Here are a few questions for you guys.

For the past two years or so, I’ve been paying down a lot of debt and have made very few extra purchases. With the upcoming tax check coming and an impending bonus “yoohoo!”, I will have a bit of extra money to spend. My wife and I have made a deal where we can spend $100 on whatever we want.

Although I’m very tempted to spend it on booze and hookers, I will be spending most of it on a game or two…or ten.

Is TCY as good as everyone says it is?
Is Tournament Dreams a good game post-patch?
OOTP5. Should I just wait ‘til OOTP6?
CM4 – Buy now or wait ‘til CM 03/04?
Space Empires 4 or Galactic Civilizations?
Neverwinter Nights or Morrowind?
Hearts of Iron, or Battlefield 1942?…help

Any and all ideas/comments are welcome.

I suppose the question really is: If you had $100 to spend on games, what would they be?


And to those smart-alecks out there; Yes I do realize that there is a pc/console game impressions forum on this board and I did take a look at it.

TCY - definitely.
TDCB - If you weren't there at the beginning, probably. But if you were one of the disenfranchised, no.
OOTP5 - Probably 7 or 8 months til the next one. Its not installed on my computer right now, but I just can't get into it. It doesn't flow right for me.
CM4 - wait. Next version will probably be out in a few months.

Madden. That is the only game I'm itching to get right now, and if I had $100 just for games, I'd buy the PC version and the Xbox version.

This is good info, as I've been mulling over getting OOTP5 and/or CM4 for a while... guess it looks like I should wait...

I think it depends on what kind of games you like. Several of the games you mentioned have demos you can get.

My picks would be:
CM4
Neverwinter Nights + Expansion

Morrowind plus the 2 expansions. You won't get more bang for the buck than that.

See you in a couple hundred hours

Originally posted by Draft Dodger
Morrowind plus the 2 expansions. You won't get more bang for the buck than that.

See you in a couple hundred hours

Really? I've started that game about a thousand times, but never got into it. I liked the older versions better.

Originally posted by Draft Dodger
Morrowind plus the 2 expansions. You won't get more bang for the buck than that.

See you in a couple hundred hours

Originally posted by Bee
Neverwinter Nights + Expansion

I think you see my dilemma. :) I will be buying one of these two for sure. I just don't know which one.

Definitely go with booze and hookers! :D

Seriously, I can recommend TCY, CM4 and Neverwinter Nights.

i would go with

cm4
tcy
neverwinter nights

(not sure you can get all three for 100 bucks but there is my top 3 in order)

TCY - worth it

TDCB - 7 months past the release date and it's still a work in progress (well not realy since I hear the developer is now working on the football game), I would pass

OOTP5 - good game, depepnds on what you're looking for though. I can't get into it as much as some other games but I don't know why.

CM4 - I think it's a very good game if you can get into soccer. I keep trying to like it and I can see where I would like it if it was about a sport that I know.

Hearts of Iron - You'll either love it or hate it. It can seem overwhelming with everything there is to manage.

FWIW, I LOVED Morrowind, to the detriment of sleep and SEX and so on. Never liked NNights anywhere near as much. Add my $0.02 to your hundred for tax purposes :) .

dola...

...and TCY is still played on my computer every month.

Morrowind sucks big time (sorry, someone had to say that here). Seeing your initial list, I would go with OOTP5 (for both online leagues with your cyberfriends and solo if that's your thing), Madden 200x (no better football game for the PC) and Medieval Total War + Viking Invasion (the best strategy game using both turn-based strategy and real-time tactics). I think that's $100.

If we're talking just PC, then CM4 and Madden would be the games I would strongly recommend. If we're throwing platforms in too, then also get NCAA 2004, and, if you don't own Vice City yet, I would definitely get that.

Well, if I were going to buy a game, I would want to buy the latest college football game from EA (NCAA 2003? 2004?). However, I would end up being REALLY pissed that I spent that much money and the damn game won't work on my PC.


You see, I don't have a console such as PS2, XBOX or GameCube, and EA has decided that it won't publish it's NCAA football game for the PC. So, if I DID buy it, I wouldn't be able to play it and it would be a waste of money. Therefore I won't be buying NCAA.


