Looking for a Good Open-ended Strategy game....

Radtgaeb · 06-05-07, 06:51 PM

My title says it all. I'm just looking for a good Open-Ended strategy game. Something Like the TW series. I've gotten a little bored with Rome and Medieval 2...

I originally wanted an Open-ended Napoleonic strategy game, but can't find one that people seem to be crazy about. I tried out both Cossacks 2 and Imperial Glory. I don't want a scripted campaign, I want something I can shape into my own...is there such a game? Is there a naval game that is like this? I looked at Pacific Storm, but once again, I'm thrown in between people that say it rocks and people that say it sucks. I've also looked at distant guns, but I'm in the dark as to how it actually is. I dug out my old Age of Sail 2, and quickly realised why I put it up (very fun, but the water rendering hurts my eyes)...so yeah, any suggestions?

Chock · 06-05-07, 07:57 PM

You could try the Battle of Britain 2 flight sim, as even though it's a flight sim, it can also be played as a Non-flying campaign where you are a controller, so you can direct the Battle of Britain RAF defence, or the Luftwaffe's attack. And it's fairly cheap to get hold of. Not exactly what you are looking for, but cheap, so maybe worth a look.

Also not quite along the exact lines of what you want, but still great fun in a manner similar to the battles part of TW, is Combat Mission, which if you've never tried it is a turn-based WW2 battle scenario game very much like traditional military wargaming in effect, but with computer graphics. There are lots of scenarios for it available and it's great on multiplayer if you know someone with similar interests who can fight you as a human opponent online. Kind of like a great game of chess with high explosives!

If you can find a copy, the old Fighting Steel is also a similar thing to Combat Mission with WW2 battleships fighting it out, although not turn based. Graphics are somewhat dated now, so if eye candy is a must, you won't like it, but it's still a good game and it does run on XP.

Anyway, just some suggestions

Chock

PeriscopeDepth · 06-05-07, 08:36 PM

Distant Guns is good. If you can live without tactical combat and just pure strategy, AGEOD's Birth of America and American Civil War is about as good as it gets.

PD

tedhealy · 06-06-07, 01:14 AM

I second Birth of America and the Civil War game by AGEOD. Both are fantastic and well supported by the devs at the official forums. Their patches aren't just bug fixes, but they actually add content costantly.

I'll also throw out Take Command 2: Second Manassas and Galactic Civilzations II, both great games that involve strategy...but they don't exactly fit what you described

CCIP · 06-06-07, 01:35 AM

The Paradox Games grand strategy series is probably something you would really want to look into!
These are Crusader Kings (medieval), Europa Universalis (early modern europe), Victoria (19th century), Hearts of Iron (WWII), and their various remakes and expansions. These are high-level strategy games; think along the lines of Total War's strategic map, but with about 50 times more detail. The games are also not turn-based but continuous-time (you can pause and accellerate it). No tactical battles however; you only position large forces (divisions, armies, sair wings), give them missions and they do their work.

Highly suggested; I've only played HoI 2 (with expansions) so far, but the others should be quite as good. One cool thing is that I know of apps that would allow you to transfer your save games from one game to the next, meaning you could play through almost the entire millenium and come out with a totally different course of history.

http://www.paradoxplaza.com/index.ph...=50&Itemid=138

Egan · 06-06-07, 04:24 PM

I found Victoria quite diffcult to get to grips with but very, very rewarding once I had. I'm still waiting to see if the ancient Rome mod for it ever gets finished. If it did it would be pretty close to being my ultimate grand strat game.

Hoi2: Doomsday is one of my top three games ever. I've played it probably more than any other game I own.

CCIP is right about the save game export, though. In theory you could start a game with crusader Kings, export the save to EU, then to Vicky and finally to Hoi2. Take a long, long, long time, though.

I love Rome Total war (can't get into MTW2, though,) but as a history nut the overall arcadey feel does me in eventually.

Tikigod · 06-08-07, 10:25 AM

Falcon 4.0 campaign engine can be added to this. You can control air and ground forces as well as repair damaged assets with engineering units. You can also send special forces units by helicopter to capture structures such as radar installations. So, even though its technically a flight simulator it comes with the tools to control the entire logistics of a battlefield.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chock

You could try the Battle of Britain 2 flight sim, as even though it's a flight sim, it can also be played as a Non-flying campaign where you are a controller, so you can direct the Battle of Britain RAF defence, or the Luftwaffe's attack. And it's fairly cheap to get hold of. Not exactly what you are looking for, but cheap, so maybe worth a look.

Chock

SteamWake · 06-08-07, 12:49 PM

While not really in the genre your looking for "Sword of the Stars" is a lot of fun.

Turn based space conquest / building game.

Packerton · 06-08-07, 09:24 PM

Open ended strategy?

