God games, starring You!

TwoQuestions

I'm wondering if you fine folks at the PA forums might know a way to scratch this particular itch of mine.

I love games where you build stuff, specifically societies. The Caesar and Pharaoh games were great for me, but it feels like you're just some disconnected entity that isn't represented in-game, and that's starting to bother me.

A Kingdom for Kieflings was almost perfect for me, but it was clearly designed just to show off the avatar gaming functionality for the Xbox, and had no challenge or possibility of failure. Good for a bit, but I want fires to break out if I fail!

Harvest Moon 64 ate my soul, and I'm glad it's not on Virtual Console to eat my free time again.

Battlezone 64 was as near to perfection as can be had on a console game, but I'd like something more towards the "make farms/buildings/businesses, not war" end of the spectrum. Dungeon Keeper 2 was also great, but again I'd like less combat more building.

So what I'd like in a game is an in-game avatar, the ability to build enhancements, and minions to do stuff for you. Anyone know of such a game? If not, anyone wanna make one? I'm a programmer by trade, and working with like-minded people on something we all care about could really make something great!

NEO|Phyte

Black and White (and the sequel) are God games in a fairly literal sense. Not quite the kind you seem to be looking for, just putting them out there.

Cherrn

Not really relevant at the moment, but Eric Chahi, the dude who made Out of This World, is working on a Populous-like god game called From Dust. It's not out until next year, but I thought I'd put it on your radar.

TwoQuestions

I liked Black and White 2, never played the first. That's kinda nice, but there's no sense of progression with the buildings. The houses you build for your first 2 villagers are the same as the houses you build for your 1000th villager.

I might wanna revisit that game though, good times were had.

TwoQuestions

Cherrn wrote: »

Not really relevant at the moment, but Eric Chahi, the dude who made Out of This World, is working on a Populous-like god game called From Dust. It's not out until next year, but I thought I'd put it on your radar.

:D:D:D

Thank you good sir/madam!

TychoCelchuuu

Tropico 3. Evil Genius. I don't think "you" are in Startopia but it's great anyways.

solsovly

Most of the city building games don't fit in your requirements for minions and in game avatars.

I havn't personally played it but Little King's Story seems to fit all of your requirements.
The other are close but don't meet all your requirements. I'd recommend atleast looking into Viva Pinata, it's really well made. It's sort a mix of the Sims, Harvest Moon and a little Animal Crossing.

Direct Control or Avatar based
Minecraft: First person building, multiplayer.
Animal Crossing: No real minions
Rune Factory: by the makers of harvest moon
Harvest Moon and the billion of iterations.

Disconnected "God"
Tropico 3: You play the president
Viva Pinata: Very loose definition of farming
Black and White:

You may want to look at the new social "casual" games.

toolbert

I'll third Tropico 3, not really a "God" game, but fun none-the-less. I played the demo forever until I broke down and actually bought the game. 2-3 hours can pass by before I realize I've been playing for so long.

CheesecakeRecipe

Darwinia's more of an RTS, but you kind of become a god figure.

Jars

act raiser?

Vi Monks

Also throwing in my vote for Tropico. Another game to check out might be Dawn of Discovery/Anno 1404. You don't have an in-game avatar, sadly, but it's my favorite city-building game to date.

Elvenshae

Jars wrote: »

act raiser?

Oh, good - I'm glad I'm not the only one who immediately thought of this. It might have more combat than the OP is looking for, however.

One of my favorite games of the SNES Era.

TwoQuestions

I forgot I owned Tropico 2! I tried the demo for 3, but my shitty computer isn't fast enough to run it.

I also might wanna give Anno 1701 another look.

Also, it might be too much to ask, but does anyone know of something like ActRaiser with multiplayer?

Riale

Seconding Viva Pinata. It might be my intense love for cute animals with silly names, but that game devoured my soul. It hooked it and didn't let go until I had completed almost every award.

The Rune Factory games (DS & Wii) are a really good choice as well, although they mix some combat in with the farming aspects. Personally, I think it freshens up the gameplay, but it does detract somewhat from the farm sim aspect.

TychoCelchuuu

TwoQuestions wrote: »

I forgot I owned Tropico 2! I tried the demo for 3, but my shitty computer isn't fast enough to run it.

I also might wanna give Anno 1701 another look.

Also, it might be too much to ask, but does anyone know of something like ActRaiser with multiplayer?

Tropico 1 is a million times better than Tropico 2 but Tropico 3 is the only one where you are in the game.

Cantido

Elvenshae wrote: »

Jars wrote: »

act raiser?

Oh, good - I'm glad I'm not the only one who immediately thought of this. It might have more combat than the OP is looking for, however.

One of my favorite games of the SNES Era.

Act Raiser! Hi5

Xagarath

Little King's Story is exactly what you're looking for, and the most undeservedly overlooked title of this entire generation.
Go!

Buttcleft

Cantido wrote: »

Elvenshae wrote: »

Jars wrote: »

act raiser?

Oh, good - I'm glad I'm not the only one who immediately thought of this. It might have more combat than the OP is looking for, however.

One of my favorite games of the SNES Era.

Act Raiser! Hi5

Causing earthquakes to destroy low population housing erryday

THEPAIN73

Jars wrote: »

act raiser?

came in here to say this

Magic Pink

I'll say Harvest Moon, Rune Factory, Little King's Story and Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise. Don' get the first Viva Pinata, the 2nd is basically the same game plus expansion pack.