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Changed my mind: I LOVE IT

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 24 / 26
Date: May 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The initial version of this software AD 1602 was fun to play, a kind of post-Renaissance Sim City. After a long wait, the 1503 version was released.

At first I hated 1503, thinking it was overly complicated. Well, switched to ENGLISH version (yuh! not smart, I was playing a version in German, the original language of this game) and I broke down and played the tutorials. Wow! There's a lot here. Not only are the graphics stunning, but the economic play is complex and interesting to the end. The formula to success (many aristocrats) is not as it was in 1602. In this case, trade balance is all; if you dare an agressive and too early expansion, your economy can take an irreversible downward spiral, and the cathedral starts softly playing the Miserere from Mozart's Requiem (haha, an anachronism but damn funny, you guys!)

Lots to love here, a great computer game, indeed.

I love it!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 33 / 41
Date: April 09, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I am in love with this game!
As a woman I do not play very much. That's how it used to be anyway...
Times change - ever since I started playing 1503 A.D. it is hard to concentrate on anything else.

Here's why:
I started to explore the world of 1503 A.D. to find the perfect island to settle and start building my empire.
Once I found it and explored it to find out about the ressources I started to set my first little buildings. Next thing you know is that all these tiny people come out of their cabins and start working - sooo cute!
After a while - and after many more buildings - my little village started to grow.
If I keep my people happy my village will soon turn into nice little city with big houses, university ...

If you are looking for something to relax and have fun at the same time - this is the perfect entertainment!

Very worth buying!

Delayed 3 times over 3 years. Now out and ADDICTING!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 19
Date: April 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

The first few nights I spent 10 hours solid playing. This is not good for school. Incrediblly addicting. I like economic simulations that don't focus on war. This is a one of a kind game that gives you a choice to war or not because the AI follows your actions. It has a new twist on the economic scheme in that it is a less comunistic form of government. The funds you acquire are from the sale of items at the market square (Capitalistic). The game takes long in progressing from level to level moving from pioneer, setteler, citizen, merchant, aristocrat. The education system is expanded from the last game of the series (1602) to include research for warfare units as well as larger ships, wells, larger textile manufacturers etc...
You will like this if you like CaesarIII, 1602ad, Tropico.
But you will not like it if you like to just war and avoid the whole economic thing as in: Starcraft, AOE, C&C Generals.
Allthough if you like both CaesarIII and AOE then you'll love 1503a.d.

an engaging game well worth its modest price... great first simulation game to try...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 15 / 15
Date: July 29, 2005
Author: Amazon User

1503 A.D. is a wonderful simulation game for several reasons. It is an engaging game, well worth its modest price. If you are NOT a "gamer", 1503 A.D. is a great first simulation game to try and see if you like this genre.

First, it's important to note that 1503 A.D. is not about slash and burn like Age of Empire. Nothing wrong with Age of Empire, but in that game your sole purpose in building an economy is to build a military to defeat the other guy. And when the other guy's defeated, the game stops. And if you don't attack him, he'll attack you, so it's a tense play.

In 1503 A.D. your goal is to build an economy and explore the new world. It is a simulation of that time when Spain, France, England, Holland etc. first sent ships to the Americas and the Caribbean Islands and discovered the fantastic lands and resources available there. You play at your own pace without time pressure.

I find it engaging on three levels: first, creating a working economy (it's literally a little MODEL of a world, with miniature ships, buildings, roads, trees, animals, crops, and people); second, extending that economy over multiple lands, using ships as the means of communication and trade (for example, you need a tropical island to grow dye plants for luxury clothing); third, the basics and luxuries correspond to the actual economy of that time (food crops, clothing crops, tobacco, dies, spices, whale oil, etc.)

As several reviewers state, 1503 A.D. is quite engaging to play over many hours. You can stop and resume anytime. There are indigenous tribes to discover and trade with. There are prebuilt tutorials and campaigns to try. And there is a "sandbox" mode where you just pick a map and build on your own, with nobody telling you what you have to do.

There are other computer players to trade with. And yes, if you wish, to fight with. You can build troops and warships and send them off to do battle with other settled cities or with the bad guys everyone loves to hate, pirates. The point is, you don't HAVE to do this if you don't want to. Or you can do it LATER, after you've gotten the other features under your belt.

