Sumter?


Best regards,

Korrigan


NB: Spread the word, post on you favorite forum, tell to your grand-mother, the public has the right to know!!!!

[DaddyTorgo]

RELEASE...WE HAVE RELEASE

actually we had release like 4 hours ago, but the servers were so slammed I couldn't even get onto the website to confirm (true story)

hxxp://ageod.telechargement.fr/fiche.html?REF=648880

make sure you order the english version in your cart

[Icy]

Umm really tempting, but... afraid of possible bugs on release day. How is their usual support and bug fixing?

Btw, It's the price 39.99€ for everybody or just for Europeans?

[Galaril]

45.00 US$ is a little steep for a game from a indie like developer and with it being a download only with apdf manual that needs to be printed out. I think I will wait for a sale and/or more impressions

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Galaril

45.00 US$ is a little steep for a game from a indie like developer and with it being a download only with apdf manual that needs to be printed out. I think I will wait for a sale and/or more impressions

well I purchased so when I dig into it (likely this weeknd) i'll have more impressions n such

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Icy

Umm really tempting, but... afraid of possible bugs on release day. How is their usual support and bug fixing?

Btw, It's the price 39.99€ for everybody or just for Europeans?

from what I read on the boards it's good. And it's a stable platform (2nd game on this platform) so any platform-related bugs are likely to be already squashed/minimal. I've seen a couple grammatical oddities, but being as you're Icy, that likely won't bother you (not being a native english speaker I mean).

[flounder]

Any word on when a demo will be available?

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by flounder

Any word on when a demo will be available?

no word yet. But like I said, i'll be digging deeper in this weekend and i'm willing to take screenshot requests or whatever

[scooter]

Originally Posted by flounder

Any word on when a demo will be available?

A couple of weeks ago Pocus (the lead developer) stated that a demo would probably be out a week or so after release. I'm keeping my eyes open for that.

[DaddyTorgo]

woot! I just captured DC in the gettysburg scenario by ignoring gettysburg and sending Stuart + Ewell to beseige the city while Lee drew off the Union Army westward and then force-marched to DC and stormed the city.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by scooter

A couple of weeks ago Pocus (the lead developer) stated that a demo would probably be out a week or so after release. I'm keeping my eyes open for that.

he stated demo wouldn"t be out for a month or so.

[Grammaticus]

Yes, a demo would be good.

[scooter]

Originally Posted by Galaril

he stated demo wouldn"t be out for a month or so.

I don't doubt you, but where did you hear your information? Mine came from here:

hxxp://www.ageod.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2970

[Icy]

I'm about to pull the trigger, but have doubts between this and Forge of freedom that is also about the ACW. What i like from what i have read from FoF is that apart from the startegic map and game features, you can choose to fight each battle in the tactical level, something like Steel Panthers (my fav wargame).

Daddytorgo, have you tried FoF? if so, how do they compare?

[Galaril]

Yeah, great question. I too am ready to buy but am wondering about FOF?

[Icy]

Originally Posted by Galaril

Yeah, great question. I too am ready to buy but am wondering about FOF?

I asked the same question in my fav Spanish games website as both games were being commented today. A forum member i trust a lot made me this comparative:

FoF is for ACW what WiTP is for the WWII. You control it all, from the big strategic details to the small weapons upgrades to your regiment, including tactic map small battles. It's complex, maybe overwhelming and had a step learning curve if you want to control it all (it has different levels of control). The AI and balance were a bit questionable in the release, it seems that the south was too strong and it could win the war easily, but there is a downloadable beta patch that corrects it (or seems to).

Ageod's ACW is more towards the strategic military side with less micromanaging and the AI looks a bit better programmed, but still too soon to say it. Also the customer support and bugs fixing from the developers looks better based on the past game (BoA) and that they have already published a patch today on the release day.

Both are awesome games, the decision factor should be more depending on the level of control you want and how "grognard" you are.

[King of New York]

I picked up AGEOD-ACW last night, and I spent the evening fiddling around with it. This game certainly has a learning curve, and I think it is going to take me several evenings of playing before I really get a handle on what is going on. Then I'll be able to make some more useful observations.

Someday I'll pick up FoF as well, but if that game's learning curve is even steeper than AGEOD-ACW, then I might be in some trouble

FWIW, AGEOD's support of BoA was outstanding, and I am confident that its support of the ACW game will be just as good.

[Buccaneer]

Thanks guys, I'm looking forward to playing this sometime later.

[Izulde]

I still would like to see another series of games like No Greater Glory, Revolution 76, etc. Those games were awesome.

[flounder]

Yeah. I'm hoping this game will be No Greater Glory without the tedious troop movement.

[DaddyTorgo]

havn't played FoF. I badly with there was a demo of FoF, because it sounds awesome, but I'm very leery of buying games sight unseen, at least until a dev has earned my trust.

i'll say this...since I bought ACW it's all I've played for games. No OOTP, no FM...just straight ACW. And I am planning to get deeper this weekend and will post further impressions as I go.

[Galaril]

Ah, some people are reporting on the developer board taking Richmond in 2-4 turns and beating the game. Hope this is just abug and not crappy AI?

[Buccaneer]

Ummm....hi. Welcome to Hollywood?