As was foretold, we've added advertisements to the forums! If you have questions, or if you encounter any bugs, please visit this thread: https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/240191/forum-advertisement-faq-and-reports-thread/

Need help finding a team-building game

DortmunderDortmunder Registered User regular
edited May 2008 in Games and Technology
Need help finding a team-building game

Hi guys,

I'm trying to find a kind of game, but I'm not sure if anything like it exists. It's for a team-building excercise at work if you want to know the context. Do you know there is anything out there that matches these criteria:
  • Can be played over a network or through a browser
  • Teams of X people, working towards a common score for that team
  • Multiple teams (4 or more) competing against each other for the highest score.
  • Free (or really cheap)
  • Ideally something that can be played and worked on over a long period of time (days)
  • Should be fairly accessible to non-gamers

I was thinking about that Icarium game I've seen people talk about in G&T but I haven't tried it out yet. The idea is to have some kind of common goal that members within the team can discuss and work on together. I think Icarium is each person for himself -- or can you group multiple players into a team?

I'd appreciate any ideas you might have.

Thanks

steam_sig.png
Dortmunder on

Posts

  • ChalkbotChalkbot Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Unreal Tournament, CTF.

    Chalkbot on
  • juice for jesusjuice for jesus Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    You can form alliances in Ikariam once you've researched the tech and built embassies. If you're just starting out, it would take awhile to get to that point.

    juice for jesus on
  • darleysamdarleysam On my way to UKRegistered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Defcon! Provided each team takes a region and works together on strategy.

    darleysam on
    forumsig.png
  • subediisubedii Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    If you're talking about something over the course of days, empire building games come to mind. Things like Sins of a Solar Empire or Civilisation.

    I'd say SWAT 4 is a very good team game where teamwork, communication and co-operation is a necessity (one person going rogue can easily get the whole team killed), but that only supports 2 teams of 5.

    Similar with Team Fortress 2, with far more regimented roles for team members and a great emphasis on teamwork and communication, but again, only 2 teams (although they are larger teams).

    And Defcon also sounds like it might fit the bill like Darleysam suggested, seeing as its cheap.

    subedii on
  • DortmunderDortmunder Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Yeah I did have something like empire-building in mind. Something that the team members could discuss over the course of (several) working days and provide input on.

    One point I forgot to add is that it has to be reasonably accessible for non-gamers, but as long as there is one gamer in the team who can handle the game manipulations it should be ok.

    Stuff like TF2 and Unreal Tournament are good for our corporate LAN parties where it's just kind of free-for-all, but for this case we're looking for something a bit different. Slower paced, more thinking & planning & decision making involved.

    I'll give Defcon a look - not familiar with it.

    Thanks for the input and keep it coming! :)

    Dortmunder on
    steam_sig.png
  • CentipeedCentipeed Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Your requirements are fairly unique as far as gaming goes, so I'm not sure you'll find it all that easy to discover a game that satisfies them all. There isn't much of a market in multiplayer long-term slow gameplay.

    Centipeed on
  • jothkijothki Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Perhaps some sort of turn-based civilisation-building game? Those might be too slow, though.

    I know there are some sites somewhere that offer online Diplomacy. There's probably a map that would fit your needs.

    jothki on
  • Captain KCaptain K Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    A game of Civ 4 with an enormous map and slow turns could last several days if you broke it into many sessions, especially if you have the turn speed set to unlimited time and nobody plays it incredibly aggressively.

    It's not free, but it's the first thing that came to mind.

    You could do the same with an older (cheaper) version of the game, too. Civ 2 is the next-best Civ game, IMO (although opinions will surely vary on this point) and it looks like it's only $20 on direct2drive.


    Other cheap strategy stuff that might work.. I'm just browsing on Steam... Defcon's $15, and Railroad Tycoon 3 is $10. WH40K: Dawn of War Gold is only $20.


    It's hard to imagine your group investing the time necessary to get the full mileage out of a browser-based game like Ikariam or Travian, so I'd avoid those.

    Captain K on
  • subediisubedii Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Actually, do the Total War games allow you to take the diplomacy stuff online? Because those would probably be ideal (it's been ages since I've played one of them).

    subedii on
  • DortmunderDortmunder Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Ok thanks for the input on Ikariam - didn't realize it was a really long-term game.