Games I WOULD buy:

CM4
Railroad Tycoon 3 (coming out this fall)


And if I had any money left, which I doubt:

TCY or
Total Pro Football, depending on early reviews.

I think Morrwind is a terrific game - beautiful graphics, great sound, open-ended...lots of fun just to walk around and explore. After System Shock 2, its probably the most immersive game I've ever played.

It's not for everyone...but it definitely doesn't suck.

TCY- well worth the money
Morrowind is also a great game and also Madden.

and if you have an XBox, get Knights of the Old Republic, just be prepared to throw away a couple of days of your life:D

Originally posted by Buzzbee


You see, I don't have a console such as PS2, XBOX or GameCube, and EA has decided that it won't publish it's NCAA football game for the PC. So, if I DID buy it, I wouldn't be able to play it and it would be a waste of money. Therefore I won't be buying NCAA.



Yeah, you would need more than $100 to buy a console and a NCAA 2004 game. I bought mine really just so I can play NCAA 2004 (my daughter is just now getting old enough to play games on the system. Her favorite right now? NBA Street vol. 2. :)).

Has it been worth it (the system cost me $200 last year, plus the cost of games)? Every penny.

I've had my share of problems with CM4, but I'd still recommend it. I would also recommend Morrowind, especially if you enjoy losing hours on end. I've tried NN but never got into it nearly as much as Morrowind. Just my .02.

Originally posted by SplitPersonality1
Is TCY as good as everyone says it is?
Absolutely. I've probably got more gaming pleasure out of TCY than any other game, and that's saying a lot. However, it fits my interests and gaming style perfectly. Don' t get it if you don't want to plunge into the recruiting aspect.

Space Empires 4 or Galactic Civilizations?
I think you'll do well with either one of these. Space Empires 4 would be cheaper at this point.

Neverwinter Nights or Morrowind?
Ah, the great 2002-03 RPG debate rages on! For my two bits, I think Morrowind has much to offer but is flawed in many ways. Neverwinter Nights is a very polished "traditional" approach. I'd probably vote for the latter, especially with the almost endless number of user-created add ons out there (although Morrowing has that too, I believe).

Hearts of Iron, or Battlefield 1942?
Two entirely different animals here. HOI is heavy strategy, 1942 is an online FPS(?). This one should be a more obvious choice for you depending on what you are looking for.

Any and all ideas/comments are welcome.
I'll second Anrydeddu's recommendation on Medieval: Total War. It is simply a great game, combining a host of nifty features.

Finally, try the demos! :D

Originally posted by Draft Dodger
I think Morrwind is a terrific game - ...lots of fun just to walk around and explore. .

DD, I like you a lot but I would have to violently, vehemantly, (and any other v-word) disagree with you. I have played many action, adventure and RPG games and of all of them, no game have I found so ugly, barren, devoid of anything that moves, boring and a waste of time than walking around and exploring the world in Morrowind (which is what I like to do a lot in most FP games).

Sorry to threadjack, just another example of two people thinking diametrically opposite.

Anyone have a good resource site on Medieval? Has it been out long enough to have had a price cut yet?

Sounds interesting...

Morrowind is a good game too. I recommended Neverwinter Nights because I think it has more replay value especially with the various online games out there. Some of them are very original and it feels like you are getting multiple games with a single purchase.

Originally posted by Swaggs
Anyone have a good resource site on Medieval? Has it been out long enough to have had a price cut yet?

Sounds interesting...

www.totalwar.com (official site)

www.totalwar.org (best forums and downloads)


MEDIEVAL: TOTAL WAR GAME FEATURES

Epic 3D battles with over 10,000 troops, and hundreds of battlefields from the lush farmland to the arid deserts.

12 playable factions including the English, French, Danes, Poles, Russians, Spanish, Italians, along with Muslim Almohads, Egyptians and Turks, plus the Holy Roman and Byzantine Empires!

Spectacular sieges, as you pound castles into dust with cannons, catapults and ballistae!

Over 100 different unit types including knights, men-at-arms, crusading orders, fanatical ghazis, the famous English longbowmen, and many more.

