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Digital Gaming => Computer Gaming => Topic started by: FlickJax on March 16, 2013, 10:53:30 AM

Title: Need help choosing
Post by: FlickJax on March 16, 2013, 10:53:30 AM
Wifey is gonna buy me a game but am so torn.....

Conflict of heroes
case blue
sim city
panzer corps africa corps
star drive
distant worlds

Does any one know if matrix will be having an Easter sale this year? quite like the idea of distant worlds but looks like it is only good if you can afford the expansion packs?
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Grim.Reaper on March 16, 2013, 10:58:26 AM
I could be wrong, but don't recall an easter sale at Matrix....
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: panzerde on March 16, 2013, 10:59:34 AM
DW is great, but you really do want all on the expansions.  The next expansion is in the works and is close to release, I *think* there might be a bundle released at that time, but I can't remember if I read that "officially" or if it was just speculation.

If you can only get one game, I think you can't go far wrong with Case Blue.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: undercovergeek on March 16, 2013, 11:15:32 AM
Quote from: FlickJax on March 16, 2013, 10:53:30 AM
Wifey is gonna buy me a game but am so torn.....

Conflict of heroes
case blue
sim city
panzer corps africa corps
star drive
distant worlds

Does any one know if matrix will be having an Easter sale this year? quite like the idea of distant worlds but looks like it is only good if you can afford the expansion packs?

I'd say LnL:HoS over Conflict of Heroes but only Mark Walker and Barthheart know when its coming out
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Rayfer on March 16, 2013, 08:47:57 PM
Case Blue or Distant Worlds (with expansions) would be my suggestion.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Cyrano on March 16, 2013, 08:51:15 PM
For me, it's not close:  Case Blue.

Groggiest of the offerings, but it's still got the great accessible design that Vic builds into his stuff.  He builds the EF game everyone thinks will be his next/last Decisive Campaigns game and I will be a happy dude.

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7)
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Longdan on March 16, 2013, 09:07:31 PM
Quote from: undercovergeek on March 16, 2013, 11:15:32 AM
Wifey is gonna buy me a game but am so torn.....


I'd say LnL:HoS over Conflict of Heroes but only Mark Walker and Barthheart know when its coming out
[/quote]

One exists the other one has lived in our dreams for a long time.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Bison on March 16, 2013, 09:09:05 PM
What sort of game are you looking for as your options are pretty varied?
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Nefaro on March 16, 2013, 09:25:26 PM
Quote from: Bison on March 16, 2013, 09:09:05 PM
What sort of game are you looking for as your options are pretty varied?

Agreed.  That's quite a spread regarding subject matter & time period.

I'd say DW and Case Blue are probably the notable standouts in your original list.  But who knows what else is right around the corner?
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: FlickJax on March 17, 2013, 04:41:34 AM
Quote from: Nefaro on March 16, 2013, 09:25:26 PM
Quote from: Bison on March 16, 2013, 09:09:05 PM
What sort of game are you looking for as your options are pretty varied?

Agreed.  That's quite a spread regarding subject matter & time period.

I'd say DW and Case Blue are probably the notable standouts in your original list.  But who knows what else is right around the corner?

I play a mixed bag of games and i chose them as i have been following them all for a while (apart from star drive which is new on radar)

Would really love DW, just wish Matrix would be a lot kinder on pricing and if i have to buy all 3 to get the best out of the game it;s a lot of cash.

If Rome II was out would jump on that first :) or  a steel panthers remake.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Greybriar on March 17, 2013, 07:15:58 AM
Quote from: FlickJax on March 17, 2013, 04:41:34 AM
....Would really love DW....

Then that's the one I would get if I were you.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: FlickJax on March 17, 2013, 07:45:00 AM
DW: If you could afford just 1 of the expansions, which would you go for first?
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Bison on March 17, 2013, 08:27:23 AM
Well you need to buy the game in expansion order so DW then Return of the Shakturi the Legends.   I believe you get like a 20% discount on each expansion if you buy at the time you purchase DW.  It works out to be like $80 for download only. 

