While we wait...what's there to scratch the itch?

[GODSPEED]

2 hours ago, Hendrix said:

I know I have mention the game before, but Songs of Conquest is...

1. a pretty good-looking game that I need to try!
2. another Strategy game, not as good as THIS one.
3. too much for me to think about at the moment.
4. a game my Pentium 100MHz is too slow to run.. damned, I need to go back to Arulco!


I'll definitely pick choice 1 for this one!
(+1 to gamer specialization!)


I know graphics aren't everything. But, in this case, they are incredibly charming. I like the slightly pixelated but extremely detailed sprites and "3D" world map.

This games graphical style is reminiscent of JRPGs in terms of looks, but like you said, HOMM in terms of gameplay.

I think I might pick this one up simply because the looks have really impressed me!
Thanks for repeating it, haha.. 🍺

[Hendrix]

2 hours ago, GODSPEED said:

🍺

🍻

I agree with you regarding the charming style. I find it very appealing in this case.

I have seen several of their development videos and the team has put in alot of work to get the atmosphere "right".

[Hendrix]

I tried out a demo for the game The Troop on steam.

The feeling was kind of the old Close Combat games but in a 3D environment and turn based playstyle.

Still in development so it was a little rough but might become a really good game to kill an hour with every now and then.

[bhaa]

Well if ya been looking for some tactical step by step combat + RPG elements, there are more to this:

First try out old 90x classics like fallout 1 and 2, both are legendary games in such genre. And if you liked first XCOM from the 90x, there is a 90% chance you will fall in love to these either. Don't try fallout 3 and 4 however, as they are just like modded elder scrolls series replica transformed to fallout theme.

Then we have "Arcanum: Of steamworks and magick obscura". Just another 90x game but quite nice.

And some newer ideas, such as:

 - Mutant Year 0, road to eden and its DLC. Nice graphics, step by step combat, nice skills, boring level based map.

 - RAM Pressure. Just another XCOM style game with single player campaign and some online features.

 - XCOM chimera squad. Yet another XCOM limited version in the city with very limited missions to choose from.

 - Expeditions: Viking. Very buggy, even so many years after release.

 - Shadowrun series has at least 3 games: Shadowrun Returns, Dragonfall and HongKong. Many bugs, but a fine alternative idea.

 - Russian versions of fallout games, such as A.T.O.M and Trudograd.

 - Darkest Dungeon 1 and 2 are quite another stroy, but still it is step by step combat, yet in very specific perspective, check them on youtube gameplay before you buy.

 

Good luck and have fun !

 

 

 

[Hendrix]

I scrolled through this topic quickly and I could not see any mention of the old Silent Storm games, although I belive most of us here are familiar with the titles.

But if not, they are WW2 story driven tactical rpgs. You choose between fighting for the allies or axis and create your own soldier out of (if I remember correctly) 6 different classes. After that you select a team to fill up the 5 open slots in your squad, equip them and set out for different missions.

It has 3D destructible enviorments and the characters and enemies are over the top silly.

Edit: I belive there was a old JA3 project, using the same engine.

Edited April 20, 2022 by Hendrix

[GODSPEED]

On 4/20/2022 at 4:57 AM, Hendrix said:

I scrolled through this topic quickly and I could not see any mention of the old Silent Storm games, although I belive most of us here are familiar with the titles.

But if not, they are WW2 story driven tactical rpgs. You choose between fighting for the allies or axis and create your own soldier out of (if I remember correctly) 6 different classes. After that you select a team to fill up the 5 open slots in your squad, equip them and set out for different missions.

It has 3D destructible enviorments and the characters and enemies are over the top silly.

Edit: I belive there was a old JA3 project, using the same engine.

I did try to reinstall it recently, and I had trouble running the game (the GOG version too).. but I remember playing it just a few years ago.

I do believe I might eventually NEED to get a 60hz monitor, because I changed it for a 144Hz, and while it is so much better 90% of the time, a few older 3d titles don't run very well... even gives games like Fallout3/New Vegas too many issues.

But yeah SS is very enjoyable, the combat can be very hard sometimes and you can easily put yourself in some deadly situations. The destructible mechanics are absolutely fantastic and beat ANYTHING new actually.

I hate you @Hendrix, now you reminded me that I must go play that game again.. Don't you understand I already have such a big backlog of games I've never played!?!

🍻

[Hendrix]

1 hour ago, GODSPEED said:

I hate you @Hendrix, now you reminded me that I must go play that game again.. Don't you understand I already have such a big backlog of games I've never played!?!

🍻

🍻

Reminding people of their backlog is my greatest enjoyment. 😁

Hell I really have to have a long talk with both my boss and wife about the lack of spare time, to finally get through all these unfinished games and to replay a few aswell.

[Acid]

Its funny because I keep saying there's no new games to play, then I look at my steam list and GOG.. hmm. Less is more, more is less I guess.

[GODSPEED]

On 5/4/2022 at 5:12 AM, Acid said:

Its funny because I keep saying there's no new games to play, then I look at my steam list and GOG.. hmm. Less is more, more is less I guess.

