What's on everyone's short list?

Nexus6

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There are three games to be released shortly that have caught my eye:

1) Alea Jackta Est by AGEOD - I'm a bit jazzed by this one as it covers Roman Wars up to 200AD. Scenarios include Marius vs. Sulla, The Great Mithridatic War, The Servile War, Caesar vs. Pompey, The Year of the Four Emperors, and the Rise of Septimius Severus. Finally! Someone is doing a Roman game that includes stuff besides the great JC. http://www.ageod.com/uk/jeux-ageod/23-pre-order-alea-jacta-est-base-version.html

2) Carrier Command: Gaea Mission by Bohemia Interactive - Not only are the visuals very impressive, but it reminds me of an ocean-going version of the great scifi RTS Earth: 2150. I'm at least guardedly optimistic about this one as it is done by the same company that does the highly-touted Arma series. In any event it would be very cool to command a futuristic carrier and a squadron of jump jets, and I'm happy to see that after several hundred years carriers haven't gone out of style. ;) http://www.carriercommand.com/

3) Air Conflicts: Pacific Carriers by Bit Composer Games - This one will probably lose out to one of the other two as it seems like it's an arcade/console port to PC. I will still keep on eye on it though as you get to command a carrier (US or Japan) and all their planes, and I'm always in the mood for a Pacific WW2 naval game. http://www.bit-composer.com/www_en/game.aspx?gameid=9fc2b3f0-f314-44a4-9e1e-de6e410eee32

Geez, I wish there was a game (that I felt like playing) to get me in the mood for the Fall and Halloween. I guess I could always do Skyrim Dawnguard or Dragon Age: Origins. ;)
 
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prymus

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Re: My Fall Short List

Not a whole lot on the horizon that grabs me.I am keeping an eye on Comapny of Heroes 2, and the Trainz 2012 sim. I have a little different philosophy than most. I almost always wait at least 6 months before I buy a new title, letting it get updated and patched, and come down in price. Of course there are those titles that don't come down for a long time and I still end up paying full price, but I still get to see the reviews and read what Scott thinks:blab:, which is most important.:laugh:
 

Nexus6

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Re: My Fall Short List

Not a whole lot on the horizon that grabs me.I am keeping an eye on Comapny of Heroes 2, and the Trainz 2012 sim. I have a little different philosophy than most. I almost always wait at least 6 months before I buy a new title, letting it get updated and patched, and come down in price. Of course there are those titles that don't come down for a long time and I still end up paying full price, but I still get to see the reviews and read what Scott thinks:blab:, which is most important.:laugh:
I hear you Primus. I've gotten burnt more than a few times getting games as soon as they were released only to find that I didn't like them much. :( My latest fiasco was Endless Space. It got a lot of hype and was touted as the next Master of Orion 2, and as it happened I hated it. :( I did, however, spring for the shortly to be released Alea Jackta Est. For one thing AGEOD is a generally reliable strategy game developer, and for another I'm a sucker for Roman games. ;)

Believe it or not I've thus far only acted on one Scott recommendation, and that was Fallen Enchantress. I played the beta about 9-10 times and mostly liked it, though now I've put it on hold while I wait for the full release and the single player campaign. I also imagine I'll act on his recommendation of Dragon Age: Origins at some point. Come to think of it, that would probably be a perfect Fall/Halloween game ;), but I'm just not in the mood for a sword and sorcery RPG at the moment. On the other side of the coin, Scott acted on one of my recommendations (Mass Effect One), but it didn't seem to do much for him. Oh well, I tried. ;)

BTW, did you check out my comments on the Star Wolves games? I know you said you were a Homeworld fan. By and large they were very good.

One more thing. I've been learning at Game Squad that one is much safer in the gaming forums than the political ones. One posts comments in the political forum at his peril. ;)
 

Redwolf

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Re: My Fall Short List

Company of Heroes and one of the Total War series, probably Medieval.
 

Nexus6

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Re: My Fall Short List

Company of Heroes and one of the Total War series, probably Medieval.
You know, everyone seems to love Company of Heroes. I've read that unlike the uninspired Starcraft 2, it actually did some things to move the RTS genre forward. I imagine I'll get to it at some point, but to be honest I'd rather play the Germans or the Brits or Japanese rather than the 'Band of Brothers' cast in a PC game. ;)

I did Medieval 2 Total War last year and mostly liked it, though I was really irritated when the Pope got pissed at me (Spain) for fighting back against the French after they had attacked me. :( I loved playing the Byzantines in that game. One thing interesting about it is that the Catholic Church will occasionally call for a Crusade, whereas Islam will occasionally call for a Jihad. Kind of puts in all in perspective I guess. ;) FYI, I tried Empire Total War about four months ago and got quickly bored with it. For me it was a case of been there, done that, have the t-shirt. I really think it's high time Creative Assembly gave that series a major overhaul.
 
