What's the best strategy game you've played?

[ejamer]

To be frank, Imust admit the best strategy games are all boardgames. Steam, Netrunner, 18XX, Age of Renaissance...I don't think there are many video games that can match that, second tier boardgames like Troyes or Smallworld are probably better than most strategy video games.

...

Really? Are you serious about this?

There is no way that the mindless bash-the-leader, assuming people make the small effort to remember scores, Smallworld is on the same level as Troyes.

Steam is a pretty good answer though. That's a wonderful game.

[Exhuminator]

Der Langrisser, a remake of Langrisser II.

I admit to preferring the original Langrisser II cover art:

Point, click, wait to shoot X gun. Repeat.

That could be said about any turn based game with guns.

>Get stuck in doors.

I do admit that happens.

>Get shot up around corners by Ally AI. Or shot them in the face around corners.

Fallout 1 & 2's friendly AI is definitely worthless. I just go solo.

I had the feeling it's the kind of game that would be significantly improved by a sequel.

I love Front Mission's stage designs and atmosphere, but we've all got our own tastes. Front Mission saw four more sequels and many gaiden games, maybe you'd like one of those. Although the military industrial complex theme never changes.

It seems to be the concensus amongst WRPG fans, actually, though there are the ocassional bitter discussions about it.

Most WRPG fans think Fallout's gameplay is garbage? I don't think so. The biggest RPG forum on the internet voted Fallout the second best WRPG of all time recently:

http://www.rpgcodex.net/content.php?id=9453

I actually have played Onimusha Tactics Exhuminator. I didn't beat it. I found it to be meh and moved on.

I commend you for having played it. You made the right decision though, Onimusha Tactics is a 5/10 at best. I don't know why I bothered to beat it.

Oh and Tactics Ogre and FFT have some similarities.

I guess my biggest question is, which game is more challenging? Is TO way harder than FFT? Or are they about the same?

Basically I found melee to be really weak, and snipers to be OP.

That's true. My favorite weapon was the shotgun. There were so many different types of shotgun ammo. Blowing robots up with EMP shells never got old.

[Jmustang1968]

TO is generally more difficult. I think the SNES/PS1 version more so than the PSP version, though that one isn't easy. FFT has a few difficulty spikes on a couple of battles, but it is easier overall, and gets easier as the game goes along.

[Exhuminator]

FFT has a few difficulty spikes on a couple of battles, but it is easier overall, and gets easier as the game goes along.

Yes, like the infamous Riovanes Castle section? I should mention that I have beaten FFT. The next SRPG I will take on is gonna be the PSP version of TO. Hopefully a little later this year. I am huge FM fan though, so I had to get on with FM5 first. (And it's great so far, but certainly not a game I'd recommend to general strategy fans.)

[PartridgeSenpai]

Gah! You guys have put so much on this thread in only like a day! I'll try and comment on most things I saw though.

On Fallout: I really love CRPG's, so I love Fallout (though I've only played the first one out of the originals). I started 2 briefly, and was very happy at how it just makes SO many things from the first game better (much more modifiable companions, a "take all" button, much better writing). All I remember from Fallout 1's companions though is that they were basically worthless and did nothing, but nothing includes not shooting me. I don't remember that ever happening. I saw it as an extra challenge to keep them alive ;p (And I DID. Beat the whole game without even Dog Meat dyin' :I).

On Advance Wars: I guess I'm like the only person who likes Advance Wars 2 the best. It just adds so many things that would later be in Dual Strike, but without being way too easy like Dual Strike was. The extra changes, and in some case completely new missions, to the hard mode in 2 were also excellent. Below AW2 I'd put Days of Ruin, then Dual Strike, and then the first. I enjoyed the apocalyptic silliness of DoR's story, and what really did it for me was the last mission. From a story standpoint, it's supposed to be a hopeless situation, and DAMN does it feel like it. That last stage is damn near impossible.

On 4-X Games: I'd have to say that the 800+ hours I have in Civ 5 speak for themselves ;p

On RTS games: I'm totally terrible at RTS games short of the Dota-style game. Controlling more than one unit is just too much to keep track of. I've always been awful at them, despite loving Starcraft and Warcraft. They're games I get much more enjoyment out of watching others play.