Rich and involving strategy game, with 90+ provinces to conquer, and a detailed technology tree.
Historical characters including El Cid, Frederick Barbarossa, Richard the Lionheart, Saladin, Joan of Arc and even Robin of Locksley (Robin Hood)!
RPG-style character development, including an innovative Vices and Virtues system.
Historical and Custom battles: when you’ve finished playing the supplied famous battles and done better than the heroes of history, you can create your own!
Multiplayer mayhem: go online and defeat up to seven human opponents over a LAN or Internet connection.
Battle replays: save your greatest victories, and enjoy them all over again!
Battlefield Editor: create your own battlefields to fight across, and add to the hundreds already provided.
Medieval: Total War™ is a game of empire building and epic real time battles set in the European Middle Ages, 1087-1453.

This is the period of some 400 years when northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East were in a state of constant upheaval as new princely states fought each other. This colourful and vibrant age is the time of Crusaders and Saracens, the Hundred Years War, the Holy Roman Emperors, heresy and inquisitions, the Spanish Reconquista, and of Teutonic Knights and boyars, wild Baltic pagans and the rise of the Turkish Empire and the final fall of Constantinople, the last bastion of the old Roman world. It is a time of intense competition between the kings, princes, bishops and merchants, between religions, new nations and radical ideas - all of which helped make Europe into the cockpit of the world for the next 650 years.

Medieval: Total War™ gives you the chance to experience all of that, in all its blood-soaked magnificence! You can command armies of knights, men-at-arms, archers and peasants and make your people the new masters of Europe. Medieval: Total War adds new levels of depth, accessibility, gameplay and strategy to what has gone before in Shogun: Total War™. The successful game ‘split’ first seen in Shogun: Total War between a turn-based strategy element and a real-time battle system has been kept and enhanced.

The strategic part of the game puts you in charge of the fate of a faction - an emerging people or nation - the English, the Germans, the Egyptians etc - on the world stage. Here, you can plan your grand campaign to take over Europe and the Mediterranean, build castles, recruit armies and manage the diplomatic and dynastic affairs of your royal house. In addition to armies, you’ll have spies, emissaries, holy men, and assassins to help you bring your schemes of domination to a successful and triumphant conclusion. You’ll have to think in medieval terms about warfare, about positioning your royal family through marriage and alliances, about keeping your peasants profitably content, and about how to do down your rivals, using a blend of war, trade, diplomacy, dynastic entanglements and good old-fashioned dirty tricks!

You’ll also have the chance to command your armies in the heat of battle as it took place in medieval Europe - bloody, glorious and chivalrous (but only to a point). As you lead your men they’ll gain valour and skill at arms, and be better warriors as a result. Their desire to fight under your command makes the difference between creating a powerful, all-conquering faction, or of seeing your people live under new feudal masters, your once-loyal followers no better than lawless rebels!

If you’ve played Shogun: Total War™, then be prepared for a few surprises. Medieval: Total War™ might look like its cousin, but it does familiar things in new and exciting ways. Strategies and tactics that worked in Shogun: Total War™ can lead to defeat here. Learn the differences between the two games, and you’ll soon be grinding Europe beneath your armoured heel! Prepare yourself for the experience that is Medieval: Total War™!

Plus, don't forget the dynasties

Chief Rum's Poland in High Period (http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5071)

My MTW England (http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5263)

My MTW:Viking Invasion (http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/~fof/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9052)

Bah my vote for last year's RPG must buy easily goes to Divine Divinity, crappy name and all! Man I loved that game, and I was dissapointed with both Morrowind and the Single Player portion of NWN.(Still liked both games, just less than I expected)

Also as I have to state in any thread where someone asks for a game to buy, go out and buy Freedom Force, you can buy it for I believe 10 bucks most anywhere now, and it'll be the best 10 bucks you spend this year. ;)

Also, you can't go wrong with the Total War games, outstanding strategy titles.

FOF4-yes
Madden-yes
NCAA-yes
OOTP5-yes

All, very good(or in the case of Madden) "look to be".

