Three months is a long time to scratch the civ itch - apply for a copy of CtP2 & AoM

[hexagonian]

If you are like me, you are looking forward to civ4 for your next civesque fix. Whether it is good or bad is almost unimportant, because it is CIV. If anything, you want to at least experience it yourself and make your own judgement about the game.

Civ4 is making a lot of promises. Incredible moddability, significant changes to many game elements, working multiplay...the list goes on. Promises, in hindsight, that are much bigger than when civ3 was released.

Hope springs eternal.

The question remains though...
What to do for the next three months until it hits the shelves? Or in my case, what to do until someone gives it to me for Christmas...

I have a thought, and I am willing to bend over backwards to make it as easy as possible for two people.

Give Ages Of Man a try.

There is a local store that has 2 copies of CTP2. If they are still there today, I will pick them up. I will ship those copies to 2 players, as well as a burned CD copy of the AOM mod. There will be no charge for the copies of CTP2, AOM and no shipping charges. It will be free!!!

There is a catch though...
You have to commit to actually play the game for 500 turns at least one time, share with us here at Apolyton your impressions about AOM in an objectivel manner, and be willing to put aside preconceptions and biases of CTP2 and look at AOM based on its own merits.

And if for some reason you do not like the game, I'd ask you to mail the copies of CTP2 back to me (postage is approx $2-4) If you enjoy it, you can keep the CTP2 game - no questions asked.

Now, who will I pick???

I could simply give it to the first two people who ask, but I'd rather do this instead.

I want to give the game to people that hate the CTP series. And I want you to tell me why you hate the game in this thread. I want VERY COMPETENT AND LOYAL civ3 players who like challenges.

I will then judge whom I will send the games to, based on your posts.

Hint: If you do not like PW, stacked combat, limited rail movement, don't bother asking for the copies. AOM will not change your opinion.

I also ask that this be limited to people who do not have a copy of CTP2 too - you can download AOM from this site.

Finally, why am I posting this in the civ4 thread???

Simple - this is a forum that is full of players anticipating a new gaming experience. By their very nature, they are open to new ways of gameplay. If not, they would happily be playing civ3 until the end of time.

If civ4 was out, I would probably be playing it now, and would not be posting this offer. This is not meant to be a 'competition/comparison/which is better' game thread because we all have little idea exactly how civ4 will play (unless you are a betatester).

AOM offers a unique gaming experience that will tide you over until civ4 is released. And ultimately, that is what matters - playing and enjoying a well-created game, and I want to make it possible for the right type of person.

Of course, this all hinges on whether those two games are still at EB. I will pick them up tonight (hopefully)

DEADLINE WILL BE THIS MONDAY, AUGUST 8 - 12:00 CST US.
Have fun with this. Creatively posting your hatred might score some points with the judge - and it may not...

THE AGES OF MAN

[Solver]

Hexagonian .

[Aro]

Well... I don't hate CtP II, but this is close enough:
The stupid game doesn't work with my Wacom tablet, no matter what I do!!!!!!!
Btw, I have a copy of CtP II, and I've already downloaded AoM, too. I just don't play the game, because of this stupid problem.


edicted:
Hexagonian, I promise: I’ll be the most addicted player of CtP+AoM if you could help me with this…

[Sarxis]

I've actually been looking to pick up CTP2 again. I gave my copy away after a while of playing a few years back. Someone on the forums was looking for a copy so I just mailed him mine. But with AoM I've been looking to grab the game again.

I know I've seen it in the bargain bins here and there, but now I can not find it any of my local stores. I planned on getting a copy thru the net once they fixed some of the patch compatability issues for the mod, but just haven't decided where to get the game from.

[Donegeal]

Hmm... CTP. Way too easy. Horrible map generator. Annoying Trade system (way to easy to pilliage and way too expensive to replace). Did I mention that it was way to easy?

CTPII. Again, too easy. Not as bad as CTP, but still too easy. I downloaded a Massive mod (not sure of the name, I think it was just called Massive. It made the game parameters enourmous) to see if it would be more challangeing. It wasn't. It just took longer because of the size of the map. The same player advanteges that I had before were still there except that I was able to exploit them even further catapulting me to a position of power far and away ahead of any and all AI. Still too easy.

I don't need a copy of CTPII as I already have one (I just never use it).

I would love to give your mod a try (I am a BIG fan Double your Pleasure / Rise and Rule mod for Civ III), but my experiences with the CTP series have just really set me off of it. Plus I am having my first child in October and I think my civing time will be greatly diminished (even for Civ IV) come that time. Sorry buddy. But please, keep modding. Your incredible.