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prymus

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Re: My Fall Short List

I liked CoH, and that it was really pretty helped. I also liked Medieval and Med2 and played both a lot. I've been buying them since the original Shogun, But did not buy Empire. That was one I waited to see the feedback, and it was bad for the most part. Shogun 2 is a solid game, though I've not played it a whole lot, what I've played I've really enjoyed.I like the battles in Napoleon TW, which was the only reason I picked it up. Sometimes just don't have the time to set up the minis.
Yes I did check out the Star Wolves game, almost bought it but (get this) bought preorder Legends of Pegasus instead. I know I know, it has been raked over the coals big time. Funny thing is, I have not experienced any of the problems that others have, and have played the game about 15 hours now, and enjoyed it. There are some problems in the gameplay though. So I broke my #1 rule in purchasing games. So maybe I'll pick it up after Christmas.
 

prymus

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Re: My Fall Short List

Yeah, Medieval 3 would be nice. I played the heck out of the first two and really liked them. The campaign system in TWM2 I think was the best of the whole series. I must admit thought that I did not play Rome or the expansion, so I may have liked the campaign in it as much or more. But Medieval 3 would absolutely be on my by right away list. You can see how the game would be by taking a look at Shogun 2. That is an amazing game and I've enjoyed it quite a bit. I think there were some valuable lessons learned with the Empire release.
 

Dr Zaius

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Re: My Fall Short List

I hate to say it, but I just didn't like Shogun 2 very much. I found the campaign rather limited and boring because you're trapped on this long, skinny island with limited possibilities. I played several campaigns and they all seemed to turn into the same grind.
 

prymus

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Re: My Fall Short List

Kind of agree with you on that one Don. Still like the campaign, but I think they ignored some of the lessons learned from Med2. I think even the original Shoguns campaign was better, though that opinion could be skewed by my memory of the uniqueness of the game and the fact that I've not played it in a looooonnng time. It still is much better than TWNapoleons campaign, which for me is darn near unplayable.But then I only bought TWN for the battles and didn't give a rip what the campaign was like. For years now I've used it when I have the Nappy gaming bug and don't have time to set up a minis game or board game. Has served well in that role.
 

prymus

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Re: My Fall Short List

Company of Heroes 2 up on STEAM pre-order. For me the pre-order bonus material is worthless. Surprised at what there offering on the different tiers. Oh well. Will still be getting it but most likely will wait for the price to drop. Screens look amazing but the video is easily forgettable.
 

Nexus6

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Re: My Fall Short List

I hate to say it, but I just didn't like Shogun 2 very much. I found the campaign rather limited and boring because you're trapped on this long, skinny island with limited possibilities. I played several campaigns and they all seemed to turn into the same grind.
I agree with you all the way Don. That is the precise reason why I've not bothered with the Shogun TW games. They strike me as having limited strategic possibilities. As an aside, I love the Akira Kurosawa movie 'Ran' that more or less covers the same era in Japanese history as the TW games. Highly recommended.

Speaking of the total war series, I think AGEOD's 'Alea Jackta Est' puts Rome Total War to shame when it comes to historical accuracy. AJE is a very deep and rich game, though it is definitely not for the casual gamer. Probably the most serious strategy game I've seen since Gary Grigsby's Uncommon Valor.

Don, I take it you recommend the Arma series? That series came to my attention while I was looking at Carried Command, the upcoming game from the same company.

BTW all, having just come off playing the fantastic UFO: Afterlight, I'm going to be sorely tempted to spring for the similar XCOM: Enemy Unknown when that comes out in about two weeks. Also, I've been eying 'Pride of Nations' because it has a Russo-Japanese War scenario. :)
 
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Nexus6

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Re: My Fall Short List

Company of Heroes 2 up on STEAM pre-order. For me the pre-order bonus material is worthless. Surprised at what there offering on the different tiers. Oh well. Will still be getting it but most likely will wait for the price to drop. Screens look amazing but the video is easily forgettable.
I hear you Prymus. I've noticed lately how companies have been trying really hard to get people to pre-order with what I think are rather lame bonuses. I will, however, occasionally bust my budget and buy a collector's edition. In fact I got the collector's edition of Skyrim last year and it was the most I've ever payed for a PC game.
 

