What is the single best SP TB Strategy?

[Monocause]

I consider MoO3 vastly underrated. With the latest unofficial patch installed (that fixes a lot of bugs and restores content) the game can keep you glued to the screen for countless nights.

The only problems I see with this game are the battle management (which forces you to make tedious clicks to approve auto-combat) and the ship design system. Otherwise, it's a great macromanagement game, where instead of concentrating on single planets you plan the policies for your whole empire and make big moves.

I guess that the criticism the game gets comes from two facts; that it's completely different from MoO2 and that it was released in a disastrous, unplayable shape. Right now it's a really solid, interesting and innovative game that you shouldn't pass by just because of other people's prejudice/dislike.

 

[Raapys]

Yah, MoO3 is great when modded up. Pretty much the only real macromanagement 4x game out there. Though ironically it probably has more 'micromanaging the macromanagement' than the prequel has micromanaging. Still, while MoO2 is great for a few hours at a time, MoO3 can keep you busy for days and weeks once you get into it.

For my own favorite I think I'd pick HoMM3 though, especially with the wake of gods mod. Pretty much perfect gameplay. Only wish it had HoMM2's soundtrack and unit graphics.

 

[Jasede]

HAH! Finally someone who can reconcile both HoMM 2 and 3 fans: 2 has the better art (debatable) and music (you better not debate this one, or else) while 3 has better mechanics and more stuff to do.

Still, nobody can deny, they're both great.

 

[Eldritch]

They tried to go for a gritty realistic fantasy art for HoMM III which didn't turn out too bad but the whole Wizard of Oz atmosphere of HoMM II somehow achieved an unmatched gestalt in atmosphere visual/audial so the furfaggoteer is right. It was cartoony done right, fuck dat blocky WarcraftIII "cartoony" look they went for in HoMM V. HoMM II really was the most impressive game of my childhood with the awesome music/sprite-graphics. HoMM I art was just too crappy and I played HoMM II first anyway.

HoMM V brought armies with much more cohesiveness and cooperation, shitloads of special abilities along with an interesting hero skill tree system but its artistic design p. much sucked balls imho. It just felt too generic most of the time and high fantasy is a lot worse than a collection of mythological creatures cramped into a town. Anyone who knew shit about M&M lore wouldn't claim that in the first place like TWD but whatevah. Tribes of the East stand alone expansion is a hell of a good game I would recommend to everyone though. Awesome gameplay. HIII:WoG and TotE offers the best Heroes gameplay in the series. Even HoMM IV with the Equillibris mod on the Winds of War expansion can be interesting at times., especially on Multiplayer...

 

[Lingwe]

I'd also have to put my support behind the Age of Wonders series, of which Shadow Magic is the best. Although as kingcomrade says you really have to restrain yourself from just boosting your heros to the max and then just doing every fight with them. Doesn't help that the computer gets extra levels for their hero at faster rates on higher difficulties.

 

[felicity]

Vantage Master
http://www.falcom.co.jp/vantage/index_e.html

Bare-bone TBS game similar to Fantasy General minus the army management part. Good AI.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Tactical, squad-based: XCom and JA2 easily and Steel Panthers naturally.

Operative-level: forget the General-series and go for the proper stuff with TOAW3. Or rather, play Panzer/Fantasy/People's Generals first and then go over to TOAW - otherwise you'll just be pissed at the limits in those games.

 

[Mefi]

Non-elf ladies with big titties stuff (so Napoleonics and WW2)

War in the Pacific is good. Shame about the AI, but a good grand strategy/operational level turn based game. (The older War in Russia (think that's its name) is available for free from Matrix as is the original WitP (whatever it was called) if you don't mind maddening interface and make your eyes bleed graphics).

John Tiller's stuff is probably the best operational level WW2 and Napoleonic games. Still miss all my old Talonsoft Napoleonic games - guess I'm going to have to pay out again for the collected edition from Matrix. Got most of the Panzer Campaign games, and a couple of the modern-day ones.

Obviously, AI is retarded to a great extent in all of the above games. But if you're willing to play PBEM you'll get more out of them.

 

[Wulfstand]

