Turn Based Strategy?

[Joshua Randall]

Master of Orion 2 is of course a classic, if you can find a copy.

Yes, a great, great game. It's still installed on my computer.

Along the same lines, but not really turn-based, is Star Control 2. Google for "The Ur-Quan Masters" to find a free, legal conversion of it that runs on modern machines.

 

[Simplicity]

I agree with pretty much everything posted so far. Civ4 is terrific (even better with Warlords expansion, although it's hardly a big one). GalCiv2 is a great game.

If you really like the fantasy themed games, then I *highly* recommend you try the Fall From Heaven 2 mod to Civ4. It's pretty much teh awesome.

I'm currently playing Europa Universalis III, which although not TECHNICALLY turn-based, it really plays like a turn-based game. In fact, it plays kind of like a Medival Total War without all the tactical battles. With the whole world in it. And you can play something like 250 different countries. So great.

 

[NPC]

Space Empires

If you're into space games, I'd give Space Empires a try. There's a lot of reply value in the game, and I really like the idea of being able to design my own spaceships and then use them in fleet actions.

http://www.malfador.com/

 

[trancejeremy]

Warlords isn't quite dead - the makers of it just released an RPG set in the Warlords universe called "Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords" (a demo of which was just released), and if that does well, we should be seeing a Warlords V. (Warlords V is in the works, but we'll see it sooner if Puzzle Quest does well).

 

[trancejeremy]

This game is intended as an updating of the classic turn based strategy game "X-Com : UFO Defense". The developers are german so some of their english is a bit hinky, but the screen shots are looking positive and it is due for release in about a month.

http://www.ufo-extraterrestrials.com/

Hopefully it will be released in about a month. But anyway, the developers are Czech, not German.

 

[Rackhir]

Hopefully it will be released in about a month. But anyway, the developers are Czech, not German.

Ooops. So you are right. Don't know why I thought they were german. Still looking forward to it.

 

[trancejeremy]

Still looking forward to it.

Yeah, me too, although I still don't quite believe it will be released next month. I mean, the game has been delayed and delayed and delayed and delayed and delayed. I first got excited by it I guess 1 1/2 years ago, when it was supposed to be due out in a few months then (I think Feb 06?).

 

[silvermane]

Warlords isn't quite dead - the makers of it just released an RPG set in the Warlords universe called "Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords"

What a deplorable end of an erstwhile great strategy/RPG, reduced to a puzzle anime game, small-brains-big-eyes style.

But this is an official trend. Warlords I was groundbreaking for its genre. W2 was solid, but not flamboyant. W2Deluxe was just more of the same with better graphics. W3 was a step back in some areas, though improved in others. W4... I didn't play it, but from what I've heard, it was an abysmal failure, especially w/r to the AI.

 

[John Crichton]

I agree with pretty much everything posted so far. Civ4 is terrific (even better with Warlords expansion, although it's hardly a big one). GalCiv2 is a great game.

I'll simply agree.

Both games are excellent.

 

[trancejeremy]

What a deplorable end of an erstwhile great strategy/RPG, reduced to a puzzle anime game, small-brains-big-eyes style.

But this is an official trend. Warlords I was groundbreaking for its genre. W2 was solid, but not flamboyant. W2Deluxe was just more of the same with better graphics. W3 was a step back in some areas, though improved in others. W4... I didn't play it, but from what I've heard, it was an abysmal failure, especially w/r to the AI.

It's actually a really fun game, though. And actually, much like the Warlords game, you can still conquer cities.

Anyway, Warlords was basically Warlords I with several different maps; they later added a scenario creator add-on. Warlords Deluxe was basically a facelift of that (thus the name), since Warlords 2 was only in 16 colors. Warlords III was quite different in that they added campaigns, and made heroes have classes and such.

Warlords IV was a step back, but apparently made in like 6 months. Apparently SSG sort of split then, wanting to focus on wargames, with Steve Fawkner leaving and forming II, taking Warlords IV with him. However, the SSG planned version of WL4 was apparently unfinishable, so they had to start from scratch with a scaled back design and had a firm deadline with Ubisoft. And sales weren't so great, so basically, they have no money. Which makes it hard to develop a WL5. Games aren't made by magic - they need money to fund development.

So if you want WL5, buy Puzzle Quest. At least download the demo and try it. Most people who have played it seem to really really like it.