Scott Tortorice

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Re: My Fall Short List

The only title I am really looking forward to is Black Ops 2. After seeing how EA screwed up BF3 (mostly by playing it too safe: BF3 is really BC2.5), I think Activision is going to blast right through with another mega hit. Not only have they added a ton of refreshing changes to the core multiplayer, but they even have fleshed out the after-thought zombie portion into its own full-fledged game:

[video=youtube;YH_9GzaUW40]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH_9GzaUW40[/video]

This is a definite pre-order for me.
 

Nexus6

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Re: My Fall Short List

Hey Scott, good to see that you're still alive and well. :) I never played any of the Black Ops series. Isn't that Tom Clancy? I went through my Battlefield 1942 stage a few years ago, and although I enjoyed it at the time, for some reason I've not felt moved to return to that series. I do have fond memories of playing on the German team in Stalingrad though. Also, I was something of a Kursk tank ace! ;)

I see that Stardock today released another update for Fallen Enchantress. I really think though that rather than burn myself out on it, I'm going to leave that game until the official release and the single player campaign. Again though, I have high hopes for campaign. Should be really good.

I've been spending my precious gaming time lately with Alea Jackta Est. Wow! What an incredibly rich and deep game it is. Admittedly it does have a moderate learning curve, but my patience has definitely been rewarded with superior strategic gameplay. It also helps that the game is basically a PC version of Imperium Romanum II, my favorite board game.

Concerning the other two games on my list, haven't yet seen any formal reviews on the Pacific War game yet, but a couple of people in other forums seem to have mixed feelings about it. Also, it seems incredibly lame that when commanding a squadron, when you run out of ammo in one plane all you have to do is jump in to another plane. Am definitely going to pass on this one.

Carrier Command: Gaea Mission was released today, and although I'm pretty well occupied with Alea Jackta Est, if the reviews are good I may spring for it. Ditto for the upcoming XCOM: Enemy Unknown, though one person at SpaceSector commented that the demo was awful, like some poor console to PC port. Will definitely wait for the reviews.
 

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Re: My Fall Short List

Don, I take it you recommend the Arma series? That series came to my attention while I was looking at Carried Command, the upcoming game from the same company.
Yes, I like ArmA 2 and its add-on packs a lot. The interface can be a pain and is badly in need of an overhaul (which is supposed to happen in ArmA 3), but the huge maps and open-ended nature of the missions is great. The series is also one of the most friendly toward mods and third-party add-ons, so the developers deserve a lot of credit for that.
 

prymus

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Re: My Fall Short List

I've always heard that ARMA2 is an amazing game. I've also heard that the interface definitely needs an overhaul and that the learning curve is very steep.But people do rave about it.
 

Scott Tortorice

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Re: My Fall Short List

Well, with the release of Planetside 2 today, that concludes my gaming list for 2012. There's nothing left. :upset: Even worse, while there are some big titles coming in 2013 (Star Citizen, CD Project Red's cyberpunk RPG, Paradox's Syndicate remake, Ubisoft's Watch_Dogs), there is nothing on the near horizon. In fact, I can't think of anything with a hard release date at the moment! :eek:

Hence, the reason why today I placed an order for $50 worth of miniatures. Time to transition over to my two favorite winter hobbies - chess and minis!
 

Nexus6

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Re: My Fall Short List

Well, with the release of Planetside 2 today, that concludes my gaming list for 2012. There's nothing left. :upset: Even worse, while there are some big titles coming in 2013 (Star Citizen, CD Project Red's cyberpunk RPG, Paradox's Syndicate remake, Ubisoft's Watch_Dogs), there is nothing on the near horizon. In fact, I can't think of anything with a hard release date at the moment! :eek:

Hence, the reason why today I placed an order for $50 worth of miniatures. Time to transition over to my two favorite winter hobbies - chess and minis!
Planetside looks cool, but being an FPS MMO, I think I'm gonna pass.

A Cyberpunk RPG? Cool. I'm going to have to look that one up. If I can't have a remake of the Blade Runner game, that may be the next best thing.

I was never really in to miniatures, but looking on my shelves, I see figurines of Napoleon, the minotaur from Age of Mythology, Alduin from Skyrim, Sylvanus Windrunner from Warcraft 3, and Ayala Secura from Star Wars. Come to think of it, I see now where CodeForce got the idea for the Securans. ;)

Speaking of CodeForce, I'm still trying very hard to resist buying the Distant Worlds suite before the bundle goes on sale for the holidays, but I don't know how much longer I can hold out. ;) This seems like the Space 4X I've been waiting for all these years. Surprised I didn't notice it sooner. I mean, a fully automated private sector with the player representing the Imperial Government? How cool is that?

