Your 5 Favorite Games That Are Not Civilization

[MrBojangles4]

- TES Skyrim

- NHL Series

- Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time

- Super Smash Bros. Original (N64)

- Minecraft

 

[Baba Yetu]

Funny to notice lots of people mentioning XCOM. For some of us who have played the original edition, modern XCOM editions are too much like CIV 5 and CIV 6 are for several CIV 4 fans: simply doesn't feel the same way, despite these fancy graphics. Xenonauts is probably a better choice, despite the several technical issues (the programmers clearly weren't very competent) and some other issues. Besides Xenonauts, I could recommend "The Talos Principle", one of the best games I've ever played, the closest thing that I ever had of a "literary" experience in a game. It is a puzzling game (often compared to Portal, but I've never played it, so I am not certain) with very interesting puzzles, but the philosophical story (despite being simple) is developed masterfully.

 

[lymond]

"The Talos Principle" is indeed a very good game. Still haven't finished it as I savor it in short spurts. Just got the DLC. I would expect you would like both Portal games a lot...has a bit more humorous tone.

And I agree on the newer XCOMs. There's just something about the appeal and aesthetic of the old classic squad-based TBS. I highly recommend you try Silent Storm. Classic XCOM remade on the Silent Storm engine would be heaven.

 

[mogilan]

Regarding XCOM -type games.

If you like football (soccer) try Football Tactics:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/375530/?l=english

It's indie, turn-based strategy game made by very small team of developers which mixes RPG elements (squad management, skill improvement, tactics etc) with club management. Recommended!

Devs description:
"Turn-based strategy with RPG elements meets football! It’s a game for those who enjoy any combo of turn-based mechanics, team development, tycoon-style games and football. It is inspired more by the likes of JRPGs, Civilization, and XCOM rather than by Football Manager."

 

[Baba Yetu]

"The Talos Principle" is indeed a very good game. Still haven't finished it as I savor it in short spurts.

"Very good" isn't enough of an adjective for "The Talos Principle". The developers managed to deal properly with existencialism inside of a puzzling game, without making it too much cliche or too much teenaged. It is an amazing achievement! Even if I like puzzling games (even if currently I try to avoid them at my free time, because I already deal with enough logical puzzles at my work) and the puzzles were very well done, still, what catched me was the story. I wasn't caring so much about the puzzles. All I wanted was to get more of those computer files, more time capsules, more QR codes. And, of course, nothing beats the funny dialogs with the "serpent" at the archive, which always had such a perfect combination of humor, irony and philosophy. I don't know why, because the style isn't even close, but those dialogs with the snake sometimes reminded of Douglas Adams. Seriously, I felt like I was reading a good book while playing it and it never happened before. I got connected with all the characters, even if my iteration with them most of the time was only reading their messages. I felt their despair, trapped in an existence to solve puzzles without knowing exactly why (could it be more existencialist?!). I even feel extremely sad (just like you can feel touched when your favorite character dies in a movie/book) in a certain moment of the story (but I won't tell you why because it would be giving you spoiler).

Just got the DLC.

I started the DLC. It is ok, but the story isn't THAT well done so it is more about puzzles. And, as I've said, at my field of expertise I've got plenty of interesting logical puzzles to solve all the time, so I am usually not in a mood for that in my free time. That is the same reason why I never spend much time trying to get all the stars (the secrets) at the original game.

I would expect you would like both Portal games a lot...has a bit more humorous tone.

Actually, I bought both portal games more than one year ago, but still haven't touched them. I guess that life is too short to play all the times that you want lol. And after coming back to civilization 4, it will be even worst lol.
But this thread is interesting, because several of the games which people mentioned here are also in my "bought but never played" list: Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, Portal 1 and 2. And people who are fans of civ4 are more likely to enjoy games similar to those I do, so probably made good aquisitions.

And I agree on the newer XCOMs. There's just something about the appeal and aesthetic of the old classic squad-based TBS.

The original game was a masterpiece because the developers knew how to use the UFO culture in order to create an atmosphere of terror. That is why I don't understand why kids nowadays care so much about graphics. Nothing is more powerful than creativity. Using simple resources, the developers of the classical XCOM managed to create an imersive atmosphere that most modern games (despite their heavy graphical resources) never achieve.

I highly recommend you try Silent Storm. Classic XCOM remade on the Silent Storm engine would be heaven.

Regarding XCOM -type games.

If you like football (soccer) try Football Tactics:
http://store.steampowered.com/app/375530/?l=english

It's indie, turn-based strategy game made by very small team of developers which mixes RPG elements (squad management, skill improvement, tactics etc) with club management. Recommended!

