HoMM

[ElectricOtter]

I've been on a bit of a TBS kick lately, so I dusted off my old copy of HoMM1 and, through a few small miracles, got it to work with DOSbox. Holy shit, I forgot how fun it was. It doesn't have much in the way of music (compared to the other games in the series) but it is very, very enjoyable. Sure, it's kind of overshadowed by 2 and 3, but I had great fun with it. I did notice that it seems to be a little harder that HoMM3 on higher difficulties.

As long as I am still craving some TBS goodness, recommend me some games. I currently have:

• HoMM1
• HoMM3
• HoMM5

Yeah, I know it's not a lot, but these seem to be the only ones I have. Go figure.

 

[Reject_666_6]

Well the obvious choice would be HoMM2, since you don't have it.

Try Age of Wonders or AoW: Shadow Magic or Disciples 2. You might also like Master of Magic or King's Bounty.

Also, if you haven't tried it already, play HoMM3 with the Wake of Gods add-on - it changes the game radically.

 

[spectre]

You may be bit underwhelmed by the number of tactical options in Disciples, though.

Try Civ 4 with Fall from Heaven mod (should be included with Beyond the Sword, but get the most recent version off the ionternets anyway). Modded Civ 4 is turn based goodness on its own.

 

[Reject_666_6]

I'm not sure if he meant full-on 4x games, so I didn't recommend any.

Concerning Civ4 with the FFH mod installed, I would still take Age of Wonders over it. Disciples suffers from JRPG combat, but it can still be interesting, and the game's art style is really nice, IMO.

 

[spectre]

I reckon he's just getting off to anything fantasy flavored... but then again, why just not ask the man involved.

Indeed, the art style in Disciples was good shit.

 

[thesheeep]

Concerning Civ4 with the FFH mod installed, I would still take Age of Wonders over it.

Not comparable, really. Civ4 with FFH is a much more fun game than vanilla Civ4(IMHO), but its still Civ4 in fantasy.
And Age of Wonders has a totally different scale and approach to so many things...

 

[Reject_666_6]

Not comparing, just saying that if I had a choice right now I'd play AoW. They're both still good games, though.

 

[CrimsonAngel]

Kings bounty and Fantasy Wars/Elven Legacy comes to mind.

 

[felicity]

Vantage Master for pure tactical goodness.

 

[MetalCraze]

I second AoW. Both 1st and 3rd as they are very different from each other (3rd f.e. feels like a visually updated version of Master of Magic)

If you feel like playing 4X games - Alpha Centauri is a must.

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

I third AoW. Especially Shadow Magic, which like Skyway said is Master of Magic-esque.

Alien Assault as seen here http://www.rpgcodex.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=36895 might be a good alternative as well, if you like nut-crushing difficulty.

 

[relootz]

What is the best AOW to download? I have always only played HOMM and i love it, but a lot of people say AOW is excellent too. What version should i play?

 

[muds_animal_friend]

What is the best AOW to download?

AoW:Shadow Magic due to mod/scenario availability (see http://aow2.heavengames.com).

Shadow Magic is really a standalone expansion for AoW 2, so there's little point in getting AoW 2 unless you just want to play the campaign. However AoW 1 has different game mechanics to AoW 2/Shadow Magic and a replayable branching campaign so it's worth a look in addition to Shadow Magic.

For a faster paced, albeit mouldier and older, fantasy TBS check out Warlords 3: Darklords Rising. Warlords 4 was a mixed bag.

 

[Wulfstand]

I'm curious as to 1 thing when it comes to Age of Wonders 2 (SM in particular).
Can you create RPG-ish maps, like in H3 WoG? If so are there any fan-made campaigns/maps? If the answer is yes and there are such maps/campaigns, then I'm definitly sold, since the engine looks so nicely done, and the music is pretty good from what I've heard in videos.

 

[muds_animal_friend]

The answer is yes with the caveat that there are not many single-player focused scenarios available because the community revolves around multiplayer. The best of what is available can be found here: http://aow2.heavengames.com/downloads/l ... =0&s=r&o=d

There are some quality maps in there that are better than anything featured in the Shadow Magic official campaign, but you'll have to dig around and install the correct patches and mods.

 

[thesheeep]

What is the best AOW to download?

AoW:Shadow Magic due to mod/scenario availability (see http://aow2.heavengames.com).

Use Dwiggs mod, really. Makes everything more balanced and lower tier units actually meaningful.

 

[Reject_666_6]

AoW1 had a really pleasant art style, and it was very polished. I actually like that combat screen better in the first one than in the other two. Shadow Magic is really awesome, though, especially in mutiplayer with simultaneous turns.

 

[Lonely Vazdru]

If so are there any fan-made campaigns/maps? If the answer is yes and there are such maps/campaigns

This is the best "AoW Shadow Magic" single player map I've played. To those who didn't, just try it :

http://aow2.heavengames.com/downloads/showfile.php?fileid=175

It's almost a game on its own. It might be way too tough for a first timer though.

 

[ElectricOtter]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll get HoMM2 on GOG and I'll see if I can find AoW and Master of Magic somewhere. I might also try King's Bounty, but it seems like a clone of HoMM. Any thoughts on it?

 

[Kron]

I might also try King's Bounty, but it seems like a clone of HoMM. Any thoughts on it?

Do not play this game, at least if you don't want to rage. It's just a seriously dumbed and watered-down HoM&M.
Plus, the game looks and sounds so fucking generic. The whole world looks like a disneyland playground. The music is awful. All playable characters look like fags. Not to mention that what little strategic gameplay HoM&M had has been done away with.
I get the feeling this game keeps being brought up in the codex just because the combat is turn-based than because it's genuinely a good game.
Edit: meaning King's Bounty: The Legend

 

[Zhuangzi]

I might also try King's Bounty, but it seems like a clone of HoMM. Any thoughts on it?

Do not play this game, at least if you don't want to rage. It's just a seriously dumbed and watered-down HoM&M.
Plus, the game looks and sounds so fucking generic. The whole world looks like a disneyland playground. The music is awful. All playable characters look like fags. Not to mention that what little strategic gameplay HoM&M had has been done away with.
I get the feeling this game keeps being brought up in the codex just because the combat is turn-based than because it's genuinely a good game.
Edit: meaning King's Bounty: The Legend

Disagree. KB:TL has the most enjoyable turn based combat in a long time. Sure, the campaign is really generic and barely worth reading, but the skill tree, ragebox, spells, and units are truly excellent. I've spent many happy hours on this one. It's not really like HoMM because there's no castle management etc. It's a rpg lite with excellent turn based combat, but you'd better like the combat because there are 500+ battles in the average game.

 

[Gragt]

The story is actually very tongue in cheek with a fair bit of parody from typical fantasy tropes. It managed to surprise me a great deal by all the crazy stuff happening under its generic fantasy hood.

The word that always come first when I think of this game is "charming".

 

[Psycroptic]

KB:TL is win. I just wish there were a map editor for it. It can't possibly have the longevity of HOMM without that.

 

[Gragt]

Well it helps that troops and items are randomised for each new games, and the three classes kinda play differently too. Also I wonder what the expansion will bring to the table.

 

[circ]

Jagged Alliance 1.