Your TOP 10 strategy games ever

[Heroic Liberator]

i deleted the original version of my list since i realized i had actually forgotten about a specific game i poured countless hours into, namely due to its incredible mission design and still unmatched physics engine. i also reorganized it slightly

Could've just edited the post, y'know.

 

[rashiakas]

Noone likes Battle Isle? Sad.

 

[Catacombs]

Time flies when you're having fun.

FUN IS A FILTHY PARASITE.

Are you OK?

 

[Life of the Party]

Another one I just remembered. Probably my first strategy.

 

[jebsmoker]

huh, never got into kknd but i really like its peak Command and Conquer-alike aesthetics

 

[Life of the Party]

I googled some of the stuff people listed.

Is Warlords Battlecry any good?

 

[Silva]

I know it's late to say this but... RTS are not really strategy, it's tactics.

 

[Lagi]

I googled some of the stuff people listed.

Is Warlords Battlecry any good?

i play nr 3. And I have lots of fun.
The hero progression system is great, loots of skills to choose. the campaign map is awesome, node points to travel between.
Gameplay is a basic RTS. Build a base, kill everything - repeat. But its like playing a skirmish over again, and you level your hero between maps, collect items. Also you can take some unit between maps as well, common units level as well. Its nice that you capture resource points in radius of your hero (or some other commander units).
There is 12 races or even more. I hate that dark dwarfs are in fact golems. Undead and dwarf are classic, that I play.

there is Protectors mod, quite good - but I have no idea now what it was all about, or what it change. I remember some CTD :D, probably there would be newer version now.

edit:

last version from 1 march 2020 !! I dl right now.

some screenies for ya:

hero skills check race and class - there is multum, check the nice skills/ check the tabs - hero managment is the best thing in warlords battlecry 3

troop you take before battle

 

[Galdred]

Noone likes Battle Isle? Sad.

Indeed, this series is quite great, especially in MP. But the finesse of guessing enemy positions was a bit lost in SP IMO, and I didn't enjoy the campaign of the 3 that much.
I really wish this one had been remade instead of Panzer General 2.

 

[Silva]

Only 10? How 'bout 25? One game per series & no particular order.

• Six Ages

I liked Six Ages but found it far from the engrossing experience the original KoDP provides. It felt... shorter and smaller somewhat.

Did it get better after updates?

 

[Binky]

It is a shorter game, which is my main problem with it, but I'd argue it has more content. I vastly prefer the combat here and found the game more challenging than KoDP - played several games on harsh without saving and tried to piss everyone off. Lots of fun.

Haven't played it in months, so I couldn't say what, if any, updates it got. I obviously liked it enough to include it on my list. Your mileage may vary.

 

[Martyr]

Six Ages is shorter than KoDP, but let's not forget that there's only 1 out of 3 chapters available atm.


oh, and if hybrids like KoDP/SA count, we should also honor the excellent Lords of Midnight + sequel.

 

[ScrotumBroth]

1. StarCraft: Brood War

In no particular order:

Ceasar 3
Heroes 2/3
Age of Empires 1/2
Red Alert 2
KKnD (for multiplayer)
Warcraft 2
Warcraft 3 (for custom maps)
Dota/Dota 2 (dunno if it qualifies)
Endless Legend
Civilisation 1/2
Alpha Centauri
Defense Grid 1/2
Settlers 2
Shogun Total War

 

[Silva]

It is a shorter game, which is my main problem with it, but I'd argue it has more content. I vastly prefer the combat here and found the game more challenging than KoDP - played several games on harsh without saving and tried to piss everyone off. Lots of fun.

Haven't played it in months, so I couldn't say what, if any, updates it got. I obviously liked it enough to include it on my list. Your mileage may vary.

Six Ages is shorter than KoDP, but let's not forget that there's only 1 out of 3 chapters available atm.

(replicating from the proper Six Ages thread)

Wow, just got SIx Ages on Steam and I'm impressed. I mean, I already had it on Ipad but the PC implementation is smooth like butter. Just clicking around screens feel good af.

