What other games do you play?

[Fading Captain]

I'm just curious what other wargames TOAW players play. Are there any other operational wargames that come close to matching the quality of TOAW?

TOAW is really the only wargame I play, yet it's my favorite game to play. The only other wargames I have are Close Combat II, III, and IV, but I really just play those for a laid-back break from TOAW.

I came to TOAW because I was looking for a deep, strategic, turn-based game. My background was playing Civilization and Alpha Centauri (I still love Alpha Centauri!--but Civ III hasn't done much for me). I dabbled with some realtime "strategy" games (Starcraft and Age of Empires), but I stopped playing them a long time ago.

Other than TOAW the only game I've been giving any time to recently is Europa Universalis II. I'm just figuring out how to play it, and I'm really enjoying it. I think that EU II is the best game in the Civ line of empire building games--but its depth obviously goes way beyond Civilization.

Playing games like TOAW and EUII has really made me realize the gap between mass market games and smaller niche market games. I'll stick with the niche market games, because the designers and players of these games seem to value a much deeper gaming experience than you find with mass market games.

Fading Captain

[Raver]

It sounds to me like we are clones. I play/ have played exactly the same games as you, with a particular emphasis on SMAC, Master of Magic/ Orion and EU. I was talking to another player from this club who has pretty much identical interests as well.

I dont suppose you also make boardgames out of paper to play against yourself and make little soldiers out of toilet rolls? Dress up in the wife's clothes ... arggggghhhh ... I'm losing the plot again ... damn railroad engineers!

Seriously though, looking at the ladder - shouldnt you be Fading Sergeant?

[Don Maddox]

In addition to TOAW I play the following games:

Combat Mission. I rarely play any more, but it's still the best game of its type. CMBB may lure me back to those battlefields.

Campaign Series. I played these more than any other wargame and that's saying something! I haven't played for a long long time, but I still have them all.

Steel Panthers. This is the series that got me started on computer based wargames. before that I was an ASL player. I haven't touched SP in years, but I think Combat Leader is going to be a very big hit.

Uncommon valor. I'm not a player, I just run the ladder. I don't care for naval warfare, although I did fire up the demo a few times.

Operation Flashpoint. The best game of its type. I still play once in a while. This game is addictive.

Decisive Action. Learning.

BCT. Learning.

The list of other games I have played to too long to print here. I used to spend a lot of my free time creating Half-Life levels. I was pretty good at it too. I played Unreal Tournament and Quake III Arena a lot as well as Aliens vs. Predator and Sacrifice. I take my flight sims fairly serious, although I don't fly too much now. MS FS2002 can be very cool with the right add-ons. A long long time ago I used to run another webpage dedicated to Starcraft. Civilization III is okay, and I enjoyed Baldur's Gate II also.

Here are a few non-wargames I'm looking forward to:

Unreal II
Doom III
Age of Mythology

[Whiskey]

I have to say I love TOAW and I really enjoy checking into this forum - great people with great topics/ideas. TOAW is probably on the more complex side of gaming and that is one of the reasons I enjoy it so much.

Other great games that I enjoy include:
1) Uncommon Valor: I think this is a fantatstic game and I am addicted to it - the CD is permanently in my HD since I bought it. Anyone interested in the pacific theater should definitely look into this game.
2) CMBO: Great game that combines some elements of RTS with the depth of TB wargaming. Nothing quite like positioning your camera behind a tank and watching it engage another tank - Looking forward to CMBB - demo out on 9/1. :D
3) Harpoon III: Modern naval warfare (have not played it for a while) - highly detalied and packs quite a bit of punch. Probably the only RTS game that has all the elements and detail of TB wargames that all of us enjoy. However, can be a bit slow between engagements - need time to get into it.
4) Panzer Campaigns Bulge 44: Have it but have yet to find the time to learn/play it. By the way, has anyone tried PC - Tobruk? I just picked up a great book "Rommel's War in Africa" by Wolf Heckmann and was thinking of trying my hand at a desert game and was wondering if Tobruk is worth the money.

Cheers

R

[Tex]

Primarily TOAW and Championship Manager, which is a soccer management simulation, take up most of my game playing time. I bought Medieval Total War this week and I am quite addicted to it. Before that I hadn't bought a game since Civ3.