    Centipeed: Tell me about it :P But I think jothki has a good idea with Diplomacy. I can maybe put a team of people in charge of each country, and let them decide amongst themselves what moves to submit for their armies...let the different teams negotiate with each other...yes, this deserves a closer look.


    edit: Ikariam, not Icarium...reading too much Malazan lately :P

    Dortmunder on
    steam_sig.png
  • CmdPromptCmdPrompt Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    subedii wrote: »
    Actually, do the Total War games allow you to take the diplomacy stuff online? Because those would probably be ideal (it's been ages since I've played one of them).

    I'm relatively certain you can play the full thing over LAN. Something like TW would indeed take days to complete a full map, but it would require people being at their computer the entire time due to the sheer complexity.

    Diplomacy is probably the best idea since it lends itself to both player interaction and not having to have the client open all the time.

    CmdPrompt on
    GxewS.png
  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    DEFCON

    Perfect for what ou are looking for. Get one copy for the office, afaik its drm free play it over lan.

    The game was designed from the ground up to be played at work. Im not joking.

    The_Scarab on
  • subediisubedii Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    The_Scarab wrote: »
    DEFCON

    Perfect for what ou are looking for. Get one copy for the office, afaik its drm free play it over lan.

    The game was designed from the ground up to be played at work. Im not joking.

    Does it have a 'boss' key?

    subedii on
  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    subedii wrote: »
    The_Scarab wrote: »
    DEFCON

    Perfect for what ou are looking for. Get one copy for the office, afaik its drm free play it over lan.

    The game was designed from the ground up to be played at work. Im not joking.

    Does it have a 'boss' key?

    Press ESC twice rapidly and the entire game minimises to the system tray.

    And will remain like that with a non descript icon until you open it again. If any nukes are launched when in 'panic mode' the icon will flash to notify you.

    As I said, designed from day one to be played at work without your boss' knowledge.

    The_Scarab on
  • DortmunderDortmunder Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    The_Scarab wrote: »
    As I said, designed from day one to be played at work without your boss' knowledge.


    Interesting - though not a concern for us since our Boss will also be playing :P

    Dortmunder on
    steam_sig.png
  • The_ScarabThe_Scarab Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Defcon supports 8 player multiplayer, over lan or internet, where each person takes a continent.

    You can start the game with everyone on the same team, or two teams or however many you want, even free for all.

    The game modes also reward teamwork, where you all start at maximum score and lose for each million citizens killed.

    Essentially, I think it would be great for team building because

    A: Its fucking great game.
    B: Setting it a long game means that not onl do you have the game mechanics you have the meta game of diplomacy, negotiation and backstabbing deals to contest with. Some games of DEFCON are decided physically in the final 10 minutes, but can have an hour or two of chat, negotiation and scheming before that.
    C: It is dirt fucking cheap. Like $9 on steam I think and ou can get it direct digital download from Introversion themselves. It also has extremely low system requirements, can run on anthing and is simple to understand and play.

    The_Scarab on
  • subediisubedii Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    I would take it one step further. Have a stash of chocolate bars (or whatever your guys are into) riding on which alliance wins. Prize split between the winning alliance members.

    A real world competition prize, even a minor one, can often prompt some really heated backstabbing and finagling in order to wind up on top.

    Or course, that might actually end up being a team destroying exercise more than a team building one. :lol:

    subedii on
  • Kris_xKKris_xK Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    I'd say Company of Heroes because you can have multiple players on the same team, and it has lots to do.

    Its not free tho, and if one game last more than a day, well, you're doing it wrong.

    Kris_xK on
    calvinhobbessleddingsig2.gif
  • BremenBremen Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Defcon might be pretty accessible to non-gamers, too. I mean, you'd have to explain the mechanics and how to play to them, but everyone will understand the concept.

    Bremen on
  • bamjobamjo Registered User regular
    edited May 2008
    Considering this is a teambuilding excercise geared toward non-gamers, maybe it would be better to find a game not centered around conflict. Defcon is great, but I don't know how a group of people could discuss and contribute to a strategy once the nukes start flying.

    I have a funny image in my head of coworkers in business attire frantically shouting the best ways to nuke their fellows.

    Maybe a more cooperative game is order. Sim City 4 comes to mind, because its focus is more about building and its pace is slower. I suggest 4 because of its region gameplay. Each group could take a region an build toward some goal set by you. It could be highest population, or most revenue, anything you want really.

    bamjo on
Sign In or Register to comment.