The only think that keeps me from play DW more is the UI.  It is not easy to read.  So I hope you have good eyesight or a low resolution monitor. 
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: FlickJax on March 17, 2013, 08:47:16 AM
Quote from: Bison on March 17, 2013, 08:27:23 AM
Well you need to buy the game in expansion order so DW then Return of the Shakturi the Legends.   I believe you get like a 20% discount on each expansion if you buy at the time you purchase DW.  It works out to be like $80 for download only. 

The only think that keeps me from play DW more is the UI.  It is not easy to read.  So I hope you have good eyesight or a low resolution monitor.

oh dear that puts me back into indecisive mode......
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: GJK on March 17, 2013, 09:21:35 AM
None of the above.  Play what you already have but clean your room first!


:P
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: FlickJax on March 17, 2013, 09:24:02 AM
LOL at 45 I never clean me room, the wife does...I do wash up and cook though ;)
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: DeathTouchWilly on March 17, 2013, 11:50:03 AM
Not that his helps with the indecision but man do I love Panzer Corps. It's too soon to tell whether Sim City will be on my hard drive off and on for the next decade but the Panzer Corps series has already proven capable of that. Also for whatever the reason the typical tactical situations presented with North African combat are particularly fun for me.

That said the games you listed, as was previously stated, are very different and I think any of them would easily sap countless hours out of your weekends/evenings. Rolling a dice and seeing what comes up would probably make things easier.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Bison on March 17, 2013, 12:14:55 PM
Quote from: FlickJax on March 16, 2013, 10:53:30 AM
Conflict of heroes
case blue
sim city
panzer corps africa corps
star drive
distant worlds

I'd rank them like this:
Conflict of Heroes
Distant Worlds w/ Expansions
Case Blue
Panzer Corps
Sim City
Star Drive

Of course you could get two of the game for the price of DW w/ expansions.

I just like the way CoH playes out.  Good AI and the card driven events help make the scenarios play out a little different every time.  The MP community isn't too active, which is a downside for a great game.
As I've said I really find the UI a put off because it's so hard for me to read.  Great game if you can get past that or don't mind changing resolution on your monitor until you hit a sweet spot for the UI.
Case Blue -  I'm basing this off of my experience with Blitzkreig Warsaw to Paris.  It's been awhile but I lost many hours Blitzing across Poland and France.
Panzer Corps - I've never played, but it generally is very well received.  So all those people cannot all be delusional fan boys. :D
Simcity - I'm enjoying the game quite a bit, but there are several issues that need to be patched and fixed.  It requires constant internet connection to play. 
Stardrive -  This one is a wild card.  It looks like it could be really fun, but it's still in beta fwiw. 
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Bison on March 17, 2013, 12:26:42 PM
I'd also ask if you are specifically tied to getting one of these games?
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: FlickJax on March 17, 2013, 12:50:58 PM
Well I was getting Sim City but then thought i'd wait until dust settles and it has been patched a bit. Apart from that i'm just so indecisive; when i was younger I would have just bought the lot. Unfortunately funds are a lot tighter these days.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Bison on March 17, 2013, 12:53:22 PM
Well I've already devoted 30+ hours of my life to Simcity, so it's not all bad.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Longdan on March 17, 2013, 01:25:49 PM
But is it getting better or are you just getting used to it?
I have not asked my kids lately how it is going.  The BS that EA is putting out to the public is off putting.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Bison on March 17, 2013, 01:31:22 PM
Honestly Dan I don't spend anytime at the offical site or forums.  Other than what I've read here, I've got nothing to go on but my own play experience and the patch updates.  I haven't had any server issues since release weekend, but I still would like to see an offline mode added into the game.  There are some parts of the game that from my perspective are broken and not working correctly.  That being said there is certainly enough that is working correctly with depth of planning to hold my interest.  Will I still be playing in a couple of months?  I don't know.  It depends on how they address some of the regional issues and other things.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Longdan on March 17, 2013, 01:38:00 PM
Thanks Bison.  I am trying to find out if I should be yelling at my kids for dealing with EA or breaking
down and talking tactics.  At our house we played SimCity forever but for 60 bux these days, even
though I am an addict, I don't want a broken or dysfunctional product.  I do not like EA.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Nefaro on March 17, 2013, 01:57:49 PM
Quote from: FlickJax on March 17, 2013, 07:45:00 AM
DW: If you could afford just 1 of the expansions, which would you go for first?