[Rince]

The following games I own, but have to admit I lack the time to really get into them, but would really really :sad: like to...

Europa Univeralis II
Combat Mission
Battle of Britain
Call To Power II
Panzer Campaigns Tobruk 41
Baldurs Gate II
Port Royale

The Tiller games (Panzer Campaigns etc) are really worth trying out!

I hope, I pray, that some of these days there will be a new TOAW!!

[Mantis]

Originally posted by Rince
I hope, I pray, that some of these days there will be a new TOAW!!

Unfortunately, we're all going to be disappointed on that score. I'd love to know what all the 1.08 (or whatever Norm has it up to now) patch does... Someone break into his house and steal his HDD. It's too bad there wasn't a way to do an 'end run' around all the legal BS and get that patch 'unofficially' out amongst the grognards.

[Mantis]

In such a way that Norm is untouchable, of course.

[Palantir]

Age of Rifles,
Steel Panthers,

The last game I bought was "Legion" by Slitherine,
but it leans too much to a "city building/management" game.

[Fading Captain]

Originally posted by Raver
Seriously though, looking at the ladder - shouldnt you be Fading Sergeant?

Well, I am "fading," so perhaps I have slipped to the rank of sargeant unknowingly :D Indeed, I think my marketing team would prefer the more optimistic and upbeat name of. . . Rising Sargeant!!! :alien:

But I think I'll stick with Fading Captain, but looking at the rank structrure of the ladder it'll be awhile before I become a captain :(

Fading Captain

[Wolfe Tone]

On games, TOAW COW tops the list easy. What with downloadable scenarios, web site, opponents on line from around the world it’s a war gamers dream come true!
Also good games are:
Europa Universalis ( only have Version 1 though)….great game with political, religious and economic factors but combat can be a bit messy.
Shogun….another good one, tactical battles + political & economic factors in 16th century Japan. Must check out Medieval ( could be a Christmas buy!).
Gettysburg ( RTS)….plenty of action at the tactical level but the larger scenarios are very difficult to handle against the AI as there is so much to watch out for.
Waterloo (RTS)…ditto.
Battleground series of which I have: Waterloo; Napoleon in Russia; prelude to Waterloo; Chickamauga and Shiloh. All very good in historical accuracy but the AI is a bit weak.
Close Combat series: 1, 2, 3…Normandy, Market-Garden, and Russian Front….the first one has low graphics but good game play, the next two have good graphics as well. Also have CC: Invasion Normandy and CC: Battle of the Bulge. These games are a lot better when played on line live with an opponent….you have to think fast and yet keep your cool at the same time!
Silent Hunter II: successor the Aces of the Deep I do believe. Very good simulation of U-boat warfare in WWII. Great graphics, plenty of game play, tense and exciting (nerve racking!).
Great Battles series: Alexander; Hannibal; Caesar. Have the first two. Graphics and game speed now way out of date but good game play if you are patient with the system. If you are lucky enough to have bought the 3 pack then there is an editor incl. to create your own scenarios and there seems to be a web site devoted to PBEM as well.
Combat Mission: Loved this when it first came out but most of my games time is taken up with COW.
Age of Empires series….colourful and great fun but not to be taken too seriously! Anyone notice that the enemy races eventually ‘seize up’ after so long?

[Brevet]

Golf. The outdoor version :cool:

[Don Maddox]

Speaking of Take 2, I sent them a very long and detailed letter about a month ago asking what the current status of the TOAW system is and if there is any new information about where the system might go.

I also included a statement that if they have no further plans for the system they might consider allowing the general public participate in some type of open source project when the time is right. There is precedent for this such as what was done with SPWaW. I sent the letter to two contacts at Take 2.

So far I have received a big goose egg for a reply, although they added me to their Take2/Talonsoft e-newsletter. Oh well, it was worth a try...:(

[Kraut]

Return to Castle Wolfenstein and Battlefield 1942 (MP demo) :)
I've tried many Wargames, Close Combat, Steal Panthers, Panzer General, Combat Mission, .... but the only game I'm still playing is TOAW :)

[Chuck?]

Recently played the demo of Stronghold and Sim Golf. Stronghold is a RTS game with the purpose of creating a castle with outlying farms and industries. Sim Golf allows you to create a golf course and play it with a sim character.