Yeah, I know the feeling.

I think sometimes we want to recreate some feelings we had when we first discovered some of the titles that have really left their marks in our memory.. and unfortunately, many modern games just don't cut it.

Sure there are plenty of gems out there, but sometimes, the time and situation might make us skip or simply not even notice that gem.

The only modern games that have left a real mark for myself, since the late 90's/early 2000's would have been the Mass Effect saga, Soma, Subnautica and Resident Evil 2 Remake. A few stragglers here and there that were really cool, but mostly games I play once and never really go back to.

[cdg10]

Well, I'm back on (a slightly more populated) Arulco.

 

1.13 Arulco Revisited

Installed my gog-Version, used a one-click-installer, fixed the Win10-issue and got it going. Looking for that lazy churchman in lovely Drassen right now because the rebels are in dire need of food.

[Hendrix]

So, Owlcat (the developers of Pathfinder: Kingmaker & Wrath of the Righteous are developing a Warhammer 40k CRPG.

I am not deeply familiar with all the lore of W40k but I think this could be a interesting game.

[Grim]

Ok, don't beat me on this one, but I've started playing Farcry 6, and it has some Jagged alliance vibes.
Of course, it's not a tactical/strategy/rpg game, but a FPS in an open world. Yet, the setting and plot does part of the substitute job in absence of JA3. It's the Farcry game closest to JA2 you can get.

[ghostmech007]

On 6/3/2022 at 10:10 AM, Hendrix said:

So, Owlcat (the developers of Pathfinder: Kingmaker & Wrath of the Righteous are developing a Warhammer 40k CRPG.

I am not deeply familiar with all the lore of W40k but I think this could be a interesting game.

One of the best games I've ever played is 40K: Mechanicus (steam page). It's a turn based tactical game that throws you into the deep end in terms of lore but has a pretty good learning curve for the mechanics. Mechanicus really brought the "grimdark" back to the gaming-verse of 40K which is event right from the opening sequence. The squads, equipment, and items are very customizable while you can use a lot of different play styles to defeat the enemy. But the best thing about this game is the story. It's amazing. It does have a few negative marks against it (very grindy and can be incredibly repeatative sometimes) but of all the 40K video games out there I wish this one has a sequel.

There are tons of 40K turn-based and real-time strategy games with the newest one being ChaosGate - Daemonhunters (highly recommend it but have a beefy GPU). The only one I would stay away from is Dawn of War III as it completely changed both the tone of the series and lots of the mechanics that made the first two amazing.

Let me know if you need anymore recommendations.

[Flowable]

Anyone played Underrail?

[Hendrix]

3 hours ago, Flowable said:

Anyone played Underrail?

Remember trying it several years ago and getting my ass kicked. 😂

[Kordanor]

Yeah, underrail is a great game, very hardcore. Not super close to JA though, but recommended.

[Flowable]

I have it on my radar for so long, but i don't dare to buy it. I always get the feeling it's to complex.

[GODSPEED]

17 hours ago, Flowable said:

I have it on my radar for so long, but i don't dare to buy it. I always get the feeling it's to complex.

It is, as @Kordanor pointed out, "Hardcore". It is very old school, it doesn't hold your hand, tell you how or where to go. You are the one who has to figure it all out on your own.

You must have a good amount of time on your hands and/or a good constitution for that type of RPG. It is often on sale not too expensive on GOG, so why not give it a try at some point?

[Flowable]

So i played through Hard West 2, and i wonder if you can get the friend status on all allies in a single playthrough? 

Very entertaining game, like the atmosphere. It pushes you in a particular kind of playstyle when you want to get the most out of each mission (side objectives). i can see that for some people this could gamebreaking, i however got weirdly competetive. 

Also wished there would we some kind of newgame+ where you could play through the game again with all the cards you collected and the cool weaponry. 

[GODSPEED]

On 8/23/2022 at 4:20 AM, Flowable said:

So i played through Hard West 2, and i wonder if you can get the friend status on all allies in a single playthrough?

Sorry I can be of no help. Haven't played 2 yet, only the first game.

Highly recommend it, super original and absolutely LOVED the "perks" being tied to poker hands. It was a real pleasure to play around with collected cards and see what perks you can give your chars, and which ones you give to who.

Don't usually care for perks, unless it's an RPG type of game like Fallout 1 & 2 (RPG) or D&D.. but in that game, because of the supernatural elements, I don't know, it just felt right.

[Solaris_Wave]

I'm glad to see Silent Storm was mentioned, I just talked about that game in my thread in General Discussion. Like I mentioned, I wasn't keen on the sci-fi additions such as the Panzerkleins (Armoured Suits) and I used a mod to remove them, which left some of the levels empty, but the game mechanics were just superb. The scenery destruction is just incredible. There was a great range of firearms and explosives to choose from so it made full use of chewing up the scenery. I also liked how every weapon type had its pros and cons. Bolt-action and semi-auto rifles were powerful but you really wanted to switch to a sub-machine gun when clearing rooms. Weaker damage per bullet but you could fire automatic, hence their real world benefits. Light machine guns were excellent and if your soldier got set up nicely, could provide effective long range support. Dedicated snipers in your squad were really effective too but never became overpowered.

