Too bad this game is out of print. [Archive]

View Full Version : Too bad this game is out of print.

DocD

07-21-2005, 04:47 PM

IBKsax44

07-21-2005, 11:56 PM

I thought of great post-1914 era to present, empires.

Mid to Late 20th Century
France
UK
Nazi Germany
Imperial Japan
Communist Russia
Democratic USA

Minors
Communist China
Facist Italy

Late 20th Century to Present
African Independence
Post WWII Japan
Communistic China/Vietnam
SuperPower Russia
SuperPower USA
EU

Minors
MidEast Arab States
India

I've always toyed around with the idea of adding NEW epochs to HotW myself, and here are some of my thoughts.

1) Scope. Epochs in HotW are VAST. I think craming 2 new Epochs into less than a hundred years is kinda pushing it. I do think that most of the powers you listed (aside from the African one which I don't get) are real world heavy hitters, but they over lap a bunch. I think I'd shrink the list down like this

Epoch VIII

Empires

Fascist Italy
Imperial Japan
Nazi Germany
Soviet Union
United Kingdom
Communist China
The Free Market (this is in lue of a new United States and will lead me to my next point)

Minors

Israel
India

I feel that this list reflects the powers of the world since 1914 without overlapping too much. After all, Empires in Epochs are listed at their heights before 1914, Hence U.S. Grant is the leader of the United States for example. I think this list shows the height of power for each of those countries.

2) I don't know if you ever got to see the original AH verson of HotW, but it actually had a Q&A at the back that addressed why the game ended in 1914. Pretty much what it said was that the rise in economic and cultural empires as opposed to military ones was very hard to represent in the mechanics of the game. I kinda think that's bunk myself, as dice rolling can represent the aquisitions of a corporation as well as the tactics of an army, but it's why I chose to list the final empire in my idea for an Epoch VIII as an economic ideaology rather than a nation. However, if there should be different rules to how an economic and cultural empires expands (i.e. not from army to army) is another matter all together.

I'm just glad I finally found another fan of a great game who posted on here! Happy empire building to you!

Sinister

07-22-2005, 08:04 AM

We've done the same thing

V-Disc

07-22-2005, 08:46 AM

Moderator Sinister

07-22-2005, 08:49 AM

I would love to see the game with an improved combat mechanic. It seems that every kingdom had their own inf, artillery (of some kind), and horsemen. So why not add that into the fray. I also would like to make the old epoch just a little harder to kill off, not anything dramatic but perhaps just a bit more difficult.

IBKsax44

07-22-2005, 08:52 AM

Well, the thing about the Epochs after the Monguls is that the good empires all work differently. Where the Romans and the Monguls expand over land with vast armies, the Portugese and the Spanish (IMO the best empire in the whole game) use fleets to cherry pick any open territories in, well, the whole world. It's kinda useless to have them storm into northern Europe as it's already occupied by other peoples, where as it's quite useful to throw a guy into south east asia, india, south america, north america, sub-saharan africa, and the list goes on.

IBKsax44

07-22-2005, 08:54 AM

Moderator Sinister

07-22-2005, 09:01 AM

They already take into account the combat mechanics by allowing the newer empires, theoretically with newer and better technology or better warriors, to role two dice instead of the one the defender gets. I think one of the beautiful things about this game is that the combat doesn't slow down the strategy at all.

Yeah but they could do that with a +1 to one dice and not use the extra dice and add in element of the unknown. I find fighting the old epoch a waste of time with dice rolling because it's a very RARE occasion to lose.

Also I like to point out while the roman (epoch III) did eventually defeat the carthage (epoch II) it took 3 wars to do so and Hannibal killed over 250,000 Romans (epoch II v. III) in the first 5 years of the war. So a whole extra dice, in this case, seems a bit steep.

TrimChris

07-22-2005, 09:02 AM

The release of 7 Ages has killed a lot of the HotW play in these parts.

DocD

07-23-2005, 09:57 AM

Release of 7 Ages? My god....I feel I have been under my rock to long! I've never heard of it Chris....what is it? where is it?

DocD

07-23-2005, 10:10 AM

I've always toyed around with the idea of adding NEW epochs to HotW myself, and here are some of my thoughts.