TCY-"recruit-a-thon" just couldn't ever get into it.

Just a few comments so far:

This is great. I love the Morrowind vs. Neverwinter Nights debate.
As of right now I'm leaning toward.....NWN (but just barely)

Freedom Force is one I may pick up. I've seen it on sale for $9.99. I played the demo a very long time ago and it was fun.

Divine Divinity? - I remeber hearing something about it, but it had such a crappy name, I never gave it another thought.

Madden/NCAA - although I love football, I don't care much for button mashers. They are only good for consoles and this $100 will be spent solely on PC games..I think

I think I will wait on CM4. I love the series, but I still get a ton of enjoyment out of CM 01/02.

MTW - hmmmm. so tempted. If the price is right, it may get my vote.

TCY/TDBC/OOTP - I've got to get one of these right? Maybe?

Decisions, decisions.

Split: There well may not be another version of CM4 in the near future. The earliest it would be out, I've inferred from the SI boards, would be '04.

And that's if they release a version next year at all.

I'd <i>highly recommend</i> getting CM4, from what I've read about it (it's a very playable game, and most people find it much, much more enjoyable than 01-02).

(cough) several copies of CM4, just in case I wear the first one out ;)

Seriously though most of the games you've mention are definitely 'must-buys' in my opinion:

"Is TCY as good as everyone says it is? -"
Yes, its very cool :D

"Is Tournament Dreams a good game post-patch? -"
Yes, well I though so anyway

"OOTP5. Should I just wait ‘til OOTP6? -"
OOTP is a great game and well worth a whirl

"CM4 – Buy now or wait ‘til CM 03/04?"
Entirely up to you, I'm somewhat biased obviously - I'd suggest giving the demo a whirl and seeing what you think.

"Space Empires 4 or Galactic Civilizations?"
Both are meant to be great, I've been meaning to purchase GC for several months but have been very busy with supporting CM4 ...

"Neverwinter Nights or Morrowind?"
I've got Neverwinter Nights and while it wasn't the revelation it was alleged to be imho, it is a very good RPG and I've definitely enjoyed it.

My personal way of making such decisions is simply to retrieve demo's for any games I'm interested in, give them a whirl and then you can at least make an 'informed' choice.

Originally posted by Calis
Also as I have to state in any thread where someone asks for a game to buy, go out and buy Freedom Force, you can buy it for I believe 10 bucks most anywhere now, and it'll be the best 10 bucks you spend this year. ;)
Bizarrely enough I bought this yesterday ...

Originally posted by Anrhydeddu
DD, I like you a lot but I would have to violently, vehemantly, (and any other v-word) disagree with you. I have played many action, adventure and RPG games and of all of them, no game have I found so ugly, barren, devoid of anything that moves, boring and a waste of time than walking around and exploring the world in Morrowind (which is what I like to do a lot in most FP games).

Sorry to threadjack, just another example of two people thinking diametrically opposite.

strange.
to each his own I guess.

I just want to agree with DD. Morrowind is one of the best games I've ever played.

It's pretty, open-ended, and it doesn't hold your hand. I love the freedom it offers.

Originally posted by SplitPersonality1
Here are a few questions for you guys.

For the past two years or so, I’ve been paying down a lot of debt and have made very few extra purchases. With the upcoming tax check coming and an impending bonus “yoohoo!”, I will have a bit of extra money to spend. My wife and I have made a deal where we can spend $100 on whatever we want.

Although I’m very tempted to spend it on booze and hookers, I will be spending most of it on a game or two…or ten.

Is TCY as good as everyone says it is?
Is Tournament Dreams a good game post-patch?
OOTP5. Should I just wait ‘til OOTP6?
CM4 – Buy now or wait ‘til CM 03/04?
Space Empires 4 or Galactic Civilizations?
Neverwinter Nights or Morrowind?
Hearts of Iron, or Battlefield 1942?…help

Any and all ideas/comments are welcome.

I suppose the question really is: If you had $100 to spend on games, what would they be?


And to those smart-alecks out there; Yes I do realize that there is a pc/console game impressions forum on this board and I did take a look at it.

