Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul

After the changes published in the 2nd edition, decided to downgrade the rating of the overall product from 9 to 5.

The new version (edition?) brings Not minor changes, tweeks or clarifications but substantial changes in the number of Ops in the cards, changes in operational costs to sieges...

Very good mechanics in the simulation of this particular and asymmetrical campaign; rules and components are overall good. Unfortunately This was an untested product sent to market without sufficient testing and development process. A fatal mistake to purchase a GMT game in the 1st edition.

The 1st edition comes with a lack of control markers and also comes with sleeves for the cards but no bags to store the various components.

The "Update Kit" should reach the customer with an apology and at zero cost.

Based on initial play. I have far from mastered the game, but I can understand the criticisms leveled against the 1st Generation game that I used to have. It does seem unbalanced against the Romans. It IS asymmetrical, but I don't think the victory conditions are finely tuned. The dice-based combat system is solid. The rules are well-written. It all makes sense and the game play is fun, but It seems a bit underdeveloped. It seems like the Gauls do a lot of turtling and Caesar runs around performing sieges. That's not the Gallic Wars.

I played a partial game to determine if the 2nd generation upgrade was worth getting or not. After going through 2 upgrades on [thing=162009][/thing], it’s starting to feel like a collectible game: how much do I have to spend to get a great game? Not doing that again, especially when it seems like it is so far from feeling like the Gallic Wars. And even with the upgrades, I have doubts it will supplant [thing=391818][/thing] as my favorite game on the subject.

I’m amazed how confidently the designers handled this elusive topic. Of course, it must be understood that this game is about Caesar's insatiable ambition and the vastness of divided Gaul, and this is how its dynamics should be interpreted. Which isn't too difficult by the way, so it's strange to watch the fuss about fixing "balance issues".

If you've read [i]Commentarii de bello Gallico[/i] and you like wargames that give you a run for your money, then it's hard not to appraciate Caesar: Rome vs. Gaul. Although I don't consider it perfect due to the usual wargamer rules bloat, it became apparent with the second edition that there was absolutely no need for any substantial changes to this game.

my first GMT game.

Beautiful game that changes seamlessly from the early stage of the Fuseki(influence race), via the middle stage of the guerrilla warfare, and toward the final stage of the decisive battle between mainstays. Game balance is also perfect. See my articles in Sessions and Strategy Forum!

Colin's