1) Scope. Epochs in HotW are VAST. I think craming 2 new Epochs into less than a hundred years is kinda pushing it. I do think that most of the powers you listed (aside from the African one which I don't get) are real world heavy hitters, but they over lap a bunch. I think I'd shrink the list down like this

Epoch VIII

Empires

Fascist Italy
Imperial Japan
Nazi Germany
Soviet Union
United Kingdom
Communist China
The Free Market (this is in lue of a new United States and will lead me to my next point)

Minors

Israel
India

I feel that this list reflects the powers of the world since 1914 without overlapping too much. After all, Empires in Epochs are listed at their heights before 1914, Hence U.S. Grant is the leader of the United States for example. I think this list shows the height of power for each of those countries.

2) I don't know if you ever got to see the original AH verson of HotW, but it actually had a Q&A at the back that addressed why the game ended in 1914. Pretty much what it said was that the rise in economic and cultural empires as opposed to military ones was very hard to represent in the mechanics of the game. I kinda think that's bunk myself, as dice rolling can represent the aquisitions of a corporation as well as the tactics of an army, but it's why I chose to list the final empire in my idea for an Epoch VIII as an economic ideaology rather than a nation. However, if there should be different rules to how an economic and cultural empires expands (i.e. not from army to army) is another matter all together.

I'm just glad I finally found another fan of a great game who posted on here! Happy empire building to you!I couldn't agree more with you on the 100 year two epochs, but it is a nice way to get Germany and Japan's expansionism during WWII then the two SuperPowers showboating on the world stage.

African Independence is a strectchy way to show the decolonization of the third world in Africa during the post WWII years.

TrimChris

07-23-2005, 06:18 PM

Release of 7 Ages? My god....I feel I have been under my rock to long! I've never heard of it Chris....what is it? where is it?

It came out last November or December from the Australian Design Group (the makers of World in Flames). Check it out on Boardgamegeek. Fans of Civ style games like the old AH Civilization or HotW will love this game. No minis in it, but then stacking your chits to conceal your troop mixes is part of the game.

The game offers 110 (!) unique civilizations that can be in the game, but a maximum of 15 will be in play at any time.

Each civilization has its own way to score potential victory points that are typically based on how the civilization historically thrived.

CrazyStraw

07-29-2005, 08:42 AM

This game was a Christmas gift two years ago. I've yet to play the game through the entire set of epochs. Seems like the Mongols show up and "that's all folks!" I've had a hard time getting players together for a complete game. Maybe I'll have to attend a CON with the expressed purpose of playing this game.

Hey V-Disc.

I know a bunch of guys that play this. We roll through a 6 player game in about three hours. Slow players are beaten and mocked mercilessly; it's the only way to get the game going.

Tomorrow's ROBA won't have the right guys there to play, but we could probably round up the guys for the August or September ROBA.

We'll talk.

Peace

admiral_yamoto

07-29-2005, 07:29 PM

how can you tell which games are OOP?

V-Disc

07-31-2005, 02:54 PM

Hey V-Disc.

I know a bunch of guys that play this. We roll through a 6 player game in about three hours. Slow players are beaten and mocked mercilessly; it's the only way to get the game going.

Tomorrow's ROBA won't have the right guys there to play, but we could probably round up the guys for the August or September ROBA.

We'll talk.

Peace

I look forward to being mocked and beaten!
ROBA RULES!!!!....Sorry I had to miss out this past weekend.

chrismj

09-06-2005, 01:42 PM

Yeah but they could do that with a +1 to one dice and not use the extra dice and add in element of the unknown. I find fighting the old epoch a waste of time with dice rolling because it's a very RARE occasion to lose.

Also I like to point out while the roman (epoch III) did eventually defeat the carthage (epoch II) it took 3 wars to do so and Hannibal killed over 250,000 Romans (epoch II v. III) in the first 5 years of the war. So a whole extra dice, in this case, seems a bit steep.

The extra die is because you are attacking. Not because the defending force is weaker. It does not matter if you are attacking someone from the same epoch or an earlier one. Attacker rolls two dice and the defender rolls one (assuming no defensive terrain, cards, etc.). This is just like Risk and does not reflect upon technology or any other differences in forces.

I see what you are saying but personally disagree. :P One of the reasons I was able to get my wife and friends to play this game was because it was simple (when compared to AaA). I wouldn't want any changes that complicate the game.

Ok, it isn't just like Risk, but you get what I'm saying right?