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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> Empires in Arms the Napoleonic Wars of 1805 - 1815 >> RE: The Manual

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RE: The Manual - 12/14/2007 4:35:50 PM

tgb

Posts: 766
Joined: 7/8/2005
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cheesehead

Is it possible to download the board game rules? I looked on the a-d-g website and saw downloadable rules for WiF, but not for EiA?? Would it help to understand the board game before you tackle the computer version? I haven't purchased the game yet as I'm too busy playing WiF. I will buy it eventually, but as I've never played the board game I would like to know that I can learn the computer version without too much frustration.

Thanks

John

You can find them with a little help from Google, but without the boardgame in front of you they are very confusing. I tried reading them a couple of weeks ago, and they only made my head hurt.

Buy the game and play it a couple of times with the manual open in front of you. Come here with any WTF? questions, and within a week you should have it down, pretty much.

I think the learning curve for EiA is blown way out of proportion, compared to, say, some of the Paradox games (Vicky, HoI).

(in reply to Cheesehead)

Post #: 31

RE: The Manual - 12/14/2007 5:58:38 PM

Jimmer

Posts: 1968
Joined: 12/5/2007
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Murat

Do NOT do it like that guy. the whole tutorial ends because he made like 10 playing errors during it and lost the game.

How does one make a video like that? What kind of equipment is needed?

The reason I ask is because I am willing to do the same, and I won't quit simply because I played poorly. In fact, in a tutorial, that's the whole idea: Show how things work. I've always understood that the best way to learn is to try (and fail), and then try again.

(in reply to Murat)

Post #: 32

RE: The Manual - 12/14/2007 5:58:47 PM

Cheesehead

Posts: 418
Joined: 2/9/2004
From: Appleton, Wisconsin
Status: offline

OK, I managed to figure out HoI without too much trouble, so that is encouraging. Thank you.

John

_____________________________

You can't fight in here...this is the war room!

(in reply to tgb)

Post #: 33

RE: The Manual - 12/14/2007 6:45:04 PM

GShock

Posts: 1245
Joined: 12/9/2007
From: San Francisco, CA - USA
Status: offline

I used to play EiA in another life, years and years ago...forgot the rules. Bought this game, and the manual aye...ehm...i'm pretty lost. :)

I second the Wiki page. Best method to put the community at work on the manual and uses no Dev-resources leaving them free to patch the game and get us new goodies. :)

(in reply to Cheesehead)

Post #: 34

RE: The Manual - 12/14/2007 8:20:26 PM

twb3

Posts: 2
Joined: 12/7/2007
Status: offline

Try this link for the EinA boargame rules: http://eia.xnetz.com/

(in reply to Cheesehead)

Post #: 35

RE: The Manual - 12/14/2007 8:41:46 PM

Frank McNally

Posts: 42
Joined: 8/29/2003
Status: offline

Why not allow for the manual to the computer game to be a free download? Unlike to board game rules a pc game manual is practically worthless without the game.

(in reply to Cheesehead)

Post #: 36

RE: The Manual - 12/14/2007 9:37:46 PM

tgb

Posts: 766
Joined: 7/8/2005
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Frank McNally

Why not allow for the manual to the computer game to be a free download? Unlike to board game rules a pc game manual is practically worthless without the game.

Because unlike a board game, it is relatively easy to get a computer game without paying for it.

(in reply to Frank McNally)

Post #: 37

RE: The Manual - 12/15/2007 4:55:22 AM

Grognot

Posts: 409
Joined: 12/7/2007
Status: offline

There's a lot for the boardgame version at http://eia.xnetz.com/ and EiH stuff at http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/eih/ .

But yes, until you've played for a while from different angles (like playing the Turks with their feudal corps; or defending Russia against a Pr-Au-Tu assault -- seen this happen in EiA, doomed by winter, distances, and a Fr player who wasn't sufficiently distracted by UK or Spain; attempting to invade Russia (good for learning about foraging and supply chains...); or playing Austria and desperately looking for friends) it can take a while.

EiANW, while its user interface is frequently non-intuitive, at least simplifies certain things like doing math and bookkeeping for you, and preventing outright rules violations (modulo bugs), so you're unlikely to learn to play incorrectly.

I think the 1812 Campaign would have made an interesting tutorial -- mano-a-mano, so a bit simpler, but large enough to teach about supply rules, winter, and the strategic decision of whether and when to actually offer battle.

(in reply to tgb)

Post #: 38

RE: The Manual - 12/15/2007 12:11:55 PM

GShock

Posts: 1245
Joined: 12/9/2007
From: San Francisco, CA - USA
Status: offline

Actually cheese, as the game manual prompts at the very beginning, it was impossible to make everyone happy and the game manages some things slightly differently from how they are managed in the boardgame, of course. Now i guess the real deal would be to build a good manual, possibly in wiki with the help of us all, especially the boardgame of EiA gurus so that any adaptation can be tackled by both the community and the Dev(s). This manual must be the game manual, Matrix has all interest in selling this game to everyone not just the EiA players. Since the game has just come out there's plenty of time for everyone to learn, and wiki is particularly useful when you need to "patch".

Wiki can be "patched" in a moment, while PDF needs a lil bit more work.

(in reply to Cheesehead)

Post #: 39

RE: The Manual - 1/2/2008 2:25:06 PM

rossmck

Posts: 1
Joined: 7/6/2006
Status: offline

Having been an 'expert' at the board game for many years, I find the interface a little difficult to quickly pick up in comparison to many other computer games. I am really happy with it finally being here especially after the entire crew of us have been watching this forum for 2 years waiting for it to come out, but I am hoping we can do better not at a EIA manual, but more of the computer interface manual.

More a 'How to do .... ' guide, especially for all of us who know what they want to do, just not where to click to do it.

Ross.

(in reply to GShock)

Post #: 40

RE: The Manual - 1/2/2008 3:27:44 PM

Alex777

Posts: 92
Joined: 7/3/2005
Status: offline

The EiA board game rules are posted on BoardGameGeek.

(in reply to Cheesehead)

Post #: 41

RE: The Manual - 1/2/2008 10:57:57 PM

GZEPKA

Posts: 20
Joined: 9/6/2004
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quote:

ORIGINAL: Grognot

Heh. If memory serves, the AH version of EiA received a 9 on AH's 10-point complexity scale (with the 10'ers including 'The Longest Day', which is apparently a multi-board game dealing with the Allied invasion of Normandy, and 'Flat Top', which is a Pacific carrier-war game). It's a complicated game.

The Longest Day was a much easier game to play, but it was a real "Monster Game" in size and number of counters. Flat Top also was a simpler game to understand though it had detailed combat resolutions and many enhanced way to play. The EIA boardgames is a monster game with multilevel strategy and it also requires good diplomacy skills. Generally, the first thing that were out was the rule book (this was before PDF copies etc.) The rule book while id did not have that many pages it was in very small print. (Oh, for the days when I could read that with out glasses). I really like PDF and big display panels.

Greg

(in reply to Grognot)

Post #: 42