Turn Based Strategy Games for PC

[Fri]

Aah... as title. I kinda like strategy games, but I just can't keep up with rts lately. I just can't click that fast. So anyway, any good turn based strategy for pc?

The definition of good turn based strategy is up to you, nothing specific.

But.. if you insist... anyone know a sci fi turn based strategy? Or even more specific... something in space?

Though, it's not really important actually, Just recommend anything.

[Timberwolf]

Combat mission 1, 2, or 3 - really good, really historical, really in depth. I've not played the latest one - Shock Force I think, but that should be good too.

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri - so much better than Civilisation

[Ashtar]

Most of the games I can recommend are a bit dated now. Here's the list:

Fantasy
Battle for Wesnoth (Free)
Age of Wonders (And AoW2, and others in the series)

Sci-Fi
Misson Force: Cybernator
Space Empires IV
Master of Orion I & II

[Fri]

sid meier's alpha centauri and master of orion. hmm.. isn't that more empire building than flanking and blasting each other's spacefleet? I've never played either of them though.

[Arang]

Galactic Civilizations II is good. Very good. As in, it's enjoyable (for a TBS game), it looks good, it's easy to get into (5-10 minutes), you can build your own ships and the AI is so smart as to be scary (but you can tone it down).

So, it's sci-fi, turn-based, good and takes place in space.

[factotum]

I agree on Galactic Civilisations 2. If all you want is a turn-based strategy game with no empire building, I'm not sure there's anything like that around at the moment; probably the last game that fit into that category was X-COM: Apocalypse, which is more than 10 years old now!

On the other hand, if all you want to do is have a bit of fun playing a turn-based game, you can't do much better than the Worms series...and they have jet packs, so there's sort of an SF element there. :smallbiggrin:

[Tekar]

Jagged Alliance 3 (http://www.strategyfirst.com/en/games/JaggedAlliance3/) will be comming out in a while. JA2 is, IMHO the best turn based squad game I ever played. JA3 will be based on the Silent Storm engine which is quite a nice engine for 3D turn based games. Silent Storm itself was a fun and enjoyable game right up untill the point they descided to include the panzerkleins which are both stupid and unfun to play with/against.

[Telok]

Scorched Earth 3D.

X-Com.

Battle for Wesnoth.

Exile/Avernum. From Spiderweb Software.

[pingcode20]

Exile and Avernum, while excellent, aren't really turn based strategy games, more turn based RPGs.

The Space Empires series? It's a great game for marathon sessions and all, but they haven't really dug down and done a good weeding of the tech options or streamlined it well, making it a bit confusing to get into, especially when the differences between weapon categories aren't exactly clear;

For example, in SEIV, Meson Blasters have shorter range but shoot with a moderate damage the whole way through, while Anti-Proton Beams shoot further, but their damage tapers off near the edges.

To make matters worse, Anti-Proton Beams are the 'long haul' weapons, which means that given two equal players, one of which chose meson blasters and the other who took Anti-Proton Beams, the Anti-Proton Beam player will eventually have weapons that beat Meson Blasters at all ranges because they had more tech levels.

Then there's the multitude of 'racial techs', special qualities which let you have access to special bonus tech trees. The problem is, while some things become apparent quickly (ie. temporal tech lets you build a happiness centre which is better than the non-temporal version), the other scores of technologies also unlocked can differ wildly with their effectiveness and costs. (ie. How is a Lightning Gun compared to a Meson Blaster etc. etc. etc.)

It doesn't help that the tech tree is also labyrinthe without any easy method of seeing what you can get beyond what you will get when you research the next level - for example, you need Tech 5 Engines to get High Energy Weapons, which at first give the crappy short range Fusion Guns but persisting will yield the powerful Wave Motion Guns.

It gets worse in the fifth one, where everything has 100 tech levels and scales as you get more levels. Tip: Eventually, Meson Blasters become more powerful than everything, because they start straight from Level 1 Energy Burst and longer ranged weapons hit a range cap.

[Martok]

I'll second those recommending GalCiv2, especially if you're interested in a game that focuses more on the empire-building aspects. Lots of customization options for each game (and making for near-infinite replayability in the process), a fun ship-design component, and an AI that's almost freakishly good at times.

Pick up the Gold Edition of the game if you can find it. It includes the Dark Avatar expansion, which really adds a lot to the game. The vanilla version is still excellent even by itself, however.

