Feel of AJE/BOR

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Feel of AJE/BOR - 11/15/2014 3:36:37 PM

Drambuie

Posts: 80
Joined: 8/18/2004
Status: offline

Hi

I was thinking of getting these games - or one of them (any recommendations which?)

Being a fairly keen Roman historian, my curiosity was how much do they feel like an ancient world, rather than another version of the AGEOD engine slotted in to another time?

I'be played BoA, and ACW and like them - but are these games more of the same or do they feel distinct?

Hope that makes sense

Cheers

Post #: 1

RE: Feel of AJE/BOR - 11/17/2014 3:27:50 PM

loki100

Posts: 10920
Joined: 10/20/2012
From: Utlima Thule
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Drambuie

Hi

I was thinking of getting these games - or one of them (any recommendations which?)

Being a fairly keen Roman historian, my curiosity was how much do they feel like an ancient world, rather than another version of the AGEOD engine slotted in to another time?

I'be played BoA, and ACW and like them - but are these games more of the same or do they feel distinct?

Hope that makes sense

Cheers

Hi

Yes, there is a very real feel to the period, the core mechanics are standard AGEOD but the games feel realistic. Supply is a real struggle outside a few rich areas, sieges for the non-Roman factions are slow, you have to group your armies together so there is a lot of feints, roads are incredible important as is sea transport. Add on lots of flavour events and decisions, plus combat is really about shock not fire (unlike their 18+19 Cent games).

There is a lot of the feel of BoA/WiA at the operational level. The same view that the terrain very much constricts where regular armies can operate but that light troops and irregulars can be incredibly hard to pin down.

Of the two, the original AJE scenarios see more/nearly all the map in play - especially the 4 Emperors and Severus scenarios. Those in BoR are basically Italy, plus some of Spain and N Africa. The Republican civil wars in AJE are perhaps a good compromise at the start as less to stay aware of.

For me, apart from Pyrrhus, the BoR scenarios are not that much fun. Those in AJE I've played most of the scenarios, swapped factions and some PBEM. Of the later expansions, the Parthian ones add in the East and a set of different scenarios, not least the different strengths and weaknesses of the two armies. Hannibal is more dynamic than the first Punic War scenarios in BoR.

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