TCY...buy this, immediately. It's that good.

TDCB. This is a pretty solid game post-patch. However, that being said, I suspect we'll see a new version of the game sooner or later with hoops season a few months away, so it might be just as well to wait.

OOTP5. I bought this, but frankly, I haven't been able to get into it much, solo, and I'm not much of a multiplayer gamer, certainly not to the daily commitment that an online league would mean.

CM4: OK, I'm not familiar with previous incarnations of the game, nor do I have any feel for when the next version will be released, but I love this game. It has been the best game I've purchased in a few years.

SE4 or GalCiv: Not familiar with either one. I pretty much gave up on the 4X thing shortly after MOO2, which I loved.

Neverwinter Nights or Morrowind: I'm not familiar with Morrowind, however I recently bought Neverwinter Nights shortly after getting a much more powerful laptop.

NWN is a very pretty game, and seems impressive (only had it for a couple of weeks), and there's a ton of third party mods & modules for it. That being said, I think the game lends itself to multiplayer much more than solo-play. My wife loves it, but I haven't had it long enough to draw an opinion. I'll let you draw conclusions as to whether you think it's for you from that.

HOI or Battlefield 1942: I'm not familiar with Battlefield '42, but these two are polar opposites in terms of gameplay.

HoI is fairly intense from a micromanagement point of view, which has put a lot of folks off. While I loved EU & EU2, which use the same system, the system just doesn't feel quite right when applied to WW2.

HoI is one of those games where the whole is less than the sum of the parts. The economic system is nice, the technology tree idea is great, and I have no real problem with the combat system (though the interface blows chunks), but it just doesn't capture the feel of running a great power in WW2. I felt like I was doing too much micromanagement, and not leading the panzer corps into the fields of France.

I know BF 1942 is a FPS, not sure where you compare the two, though I have no familiarity with BF 1942.

Originally posted by RPI-Fan
Split: There well may not be another version of CM4 in the near future. The earliest it would be out, I've inferred from the SI boards, would be '04.

If this is true, buy CM4. Do it now. It's the best of the lot in terms of replay value (at least among the ones I'm familiar with).

another bargain bin option at this point is Arcanum. I had a lot of fun playing this game and think it has pretty good replay value as well. Another RPG, picked it up initially while waiting for the release of the abortion known as Pool of Radiance.

I second Freedom Force as well. Wish I had found as vibrant a mod community for this as I have seen with Neverwinter Nights.

Have to get Madden 04 and BF 1942...I'm addicted to BF and I can't imagine living without it. Madden explains itself.

***cough***Americas Army***cough***it's free too***

I've never played BF 1942, but what I've read is that it is really arcadey. AA is the opposite. The DEVS strive to get it realistic as possible without ruining the fun of the game.

203.81 hours (1.3 hrs. per day)

As you can probably tell I'm rather addicted to the game. Also the DEVS try to put out a patch at least once a month to fix bugs, and add new maps. In the next patch they are adding medics, and in future patches they will release Special Forces, where you will be able to pick different scopes, etc for you gun. It's free so the only reason not to try it is if you absolutly hate FPS, or dont want to wait for the time to download it. I think it's coming up on 350-400MB.

Originally posted by GrantDawg
Madden. That is the only game I'm itching to get right now, and if I had $100 just for games, I'd buy the PC version and the Xbox version.

*gumble* And people vehemently questioned me when I said Xbox were the foolish rich... Why would you buy both? Or was this tongue in cheek and I completely missed it?

SI

Originally posted by sterlingice
*gumble*

Bryant or Greg?

Morrowind is the best game I've played since Half Life.

Someone please correct me if the info I posted about CM4 is wrong...

Originally posted by Schmidty
Bryant or Greg?

Bryant now, or 1978?

Originally posted by Schmidty
Bryant or Greg?

This reminds me of the Family Guy episode where Peter fakes a terminal illness with his son to save the tv show "Gumble 2 Gumble" (EDIT: or I guess it would be Gumbel 2 Gumbel) which stars, you guessed it... :D

SI

Originally posted by SplitPersonality1
Hearts of Iron, or Battlefield 1942?…help

Hmm. I wonder what game I'm thinking of. I'm not really into FPS so I must be thinking of another game. Was there another good WWII strategy game that came out in the last year or so?