Devs description:
"Turn-based strategy with RPG elements meets football! It’s a game for those who enjoy any combo of turn-based mechanics, team development, tycoon-style games and football. It is inspired more by the likes of JRPGs, Civilization, and XCOM rather than by Football Manager."

Both games seem interesting. But unfortunatelly they are only available for windows, and I am a linux user. And lately I have refrained myself of buying games for windows and playing it through wine (I want to reward developers who actually create native apllcations for linux).

 

[lymond]

Sorry, I meant very very good

Don't know too much about linux/wine, but maybe some of these games might be able to work on it.

 

[Baba Yetu]

Sorry, I meant very very good

Nice, you've just saved your soul of burning forever in Hell for the terrible sin of not liking "The Talos Principle" a lot!

 

[mogilan]

The original game was a masterpiece because the developers knew how to use the UFO culture in order to create an atmosphere of terror. That is why I don't understand why kids nowadays care so much about graphics. Nothing is more powerful than creativity. Using simple resources, the developers of the classical XCOM managed to create an imersive atmosphere that most modern games (despite their heavy graphical resources) never achieve.

100% agree. It is also scientifically proven (read noblist Kahneman's book "Think fast and slow') that less perfect or incomplete images stimulate the brain much more what results in it's more efficient work. In other words, 'worse' graphics creates more realistic, complete visualisation of various things and ideas in your mind.

 

[ArchGhost]

In no particular order:

Diablo II - biggest waste of time in my life and never happier while doing it

Baldur's Gate II - It's still one of the best D&D adaptions to date that still works as an enjoyable game in its own right. Character building is amazing in an RPG like this.

Starcraft: Brood War - Blizzard standardizes the RTS with this entry by which all subsequent games in the genre are measured.

Left 4 Dead - simple, yet dynamic formula for very well executed fun. (Valve ruined it with 2! Killed the semi-serious atmosphere, made it too comedic bordering on farcical, oddball design decisions like can fetch finales and infinite panic events caused by random things, arcadey feel from the updated physics engine and gimmicky guns...)

Mario Tennis - mostly nostalgia from my middle school days, but it is still a huge blast and my favorite Nintendo title.

 

[Testhero]

Right the reason I have been absent from these most excellent forums is that on the 18 Dec last year I Discovered that my Girlfriends new Gaming laptop could play MWO, Mech Warrior Online so for the last year I have been playing 40 hours a week of big stompy robots

so my list is going to be real bare:
The games that got minuscule playtime this last year are

• Plants vs Zombies GOTYed. I played some on a tablet carelessness left lying around near my cockpit. Finished the campaign again cool and so much better than the sequel.
• Medieval Total War II I still Micro my GFs cities and economy when this is left open on the laptop. not sure that counts as "playing" though
• 
  
• Update I played a third game this year Overlord
• A fourth a fourth Ground Pounders a SotS themed Panzer Generalalike

Someone put forward some honorable mentions, so I thought I'd add my own to the thread:

1. Bioshock: Infinite - Simply awesome!
2. TES: Skyrim
3. Galactic Civ III - Another great game
4. Silent Storm 1 and 2
5. Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 - with expansions, now remastered with better graphics. I'm hoping they do the same with IceWind Dale.

5. With the number of copies they sole expect IWD and ToEE too!

I am going to throw in the games I bought in the sales to play here:

• Baldur's Gate Enhanced
• X-com (The reworked not the pricey new one)
• Homeworld also Enhanced
• Sword of the Stars. Space dolphins vs Hivers. No where else!

And games I think about playing

• NAEV Not Another Escape Velocity a great game I still coment on the Git develpopment pages. Free main campaign is about 12 hours.
• SMAC
• Medieval total war II
• SSI Space General. from the guy who did Panzer general series So Panzer general in space basically ...but cooler untill you get a transport to an enemy planet then you invade that planet Panzer general light style. it is actually horrifically balanced but with a couple of house rules (No ships called Enterprize outside the trek universe and max one cruiser per planet one misssile boat flotilla (4) per capital ship)) it is a great play by mail

So does Steam. I was looking at it today. The Steam version has the expansion packs built in to it as well. It's only $21.99 CDN and probably $1.99 in the States, knowing the way they price things in Canada.

I Play MWO with a few Canadians and for some reason pricing there on games is stupid expensive for no legitimate reason.
Unless it is steam then it is their regional pricing, MWO went with regional price through steam and now the DLC is same price in US more expensive in Europe and cheap in Africa where no one plays and not a bit cheaper in Canada where it is based.
silly decision on their part as US, EU and canada are 1,2&3 for their sales.
The places where the needed cheaper pricing like Romania et. al got a small drop.

