I have practically given up a lifetime love affair with computer gaming.
Over the past decade, the good gaming opportunities have become extremely thin on the ground.
I admit that my type of game is really narrow and not the most popular,but it seems to me that one good game per quarter is not much to ask.
For the sake of illumination I will enumerate some of my favorites; it will help show what I am looking for:
Civilization 1
Wing Commander
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
Europa Universalis
Hearts of Iron II
I am not much of an action guy, but WC or Xwing/Tie Fighter were exceptions. They do not, as far as I know even make this type of game anymore. All action games are shooter games. I have no idea why. I can only assume it must be far more lucrative or easy to program, because people certainly bought the games I mentioned.
Regarding Civ 1, I loved the original but rarely has any sequel or any turn based 4X style knock off improved the genre. It isn't pleasure to repeat an experience without meaningful differentiation.
SW:KotOR and similar games have always been a favorite for me. However, recently my interest has waned. I liked Mass Effect, but Dragon Age was a massive, massive disapointment. The buildup was huge... It was going to have a compelling original storyline a la Baldur Gate, but with toolset that modernised the Neverwinter Nights style do-it-yourself gaming. The story was interesting, but confining. The toolset was daunting. If someone else breaks it in and writes step-by-steps, then I will look again... but right now it dissapoints.
On the strategy front I was all riled up by HoI 3, and they had a lot of fantastic Ideas about improving HoI 2. However, the ideas about the game engine outstripped the ability to properly balance the war and prep the AI. Too much complexity too manage makes the game worse, not better.
Anyhow, the time is too short to discuss the Multiplayer side of the equation... maybe that's where I am missing out...
Shadow of Victory
8 years ago
3 comments:
My time for games was never high, and as life continues it gets reduced more and more.
I enjoyed the first WC but couldn't aford the time to devote to the follow ons.
I did my time with Dark Age of Camalot, but that was when I had friends to group up with.
I did play Port Royal 1 and 2 to the end, but hey... that was pirates.
And of course there is one of my all time favs.... Total War:Rome. Nothing says 'Unleash Hell' like burning pigs into a mass of Celts.
Total War:Barbarians was even better. There was some time spent getting Empire back on it's feet, but once you do it is rather enjoyable watching the succession of classic tribes wonder onto the board and get ripped apart by my highly trained and equip Legions.
When it comes to the unique (now unique) turn based via email there is nothing that compairs to Stars! A truely STROPTICAL (Strat, Operational, Tactical) game. There was more fun in the negotiations than the developement. And everyone knows I'm a rabid micro-manager. Have to get the G to the right place at the right time to squeeze out that extra couple of resource points.
And Stars! is now getting close to 15years old.
Damn I miss Stars!
Tom B recommended Cosmic Supremacy in that genre.
To reinforce what Murph said:
http://cosmicsupremacy.com/game_features.php
and
http://cosmicsupremacy.com/screenshots.php
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I loved Civ 1. I hear Civ 4 was very good as well (Ed and Doug love it). I liked Sim City, but not the successors.
Loved KOTOR and KOTOR II and NWN. Haven't tried NWN2.
Loved WC1, liked 2 and 3 but missed some things from one. Smarter AI in 3 was nice though.
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I've gotten more into computer games during my year off last year than I have been for a long time before that.
My basic factors for considering a game fun for me are:
1) Cooperative multi-player
2) Enough complexity to have replayability, enough simplicity to not force me to develop a new language and science to play the game
3) The ability to micromanage is nice, but don't force me to do it and surely don't force me to do it on a frenetic schedule
4) I hate RTSes generally
5) I hate farming, crafting, resource harveting generally
6) If it is a shooter, it should reward tactics and good decisions as much as twitch-ability
7) No game should take hundreds of hours to complete (MMOs, I'm looking at you!)
8) No game should make me dance excessive amounts (Sid Meier's Pirates, I'm looking at you)
Great Games I've played in the last year:
1) KOTOR I (I previously played and loved KOTOR II)
2) Left 4 Dead (both SP and MP variants, though Coop MP is my favourite)
3) Medeival Total War II (only the battles, the campaign bored and frustrated me)
4) Half Life 2 (and its follow ons) (but only in easy mode)
5) Armed Assault II (modern shooter/sim on a grand scale with Coop MP mode)
6) NWN Diamond Edition (neat, doing my own modules is too much work, but lots of good user content to DL and play, good MP with friends)
Waiting to be played: Rome:TW, Rome:TW Barbarians, Stalker, Bioshock, more HL-2 legs, More NWN modules
Played, so so games: Republic Commando, Medeival Total War II (campaign game), Sid Meier's Pirates (too much dancing!)
Anxiously awaited: Old Republic (first MMO since MUDs)
Recommended to me: Dragon Age (by Ed)
What I want most:
1) A game I could play with my friends in a small cooperative group (Ed, Doug, James, Derek, Gary, Ken, Rob, Kevin, Peter) online (NWN 1 actually fit the bill... if more of us had the diamond edition we could run some dungeon crawls together)
2) Single player games with deep story but that don't involve frustrating levels of work to get through (good: HL-2 on easy mode, KOTOR I and II)
4) Single player games that take 20-40 hours to get through all the way and that don't cost $60
5) An MMO that won't be a grind fest or a spend-a-thon to get gear and perks (hoping that Bioware can do it with Republic) and that I can convince several of my friends to play with me
Thought of trying Champions on line for an MMO supers fix. Thought of L4D two, but most people say L4D one is better.
My biggest miss is the ability to get my group of friends together for a common game. Full stop.
I've recently dug up photos of many of us playing Kremlin at Pete's parents place. Others of the rest of us playing Formula Day on Bay Street.
Boardgames give us the opportunity for social interaction. So do team coop games against AIs over the net. I'd like to revive that interaction.
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