Turn Based Strategy Dying Out?

[morrolan]

Turn Based Strategy and RPG's seem to be increasingly a niche market, no? Or maybe I just don't know what to look for. I don't mind Real-Time Strategy/Rpg's but my preference is for good old turn based.

Return to Temple of Elemental Evil was nice, but sort of left me wanting.
Are there any games on the horizon that fit this genre? I'm thinking along the lines of Fallout and its ilk, X-Com, etc. Not so much huge grognardy wargames, but a more tactical approach.

Cheers

 

[Sir Whiskers]

Turn-based games have been a niche market for a long time - once the first RTS games came out, they swept the market and still have a dominant position.

That said, there are some very good TB games available, but most of the good ones don't make it into the mass-market software stores. Here are a few:

Space Empires IV Gold (space 4X)
http://www.shrapnelgames.com/

Strategic Command (grand strategic World War II, very playable)
http://www.battlefront.com/index.htm

A variety of strategy titles. Be sure to check out their free downloads: Steel Panthers:World at War, War in the Pacific, War in Russia.
http://www.matrixgames.com/

 

[Dark Jezter]

The Gameboy Advance has a very nice selection of turn-based strategy. Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, and Final Fantasy Tactics advance are all wonderfully addictive.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Also Disgaea and the original Final Fantasy Tactics are excellent games.

 

[myrdden]

Turn Based Strategy and RPG's seem to be increasingly a niche market, no? Or maybe I just don't know what to look for. I don't mind Real-Time Strategy/Rpg's but my preference is for good old turn based.

I hope they are not disappearring. Although I like RTS-type games (yay Warcraft/Starcraft), I often get a hankering for the good old turn-based genre. FF-Tatics has got to be one of the best games I have ever played and I hope other titles of similar quality appear.

 

[morrolan]

myr- My feelings exactly. I'm just not quick enough at RTS games of the Warcraft type, although I still have a lot of fun with them. But moving units, monitoring resources and trying to micromanage spell casting on the front lines is too much for my brain.

Those are some good suggestions guys, but what I'm really after is more along the lines of fallout, fallout tactics, x-com, jagged alliance style strategy/rpg's, even RTTTOEE. Large scale wargames are not my thing, and 4x style games I have in spades (just got Civ 3 Conquests). Pause time games, like the new Freedom Force are the closest things that seem to be on the horizon. I was just hoping someone would have news of a real TBS coming out soon.

 

[trancejeremy]

On the computer, turn based tactical (as opposed to 4x) games are pretty much dead.

They still live on consoles, somewhat. My guess is, though, as the next handheld market goes to 3D, as opposed to 2D, it will be the end of turn based games (though you never know).


You might also try this for the PC

http://www.wesnoth.org/

Free, and fairly decent.

 

[trancejeremy]

There was a "new" verson of Jagged Alliance 2 released. JA2: Wildfire I think it is called.

There was also Silent Storm, which apparently is somewhat X-com/JA like, but is a bit weird and buggy.

If you have a PS2, the predecessor (of sorts) to the amazing Disgaea, La Pucelle Tactics, is due out sometime this year.

 

[morrolan]

Cheers Jeremy, I'll give Wesnoth a go. I did see the demo for Silent Storm, and you're right, a bit too buggy for my taste. What's new in the "new" Jagged Alliance?

 

[Hand of Evil]

Turn Based Games do not fit into the ever growning market of internet gaming or multi-player gaming, that is its downfall. Todays gaming is visual, point and shoot, whack whack with very little tactics and strategy, I do think things go in cycles and somewhere down the line they will show up in numbers again.