GrogHeads Forum

Gentles all,
I need something to bust me out of my current gaming funk.  Nothing I have installed on my work laptop is really doing it for me anymore, so I need to find something new.  The only limitation I have is that my laptop doesn't have a walloping good graphics card.  I have a bunch of HPS Squad Battles stuff, and many of the Close Combat titles, but they just don't look / sound / feel appealing to me right now.  I tried the Battle Academy demo, but it didn't feel right, either.


Votes and comments appreciated.


Ever your humble servant in gaming,

Jack Nastyface

I would love to help - but I would honestly be no help because although I have (or had) all those games, I didn't play them long enough or haven't got enough play time to help you.

A lot of people rave about Distant Worlds, but I love the look of Birth of America II (and I did play 1 for some time (longer than my normal attention span) and really liked it, but didn't complete a campaign)

CK II and invest some love into your character

I'm kinda in the same boat right now.  Think I'm going to take a break from it for a while.  I've been doing the exercise thing since I got back.  About to mitigate that foolishness with some lovely beverages at the craft beer festival.  Come on down for a pint!

I have all of these, and they're all good games. However, you are comparing apples with oranges.

I have Birth of America 2 on my Gamersgate account (given me by Paradox a while back). I already had the game on disk, so never used the download. I'll have to raise a ticket to see if GG will let me gift it to you.

If you want it and they're willing, then get the latest update from AGEOD, as there are many, many changes to the core game. Also check out their site anyway for scenarios, as I think they've (the community that is) done Lord Dunmore's, and Pontiac's War, both of which are very good scenarios. PM me if you're interested. :)

I'm really, really enjoying Tiller's/Matrix Campaign Series right now. If you want WW2 tactical but are burned out of squad micro-management you might give this a try. It may be a 20 year old game, but Matrix just released the 2.01 patch this week and it's actively being improved. East, West, and Pacific front platoon-scale gaming without taxing that graphic adapter...

Quote from: panzerde on June 06, 2014, 05:07:10 PM
I'm really, really enjoying Tiller's/Matrix Campaign Series right now. If you want WW2 tactical but are burned out of squad micro-management you might give this a try. It may be a 20 year old game, but Matrix just released the 2.01 patch this week and it's actively being improved. East, West, and Pacific front platoon-scale gaming without taxing that graphic adapter...

+1. Panzerde's got good taste.

Didn't know about the new patch. Thanks for that. :)

If your video card is weak then gog.com is your friend. I highly recommend Alpha Centauri or Imperialism I or II.  :smitten:

I'm kinda where you are at, nothing is grabbing me at the moment and hasn't for the last week other than some quick play casual stuff. Don't know how many games i've opened, stared at and then closed but its alot. What other genre's do you like? Most of the games on the above list seem awful complex. What usually works for me is going simple, playing games that dont require alot of setup or micro management. I was excited when they released the 2.01 for campaign series and looking forward to getting a campaign started, but opened a few scenarios and campaigns and ........nothing. Another thing that sometimes works to get me out of my funk is doing an AAR on the game im playing.....none of those has worked for me so far...no biggy...i'll just find something else to do.....it will come back....it always has ;)

I also play my games on a laptop, mine has an integrated card so i can't play all the lastest and greatest either.

I think i'm going to reinstall borderlands 2 and give that a go or maybe serious sam and just blast sh*t, sometimes that works me out of the funk too.

Quote from: bbmike on June 06, 2014, 06:55:27 PM
If your video card is weak then gog.com is your friend. I highly recommend Alpha Centauri or Imperialism I or II.  :smitten:

+1  Browse the GOG library for something new and different, outside of what you might normally play. There are all sorts of genres there and the vast majority don't require high-end pc's and work well on laptops.  They even have the ancient text game Zork, quite a change from modern games as it has no visuals at all, you just input text. Try an rpg or a point and click adventure game or some other non-familiar genre. GOG has them all and for cheap!

