Back when I was a wee little gaming enthusiast my Dad bought me a copy of "Their Finest Hour"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Their_Finest_Hour_%28video_game%29. On of my favorite things to do in it was to make a custom mission where I would fly one bomber against several fighters. The game had a mechanic where you could jump from cockpit to any of 5 gunner positions. A little dial would tell you which gunner position had an enemy plane in its fire arc. I used to think "wouldn't it be great if I could play this game with my friends where I fly the ship and my friends man the guns."
Fast forward 20 years and Guns of Icarus (the original) comes out. I had played many simulators, shooters, and strategy games in the in between years but GOI captured that feeling of scrambling between gun positions. Its multi player is almost exactly what I wanted from my early gaming days. I was really excited by the prospect of playing with other people coordinating the defense of the airship. Unfortunately the community dried up in a few months as the game mechanics wore through its novelty.
I am really happy GOI:O has managed to keep a stable community and that its game dynamics remain enjoyable even after 400+ hours of play. It dawned upon me today that I like GOI:O not just for its excellent game play and community, but because it rekindles and expands on that joy of the old not quite arcade not quite simulator games of my youth. Has any one else had a similar experience?
