https://www.greenmangaming.com/games/world-war-one-centennial-edition/
If not does it have any reviews someplace ala grogheads?
I think it is https://sites.google.com/site/calvinuslab/world-war-one-gold (https://sites.google.com/site/calvinuslab/world-war-one-gold)
So this is an advancement on WWI Gold? I heard WWI Gold was a much improved version of the original. I guess for $2 US, it's not much of a loss if it isn't good.
Quote from: bobarossa on March 10, 2017, 04:41:44 PM
So this is an advancement on WWI Gold? I heard WWI Gold was a much improved version of the original. I guess for $2 US, it's not much of a loss if it isn't good.
I think Jason Pratt did an AAR on it a lil while back.
Technically "Centennial" is not by Ageod. Gold is. But the guy who did Centennial (Calvinus, who I think was the original designer or one of them) thought he had acquired the legal right to work on patching up Gold and moving along into the future. Unfortunately, Ageod was already working on their own WW1 game based on the AGEOD engine this time (which Gold/Centennial isn't: it's based on a board game being converted over to a pseudo-Ageod engine. With all the quirks you might imagine from that.)
So.... soommmmmmmmmmmmeone unstated who claimed to have the rights to Gold which the new dev had thought he had acquired (logically although not certainly I suppose, this was Matrixlitherine) put a legal block on the game. You can still buy it from Gamersgate, but not from Steam. Although if you bought it from Steam it should still work of course. And what GG is selling is a Steam code. Presumably Greenmangaming is selling a Steam code, too.
If you can get it, Centennial is definitely the updated version of the game, but Calvinus is legally unable to continue work on it. So there are still problems. For example, as I discovered in my Absolute Newbie AAR, there's a game-killing bug where if you set the game to allow you to play the battles tactically (sort of), the game will try to show you tactical battles for your allies, too, and then doesn't know what to do because there's no input so it goes into an infinite loop. This isn't a problem if you're playing, say, Russia and France together. It's a fatal problem if you're playing, say, Russia by yourself (which I was doing) and the game wants to show you a French battle. It also of course isn't a problem if you set the options to avoid the semi-tactical battles -- which like almost all the options you can only adjust ONCE YOU'RE IN A CAMPAIGN (which is insane). But while you'll lose some of the flavor, you can certainly play the game with letting the computer manage the tacticals. To be honest, the tacticals really have very few feasible options which won't lead to immediate disaster so playing them is almost like just clicking manually what the computer would have done automatically for you anyway.
If you still want to try the game anyway, keeping those factors in mind, here's the link to my eventually failed AAR: The Belle Game Sans Merci (http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=15679.msg409374#msg409374)
Quote from: JasonPratt on December 16, 2015, 06:00:20 PM
I recently compared AGEOD's World War One Gold to a librarian who looks like Rachel Weiz (see: The Mummy), who, happening to research World War 1 one day, fell in love with it, and fell in love so hard she decided not only to research ALL THE WORLD WAR ONE but to cosplay as World War 1; whereupon she designed an extensive costume that not only incorporated ALL THE WORLD WAR ONE but made it supernaturally gorgeous and artistic. Then having done so, she insists on rubbing it up against you because she knows you'll like it, too.
Sure it's cumbersome and a bit janky in execution, and maybe somewhat insane on how it applies some of the details, and more than a little frightening in its intensity and dedication to its topic, but if you're turned on at all by the topic... well... :smitten:
"Look, see this? You can make it... do things."
"Uh."
"Fascinating, isn't it?"
"...the... uh, what... what exactly does this do?"
"Try. And see what happens." {sideways smile with flirty eyes} "You know you want to try, don't yAAOUCH, NOT LIKE THAT!" {scowls}
"I'msorryI'm sorry, it's just, I don't understand--!"
"Try again." {mysterious stare} "You must. I insist."
I've also joked before that the game (especially the map) was designed by fairies attempting to drive men mad, and while I mean that as a caution I mean it as a compliment, too.
So, let's see if I can give some idea why I mean that as a caution and as a compliment.
But I have to warn you: I am definitely going to fail. Mere human attempts at description can only be pitiful. Because at best, all I can do is plod along afterward, somewhat in a daze of amazement and bemused annoyance, while the Belle Dame Sans Merci glides dancing before, behind, and around me, teasing her utter regality, insisting that you appreciate her efforts -- which if they aren't for you, then they aren't for you, and that's your loss.
