Re: OT: Recommendations?
 

Hello!
I'm no wargamer, nor experienced gamer at all, and have no clue about publishing houses and all, but I really really liked
Planescape Torment
Fallout (1&2)
Arcana
-- I think these were all by Bioware or Bioware related people.
I did not care for NWN at all, finding it totally superficial, and Morrowind bugged me for the same reasons.
I know none of these are the same genre as DomII, but I think you asked for that in your original post.

Re: OT: Recommendations?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Ah yes. I fondly remember Torment and the Fallouts as the best CRPG´s I´ve ever played (Possible contenders are Baldurs gate I and II). Havent heard of Arcana. Do you mean Arcanum, by Troika?

Re: OT: Recommendations?
 

Planescape Torment - Black Isle Studios (Interplay)
Fallout - Black Isle Studios (Interplay)
Arcanum - Troika Games (Sierra)
NWN - Bioware (Atari)

Bioware is famous for Baldur's Gate (etc.), which they developed in conjunction with Black Isle (yes, two major design studios on one project). Bioware's most recent product is Knights of the Old Republic, distributed by LucasArts.

Troika's most recent effort is the POS game Temple of Elemental Evil. OTOH, they are working on Vampire: Bloodlines, which may give me cause to forgive them for prostituting themselves with Temple.

Re: OT: Recommendations?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Yes, Dom II is pretty much the only turn-based fantasy game I'm playing these days. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif Every once in a while I fire up Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic to look at the pretty graphics...and then I shut it down again and play Dom. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

Thanks for all your suggestions, by the way - I've played every game on that list and loved them all (except for Torment and Arcanum, which I just "liked", my enthusiasm having been tempered somewhat by combat-related issues). Great minds think alike, eh? http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

So far I've come out of this discussion with some great finds - chief among them being King of Dragon Pass, Space Empires IV, Laser Squad Nemesis (what a kick that little game is!), and Europa Universalis II. I'll be buying all four of those, for sure.

If anyone has further suggestions of current "indie" games which are labors of love rather than labors of cash, I'd still love to hear them. But these, plus Dom, should keep me going for a while. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon10.gif

EDIT: By the way, I don't know how many of you were fans of the old Eon boardgame Cosmic Encounter (I used to play it like crazy, until my set got water damage http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif ), but I found out recently that the Eon folks have gotten back together to make a fully Online Version of their classic game, with new stuff being added all the time. It's at Cosmic Encounter Online if you want to check it out. Just trying to return the favor in some small way. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

[ March 10, 2004, 18:32: Message edited by: fahdiz ]

Re: OT: Recommendations?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Scary ... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: OT: Recommendations?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Scary ... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/tongue.gif http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Now, now... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

[ March 10, 2004, 18:32: Message edited by: fahdiz ]

Re: OT: Recommendations?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">If you liked X-COM/TFTD/X-COM:Apoc you might want to check out UFO:Aftermath. The primary fan site can link you to demos and the publisher's site. GoGamer.com carries the game, BTW, as does EBgames in their stores.

Re: OT: Recommendations?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I only tease people I like. I think you've seen what I do to those I don't ... http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon12.gif

Re: OT: Recommendations?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">Hmm I bougth UFO:Aftermath and it was a nice enough game, but somehow the athmosphere of the XCOM games wasnt there. Played it through once and havent touched it after.
Not really sure why I wasnt impressed. It should be a much better game than the earlier XCOM´s, but it isnt. Apoc is still my favourite XCOM game.

Re: OT: Recommendations?
 

<font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">I don't know, but it made me sad. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif

The tactical one-on-one combat system is interesting, but marred in my opinion by the absolutely hideous, cartoony graphics. The map portion of the game and the other artwork looks OK, though...

And it must be said that I am not really a graphics buff, or at least not one who values graphics over gameplay. But...wow. Warlords IV threw out many of the things which made WIII great, and introduced other things which - in my opinion - didn't add a lot of value to the mix. I was really looking forward to it, too. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/icons/icon9.gif </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="sans-serif, arial, verdana">To be honest, it seems as though they try to start their next game half way through the one they are currently working on. It happened to Warlords Battlecry 2. They started on Warlords 4, and just seemed to drop support for WB2. Then, Warlords 4, before it is even really out, they seem to drop support for that, and start promoting (and focusing) on Warlords Battlecry 3.

Doesn't make much sense...but i know that it sucks. I loved Warlords Battlecry 2, but then they just seemed to STOP doing anything more with/for it. Before WB3 is done, they may start Warlords 5, then just dump WB3....

Not sure I am understanding any of it. I played Warlords IV, and I was NOT impressed. Especially in light of Dominions 2. Dom2 is THE best fantasy tbs strat game i have played. And the junk that Warlords 4 turned out to be....

Right now, I am playing a number of games....Planetside, I have Rise of Nations on my pc (waiting for the x-pack), Warlords Battlecry 2 (thinking about taking that one off though), Medieval Total War & Shogun Total War (haven't played them yet though), and thinking about putting Civ3 (w/ x-packs) back on.

Of course, Dominions 2 is on, and Space Empires 4 Gold is on there too, but I haven't played those either. Mostly just Planetside, and now Gangland.

I would recommend Gangland to just about anyone. It is pretty good, I think.

Chris