[Alvis_Striker]

Ice Hockey..... The painful version.

DBM...... The tabletop version.

Rugby..... the muddy painful version. and also thr PS2 version.

Steelpanthers..... or as my four year old cousin calls it....Steelpanties. PBEM now and again, not too commited to 20 games at once.

TOAW2..... trying to find COW still no luck :(

Champ Manager...... great footie manager sim game. New version coming soon is supposed to be greater than ever.

LMA Manager..... like Champ for the PS2 tho.

Battleground Games...... If I can ever get them to work right..... PBEM's are bit tricky too.

Close Combat games........ Bridge too far one is brilliant, Urban conflict at its best.

ISS........... PS2 best football sim in the world ever, FIFA may have a million and one teams, but you can win the league with Everton on FIFA, Everton ain't even good enough to get on ISS! lol

Warhammer / Wh40k......... Tabletop Wargames from Gamesworkshop, cost you an arm and a leg, which means standing behind a table and rolling a dice is tricky. :)

[Twoblade]

TOAW is not my main game. I wish I have more time for it though.

Been spending a lot of time on Age Of Wonders2. Still playing some Age of Wonders1 as well.

Then:

Strategic Command
East Front II
Rising Sun


Other games include:

Neverwinter Nights
BG II

[Wolfe Tone]

Originally posted by Alvis_Striker
Ice Hockey..... The painful version.

DBM...... The tabletop version.

Rugby..... the muddy painful version. and also thr PS2 version.

Steelpanthers..... or as my four year old cousin calls it....Steelpanties. PBEM now and again, not too commited to 20 games at once.

TOAW2..... trying to find COW still no luck :(

Champ Manager...... great footie manager sim game. New version coming soon is supposed to be greater than ever.

LMA Manager..... like Champ for the PS2 tho.

Battleground Games...... If I can ever get them to work right..... PBEM's are bit tricky too.

Close Combat games........ Bridge too far one is brilliant, Urban conflict at its best.

ISS........... PS2 best football sim in the world ever, FIFA may have a million and one teams, but you can win the league with Everton on FIFA, Everton ain't even good enough to get on ISS! lol

Warhammer / Wh40k......... Tabletop Wargames from Gamesworkshop, cost you an arm and a leg, which means standing behind a table and rolling a dice is tricky. :)

re TOAW2..... trying to find COW still no luck

Have you tried mailing Talonsoft direct on this?.....that's how I got my copy.

[Alvis_Striker]

Ive been to the talonsoft Website a few times, the first time I tried to order a copy from America, but I only have a Switch/SOLO card and they don't accept them!

I then E.Mailed them THREE times to ask if anyone in the U.K sells it, or if they knew any sites where I could purchase it using my Switch/SOLO. But they have never got back to me.

[Tex]

Try Ebay. I just checked yesterday for somebody else and there were three copies of ACOW being sold for around $20.

[Wolfe Tone]

Originally posted by Alvis_Striker
Ive been to the talonsoft Website a few times, the first time I tried to order a copy from America, but I only have a Switch/SOLO card and they don't accept them!

I then E.Mailed them THREE times to ask if anyone in the U.K sells it, or if they knew any sites where I could purchase it using my Switch/SOLO. But they have never got back to me.


Did you try:

retail@take2store.com

I sent them a international money order drawn in US Dollars....got one from the Bank.

[Von Manstein]

Well for Wargames this is primarily the only one I play now. I havent been able to find anything even similar to this. I am a huge gamer however and play a ton of other games.

Ghost Recon, Day of Defeat and MOHAA are currently the titles I play the most. Also occasionally I will pick up Heroes of Might and Magic IV or Destroyer Command. I have a ton of games and thankfully my wife is a gamer as well. My top five games of all time are:


Asheron's Call- The best MMORPG out there right now. I cant wait for AC2.

Ghost Recon- The best tactical FPS, beats Rainbow six hands down

Shogun Total War- a very good RTS where tactics really matter. I cant wait for Medieval Total war.

TOAW- Ive been hooked since I bought the game.

Heroes of Might and Magic 1-IV.- A great turn based strategy series based around dragons and wizards. What more could you want?


