Will it live up to the hype???

[dabapic]

  I think everyone needs to relax and wait and see what this game is all about, after all has Larry Harris ever made a bad AA game?. I don't think so. I agree with the more positive thinkers in that this is another AA game that will add to the many different ways to play our favorite game. Of course it will never be as good as AA 50, but what game ever will ?

[LuckyDay]

so i'm looking at the AH page to see if there is any new updates and such and thinking of this thread as to what real hype is there about the game.   We've gone round a couple times now and we really haven't looked at what hype there really is.  IL said there wasn't and I was inclined to agree until i really looked close today...

"Newly sculpted playing pieces and all new packaging will position this game as the cornerstone of the Axis & Allies game line for years to come."

=
1) Newly sculpted pieces
2) All new packaging
3) Cornerstone of AA for years

deductions.... (in humor mind you)
a. newly made pieces, granted, this sounds wonderful and confirmed by LH himself.

b. all new packaging.  "Reeally?!  Well shut my mouth!!!"  isn't that like advertising 'clean rooms' at hotels? 

c.  cornerstone of AA--i.e.--no aa50 reprint, and Larry's taking a 2-year sabbatical.

i'm gonna stick with my original comment.

yes... and no...

  I think everyone needs to relax and wait and see what this game is all about, ...
Of course it will never be as good as AA 50, but what game ever will ?

it's like you almost kept a straight face while typing, almost to the end...

[zooooma]

=
1) Newly sculpted pieces
2) All new packaging
3) Cornerstone of AA for years

If the game can't live up to that then we're in trouble!

[Adlertag]

We are in trouble 

[General Chang]

I can't see how the pieces will be better than AA50 if the price is lower.  I was a tad disappointed with the aa50 pieces and that game cost a lot more than 42 will.  The Japanese curly bayonet was especially well done 

[Imperious Leader]

They will be this game will be produced in huge quantities allowing for a low price point.

[LuckyDay]

AH didn't said they would be better, just new and refreshed sculpts...

however, on the optimistic side: when you don't have to pay for as big of a board or box, only 5/6ths of the nations, no fancy boxes, less dice, chips and such, you can put some of that money into better quality pieces...hopefully...

[Imperious Leader]

Larry said they are much more refined and detailed. They are less prone to flashing and defects and 'mutations'.

[LuckyDay]

I believe him too, I just hope that he gets final say on quality control, but given the company he's dealing with, I won't hold my breath on that one...   optimistically yes, realistically, i wanna see it first, or at least hear about when you see it.

[questioneer]

The answer is "NO"- it doesn't live up to any hype- it lives WAY below the hype, below any of the company's products.

[allboxcars]

Well problem is us zealots... er I mean dedicated A&A fans, consistently misjudge two things (1) the value of our feedback and (2) the direction of A&A.

With regard to (1) we're talking about a game and its mechanics, the owners of said game are talking product development. As long as our reviews of the game don't directly relate to income from the product, our feedback will largely be ineffectual. In effect: if it's selling, it can't be broke. And if it's selling poorly... they probably don't expect much from war games anyway.

(2) We'd like to see an evolutionary progress in a pretty much linear manner with no backward steps... for example, I'd hoped that after AAE & AAP there'd be a global convoy mechanic developed for AA50.  We can see how that went and subs are still "whatever".
So now, in a post-AA50 view, we're looking at AA42 and scratching our heads. Fact is AA42 isn't the fruit of any previous version's loins with the paternal contributions of the loyal fans, or even an attempt to upgrade the game: it's a placeholder product for Revised. Cheap + Global. And now they can check it off the list.

Perhaps we can expect a few new Battle Specific games to be churned out as that seems to be a lucrative niche in the market... but AA42 is the global game for the next decade. Enjoy. 

[squirecam]

Fact is AA42 isn't the fruit of any previous version's loins with the paternal contributions of the loyal fans, or even an attempt to upgrade the game: it's a placeholder product for Revised. Cheap + Global. And now they can check it off the list.

I said this months ago.

Revised was no longer going to be supported. Revised was "dead" to WOTC, even to the point of not offering prize support for conventions.

Apparently, continuing to sell "revised" would not result in any profit for WOTC.

However, if you use the same map (but change the color/style to Anniversary) and use the Anniversary rules and units, you suddenly have a "new" game to make $$ off of.

There is NO actual reason to buy this junk, except to support Larry, if you have the revised map and anniversary pieces.

All you need is the setup (which except for swapping a few cruisers is also the same).

Rare is it that an A&A edition is a total rip-off just to make money.

This version comes close to, if not crosses, that line.