[Fri]

nah.. I didn't have any preferences yet, so either empire building or micro combat strategy is fine.

I guess I've recently seen Galactic Civ 2 and Silent storm somewhere in my city. By your recommendation, I'll hunt galactic civilization then. What about silent storm?

and bwahahhaah. worms.
yes... How could I forget that. It's a SCI FI TURN BASED ACTION STRATEGY! Though... the strategy part is somewhat debatable... And the sci fi part.

I spent so many hours blasting each other with my siblings and my friends years ago...

[endoperez]

Galactic Civilization 1 or 2: mentioned before. Turn-based, single-player only, decent AI. Demo is available: http://www.galciv.com/ . Didn't like it myself, but many others love it.

Alpha Centauri: basically, Civilization II in space, with several improvements. Factions with real differences (i.e. merchants against warriors against hippies), big cities create monsters via pollution (mind worms come to kill you), etc etc. Haven't found it, heard many good things about it.

Master of Orion: 1 or 2 are good, 3 is not. Very nice games. In the beginning you try to spread your race into as many quality planets as possible, then start protecting your territory or conquering enemy planets, all the time having to balance research (research is EVERYTHING) with actually producing those new guns. Also, old ships really do get old and useless in relatively short time, which keeps you from getting bored or stalling. Very good game.

Dominions 3 is a fantasy TBS. It has quality AND quantity, but poor graphics and not-so-comfortable interface. Hundreds of spells and magical items, over a dozen nations in each of the three Ages, 8 paths of magic and 7 schools to research (e.g. Death spells in Conjuration call ghosts, wights, banes and other intelligent undead, Death/Enchantment creates hordes of mindless undead, Nature/Enchantment gives personal and area-based buff spells, and spells to affect your whole empire). Also, you are always a being that wants to be a god, which quite often means that you are physically the most powerful being in your nation as well as the strongest mage.
I'm a big fan of the series, and been that way for years, so I'm very biased. Any way, try the demo, play the tutorial. As an example, in the demo you can play a monkey nation with a caste system. Features (http://www.shrapnelgames.com/Illwinter/Dom3/2.htm)are listed there, demo is available from Downloads, and the screenshots give a hint about the variety of nations.
Kailasa is ruled by demigod Yakshas and Yakshinis (mages), and they also have sacred melee and ranged troops on the same lines (Yavanas and Yavana Archers). Their army roster consist of: Markata, small, nearly useless monkeys; stealthy Atavi and the better-equipped, city-living Vanara, who are human-sized monkeys with long tails; and finally the warrior-caste of Bandar, or gorillas. All come in at least two varieties (melee/missile). There are also White atavi/vanara type monkeys, who serve as lesser mages and priests. The white monkeys can reincarnate into new bodies when they die. As a pretender you might take a Lady of Luck, and high Water/low Astral magic to give your sacred troops the blessings of increased defense and more actions, and increased magic resistance. Lady of Luck also creates lucky events, so you could choose that your lands are strong in Luck (more events, better events). Unless you want to pay for these by having your lands affected by Sloth (less resources to recruit troops, less gold) or Turmoil (you get much less gold, but events are more common - risky, but could work for lucky nation) or other negative effects, your pretender will be Dormant for the first 12 or so turns.

X-Com/UFO Defense, Jagged Alliance, Laser Squad Nemesis:
These are squad-based games. X-Com and JA are single-player games with very intensive campaigns, LSN is newer and seems to be more about multiplayer. In X-Com and JA your relatively small force goes to various missions to fight against an enemy, collecting money and resources to recruit new soldiers and buying or researching better equipment. JA is modern era, but in X-Com you fight against aliens, who are a bit freaky. They come in UFOs of various sizes from small two-men scouts to HUGE, ENORMOUS battleships filled with aliens of various kinds, fitted with operation tables and alien food and things that you research and sell if you clean it up. The original came in 1994 or so. X-Com 2 Terror from the Deep and X-com Apocalypse are good. Terror from the Deep can be purchased via Steam, and a newer game called Ufo: Extraterrestrials offers similar experience with newer graphics and has been modded to be quite similar to its spiritual forefathers. The new X-com games aren't as good.


If you haven't tried roguelikes, they are small games with bad/no graphics (you're a '@'). Fantasy roguelikes are like playing Diablo on hardcore (if you die, savegames disappear). DoomRL is the only one I know that uses sounds, but then it's based on Doom so using sounds and music from that fits it.

