I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored, I'm bored...

[Lemon Merchant]

Now, when the holiday's are over our PBEM community's offer to join us stays open . We even managed to start ambitious RFC MP game, as can be seen from my sig. Lot's of human to human diplomacy going on using tools such as skype, outside of this forums, which results in lots of additional fun. After all humans are more fun to deal with vs prerecorded messages from Montezuma.

I have too high a patient load right now and my available time is erratic, so I have to pass for now. It wouldn't be fair to the other members of the game if I couldn't play for a few days. I would prefer to be able to keep up and not hold the game back.

 

[Fluffy_Rabbit]

@Adam yes completely deleted, no backups, nada. Complete cold turkey.
I still have the discs of course though cannot imagine re-installation. I also have Civ5 but hated it (old and well known story across the community).
Withdrawal symptoms, yes, however not going to re-engage in the absence of Civ 6 and all of you guys saying it is awesome

 

[qazq2]

If you like strategy games then I would recommend the Starcraft or Warcraft series (Especially Warcraft II, III is fun as well but relies heavily on hero units) Starcraft I and II are both great; don't be afraid to play older Blizzard games.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

If you like strategy games then I would recommend the Starcraft or Warcraft series (Especially Warcraft II, III is fun as well but relies heavily on hero units) Starcraft I and II are both great; don't be afraid to play older Blizzard games.

I'm not a big fan of RTS games. I prefer to sit and think a bit as I play. You know, sort of plan things out. It never works, of course, but still...

 

[Pangaea]

I kind of like RTS at low level or single player, and I quite enjoyed Warcraft III for a while (didn't complete all the campaigns though). But you can't really become really good at it, unless you're a shortkey monster with a sick amount of "actions per minute". It's not really fun when it gets to something like that, and even at more "normal" play it becomes too much a case of "spam units non-stop, without much overview of the situation".

In that sense turn-based games are better, where of course Civ 4 really shines. And as a bridge between the two, perhaps, I really love games like Baldur's Gate. Very different from Civ 4 of course, but proper RPGs are so fun to play (I'm NOT looking at you Mass Effect 2 and 3, go into a corner and DIE). They don't have nearly the same replay value as a game like Civ 4 though. Once you have played through it and experienced the story, that is kind of it, though it can of course be fun to play with different classes and making different decisions too.

 

[belle]

never liked RTS, and while I did played few of them (still have homeworld 2 installed) I never managed to really understand what so fun or satisfying about those type of games. on the other hand I don't have time to play civ at the moment so I play only chess at the moment.

 

[Iranon]

Star Control 3 is... about as well regarded by the fanbase as Masters of Orion 3, i.e. in need of an exorcism before it can be safely burned at the stake.
If you want to go back to Star Control 2, there's an updated open source-port of the 3DO version called The Ur-Quan Masters. Still a great game.

*

If you haven't tried it, I recommend having a look at Dwarf Fortress. The world gets procedurally generated from the tectonics up, then centuries of recorded history would fill a a fantasy epic if someone was to flesh out the recording style. Everything is simulated, from social interaction over fluid dynamics to the engineering calculations of bronze impacting bone through a layer of mail and flesh.
Features beekeeping, metallurgy, terrors to awaken by digging too deep, artifacts, necromancers, the difficulty of keeping one's dwellings clean of blood and vomit, mechanical wind-powered computers, terrible vermin, troublesome nobles, magma-based solutions to troublesome nobles, cats taking over the world, graphic dismemberment, touching displays of familial affection, mothers taking their newborn to battle and using them as shields, recursive engravings of dwarves engraving images of dwarves engraving, insanity, elf-trolling and the need for alcohol to get through the working day.
It defaults to ASCII graphics and the interface is awkward, but it's quite an experience.

Somewhat less insane, but comparable in depth, complexity and WYSIWTF-compliance: Aurora.
There are many fine 4x games set in space that allow more open progression than pedestrian earth-bound ones... but no other I have played goes quite as far.
Again, emergent complexity at its finest... and offering ways to stay on top of it and reduce the micromanagement, from conditional orders to the ability to let the civilian sector handle many things. Unlike in many other games, logistics is of considerable importance. I don't cnsider it a chore because it ties neatly into sexier parts of the game - for example, it's possible to build ships a good deal more powerful than the norm at your tech level, at the cost of incrased breakdowns, high fuel consumption, and the tendency to spontaneously explode at an awkward moment.

The best things are free, what you pay for is convenience... as in some other fun aspects of life

 

[Antilogic]

I've been going for some indie games recently in addition to the hardcore strategy stuff.

Kerbal Space Program, for example, which is seriously addictive light-hearted sandbox exploration game with drag-and-drop rocket and plane construction. My current project is a 2-stage to orbit spaceplane that is launched off a SRB massive rocket sled. I'm also pretty stoked about Banished which comes out later this month, where you basically have a small group of pioneers that have to build a life and survive in the wilderness. It looks kind of like Caesar III without warfare, better AI and pathfinding, and more harsh living conditions.

 

[Pangaea]

I'm really excited about Banished too, and have followed its development for months and months. I just hope it will be possible to buy it without having that filthy **** steam... Looks a lovely game though, and the guy has done a great job with it.

 

[Antilogic]

At this point, I'll take it on any platform that will deliver it to me. I've been watching pre-release LPs the entire weekend.

Seriously, insert the Fry meme here.