Rome:Total war

JALU3 · 06-09-07, 07:17 AM

I am suprised no one has talked about Civ IV, or the classis MOO series . . . however, for the diplomatic model . . . if you're into that . . . look at AC

ausraider · 06-14-07, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chock

You could try the Battle of Britain 2 flight sim, as even though it's a flight sim, it can also be played as a Non-flying campaign where you are a controller, so you can direct the Battle of Britain RAF defence, or the Luftwaffe's attack. And it's fairly cheap to get hold of. Not exactly what you are looking for, but cheap, so maybe worth a look.

Also not quite along the exact lines of what you want, but still great fun in a manner similar to the battles part of TW, is Combat Mission, which if you've never tried it is a turn-based WW2 battle scenario game very much like traditional military wargaming in effect, but with computer graphics. There are lots of scenarios for it available and it's great on multiplayer if you know someone with similar interests who can fight you as a human opponent online. Kind of like a great game of chess with high explosives!

If you can find a copy, the old Fighting Steel is also a similar thing to Combat Mission with WW2 battleships fighting it out, although not turn based. Graphics are somewhat dated now, so if eye candy is a must, you won't like it, but it's still a good game and it does run on XP.

Anyway, just some suggestions

Chock

If your going for BOB - I might suggest Universal Combat or something along the lines of Derek Smart - which is as open ended as you can get IMO.
But Turn Based games - open endedly - aren't all their snubbed to be.

Ausraider.

PS:
DS notwithstanding....

OFP is certainly as open ended as you would like it to be - and should be reasonable bucks nowadays.
Make sure you get the FULL Resistance campaign version.

Radtgaeb · 06-14-07, 09:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ausraider

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chock

You could try the Battle of Britain 2 flight sim, as even though it's a flight sim, it can also be played as a Non-flying campaign where you are a controller, so you can direct the Battle of Britain RAF defence, or the Luftwaffe's attack. And it's fairly cheap to get hold of. Not exactly what you are looking for, but cheap, so maybe worth a look.

Also not quite along the exact lines of what you want, but still great fun in a manner similar to the battles part of TW, is Combat Mission, which if you've never tried it is a turn-based WW2 battle scenario game very much like traditional military wargaming in effect, but with computer graphics. There are lots of scenarios for it available and it's great on multiplayer if you know someone with similar interests who can fight you as a human opponent online. Kind of like a great game of chess with high explosives!

If you can find a copy, the old Fighting Steel is also a similar thing to Combat Mission with WW2 battleships fighting it out, although not turn based. Graphics are somewhat dated now, so if eye candy is a must, you won't like it, but it's still a good game and it does run on XP.

Anyway, just some suggestions

Chock

If your going for BOB - I might suggest Universal Combat or something along the lines of Derek Smart - which is as open ended as you can get IMO.
But Turn Based games - open endedly - aren't all their snubbed to be.

Ausraider.

PS:
DS notwithstanding....

OFP is certainly as open ended as you would like it to be - and should be reasonable bucks nowadays.
Make sure you get the FULL Resistance campaign version.

ahhh, good old OFP. I lost many nights of sleep on that game last summer

. My uncle (a rather crazy ex-Royal Army tank commander who immigrated to the states) had the entire package and let me borrow it. Man oh man, what a great game. Still wanting to play ARMA...but OFP will be hard to top.

As of right now, I'm still trying to master IL2, and Lock On...and still waiting for the fabled 1.3 for SH4.

GlobalExplorer · 06-15-07, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ausraider

If your going for BOB - I might suggest Universal Combat or something along the lines of Derek Smart - which is as open ended as you can get IMO.

Was it really necessary to bring Drek Smart into this discussion?

RedChico · 06-15-07, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GlobalExplorer

Quote:

Originally Posted by ausraider

If your going for BOB - I might suggest Universal Combat or something along the lines of Derek Smart - which is as open ended as you can get IMO.

Was it really necessary to bring Drek Smart into this discussion?

Oh boy....

Those forbiden 2 words.

Dust · 06-15-07, 09:45 PM

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=99213

gcb is in development...

06-05-07, 06:51 PM	#1
Radtgaeb Frogman Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Muncie, IN Posts: 300 Downloads: 58 Uploads: 0	Looking for a Good Open-ended Strategy game.... My title says it all. I'm just looking for a good Open-Ended strategy game. Something Like the TW series. I've gotten a little bored with Rome and Medieval 2... I originally wanted an Open-ended Napoleonic strategy game, but can't find one that people seem to be crazy about. I tried out both Cossacks 2 and Imperial Glory. I don't want a scripted campaign, I want something I can shape into my own...is there such a game? Is there a naval game that is like this? I looked at Pacific Storm, but once again, I'm thrown in between people that say it rocks and people that say it sucks. I've also looked at distant guns, but I'm in the dark as to how it actually is. I dug out my old Age of Sail 2, and quickly realised why I put it up (very fun, but the water rendering hurts my eyes)...so yeah, any suggestions? __________________