.

Quote from: bbmike on June 06, 2014, 06:55:27 PM
If your video card is weak then gog.com is your friend. I highly recommend Alpha Centauri or Imperialism I or II.  :smitten:

Been playing Imperialism II on my work laptop.  Great game still.  And GOG version runs fine in Windows 7/8. 

Quote from: panzerde on June 06, 2014, 05:07:10 PM
I'm really, really enjoying Tiller's/Matrix Campaign Series right now. If you want WW2 tactical but are burned out of squad micro-management you might give this a try. It may be a 20 year old game, but Matrix just released the 2.01 patch this week and it's actively being improved. East, West, and Pacific front platoon-scale gaming without taxing that graphic adapter...

I played a bit recently too.  Although it's always been in short sessions with that one.

It's difficult to recommend something specific because my gaming habits, at any one point in time, are always based on a specific period of history or a specific theme.  I just assume this is typical for most people.  There are many I like but I don't play them until I'm in the mood for that specific period.  Do you guys not have this tendency?

Quote from: Nefaro on June 07, 2014, 11:08:51 AM
It's difficult to recommend something specific because my gaming habits, at any one point in time, are always based on a specific period of history or a specific theme.  I just assume this is typical for most people.  There are many I like but I don't play them until I'm in the mood for that specific period.  Do you guys not have this tendency?

This is pretty much exactly what I do. And, when I do it it's not just games it books, documentaries, the whole bit. I'll tend to get immersed.

CK2, EU IV and Combat Mission Red Thunder always drag me in once I start playing.

Gentlemen,
1) Thanks for the recommendations - your collective experience / ideas are much appreciated
2) To echo Panzerde and Nefaro, I tend to get pulled into a particular genre wrt to reading, watching, modelling and gaming.  Right now, however, I am in the middle of two books (Thud Ridge - about the USAF during Vietnam, and The English Civil War - A People's History; I have been watching a bunch of youtube stuff on Afghanistan (mostly the BBC My War Series); I am priming some sci-fi, fantasy, historical and steampunk minis, and I am playing Qvadriga and some Alien Assault.  So I was hoping to find a game that might pull me in my itself for bit.

Again, most humble thanks for your feedback,

Yours in gaming,

Jack Nastyface

I've heard there's an astounding English Civil War mod for Medieval 2 TW, Jack.

But really, none of these things matter. Because you clearly need something different to break your funk, yet something that requires strategic plotting.

What matters, is that SANG-FROID: TALES OF WEREWOLVES (or some title like that) is 90% for the next few hours at Steam. If that doesn't break your gaming funk, nothing will.

Ahem...

Onnnnnnceee you-have-franctically shottttttt a-big-wolf-in-the faaaaaaace and-then-tried-to reloooooaaaadd before-your-poor torrrrrrrch doesn't-scare-off-his frieeennnnndddsss anymore, out-at-the-edge-of-your-field-oh-my-God-oh-my-WHY-did-you-run-out-that-farRRRGHGHGHLLllll {murdered by wolves}

Sang-froid. Soon you will have a new appreciation for Birth of America 2.

(It has no singing in it, I promise.   :D )

^ +1 This has to be the best prescription yet.  ;D

Quote from: JasonPratt on June 08, 2014, 09:16:46 AM

What matters, is that SANG-FROID: TALES OF WEREWOLVES (or some title like that) is 90% for the next few hours at Steam. If that doesn't break your gaming funk, nothing will.

Ahem...

Onnnnnnceee you-have-franctically shottttttt a-big-wolf-in-the faaaaaaace and-then-tried-to reloooooaaaadd before-your-poor torrrrrrrch doesn't-scare-off-his frieeennnnndddsss anymore, out-at-the-edge-of-your-field-oh-my-God-oh-my-WHY-did-you-run-out-that-farRRRGHGHGHLLllll {murdered by wolves}

Sang-froid. Soon you will have a new appreciation for Birth of America 2.

