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Good turn-based strategy with fantasy theme?

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Posts

  • SkabSkab Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Heroes of Might and Magic 3.

    Skab on
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  • AuberonAuberon Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    streever wrote: »
    I just bought Shadow Magic & Medieval 2: should I get Shogun 2? It has a marginally better meta-critic score... it is newer, of course, but what do you all think? As good as Medival/better?

    Better overall, yes. There are lots of AI and pathing weaknesses that have been improved or fixed in the total war games between Medieval 2 and Shogun 2. Still, Shogun 2 is very new so if you're a fan of big overhaul mods, M2 has a much bigger range available. Also look at the Shogun 2 demo on steam if you're not sure if your computer can handle it (the total war series is not particularly forgiving).

    Auberon on
  • RamiRami Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Shogun and Medieval are different eras though, so there's a personal preference there. Shogun 2 will also demand better hardware.

    Medieval 2 + kingdoms is also probably dirt cheap, so it's a good jumping in point for the TW series.

    Rami on
  • streeverstreever Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Medieval 2 is awesome! Thanks guys. I love it. I haven't played much, but it definitely seems to have a lot of depth. I can handle Shogun, so I'll probably buy that when I'm done with this one.

    I haven't tried out Shadow Magic yet but that is next.

    streever on
  • Grey PaladinGrey Paladin Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    l_g wrote: »
    How long does a game of Shadow Magic take? There are a ton of TBS games that have the unfortunate anecdote of "it's great and all, but games with friends either never finish/take foreverrrrrrrrrr to finish".
    Definitely on the 'Forever' front, even with simultaneous turns (you get to move/do actions at the same time as all of the other players outside of combat). Really intense games on large maps might even take longer than a Civilization game. You can play on smaller maps with fewer Wizards, which will take a lot less time, but I feel that loses a lot of the charm of the game.

    The only major flaw the game has is that in multiplayer, if you enable tactical combat (why wouldn't you!?), all other players - even those not involved in the the battle - can watch the fight too. Its interesting and all, but kind of ruins any hope at stealthily building a force if you fight with it.

    Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic generally has the superior mechanics and a great campaign, but I think Age of Wonders II: The Wizard's Throne (Shadow Magic is kind of a stand-alone expansion to this game) has a slightly better, much longer, campaign.

    Grey Paladin on
    "All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible." - T.E. Lawrence
  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    What really lifts Shadow Magic over the others is the random scenario generator.

    Xagarath on
  • Grey PaladinGrey Paladin Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    The supplied scenarios are all pretty interesting, too.

    Grey Paladin on
    "All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible." - T.E. Lawrence
  • FreiFrei A French Prometheus Unbound DeadwoodRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Despite being older, I still think Medieval 2 is the better game. A lot more depth and less streamlined than Shogun 2. Shogun 2 did a lot of things right in moving back towards the direction of the older games, but it still has really wonky campaign mechanics and the terrain basically forces you into direct paths and leave you with the illusion of choice.

    The lack of variety and small world also kill it for me. In Medieval 2, you know you have several events coming up (the discovery of America, Mongol Invasion, Timurids..) but in Shogun 2 it's just like... okay, you have enough provinces, now everyone is going to attack you. Have fun bye.

    Frei on
    Are you the magic man?
  • AuberonAuberon Registered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Frei wrote: »
    Despite being older, I still think Medieval 2 is the better game. A lot more depth and less streamlined than Shogun 2. Shogun 2 did a lot of things right in moving back towards the direction of the older games, but it still has really wonky campaign mechanics and the terrain basically forces you into direct paths and leave you with the illusion of choice.

    The lack of variety and small world also kill it for me. In Medieval 2, you know you have several events coming up (the discovery of America, Mongol Invasion, Timurids..) but in Shogun 2 it's just like... okay, you have enough provinces, now everyone is going to attack you. Have fun bye.

    That's all very well, but Shogun 2 cavalry can chase down running units.

    Auberon on
  • FreiFrei A French Prometheus Unbound DeadwoodRegistered User regular
    edited April 2011
    Yeah, less clunky than Medieval but still clunky. It's still better to micromanage the said chasing down by moving them ahead of the routing units and then attacks, just like in Medieval.

    (suck it.)

    Frei on
    Are you the magic man?
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