Great Battles: Collector's edition on GOG

[Nefaro]

I too loved this series...however, I have my concerns.  How does the game hold up?  i know its turn-based and not real time, but with games like Rome Total War, etc., is it still really worth playing?

It's not an RTS and there's not really a dual-layer grand strategy side to it. 

It's based on an old tabletop hex-based wargame.  For the most part, a direct port.  So if you're not into the hex map & counter style of wargame with specific historical battle scenarios, then you're not gonna like it. 

Personally, I often find it difficult to get into hex wargames based in more modern periods for very long periods but the ones covering WWI or earlier are more to my liking.  So maybe the period covered is just as important.  Especially dig the Classical period stuff, so it adds to my enthusiasm with this one.

I had recently picked up some of the Ancient Warfare series from HPS, and they're fine games in their own right.  But the AW series' interface is also a pain in the ass and I have to run it in 2D counter view because the 3D terrain (trees) blocks the view of too many units.  :'(  So this old set is a nice alternative and the battles play out faster.

[Anguille]

Man, I hate to be an eye-candy snob, but I don't know if my eyes can take that.

Not to mention, as JH alluded to, with games like Rome Total War available, I'm not seeing the value in a game like this. 

Glad you guys are stoked, but I'm just not seeing it.

I love chess and history...this combines both. You've got all the major battles with almost historical placements and number of troops. To be able to play these battles without stress is what i like. That's why i also still play Civil War 2: Generals. Rome Total War Gold has also it's place on my computer but i need more time to play that one.

Cheers

[Cyrano]

Leaving aside the point that R:TW doesn't even run correctly on my PC any longer (even at the slowest speeds, the soldiers sprint), I don't think this is a serious contest.

That said, i know my preferences lie strongly towards the world of hex-and-chit so it's not terribly surprising I prefer the GB approach.  This is an easy purchase for me.

As to those who have questioned the graphics choices of the HPS series, i will confess to wondering why a game of GB's antiquity can manage to balance a crude simplicity with visibility and the great talents in the HPS/JT shop cannot.  Given my poor contrast vision, the naval series (other than AoS) is a real challenge...

And as someone who cannot get into the old "eye-candy" games like Freespace and Wing Commander, I couldn't be happier to see GOG ferreting about in wargames!!

Best,

Jim
"Cyrano"
:/7) 

[tgb]

This game predates my interest in wargaming.  What makes it different/great?

[JasonPratt]

^^ The system does a pretty good (if slightly ugly) job of getting across a pure-tabletop feel, with the advantages of having a computer arbitrating the rules and providing a campaign structure. Nifty little touches like the figures having bases, and a hand moving around to place and remove them. :)


Edited to correct myself: Sorry, I was thinking about Tin Soldiers from Matrix, and vainly wishing RockPaperShotgun's "Indecent Proposal" had been accepted. :)

(Although it kind of was, as Matrix has finally started Deals of the Week. Now they need to market it, and that's what having distributors is for.)

[Nefaro]

This game predates my interest in wargaming.  What makes it different/great?

You get to play all the major battles of Alexander/Hannibal/Caesar with historical forces & setup in a turn-based tabletop wargame format.

Although it's easier to handle than the Ancient Warfare series, I still recommend reading up on how to give group orders & such.  It's far easier to move large lines of soldiers via group orders, at least until things get chaotic.

Surprisingly enough, these old games from ~1997 have more combat animations & feedback than the newer AW series, too.  Instead of having to switch the color indicators over to "losses" or click on each individual unit to see how many men it has left, you can actually watch the units fighting each other and see the casualties drop as it happens.  It may not sound like much, but this makes it much easier to see the ebb & flow at a glimpse (another thing AW from HPS does poorly).

[Grim.Reaper]

Tempted...just not sure I could get over the graphics.....

[Anguille]

Tempted...just not sure I could get over the graphics.....

It's really not that bad...there are a couple of videos on youtube you might want to check.

[Grim.Reaper]

Tempted...just not sure I could get over the graphics.....

It's really not that bad...there are a couple of videos on youtube you might want to check.

Sort of looks lke field of glory...are you able to compare the two?

[Nefaro]

Tempted...just not sure I could get over the graphics.....

It's really not that bad...there are a couple of videos on youtube you might want to check.

Sort of looks lke field of glory...are you able to compare the two?

Yes.  It's more complex than FOG, though.

[JasonPratt]

Also, FoG costs all your money. :)

[GJK]

Tempted...just not sure I could get over the graphics.....

It's really not that bad...there are a couple of videos on youtube you might want to check.

My youtube google-fu is weak, can you post some links?

[Anguille]

Tempted...just not sure I could get over the graphics.....

It's really not that bad...there are a couple of videos on youtube you might want to check.

My youtube google-fu is weak, can you post some links?

Here's a couple:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omxc8aJaiqY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ripJJdTBOx0

Cheers

[JasonPratt]

Damn, that looks much better than I was expecting!

Now I may have to get a GoG membership....

(I note that the games appear to be ports of an actual tabletop series.)

[Philippe]

This game predates my interest in wargaming.  What makes it different/great?

The game was put together by a couple of the best wargame designers alive today. The research is superb, and because the designers come from the boardgame world they carry around vastly more experience and sophistication when it comes to constructing a simulation than a computer game designer could acquire in several lifetimes, simply because you can create new game engines with a wave of the pen and not worry about programing glitches and crashes to desktop.  The design drives (and actually creates) the engine and game system, rather than the other way around (Tiller games are a case in point).

The drawback is the game and its game system are a bit old, and date back to the time when people hadn't fully digested the different character and capabilities of board and computer wargames.  Don't expect it take full advantage of what a computer can actually do, and remember that it dates back to a time when PC's were still kind of delicate.