(It has no singing in it, I promise.   :D )

Damn... I should of thought of recommendation ....EH

I didn't get into Sang-Froid, myself.  Must've been the "tower defense" theme, which just means running around in one little area while waves of enemies keep coming at you.  I'm not into that.  Gotta get out, gotta move about.  ???

When I'm in a gaming funk, I usually turn to graphical roguelikes or sports management text sims for a change from the norm.  If that doesn't do it, then I know it's time to do some solitaire tabletop games or watch other people's LPs on the 'Tube for awhile. 

Speaking of English Civil War, I still need to bust out Cruel Necessity on the table.

Jason,
Since my crappy laptop doesn't have a 3D card, your song of praise for Sang-Froid serves little more than a harsh insult and reminder of my computing pathos.  I may still buy, should days of 3d gaming bliss return.

Sniff,
Jack Nastyface

Hmm, I would have thought SangF's sfx from two or three generations back might have run on a modern non-gaming laptop. Did you try the demo to confirm?

Nef, if you're playing SF running around in one little area, either you didn't get very far in the game or you're doing it wrong. And/or possibly you should play as the rifle-prone brother as he's less able to stand around by the cabin and tank incoming threats -- but even then the threats soon start heading for targets so far away you aren't likely to get there in time by running (and will likely be too tired to axe-fight once you get there, even with the axe-prone brother.)

It's very much a victory-in-the-preparation game: efficiently killing as many enemies as possible the moment they spawn or in distinct kill-zones at a target area.

Quote from: JasonPratt on June 08, 2014, 04:29:31 PM
Hmm, I would have thought SangF's sfx from two or three generations back might have run on a modern non-gaming laptop. Did you try the demo to confirm?

Nef, if you're playing SF running around in one little area, either you didn't get very far in the game or you're doing it wrong. And/or possibly you should play as the rifle-prone brother as he's less able to stand around by the cabin and tank incoming threats -- but even then the threats soon start heading for targets so far away you aren't likely to get there in time by running (and will likely be too tired to axe-fight once you get there, even with the axe-prone brother.)

It's very much a victory-in-the-preparation game: efficiently killing as many enemies as possible the moment they spawn or in distinct kill-zones at a target area.

Admittedly, I didn't play Sang-Froid very much.  I liked the premise, but the gameplay reminded me too much of the Tower Defense genre.  If only because it felt like I was standing around waiting for stuff to happen instead of being pro-active.  I'm very averse to such tower defense facets in games, even if the maps are larger than others in the same genre.  Hard to explain.

Quote from: Jack Nastyface on June 08, 2014, 03:43:03 PM
Jason,
Since my crappy laptop doesn't have a 3D card, your song of praise for Sang-Froid serves little more than a harsh insult and reminder of my computing pathos.  I may still buy, should days of 3d gaming bliss return.

Sniff,
Jack Nastyface

What ya playing on?  I cant imagine anybody being behind me on the tech curve.
mines a second gen I3, with a integrated intel card with 64megs dedicated for graphics and up too 1.8 gigs shared for graphics. I do have 8 gigs of memory on board. I get away with playing more than you'd think. a gaming rig is still a ways off in my future.  i do like the portability and taking my laptop out on the deck on a nice evening with a small cooler.....well you can guess the rest.

Nef,

Frankly I have to scramble a lot on most of the missions; only the early missions involve standing around waiting for things to appear. (In most missions if things actually appear you're probably going to fail! You should be whittling down the number with traps.)

Still, it's certainly a 3D Tower Defense sort-of game, although I'd regard it more as a survival-horror FPS with lots of trap preplanning. There are very few (only one?) things you can lay out which will shoot or attack enemies going by, but there are a number of passive area traps, and a number of local status buffs and traps which have to be manually activated.

