Posted on 08/22/2011 7:56:16 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
For gamers, the urge to conquer and pillage dates back to time immemorial. Tabletop amusements like chess and its numerous variants have enthralled players for centuries.
Given their often-complex rules and cluttered pieces, military simulations were among home computing's earliest killer apps, giving rise to popular publishers such as SSI and MicroProse.
But despite a rapid retail decline in the late '90s that forced many titles out of stores and into the hands of niche online publishers like Matrix Games and HPS Simulations, "wargames" are still going strong today.
Now disguised under catchall categories like "strategy" and "simulation," you can find them on every platform -- from PC to iPad to Xbox 360 -- clothed in an equally diverse array of styles, from contemporary to futuristic.
Here are four virtual spins on classic combat that armchair generals of all ages will appreciate, whether they're looking to build an empire after a trying workday or crush Constantinople under their iron heel during a quick coffee break.
(Excerpt) Read more at articles.cnn.com ...
1. "Empires & Allies"
2. "World of Tanks"
3."HISTORY Egypt: Engineering an Empire"
4. "Civilization World"
I used to enjoy playing Civilization but as the interface became more cartoon, it became less playable.
I would prefer a simple game system that plays quickly.
The Civilization games were some of the biggest time-sinks ever crated. Hours could pass before you realized just how long you had been playing. You just kept thinking ‘one more turn, then I’ll quit for the night/morning.’
I never liked the Civilization series, but I still play Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire (its predecessor). I read that Civilization V received an overhaul, switching to hexagon-based, which will make me take another look once I get to my nephew’s house.
Who needs computers?
Civworld, in my opinion, is garbage. Empires and Allies is OK for a Facebook game. If you truly want computerized wargames, check out Paradox or Matrix games. Those are truly “desktop wargames.”
In any case, you are not a hardcore "board"gamer unless you magnetize your counters, mount your map on sheetmetal, and hang the game on your wall. :)
Had a buddy do that with Avalon Hill's Stalingrad. Awesome.
Been around a long time...but the latest two incarnations are:
Harpoon Commanders Edition (latest dirivitive of the original Haproon Classic)
Harpoon Advanced Naval Warfare (latest dirivitive of Haproon III)
Both are bundeled in package called:
It's a technical game, but also a lot of fun and I would recommend it for anyone who is serious about naval warfare. These products allow you to operate at the individual vessel level all the way to Theater wide engagements. Many, many sceanrios, plus a scenario editor for each, and a data base editor to allow you to develop and input weapons systems either that are new, or on the drawing boards. I used it in my books series:
I used Harpoon to model many of the naval engagements there.
The Harpoon classic edition was also used by the Naval War College to train officers because it was so realistic and well developed.
I have several A-H and early SPI games stuffed away in my closet. I really should get into online play of that stuff.
Bump. I loved Harpoon I but haven’t played it in years.
I recommend Harpoon, also. Much fun. I always liked playing with the military symbols, instead of the stylized ones . . . .
I am replaying my heretic, hexen and doom . . . as well as the quake series.
I ask myself why the love for these old games.
It takes me back to when I was five or six and drawing battle lines on a sheet of paper and being lost for hours just blowing up targets on the paper. Of course, there was also the toy soldiers and army figures that I would place on bricks and then throw pebbles at them and watch them get blowed up.
These games are just an extension of my childhood.
heck, who wants to grow up anyway! I’m only 58.
Larry Bond modeled the Iceland battles for Tom Clancy’s Red Storm Rising using Harpoon. It is worth noting that Larry Bond is credited as a co-writer of that book, though you could easily miss that from looking at the Amazon page.
Any Hearts of Iron 3 fans out there?
I’m also enjoying the Total War series.
Any Hearts of Iron 3 fans out there?
I’m also enjoying the Total War series.
Civ V is as addictive as any of the prior renditions in the series. I’ve been playing Civ V for several months now, and it’s beautiful and fun to play. I do wish that Ramkhamhaeng (Siam ruler) wasn’t always one of the computer players though. He’s worse than Norabunaga with the saber rattling!
That’s “Terrible Swift Sword” from SPI — so, yes, it’s Gettysburg.
World of Tanks is crazy popular for a freeware game! Some of my corpmates from EVE played that in their free time.
Me personally, I’m a HUGE Battlefield fan, and BF3 is going to be SICK!
BFBC2 blew my mind. BF3 is going to atomize my mind into red slush. It’s just amazing.
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