A couple weeks ago I bought EI Complete ("Designer's Cut"). It took me a while to get into it. At first it seemed kinda awkward and hard to figure out. However, I did eventually get the idea of how the game is modeled and for about the past week, I've been playing this one way more than I really should have been.
This is one of the best games I've ever played.
The strategic level is engrossing and well-balanced, despite being quite simplified. The way the tactical battles, captains, and ship types interact in the operational and strategic level dynamics are absolutely brilliant and one of the best modellings of 17th century colonial relations I've ever seen. This is all the more amazing given that the designers did not just take the "Civ" approach and try to include very single conceivable detail that could have been included. They instead modeled that which was truly salient to the colonial trade wars aspect of this period in history, and left the else as "assume parity and therefore not included in the model." I think my slow development of interest in the game had to do with this design feature; having played so many games where nations are modeled as multiple province/tile elements with complicated cities, complicated social policies, etc., my first insinct I think was hesitation with a game like this where each of the colonial European powers is represented as "one port." The fact is, this was one of the most ingenious game design decisions I've seen in years. All that other "Civ-style" or EU-style detail is irrelevant for the key focus of this game: developing the East Indian trade empire and fighting 17th century naval trade war.
By focusing the design, and articulating the strategic level trading, conquesting, building, diplomatic, and naval elements with the tactical engine, this game creates a feeling of the political processes at the time that I have imagined based on reading and movies. The game recreates that aspect of the period in history amazingly well.
Of course the tactical naval battles are the best part: the best tactical naval engine I have ever seen.
This is the game that I so very much wanted when I finally had played Pirates! way too much and had to stop. Pirates! was a fantastic game, but I think EI Complete is even better.
I have yet to even try the additional expansions that came in the complete package (Pirate Bay, Privateer, Battle of Trafalgar).
Please Nitro and Paradox: MAKE MORE GAMES LIKE THIS ONE!!
This is one of the best games I've ever played.
The strategic level is engrossing and well-balanced, despite being quite simplified. The way the tactical battles, captains, and ship types interact in the operational and strategic level dynamics are absolutely brilliant and one of the best modellings of 17th century colonial relations I've ever seen. This is all the more amazing given that the designers did not just take the "Civ" approach and try to include very single conceivable detail that could have been included. They instead modeled that which was truly salient to the colonial trade wars aspect of this period in history, and left the else as "assume parity and therefore not included in the model." I think my slow development of interest in the game had to do with this design feature; having played so many games where nations are modeled as multiple province/tile elements with complicated cities, complicated social policies, etc., my first insinct I think was hesitation with a game like this where each of the colonial European powers is represented as "one port." The fact is, this was one of the most ingenious game design decisions I've seen in years. All that other "Civ-style" or EU-style detail is irrelevant for the key focus of this game: developing the East Indian trade empire and fighting 17th century naval trade war.
By focusing the design, and articulating the strategic level trading, conquesting, building, diplomatic, and naval elements with the tactical engine, this game creates a feeling of the political processes at the time that I have imagined based on reading and movies. The game recreates that aspect of the period in history amazingly well.
Of course the tactical naval battles are the best part: the best tactical naval engine I have ever seen.
This is the game that I so very much wanted when I finally had played Pirates! way too much and had to stop. Pirates! was a fantastic game, but I think EI Complete is even better.
I have yet to even try the additional expansions that came in the complete package (Pirate Bay, Privateer, Battle of Trafalgar).
Please Nitro and Paradox: MAKE MORE GAMES LIKE THIS ONE!!
