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Crown of Glory: Emperor’s Edition – PC Game ReviewDeWitt Cave | June 29, 2009 | Single Page | 8 comments | Print | E-mail Graphically, the game leaves a lot to be desired. Besides the main map, the secondary screens feel very cold and at times very text heavy. The main map does not stand out and feels more like a board game than a computer game. The military units are very basic looking and do not compare to other games in the same genre. Sound effects are very detailed, though. During battles you get the sense that you are in the midst of two armies going head to head. During naval battles you can hear the ship creaking and ships’ bells ringing. Weather, shown on the main map, can wreak havoc on your country’s resources. Rain in one of your regions may hurt your economy; having allies on favorable terms might help in setting up trade if you find your resources devastated by storms. Like all moves in CoG: EE, battles take place after you complete your turn. You can select Instant, Quick or Detailed versions for the land and sea battles. The computer processes Instant Battles and only shows the results when your turn is complete. In a Quick Battle, you are presented with a checked board with three zones for placing units. Placement is key, as it can provide your unit with a bonus. Land battles have charge, attack and defend options, and naval battles have melee, attack and volley. Once your selection is complete, clicking on the Done button will simulate the battle and provide results. The last option, Detailed Battle, puts you on the field with your units where you have more hands-on control and can move your units around. A good location on the map, favorable weather conditions and a well-thought-out battle plan will usually guarantee success. Again though, the graphics are lacking and each battle feels more like a board game then a computer game. This can have a big impact on players’ enjoyment, as part of the fun of war games is acting as the general, moving the troops, and seeing units fight against each other, not just knowing how many hit points a unit took. Some extra features unique to this game are the Rumors and Treaties news updates. Rumors give you an idea where a current army is located, the possible troop strength, and where the largest concentration of troops is located. The treaty page gives you updates as to who is making treaties and how long that treaty will last. It’s an interesting facet of the game that provides more detail for the player to absorb and can help in deciding what the next move should be. Overall, CoG: EE is a complex game with a lot of features that can provide you with very in-depth game play—or a high level of frustration. Gamers who don’t want a steep learning curve and desire a more graphical experience would be wise to look elsewhere. But players who enjoy methodical game play that allows them to get intimate with all details from shaping their economy to determining the best strategy for their army and navy will find themselves so absorbed in Napoleonic Europe it will be difficult to turn the game off. In the end, this game is best for veterans of Crown of Glory and for those who are willing to trade off flashy graphics for a compelling and intricate game that can provide the user with a rewarding finish. Click here to read an exclusive ArmchairGeneral.com interview with the game’s design team. Score: 79%
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            Tags: Napoleonic Wars, PC game, review
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8 Comments to “Crown of Glory: Emperor’s Edition – PC Game Review”
HiHi
Just some minor thoughts, in no particular order
Can I suggest that you seem to have possibly missed out one of the most rewarding aspects of CoG EE, that is, it has a PBEM Multi-player capability, and there is already a steadily growing bunch of players involved in this aspect; the interplay with widely different “Characters” from all around the world adds a really worthwhile extra dimension to the Game
Given that folk see things differently IMO surely, “Failed Basic: Steep learning curve, …” is synonymous with, “Passed Inspection: Deep game play, … very in-depth, hands-on economy.”
No it’s not an easy game to become expert at overnight (I’m talking about the Advanced economy here), but then again nether is Chess and that game seems to have stood the test of time :-)
The Goodfolk at WCS have however catered for the ‘Slash & Hack’ brigade by having an option of a Simplified Economy so folk can just concentrate, in the main, on charging their armies/Navies around the map.
One very trivial addition, the ‘Rumours’ feature allows players to add their own input, now there’s a ‘Can of Worms’ waiting to be exploited if ever there was one! :-)
“In the end, this game is best for veterans of Crown of Glory and for those who are willing to trade off flashy graphics for a compelling and intricate game that can provide the user with a rewarding finish.”
Can I suggest here that players who enjoy ‘Forge of Freedom’ would also rate this game very highly, especially with the added Multi-player feature.
So finally to any one reading this, if you can overcome any problems you may have with the Graphics this game is phenomenal (with a capital P!).
All the Best
Peter
By Kingmaker on Jul 1, 2009 at 5:17 am
I agree completely with Peter. The review missed the most important aspect of the game, the multi-player ability. I use the AI to learn, but the real fun is playing with/against other people from around the world.
Could the graphics be better? Yes, but IMHO, that would add nothing to my enjoyment of the game.
Regarding the interface, it took me very little time, I understand the interface and really have no difficulties anymore.
And as for the Advanced Economy, the recent guide that was published was all I needed to open my eyes to it’s beauty and, frankly, simplicity. I can’t imagine going back to the Simple Economy now.
I owned the original Crown of Glory and Forge of Freedom, but I have to say that Crown of Glory: Emperor’s Edition is my favorite, hands down. I’ll be playing it for years with a hopefully growing group of PBEMers.
Best,
Andrew
By AndrewKurtz on Jul 1, 2009 at 6:24 am
Thanks for the feedback guys. I’m aware of the PBEM part, but felt it wasn’t very intituative for new players like myself. Plus, with today’s multi-player games, you want to play right away and not email it out to a friend.
I felt this game is best for those who are very familiar with the Crown of Glory installments. Someone who is coming from Total War Series or Civilization, may find the game lacking in some areas, but absolutely nailing it with the diplomacy.
Like I mention in my review, veterns of CoG will love it and get a lot more of out it, then those who haven’t played it before. Due to the extreme depth of this game, it may be a turn off for first time users, but if they can look past some frustrating nights and forgo the graphics, there is a great game, the player just needs time to get grasp everything this game has.
DeWitt
By DeWitt Cave on Jul 1, 2009 at 12:16 pm
DeWitt,
I’m one of the developers of COG:EE. I would like to thank you for your review and high rating. I am posting here not about the review, but because I would like to point out something regarding your comment above. When our other game, “Forge of Freedom,” came out I posted a poll thread in the forum asking players how they played — AI, PBEM, and/or networked. To my astonishment, only around 3% or so played FOF on a network — and this was a game with just two sides! The number of people playing PBEM was somewhat higher, perhaps around 25% or so. (It’s been a while, so I can’t remember exactly.) My guess is that the percentages are similar for those who play COG:EE. My original poll, plus the anecdotal evidence from our forum (as well as the two comments up above) show that there are plenty of people who do still enjoy old-fashioned send-out-your-turn-and-wait games, and these were among the potential customers we were aiming for. (I would love to know the breakdowns for how many people play those other games networked.)
- Gil Renberg
By Gil R. on Jul 1, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I fonally broke down and bought it and I have to say I love this game so far
It also comes with 7 tutorial videos, a nice PDF manual, and an advanced economy PDF for new players, but you can turn that off if you want
By Hudson on Aug 2, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Well, I wasn’t particularly interested until I read this review. Definitely my next purchase as I have a rather obsessive interest in all things Napoleonic.
I realize the emphasis here is diplomacy et al, but I’d love to see a marriage of this game to some sort of Operational level engine to resolve warfare. Something like AGEOD’s Napoleon’s Campaigns – but with AI that actually worked somewhat.
By Erich on Jan 1, 2010 at 4:25 pm