OT: Recommendations?

[Bossemanden]

Well I would recomend the games in my sig. All (except Dominions II) are made by Paradox Entertainment. Another Swedish software company.

Europa Universalis 2. Play any country from 1419-1819. Rather deep diplomacy and lots of wars.

Hearts of Iron. WWII grand strategy game. More focus on war and technology, but engine is recognicable from EU2.

Victoria - An Empire under the sun. Play any country from 1836-1920. Unite Germany or Italy. Fight the Crimean war etc. Engine is developed from the former two games.

Of the three my favourite is EU2. Both the others are good as well.

Edit: Be prepared for rather steep learning curves and dont trust the manual, but seek answers from the Online FAQ or the forums. People behave much like on this forum (Thats supposed to be a positive endorsement ).

Edit2: Oh and by the way, the Pause/break button is your friend

[ March 09, 2004, 23:48: Message edited by: Bossemanden ]

[Taqwus]

Originally posted by Kel:
King Of Dragon Pass

Don't recall a URL but it is probably the most *unique* style of game I have ever seen and addictive at the same time.

Not MP but an amazingly fun and unique SP game.

- Kel

Definitely. It's a weird cross between a role-playing game and a strategy game, without the usual micromanagement. In fact, being able to only initiate two major actions a turn prevents being bogged down in micromanagement...

Production company is A-Sharp, URL is http://www.a-sharp.com/kodp.

And remember to think like an Orlanthi, instead of min-maxing or adhering too much to modern sensibilities.

[fahdiz]

Thanks again to everybody who posted! You folks are fantastic.

I've actually read a bit about Europa Universalis 2 (I like a lot of the things Strategy First publishes, especially Kohan and Disciples II - while neither game is especially deep, they are intensely entertaining ) and I've been itching to try it. Now I'll have to break down and do it.

Steep learning curves are not a deterrent to me. I actually love them, because I feel a sense of accomplishment when I finally learn to do something useful.

[ March 10, 2004, 02:02: Message edited by: fahdiz ]

[Saber Cherry]

Stars!: http://www.crisium.com/stars/index.html

Originally posted by fahdiz:
2) I don't have a Playstation.

No problem. I bought one just so I could play Xenogears, and consider it a good bargain. PS's are cheaper now, too...

For reference, I didn't like Europa Universalis II (I was so disappointed after all the build-up). In the RTS genre, I consider Kohan (which you've played) much better. And Total Annihilation is still, IMO, the best RTS ever (especially multiplayer). If you enjoyed Kohan you should give it a spin... or Warlords Battlecry II, which is a more traditional RTS than TA or Kohan.

[Arryn]

Originally posted by fahdiz:
I've actually read a bit about Europa Universalis 2 (I like a lot of the things Strategy First publishes, especially Kohan and Disciples II - while neither game is especially deep, they are intensely entertaining ) and I've been itching to try it. Now I'll have to break down and do it.

EU2 should be available in the bargain bin, so try not to pay full price for it. Also be sure to check out the official EU2 forum *before* you play the game. Fair warning (and at the risk of incurring the wrath of the Paradox fanbois here) but EU2 is still, after seven patches, buggier than Dom 2 (some of the bugs are quite serious), and has a weaker AI than Dom. The game is very educational, if you're into history (I recommend buying a copy of EU1, for ~$6 in bargain bins, just for the excellent manual it has), but EU2 has a very weak and seriously-flawed AI if you're expecting any sort of challenge from the game.

A better Paradox game would be HOI with the latest CORE mod. HOI still has some fundamental AI flaws that are ingrained in the engine that no amount of modding has been able to fix, but HOI plays more "intelligently" than EU2 by far. The EU2 AI makes a lot of bad decisions (some truly stupendously stupid), and it's simply too easy to win against it.

Okay, Bosse, have at me ...

[ March 10, 2004, 02:12: Message edited by: Arryn ]

[fahdiz]

Originally posted by Saber Cherry:
For reference, I didn't like Europa Universalis II (I was so disappointed after all the build-up). In the RTS genre, I consider Kohan (which you've played) much better. And Total Annihilation is still, IMO, the best RTS ever (especially multiplayer). If you enjoyed Kohan you should give it a spin... or Warlords Battlecry II, which is a more traditional RTS than TA or Kohan.

I love Kohan. Love it, love it, love it. One of my favorite RTSes - I enjoy it more than I did Total Annihilation. (Heresy, I know.) I can't wait for Kings of War.

I have and frequently play Warlords BC II. It's great! Unfortunately Warlords IV was a real letdown, coming off the greatness of Warlords III and then going years ahead to...IV. Hardly the update many thought it would be.

As far as realtime goes, in addition to Kohan, WBC II, Homeworld, and Age of Mythology, I'm somewhat a fan of the (now slightly long in the tooth) Majesty. I also really liked (and still play, on occasion) Sacrifice.

[ March 10, 2004, 02:51: Message edited by: fahdiz ]

[fahdiz]

Originally posted by Arryn:
EU2 should be available in the bargain bin, so try not to pay full price for it.

I try *never* to pay full price unless there are no other options. I am a Bargain Bin Hunter of the Third Degree.

Thanks for your comments on the AI...I sure wish there was a demo available, so that I could see for myself.