Battle for Wesnoth is also free, but it has graphics. It's an open-source game, a bit simple but good timewaster. It's fantasy, though.

[Fri]

ah, don't worry. Graphic isn't my priority, though nice picture is nice.

As I wrote in my older thread about mech games, I still regularly play dos games and abandonwares, from my years without decent computer.

[Cespenar]

If you haven't yet, Heroes III (of might and magic, that is).

Definitely Jagged Alliance 2.

Not a perfect one, but Warlords III.

Heroes IV and V are okay too, but don't expect a classic like the third game.

Age of Wonders is very good, especially the newest one, Shadow Magic.

If you can enjoy very old games (those that may need dosbox or an equivalent), Master of Magic is your best bet. It's Heroes and Civilization combined.

And many of the games that are already mentioned are pretty good games. Like Master of Orion 2, X-com, or Alpha Centauri.

[Prustan]

Curse my unreliable Internet. Cespenar ninja'd me.

I also recommend the Heroes of Might and Magic series, though I prefer Heroes 5 (the custom maps normally) to Heroes 3. Just update to the latest patch if you want to make your own maps for 5, as it doesn't come with the map editor...

Master of Magic, also good for those who like old dos games.

For a simpler alternative to Heroes, you could try Disciples 1 or 2 - though 2 is better. Just remember that permanent effect potions should be used only on your main hero (the one that you'll keep through the campaign), unless it's already been used on him/her. They're far too rare to use on just any unit.

[Premier]

As someone already mentioned Roguelikes, let me recommend Gearhead Arena. It's a mech-based RL (thus sci-fi), and it comes with "proper" (non-ASCII) graphics. It also has a random mission generator, the ability to travel overland between cities as well as to explore "dungeons", and of course you can build and customise your mechs.

[Winterwind]

Definitely seconded: X-Com, Alpha Centauri and Master of Orion (2). Those are classics, and for a good reason, too - everyone would be well advised to have played them, they are awesome.

While fantasy and not sci-fi, I also second the vote for The Battle for Wesnoth (http://www.wesnoth.org/) - not only does it achieve a good deal of strategic depth with little complexity rules-wise, and is really fun, it is also available for free.

And finally, there is MegaMek (http://megamek.sourceforge.net/idx.php?pg=main), also available for free, which is a likewise freely available implementation of the Classic BattleTech tabletop wargame. It might be a tad difficult to figure out the rules if you haven't played CBT, but it is a great game nevertheless.

[Om]

While not strictly turn-based, you might be interested in the Hearts of Iron series. Its a grand strategy but with a adjustable real time mechanism (ie no frantic clicking) and should be a must for anyone with an interest in WWII

[Closet_Skeleton]

It's real time, but there's a few years old game called Praetorians that I got for Christmas. Most of it is about how you deploy your forces so there's not much quick clicking required. Only time it really felt real time was when you use cavalry for flanking. It's also very hard. No building a base or researching the same upgrades every mission, which is what put me off Age of Empires. Warcraft III is the only game that I found had too much reaction clicking involved.

I don't really know turn based PC games (I've only played table top ones and Fire Emblem) but I suppose there's always Internet Chess if you're that old school.

[factotum]

I also recommend the Heroes of Might and Magic series, though I prefer Heroes 5 (the custom maps normally) to Heroes 3.

Problem I had with Heroes 5 is that the computer blatantly cheats. In earlier games the computer only had the troops available that you would expect given their cities and countryside dwellings, but in H5 the computer was apparently able to pull vast quantities of troops from its backside, because there sure as heck isn't anywhere else they could have come from! You got the impression they couldn't write a decent AI so they gave the computer massive amounts of troops to compensate.

Heroes 3 was definitely the high point of the series.

[Oeep Snaec]

I agree, Heroes III is a superior game. The gameplay is very fun, the variety of troops and skills add plenty of flavour. Oh, and using a godlike chain lightning spell that utterly slaughters half of your opponents army is cause for much laughter, preferably maniacal. Also, two words: Armageddon's Blade.

[Blayze]

Part of me prefers Heroes II, simply for the ability to throw wave after wave of hobbits at the enemy (They really did seem to breed like rabbits in that game).

As said before, there's always Jagged Alliance 2. But if we're talking about Roguelikes, I say pick up Castle of the Winds (Both parts). It's sort of like Rogue Lite.