HoMM 3....sooo many great memories...
I loved how the tbs series has a different perspectiv on it's lore,I mean lets be honest,if you'd have played only the homm games without playing the M&M series,would you have known that the univers is actually a sci-fi one?That Crag-Hack and others are from a different planet?
The one thing i regret is the fact that i never got the chance to try the previous games before HoMM 3,a shame really,but I'll try to get hold of it one of these days,honest.
One of the things I liked about the Heroes series was it's soundtrack(a little less on H5 for me).Man,the days I've spent playing the Mage faction(Tower,was it?)Just listening to it's music(It was even used in a adventure game,which I've demo'ed and would love to get hold of it,but forgot it's name,Keepsake was it?I'll research on it and post it if anyone wants),same goes for Stronghold(man,was it epic),and the Necropolis.One other great thing Heroes 3 had was a simply HUGE community (even now I've got off a torrent a folder with 3k+ maps and campaigns).One of the best examples was the fan-made expansion pack:In the Wake of Gods,which,with it's erm-scripts,gave the game a almost rpg-feeling(try the A Life of Adventure campaign,you'll see what I mean)+those great custom mate campaigns (The song of Valorin is the first one that comes to my mind).
Heroes 4 was ok,it suffered from the "BG2-NWN" syndrome,whereas the fans had so high expectations,the game came as a bomb to them(at least it continued the story onward,and had a great soundtrack-listen to the sea theme,great stuff).
Heroes 5?Meh...the first time I've played it,it gave me a warhammer feeling(seeing that zealot/warrior priest fighting that huge demon on a arid battlefield,with loads of corpses around it)The one thing that really pissed me off was that "bright" ideea Ubisoft had to re-write the hole damn storyline,making it a bland fantasy plot with huge Heroes 3 rip-offs(The princess of an empire suddenly becomes the general/leader of it's troops(Catelyn Ironfist anyone?),and later on in the plot she'll be fighting her undead-husband instead of father like in HoMM 3,the leader of the undead army).Then come the next 2 add-ons,with better soundtracks and 2 new races(and I gotta hand it,they did a great job with the dwarfs,except for their 7th tier Godzilla unit,and the Orcs,who felt really massive),but it still feels as if Ubisoft revamped the series just to milk off some more money off the Die Hard fans of the previous games,meh.
Oh and on a side note,I wonder why no body mentioned the Disciples series,another great tbs series.

 

[CarnivalBizarre]

What SP TB game is the best? Can't decide, can't decide for an Aneurysm!

Yeah, but the list would contain SMAC, Battle Isle, AOW, Civ4 with Fall From Heaven, Master of Magic, and yeah, definatly no HOMM whatsoever. Pfft

 

[felicity]

If all you care for are arts and story then HoMM3 is the best. HoMM5 has better gameplay than 3 though. Magic and skills more balanced, most creatures have unique abilities, rich hero development, factions' personality is more pronounced and balanced. Give it a chance.

 

[coldcrow]

What the hell. The juvenile and amateur-ish art of the M&M games and their TBS clones are the MAJOR reason not to play them.

 

[FeelTheRads]

What the hell. The juvenile and amateur-ish art of the M&M games and their TBS clones are the MAJOR reason not to play them.

definatly no HOMM whatsoever.

HoMM5 has better gameplay than 3 though.

 

[coldcrow]

Sure, if you have no arguments post some picture. Fora counterpart of yelling I guess.

 

[Serious_Business]

Except that your 'arguments' had about as much substence as the picture, so you get what you asked for

 

[Wyrmlord]

Sure, if you have no arguments post some picture. Fora counterpart of yelling I guess.

Well, your assessment of HoMM's art is unfortunate.

The only thing wrong with HoMM's artwork is that it has sprite mirroring, and a swordsmen would keep switching the sword between his left and right hand.

Other than that, the battle maps, the campaign maps, the town interface, all are neatly drawn with a variety of colours. They still keep it simple enough to look functional, but the colourful aesthetics are a big draw for me, personally.

But, whatever floats your boat.

 

[coldcrow]

I could reiterate alot of points already made.
What baffles me is the acceptance of clicheé DnD fantasy mixed with said juvenile art direction. It's the former part which fills me with disgust everytime I have to endure new incarnations of repetetive, unimaginative and overall limiting crap.

 

[Wyrmlord]

I don't exactly play strategy games for the setting, if that is what the issue is here, because I don't notice it after the first ten minutes of gameplay.

And yet, cliched fantasy or no cliched fantasy, those games still have some amazing soundtracks (HoMM2 specifically), and hence first-rate on atmosphere. The feeling of trekking your heroes and their armies through those huge maps while that music plays is great. I only regret that I found out about these games very recently.

 

[Mele ~ on Grayza]

Homm games are great. Especially 2 and 3.

 

[L'ennui]

Some love should go out to Armageddon Empires.

AE <3

 

[Sovard]

Yeah, lots of love to AE.

The new game from that fella is probably going to give me those marathon sessions that mark something truly great. I couldn't ask for anything more...

 

[Qkieu]

I laugh so hard when I saw Civ4 doesn't have any strategic element. Are you a Chieftain player? Try Immortal and Deity, and then come discuss some strategy with me.

My vote goes for HoMM3 and Civ series, especially 4

 

[L'ennui]

Sovard: Yes, ruling the depths of Hell should be quite a blast. Cool setting and we know the guy can put forth some kick-ass playability.

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

Not sure if anyone has played this, but an old favourite of mine is always set up on each new computer I get. Sword of Aragon.

http://www.mobygames.com/game/sword-of-aragon

I have always played the Amiga version, but there is also a dos version floating about.

 

[SkeleTony]

In no particular order:

Heroes of M&M 2 or 3(they both have their good and bad points vs. each other)

Civilization 2: test of Time(or the "Complete" edition if you don't care for all the stuff added in ToT)

Jagged Alliance 2 - Best squad-based tactical/strategy/RPG game ever.

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic

Warlords III: Dark Lords Rising(completely different kind of fantasy themed TB strategy. Very addicting with great AI)

Fallout: Tactics(Not as good as JA2 but a very good game in it's own right)