Somebody really forgot to do some checking before they released this out on the open market. *Shakes head*
Well, I'm going to do my usual system of pros and cons, and I'll try my best to not vent.
Pros:
I) Diversity of ships and goods. Of course, both can be expanded on, but the ships and goods located within the game seemingly is a good, varied distribution of different products within the time frame, and I'm glad about their choices.
II) Seemingly caring production staff. Now, Paradox Interactive is well known as being a very consumer friendly publisher, with numerous staff members prowling its message boards. Nitro Games has followed in this tradition, and over the weekend, the staff of Nitro Games actually worked their asses off to get patches and solutions made.
III) Creative idea. I must give credit for their ambition in stepping away from the mold of most PC games. The idea, given time, and maybe a few more patches/expansion packs, can truly turn into an excellent, powerful game. For now, I'll be cautious.
Cons:
I) Issues with Vista. To begin, to anyone to actually purchased this game, some of you, I'm sure, are aware of the numerous issues with Vista. Older games having issues is understandable...but this is 2009. The flaws of this game when running on Vista was a very, very sad oversight by this company. I, as a user of Vista, have faced two issues already, and the game isn't even a week old. I didn't pay $40 for a beta test spot.
II) Too Few Ports. Now, I'm not sure if they're going to add more in an expansion, but ports like Venice, Roma, Athens, Istanbul, Alexandria, and other European/Mediterranean cities should be opened up as neutral ports. Venice especially should be a playable faction, especially over their other choices of "Sweden" and the Holy Roman Empire (Germany, for those lacking in history).
III) Poor Tactical Combat. The naval battles, once they begin, can be quite entertaining. However....the ship AI, the controls, and the speed of the ships are completely...off. I wasn't able to truly board a ship, because my ships were never able to catch up to the enemy vessels. However, the visuals are stunning, and watching the ships sink, the dead bodies on deck, and the cannons firing are beautiful.
IV) Poor Land Combat. It's very....boring, to say the least. I mean, it works...kinda, but it should have been fleshed out more. Right now it's basically calculating numbers. You have x ships and x troops, you win. That's it. There's no battle simulator, there's no real strategy. You can't let your ships blockade and wear down the port first. Nothing.
V) Trading too Simplified. Now, I actually do enjoy the trading, which most people consider it being one of the downfalls of the game. However, the trading system is basically going back and forth between ports, buying and selling goods. But there aren't any production structures. You can't build a tea plantation, or a gold mine to produce your own goods. You must rely on the local populace. Even the generic goods, which can be quite profitable, are totally out of your hands.
And for this game, I'm adding a third category. Improvements/Suggestions. Now, outside of fixing the cons, these are things I'd love to see added in another expansion, if and when they fix the current issues. Maybe somebody at Nitro will read this.
I) Expand the game to the Americas. Doing this would make the game much more complex, strategic, and interesting. I know it's called "East India Company" but the game itself already have goods from the Americas (Tobacco, is the most noticeable). Being able to control the Tobacco/Cocoa/Sugar trade would make the game much more enjoyable. This would also open up new resources, like the triangle trade, aka slavery.
II) Have production chains/facilities. Things like silk, tea, and coffee are pretty straightforward, but other resources, specially the more generic ones, should have some production lines so we can actually make use of them. Silver would be best, but even steel, weaponry, and textiles should have something.
Well, to anybody considering buying this...my best advice is be patient. Wait a few months to see if the technical issues have been resolved. Until then, purchase at your own frustration. Alright, this is Commanderkai signing out.