Strategy with a GOOD story...!

[Barghest]

Chaps,

I'm starting to get back into PC strategy games, but I'm looking for a game with a bloody good story to it in the single-player side. Of course RPG elements would be nice too.

The last decent one I played was Age of Wonders:Shadow Magic. Could anyone recommend any good ones?

I'm up for turn-based, as well as RTS (As long as it can be paused - I hate click-fests)

Warcraft is already out, due to my criteria, but Warlords:Battlecry 3 should be in as it can be paused...?

Nice to have a go at another strategy game while waiting for the next CRPG...

 

[Greenskin13]

Turn me on, deadman.

Warcraft 3 had RPG elements, somewhat. Your hero units would gain levels and had an inventory.

As far as story goes, I have always liked the cinematics in C&C: Red Alert 2. While not deep, they were certainly funny. I still remember when the general was ousted out of the White House and was moved to a "secret location." In the middle of his briefing, the Canadian flag falls in the background.

 

[Barghest]

I liked the demo for Warcraft 3, but found it to be too much of a clickfest for me after a while. If they had included a 'Baldurs Gate' style pause, I might have bought it...

EDIT: I can't spell...

 

[Spazmo]

The Homeworld games are cool, even if the sequel's story is iffy.

 

[Lasakon]

I'm an Command and Conquer whore when it comes to Strategy games. So I have nothing to contribute to this thread, Except that you should get JA 2 because it has all the elements your looking for.

 

[rob]

Disciples 2 is nice,
I liked it more then AoW2,
nice dark story, very atmospheric for a strategy game.
The computer opponents are quite stupid (easy to beat), but in the scenario there are enough scripted events to keep it challenging and interesting.
Then, I don't know... Dark omen2?
Really old, but I loved the strategic battles , not much of a story but the charachters were nicely ehr... characterized.
wonder if it is still possible to get it somewhere, would like to play it again.

 

[POOPERSCOOPER]

Doom3 cause you have to think and destroy the monsters, plus the story is good.

 

[dipdipdip]

I second that IMO.

 

[Anonymous]

I liked the RPG elements in the past Warlords:Battlecry games, but wasnt too fond of the boring standard RTS features.

 

[DrattedTin]

Age of Wonders (the original) had a simply *incredible* story to it. It was told in between missions in novel-quality text vignettes. And there was a good deal of choices to progress through the game that effected the ending and a lot of other things. It really trumps the sequel (which disappointed me in that aspect).

 

[Walks with the Snails]

Yeah, you can pause the game in Warlords Battlecry 3. There's also Warlords 4 that's turn-based, but it just didn't have the magic of Warlords 3: Darklords Rising to me.

Something else you might try are Kohan and Kohan: Ahriman's Gift. The gameplay is really pretty fun and quite a departure from the standard RTS, and all of the campaigns have a pretty nice story. It's pausable, too. Really I think those sound like what you're probably looking for. There's demos out there, too.

Kohan 2 will also be out in a couple of months, in case you find yourself hooked.

 

[Sol Invictus]

I'd go with Red Alert 2. It definitely had a special element to it that made it as enjoyably campy as it was. The Warcraft series is pretty good, too. The story's engaging if you can get past some of the harder missions.

 

[Barghest]

The current one on the top of my list is Warlords:Battlecry 3...

I'll keep my eyes peeled for Disciples, and Kohan, because their demos look fairly good.

Warcraft, Red Alert & C&C don't have active pause, so they are out of the question. Neither does Doom 3 (SIGH)

I've played Jagged Alliance/Age of Wonders (And Silent Storm)

Not so sure about Homeworld (Time to try the demo again)

Thanks for the replies. Any other suggestions would be nice.

 

[Ausir]

Heroes of Might & Magic 3.

 

[crufty]

If you are willing to dig up some golden oldies...
Battletech - Crescent Hawk's Revenge
Just about any QQP title
Warhammer Dark Omen
Icewind Dale I & II - Strategy? Sort of. More strategy than role playing (I thought anyway).

Homeworld I was pretty good.

 

[Reklar]

I'll chime in with Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 having a fun story to accompany it (and Kari Wuhrer as Tanya to boot!) and the original Age of Wonders is a good TB fantasy game. I also think that Freedom Force has a fun story in terms of comicbook feel and the gameplay is excellent.

-Reklar
(a Fallout/RPG fan)

 

[Human Shield]

Go to Home of the Underdogs and download Spellcross. It is where all the modern countries had to join up after a strange apocalypse where mages and magic showed up. So you have to fight Orcs with M16's and Jeeps. And it is all Turn-based.

 

[Atrokkus]

S T A R C R A F T

THE BEST story among all strategies, hands down. I've played a lot of strategies, but nothing except StarCraft really touched me. Fuck, I actually cried several time during cinematics

 

[xemous]

S T A R C R A F T

THE BEST story among all strategies, hands down. I've played a lot of strategies, but nothing except StarCraft really touched me. Fuck, I actually cried several time during cinematics

This man is correct.

RPG qualities in RTS games makes for some very gay games.

 

[Sol Invictus]

Tassadar's Sacrifice is probably one of the most memorable moments in the history of games.

 

[Atrokkus]

Tassadar's Sacrifice is probably one of the most memorable moments in the history of games

You're damn right.... Fucking squeezed my heart.

And Kerrigan's story? Just awesome...
Raynor - damn, he's good.

And remember other cinematics? Battle on Amerigo.... Intro to BroodWar..... damn, they are masterpieces.

The story is just superb. Everyone gotta try it, even if they are not into strategies much.

 

[Avé]

Old topic I know, but I quite liked Haegemonia's story.

Not mind blowing, but completemented the game nicely.

 

[gromit]

I'll second HoMM III. Even some of the single-mission scenarios have a good deal of scripting / quests / etc, and I happily found after picking it out of the bargain bin that it did, in fact, have the magic touch that HoMM IV lacked. It helped that it was so close in interface to the second, as well; none of that nasty wasted space, and playing it is like riding a bike if you're a fan of the series.

My biased ass also recommends steering clear of Disciples. I really liked some of the things they thought of, such as staking the ground to claim territory, and they did a good job keeping the gameplay and story tied tightly together, but the actual combat plays like a SNES rpg. In the end it felt like a poor man's HoMM, and there is no need for such a thing, as HoMM III w/ expansions can be yours for ten bucks.

 

[Flink]

StarCraft! And Warcraft 2 (if you take the time and study the manual)

 

[Fez]

Old topic I know, but I quite liked Haegemonia's story.

Not mind blowing, but completemented the game nicely.

Haegemonia's story was good, but he game was seriously flawed in the gameplay department. I remember there was problems with bugs and the patches too, though that could be solved by now. It did look very pretty though.

Starcraft was awesome, I suppose that is supported by the fact it still sells and is played by a decent number of people.

It's interesting to see what games last in the memory in the long term, sometimes you can tell from the first go that a game is going to be a classic, other times it grows on you or you are pushed away.