Did I mention she's French? Because she's French.
(https://www.grogheads.com/forums/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimageshack.com%2Fa%2Fimg907%2F2933%2FLhII0y.png&hash=e200c779c2852797d92a03a50fb38bc26d7865ea)
See?! You know mere words will be useless to the experience of her curves and lines and trees and hills and the colored ink and things and ideas...
But all I have are words. And some photos I managed to snap of her.
So, to the mundane.
And then she had a psychotic breakdown. :P :'( :-*
So is Centennial back? Remember it was pulled out of Steam last time.
No, it isn't really gone from Steam. Steam cannot sell it directly. Other sites can sell Steam codes for it.
My BGSM AAR.... ........ wow, despite my coy introductory post I honestly had not even noticed that the phrase I was punning, Belle Dame Sans Merci, abbreviated to BDSM :o :o :wow: :timeout:
...uh. Anyway, I had originally intended to fold in my Absolute Newbie text (a very small part is included) as I got to various topics, but then the game shifted into the "crazy" part of "hot and quirky" and shut me down. :pullhair: But the AbNewb material is extensive (up to a point) and still, I think, worth looking into. It's probably more helpful than the BGSM thread to be honest.
http://grogheads.com/forums/index.php?topic=6547.msg285784#msg285784
Quote from: Hentzau on March 10, 2017, 03:34:08 PM
So is World-war-one-centennial-edition by AGEOD?
Check out strabo's posts in this thread (https://steamcommunity.com/app/297090/discussions/0/35220315661528373/).
I have both WW1 and Centennial. IMHO, Centennial is a much better version than Gold. OK, it's basically the same game, but the turn processing is much more efficient, and IIRC, there are a couple of new bells and whistles that aren't on Gold. I do remember first time I played it thinking that it was a definite improvement to Gold.
Quote from: Boggit on March 13, 2017, 12:23:39 AM
I have both WW1 and Centennial. IMHO, Centennial is a much better version than Gold. OK, it's basically the same game, but the turn processing is much more efficient, and IIRC, there are a couple of new bells and whistles that aren't on Gold. I do remember first time I played it thinking that it was a definite improvement to Gold.
I remember doing the same thing I had done with gold as well as the original. Boot it up. Click a few keys. Sneer at the amateur looking ginormous unit cards in the tactical battle screen, finish the tutorial....and stare at the screen not knowing what the hell to really do
I always enjoy that old man shouting CHARGE!
Quote from: mikeck on March 13, 2017, 08:11:56 AM
Quote from: Boggit on March 13, 2017, 12:23:39 AM
I have both WW1 and Centennial. IMHO, Centennial is a much better version than Gold. OK, it's basically the same game, but the turn processing is much more efficient, and IIRC, there are a couple of new bells and whistles that aren't on Gold. I do remember first time I played it thinking that it was a definite improvement to Gold.
I remember doing the same thing I had done with gold as well as the original. Boot it up. Click a few keys. Sneer at the amateur looking ginormous unit cards in the tactical battle screen, finish the tutorial....and stare at the screen not knowing what the hell to really do
LOL! :DD You're right it's not an intuitive game at all. You definitely need to read the manual first to have any idea how to play it. :buck2:
Quote from: Boggit on March 14, 2017, 02:08:42 AM
Quote from: mikeck on March 13, 2017, 08:11:56 AM
Quote from: Boggit on March 13, 2017, 12:23:39 AM
I have both WW1 and Centennial. IMHO, Centennial is a much better version than Gold. OK, it's basically the same game, but the turn processing is much more efficient, and IIRC, there are a couple of new bells and whistles that aren't on Gold. I do remember first time I played it thinking that it was a definite improvement to Gold.
I remember doing the same thing I had done with gold as well as the original. Boot it up. Click a few keys. Sneer at the amateur looking ginormous unit cards in the tactical battle screen, finish the tutorial....and stare at the screen not knowing what the hell to really do
LOL! :DD You're right it's not an intuitive game at all. You definitely need to read the manual first to have any idea how to play it. :buck2:
Read a manual? Never. Do they even still make them? :crazy2:
Just bought it but haven't tried it yet. The manual is 229 pages long!!!!!
I can't recall if WW1Cent combines them, but WW1G featured at least two manuals, one being a 16 page addendum that upgraded the original game to the "Gold".
