From: Jeff Vitous <jvitous@wwa.com>
Subject: Re: History of the World REVIEW Please Please Please Please Please

Jean M. Gauthier wrote:

> Hello Everyone.
>
> As it says, can I get some review of this game ?
>
> I almost bought it, but I am pretty gunshy in buying sight unseen now,
>
> as I have been burned too much in the past.
>
> I love CIV II, Moo 1 & 2, MOM EFS etc etc.
>
> So anyone can review this baby ??
>
> Thanks in advance
> Jean

 If you've ever played the board game, then you'll love the computer
version.  AH did an excellent job at conversion...their best since 1830.

If you haven't played the board game, HOTW is a strategy game playable
by up to 7 players.  The original board game was limited to 6 players,
IMO, unless you have 7 people clammoring to get in the same game, you
should limit yourself to no more than 6 players in the computer version
as well (the AI can fill in for any or all unused positions).  Game play
itsself is very simple, the cliche "easy to learn, difficult to master"
certainly applies to HOTW.

The game itsself consists of 7 epochs, each containing 7 possible
empires.  You play one empire in each epoch.  The empires themselves are
of varying size and capacity (like their historic counterparts), ranging
from the mighty Romans (strength=25), to the pathetic (in this game
anyway) Khmers of SE Asia (strength=5).  Scoring is based on a
combination of what you accomplish during the current epoch in addition
to "legacy" points leftover from surving civilizations of prior epochs
(if any).

Play of each empire is pretty straightforward.  Starting locations are
fixed, as are the number of units.  Combat generally favors the
attacker.  Event cards and defensive terrain can modify combat odds in
certain situations.  If you spend all of your attention on combat, then
you will probably lose the game.

There are many opportunities for strategic play in this game that is not
always self-evident, but must be master if you expect to even beat the
very capable AI.  First of all, at the beginning of the epoch, you may
have the opportunity to keep or trade the empire offered.  For the most
part, you want to trade empires to people where they are already strong
(give a Chinese empire to someone already heavily vested in China, for
example), while keeping those in areas where you are not yet present.
Part of the reason for keeping a limit of 6 players is the uncertainty
it brings every turn...will the Romans make an appearance in the game?
Should you trade, say, the second-worst empire to the current leader, or
hope that someone else will manage to trade him the worst?  What minor
empires and other events will not be played because of the less than
full game?  The added strategy dealing with the uncertainty factor far
outweighs any challenge offered by adding a 7th player (the game would,
I imagine, become rather predictable in this case).  The game system
also has an equalizing factor that gives those who have had the fewest
units to play thus far in the game the first picks in the new epoch.
Thus, while having lots of units to deploy is usually a good thing,
sometimes, it can be a double-edged sword (ie, the Arabs, strength=18,
is often unable to expand much beyond the Middle East or North Africa.
Yet since they appear in Epoch IV, you have the excess "baggage" of
those 18 units to carry with you the rest of the game).

Event cards are another feature that makes each game a unique playing
experience.  You can play up to 2 events in any one epoch, and some of
the events are restricted to specific epochs.

Basic strategy for playing your empire includes multiple goals:  1.
maximize your own points  2.  Do what you can to minimize opponents
points (and preferably, try to accomplish both at the same time)  3.
Estabilish your empire in a manner that may result in units surviving
during ensuing turns.  Maximizing legacy points is the most difficult,
yet important, skill to master in this game.

HOTW is an excellent PBEM game.  With a limited number of turns, most
games can be completed in a reasonable amount of time.  The nature of
the game is such that the final outcome is almost never decided until
the last Epoch, so there is less reason for anyone to abandon a game
midway.  Against all AI players, games can be played in less than an
hour.

If you enjoy good, easy to play strategy games, HOTW is a great choice.
If you're looking for deep historical insights, click-fest real-time
abominations, or bloody shoot-em-ups, then look elsewhere.

Jeff Vitous
jvitous@wwa.com