[fastbilly1]

To be frank, Imust admit the best strategy games are all boardgames. Steam, Netrunner, 18XX, Age of Renaissance...I don't think there are many video games that can match that, second tier boardgames like Troyes or Smallworld are probably better than most strategy video games.

...

Really? Are you serious about this?

There is no way that the mindless bash-the-leader, assuming people make the small effort to remember scores, Smallworld is on the same level as Troyes.

Steam is a pretty good answer though. That's a wonderful game.

Those are pretty funny ways to spell Twilight Imperium 3 and Advance Squad Leader.

I actually have played Onimusha Tactics Exhuminator. I didn't beat it. I found it to be meh and moved on.

I commend you for having played it. You made the right decision though, Onimusha Tactics is a 5/10 at best. I don't know why I bothered to beat it.

It only takes what a couple nights to beat it? I remember playing it after playing ZOE Fist of Mars and being super let down. But if you really want to get into the weeds of the GBA strategy genere, lets talk Napoleon and Mech Platoon.

[Exhuminator]

Advance Squad Leader

I'm impressed that you know about ASL. ASL is the final boss of strategy gaming.

But if you really want to get into the weeds of the GBA strategy genere, lets talk Napoleon and Mech Platoon.

Never played Napoleon, but I've always thought Mech Platoon looked interesting. The GBA has plenty of lesser known strategy games. Rebelstar: Tactical Command comes to mind, which all you X-COM lovers would do well to check out. Then you've got your stuff like Defender of the Crown, Fortress, and Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 1 & 2. Too bad I can't read Japanese 'cause Black Matrix Zero looks great.

[Ack]

I actually have played Onimusha Tactics Exhuminator. I didn't beat it. I found it to be meh and moved on.

That is pretty much my opinion for all Onimusha spin offs.

TO is generally more difficult. I think the SNES/PS1 version more so than the PSP version, though that one isn't easy. FFT has a few difficulty spikes on a couple of battles, but it is easier overall, and gets easier as the game goes along.

One of the significant differences I recall between FFT and TO: The Knight of Lodis is that TO had more limited move/attack options than FFT. If I recall, you couldn't change facing as easily in TO as you could in FFT, meaning you could more easily end up with your unit's back exposed.

[fastbilly1]

Advance Squad Leader

I'm impressed that you know about ASL. ASL is the final boss of strategy gaming.

I cut my grognard chops on Panzer Leader, moved into Pattons Best, then a variety of AH/GMT/SPI published one offs, only to finally meet Squad Leader. I prefer SL to ASL, but ASL SK1-3 are the only way most people play now, since base ASL is stupidly dense.

Though if we are going to get picky, one should play a Monster war game for true strategy on a grand scale. None of this pesky Squad based command, lets go unit based with the monster version of Sniper/Patrol. Or something alittle easier on the wallet with Vietnam.

Truth be told, I moved away from most historical wargames. I would rather create wars from scratch than recreate historic ones. If I want to play a historic wargame, Ill stick with Richard Borg's Command and Color series. Memoir 44 is my favorite.

But if you really want to get into the weeds of the GBA strategy genere, lets talk Napoleon and Mech Platoon.

Never played Napoleon, but I've always thought Mech Platoon looked interesting. The GBA has plenty of lesser known strategy games. Rebelstar: Tactical Command comes to mind, which all you X-COM lovers would do well to check out. Then you've got your stuff like Defender of the Crown, Fortress, and Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 1 & 2. Too bad I can't read Japanese 'cause Black Matrix Zero looks great.

Napoleon was a launch title in Japan. It is slow but well made. Mech Platoon plays alot like Warlock meets TA. There is no tech tree but you harvest parts from the fallen enemies to upgrade your units. Noise is a huge fan of Rebelstar, I never got into it. Black Matrix has a menu translation, enough to play it. It is a pretty solid title for what I have played, but I would love to know what is going on in it.

[Exhuminator]

Memoir 44 is my favorite.

Holy shit yes! You have great taste.