The page number you reported is exactly the same as the WW1:GreatWar manual, though. You should poke around to see if the "WW1_Gold_Additions_Manual" is included with Cent.
This is an absolute beast of a game to learn. Part of the difficulty stems from the fact that different rules apply at different times in the war -- notably, the transition from movement to trench warfare by 1915, and the introduction of grand offensives. There's really no way to just feel you way through this one. Studying the manual is mandatory.
You might also ignore the Tannenberg tutorial scenario, which is more confusing than clarifying, in my opinion. Or, glean what you can from it, but don't fret when certain things make no sense and the tutorial doesn't help you make sense of it. Probably just better to move on to the real campaign at that point.
Did we ever get to the bottom of what happened with Centennial Edition? The rumor, as I understood it, was that AGEOD blocked Digital Froggies from continuing to market the game, seemingly because they didn't have the proper rights to distribute it in the first place -- and also, To End All Wars was coming out and CE presented unwanted competition. But it doesn't seem like anything ever got resolved -- Digital Froggies disappeared and CE isn't offered on Steam anymore. Was AGEOD behind the legal challenge?
It's too bad, because frankly, Gold / Centennial Edition was a much better WW1 grand strategy game than To End All Wars.
EDIT -- oops, I see Jason already covered some of this. But I'm still not sure if AGEOD ever copped to being the ones who were blocking Digital Froggies. Lots of questions still surrounding what the heck happened here.
The manual says Centennial Edition at front and top of each page. Can't find any mention of 1917 campaign so they may have just changed title. Don't see an Gold manual but there is a Leader list PDF. My version of game says 1.0 but there is mention of an update in community section. Did they disable patching when they stopped selling game at Steam?
edit: found a steam thread that says the updated version still shows 1.0 They could have at least made it 1.0a
Quote from: jomni on March 13, 2017, 09:55:23 PM
I always enjoy that old man shouting CHARGE!
I created a Sound Mod for the old Gold edition, years ago, because some of those sound effects were just plain annoying after a bit, or lasted too long.
That old man sound was one of the replaced ones, along with one or two others featuring the "old man yelling in a tin can" sound effect. Plus some of the others, like 30-second long sound files being used for a map click sound, a rare but long & shrill telephone bell ring, and a couple others. Adjusted them in a sound mixer, and moved bits from others. Think I lowered the volume of the background music in one version, too, because it tended to blare out the normal game sounds.
I'd imagine it would still work with Centennial edition unless they changed the changed the sound file names.
Problem is - it doesn't exist on the AGEOD forum anymore, where it used to be hosted. 404'd. I think their WWI Gold forum was deep six'd. Not even sure I still have it backed up somewhere. The only surviving mention (http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2473807) remaining is the Matrix one linking to it. :-\
Quote from: sandman2575 on March 14, 2017, 10:17:33 AM
You might also ignore the Tannenberg tutorial scenario, which is more confusing than clarifying, in my opinion. Or, glean what you can from it, but don't fret when certain things make no sense and the tutorial doesn't help you make sense of it. Probably just better to move on to the real campaign at that point.
This was the main reason I created the AbNewb tutorial -- as an exercise in ordering my thoughts in the wake of the Tannenberg tutorial + the manual(s).
I will give the original GrandGuerre/Gold devs full credit for at least trying to create an in-depth in-game tutorial, though!
Quote from: bobarossa on March 14, 2017, 11:53:57 AM
The manual says Centennial Edition at front and top of each page. Can't find any mention of 1917 campaign so they may have just changed title. Don't see an Gold manual but there is a Leader list PDF. My version of game says 1.0 but there is mention of an update in community section. Did they disable patching when they stopped selling game at Steam?
edit: found a steam thread that says the updated version still shows 1.0 They could have at least made it 1.0a
http://www.ageod-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=240&t=17651
I know one of my Tutorial/AAR threads (linked above, I think the BGSM) also includes a link to a fan patch that works on Cent.
...dang, all this is making me want to try again. I'm sure the way around the fatal crash is to only turn on manual fights when it's actually my turn, and then turn them off before passing the turn on. And since I started using Shadowplay to take my snapshots from, I don't have to keep reloading to get snapshots, which will get around the problem (not otherwise a problem except for the AAR) of reloads activating new random choices by the AI.