:D

[LaPalice]

I play the TOAW serie since the end of 1998, and play it in PBEM since 2000, only with French opponents before my registeration on WarfareHQ this month. There are still a lot of things I don’t understand in this game (a lot of questions in preparation).
I play two other wargames : SPWAW and the Campaign serie. The first is one of the best wargames, with TOAW. The second has a very good playability but is peharps a little too simple.
I’ve got Uncommon Valor, but not enough time to learn and play it. It’s apparently a very good game, so I think I am going to try it.
There is Europa Universalis too. I like very much this history period (1492-1792, especialy the Thirty Years War). What a pity that you can’t play it in PBEM (I don’t like to play against the PO).
And the first computer « wargame » I played is Battle Isle (Amiga). It’s old !

I’m going to change my old PC for a better one, so this ones are on my list : CMBB, Operation Flashpoint and Ghost Recon. Very difficult to wait !

[Twoblade]

Heroes of Might and Magic 1-IV.- A great turn based strategy series based around dragons and wizards. What more could you want?

IV is an unfortunate disappointment. I had looked forward to joining a ladder for that one, but HOMMIV came without MP function and a dumb AI. HoMMII and HoMMIII was the peak of the game IMHO.


Off topic: Warlords IV is something to look forward to.

[Von Manstein]

Yes twoblade you are right about the AI and multiplayer for Heroes IV. I think that it will be fixed when the multiplayer patch is issued within the next week (or so 3DO says). I still like it alot better than Heroes III the new combat is nice as well as the active Heroes in combat.

[John Paul]

Computer games:
Baldurs Gate
Fallout and Fallout 2
Conquest of the New World
Ceasar III
X-com Appocolaypse
DBA Online
East Front II

Console:
Summoner
Pacific Theater of Operations II
Iron Storm
Panzer General
Allied General
Medal of Honor Series(btw has anyone played the secret mission at the end of underground,I had the game for awhile before i realized there was a mission called I PanzerKnacker!)
Red Faction
X-Com:Enemy Unknown
Civilization II

Tabletop:
DBA
Risk
Stratego
Axis and Allies
Chess

[Wolfe Tone]

On the subject of games has anyone ever played the Oriental game of Go?

Just interested as I think it is far superior to Chess.

[KG_Jag]

I started playing wargames in the mid-60s, beginning with AH's Gettysburg and D-Day. For me TOAW was the answer to an old board gamer's prayer. It was (almost) all the paper and cardboard land games wrapped up into one package with none of the set-up and maintenance hassle. You could play at any time against a pretty decent AI.

To satisfy the Panzer Blitz cravings of this old gamer, there's nothing like Combat Mission and its upcoming sequel.

For my in between cravings, I turn to a variety of John Tiller's HPS offerings. I especially like the original--Smolensk '41, and the way he constantly updates all his titles.

Moving back in time, I still enjoy Norm Koger's Age of Rifles. My limited time with Medieval--Total War calls me to spend more time with it.

My first computer war game was Steel Panthers 3, which still holds a special place in my heart and on my hard drive.

Also favorites are combat sims Steels Beasts, anything by Janes, the Microsoft Combat Flight Simulatiors and their add-ons, and European Air War.

[ER_Chaser]

Originally posted by Von Manstein



Asheron's Call- The best MMORPG out there right now. I cant wait for AC2.


I just wish it could be free like Diablo II... well, we could actually even MAKE money by selling items (real cool ones though) you found in DII on ebay :D

[
Shogun Total War- a very good RTS where tactics really matter. I cant wait for Medieval Total war.
[/B]

oh, man, this one rules! And this new engine has unlimited room to advance. I bet it! Nearly perfect combo of RTS and TBS.

[
Heroes of Might and Magic 1-IV.- A great turn based strategy series based around dragons and wizards. What more could you want?


:D [/B]

I indeed prefer the earlier versions of Heroes of MM --- I & II, for III and IV, I do not like the score system. In the former, the time you need to complete mission was crucial to your score, that made the scenarios very challenging, because you usually cannot wait until you have a strong army to take off the dragon, so it is so tricky to use your poor troops to tackle the mighty black dragons. That is fun. While in later versions, you simply wait and abuse your hordes of monsters to take on the computer like a joke.

-----
hey, if all these count, me sometimes likes to be a Jedi ... all kinds of flight combats from earth to Nabu....

