Eulogy To The Turn-Based Computer Game (By Kef in a moment of madness)

[Khephra]

I want a game like the game I had before
Oh shit calm down...stop that...I'm trying to talk to someone!
I want a game that allows me to pause...
god-damn it! Where is the key to slow things down???
I want a game I can fall asleep during the turns
This is an Eulogy to the turn-based game
The Game that allowed you to rest
to eat
read between turns
to check out tv
masturbate (oopps, did I say that?)

But these were the games that gave you time to think
not twitch
or click

So I miss and sing the praises of the the departed turn-based game. You haven't left us yet, but you're ever, ever so far.

[mouse7]

1. Combat Mission:Africa Korps & Age of Wonders Shadow Magic

Also, Massive Assault

All turn based strategy games recently released got great reviews.

Also, don't forget Galactic Civilizations

[45th Med]

5. I used to work for Godgames.....

that published Age of Wonders...........

[DS1]

2. Too true my gaming friend, too true

RTS is teh suk!

[solinvictus]

3. VGA Planets

I used to love that game in 1995.

[Nevernose]

4. And while we'er on the subject...

When did everything become 3-D? What the hell happened to side-scrollers?

[Khephra]

6. selfish

kick

[DS1]

12. Duke Nukem: The Manhatten Project

Pretty good game for 20 bucks

[lazarus]

18. Amen

Give me Super Mario Bros, SMB 2, and the best, SMB 3 any day of the week. This 3D crap gives me a headache.

Game designers: Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[regnaD kciN]

25. "This 3D crap gives me a headache"...

As most of you know, I used to be a game programmer. (Now, of course, I'm an unemployed game programmer.)

I agree completely with what most of you say. I'd like to note one irony of the game world: the ideal, for most of us, was a time when you could have a real, immerisive, 3D world to set your game in, as opposed to the primitive graphics capabilities we had when I was starting out. Well, now we have that capability, and you know what? Most games aren't worth playing!

I guess we should have counted our blessings. One of the beauties of being limited in graphics capabilities in the old days is that we couldn't simply rely on them to sell a game. Since we knew that game graphics were going to be pretty lousy, we had to come up with interesting game ideas and stories to keep people playing and not walking away to watch TV. So, first, we had tiny, graphically-primitive, but utterly fascinating games like Seven Cities of Gold, M.U.L.E., Murder on the Zinderneuf, Emerald Mine, the Infocom text-adventure series, and many others. Then, as data space increased and 2D graphics improved, we had the graphic adventures and RPGs that were thinking games rather than "twitch" joystick-jockey bouts.

Now, we have the full 3D, first-person experience, and what do we get? Game after game of nothing but a first-person view of blowing away everything in sight. Knowing that 90% of all games are going to be hand-to-hand combat in 3D. Realizing that the most "innovative" twist of games recently has been one product where you can restore your health through an encounter with a hooker (and then, of course, kill her and take your money back).

A couple of years ago, some game magazine published a spoof of the "Dogme 95" manifesto of low-budget filmmaking, where game designers, artists, and programmers would pledge to write games that would require no more hardware capabilites than was found on ten-year-old PCs. I can't help but think that this "Dogma 2001" manifesto would lead to better games than we're getting right now.

[DS1]

31. just one comment

I'm really tired of hearing people complaining about the 'fuck the hooker for health and kill her for your money back' routine.

It's not only inaccurate, but it's really avoiding the big picture. One, you can beat money out of anyone, regardless of previous transactions. Two, you can beat money out of everyone.

[Khephra]

37. Brilliant reply!

[NeoConned]

7. I played Civ III once,

I knew it well.

[moz4prez]

11. Aye, likewise I

Right now I'm taking a break between turns from CONQUESTS. The feudal japan scenario is great

[NeoConned]

17. I modified things a bit

I made a map of the Mediterranean.

In the North I had England, France, Germany, Romans, Greeks, Russia, and changed the Aztecs to Vikings and Chinese to Spain.
England has the "Man O'War" and I gave it to France and Spain too. Also, England was attached to the continent at (roughly) Calais.

In the South I had Egypt, Zulus, Persia, Babylon.
BUT the best thing I did was change India to - get this - CARTHAGE. Get it? Hannibal and the elephants over the Alps?

Because it was such a huge map, Asia Minor (Turkey) was wide open to the Greeks, Persians, Carthaginians, Egyptians, Babylonians, and Russians. Many ferocious and heroic battles were fought there. The battles between Rome and Carthage over Sicily were great too (for some reason, Carthage would never attack Spain).

I truly loved this game. The only thing I would change is the diplomacy. The Diplomacy in Civ II was much better (i.e., once you kicked a Civ's ass they did what you told them to do instead of staying pissed off for 2000 years).

But, then I fucked it all up and got a girlfriend.

[NeoConned]

8. Anyone e'er play

Alpha Centauri?

Sid rules.

[Fenris]

9. Fun but damn complex

The manual was thicker than some novels. I liked the game. Haven't played it in a long time.

[NeoConned]

19. I liked to terraform

I played this game for a long time. Different scenarios, different factions. It's very well done and, true, very complex. But it is worth the time provided you don't get too far ahead of the other factions. Once that happens, start a new game.