Return of the Shakturi was the first expansion, as Bison mentioned.  I still only have that one but it was a nice leap from the vanilla game.  I'll get Legends later on during a sale or something - already have too much that I haven't played yet anyway.


Edit:  If DW is too pricey for you at the moment, StarDrive is nearing the end of it's Beta and is like a DW-Lite.  It's still a bit different but it's not a much of a jumble to deal with.  You'll have to get it from Steam, however, and I still prefer DW over it just because DW has more content- and game option-wise.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Tuna on March 17, 2013, 02:08:09 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on March 17, 2013, 01:57:49 PM
Quote from: FlickJax on March 17, 2013, 07:45:00 AM
DW: If you could afford just 1 of the expansions, which would you go for first?

Return of the Shakturi was the first expansion, as Bison mentioned.  I still only have that one but it was a nice leap from the vanilla game.  I'll get Legends later on during a sale or something - already have too much that I haven't played yet anyway.


Edit:  If DW is too pricey for you at the moment, StarDrive is nearing the end of it's Beta and is like a DW-Lite.  It's still a bit different but it's not a much of a jumble to deal with.  You'll have to get it from Steam, however, and I still prefer DW over it just because DW has more content- and game option-wise.

I have been tempted with all this DW talk lately.. but the price does scare me off right away. I am also tempted by StarDrive, especially by it's lower price.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: PanzersEast on March 17, 2013, 03:21:29 PM
I was put off by the price of DW and the talk of font size... however, after playing it I can say it was well worth the price.  The font is small, however I tend to pause a lot as the game is a marathon and not a sprint so I have grown accustomed to the font size.  I tend to play DW slowly as the game I have setup are long games, so things happen over a longer period.  I can see DW setting on my HD for a long long time, however I can see StarDrive setting on my HD until something flasher comes along (although I still like SD).


PE
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Martok on March 17, 2013, 06:06:34 PM
From everything that's being said about it, I'd steer way clear of SimCity 5 for now.  StarDrive looks like it'll be very good, but it's still in beta and won't be released as a full game for another month or so -- and even then, I'm sure it'll require a lot of balancing and bug-squashing before it's truly considered "ready for primetime". 


If price weren't an issue, I'd definitely go with Distant Worlds and the two expansions (Return of the Shakturi and Legends).  It's an absolutely marvelous game. 

It's not yet known if they'll all go on sale when the newest expansion (Shadows) comes out, but it seems probable.  Even then, though, it'd still be expensive, and I wouldn't blame you for hesitating to pick it up. 




Quote from: FlickJax on March 17, 2013, 07:45:00 AM
DW: If you could afford just 1 of the expansions, which would you go for first?
Legends requires Return of the Shakturi, so grab RotS first if you can only get one. 

Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: JasonPratt on March 18, 2013, 10:59:00 PM
Incidentally, Flick, unless you REALLY REALLY want to play an updated version of Panzer General (but really it's just Panzer General with a few updates), don't go with Panzer Korps. Cheaper to pull out your old copy of PG.

Of course, the reason they made PK was so that they could then develop and flesh out the Grand Campaigns. But those are (mostly) expansions to the main game. And again, it really depends on whether you badly want to play another two weeks of Panzer General 2012.


