Dear all,
I hereby copy the review of Empires at War from Suspence & Decision Magazine, along with some screenshots and the preview video. Feel free to use this thread for any questions you might have about the game, or contact us directly at support@eaw1805.com
Happy Campaigning![Smile Smile](https://forums.playbymail.dev/images/smilies/smile.png)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Gamer,
Do you remember your first board-game? Did you spend the whole night to read the rule booklet? What about next day’s rush to gather your friends!? And the first time you rolled a die? Gee, I wish I was luckier! I’m sure the excitement is still the same every time you lay your “fate” at the hands of lady Luck! Do you recall the confidence when you first shouted “check-mate”? What a marvelous strategic game chess is! I always wished for more pawns, more knights and more opposing queens either to beat or plea for help!
Some moments of our life; some unforgettable milestones of our gaming experience! Dear NON-Gamer, Do you feel curious about the previously mentioned experiences? Are you wondering whether or not the feeling is still strong? Well, lucky all! Oplon Games made the surprise, offering us a unique war-game made straight from the magic dust of our imagination. Empires at War is a strategy game that replicates in a fascinating way the historical period of the 1800s. Various scenarios cover the period from the French Revolutionary Wars, to the battle of the 3 Empires at Austerlitz, and furthermore, combining politics, economy and of course strategy from the top to the lowest tactical level.
It offers full control of one out of 17 historical states as appeared that time in Europe and around the Mediterranean Sea. The player is completely responsible for political interaction with the rest of the 16 players, having options like forming and breaking alliances, declaring war and issuing for peace. At the same time, an in-game communication platform enables direct interaction between players, enriching the political agenda with trust building, information exchange, intrigue, treachery, backstabbing and all those “sophisticated” manners that people develop when fighting each other. After all, “War is the continuation of politics by other means “(Carl von Clausewitz).
Players have to raise and maintain armies and fleets that will ensure the implementation of agreed and well scheduled plans. Sooner or later a campaign will be on the verge, either defending motherland or fighting for “vital” space. But “The sinews of war are infinite money” (Marcus Tullius Cicero), therefore before muskets shoot and ships set sails, the development of a sustainable economy is more than necessary.
From the never-ending Ukrainian steppes till the deepest mines in Africa; from humble wheat and wool till rare diamonds and expensive gold, 12 different commercial goods are available to be exploited in 3 different Continents. A well balanced trading system based on overall supply and demand guarantees that trade is indeed worth fighting for!
Each state has its own military tradition, and this applies to its recruiting pool. A large amount of different military units are ready to offer their services, forming numerous armies and mighty fleets. From the French Old Guard to the ferocious Russian Cossacks and the fearless Egyptian Mameluks, every single unit has its own attributes and adds significant characteristics to the whole army.
In the field of the battle the fate of two or more armies are absolutely at the hands of their leaders. Like pawns in a huge chess-board, Battalions, Regiments, Brigades and Generals are absolutely at the hands of their commanders. They will follow orders, aim targets and move in paths that lead to glory or to annihilation. The field Battle is the quintessence of EaW. Literally a game-in-game, with its own rules and philosophy, offers players a unique opportunity to claim wins based more on tactics and mind rather than luck and algorithms. And in contrary with all respected Bonaparte, in the Field Battle, ranks, experience and unit characteristics do make the difference! “When soldiers have been baptized in the fire of a battle-field, they have all one rank in my eyes” (Napoleon Bonaparte).
Without fancy graphs and peculiar animation, EaW is created to reveal “beautiful minds” rather than beautiful images. Like any other strategy game it creates a competitive environment, where player cooperation and interaction is greatly needed; but its structure and its mechanics restrict the abuse of power to the minimum. Thefeeling is more like playing with friends rather than fighting against numerous unknown strangers who stay sleepless waiting the perfect time to launch attacks at your villages”. It is a turn - based game which offers the necessary time to plan, discuss, communicate, deepen into its culture, and finally take the best decision without the haste of an online real-time competition. In any case EaW is indeed a cultured game; historical background, well known personalities, actual existing countries and armies are offering the game the necessary status to be included amongst “toys for big boys”.
Of course all interested have to face a significant amount of complexity, not much in user interface and rules understanding, but to assimilate and apply all the given information to their game play. Decisions like what unit to raise and how much of it; when to do so; declare war or stay allied, support a weak state against a Major Power or facilitate its plans; plan large scale campaigns taking into consideration the season and the distance you have to establish a supply line; sell or buy goods; build production sites or increase population; impose high taxation or offer colonial goods to your people; such dilemmas are only some of what you are expected to do! As an epilogue, I’d like to add that I really love the feeling and the atmosphere of that historical period. I also like the interaction and the competition with other players through gaming.
But most of all I enjoy the fact that this game allows everyone to think, re-think, take her/his time to travel back to that era, and finally submit orders under a spectrum of realism and nostalgia, hopefully on time!
