OT: What other games are people playing??

[Stormbinder]

Heh.

I have started playing again Titans of Steel Last week, trying new veterna-level compaigns.


I don't think a lot of people played or even heard about this game. All I can say about it - it is the Dominion 2 of turnbased sci-fi strategy.



The depth of this game is amazing, but ne aware that the learning curve is steep as an Everest. Dom2 learining curve is kindergarden compared to that one. ;( UI in partuclar seem very convulted in first, until you really dig how the gaem work. Than you start thinking of its UI as a brilliant.


The main obstacle to learn is that it is neither turnbased not realtime game, belonging instead to unique subgenre. It is neither "I Go You Go", or "We Go" (lime in Combat Missions) system. It created new subgenre of turn based games by itself.

Everything is happening in the same time BUT it is happening in time-segemrts (seconds). It feels like turnbased game but not quite, and because everything is happenign at the same time - shooting, movement, etc, it takes some time to get used to the idea, since it play very doffent from other turn based games.


Frankly I never was a fan of mechwarrior-types univerce, giant robots, etc. But the game hooked even me, and hooked me good. It has strong RPG elements in addition to very deep strategy, the cusotimization level of both giant robots and thier "jockeys" (drivers) is amazing, and the AI is extremely smart and totally brutal (without cheating!)


Basicly if you like turnbased hardcore strategy(even if you don't care about mechwarriors, like I don't), you have to try that game. The commercial Version called "Titans of Steel:The Warring Suns", it is enchanced Version of freeware game, with several compaigns. Make sure to download all the patches, the user guides/tables from the forum. And kiss your social life good bye for week or two - that game is addictive as hell.



Regards,
Stormbinder

[Karacan]

If you see Hetzer, tell him I miss him.

Titans Of Steel is unfortunately not as complex as it looks, but good fun anyway. The Mechdesigning itself is very well done, and nearly limitless. Though if you gain half a year experience (or play once against the real pros), you find that there are only a few choices how to sensibly configure your Titans, and then its still down to terribly randomness, especially if both sides have newbie jockeys...


Things I still play: King Of Dragonpass (every now and then), Morrowind (one of my main characters has an extensive library, and I like to read those books ), Diablo 2 (though I much prefer the atmosphere and story of Diablo 1, but my girlfriend only wants to play D2...) and System Shock 2 in a multiplayer campaign. I consider getting Warlords IV, despite the bad critics and despite the terrible user interface I've seen in the demo (for the sake of gods, you can't deactivate a group in a city, so that when you cycle to your next unmoved unit, it will always pop up... hope that gets fixed in a patch, blech...), because I loved Warlords III dearly and can't get it running under WinXP... *sigh*

[Vynd]

I am also playing Medeival: Total War and Angband. Let's hear it for rogue-like games!

[Stormbinder]

Karacan said:

Diablo 2 (though I much prefer the atmosphere and story of Diablo 1, but my girlfriend only wants to play D2...)

Diablo 1 had a story?!?

[bleach168]

Right now, I am a fantasy baseball freak. Also play some City of Heroes on the side.

As for Magic, constructed was always limited to 2-3 top tier decks. The best way to play was booster draft.

[Aku]

I liked Diablo 1, but never got into Diablo 2. Not sure why. I was probably occupied with other games.

The Vampire Bloodlines...is that the one based on the paper and dice game Vampire Masquerade? If so I downloaded a gameplay video of the developers playing through parts of the game showing it off. If its the same game it may be an interesting rpg to play.

[Arryn]

Aku said:
but never got into Diablo 2

It's never too late to get addicted!

Aku said:
The Vampire Bloodlines...is that the one based on the paper and dice game Vampire Masquerade? If so I downloaded a gameplay video of the developers playing through parts of the game showing it off. If its the same game it may be an interesting rpg to play.

Based upon, yes. The rules have had to be modified to accomodate computer play, and the average (lack of) attention span of most of today's gamers. (Sorry, pet peeve of mine. Dumbing down game rules to make them more "streamlined" or "exciting".)

Aku said:
If so I downloaded a gameplay video of the developers playing through parts of the game showing it off. If its the same game it may be an interesting rpg to play.

The 5-part video (teaser) was nice. The game itself is (currently) scheduled for release the Last week of October. Assuming it isn't delayed yet again. And two months after that is the scheduled release of KoTOR 2 ...

[Aku]

yeah arryn that 5 part video was the exact same one i downloaded

Another interesting game is the expansion Jump to Lightspeed for Star Wars Galaxies BUT that is if they dont mess it up. They claim it will be like the old x-wing and tie fighter games and you use your actual skill not character skill for it but I want to see it first. It could land up being a horrible expansion and buggy as hell like how Alien Invasion was just now for Anarchy Online.

[Arryn]

Aku said:
Another interesting game is the expansion Jump to Lightspeed for Star Wars Galaxies BUT that is if they dont mess it up.

Having been one of the original closed-beta testers for SWG on through the release and for several months thereafter, Sony left a very bad taste in my mouth. They will mess it up. Bank on it. They've messed everything up 'til now so I don't see them suddenly "getting it" and doing something smart. SWG had a great deal of promise (kinda like the now-defunct E&B, but with even greater potential) and has realized hardly any of what was promised. I could even live with all the broken promises and outright lies if they would have just left the damn game alone and quit "fixing" things that weren't borked, and "rebalancing" the game into a dull tedium of impotence.

Aku said:
Anarchy Online

Which has to be the most aptly-named game of all time. (Somehow, I just don't see too many people paying to play games called "Unlimited Tedium" or "Not Tested 2" or "You've Been Punk'd, Again!".)