 

[ksa76]

While I am really fond of civilization 4, Heroes 3 is arguably the best turn-based game ever made for multiplayer and for spectators.
I suppose many civilization players have played heroes 3 in the early 90s beating the campaigns and having fun with the multiple scenarios.
Like civ 5, every new edition of heroes (4 to 6) have unfortunately subsequently been dumbed down for a wider audience with too much emphasis on graphics and cut scenes and not enough on tactical decisions and micro management.
Around 6 months ago I became aware that a new Heroes 3 hd online edition had been developed with e.g. "1920*1200 resolution" which produce really beautiful and balanced random maps.
As part of the hd edition, it is possible to leave creatures at mines (for logistical considerations on the next day), and to enable an auto-battle option and a time control feature. I find it really interesting to see some top players duking it out on twich.tv and in turn learning how mistaken one has been for believing that one had already mastered the game.
At least as a surprise to me, I have learned that might heroes are unquestionably the way to go, and that the main hero probably should only take part of 30% of the battles. I am simply dumbfounded to learn how much action the players can do in one game turn.
Heroes 3 is really about logistics more than anything and taking calculated risks and not comitting too many troops to a single hero.
For those interested, Maretti (http://www.twitch.tv/maretti0/profile/pastBroadcasts) is my favourite heroes 3 caster (he is probably top 5 in the world), but there are of course many others.

 

[Lemon Merchant]

Star Control 3 is... about as well regarded by the fanbase as Masters of Orion 3, i.e. in need of an exorcism before it can be safely burned at the stake.
If you want to go back to Star Control 2, there's an updated open source-port of the 3DO version called The Ur-Quan Masters. Still a great game.

Yes, I bought Star Control 3 a couple of weeks ago on sale at GOG. What a mess. It's a good thing it was cheap!

I also got SC2 at the same time, and I'm still fiddling with the graphics settings to get it to look anything but abysmal on my widescreen monitor. I loved the game, though, so I'll get it to work eventually.

I love that acronym (WYSIWTF). Hilarious!

 

[TezaPsyborg]

...Kerbal Space Program, for example, which is seriously addictive light-hearted sandbox exploration game with drag-and-drop rocket and plane construction. My current project is a 2-stage to orbit spaceplane that is launched off a SRB massive rocket sled.

I WILL send a manned (Kerballed?) expedition to every single body in the system, plant a flag there and return them safely to Kerbin. I will, I tell you, I will!!!

Right after I've beaten my 25m/s speed record for a remote rover on the 'icy' lakes of Minmus, watch it loose stability, flip, spin and tumble gracefully through the 'air' for nearly 4 mins and still be operational afterwards. Gotta love that 0.05 gravity

And I'll get round to THAT after I've managed to dock the two halves of my space station together if I can EVER figure orbital docking maneuvers despite watching numerous youtube tutorials

 

[Antilogic]

Docking is terrible the first couple times you try it, but then it becomes routine. I've been docking several smaller ship components together to make large interplanetary voyagers, and I got a pretty big space station in high orbit.

The trick is using your headings well and small, patient adjustments. Make sure you line up your target with, say, a 90 deg. heading, and then line up your docking ship to the port in question (which will now be on a multiple of a 90 deg. heading). Use RCS only, max speed 1 m/s when you get close.

Good luck with Eve, though, the d_V required to escape that planet is insane.

We have a massive KSP thread over in the other games section if people are interested in seeing or sharing some pics from their games (and to avoid derailing this thread too much).

 

[Iranon]

@ lemon: I'd download The Ur-Quan Masters instead of fiddling. It's a port of the real thing for modern OSes, not a clone. All later refinements are optional, and it should allow you to get closer to the original experience on modern monitors.

http://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/The_Ur-Quan_Masters_Project_FAQ
http://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/Version_Comparison

 

[Lemon Merchant]

@ lemon: I'd download The Ur-Quan Masters instead of fiddling. It's a port of the real thing for modern OSes, not a clone. All later refinements are optional, and it should allow you to get closer to the original experience on modern monitors.

http://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/The_Ur-Quan_Masters_Project_FAQ
http://wiki.uqm.stack.nl/Version_Comparison

Thanks Iranon. I did d/l it and it looks good (I got the HD version). I can't wait to play a real game! Thank you for telling me about it.

 

[Cutlass]

When I have time for a game, I usually do one of the Fall from Heaven II mods for Civ4. I find them more interesting than standard Civ.

 

[Pangaea]

I'm also pretty stoked about Banished which comes out later this month, where you basically have a small group of pioneers that have to build a life and survive in the wilderness. It looks kind of like Caesar III without warfare, better AI and pathfinding, and more harsh living conditions.

I'm really excited about Banished too, and have followed its development for months and months. I just hope it will be possible to buy it without having that filthy **** steam... Looks a lovely game though, and the guy has done a great job with it.

The game is out now. I bought it on GOG yesterday and have had a lot of fun with it already. Looks great and runs great (albeit I had one crash, possibly due to my old computer not being quite up to task). I really like games like this, and it reminds me a lot of Settlers 2, and a couple other indie games.

Now to see how long I can go on before everybody die!

 

[Antilogic]

Dude.

Just, dude.

Banished.

Awesome.

Now back to day-dreaming about Banished until work is done for the day.

 

[markusbeutel]

Play my mod Civ Nights.

Will feel more like your playing Civ 4. I was horribly disappointed in 5 - spent two years making Nights. Retools happiness completely - citizens make happiness while military units make unhappiness (along with cities). Listed in top Civ V mods by PC Gamer, recommended by Rock Paper Shotgun.

You'll need the Gods and Kings, though...

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=77097295