At $9.99 the price is hard to beat, plus, the game plays on normal computers and does not need super graphics cards. I think this is an engaging game well worth its modest price. And it's a GREAT way to explore playing simulation games and see if you like them.

One other tip, in addition to the printed manual that comes with the game, there are many free ONLINE web sites and forums with lots of help, tips and walkthrus etc. from other players. So you can play on your own, or follow a detailed walkthru, or just look up stuff somewhere in between.

Slowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 22 / 32
Date: August 14, 2003
Author: Amazon User

As a big fan of strategy games, I was excited to see 1503 A.D.. I bought it and followed the tutorial, thinking all along of building an empire and once again ruling the world!

What I found was one of the slowest moving games ever. I mean slow, man. Take it from me, I have spent hours working on a Sim City, or building just the right combination of strength in an Age of Empires. This game is so damn slow that it takes days, literally days, to get any real excitement out of it.

The basic premise, as far as I can tell, is that you need to gather a few islands to farm and develop and then start trading with yourself and other civilizations. Building your empire and shipping tobacco, whale blubber, and the like to each island. Taking the money you earn to build things. This is a sound concept and could have been much better if it didn't feel like it was truly "real time".

The problem is that it takes so damn long to develop, it just becomes a hassle, and you just wait and wait, and nothing more happens. So it's kind of like a slow Rails Across America with ships not trains, and Age of Empires without the fear of getting invaded.

Overall, there are a lot more interesting games out there, why bother waiting around for this one to get interesting.

Grandma's Review

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: June 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

You get your money's worth with this one. It's challenge is to build a town without bankrupting and that means being an efficient civil engineer. It operates well (few if any bugs) and the graphics are top notch. There's several websites to get clues on how to approach all the scenarios. This game appears to be big in Europe.

I don't understand...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: April 27, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Everyone keeps griping about this game, but please. Those of you who are, here's an idea, try playing it. :)

The New World was not created overnight. Anyways, I can start a mission at 8pm, and by 11pm, I'm a Merchant.

Let's allllll relax, and actually try it out.

1503 AD -limited

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: September 07, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I found it to be more complex than 1602 but better graphically. It does have several problems. All of the functions I had read that were supposed to be usable; were not. I had done a lot of research on it and supposedly you could board ships, capture enemy territory by building your warehouse over the almost destroyed one and others were nothing but hype. You find out in a text file on the CD AFTER you buy the product that not everything works. I think it was done on purpose so people would buy the expansion where it does work; European version. There is no official editor, like in 1602, but after a crash course in german I did find an unofficial one. The game is funner to play than 1602 but not worth the full msrp; in my opinion. It is worth buying at the low prices now for it. One last thing, support is very limited for this game, another lacking area. Have fun.

Great!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: May 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

At first I admit the game was hard to understand, but when you know how to use everything its quite fun..Anyway..

To radioactive_foxhound from British columbia: quote-"...build a thriving colony over many many days of playing..." Many days?? I can build a thriving colony in like 2 hours, you just need to know how to play the game. Oh and the only reason that your boats are "harassed" by pirates is because other computer players can pay the pirates to go after your boats, just like you can pay pirates to protect you etc. Like I said you just need to know how to play the game (which you obviously don't).

To Tiffany L Savage from Chicago, IL: If you had read the manual you would know how to build on other Islands. Like I said before LEARN TO PLAY THE GAME, before you come here and trash it and make it sounds like it sucks. And I can grow tobacco (which isn't that hard- put a plantation, add some tobacco plants, and put a tobacco place, and wha-la), and my sheep do just fine. Oh and depending on the level you play depends on the amount of cultures/computer players there are (on the level I play which is Count-2 stars- I think, you get 4 other computer players and 2-4 cultures and then you)

To General Pete from SC: $42?!?! Where are you buying your games? I got mine for like $25 Canadian (which would be like on $10 American) when the game had only been out a week.

To Didier MILLEROT from Bruxelles Belgium: This game is to hard for 5 year olds, if you couldn't tell...

Alright I'm done my ranting and raving. I thought the game was great you just have to understand. I also can't wait until I can get the expansion pack.

Great Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: April 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Wow, I've never been pulled into a game like this!
Once you started building your medieval village your inhabitants won't let you stop: "We need food, we need spices, more building materials, please..."
And this all looks incredibly detailed.
I have to go back and explore some more islands ;-)

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