Suggestions for TB game

[mindx2]

Have some time and I'm looking for a good turn-based WWII or later war game. I don't need (or want) it to be ultra-realistic, micromanaging or having a huge learning curve. Large maps and varied units (land, sea and air) with some visuals. Think Age of Empires type graphics but TB and 20th century. Just want something I can jump into and have some good battlefield fun. Suggestions?

 

[spectre]

Hmmm, "good", "turn-based", "WW2"... hast ye heard about this thing called Silent Storm, I'd say Hammer and Sickle is where it's at cause it's a bit less SF.

Jokes aside, seems like you're looking for a modernized Panzer General thingie, but not really Gary Grigsby's War in the East?
The Panzer Corps series never clicked with me, even though I'm a long-time PG-er, so I can't recommend it on good conscience. Perhaps Order of Battle?

The Troop is nice, but it's not the scale you're asking for, also still in Early Access.

 

[mindx2]

Hmmm, "good", "turn-based", "WW2"... hast ye heard about this thing called Silent Storm, I'd say Hammer and Sickle is where it's at cause it's a bit less SF.

Jokes aside, seems like you're looking for a modernized Panzer General thingie, but not really Gary Grigsby's War in the East?
The Panzer Corps series never clicked with me, even though I'm a long-time PG-er, so I can't recommend it on good conscience. Perhaps Order of Battle?

The Troop is nice, but not the scale you're looking for, also Early Access.

I know of Silent Storm and installed it several times over the years but had a hard time "getting into" it. No idea why as some games just click while others don't.

 

[spectre]

Well, it was a tongue in cheek suggestion, but you talked me into talking more about it.

If it was SS you started with, it might not be the easiest to get into, so I fully understand if it didn't click.
SS2 has more polish and is less freeform (not entirely a bad thing), it's actually structured as a series of connected missions, so if you want to have an honest go at it, try this one.
Hammer and Sickle is even more different from the other two. It's even more structured, dialogue heavy and harder. It's got a bit of a bad rep, cause lot of folks got stuck getting
railroaded into a bad ending (as a consequence of their actions, it's a borderline RPG, one could say), not realizing there's much more to the game.

All in all, it's not that difficult to enjoy this as a game as long as you like squad tactics. Just go wild with automatic weapons, explosives, and enjoy the ragdolls and environmental destruction.

 

[mindx2]

spectre Any suggestions for one that includes air and sea battlefields as well as ground? More of a grander scale than squad-based.

 

[Victor1234]

I'll also vote for Order of Battle among the PG clones over Panzer Corps & Unity of Command II for WW2 hex based wargaming, but there is an open source clone called Open General that is supposed to be good. There's also the relatively unknown Hex of Steel, but that's more based on the old Clash of Steel than Panzer General, as it adds in extras like research and political choices.

Keep in mind the DLC for OOB are very hit or miss. IIRC the German and Soviet ones are good, the American and Japanese not.

If you want something even simpler in terms of complexity, Axis & Allies (the old version from early 2000's) is overarching and simple but it's only a little more complex than a game of WW2 themed Risk.

Combat Mission can be set to turn based or real time but has little air and no sea in the WW2 versions (no sea in any version actually) and it's very tactical, not strategic.

Also it's limited in scope, but Decisive Campaigns Barbarossa might be good as it tries to add RPG elements into the traditional hex wargame.

 

[spectre]

Well, open General is something I'd choose for myself also, but it's only good as the modules, and there are times where you just want to play the goddamn game rather than
sift through all the installers and shit.

spectre Any suggestions for one that includes air and sea battlefields as well as ground? More of a grander scale than squad-based.

Most of the stuff I am aware of has already been mentioned; the problem is you want turn based and in this regard we aren't really spoiled for choice here,
though if you'd be willing to be flexible in this regard, perhaps Steel Division 2 might be up your alley. Technically, you can autoresolve the RTS parts.

 

[80s Stallone]

People's General

 

[holla_cabezas_de_mierda]

Order of Battle

 

[ChaDargo]

Unity of Command 1/2?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

I've started playing WH40K Mechanicus, and it's such a total breath of fresh air to me. But then again, I barely play any strategy games at all.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Steel Panthers.

 

[agris]

spectre Any suggestions for one that includes air and sea battlefields as well as ground? More of a grander scale than squad-based.

Regiments is RTwP, but overall impressions seem really positive. It's more grand than squad-based, and you can call in aerial reinforcements, but it's still based on land.

https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads...ctics-wargame-from-the-new-microprose.134774/

 

[ChaDargo]

I've started playing WH40K Mechanicus, and it's such a total breath of fresh air to me. But then again, I barely play any strategy games at all.

Thinking of giving it a try myself, looks very unique and interesting

 

[mindx2]

I've started playing WH40K Mechanicus, and it's such a total breath of fresh air to me. But then again, I barely play any strategy games at all.

Thinking of giving it a try myself, looks very unique and interesting

Does one need to know the Warhammer universe to enjoy this?

 

[Wirdschowerdn]

I've started playing WH40K Mechanicus, and it's such a total breath of fresh air to me. But then again, I barely play any strategy games at all.

Thinking of giving it a try myself, looks very unique and interesting

Does one need to know the Warhammer universe to enjoy this?

You don't. Trust in the Omnissiah and purge the Xeno.

It's the most fun TB strategy game I played since XCOM 2012. XCOM 2 was dogshit. If you look for something grander/more complex, there are tons of other options out there I guess.

 

[Galdred]

Steel Panthers.

Unfortunately, I haven't found any good replacement for Steel Panthers:
Combat Mission has turns that take age to play, and feels less "instant".
Close Combat is great too, but pretty different, and the AI is pretty dumb (not that the AI in SP is that good to begin with), with your tanks decidint to U turn in front of the enemy instead of reversing.
So I can only second the suggestion, but the game is very old.

I've started playing WH40K Mechanicus, and it's such a total breath of fresh air to me. But then again, I barely play any strategy games at all.

Thinking of giving it a try myself, looks very unique and interesting

Does one need to know the Warhammer universe to enjoy this?

It's a solid introduction to the universe actually, as the characters are pretty colourful!
If you liked Gears of War: Tactics, then Chaos Gate: Daemonhunters is also a solid pick. It is pretty difficult, which is a good thing. But its plot and factions are a lot more boring than in Mecanicus.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Unfortunately, I haven't found any good replacement for Steel Panthers:
Combat Mission has turns that take age to play, and feels less "instant".
Close Combat is great too, but pretty different, and the AI is pretty dumb (not that the AI in SP is that good to begin with), with your tanks decidint to U turn in front of the enemy instead of reversing.
So I can only second the suggestion, but the game is very old.

On the upside there are still people working on those.
Both winSPWW2 and winSPMBT have 2022 made updates.

 

[Parsimonious cook]

Play it now, thank me later.

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Play it now, thank me later.

I'm waiting for Second Front.

 

[Galdred]

Play it now, thank me later.

Does it feature a campaign where we can see our soldiers become veterans, then corpses?

 

[Parsimonious cook]

Play it now, thank me later.

Does it feature a campaign where we can see our soldiers become veterans, then corpses?

Nope, at this point there is just a series of missions without ability to carry units over + skirmish. The game is superb though in terms of TB tactics.