EB v.80 - First Impressions?

**Teleklos Archelaou** · 12-07-2006, 22:13

Text color cannot be adjusted from what we know. If someone figures it out, please let us know. Right before the release I lightened that Roman menu background up even more than it was before. It would have to be lightened further if you still think it's too dark.

**Imperator** · 12-07-2006, 23:03

sure the Romani GUI is harder to read, but I can still read it effortlessly- I didn't even notice until you mentioned it...

**blacksnail** · 12-07-2006, 23:08

Ack, Dave, I have a hunch. I'll test when I get home.

**PigLatin** · 12-08-2006, 00:10

First post here so hello everyone.

Anyways, on to the question. My first impression was "Oh great, now I need to change my shorts". Seriously though, thanks a bunch to the EB team for this fine mod. Every version gets better and better and you have yet to fail in exceeding any expectations I have had.

I've devised a little scoring section below to further illustrate my love:

Models/Skins - 10 - I was playing around with a custom battle just to see all the units and must say they look fantastic.

Music - 10 - WOW! I'm not sure if Morgan Casey or Nick Wylie will ever read this but they did a fantastic job. To get the full experience I threw on some headphones and jacked up the volume to 11. It's amazing how much music can add to a gaming experience, especially when it's good music.

Gameplay - 10 - The unit and building descriptions were a bit easier to understand this time around (I'm playing the Romani). I'm only a few turns into my campaign but already having a blast.

Historical accuracy - N/A - I'm no historian so I can't really make any type of educated asessment here. I can say that I read these forums often and do learn quite a bit.

Again, big thanks for delivering a top quality product, you guys rock!

**Obelics** · 12-08-2006, 01:20

well i passed almost all the evening here to try it, i can give only a superficial overview for now:

the music starts: incredible, i was so used to eb0.74 (and i really loved it with all its little defects)... well, that music add so much more... cant believe before it could be so much important, my compliments to the musicians!

then i started a pahlava campaign, i noticed some polished units card (finally) and some new units (that foot-skirmishers are really usefull at start). And well, i dont know if it is just the 1.5 engine, but the graphic in the battlemap look more bright and better in general.

fighting with the Pahlava faction with the music volume to max is a real experience, you get really excited to see at your cavalrymen riding with that music on... thanks.

the bodyguards are still the pontic/persian bodiguard, but i like them.
cant say more of this faction (my preferred) since i gave a quick look to every faction.

So talking in general it was a great wow!

i think the roman GUI is the Best, and even the nomad one (saka-rauka/sauromate)
i noticed even that the "cool" factor (spartans?) is increased, so i think this will attract more fans i suppose...

now im so fond of EB that im not a good critician, but i have only this small iussues:

1) the greek are become brown!!! (why? why???) i loved that orange, i think this faction deserve a brighter color, that orange was so "solar"... this is the point that make me disappoint.
(but i like the new ptolemaioi color)

2) where are my daha skirmish cavalry? they are changed, they are not more them anymore... RIP! you have killed them.
I loved them so much, and even that so dirty cloth they had was aimable, also the face of the guys is similar but it isn't the same (the color of the hairs is different and even the face despite similar has somethink of different), it seems like i lost a good friend...

3) why a minor faction like Armenia seems more finished than pahlava? (sorry for the Armenia friends, im a big fans of Armenia and my preferred singer of all the times is Charles Aznavour, i have a cult for him, and i love him at the same level of George Brassens), but i was a bit disappointed to see at the bodyguards of the armenia, but i think this is just due to a manpower problem.

and one last think, trying the romans i noticed the unit spelling:
SAMNITI
not
SAMNITES

now i have a catch-cold (38, im strange even with 36.5 i feel like a TIR is passed on my body), and i have not the force to go in the other room to check my latin dictionary (and my highschool latin is died in the dust), is "samniti" the right spelling? if so i can sleep in peace...

anyway if you dont answer no problem, tomorrow i will go to check that dictionary and im sure it was my mistake.
or could it be you have used the "vocative" person?

sorry if this is confused, now go to bed, and sorry if i called armenia a "minor faction" it was just cause i was disappointed for that chataphracts, and i know the armenian friends are so patrioctic (and they have all the rights to be patriottic cause they are a small isle in an sometimes hostile Ocean, and they preserved their culture for so long time)

so i dont know why i started this armenian discussion, could be cause i have currently playing the song "hier ancore" of the old Charles (could you live forever my friend)

Salut!