[John Paul]

Originally posted by Wolfe Tone
On the subject of games has anyone ever played the Oriental game of Go?

Just interested as I think it is far superior to Chess.

I had that game as a kid,though i couldn't remember how to play it now.

[ER_Chaser]

Originally posted by John Paul


I had that game as a kid,though i couldn't remember how to play it now.

the game in princeton that John Nash thought to be "flawed"? (since he started first but lost :D)

It has more branches if you use minimax to search the solution (of course, 19x19 board!), in that sense it is much deeper than chess. And the current computer programs' skill are far inferior to human beings, let alone any comparison to deep blue in chess.

Ye, I used to play it a lot, it is a fun game. I wasn't very good at it all, at peak time, reached 1k (the standard ranking, for example, on IGS, runs from 20k (lowest) to 1k, then 1d to 7d, then 1p to 9p ---- with 9p being the top professional players in the world.) Usually good amateurs can practice and play and improve up to 4d (which is very strong, ..huh.. for common people), beyond that, without systematic training, it seems impossible. 7d are the strongest amateurs ever in the world, most of them were engaged in professional training in their young ages and by whatever reason changed their courses later. The skill difference is not even distributed along the ranks there. The difference between 9p and 1p is much smaller than that between 4d and 7d, yet it requires years and years of training for professionals to get promoted to 9p(this 'p' means for 'professional dan', 'd' means for 'dan', 'k' stands for 'ki'), as most of them never reach it at all.
However, the difference between 4d and 1k is very big, could be as big as the that of 15k and 1k, with the fact that 1d and 1k almost had no difference at all!!

[John Paul]

when we were very young,i think she was trying to expand our horizons.Chess i liked as i caught on right away and still play when i can find an opponent(no one seems to play it anymore).Go was a different story i learned the basics but found the game much more fun when i used the marbles as projectiles against my sister:devious:

[John Paul]

I just realized something,i hope we're talking about the same game.Go was the one with the different colored marble playing pieces?

[Twoblade]

Go has only black and white pebbles.

The many-colored marbles game is the one which is played out on a 6-point star shaped board- I can't remember what that one is called, but it was quite fun too.

[John Paul]

Chinese checkers!Though we had Go too come to think of it.My favorite game was Makin Bacon,nothing like using two plastic pigs for dice.Now there is a game leading to mental enrichment!

[ER_Chaser]

Originally posted by John Paul
when we were very young,i think she was trying to expand our horizons.Chess i liked as i caught on right away and still play when i can find an opponent(no one seems to play it anymore).Go was a different story i learned the basics but found the game much more fun when i used the marbles as projectiles against my sister:devious:

lol ... and you got the right name for the "many colored marbals" ... yes, you are right, it is an extremely popular practice for the Chinese kids to use those things as projectiles or more like bowlings on grounds rather than playing the real "chinese checker" in China. I was pretty bad at that when I was at the age.... people loved to pick up a fight with me, since even little girls locked their victory when they picked me :alien:

Well, nevertheless, you could use the Go pieces as projectiles as well, as there are even more of them :P (typically, at least 180 pieces for each side, thus total more than 360).

You can't find chess player? oh.. come to NYC... hordes of players at public sites: before 9/11, I worked in WTC, down there was a public park, every day, there were like 50 players matching each other for fast games. This year we moved to park ave. ... down at the lobby of our plaza, again, host of players every day... hey, come and beat them all ... (you know, some of them play for 5 bucks .... you can get rich :P)

[Rince]

How many of you do still play "old" war-games, you know, the ones with a map on the kitchen-table and cardboard counters to push around?

...or did you never play those ones?

[ER_Chaser]

except for that, I rarely played something called "flying chess" or something, basically you throw two dices, and decide where your little "aircrafts" (of course, plastic little dodo) go .... er... not really a wargame, but we did have a board on kitchen table....

Hey, it is nice new suit for you, old buddy.... (and surely higher rank than that one in the helmet?:D)

[Rince]

You are what you wear!

;)

[Twoblade]

There is a game called Aeroplane Chess locally, I think it's called Lodo or "Sorry!" in the west. Essentially you try to get your 4 pieces round the board and to the middle which is HOME.

[ER_Chaser]

That is exactly the game I was talking about .... yes, aeroplane chess... flying stuff ... lol

[John Paul]

I still got one "old" wargame.Its part of a larger set i think and is called The Great War in the Near East.got it with a magazine.