Also I plan on doing a massive amount of demo testing in the next two weeks. I will keep you guys posted on what I eventually get.


Originally posted by sterlingice
*gumble*

Originally posted by Schmidty
Bryant or Greg?

:D

Originally posted by SplitPersonality1
Hmm. I wonder what game I'm thinking of. I'm not really into FPS so I must be thinking of another game. Was there another good WWII strategy game that came out in the last year or so?


tons of them.

I bought Medieval: Total War due to all the good things I'd read about it (not just here, but in magazines as well). I was terribly disappointed. I liked the turn-based stuff, but the real-time strategy portion just never did it for me. I understand that it's supposed to be a good thing to have these different landscapes and formations, but it was too much of a headache trying to keep track of all of my armies, as I found the mini-map to be practically useless.

Everybody else seems to like it, though, so what do I know?

Anyway, with regards to the original question, here's my take:

TCY - If you don't mind recruiting while you're trying to juggle your current team, go for it. Great game.
TDCB - Bought it, played it a little, found that the game moved way too slowly for me. Haven't played since. No opinion.
OOTP - If you're determined to buy an OOTP game, go ahead and get the current version. I find it very enjoyable, and who knows when OOTP6 will be out?
CM4 - Get it. No doubt. GET IT.
Galactic Civilizations - Very, very nice game. Of all the above games, I find that it has the most replayability, although it's obviously not a sports game. Never played Space Empires 4.

As for the RPG's, I've only played Morrowind. I loved it for a while, but I got distracted by all of my other games. I've watched my fiancee play Neverwinter Nights, and they're clearly two different styles of games. I guess it depends on how much "freedom" you want your character to have. Can't beat Morrowind for freedom.

No opinion whatsoever on HOI/Battlefield 1942.

Oh, definitely get Freedom Force. It's worth much more than the few dollars they're selling it for.

So, in ranking order, I'd put Freedom Force first, CM4 second, Galactic Civilizations third, TCY/OOTP5 in a tie for fourth, Morrowind slightly behind those, and then TDCB way in the back. No doubts about FF or CM4. Go for those, and you'll still have at least $40 left over.

Just curious - this thread seems as good as any for this type of question...

Are there any (good) Revolutionary War games out there? That's the most interesting war, IMO, and the only one in which a computer game could interest me.

Thanks!
~kyle

There is a Half Life mod called Battlefields that is based on the American Revolution. I've never played it though.

Originally posted by Fritz
tons of them.

gee. thanks for the input Fritz. ya putz :)

Originally posted by RPI-Fan
Just curious - this thread seems as good as any for this type of question...

Are there any (good) Revolutionary War games out there? That's the most interesting war, IMO, and the only one in which a computer game could interest me.

Thanks!
~kyle

I had been wanting this for years as well. My dream games would be American Revolution Total War and of course, American Civil War Total War. But since they screwed up the engine with Rome Total War, that will not happen.

Anyway, the best Rev War game I have played is actually a Civ2 standard scenario - Revolution. I tweaked the rules.txt a bit to make it more of challenge but it is fun on a strategic level. The only other choice is John Tiller's Campaign 1776. It is a classic hex-based tactical wargame with many campaigns and individual battles. But I had given up on grognarding a few years ago so even though I did buy, I couldn't get into it.

What kind of price can I get on Civ2 if I look hard enough?

(and thanks for the reply)

Originally posted by RPI-Fan
What kind of price can I get on Civ2 if I look hard enough?

$10 or so. I've seen Civ2 at Target & Walmart. You may even find it in a bargain bin at a place like Best Buy if you are lucky.

Great game. It first came out in 1996 and I still fire it up occasionally.

Some thoughts...