-MechWarrior Online
-The first 3 Halo Games
-Zelda: Ocarina of Time
-Ace Combat 6
-Megaman X, X2, X3
It's 5 if you only count the hyphens.

0455 friend me on MWO as Testhero I am on the FWLM ts GMT times.
The first 3 halo games are the same game just following Bungies marathon game storyline.
I have all the X games they look great but I just never seem to have a powerfull enough machine to run then well

Having read through the thread (it seems to have come to an end now), I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Championship Manager. Not CM2 or 3 or 4, but the original. From the early- to mid-90's. If a list is required:

2. UFO: Enemy Unknown (yes, the original - it was called X-Com: Enemy Unknown in the US, I believe).
Present time I use OpenXCom to play the game. It is an amazing job done to fix the bugs and enhance game play via mods. Recommended.
2b. UFO: Aftermath. Same premise as UFO: EU. Aliens attack earth. Different gameplay mechanics, but a fun game to play.

UfO:Aftermath is a excellent game have played through several times and the other ones in the series too
Thanks for the heads up on openXcom if the updated one is a bust I will give their version a go
and I don't think we have many sports management fans in our ranks.

well long post And I am back I loaded up desert war and played both as Romel and the Free French De gaul who are hard to get anywhere with. Super precarious position and terrible land tiles.
I will have to mod it though as i just can't stand Junkers 88s that look like stealth bombers.

 

[Drakarska]

Actually, I think I am more impressed with the fact that your GF allows you to play 40hrs per week on her lappy

 

[Testhero]

Best Girlfriend ever!

She wanted a Laptop that would play some games like Medieval total war II, CivIV of course and other games of that vintage with all the features on high.
After a lot of looking I had to order in a returned machine from the US.
I selected a Lenovo Flex 3 Like the Yoga they "Flex" right the way around so it can sit like a normal lappy as an A for movies and all the way over as a Tablet (for plants vs zombies) I have it almost all the way over on a GearHead cooling tray and it is super cool though the fitted fan is very good on its own The touch has been impressive (my cat has 3 kills in MechWarriorOnline) it is an i7 2.4 with 8gigs of ram and has that all important gaming chip that the then current Yogas lacked the Nvidea 970m. I have been impressed all round. The Lenovo stuff that came with it was not bloatware like the rubbish on the HPs and ACERs I have used, the tidy up software was so good it replaced my Autotuneup software
all for a grand landed in Ireland it was supposed to come with 16 gig of ram but i haven't noticed the lack so never followed that up.

Pinkjade plays a good amount of Elder Scrolls Online during GMT daytime and some MWO drops we have 3 historic CivIV multiplayer games on the back burner and she must always insist on playing Saladin
I bought a second steam copy in the sales I bought hers for her lappy as there is no cd and it was tons cheaper than a cd enclosure.

Damn lagspike took out half of my earlier posts reply will edit later on. edit It is there but I missed a quote open or closed and it isnt displaying. Fixed

BTW the new forum and edit tools are realy great thanks whoever you are!

 

[Testhero]

I have a copy of no one lives forever in storage... somewhere. I remember it starting out great and me then hitting my head against a brick wall due to all the shooters I had been playing I can't remember but I guess I found a situation I couldn't shoot my way out of. The art initially put me off it looked like the promo material for Jackie Brown.
Still some copies floating arround will pic one up.

 

[Testhero]

I have a copy of no one lives forever in storage somewhere I remember it starting out great and me then hitting my head against a brick wall due to all the shooters I had been playing I can't remember but I guess I found a situation I coudnt s. The art initialy put me off it looked like the promo material for Jackie Brown

Silent Storm I have steel storm is that similar?

 

[lymond]

Silent Storm I have steel storm is that similar?

Not at all (had to look up that game) Silent Storm is a squad-based TBS most similar to X-COM and Commandos (although commandos is squad-based rts). It is excellent and the engine fantastic. Despite being 2004 game, it will never look old.