Before I forget, Happy Thanksgiving. :supper:

Update: I'm stoked! The Matrix holiday sale seems to be in effect now. I am so glad I held off, it saved me $30. Bring on the Shakturi! :)
 
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Scott Tortorice

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Re: My Fall Short List

Remember this thread? :D

Might as well make my list. Let's see:

1) MechWarrior: Tactics: I've really fallen for the mech genre. Unfortunately, it looks like it might be ending before it begins as MechWarrior Online seems poised to crash and burn on a forced launch, and Hawken is suffering layoffs. Will this browser-based game fare better (how far we have fallen, PC gaming :cry:)? I somewhat doubt it seeing how I believe going F2P with a turn-based board game port with SP functionality makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Still, looks good. Release Date: TBA (amazing how these indie betas seem to last longer than the actual shelf life of the game :rolleyes:),

2) Card Hunter: Yup, another browser-based F2P game. My poor PC. Sigh. :cry: Still, this cross between tactical turn-based RPG and a CCG already has the internet atwitter. It does look good in an old school, D&D sort of way. Unfortunately, its F2P methodology again seems to contradict a design that involves SP campaigns with a MP matchmaking system. Just what is so wrong with P2P?!? I wonder how many failed F2Ps would have been successful P2P games? :rolleyes: Regardless, I hope this won't be one of the failed ones, but I am really questioning the wisdom of this economic system for non-shooters and games that lack high IP visibility like Star Trek and Lord of the Rings. Release Date: Summer 2013

3) Scrolls: Mojang's second game (Minecraft being their first, of course :)). Not F2P, but still a tactical, 2D turn-based game with CCG elements. My poor, poor PC...all that hardware and nowhere to go. Still, like Card Hunter, it looks to be a potentially addictive turn-based game (again, with SP and MP gameplay). I find it VERY interesting that Mojang has ditched the F2P concept and instead went with a traditional P2P model with the option of micro-transactions. I think Mojang has figured out that F2P is mostly a dangerous trap for small indies. Good for them. Release Date: TBA

4) Starbound: A pixelated, 2D sidescroller...yes, seriously. *facepalm* However, I am intrigued by this because it is all about exploring a galaxy full of procedurally generated worlds, complete with procedurally generated aliens, weapons, crafting, and lots more. Might be just an over-hyped Terraria, but I am still curious about the final product. Release Date: TBA

5) Watch_Dogs: Finally, a modern game that requires some horsepower under the hood that can run DX11! *facepalm* Watch_Dogs is basically an open city, GTA/Saints Row game, but with hacking instead of gang warfare. Enough said. :D Release Date: November 2013

6) State of Decay: Yes, I am sick of zombies like everyone else, but this game always looked like the hardcore survival sim we always wanted...and based on reviews, it is just that! Big sales hit - something that seems to attest to the quality of the game. Plus, the devs have been great about supporting the game with patches/new features, as well as updating everyone on new versions for different platforms. Speaking of which: PC port underway (with special graphic options for us!). Release date: TBA

7) Saints Row 4: Once you are bitten by the SR bug, there is no going back. Open world wackiness at its finest. Count me as a fan. :clown: Release Date: August 20, 2013.

8) Battlefield 4: There is no real reason for this sequel except that EA/DICE wants more money. Unfortunately, they will get it from me, but probably not until it has gone on sale. :p Release Date: November 2013

9) The Banner Saga: Back to old school, 2D, turn-based tactical gameplay with strong RPG elements. And vikings. Vikings make everything better. Release Date: Late 2013 (last I heard, anyway).


Honorable mention:

10) TitanFall: This is really a 2014 title, but since it is the only one from E3 that has created a buzz, I will include it here. Again, a mech game. But what I like about this one is that it is the first and only (!) mech game to include infantry. Unbelievable. What is it with devs and pure tank on tank battles? That is so boring. :angry: So I am excited just for that reason. But, again, the Mech curse might be at work here. Being a strict MP shooter, I don't know how this game is going to survive against CoD and BF4. Unless you go F2P with new shooter IPs, you are usually dead in the water within six months. And if this goes F2P...well, as I wrote above, that is not a ticket to survival for new low visibility franchises. The game looks great, but I seriously doubt it has more than a 40% chance of surviving the year. If only the devs didn't wimp out on the SP portion. If this game had SP, it could easily survive regardless of the MP aspects. Release Date: Spring 2014


Hmm...nine titles for 2013. Better than I thought. Still, it is striking that five of the nine are 2D turn-based games! How we are regressing as gamers. But maybe for the better? Less might be more? Of the AAA titles, really, only Watch_Dogs has me "must get this on release" excited. State of Decay is most likely a must buy seeing the rave reviews, but I might wait for a sale...or Halloween. :D The rest of them will be "waiting for a sale" targets of opportunity.
 
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