Expanding my gaming horizons

[Jmaster]

I'm relatively new to Poly, so please bear with me.

The only game on Poly I've played is SMAC. Does anybody have any suggestions in case I decide to go game-buying? I prefer strategies, preferably ones with epic storylines.

[Hendrik]

Alien Crossfire well you don't have much of a choice, there are fewer bugs in SMACX than in SMAC, especially if you want to pop boom with Morgan or Yang using a golden age.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Actually been playing a bunch of CTP2. Quite enjoyable, far better IMHO than CIV3. Since it has an active modding community, you buy one game and essentially have 5 to choose from if you download the mods found here at 'Poly.

From what I understand CTP was shite when it first came out. A bit less shite for CTP2, actually I find CTP2 (unmodded better than CIV3). But it really shines in some of its mods.

Worth a look see considereing you can pick it up for less than $20.


OTOH, SMAC and SMAX will always be my favs.

[Andemagne]

Civilization 2 Multiplayer Gold, Civilization 3, Colonization, Master Of Orion 2, .....

[Method]

Originally posted by Andemagne
Civilization 3

/me makes farting noise with tongue

that is by far, without exageration, the worst game ever created. buy SMAX if you can find it, but if not, MOO3 looks like it might be good (though i've never played moo2).

ogie: CTP2? is it actually good?

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Originally posted by TKG


* TKG makes farting noise with tongue

that is by far, without exageration, the worst game ever created. buy SMAX if you can find it, but if not, MOO3 looks like it might be good (though i've never played moo2).

ogie: CTP2? is it actually good?

Yeah, I like it quite a bit. As far as the historical TBS go. It is on the money. Make sure you download the patch and then the apolyton mods including modswap utility.

Its different. No settlers/engineers/formers instead terraforming is done through Public Works. Take a tax on all productivity (shields) and it gets applied to a terraforming budget/bank.

Beats manipulating hundreds of units to t-form. OTOH I haven't figured out how to expedite t-0forming as you can by gang forming.

Combat kicks a$$. Armies fight instead of individual units. Armies rely on good combined arms strategies including range units firing from second ranks, melee units taking the bront of the frontal assault, and flanking manuevable units being able to attack from the sides/flanks. Combat explodes into a tactical resolution wherein you can retreat (as the attacker only).

The biggest thing thats different is that the workers are automatically assigned (and no means to manually assign them ala CIV2/3 or SMAC). From size 1-8 you work the first rign of squares around your city. Whats more there is no specific square your citizen works moreover it is an average of those 8 squares output. So at size 1 you get 1/8 the output of all 8 squares. Size 2 1/4 etc. AS your city grows from size 8 to 9 all the first rings of squares are worked. The 9th citizen then works the average of the next ring of squares until your reach size 21(?) then you have a third ring of square that your city can work.

All in all different from previous CIV games but its still TBS and still very enjoyable and for my money far superior to the CIV3 drivel.

I was surfing over there and saw rave reviews from Vel. I gave it a go and it wowed me. I give fair warning though it is different.

[Straybow]

I'm not sure that it averages all available tiles. I've seen significant changes in growth by placing one farm by a new city. That leads me to think that it chooses improved tiles over unimproved tiles. I suppose the CTP2 fanatics would know better than me.

I found the game a bit slow moving and I despise the trade model almost as much as I despise Civ3 resource and luxury trade models. Then again, if you haven't played Civ2 you may find ignorance is bliss.

[Mr. President]

For me Civilization 2 involves too much micromanaging; I'm tired of Alpha Centauri at the moment for the same reason. Civilization III wouldn't install on my computer, so I spit on it.

So in other words, I'm not playing any of the games covered at Apolyton at the moment, and this post was a complete waste of time.

[spartak]

Not really.

[Alex]

Originally posted by Mr. President
So in other words, I'm not playing any of the games covered at Apolyton at the moment, and this post was a complete waste of time.

At least you don't have to try to get some time to play Civ3, SMAC and CTP2...