[Mc. Lovin']

Chess? :smalltongue:

[Tormsskull]

I'll throw another vote of confidence behind Heroes of Might & Magic 2 & 3. Also, while it is quite dated at this point, and not at all in space, I have to suggest Birthright by Sierra. It is based on AD&D 2nd edition rules and is basically a turn-based empire building game but also gives you the ability to take your Regent (ruler) and lieutenants on adventures if the desire strikes.

Combat between armies can be skipped if you so choose (but doing so on harder fights results in a much larger loss of troops than if you know how to do it yourself well).

All in all, it is an enjoyable game, but very much on the easy side. Assuming you get the basics down and build up your treasury, you can basically unleash wave after wave of troops on your enemies without much of a return strike.

If you can locate the character and scenario editors floating around somewhere, you can really increase the replay value.

[Were-Sandwich]

Does anyone know any free spaceship Turn Based strategy? Real time will do, but I'd prefer turn based.

[Artanis]

C***, almost everything I was going to suggest has already been mentioned. Twice.

But I noticed that nobody mentioned Massive Assault yet. I haven't played it in a few years, but it was damned good. Sci-fi setting, and VERY simple...in a good way. No rock-paper-scissors or faction imbalance crap to get in the way of one strategist matching wits with another.


Edit:

Does anyone know any free spaceship Turn Based strategy? Real time will do, but I'd prefer turn based.
It isn't free, but Space Empires 4 is five bucks, tops.

[The_JJ]

I kinda liked Rome Total War. Turn based, yet RTS. And realistic too. When you maxed out Caprahacts are crushing the little peasents sent against them the little buggers will actually run away, which is nice and realistic. Really does a good job of including things like morale, tiredness, elevation, experience and such. Nice.

[Blayze]

Does anyone know any free spaceship Turn Based strategy? Real time will do, but I'd prefer turn based.

Stars! is almost certainly abandonware by now. And if not, you could probably get it for less than a quid... if you can find it.

[Traveling_Angel]

That's odd. I thought Heroes IV was brilliant. It dealt with most of my logical complaints, as well as doing a very good simplification of the towns without striping them of their flavor.

Xcom is part real-time logistics (Geoscape, not a lot of real time reflex situations) part nail-biting Turn based combat. However, this is changed in Apocalypse.

[felblood]

It isn't really turn based the way we usually think of it (the game plays out over turns 1/10 of a second long, but it can be paused at any time and auto pauses any time an event on your auto-pause list occurs. i.e. an enemy is spotted or a chacter completes his list of assigned moves.), but if you find yourself liking UFO/X-COM and Jagged Aliance games, try the UFO games by Altar.

It's a different series from UFO/X-COM but it borrows quite heavily from it's ancestor and refines the formula in a lot of ways. That is, it pulls off a lot of the things that were attempted in X-COM 3 and were less awesome than they should have been, in spite of their undeniable awesomeness.

[LordVader]

Fantasy:
Battle for Wesnoth is a free TBS with RPG elements. It's interesting.

I also highly recommend the Heroes of Might and Magic series: they're all great games. If your computer can't handle HoMM V, I recommend picking up HoMM III Complete off of Amazon: it's usually about $15. HoMM IV is generally regarded as being the worst one. There's also debate about which is the best, but IMO HoMM III is the best. Tons of creatures, great towns, decent graphics. The only problem is that 1 town is blatantly overpowered (Necropolis) and one town is mildly overpowered (Conflux).

Sci-Fi:
Alpha Centauri (Again, you can get this off Amazon for $15 and it's great fun, cool and funny factions. If you're willing, you can shell out $80!:smalleek: for the expansion. Mainly it just has some good factions also.
GalCiv II

[Cespenar]

The only problem is that 1 town is blatantly overpowered (Necropolis) and one town is mildly overpowered (Conflux).

Not counting Conflux, that statement is a bit subjective, I think. The reason is that I read lots of faqs and saw numerous people that play the game better than I do, and they all have different thoughts about that. Though I may have seen a consensus on how Inferno and Fortress are underpowered, which I agree too.

Sorry about the minor derailment, by the way.

[LordVader]

If you go up against a Necropolis on a Large/XL map, you're done. Just too many skeletons. As long as the person is good at farming, anyways.

And yeah, Fortress and Inferno are generally seen as underpowered, but they can each be pretty good in their own way. (<3 Fortress.)

[stm177]

Has there been a sequel (in name or spirit) to Age of Wonders 2: Shadow Magic?