The new forums will be named Coin Return (based on the most recent vote)! You can check on the status and timeline of the transition to the new forums here.
The Guiding Principles and New Rules document is now in effect.
Strategic Team-Based PC Gaming (And a Solid Gold Rocket Car)
GrumpyJoe
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
I'm looking for a game, but I don't know the title of that game, or if that game even exists. I'm hoping some of you game gurus here on the PA Forums can help me out, and heck, I even have prizes! Here's what I'm looking for:
1) PC game with online play. The online play part is necessary for #2, which brings us to...
2) Competition, competitive play. Some official sort of rankings, or ratings, or ladders, or regular tournaments.
3) Team-based. 2v2, 10v10, 100v100, doesn't matter. Just the option to play with at least 2 people on a team.
4) Not Money-Based. The game costing money is fine, limited DLC is fine, a subscription is fine. Infinite pit of money vacuum is not fine. Sorry probably every TCG (trading card/collectible card) game ever made.
At this point many of you are probably thinking this is going to be pretty easy and have a list of a dozen games that meet the criteria and didn't you mention prizes?! But whoa there, slow down. We haven't reached #5 yet. That's the big one, the deal-breaker, the El Muertido, the.....uh.....Big Fifth? Anyway:
5) The gameplay is based on thinking/strategy, not your reaction time or reflexes, or how fast and accurately you can click something, or push something. This pretty much eliminates every FPS, RTS, MOBA, Fighting Game, MMO, Bemani, and 80's Arcade Game that I know of.
There goes your list huh? So, back to the question at hand: Does a game like this even exist? It seems to me #5 pretty much limits the potential candidates to turn-based affairs. Something like a Civilization V if it had competitive play. Or maybe a Bloodbowl if it had team play. I don't know, I can't think of anything. That's why I'm here, talking with you, who maybe *can* think of something.
So, about rewarding all your hard work and thought and research into answering my question. Anyone who replies to my thread, even if you clearly didn't read or understand most of what I wrote, and you suggest ten games that meet nearly none / none of the 5 requirements, because English isn't among your top 3 languages, even then you still get my gratitude. I'm just that nice. But for anyone who goes above and beyond and, defying all odds, manages to find a game that fulfills every condition, for you my special friend, I have actual, real prizes, mostly in the form of gifted Steam games (although in the unlikely even you don't have Steam, I'll find something else).
It doesn't take much to satisfy me, after all there are *only* 5 conditions. Arrow only had 4 conditions for his take on Game Theory and....well...best not to look into how that turned out. Get replyin'!
1) PC game with online play. The online play part is necessary for #2, which brings us to...
2) Competition, competitive play. Some official sort of rankings, or ratings, or ladders, or regular tournaments.
3) Team-based. 2v2, 10v10, 100v100, doesn't matter. Just the option to play with at least 2 people on a team.
4) Not Money-Based. The game costing money is fine, limited DLC is fine, a subscription is fine. Infinite pit of money vacuum is not fine. Sorry probably every TCG (trading card/collectible card) game ever made.
At this point many of you are probably thinking this is going to be pretty easy and have a list of a dozen games that meet the criteria and didn't you mention prizes?! But whoa there, slow down. We haven't reached #5 yet. That's the big one, the deal-breaker, the El Muertido, the.....uh.....Big Fifth? Anyway:
5) The gameplay is based on thinking/strategy, not your reaction time or reflexes, or how fast and accurately you can click something, or push something. This pretty much eliminates every FPS, RTS, MOBA, Fighting Game, MMO, Bemani, and 80's Arcade Game that I know of.
There goes your list huh? So, back to the question at hand: Does a game like this even exist? It seems to me #5 pretty much limits the potential candidates to turn-based affairs. Something like a Civilization V if it had competitive play. Or maybe a Bloodbowl if it had team play. I don't know, I can't think of anything. That's why I'm here, talking with you, who maybe *can* think of something.
So, about rewarding all your hard work and thought and research into answering my question. Anyone who replies to my thread, even if you clearly didn't read or understand most of what I wrote, and you suggest ten games that meet nearly none / none of the 5 requirements, because English isn't among your top 3 languages, even then you still get my gratitude. I'm just that nice. But for anyone who goes above and beyond and, defying all odds, manages to find a game that fulfills every condition, for you my special friend, I have actual, real prizes, mostly in the form of gifted Steam games (although in the unlikely even you don't have Steam, I'll find something else).
It doesn't take much to satisfy me, after all there are *only* 5 conditions. Arrow only had 4 conditions for his take on Game Theory and....well...best not to look into how that turned out. Get replyin'!
0
Posts
edit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=O2n0-r5fNqU
It's online, turn-based, can do teams, is free, players run a ladder. I haven't played in a long while but I think they do tournaments too.
Battle for Wesnoth is an amazing example of a community-created game, but the lack of any official ladders, regular tournaments, etc. DQ's it for this particular search.
