WWI Game Strategy Game

OJsDad · December 09, 2015, 10:00:29 PM

With the holiday sales having started, I'm in the mood for a WWI strategy game like HOI. I see that Matrix has two or three, just not sure if any of them are what I'm looking for. What opinions do you fine fellows have on what's available.

MetalDog · December 09, 2015, 10:14:14 PM

If you get the AGEOD way, To End All Wars seemed a good game. I just couldn't wrap my head around what AGEOD was trying to do with their engine. Totally my deficiency, not the game.

Boggit · December 09, 2015, 10:16:14 PM

Quote from: OJsDad on December 09, 2015, 10:00:29 PM
With the holiday sales having started, I'm in the mood for a WWI strategy game like HOI. I see that Matrix has two or three, just not sure if any of them are what I'm looking for. What opinions do you fine fellows have on what's available.

There are a number of really good ones, but if you like HOI, why don't you get the HOI Darkest Hour mod? It's not a free mod, but is still very good, and actually has a full WW1 starting campaign. IIRC I got it on sale from Gamersgate.

Other very good strategic games are...
Strategic Command WW1:Breakthrough (BattleFront)
Commander: The Great War (Matrix/Slitherine)
AGEOD's To End all Wars (Matrix/Slitherine)
Frank Hunter's Guns of August (Matrix/Slitherine)
WW1 Gold Centenary Edition (Was on Steam, an earlier version WW1 Gold was on Matrix' website a while ago too)

panzerde · December 09, 2015, 10:20:53 PM

I just picked up The Guns of August last night on the strength of Campaigns on the Danube and Piercing Fortress Europa. I like Frank Hunter's designs.

I tend to like Athena, AGEOD's engine, but I think it breaks down completely when applied to WWI. There are very, very few games I regret purchasing, but To End All Wars is one of them.

jomni · December 09, 2015, 10:52:10 PM

GoA is nice. Though UI is awkward. One of those WWI games that I actually finish to 1918 several times. May be too high level of some people.

JasonPratt · December 09, 2015, 11:14:46 PM

Note that Darkest Hour (which literally allows a WW1 HOI game), needs a bit of tweaking to work on modern systems. Nothing terrible, but check the Steam forums.

Also, I somewhat recommend looking into the Arms, Armistices, and Revolution super-mod on Paradox's forum for the game, which combines several mods with the scripts for both WW1 and the earliest WW2 campaigns, plus some scripts for the intervening period. The game can technically run into the 90s with tech into 2010! (The modder may have updated since last time I checked, his next plan being I think to run the game back a few years to 1910 or something like that.)

Victoria 2 on the other hand essentially ends with World War One (and the interwar years), if the player can hold on that far, so also counts as a Paradox-engine WW1 game.

TacticalWargames · December 10, 2015, 06:49:32 AM

WW1Gold. By far the best WW1 game at that scale. It manages to do both maneuver and static warfare which most struggle with.

OJsDad · December 10, 2015, 08:02:02 AM

Thank you gentlemen. I'll checkout GoA, especially if I can find someone to PBEM with.

I never purchased HOI2, so I didn't realize that Darkest Hour was totally stand alone. I remember Jason doing an excellent AAR based on it, so I'll need to look at getting it also.

Jason, If you play the 1914 scenario, does it end in 1918 or does it keep going.

jomni · December 10, 2015, 08:04:41 AM

Quote from: TacticalWargames on December 10, 2015, 06:49:32 AM
WW1Gold. By far the best WW1 game at that scale. It manages to do both maneuver and static warfare which most struggle with.

It's a good game but I never finished it.

Grim.Reaper · December 10, 2015, 08:08:46 AM

Don't forget about Making History: The Great War as well.....

Rayfer · December 10, 2015, 08:20:39 AM

Your choice will depend a lot on what depth and complexity you're looking for, and what commitment of time you have to learn how to play the games. For something not so complex and easier to get into and play, I would recommend Commander: The Great War or Making History: The Great War. Many of the other recommendations are great games but require much more time to learn and play.

Bison · December 10, 2015, 08:22:57 AM

The UI in GOA made me what to punch the screen out of sure frustration. Annoying as hell.

Gusington · December 10, 2015, 08:33:35 AM

I was about to put up a thread just like this. I love Commander: The Great War. The AI is alright but PBEM is really fun, even if you suck at it like I do and get pwned.

To End All Wars totally vexed me. It is really really deep and a player must be patient to learn it.

Strategic Command is also very good with lots of scenarios and variety and is relatively simple to learn.

Can I get a copy of WWI Gold on Steam? Been wanting to try that out.
Making History WWI I tried before it was finished...is it more feature complete now?

panzerde · December 10, 2015, 08:33:57 AM

Definitely Commander: The Great War is a fast and easy game to play and gives a good WWI vibe. The trade off is abstraction and simplification, but if you don't really care that a particular German corps was committed at such and such place during a specific time, it's really a good game. Cyrano and I had a great PBEM game of it earlier this year.

Strategic Command WW1: Breakthrough is probably the middle ground. More historically detailed than Commander: The Great War but not as complex as Guns of August or WW1 Gold.

And Bison is right, the UI in GoA is ugly.

Pete Dero · December 10, 2015, 08:45:37 AM

Quote from: Gusington on December 10, 2015, 08:33:35 AM
Can I get a copy of WWI Gold on Steam? Been wanting to try that out.

The newest game (World War One Centennial Edition) is no longer supported. You can install it on Steam but Steam no longer sells it (pending result of a lawsuit https://steamcommunity.com/app/297090/discussions/0/35220315661528373/).

Gamersgate sells it here : http://www.gamersgate.com/DD-WWOCE/world-war-1-centennial-edition

WWI gold (the previous version) is available here : http://www.matrixgames.com/products/384/details/World.War.One.Gold