BTW.... +1

[Boris Godunov]

I positively loathed the CtP series as unimpressive civ knock-offs that were more focused on cramming in units/new techs/buildings/etc. than actually making a fun game. The future tech stuff was pretty horrible, I didn't like the interface at all and felt the AI was incompetent. I think I played it for about 3 days before going back to Civ II and selling my copy on ebay along with a bunch of other bad titles.

I'm now definitely into Civ3, despite it's many flaws. I feel trapped in that I can't go back to Civ II, since I'd miss too many of the features to which I've grown accustomed (borders, resources, UUs, diplo options, etc.), but at the same time lacking a really satisfying civ gaming experience.

[Az]

Have you tried smack SMAC, Boris? It's really quite addictive.

Ctp2 had plenty of good sides. it was really quite an ok game. On par with Civ3, certainly.

[Protra3211]

Been playing the lastest playtest (update to CTP2) and im enjoying it. Something to do while waiting for Civ4.

Its to bad there was not a way to mail a check as I dont like to use credit card on the internet.
Or money order we could mail to you. Its not the price I would pay more its ID theft many have to worry about(not you ) as online pay services have been breached .

[yin26]

FYI for anybody thinking about trying AOM: It has some very clever ideas, and I suspect that we'll see some of them in Civ 4 before long. While you need to be rather hardcore to appreciate what's being attempted, it's pretty fascinating overall.

[hexagonian]

Originally posted by Donegeal
I would love to give your mod a try (I am a BIG fan Double your Pleasure / Rise and Rule mod for Civ III), but my experiences with the CTP series have just really set me off of it. Plus I am having my first child in October and I think my civing time will be greatly diminished (even for Civ IV) come that time.

Couple of things...
AOM is not CTP2. In fact, I approached yin26 with the same (free) offer. He decided to give it a try. When he got my copy, he first played CTP2 and his comment were the same as yours (CTP2 sucks big time) Then he gave AOM a try.

And has posted publically that AOM is very good. (and I asked him to be totally frank and honest, whether good or bad) Agree or disagree with him, but you can always count on yin26 to be blunt.

and...
Last I checked, there are two months until October, so there is a window of opportunity to at least give this a try - or at least a few evenings that normally would be invested in playing a game that has probably been played to death already.

The point of all this offer is that I fully realize that when civ4 comes out, most players will be playing that (I know I will be)

But civ4 is not out yet. And it is somewhat ironic that players are clamoring for a game to challenge them, and when something comes along that, based on reports, offers a good challenge, they do not respond to it.

[Robert]

After the AoM MOD came available I installed CTP2 again but it wouldn't run on my system.
It comes with a memory error.

I posted it in the initial AoM thread in the Apolyton forum (the sub-forum) but nobody knew any solutions

I'd be happy to give AoM a try, I don't need a copy of CTPII and I already downloaded the mod.
Just the !@#%( memory error

[Ninot]

heck, i'd be willing to receive a free game and play 500 turns. probably more than that.

only thing tho is would shipping to Canada be a difficulty?

[Solver]

Yes, it's indeed important to understand that AoM is not CtP2. Some of the core basics are the same, such as stacked combat and the PW system, but AoM is a complete overhaul of the game and plays almost like an entirely new game.

[Protra3211]

How has the AI been doing at war? I have found that CtP2 mods would have AI more aggressive but would leave cities sometimes open for capture.
Some of the early playtests try to work on unit movement. Building a patrol force first along the border(sort of block) then moving foward when at war.
Sort of like a chess game where where the main thought is to hem in your enemy rendering him helpless . Deffense is not always passive. How does AOM use its units?

[hexagonian]

Originally posted by Protra3211
How has the AI been doing at war? I have found that CtP2 mods would have AI more aggressive but would leave cities sometimes open for capture.
Some of the early playtests try to work on unit movement. Building a patrol force first along the border(sort of block) then moving foward when at war.
Sort of like a chess game where where the main thought is to hem in your enemy rendering him helpless . Deffense is not always passive. How does AOM use its units?

Last night I lost a city to the Romans, who had sent a fully 12-stack against my fully-loaded 12-stack defended city. (Note: I had a 25-tile wide area of no-mans land betweeen them and I - so I had been able to prepare for the incoming stacks that they occasionally sent at me with my own, but they had managed to slip through my perimeter of scouts and went undetected until they were at the doors of the city. Their units were better than mine. (Legions over phalanxes and hoplites)

I was able to retake the city three turns later - and the Romans had retrenched their remaining units in the city instead of vacating it. And there is a 7-stack that was on the way to that city, so if I had not retaken the city, they would have had a solid base to work from.

Chess is an apt description for the tactics in AOM.