Budget Gamer Gift Debate

[Zen Monkey]

So, alot of gamers are finding themselves shorter on disposable income, and looking for budget-friendly titles. As a result, a few friends are getting each other some discount games to make a challenge of finding hidden gems that can pass some of the hot summer hours.

As luck would have it, I spotted two good candidates today that get praise on these boards: Galactic Civ 2 Dread Lords, and Civilization 3. But which one to pick? Here's what I know about my intended gift recipient in this exchange:

-He hasn't been exposed to either franchise, but enjoys strategy gaming.
-He admittedly isn't very good at strategy games, so a particularly punishing or difficult AI isn't wanted. Example: liked early missions of Starcraft or HoMM, but would have to cheat on late ones to keep up with the computer. An easy mode would be good here.
-He's running a fairly powerful but Vista-based PC, so compatability matters. (is comfortable changing game settings, but not so computer literate as to mess with hardware configurations)
-No home internet connection, so no online activations, patches, etc
-Very opposed to various invasive DRM software, likes the old disk-in-drive approach
-Big fan of turn-based strategy, FF Tactics, X-Com, etc which made me think that these titles would work for someone who prefers taking time or pausing for real life distractions rather than a speedy real-time approach.


Without trying to start any arguments, which might be the better choice?

Or, if you're thinking of doing something similar for yourself or a friend, feel free to throw out some other budget gaming gems that can still be acquired easily and maybe don't require alot of tinkering in order to play normally.

Thank You!

[The Dark Fiddler]

You aren't getting ME the game, are you? I swear you described me.

If he has a DS, I'd suggest the two DS versions of Age of Empires: Age of Empires: The Age of Kings (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Empires:_The_Age_of_Kings) and Age of Empires: Mythologies. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Empires:_Mythologies). They're both fairly good, although I personally prefer Age of Empires: The Age of Kings.

I'd also suggest the GBA and DS Final Fantasy Tactics if he hasn't played them yet.

[Zen Monkey]

My mistake, forgot to specify PC gaming.

[Kane]

My first bit of advice would be to install XP on his computer, but I'm a little biased. ANYWAY; SEIV has been getting some attention here lately, and is a pretty nice turn-based 4x game.

I'm not sure on the price at the moment, but Sins of a Solar Empire sounds like the kind of thing you're talking about, provided it's in your price range.

[The Dark Fiddler]

My mistake, forgot to specify PC gaming.

I should have known, you did say he ran a Vista.

Can't help much then, but remember my suggestions if he's ever looking for a DS game.

[SilentDragoon]

I've no experience with the Civilizations series, but have played some of Galactic Civs 2. In my experience the game is pretty open ended strategy wise, with numerous ways to win (or not as the case may be). I've had a pretty bad time with bugs crashing the program, and I eventually got kinda sick of trying to figure it out and just stopped playing. The gameplay itself was okay, but the game's research & defense system is a little borked, as basically space combat boils down to whoever has the strike first racial and the most massed cheap one shot fighters. It's a little off putting to have fully researched the tech tree, and built one of the largest, most heavily defended ships possible, only to have it get pasted by the enemies' 7 practically starting tech one-shot flying crates. Said another way, the game doesn't really balance space combat properly. If its available, I'd instead recommend an older turn based strategy game, Master of Orion 2. There is no chance any number of frigates with starting lasers will ever take out a titan-class ship with a decent phasor or better beam weapon bank.


Edit: Remembered the other reason I stopped playing Galactic Civs 2. Even with random events off you can have large pirate groups randomly take over most of your good planets and secede to form their own superpower mini-race, or have one of your diplomats spontaneously go psycho and kill an ally's diplomat, throwing you into a completely unexpected war.

[Mando Knight]

It's a little off putting to have fully researched the tech tree, and built one of the largest, most heavily defended ships possible, only to have it get pasted by the enemies' 7 practically starting tech one-shot flying crates.

You didn't try countering lasers with armor, did you? Or only putting one piece of defense on the ship? Only use the defense that counters the enemy's weapon(s), target their weak defenses or pack multiple weapon types, and maximize the amount of defense you're carrying. The rest of your space depends entirely on what you need it to do: supply and speed systems for assault fleets, or a boatload of weapons for defense.

[SilentDragoon]

I designed as I did for MOO2, with the best of all defenses and a decent array of all weapon types. I then went second due to that racial and the stacked fleet of frigates with one missile each blew it away. I know how to play it properly, countering missiles with increasing types of ECM and whatnot, I was just trying to demonstrate that combat is more a function of numbers and logistics (planning out your ships in counter to your enemy's) than any kind of tactics or technological superiority.

[Rayzin]

Can he play RPG games at all? If so Vampire; the masquerade bloodlines is really cheap to purchase on steam. Its sort of old but its one of the best games i've played and it can be incredibly easy or incredibly hard depending on how you play. Also you'll probably want to run through it 2-3 times, i've replayed it 6 times.

[hajo]

looking for budget-friendly titles.
-No home internet connection,
-Very opposed to various invasive DRM software,
-Big fan of turn-based strategy,

Some open-source, turn-based games:
* Battle for Wesnoth (http://wesnoth.org/)
* UFO: Alien Invasion (http://ufoai.sourceforge.net/)
* Civ-Evo (http://www.c-evo.org/)

[Lord Seth]

NetHack.

It's 100% free, very deep, and long.

EDIT: Aw wait, never mind, it's a gift so I guess it can't be free. I still recommend it though!

[Flickerdart]

GalCiv 2 has no DRM. At all. You don't even need the CD to play it. It's also less aged than Civ III, and more in-depth, especially with the Dark Avatar and the Twilight of Arnor expansions.

[psilontech]

Hmm...

Master of Orion II
X-COM... Though I guess you already said it. I suppose you could get him Terror From The Deep?
GalCiv II I would recommend over Civ III. As a matter of fact, I would also place Civ II Well above III. Didn't much care for it.
Age of Wonders.
Master of Magic.
Hearts of Iron is fun, too.

[factotum]

I was just trying to demonstrate that combat is more a function of numbers and logistics (planning out your ships in counter to your enemy's) than any kind of tactics or technological superiority.

I must be imagining all those times where I completely crushed lower tech level opponents simply by having more powerful ships than they did, then. In fact, I just finished a game the other day where I was so far ahead of the AI that a single one of my Medium ships was capable of destroying dozens of his without having to stop for repairs!

[Triaxx]

Fallout Tactics is a good example of RTS, TBS and RPG all rolled into one very fun package. It does get hard later on, but not so fast that he won't be totally hooked by the time it does.

[SilentDragoon]

I guess I need to give it another shot, and try to customize my ships to my opponents rather than try to make them strong with all weapon and defense types.

[Dallas-Dakota]

I'd really recommend Age of Wonders (II) then. But I have no idea how available it is these days.

It's a strategy turn-based game.

It's pretty good.

[Hunter Noventa]

I would suggest Civ 3, it loses a few things if you can't patch, but it's a fun game. If you can splurge though, grab Civ 4, it's better in many ways and a lot of fun, but again it does lose something without being able to patch it.

I also second Sins of a Solar Empire, it's not exactly turn based, but it's fairly slow-paced. Sword of the Stars is also entertaining.