[Clear Skies]

Master of Orion.
Imperium Galactica has some merit, not much though.

[Andemagne]

D'oh! I forgot CTP and CTP2.

Originally posted by TKG
(though i've never played moo2)

it's a great game, try it.

[Frankychan]

Originally posted by Mr. President
For me Civilization 2 involves too much micromanaging; I'm tired of Alpha Centauri at the moment for the same reason. Civilization III wouldn't install on my computer, so I spit on it.

So in other words, I'm not playing any of the games covered at Apolyton at the moment, and this post was a complete waste of time.

I don't even know where to start...

Anyway, Jmaster-don't worry. I like to think of us SMACers (AC-players) as an elite group.

Good games to play are (as said before) Masters of Orion. Another one I personally like is Age of Empires, even though its really old. You could play Shogun: Total War but I don't think it has much plot to it, just make war and build up your provinces.

[Velociryx]

If you're looking for a game with a epic feel to it, you could do a lot worse than Ctp2. I was a big-time naysayer of the game for a loooong time when it came out, because I based my opinion on the general buzz here at 'poly, but after having given the game a test drive for myself, I rapidly came to the conclusion that the buzz was wrong.

Here's an excellent example of what I mean. Civ3 is the most recent game in the lineup, and yet, here are the common complaints of that game:

1) Combat sucks. Too unpredictable.
2) Relatively weak armies
3) No wonder movies
4) Limited customization
5) Anemic tech tree with too many "speed bump" techs (techs that provide nothing in the way of benefits, but that you MUST research anyway)
6) No caravans. Trade too abstracted.
7) Nothing functional in the way of spying or "unconventional" war.
8) less-than-gratifying victory screens for everything but winning the space race.

CtP2, a far, far older game, shipped with all of these problems addressed. Modding has only made the game stronger and more attractive (they've even got a mod where wonders built appear on the map as tile improvements....TALK about eyecandy!

We've got wonders, a GREAT army/combined arms system that means you actually have to put some thought into your unit arrays, Public Works which is a HUGE timesaver and MM-fighting tool (sorry Og, no way to speed terraform terrains, but OTOH, with a beefed up PW tax, you can do multiple tiles per turn...so far, my highest one-turn PW total was just a shade under 40k! )

And, just to prove how moddable Ctp2 really is, there's a move afoot by the modders there to convert all of Civ3's units (workers included) to Ctp2.

It simply would not be possible for Civ3 modders to return the favor.

So...there's that, a vast, intricate tech tree, a trade system that makes sense (could be deeper, but IMO, it's better as it stands now than Civ3's), more diplomatic options--still a few glaring omissions but ::shrug:: can't have everything I guess--and TONS of unconventional war options (spies, clerics/conversions, franchises in rival cities....tons of others!).

Well worth the price!

-=Vel=-

[Straybow]

Anybody tried HoMM 4 yet?

[Kirov]

HoMM 4 sucks, it's far behind Heroes 2 and 3. Differs much from those previous games, for instance in using heroes in combat. It's just step back, just like Civ 3 compared with Civ 2.

Europa Universalis 2 is IMHO the best RTS, in many ways much better than the best TBS - SMAC. Try it!

[Mr. President]

Originally posted by Mr. President

So in other words, I'm not playing any of the games covered at Apolyton at the moment, and this post was a complete waste of time.

Actually we can cancel that, since I bought Call to Power (the original) earlier today.

[Alinestra Covelia]

You have my sympathies.

[Jmaster]

Originally posted by Frankychan

Another one I personally like is Age of Empires, even though its really old.

I have AOE II and The Conquerors expansion. They're good.

I also like Empire Earth, which I consider the ultimate epic strategy: over a dozen epochs and 500,000 years of history, and a large number of units. The graphics are better than AOE, too.

[Andemagne]

D@mn! I forgot Heroes3 too.

ADOM is great also. try it.