Now I'm tempted to get the recent PC port of KoDP version too. Is it as good as this one? Or should I stick to the Ipad version for that?

 

[Binky]

I only play games on PC, so I'll leave someone else to answer 'bout the phones. I'd recommend getting it on GOG. That way you also get the original 1999 windows release (which I consider superior to the lobotomized newer version) included.

PS.

I kept raiding one clan over and over again, never accepting peace and tribute. Their clan eventually disbanded and I composed a poem about it.

https://kingofdragonpass.fandom.com/wiki/Enemy_Abandonment
"This event appears if an opposing clan loses enough cattle, and is unable to sustain itself." Cows, huh? I just kept killing the bastards. Guess they traded all them cows to hire mercenaries.

 

[mondblut]

I know it's late to say this but... RTS are not really strategy, it's tactics.

RTS are not really tactics, it's action games where you control a clusterfuck.

 

[mondblut]

I googled some of the stuff people listed.

Is Warlords Battlecry any good?

Play proper Warlords instead.

 

[Norfleet]

where you control a clusterfuck.

This part is actually amazingly similar to what it's like being in command of anything in an actual battle. Except in reverse: In real life, your men are first and foremost interested in not dying, and you have to goad them into risking their necks to win. In an RTS, your units are hellbent on killing themselves, and you have to manipulate them into not dying.

 

[Silly Germans]

where you control a clusterfuck.

This part is actually amazingly similar to what it's like being in command of anything in an actual battle. Except in reverse: In real life, your men are first and foremost interested in not dying, and you have to goad them into risking their necks to win. In an RTS, your units are hellbent on killing themselves, and you have to manipulate them into not dying.

You just made me recall my buried memories of Lemmings ...
So much death and misery, it was terrifying.

 

[Norfleet]

Yeah, think about it: A big fiery glowing ball of death descends towards your mans.

Real Life Men: "INCOMING!" *everyone dives for cover without being told to*

RTS Men: Stand there like posts until you order them to save their own asses.

It's a clusterfuck, except for totally the opposite reason.

 

[Silva]

I only play games on PC, so I'll leave someone else to answer 'bout the phones. I'd recommend getting it on GOG. That way you also get the original 1999 windows release (which I consider superior to the lobotomized newer version) included.

PS.

I kept raiding one clan over and over again, never accepting peace and tribute. Their clan eventually disbanded and I composed a poem about it.

https://kingofdragonpass.fandom.com/wiki/Enemy_Abandonment
"This event appears if an opposing clan loses enough cattle, and is unable to sustain itself." Cows, huh? I just kept killing the bastards. Guess they traded all them cows to hire mercenaries.

Is this criticism of Six Ages valid, in your opinion?

https://www.reddit.com/r/SixAges/comments/eyur3x/gameplay_structure_of_ride_like_the_wind_warning/

I was sitting in the doctor's office playing this game again for the first time in months, and a few things started to coalesce about the game and how to win it. I'm not sure this is criticism exactly, but just a series of observations. For anyone reading this, this is your last chance to back out before seeing major spoilers.

Spoiler

To win the game, you need to have Beren the Tall marry Redalda. That in turn involves passing a series of event tests, and of course surviving, both the clan and Beren himself, long enough to get to them. The biggest hurdle a player is likely to stumble over is this event.

https://sixages.fandom.com/wiki/Redalda_Proposal

Where a series of events must all be passed to convince her clan to allow her to marry a Rider and you in particular. Success or failure in all of those events except the bride price are primarily affected by how skilled your clan ring is, especially in Diplomacy, Magic, and Combat. While other factors also weigh in, such as how much magic you have to throw around in appropriate categories and keeping some in reserve, and the respect of other clans, especially Redalda's clan, I've found that it's much easier to make it work with amazing clan ring members and a weak external position than the reverse, and my single biggest reason I lost a bunch of games early on when it was newly released on the iphone was I kept stupidly sending Beren to lead the raid on the inhuman king instead of my best fighter like certain people on my ring kept suggesting.

