New to hex games....

[StrayCat]

I come from the paradox style of strategy games and was wondering if this game is a good place to begin learning hex style games. I like the time period and the history of the Austria and Prussia, so I was checking this game out....and it's on a tremendous sale. Any thoughts?

[Blaster]

It has it's learning curve so i shall not lie about that. But it is a very good game, especially when they released the Gold version.
My advice is to try it out, play the tutorial scenarios. And against the AI until it you got grip on everything.

[Nukkxx]

Technically speaking it's not a hex based but a region based wargame (like paradox actually).
But the difference with Paradox is that it's "WEGO turn based" and not real time .

I would start with Espana 36 (not available on Steam but on Slitherine site) or with any smaller scale Ageod game. But afterall, why not ROP ... In fact my advice is that you should start with a conflict/period that is of interest to you. All the AGEOD games have the exact same mechanics (except PON which is more complex) so once you can play one, you can play them all. Starting with smaller scenario helps because the difficulty at Ageod games is to plan for a succesfull war. So smaller wars are easier for beginners.

[Blaster]

I couldn't agree more sir!

[Adam Beckett]

Anyone coming from the Paradox 'real-time' games should feel right at home within AGEOD games? And not just because of their 'common history'?

The maps look different, yes. The UI looks different. But the concepts and mechanics are familiar if not often the same?

If anything, I feel, these old AGEOD games are way 'easier' to 'get into', since the Excel spreadsheet information dump is far less excessive in them, compared to Paradox games.

You only get to see information you really need to know or you may manipulate! As much as I have despised the 'old' AGEOD engine, it does 'interactive information' (incl. mouse-hover, pop-up) right.

As said by Nukkxx, to get started, any smaller scenario will do.

In those, you are restricted in your interactions and the map is 'smaller', so there is no overwhelming complexity. You will go through your F1-F6 keys, your 1-8 (map color) keys. See what you can do each turn and then click 'end turn'. "Just play" and see what happens. You will quickly get the idea of the game's 'flow'.

Thanks to the turn-based nature, your success or failure during your time spent planing and moving pieces is shown immediately. And it is ALL relevant to your actions. You are not 'clicking' hundreds of meaningless notification messages out of your way (as in Paradox games). You do not have to care about non-relevant AI players on the map.

The "one" more 'complicated' concept at first in AGEOD games is maybe "chain of command" (leadership, forces, penalties), but that is explained very well in the introductory tutorial.