I played Lal and would terraform (raise or lower terrain) them into submission, while keeping control of the UN.
Maybe you don't know this, (apologize if you do) but the winds blew from a certain direction, so, if I built up the ground on my side then all of the moisture would stay there and turn my opponents land into desert. After I defeated them I would lower the terrain.

Keeping track of the numerous unit configurations, outrageous costs for marginally better units if you configure them yourself, pacifist tendencies for even the most (supposedly) aggressive opponents (they would never attack me even when I was begging them to), factions that start colonies in stupid places and, an annoying tendency for allies to love you one turn and despise you the next, are the reasons why I quit playing it. I would spend a whole game building an alliance with another faction and then the next turn they would despise me.

Overall, I think it's a classic TBG. Innovative, way ahead of its time and still enjoyable.

[Terran]

29. I have--great game

and Alien Crossfire too, the add-on.

I agree strongly with Keph--I HATE these non-turn-based games (sorry, whaddaya call them? RTS? what's that stand for?). I bought one without knowing it wasn't turn-based, I forget the name. City building and war in medieval times, a well-known one. To this day I do NOT see how a human being is expected to play such a game; you'd have be everywhere at once, doing everything at once, to make a go of it. While you're having people harvest crops over her, your rivals are invading the opposite corner of your town. F*CK!

Alpha Centauri and Civilization, those are my faves. Sim City also--yes, it's not turn-based, but it's not the same thing at all.

[Fenris]

10. AMEN KEPH

Okay, I am currently playing Age of Mythology, which I just reinstalled after months of playing other things. Now I remember why I stopped playing the goddamn thing in the first place. On the "Easy" setting, you have enough time to build a working economy and a big army, but the enemy AI is really dumbed down, to the point where they won't attack you. However, on the "Moderate" setting, you only have about twenty minutes to get your economy producing and build an army, because the goddamn enemy armies start attacking relentlessly. WHERE'S the fucking middle ground?

Come on people, let's go back to the play and prepare turn based world. The AI in RTS is so hard to get right.

[45th Med]

13. BTW, Combat Mission is G R E A T!

Super Great fun!

[JVS]

14. Does anyone remember the Koei games?

Genghis Khan, Nobunaga's ambition, uncharted waters, L'Empereur, Romance of the 3 kingdoms. I loved those games. I wish I could get them all for PS2

[Forkboy]

15. How about those games FREE for the PC? - Check this out!

http://www.the-underdogs.org/company.php?id=230

my favorite site :)

[JVS]

32. ARe you sure this won't make my computer buggy

[Forkboy]

36. I've downloaded tons of games with no problems

the site does have popups though.

[ronzo]

16. Oh yeah...

The KOEI NES, SNES games still fetch big bucks on Ebay.
Killed way too much time playing those. :bounce:

[JVS]

21. What was your favorite?

[ronzo]

23. Oh wow.

Played the hell outta Nobunaga's on the NES...
The original ROT3K game was great on SNES, P.T.O., Uncharted 2... great time killers.

[JVS]

33. I liked Uncharted waters.

I couldn't find one that worked on my emulator, so I got uncharted waters II. It's a good game, lot's of fun.

L'Empereur was also good but it sucked when generals started dying of old age and there were no replacements

[thebigidea]

20. I'm going to raise the rice tax, and not one of you will stop me

[moof]

22. CIV 2 will live forever

http://forums.civfanatics.com/index.php?s=

[Cat Atomic]

24. X-Com, Civilization.... ah...

I loved those games. Turn-based has taken a beating, true enough. Everything is real-time now, which sucks for strategy.

Still, the Total War series is alot of fun, and very deep. It's got alot of good historical info in it as well. Shogun: Total War, Medieval: Total War, the Viking Invasion expansion pack... all are good. The combat is real time, but you can pause it to issue orders. And of course, the large strategy map is turn-based.

[lazarus]

28. X-Com!!!!!

Gods, I had forgotten X-Com. What a great game, as well as X-Com 2.

From what I heard, X-Com 3 sucked, of course. Went all 3D and stuff.

[freeminder]

35. Damn I only played 2 :-) n/t

[PVnRT]

26. Amen - I fucking HATE RTS games

Give me Civilization, Master of Orion, Fallout....ahhh, those are the games.

[brokensymmetry]

27. Master of Orion!

I loved that game! And Alpha Centauri...and Reach for the stars (the old version with minimal graphics).

[Terran]

30. I loved the old Master of Orion!

I downloaded it from a site that has classic PC games, but it needed some antique driver that I of course didn't have anymore and had no clue where to obtain, so I still can't play it. MOO was the third in my trinity of favorite turn-based games, along with Civ (any version, they're all good) and Alpha Centauri.

[freeminder]

34. you made me relive UFO-Enemy Unknown

that was a great turn-based strategy game for me.

Thanks for bringing back happy memories !:thumbsup:

[DrWeird]

38. Funny you mentioned that.

I just started replaying that old ass Pool of Radiance TSR game. Still fun.

The closest thing you get to that on PS2 is Dark Alliance. But hey, that's a pretty decent game even though it's not turned based. And I'm looking forward to the sequal that's coming out this month.