Obviously, this won't impact gameplay for someone's first few rides out when they're still trying to grapple with the system. But especially if you're achievement hunting or just in love with the game and playing it over and over again, it provides a semi-perverse incentive. What really matters if you want to win? Build up your clan nobles, especially the ones who are young at the start of the game, and get them in the clan ring. Food, herds, fortifications, treasures? As long as you're not starving, doesn't matter much. Raiding your foes, exploration, sending trade caravans out, all the stuff you spend most of the middle game doing once you've got your basic position secure? All of it is secondary to building up as many people with Heroic in a stat as you can, at least if you want to win the game.

And THAT, at least in my opinion is a damn shame, because a lot of the mechanics for things like herd building, or exploration or the diplomacy setups, are a lot of fun and interesting in their own right. But they don't actually impact winning or losing all that much. The game seems almost disjointed.

 

[Binky]

Is this criticism of Six Ages valid, in your opinion?

No.

Spoiler

To win the game, you need to have Beren the Tall marry Redalda. That in turn involves passing a series of event tests, and of course surviving, both the clan and Beren himself, long enough to get to them. The biggest hurdle a player is likely to stumble over is this event.

Horseshit. The endgame is trivial. What difficulty is he playing on? Easy? I wasn't even aware what happened the first time I won it. I thought it was just another interesting chain event... and then BAM! victory.

What really matters if you want to win? Build up your clan nobles, especially the ones who are young at the start of the game, and get them in the clan ring. Food, herds, fortifications, treasures? As long as you're not starving, doesn't matter much. Raiding your foes, exploration, sending trade caravans out, all the stuff you spend most of the middle game doing once you've got your basic position secure? All of it is secondary to building up as many people with Heroic in a stat as you can, at least if you want to win the game.

Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the talking walnut! Building as many people up to heroic as possible if you want to win the game? The fuck is this guy smoking? You don't need heroes, you don't even need to complete a single ritual to win (unlike the mandatory heroquests in KoDP). Then again, if Sun Tzu over there wants to play it that way, more power to him.

The challenge on harsh is the early game. You have to get your food production, economy, and defenses ready before everyone and their grandmother starts raiding you.

 

[Silva]

Binky , are you sure you got his point right?

His point is that all the geopolitical building up is (mostly) irrelevant to finish the game. As long as you don't starve/get dizimated/etc what matters in the end is your leaders' abilities. Differently from KoDP where your geopolitic strenght is necessary to form a tribe, become king of it, and then comes the final quest where, yes, here your leaders abilities become the most important thing.

I'm not exactly agreeing with him because, frankly, I don't remember the ending of Six Ages (I played it right at the release). But what he says of KoDP makes sense to me.

 

[Binky]

Silva

I've seen heroes fuck up tasks (and die) all the time, including the final quest. To say it's all that matters is silly, especially if you're playing iron man & harsh. I played games where I didn't do a single ritual (which I assume was his primary way of beefing up abilities) and had people with pretty poor skills. Still managed to win - diplomacy was bolstered with generous bribes, magic, and military strength. And KoDP? The Orlanthi virtue that shows you are worthy of leadership is generosity. Gift giving was the surest way to succeed - giving cows, goods, magic, treasures, etc. It's the same here.

Spoiler

I kept stupidly sending Beren to lead the raid on the inhuman king instead of my best fighter like certain people on my ring kept suggesting.

He could have raided the Ram-hating Rider clan instead and still win with magic, numbers, and tactics - even with a moron leading.

It was argued by others that the endgame is too easy and/or too unsatisfying to win - I do agree with this.

 

[TemplarGR]

It is hard to make a Top 10 because Top 10 can mean a lot of different things. Top influential? Top best according to their time? Top to play today? I will post my Top 10 to play today

1. Stellaris
2. Civilization VI
3. Warhammer 40K Gladius - Relics of War
4. Xcom 2
5. Total War Warhammer II
6. Company of Heroes 2
7. Tropico 6
8. Two Point Hospital
9. Age of Wonders Planetfall
10. War for the Overworld

Well, those are the games i have installed and play today. I also have Total War Three Kingdoms and Warhammer 40k Mechanicus, they are decent but below the rest.