06-06-07, 01:35 AM	#5
CCIP Navy Seal Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Waterloo, Canada Posts: 8,700 Downloads: 29 Uploads: 2	The Paradox Games grand strategy series is probably something you would really want to look into! These are Crusader Kings (medieval), Europa Universalis (early modern europe), Victoria (19th century), Hearts of Iron (WWII), and their various remakes and expansions. These are high-level strategy games; think along the lines of Total War's strategic map, but with about 50 times more detail. The games are also not turn-based but continuous-time (you can pause and accellerate it). No tactical battles however; you only position large forces (divisions, armies, sair wings), give them missions and they do their work. Highly suggested; I've only played HoI 2 (with expansions) so far, but the others should be quite as good. One cool thing is that I know of apps that would allow you to transfer your save games from one game to the next, meaning you could play through almost the entire millenium and come out with a totally different course of history. http://www.paradoxplaza.com/index.ph...=50&Itemid=138 __________________ There are only forty people in the world and five of them are hamburgers. -Don Van Vliet (aka Captain Beefheart)

06-09-07, 07:17 AM	#10
JALU3 Grey Wolf Join Date: May 2007 Location: 11SMS 98896 10565 Posts: 756 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	I am suprised no one has talked about Civ IV, or the classis MOO series . . . however, for the diplomatic model . . . if you're into that . . . look at AC __________________ "The Federation needs men like you, doctor. Men of conscience. Men of principle. Men who can sleep at night... You're also the reason Section Thirty-one exists -- someone has to protect men like you from a universe that doesn't share your sense of right and wrong." -Sloan, Section Thirty-One

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06-05-07, 07:57 PM	#2
Chock Sea Lord Join Date: May 2005 Location: Under a thermal layer in chilly Olde England Posts: 1,842 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	You could try the Battle of Britain 2 flight sim, as even though it's a flight sim, it can also be played as a Non-flying campaign where you are a controller, so you can direct the Battle of Britain RAF defence, or the Luftwaffe's attack. And it's fairly cheap to get hold of. Not exactly what you are looking for, but cheap, so maybe worth a look. Also not quite along the exact lines of what you want, but still great fun in a manner similar to the battles part of TW, is Combat Mission, which if you've never tried it is a turn-based WW2 battle scenario game very much like traditional military wargaming in effect, but with computer graphics. There are lots of scenarios for it available and it's great on multiplayer if you know someone with similar interests who can fight you as a human opponent online. Kind of like a great game of chess with high explosives! If you can find a copy, the old Fighting Steel is also a similar thing to Combat Mission with WW2 battleships fighting it out, although not turn based. Graphics are somewhat dated now, so if eye candy is a must, you won't like it, but it's still a good game and it does run on XP. Anyway, just some suggestions Chock

06-05-07, 08:36 PM	#3
PeriscopeDepth Sea Lord Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pacific NW Posts: 1,894 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Distant Guns is good. If you can live without tactical combat and just pure strategy, AGEOD's Birth of America and American Civil War is about as good as it gets. PD

06-06-07, 01:14 AM	#4
tedhealy Grey Wolf Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: St. Louis, MO, USA Posts: 772 Downloads: 13 Uploads: 0	I second Birth of America and the Civil War game by AGEOD. Both are fantastic and well supported by the devs at the official forums. Their patches aren't just bug fixes, but they actually add content costantly. I'll also throw out Take Command 2: Second Manassas and Galactic Civilzations II, both great games that involve strategy...but they don't exactly fit what you described

06-06-07, 04:24 PM	#6
Egan Admiral Join Date: Sep 2001 Posts: 2,020 Downloads: 15 Uploads: 0	I found Victoria quite diffcult to get to grips with but very, very rewarding once I had. I'm still waiting to see if the ancient Rome mod for it ever gets finished. If it did it would be pretty close to being my ultimate grand strat game. Hoi2: Doomsday is one of my top three games ever. I've played it probably more than any other game I own. CCIP is right about the save game export, though. In theory you could start a game with crusader Kings, export the save to EU, then to Vicky and finally to Hoi2. Take a long, long, long time, though. I love Rome Total war (can't get into MTW2, though,) but as a history nut the overall arcadey feel does me in eventually.

06-08-07, 12:49 PM	#8
SteamWake Rear Admiral Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 13,224 Downloads: 5 Uploads: 0	While not really in the genre your looking for "Sword of the Stars" is a lot of fun. Turn based space conquest / building game.

06-08-07, 09:24 PM	#9
Packerton Sonar Guy Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Newfoundland,Canada Posts: 398 Downloads: 6 Uploads: 0	Open ended strategy? Rome:Total war

06-15-07, 09:45 PM	#15
Dust Torpedoman Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 114 Downloads: 0 Uploads: 0	http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=99213 gcb is in development...