PS i forget the last think: I loved mush more the old description, i dont like the english ones under the originals... the old system seemed much more "hardcore", just like that old shoot-em that they dont do anymore from when they started to do this games with the save states. ok i dont want to start a discussion on the old classics shootem ups (go to bed)

**Shigawire** · 12-08-2006, 01:30

You are right, Samniti is wrong. It should be "Samnites"

**CrownOfSwords** · 12-08-2006, 01:39

Well samnites is english, Samniti could may be the plural in latin i havent touched a latin book in a few years but i believe thats correct.

**Shigawire** · 12-08-2006, 02:15

Nope, it's samnites in Latin also.
I can tell and admit that it is wrong.

So I will record those for 0.9 , also for the Lucanian infantry..

**soibean** · 12-08-2006, 02:27

I was just thinking about forced warfare like in the case of Pontos attacking Sinope and going to war with koinen hellenen (sp?) because of it being a colony or whatever
so on that train of thought, wasn't the (first?) punic war began because carthage expanded throughout sicily and threated an area under the protection of rome? Since, correct me if Im wrong, 1.5 allows for factions to be more focused on naval invasions, so carthage has little where else to go but sicily, spain, or west africa.
Could you script a war with Rome if Carthage attacks one of the towns in Sicily? I dont know which area the original feud sparked up over but I thought that'd add a nice twist. And vice versa of course.

by the way, well done on the game
tip of the cap to you all
Im not really noticing the charge bonus, as I posted elsewhere in the mod, but apart from that it's gorgeous

**khelvan** · 12-08-2006, 05:36

Originally Posted by Obelics

3) why a minor faction like Armenia seems more finished than pahlava?

Because we lost our Pahlava researcher and no one else wants to help us with them.

**BerkeleyBoi** · 12-08-2006, 05:43

I've been playing for a few hours now and I have to say that so far it's a lot of fun. The units look really nice, the economic side of the game seems pretty well balanced, and the AI in 1.5 works a little better than 1.2.

My favorite thing though has to be the traits and ancillaries. All the cool new pictures of general's retinues, all millions of different kinds of traits... it's pretty fun just reading about your characters. I'm gonna go play more and feed my addiction now, thanks EB!

**Oldgamer** · 12-08-2006, 06:11

Although I've been playing M2TW since its release, you can be sure that I will also play EB. The new version is absolutely the best mod for RTW, and the development team deserves a check from CA for what they have done.

Also, one of the most interesting things are the results of the upgrades to my computer, in preparation for M2TW. I can now play EB on the highest settings, without the slightest bit of lag. The skins, buildings, and vegetation look absolutely spectacular.

Fine job gentleladies and gents!

EDIT: The music is great. At least for now, I feel no need to add Miklos Rosza's music to the game. The Romani have a wonderful feel of being "imperial" and "Roman".

**Birka Viking** · 12-08-2006, 08:56

I have played a bit on a sweboz campagne and I have just started a Lusotannan also... and I must say that it has been realy good experienses both the campagnes..

This modd is simply the best!!!!!!!!!!..

Its only one thing that have concerd me realy much...Its that u make to much money to quick from the mines.Maby instead of making 3000 per turn u should make only around 1000 to slow things down and also a much longer build time on mines should also help much..I hope u can fix this to the next version so its realy become a big challenge...

I cant thank u enough for this awsome new game....I bow for u all EB gods...

**Aymar de Bois Mauri** · 12-08-2006, 16:26

Originally Posted by Birka Viking

Its only one thing that have concerd me realy much...Its that u make to much money to quick from the mines.Maby instead of making 3000 per turn u should make only around 1000 to slow things down and also a much longer build time on mines should also help much..I hope u can fix this to the next version so its realy become a big challenge...

I cant thank u enough for this awsome new game....I bow for u all EB gods...

Yes, all our new resources have made the faction's income soar. It was not planned. The faction's income is being ajusted now for the next few patches.

**Dr Jacob** · 12-08-2006, 18:13

I feel that too , money easier = easier campaign , but why didnt all the playtesters u have didnt notice that !!!!!!!

Can we have 0.81 quick patch fixing it and some other bugs?

**Dram** · 12-08-2006, 18:22

Originally Posted by Birka Viking

I have played a bit on a sweboz campagne and I have just started a Lusotannan also... and I must say that it has been realy good experienses both the campagnes..

This modd is simply the best!!!!!!!!!!..

Its only one thing that have concerd me realy much...Its that u make to much money to quick from the mines.Maby instead of making 3000 per turn u should make only around 1000 to slow things down and also a much longer build time on mines should also help much..I hope u can fix this to the next version so its realy become a big challenge...

I cant thank u enough for this awsome new game....I bow for u all EB gods...

mines dont actually give you what they report, generally its somewhere between 50-40% of the figure stated. i havent seen any mod that has gotten mining profits to pay what is reported.