[Major Banned]

Originally posted by Rince
How many of you do still play "old" war-games, you know, the ones with a map on the kitchen-table and cardboard counters to push around?

...or did you never play those ones?
I do, I do. Blitzkreig, Tactics II, Arab-Israeli Wars, Sinai, PanzerBlitz, Starship Troopers, NATO The Next War in Europe, Global War all of the classics. I save them mostly for the winter time when I'm not out ice fishing.

[ER_Chaser]

Originally posted by Major Catastrophe

I do, I do. Blitzkreig, Tactics II, Arab-Israeli Wars, Sinai, PanzerBlitz, Starship Troopers, NATO The Next War in Europe, Global War all of the classics. I save them mostly for the winter time when I'm not out ice fishing.

But who do you play with? In that cold time? Your friends hardly can drive to see ya.. and your wife can help? :pig:

[John Paul]

At least thats what i do...:crosseye:

seriously though there is no worse feeling then buying a game,then finding out there is absolutely no one interested in playing it.Has anyone else ever hit the point where they tried to play a board or tabletop game "impartialy" against themselves?

[JAMiAM]

Originally posted by John Paul
At least thats what i do...:crosseye:

seriously though there is no worse feeling then buying a game,then finding out there is absolutely no one interested in playing it.Has anyone else ever hit the point where they tried to play a board or tabletop game "impartialy" against themselves?

All the time...at least until I ran out of room in the house to have a table set up. Thank goodness for computer games, in that respect.

[Rince]

I did that for 20 years...until finally "up" there somebody heard my prayers and sent me TOAW! ...and of course the mighty bunch of war-gamers on warfarehq!:alien:

[Major Banned]

Originally posted by ER_Chaser


But who do you play with? In that cold time? Your friends hardly can drive to see ya.. and your wife can help? :pig:

Alas, it's solitaire. The ol boardgaming group all went their seperate ways some 25-30 years ago and we've lost touch. Thank the lucky stars for the internet and e-mail and computer games to find opponents. A guy could go blind from playing with himself after this many years. It's bad enough I have to wear glasses.:D

[Wolfe Tone]

re: the game of Go.

I'm glad there are a few others out there who have heard of it! Just like the world of war games the game of Go has been revolutionized by the advent of the Internet and it is now possible to play online with players all over the world. For the curious you could try
http://www.usgo.org/usa/waytogo/index.html

as a good start point.
Hope nobody minds me mentioning this game but in many ways it plays like an abstract war game with plenty of strategy and tactics involved. True to be a great Go player you have to start young but the handicap system in the game means that players of different strength can play against each other and it will still be a challenge. Unlike Chess it can be played straight off without having to learn the capabilities of different pieces.
A beautiful game ( truly) and worth checking out.

[Alvis_Striker]

I have just atarted playing DBM, iv'e got a 400AP Fuedal English army being painted up at the moment.

I like to make my own rules up with wargames, iv'e got a pretty decent WW2 to Current day wargame sorted out called Private Wars, i'm playtesting it at my local Games Club.

I'm also working on a Napoleonic and American Civil War games, as well as thinking about an English Civil War / 30yrs War Game.

As for moving peices of Card around on a table, yeah I used to do that, I had a whole campaign system sorted out when I was twelve, it was 'The Fall of the Cockerel' about the Battle of France in WW2, it had Battalion sized units and even things like Cavalry and Engineers to build or repair bridges (also made out of card). The Germans won when they captured Paris, the French won if they controlled more of the Cities and Bridges in Northern France than the Germans, and both sides drew if the Germans had more of the Cities, but failed to take Paris. Ah I still remember my crappy attempts at drawing a Cavalry Horse, Somau S-35's were easy by comparison!

I also had a game for Aircraft Dogfights cut out of Cardboard, the rules called for manouvere to get behind the enemy aircraft and shoot it down. Of course you could fire from the front, or side, but this incured penalties in hitting the target. I had German Heinkels, Me-109s and FW190's versus American P-51's and B-17's, the winner had to 'Bomb' a certain target ('fly' over the target and hit it with a certain D6 roll).

Ah those were the days........ might have a look in the attic, see if my old crap is still there :)