 

[AdamCrock]

I see a lot of "golden" titles here in this thread Mine are :

• Black Island / Interplay games (such as: Fallouts 1&2, BG: Trilogy, Icewind Dale, Planescape Torment etc.) I just love all of them and Interplay (besides Sid Meier of course ) has to be my favourite games developer of all times . For those who like to play Baldur's Gate I recommend extremely good (and powerfull xD ) mod making tool called "DLTCEP". You can create Your own spells and items and give them to Your characters via "Shadow Keeper" (a save game editor). I've managed to create numerous artifacts with it - no to mention great many spells and innate abilities There's also a mod called BGT which will allow You to play BG 1 on a BG 2 engine - I strongly recommend this
  
• Diablo Series 1-3 - for me they are all great and each one is unique in it's own way. I strongly reccomend a Diablo 1 mod called "Diablo 1 HD Mod" or "Belzebub" - it introduces waypoints, player's stash - both private and trade, unique and set items, two new player classes - necromancer and barbarian, player skills such as summons for the necromancer or a piercing or homing arrows for the rouge etc. and many more gameplay improvements and it still feels and has the atmosphere of an original Diablo 1 - for me it's a "must have" mod
  
• I'm not much of a fan of RTS games but Starcraft is an exception
• King's Bounty games (Legend, Armored Princess, Warriors of the North). It's a Tactical RPG, "HoMM like" kind of a game. The main difference from HoMM is that there are no enemy players, no turns (Your character and monsters move in real time), no castle building - just quests (main storyline and numerous side quests) and monsters to be slain by Your army. It has much more character building and RPG aspects to it than HoMM and if You like HoMM I think You'll like it as well.
• HoMM Series (Heroes of Might and Magic) - This title is LEGENDARY and is pretty much self explainatory Although I've stopped playing it after the fifth installment (my machine could not handle any more of the graphical extravaganza dev's are pumping into the games today - yeah that's my pretty lausy excuse from buying a new computer hehe.

 

[lymond]

I see a lot of "golden" titles here in this thread Mine are :

• King's Bounty games (Legend, Armored Princess, Warriors of the North). It's a Tactical RPG, "HoMM like" kind of a game. The main difference from HoMM is that there are no enemy players, no turns (Your character and monsters move in real time), no castle building - just quests (main storyline and numerous side quests) and monsters to be slain by Your army. It has much more character building and RPG aspects to it than HoMM and if You like HoMM I think You'll like it as well.

To clarify though, the combat in KB is turned-based and HOMM-like

 

[Mustakrakish]

Ok, so no civilization games...

Are we talking about all time favorites? Ones you won't play anymore (won't enjoy if you did, because they're that old / unplayable no more / etc), but have good memories of and consider awesome, if not best for its time?

If so then hands down GTA: Vice City. That game was such a masterpiece. It was in the right time in the right place. That game spoke to my 13 years old soul like no other game

Another was TES: Oblivion. I was a late bloomer to that one. Got it on ps3 when it just released (ps3 I mean) and as we all know, there were no games for ps3 back then I remember playing it that whole summer. It felt absolutely surreal. It felt like I could do anything in that vast amazing world. Oh how the times change... (I sticky FO3 and NV here to number 2 because I wouldn't want those game to dominate the list. Those are definitely part of number 2, it just wouldn't be fair, same if civ weren't excluded and would dominate at least 3 spots).

Other honorable mentions (since 5 was the requested number):

3. Dragon Age: Origins... Absolutely amazing and my first "proper" RPG. It went downhills from there IMO. DA2 and DAI were crap.

4. Mass Effect. It had a very interesting world, atmosphere, story, characters etc etc. It had massive potential. But as with DA I felt it went downhill with ME2. It felt like an interactive movie rather than an RPG game. They simply decided to not even try to make an RPG game and focused completely on story on characters. And it worked for many. Look how many people like it still. Never even tried ME3, no point whatsoever.

5. Surprising one, but CoD: World at War. I spent way too much time shooting nazis, commies, capitalist and um... Japs. Way too many hours trolling 14y-olds. Still think that the best FPS is a WWII FPS.

Now if we're talking about the recent ones, ones that I might or do play nowadays whenever it's not civ...

1. Skyrim. Obviously. Way too many hours there. Never once completed the main story.

2. Fallout 4. With survival/hardcore mode it's very much enjoyable. With alternate saving enabled that is.

3. GTA V I guess. I spend way too much hours online 1.5 - 2 years ago, mostly racing and focusing on vehicles in passive mod Have to say that it has the most disgusting online community I ever encountered. Worde than any FPS teens by a margin.

Can't really think of two more sadly. I play games a lot, but I don't play a lot of games.

 

[Kabacis]

Might and magic 6, 7, 8.
Fallout 2
Dota and Legion Tower Defence warcraft 3 maps.
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.
Starcraft: Broodwar.

 

[catalin72]

1.Heroes of Might and Magic III(including 'Horn of The Abyss' and 'In the Wake of Gods' unofficial patches).
2.Panzer General II
3.Heroes of Might and Magic II
4.Panzer Commander
5.Age of Wonders I