On the other hand, the enemies do come in waves from various areas and follow distinct paths even if one might expect them to be able to go through brush and woods. ;) So in that sense it's very much a TDG. But only in that sense. Orcs Must Die is probably more of a 3D TDG, though Sang-Froid is pretty similar.

when you are into vietam air war ...how about CMANO (Nam, scenarios first) its 2D  and on a slower maschine i guess it just runs slower, i don't know about memory limitations so.

FYI...took the jump and bought Distant Worlds Universe.  I haven't played a good space exploration game since Sword of the Stars, so thought this might fit the bill.  Having said that, I am just getting to an desperate chapter in Thud Ridge, so I am slightly regretting not getting the HPS Vietnam air war game.


Thanks for all comments and recommendations.


yours in space gaming,


Jack Nastyface

Quote from: Jack Nastyface on June 12, 2014, 12:15:25 AM
FYI...took the jump and bought Distant Worlds Universe.  I haven't played a good space exploration game since Sword of the Stars, so thought this might fit the bill.  Having said that, I am just getting to an desperate chapter in Thud Ridge, so I am slightly regretting not getting the HPS Vietnam air war game.


Thanks for all comments and recommendations.


yours in space gaming,


Jack Nastyface

I dunno about the HPS Air War series.  From what I've seen of the Vietnam one, the scope can be rather limited.  Perhaps the Arab-Israeli one has more content, but I figure that I'd be better off just playing CMANO or one of the Harpoons since there are buttloads of user-created scenarios.  Not only that but you can even control more of the forces involved, for longer periods, and even have a wider range of conflicts available to be gamed.  They're just a lot wider in scope, possible length, and breadth.   The only drawback being having to find the Vietnam scenarios created thus far, but the greater content more than offsets any such Con I can think of.

Jack sent you a PM:)

Quote from: Nefaro on June 07, 2014, 11:08:51 AM

Quote from: panzerde on June 06, 2014, 05:07:10 PM
I'm really, really enjoying Tiller's/Matrix Campaign Series right now. If you want WW2 tactical but are burned out of squad micro-management you might give this a try. It may be a 20 year old game, but Matrix just released the 2.01 patch this week and it's actively being improved. East, West, and Pacific front platoon-scale gaming without taxing that graphic adapter...

I played a bit recently too.  Although it's always been in short sessions with that one.

It's difficult to recommend something specific because my gaming habits, at any one point in time, are always based on a specific period of history or a specific theme.  I just assume this is typical for most people.  There are many I like but I don't play them until I'm in the mood for that specific period.  Do you guys not have this tendency?

I have to say: not really.  I've played AJE, Rome II, HPS Panzer Battles and WitpAE lately mostly because that's what my various opponents wanted to play.
If left to myself lately I've played Roads to Moscow, Command at Sea, Combat Commander, Lobositz, and Cataphract (all board games) as well as CMRT, ARMAIII and endless Flight sims.

I guess my basic underlying themes are:
Age of Sail (not clear from the above)
Airplanes (not very focused there -- DCS with its jets seems to interest me as much as RoF)
WWII (more in-depth stuff there in many cases)

And some game systems (not necessarily obvious):
The Admiralty Trilogy (Harpoon, Command at Sea and Fear-God-and-Dreadnought)
ARMA (any)
Battles of the Age of Reason
CM (RT etc.)
Musket and Pike

Some designers:
Lee Brimcomb-wood
(and that's it these days)

Okay and maybe a couple of other grab-bag tactical "periods"
Anything with Huns
Anything with Pikes

Quote from: Jack Nastyface on June 12, 2014, 12:15:25 AM
FYI...took the jump and bought Distant Worlds Universe.  I haven't played a good space exploration game since Sword of the Stars, so thought this might fit the bill. 

Awesome.  There's certainly no shortage of neat stuff to explore in your average DW galaxy, so I think you'll be at least reasonably satisfied (and probably/hopefully more!).  :)