 

I saw a mention of Templar Battleforce. I enjoyed that game and would recommend it. As described, the Trese brothers are the two leads of a small team who made the game. They have also made some other enjoyable games which I would recommend.

 

If the Warhammer 40,000 setting appeals to you, I enjoyed Warhammer 40K - Deathwatch: Tyranid Invasion by Rodeo Games. Sadly no destructible environment whatsoever but other than that, I found it very fun. I only played it on the iPad and I don't know if it is still available (although their Warhammer Quest 2 does remain) but I think it is still available on Steam. I read that the Steam version had an additional Chapter of marines to recruit from and they might have done away with the optional microtransactions. Those microtransactions allowed you to buy in-game card packs which unlocked higher ranking weapons, upgrades and marines. Without doing that, you could just play (and re-play) a mission to hopefully get something nice. Standard squad progression was good and I found myself favouring certain marines for their skills and specialities.

The flame-throwers in the game were for a change, really useful as they could hit and burn multiple enemies at once with a decent range. On the other hand, I did find that the Heavy Bolter (basically a squad automatic weapon) was lacking. It was powerful enough but took too many action points to use and the standard marine bolter gave you more chance to shoot and kill multiple targets per turn.

The enemies are all your Aliens-style toothy, clawing, speedy foes that attack in numbers. There are also Tyranids that have ranged attacks. They look (and sound) great. They vary in size too. Some are small and numerous, then you get some really big buggers that require dedicated work to bring down.

 

Right now, again on the iPad, I am playing Strike Team Hydra. I think that is on Steam too. It is a low budget, turn-based, sci-fi squad game which isn't bad. No destructible scenery again and some annoying bugs (and I don't mean the type you have to shoot at either). The graphics are okay but lack lighting, meaning that the environment looks a little bland and even flat. Nothing is really well defined in terms of lighting, so you can't always see character models clearly, especially when they are standing next to lots of dead alien bodies.

There are different classes of soldier with different skills. Missions can be replayed to level up. Money and items are awarded at the end of each mission. You can then buy or sell items in a shop, with the best items being really expensive and therefore, needing multiple missions to get the necessary cash.

[Wigen]

From December, you will be able to play the Urban Strife demo.

 

https://steamcommunity.com/games/710230/announcements/detail/3389548848342795202

[Solaris_Wave]

That really does look good from the screenshots! I believe I already have that game on my Steam wishlist.

It is also nice to see MicroProse around again. They were my favourite games publisher back in the '80s and '90s. My first MicroProse game was Silent Service on the Amstrad CPC 464. Before then, all of my other Amstrad games were usually in small cassette tape boxes, with the exception of strategy games from another favourite publisher called PSS. Silent Service came in a large box, with a thick manual covering the game and real history, blowing nearly everything else away in terms of content. It also came with a games catalogue showing loads of other games that I instantly wanted to buy (and were either not out yet or only on another computer system). Games like Gunship, F-15 Strike Eagle, Airborne Ranger and Project: Stealth Fighter. When I moved onto the Commodore Amiga, I bought Pirates!, F-19 Stealth Fighter, M1 Tank Platoon, Formula 1 Grand Prix, Special Forces, Midwinter, Gunship 2000, B-17 Flying Fortress and Civilisation (and that is only a few). They all came in huge boxes, had fold-out maps, keyboard overlays and thick manuals. I really felt like they were more serious games. That all continued into my move over to PC gaming, with more simulations such as 1942: Pacific Air War, Covert Action, Master Of Orion 1 and 2, Master Of Magic and the original X-COM trilogy.

I think without a doubt, MicroProse has most of my favourite games on each system I owned, so it was both a surprise and a true shame when they went under. It is good to see the name and logo again, even if they are different today.

[Hendrix]

While this might not really be games that will scratch the itch, I would like to give them a honorable mention.

 

Wages of War: The Business of Battle.

https://www.myabandonware.com/game/wages-of-war-the-business-of-battle-djb

I really enjoyed this game back in the day! Would love to get it working on a modern PC.

 

Next up an even older one: SEAL TEAM.

https://www.mobygames.com/game/seal-team

The very first PC game I bought.

 

Elite Warriors: Vietnam

Reminded me somewhat of SEAL TEAM.

 

Soldiers if Anarchy.

I played this one but I was very bad at it.

 

The Fall: Last days of Gaia

Played the german version of this and had to alt-tab to translate in a browser to understand what the hell was going on. 😂

 

9th company

Remeber watching this game but I never played it.

 

Finally a "new" game me and a few of my friends have enjoyed. Ghost Recon: Breakpoint... wait wait don't start yelling at me just yet, hear me out! 

The game was shit when it first came out, I completely agree. But they added alot of options to the game so it became more of a tactical stealth shooter instead of being gear based.

[Hendrix]

Forgott to mention!

Hidden & Dangerous 2 was a blast to play with a few friends!

 

Edited November 14, 2022 by Hendrix
Typing error