If you do want to play the PG game system but are kinda iffy about playing the PG missions (and extensive expansions of those missions) over again, you could do a lot worse than poke around for the Fantasy Wars/Elven Legacy series. Gorgeous fantasy game directly based on the PG game system (was originally intended to be a straighout remake/update of Fantasy General but they lost the rights to the intellectual property so just wrote a new story with new units), with something like nine or ten sequential campaigns -- you could probably find it dirt cheap, too.


(I should probably add that I am quite a slut for the PG game engine, so I impulse bought as much of the PK game modules as were available at the time. I think I only lack a couple. Never played them, but I HAVE THEM AND THEY ARE MINE AND I CAN USE THEM WHENEVER I WAAAANNNNTTT!!! Ahem. My point is that I'm not being critical above out of dislove for what the Lordz did. The other games are just much... newer.)
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: FlickJax on March 19, 2013, 09:26:29 AM
Got more pennies for birthday than was expecting so gonna get distant worlds and both expansions.....
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Greybriar on March 19, 2013, 11:06:07 AM
I'm happy for you, FlickJax. It's great that you were able to get what you really wanted.
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Nefaro on March 19, 2013, 11:52:23 AM
Quote from: JasonPratt on March 18, 2013, 10:59:00 PM
Incidentally, Flick, unless you REALLY REALLY want to play an updated version of Panzer General (but really it's just Panzer General with a few updates), don't go with Panzer Korps. Cheaper to pull out your old copy of PG.

Of course, the reason they made PK was so that they could then develop and flesh out the Grand Campaigns. But those are (mostly) expansions to the main game. And again, it really depends on whether you badly want to play another two weeks of Panzer General 2012.


If you do want to play the PG game system but are kinda iffy about playing the PG missions (and extensive expansions of those missions) over again, you could do a lot worse than poke around for the Fantasy Wars/Elven Legacy series. Gorgeous fantasy game directly based on the PG game system (was originally intended to be a straighout remake/update of Fantasy General but they lost the rights to the intellectual property so just wrote a new story with new units), with something like nine or ten sequential campaigns -- you could probably find it dirt cheap, too.


(I should probably add that I am quite a slut for the PG game engine, so I impulse bought as much of the PK game modules as were available at the time. I think I only lack a couple. Never played them, but I HAVE THEM AND THEY ARE MINE AND I CAN USE THEM WHENEVER I WAAAANNNNTTT!!! Ahem. My point is that I'm not being critical above out of dislove for what the Lordz did. The other games are just much... newer.)

I would just suggest passing up Fantasy Wars/Elven Legacy for their later game, Warlock: Masters of the Arcane which is pretty much the same system in a more open Civ-like grand strategy setting.  I thought the very narrow and linear nose-leading in Fantasy Wars/EL was the bad thing about it and the devs paid attention to the feedback about having a wider sandbox to play in when they created the newest one.  Warlock fixed that right up!  And it's pretty cheap too, isn't it?  Like $20 for the main game, and regularly on sale for even less. 
Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: Martok on March 19, 2013, 02:19:19 PM
Quote from: FlickJax on March 19, 2013, 09:26:29 AM
Got more pennies for birthday than was expecting so gonna get distant worlds and both expansions.....
Sweet!  That's always a nice surprise. 


Happy Birthday, btw!  8) 

Title: Re: Need help choosing
Post by: JasonPratt on March 25, 2013, 02:37:10 PM
Quote from: Nefaro on March 19, 2013, 11:52:23 AM
Quote from: JasonPratt on March 18, 2013, 10:59:00 PM
If you do want to play the PG game system...

I would just suggest passing up Fantasy Wars/Elven Legacy for their later game, Warlock: Masters of the Arcane which is pretty much the same system in a more open Civ-like grand strategy setting.

My impression (not having played it yet although I do think I own a Steam copy) is that Warlock isn't much like the Panzer General engine per se anymore.