WWI Game Strategy Game

[JasonPratt]

Sir Andrew, Darkest Hour (Full) does do a pretty good purpose-built HoI WW1 campaign. It doesn't feel like WW2 to me anyway.

[SirAndrewD]

^That's pretty much how I feel - I love the era but the gaming offerings for it (besides flight sims) just don't grab me, for the most part.

Oh yeah, love the flight sims.  Many, many hours logged on Red Baron FCJ, Rise of Flight and Wings over Flanders Field. 

And Operational Art of War III had some good scenarios.  First one I ever tried was Muse-Argonne. 

The "perfect" WWI strategic sim just hasn't been offered to this point.  I have hopes that one will.  I remember...waaaay back in the day.  I used to correspond with PC Gamer's "Armchair General" William R. Trotter and discuss the absolute derth of good WW2 strategic games that were offered.  What I used to, as a kid argue, and he agreed, was that there was no really, truly good World War 2 strategic game.  In the far off future of 2015 that's not the case.

Nowadays, there's pretty much an embarrassment of riches in the WW2 regard.  I sort of hope the worm might turn on that and gaming might start to, on the operational and strategic level revisit WWI and the 19th Century in Europe. 

[JasonPratt]

WW1Gold/Cent does feature PBEM -- actually it's more stable than trying LAN or TCP/IP. It will nibble you to death, and you can't manage your battles directly (as that system in game just wouldn't work with PBEM), but really there isn't much to managing the battles so the AI can do that well.

[SirAndrewD]

Sir Andrew, Darkest Hour (Full) does do a pretty good purpose-built HoI WW1 campaign. It doesn't feel like WW2 to me anyway.

I once spent...hundreds many hundreds, of hours doing period correct unit cards for the HOI2 WWI mod. 

I don't think I can ever revisit an HOI2 WWI game.

I mean, I really...it's a story in and of itself the work I did for that mod.  I refuse to even look at Darkest Hour in some ways because I'm scared they might have have incorporated some of what I did.  I doubt they did, pretty sure they didn't. 

Man....I just did so damned many historically accurate unit cards..

[Gusington]

At the risk of throwing Andrew off the wagon, is the Darkest Hour worth getting HoI for?

[JasonPratt]

You don't have to get HOI. Darkest Hour is a fully independent game (now anyway).

Hey, I didn't know you did the Unit Cards for the WW1 campaign in DH, Andrew!

[amandachen]

I'm looking for a WW1 game that's kinda light and simple for my two teen kids. Wonder if anyone has any comments about The Great War mod for Napoleon Total War. Anyone tried it?

[besilarius]

What would really float my boat would be a grand strategy game, starting sometime around 1830 that would allow for all sorts of national wars (Crimea, Franc0-Prussia), but have the potential for a continent wide World War breaking out.
To date, only disappointment.

[Gusington]

Ok Jason I will give your tutorial a try...if Boyer recommends it, it must be good.

And I've played and enjoyed both Commander and Strategic Command WWI games and enjoyed both. I really want to enjoy To End All Wars and WWI Gold , if at all possible.

And I have to agree with Bes above too. Believe it or not the best game that kinda sorta falls under his above description, for me anyway, is Shogun 2, Fall of the Samurai. It's modeling of advancing 19th cent. tech and firepower is great and the naval component is just awesome.

[SirAndrewD]

You don't have to get HOI. Darkest Hour is a fully independent game (now anyway).

Hey, I didn't know you did the Unit Cards for the WW1 campaign in DH, Andrew!

Not for Darkest Hour, but for the WWI mod for Vanilla HOI 2 prior. 

It ended up occupying a lot more time than I had imagined it would starting out.

[W8taminute]

I'm looking for a WW1 game that's kinda light and simple for my two teen kids. Wonder if anyone has any comments about The Great War mod for Napoleon Total War. Anyone tried it?

I have.  It's pretty entertaining and if you are familiar with TW games in general I'd say that the mod could be played by someone who is looking for a light and simple WW1 game to play. 

[OJsDad]

GUS!!!!!!    On the Paradox store Darkest Hour is down to $2.49.  You get a Steam key!!

I know it's not WWI, but they also have HOI - Arsenal of Democracy for $1.99

[OJsDad]

What would really float my boat would be a grand strategy game, starting sometime around 1830 that would allow for all sorts of national wars (Crimea, Franc0-Prussia), but have the potential for a continent wide World War breaking out.
To date, only disappointment.

Victoria II may be what your looking for.

The problem with such an early date and then trying to get WWI to breakout, is that everything has to fall into place.  A few others can explain it better, but WWI happened more as an accident then any grand design. 

It's almost like playing a WWI game and wanting it to be designed to go until 1950 with WWII happening.  The problem is that almost any outcome to WWI other than historical would not allow for WWII to happen as it did. 

[JasonPratt]

Vicky 2 or Pride of Nations can either one end with WW1, and both start way far back in the 1800s. In fact Vicky2 can go into the Interwar years (before WW2 after WW1).

That doesn't mean WW1 per se is going to happen. It is highly probable by the time you get there that some kind of alternate history situation will be in place, maybe with a war, maybe worldwide, maybe not.

GUS!!!!!!    On the Paradox store Darkest Hour is down to $2.49.  You get a Steam key!!

I know it's not WWI, but they also have HOI - Arsenal of Democracy for $1.99

Darkest Hour does in fact have a proper WW1 campaign. It's great -- and better with the "AAR" mod.

[Gusington]

Darkest Hour, you say?