Dimitris Stayrakis
EaW Beta Tester
4 game screenshots attached
Preview Video:
I hereby copy the review of Empires at War from Suspence & Decision Magazine, along with some screenshots and the preview video. Feel free to use this thread for any questions you might have about the game, or contact us directly at support@eaw1805.com
Happy Campaigning
![Smile Smile](https://forums.playbymail.dev/images/smilies/smile.png)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Gamer,
Do you remember your first board-game? Did you spend the whole night to read the rule booklet? What about next day’s rush to gather your friends!? And the first time you rolled a die? Gee, I wish I was luckier! I’m sure the excitement is still the same every time you lay your “fate” at the hands of lady Luck! Do you recall the confidence when you first shouted “check-mate”? What a marvelous strategic game chess is! I always wished for more pawns, more knights and more opposing queens either to beat or plea for help!
Some moments of our life; some unforgettable milestones of our gaming experience! Dear NON-Gamer, Do you feel curious about the previously mentioned experiences? Are you wondering whether or not the feeling is still strong? Well, lucky all! Oplon Games made the surprise, offering us a unique war-game made straight from the magic dust of our imagination. Empires at War is a strategy game that replicates in a fascinating way the historical period of the 1800s. Various scenarios cover the period from the French Revolutionary Wars, to the battle of the 3 Empires at Austerlitz, and furthermore, combining politics, economy and of course strategy from the top to the lowest tactical level.
It offers full control of one out of 17 historical states as appeared that time in Europe and around the Mediterranean Sea. The player is completely responsible for political interaction with the rest of the 16 players, having options like forming and breaking alliances, declaring war and issuing for peace. At the same time, an in-game communication platform enables direct interaction between players, enriching the political agenda with trust building, information exchange, intrigue, treachery, backstabbing and all those “sophisticated” manners that people develop when fighting each other. After all, “War is the continuation of politics by other means “(Carl von Clausewitz).
Players have to raise and maintain armies and fleets that will ensure the implementation of agreed and well scheduled plans. Sooner or later a campaign will be on the verge, either defending motherland or fighting for “vital” space. But “The sinews of war are infinite money” (Marcus Tullius Cicero), therefore before muskets shoot and ships set sails, the development of a sustainable economy is more than necessary.
From the never-ending Ukrainian steppes till the deepest mines in Africa; from humble wheat and wool till rare diamonds and expensive gold, 12 different commercial goods are available to be exploited in 3 different Continents. A well balanced trading system based on overall supply and demand guarantees that trade is indeed worth fighting for!
Each state has its own military tradition, and this applies to its recruiting pool. A large amount of different military units are ready to offer their services, forming numerous armies and mighty fleets. From the French Old Guard to the ferocious Russian Cossacks and the fearless Egyptian Mameluks, every single unit has its own attributes and adds significant characteristics to the whole army.
In the field of the battle the fate of two or more armies are absolutely at the hands of their leaders. Like pawns in a huge chess-board, Battalions, Regiments, Brigades and Generals are absolutely at the hands of their commanders. They will follow orders, aim targets and move in paths that lead to glory or to annihilation. The field Battle is the quintessence of EaW. Literally a game-in-game, with its own rules and philosophy, offers players a unique opportunity to claim wins based more on tactics and mind rather than luck and algorithms. And in contrary with all respected Bonaparte, in the Field Battle, ranks, experience and unit characteristics do make the difference! “When soldiers have been baptized in the fire of a battle-field, they have all one rank in my eyes” (Napoleon Bonaparte).
Without fancy graphs and peculiar animation, EaW is created to reveal “beautiful minds” rather than beautiful images. Like any other strategy game it creates a competitive environment, where player cooperation and interaction is greatly needed; but its structure and its mechanics restrict the abuse of power to the minimum. Thefeeling is more like playing with friends rather than fighting against numerous unknown strangers who stay sleepless waiting the perfect time to launch attacks at your villages”. It is a turn - based game which offers the necessary time to plan, discuss, communicate, deepen into its culture, and finally take the best decision without the haste of an online real-time competition. In any case EaW is indeed a cultured game; historical background, well known personalities, actual existing countries and armies are offering the game the necessary status to be included amongst “toys for big boys”.
Of course all interested have to face a significant amount of complexity, not much in user interface and rules understanding, but to assimilate and apply all the given information to their game play. Decisions like what unit to raise and how much of it; when to do so; declare war or stay allied, support a weak state against a Major Power or facilitate its plans; plan large scale campaigns taking into consideration the season and the distance you have to establish a supply line; sell or buy goods; build production sites or increase population; impose high taxation or offer colonial goods to your people; such dilemmas are only some of what you are expected to do! As an epilogue, I’d like to add that I really love the feeling and the atmosphere of that historical period. I also like the interaction and the competition with other players through gaming.
But most of all I enjoy the fact that this game allows everyone to think, re-think, take her/his time to travel back to that era, and finally submit orders under a spectrum of realism and nostalgia, hopefully on time!
Dimitris Stayrakis
EaW Beta Tester
4 game screenshots attached
Preview Video: