Turn-based wargames


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...and possibly the Warhammer one (guessing it's 40K, right?)
40K it is. It's a very good game and the only problem I had was that the vehicle controls were poorly designed and hard to use (sometimes they get stuck on the terrain and stuff). But then again you don't really need any of the vehicles to get through the levels (except maybe the dread but it was more a big infantry unit and worked fine). By the way always always take the assault troopers when you can, they are the best squad in the game (even better than the termies in my opinion). :)
 



DMFTodd said:
Any other play by email games out there?

Every board wargame ever published is a play-by-email game. Get either Cyberboard, which is shareware, or Aide de Camp II.

These programs display the board, the pieces and have mechanisms for emailing turns back and forth. Hundreds of games have been converted into files used by these programs and are free for the download. The caveat is that you still need to own a copy of the boardgame to play, because none of these filesets include the rules of the games (Copyright stuff).

CZ
 

One of my favorite turn-based strategy/war games in Disciples 1 and 2.

Basically you choose a race: Humans, Dwarves, Undead, or Demons. Humans and Dwarves represent the good guys, while the Undead and the Demons are ... yep, you guessed it evil.

Each mission is based on taking over a city, destroying a ruin, gaining an item of power, etc. You can be a warrior lord and thereby increase the healing rate of your troops, a thief lord and gain special spy/thief abilities, or a wizard lord and gain extra spells. You will start out with the relevant leader in the first mission (a wizard for a wizard lord, a warrior for a warrior lord, and a ranger for the thief lord.).

Your leader can command a series of foot soldiers that gain levels and change types. The 4 types are: fighters, ranged attackers, and atrilary/healer/boosters, and special units. For example, the Humans have Knights, Wizards, Clerics, and Archers, while the dwarves have Fighters, Axe throwers, a "buffing" unit, and giants.

Depending on what buildings you build in your capital, your foot soldiers will gain different levels. Humans can choose between knights or witch hunters; while the dwarves can choose between "paragons" of dwarven warriors, or spell-using hermits.

Spells need the appropriate mana. Your basic spells require on type of mana (life, earth, fire, or death - relative to your race). As you progress, your spells will borrow from the other types of mana and will require both. Warrior and Thief lords can only cast a given spell once per turn, while a wizard can cast each spell twice.

Another aspect of the game is magic items. Your leader will start out with a few basic abilities (Warriors can use artifacts, wizards can use scrolls, wands, and orbs, Rangers can use magical boots). You can find items in chests scattered about the map (usually with an opponent in the way), in ruins, on a dead enemy's corpse, or in a captured city. As you leader levels up, you can gain the ability to use more magic items or increase independent abilities (hp, movement points, damage, inititive, etc.) You can also increase the number of soldiers you can command (up to six including your leader).

The mechanics work well, and surprisingly the races without healing units (the Undead, Demons, and Dwarves) balance well with the Human healers. There is also a plot line that while not spectacular, gives the game a bit of fun. There are four levels of difficulty, though the "average" game is quite easy, the two highest levels of difficulty increase the AI tremendously.

Erge
 

Staffan said:
My favorite turn-based game is still Alpha Centauri. You can probably pick it up for about $10 along with the expansion pack.

Would have to agree on this one. I would have seen this post earlier and agreed upon it, but I've been busy playing AC for the last week or so again, after loading it up on my new system.

Talked two other players in my D&D group into trying it, and they both had started playing again, which caused me to start again.....

I bought the game on the way home from a movie and installed it. I tried a couple of the tutorials included and shut the game off for the night. I came home the second night and started a game at roughly 5:15 in the evening. I periodically left the game to take a leak or get something to drink. The next time I looked at my watch, it was 3:30 in the morning. I'm thinking "I really need to get to sleep......Just one more turn....."

One of my friends had to set an alarm to let him know it was time to go to bed.....Otherwise his alarm to wake him up to go to work would go off while he was still playing!!!!!

I believe the medical term is "addictive" or "habit-forming!"
 

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