I agree with Arenyuududududu that one of the disappointing things about Morrowind is its barrenness. I really liked the vibrancy of Daggerfall, and I felt like I was all alone in Morrowind. But, once I accepted that and got playing for a few hours, I really got into it. There is so much to do. Also, Morrowind is much better now, with the addition of mods, than it was at release. There are a dozen or more fantastic mods that add balance, challenge, enhancements, etc. to the game. I've just picked up the expansion packs and am planning on digging back in. But if you don't have a fast machine, I might hold off. It demands a lot of power. As far as a comparision with NWN, I would get NWN if I was interested in online play, and would get Morrowind if I wanted a single player experience. NWN has some neat online worlds (Avlis being one of them) that truly offer some unique gaming experiences.

TCY is a great game, and also better now than it was at its release. My only remaining complaint with TCY is that the macro strategy for building a great program is fairly straightforward: recruit smart players, jack your school's GPA, and then recruit great players. The edge in academics is all powerful. Because the AI doesn't focus on this same strategy, you can dominate the game in about a decade (at least with version 1.1). I love playing the game to watch how the players develop and to watch how my program changes over time, but as far as "where will my program be in ten years" kind of challenge, it just isn't there. Winning is not a question of "if" but rather "when". I would recommend FOF4 over TCY, at this point; I really think the game has come together in the latest patch.

CM4, as far as I can tell, looks to be a major improvement over 01/02. I am very happy I got it, but if I only had $100 and were still having a lot of fun with a 01/02 career, I might skip a version and get the next one.

I dowloaded the OOTP5 demo, and was on the verge of buying it, but went with CM4 instead, mainly because I don't think I would get the challenge out of OOTP5 that I will with CM4. However, if I were interested in joining an online league, I would go with OOTP5.

Are you thinking of Combat Mission for the WWII game?

I was really hot on GalCiv when it came out because of what initially struck me as a fantastic AI and a solid challenge, but the glitz wore away fairly quickly. Once you survive the opening, where the AI is outstanding, the AI showed some significant holes, and was actually not that hard to beat. Still, I played it about 30 hours or so and got my money's worth. Also, I intend to go back and update the game and play again at some point, as the developer (at that point anyway) was constantly improving the game. Space Empires IV Gold looks like a great game, but I didn't really get into it for some reason. Maybe the micromanagement. Not sure. It's one of those games that I feel like I should like more than I do, but for some bizarre reason never really get into.

I've heard great things about Freedom Force, and bought it a month ago, but have yet to load it up.

Another sleeper hit out there is Mafia. I've heard "game of the year" accolades tossed at that one. I just bought that one with CM4, and it's on the rather large list of "games to play soon".

Age of Wonders II might be another one to look at. I've been meaning to pick that one up, and have heard very good things about the AI.

MTW rocks. Original, well done, and immersive.

RPI: I've seen Civ2 at EB games and CompUSA for $10. If you hunt through EB's used games bin, you might find it for half that.

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz
CM4, as far as I can tell, looks to be a major improvement over 01/02. I am very happy I got it, but if I only had $100 and were still having a lot of fun with a 01/02 career, I might skip a version and get the next one.

Must agree with that one, if you enjoy CM01/02 stay with it. CM4 is way better (i'm unable to play CM01/02 anymore) but still as many bugs and right now the immersion factor isn't as good as in CM01/02, I find it harder to make a long dinastywith it.
Next version should have some very good features and less bugs, so wait until then.

All this talk of TCY has me ready to start over again!

I just got TCY last week, and I must say I'm really enjoying it. Still waiting for FOF4 to arrive :D

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz
I've heard great things about Freedom Force, and bought it a month ago, but have yet to load it up.

RPI: I've seen Civ2 at EB games and CompUSA for $10. If you hunt through EB's used games bin, you might find it for half that.

I played the demo for Freedom Force- it was really fun. Great idea and pretty good execution. But that was probably a year or so ago. Also, the demo only got you the first level so I can't tell you how deep it is. Got tons of accolades, tho.

If you have enough computer stores in your area- you will stumble across a copy of Civ 2 for $10 or $5 or $10 Buy 2 Get 1 Free (I love that bin at Best Buy since it has Starcraft, Brood War, and a few other decent games- too bad I already have them). Heck, I'm sure you can get it for that on ebay.