**NeoSpartan** · 12-08-2006, 18:25

Originally Posted by Birka Viking

I have played a bit on a sweboz campagne and I have just started a Lusotannan also... and I must say that it has been realy good experienses both the campagnes..

This modd is simply the best!!!!!!!!!!..

Its only one thing that have concerd me realy much...Its that u make to much money to quick from the mines.Maby instead of making 3000 per turn u should make only around 1000 to slow things down and also a much longer build time on mines should also help much..I hope u can fix this to the next version so its realy become a big challenge...

I cant thank u enough for this awsome new game....I bow for u all EB gods...

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need the Money, I need the Money!!!!!!!!!! As broke down poor barbarian who's towns have simple economy buildings and MIC1-2 and started to fend off the Romans (have MIC3-5 already) I NEED $$$$$$. The Reasorces joint is OFF-DA-HOOK don't F* with it. Eventhough I am already getting a 9k profit I can only train levies for the next 2 years (8 turns) when in 1 TOWN I will get Botroans and the like. So in the meantime I need to hire mercs!.

--IF you want to make some chages please give us broke barbarians a couple of better economy buildings.

**blacksnail** · 12-08-2006, 18:28

Originally Posted by Dr Jacob

I feel that too , money easier = easier campaign , but why didnt all the playtesters u have didnt notice that !!!!!!!

Our closed playtests focus much more on game-killing CTDs which prevent you from playing the game period, UI issues, etc. We rely on our many beta-testers (such as yourself!) to inform us of any gameplay issues such as these.

Remember, this is not a finished product and we rely on your feedback to make this a better game. Otherwise we'd never make it to 1.0.

**Aymar de Bois Mauri** · 12-08-2006, 18:58

Originally Posted by NeoSpartan

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need the Money, I need the Money!!!!!!!!!! As broke down poor barbarian who's towns have simple economy buildings and MIC1-2 and started to fend off the Romans (have MIC3-5 already) I NEED $$$$$$. The Reasorces joint is OFF-DA-HOOK don't F* with it. Eventhough I am already getting a 9k profit I can only train levies for the next 2 years (8 turns) when in 1 TOWN I will get Botroans and the like. So in the meantime I need to hire mercs!.

--IF you want to make some chages please give us broke barbarians a couple of better economy buildings.

Cool. It's mainly focused on the later game economics and the richest factions.

**Birka Viking** · 12-08-2006, 19:07

Originally Posted by Aymar de Bois Mauri

Yes, all our new resources have made the faction's income soar. It was not planned. The faction's income is being ajusted now for the next few patches.

This sounds realy good man!!!

And if I dont remember wrong from the 0.74 beta it was around 24 turns to finish build a mine ...and now its only 4 or in some case 10 turns...

**Birka Viking** · 12-08-2006, 19:12

Originally Posted by NeoSpartan

NOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need the Money, I need the Money!!!!!!!!!! As broke down poor barbarian who's towns have simple economy buildings and MIC1-2 and started to fend off the Romans (have MIC3-5 already) I NEED $$$$$$. The Reasorces joint is OFF-DA-HOOK don't F* with it. Eventhough I am already getting a 9k profit I can only train levies for the next 2 years (8 turns) when in 1 TOWN I will get Botroans and the like. So in the meantime I need to hire mercs!.

--IF you want to make some chages please give us broke barbarians a couple of better economy buildings.

Well man if u have get broke when u play as the sweboz thats realy impressive

....Becouse I cant figure out what I shall do with all my money..lol...But I havent played the other barbarian nations so I dont know of this is only for the sweboz or not???

**Caratacos** · 12-09-2006, 02:07

Man I am soooo in love with this mod. Speaking of money-- I just started playing (as Averni) and I after like 3 or 4 turns I am already 9k in the red. I'm beseiging the Aedui capital but i'm not sure if i'll be able to do anything with it if i capture it. I've noticed that the units are really expensive. But again I've only just downloaded it so I'm trusting that the economy is balanced accordingly. Though i guess that by starting off as a faction with no access to ports or mines my economy is going to be a bit stressed.

But from what i've seen... Best mod EVER!

**Dayve** · 12-09-2006, 02:20

I can't read the writing for the Romans... Which sucks because Romani is all i ever play in RTW/EB...

**Teleklos Archelaou** · 12-09-2006, 02:27

Dayve, will you just relax and actually try to enjoy it?

**Dayve** · 12-09-2006, 03:57

I am enjoying it...

What's with this sudden bad attitude you've decided to take with me? I don't recall doing anything to you...

The thread is entitled first impressions... My very first impression when i loaded up the game was "I cannot read the writing here..."

**Foot** · 12-09-2006, 04:05