It's somewhat simplistic compared to these other suggestions, but I think it meets all the criteria.
EDIT: sorry, I did not notice that it must not be based on reflexes.
Civ IV has a thriving competitive MP community that I am a part of - I won't link it here as it's an offsite forum, but I can PM it to you.
If you haven't played the irl card game, you'll probably want to read up on how to play first. Don't worry, there's no card purchasing in the online version.
Regarding Civ IV, like Battle for Wesnoth I believe the competitive play in these games is strictly unofficially/not supported by the game. I think it is fantastic that some enthusiastic players have put together informal groups to compete, but I'm looking for something that is competitive "by design" as it were, as in the game itself has at least the option of competitive play.
Dominion Online looks interesting, I do love MtG style card games. I see it has some leaderboards, but it doesn't look like there is any team play (at least from my admittedly brief perusal of the game).
I realize it is quite possible there is simply *no* game out there that meets all my criteria. But I figured if there is one out there that this would be the place to ask. Thanks again for replies!
You could always play Chess.
And speaking of team play, yes, Dominion doesn't officially have a gamemode for it or anything. But taking some of the cards' abilities into consideration, chances are pretty good they've factored it into the balance and design. I've had some great team games with my friends. It makes the deck building way more interesting, when you're also working together figuring out how best to make two or three decks synergize with each other. Fun enough to be worth trying, imho.
Anyway, my last attempt: Quadradius
What myself and some friends are really looking for is a game like LoL or DotA, or GW2/WoW/TERA arena, something team-oriented and competitive....but that isn't based on how fast you can input commands. There are dozens of board games that offer exactly what we want, but seemingly Zero electronic games, which I find surprising.
I've never heard of VASL, a quick google search looks like its an unofficial online version of one particular boardgame?
VASL is Virtual Advanced Squad Leader and only for one game.
VASSAL is a multipurpose tool with modules for hundreds of games: http://www.vassalengine.org/
Politely crashing in on this thread, via a google search. Full Disclosure, I am Jimmi Heiserman, the guy that made Quadradius, so I would like to answer any followup questions about that game.
PC Game? Yes, actually browser based game. so it should play right in any browser that supports flash on Mac, PC and Linux. (No iOS or mobile)
Competitive play? Yes, we use Elo ranking for our leaderboards. We are currently having discussions with our players on how to count Team Elos, but right now Elo takes care of that as well.
Team based? Yes, for a small fee. We allow 1v1 for free, but we have an expanding variety of multiplayer "arenas" that cost about $1.35 for 100 days if you buy our Qoins at the top package. Otherwise it cost about $2. But you can also purchase a 3 day trial (which is actually free when you sign up, as we give more than enough Qoins when you register), so def try the freebie if you like. So you can play up to 6 players. 2v2, 2v2v2, 3v3, and unbalanced matches (with more coming out soon)
Not money based? We do sell additional features to the game, but the free version is one of the best on the net we think. People play for free all the time, and we want to offer an experience to those as well. The free version of the game is quite featured we think! We don't cap your plays, or time, or duration. You can play with anyone of our other players, and if you don't plan on getting any of the additional power sets, you can turn "Discovery Mode" off, which equals fair games with just a less deeper experience.
Strategy and thinking? Yes and Yes!. But there is a luck/chance factor as well, and unknowns, like in Poker. The game starts off looking like Chess/Checkers, but quickly evolves (devolves?) into all kinds of power ups. This also leads to bluffing when you get good, that unravels more of the game's complexities. So there is no reaction time or reflexes involved, or how well you click or push something. Some have called it "3D Space Checkers on Crack", so we started to adopt that description.
If you have any questions or concerns, let me know. I try to be really responsive to questions. So happy to see someone mention Quadradius in regards to GrumpyJoe's detailed filters. I think it may fit the requirements.
But overall, it is really just a board game slightly beyond the reach of the physical board game world, so it doesn't come close to the genre of LoL or DotA, but it may work for some of you. Let me know!
Do you mean that reaction time or reflexes can't play a factor at all, or just that they should not be the primary focus?
They eventually plan to add 2v2 to Frozen Synapse, at some point. When they do that it should be what you are looking for.
Any chance you might do a free weekend sort of thing at some point? We have Game On threads every so often, and getting some team tournaments going might catch some attention.
For my money, go with Wargame. It is a relatively slow-moving RTS that is about careful planning, ambush, positioning, unit selection, and not CPM. It's the only RTS i play for that reason. If you are asking this because you are playing with someone who has a physical disability it will not be an appropriate choice, but otherwise good to go.
Megamek (a java version of battletech) has ELO ranked severs, but 99% of play is 1v1. http://www.mekwarslegends.com/ If you have two-dozen people you could easily run your own ladder.
Here is an image of one such game in action.
It there is interest in it here, we will code something up!
As for tournaments, we want to do some internal system as well, but players have often used their own bracket tourney websites to have their own tournaments, too.