[Straybow]

HoMM 3 got to be too much: 8 city types, each with 2 associated hero classes and with 6 levels of monsters (each having a normal and upgraded version) and a dozen or more structures to build (few common to all city types); spells divided into 4 categories and 5 levels, plus thirtyish character skills, each with 3 levels.

I prefer to play casually, and I found that I can't play HoMM 3 that way. It is unenjoyable unless you're prepared to concentrate on it.

I've heard others say that HoMM 4 is "too different." Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[Andemagne]

Originally posted by Straybow
8 city types with 6 levels of monsters (each having a normal and upgraded version)

actually, 9 city types with 7 levels of different monsters and with about a dozen of neutral monsters.....

you can play Heroes3 casually.

maybe we need a HoMM forum...

[Jmaster]

Wow, look at all the suggestions...

Anybody try the Empire earth expansion pack? I'm also considering getting it. It's probably not worth the money (just a glorified patch) but it's a sweet game so I might.

[Straybow]

Andemagne:

1. Castle
2. Dungeon
3. Fortress
4. Inferno
5. Necropolis
6. Rampart
7. Stronghold
8. Tower

Neutrals: 4 elementals + 2 golems


Jmaster: EE?? RTS heresy!

[Andemagne]

Jmaster: go for HoMM3! go for HoMM3

Straybow: so you haven't got the first expancion, Armageddons Blade, which introduces 9. town type, the Conflux, it has all the elementals and the Phoenix.
AB has also those dozen neutral mosters.
BTW which town you like best? (there is a thread about this in the "other games"-forum.)

[Jmaster]

Originally posted by Straybow
Jmaster: EE?? RTS heresy!

Ooops. Now I'll have to watch my back.

I like all the ideas and all, but could somebody point me to a page that explains all the acroynyms? This thread is becoming alphabet soup.

[Chowlett]

Well, I don't know about in general, but those two would be Empire Earth, and Real-Time Strategy respectively.

[Straybow]

Jmaster: CtP = Call to Power; HoMM = Heroes of Might & Magic

Andemagne: Didn't know there was an add-on for HoMM3.

[Chowlett]

HoMM3's going for budget in my local GAME shop - £5, or 3 labelled titles for £10. Is it worth it? I can almost certainly find another 2 titles (for a start, Thief II is eligible).

[Velociryx]

Most definately worth it, bud!

-=Vel=-
PS: Dungeon and Rampart rule....

EDIT: If you've never played the game before, here would be my recommendation:

Dungeon is probably the town type of choice for new players. It's creatures are all sturdy and durable, and most have special abilities (beholders and medusas are both ranged attackers and harpys may as well be--no retaliation--manticores have flying, and black dragons are immune to all spells). Their level one guys (troglodytes) even have a special in that they have no eyes, and so, are immune to blindness. A good, solid group. When you factor in the fact that they have some of the strongest heroes in the game (pick Deemer your first time out and enjoy the ride!), and you've got a KILLER towntype.

Personally, my preference lies with Rampart....the creatures of that town type work amazingly well together...GREAT synergy! Elves are prolly pound for pound the best ranged unit in the whole game, and Dwarves/Dendriods seem indestructable in battle, able to stand toe-to-toe with bigger (higher level or more expensive) troops and hold their own.

Tower is the cadallic town type...awesome creatures across the board, but sooooo freakin' expensive. Still, there's really nothing that can stand up to massed Nagas and Titans, so if you have the money, these guys rock.

Don't write Stronghold off, by any means! The Behemoth is probably one of the scariest critters you'll ever face, and if you don't deal with them on the first round of a combat, they WILL munch your level 7 stack. Trouble is, Stronghold is all guns and no shields...they can't take a punch. Once you start putting a hurt on them, they fold pretty quickly. Takes a different mindset to play them well, but once you get a feel for them, they're awesome.

I'd steer clear of the swamp guys tho, at least at first....not because they're no good....in fact, in the right hands, they can be devastating, but are very "twitchy" and tough to play well. Gorgons are your best friends, and hands down, the best level 5 critter in the game, but you never seem to have quite enough of them....

-=Vel=-