Originally posted by BreizhManu
Must agree with that one, if you enjoy CM01/02 stay with it. CM4 is way better (i'm unable to play CM01/02 anymore) but still as many bugs and right now the immersion factor isn't as good as in CM01/02, I find it harder to make a long dinastywith it.
Next version should have some very good features and less bugs, so wait until then.

(Sorry to thread jack)
Do you have EP#5 installed? - if so then please report any problems you have on the bugs forum on sigames.com, that was we can ensure they're cleared up for the next game.

Originally posted by Bee
Morrowind is a good game too. I recommended Neverwinter Nights because I think it has more replay value
Everyone keeps talking about replay value, but with Morrowind you won't need it - you'll simply never finish it once, its so big. My wife has easily 200 hours into that game and is not close to finishing. It is also easily the best art I have ever seen in a game - its breathtaking. Arnbuc must have been thinking about NWN when he talked about boring graphics and barren environments - NWN is a good game but a step behind, say, Diablo in the graphics department.

I would go with Morrowind and CM4.

EDIT: If you don't like open-ended first person character building games, buy CM4 now and wait for KotOR for the PC in October.

Originally posted by TargetPractice6
I just got TCY last week, and I must say I'm really enjoying it. Still waiting for FOF4 to arrive :D

Shoot TP, from not owning any and asking around which one is better, to buying both of them! I'm impressed :D

So I take it you liked TCY enough then. I fired back my copy of FOF4 when we talked about it the last time. Now in 2008 with the Cardinals, having fun... :)

FM

Originally posted by sterlingice
*gumble* And people vehemently questioned me when I said Xbox were the foolish rich... Why would you buy both? Or was this tongue in cheek and I completely missed it?

SI

Thank you, but I'm neither rich or foolish. I'm probably buying the Xbox version so that I can import players from NCAA 2004. I'm might end up buying the PC version as well so that I can have an official "Coach only" mode (no option for that on the console version), and there are generally lots of downloads you can pick up that would be fun to have.

I'll tell you how "foolish" I am. I'm thinking now I'll get the Xbox version, and when the price drops on the PC version in a couple of months I'll pick it up. That way all the patches and rosters that people will be making will have been made.

RPI. I would recommend looking for Civ2-MGE. That was the latest version and the one that has all of those scenarios and the ability to play custom scenarios.

Morrowind is great! Definetly get that over Neverwinter Nights (which I found boring). I actually consider Morrowind to be one of the greatest games ever made.

Imran, you and I after all of these years, have finally found something we completely disagree on! :D

Originally posted by Samdari
Everyone keeps talking about replay value, but with Morrowind you won't need it - you'll simply never finish it once, its so big. My wife has easily 200 hours into that game and is not close to finishing. It is also easily the best art I have ever seen in a game - its breathtaking. Arnbuc must have been thinking about NWN when he talked about boring graphics and barren environments - NWN is a good game but a step behind, say, Diablo in the graphics department.

I would go with Morrowind and CM4.

EDIT: If you don't like open-ended first person character building games, buy CM4 now and wait for KotOR for the PC in October.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Morrowind. It took me about a month to beat the game and there were still plenty of side quests I could have gone back to do. The problem was at that point I was so powerful, I lost interest. I didn't have any interest in starting a new character because I would be playing basically the same game over even if I did do a few different side quests the main story was the same. With Neverwinter Nights, there are a vast number of scenerios and online worlds to explore. I've ran dozens of characters and still occasionally get the itch and create a new one and go explore a new world.

I agree about graphics. The graphics in Morrowind were awesome. The ones on Neverwinter Nights are somewhat dated. Not horrible, but nothing to make your eyes pop. If graphics are important, Morrowind would be a better choice. Graphics don't mean much to me (that's why I like text sims :D), I prefer open-ended, quality gameplay. Both games offer that to some extent, but I still think Neverwinter Nights offers a lot more long term enjoyment.

Imran, you and I after all of these years, have finally found something we completely disagree on!

Yes... heathen :D

Of the two war games, I'd go with Hearts of Iron, but that's because I prefer grand strategy games. It's execellent and definitely a deep game. If you are more into tactical warfare and action, then Battlefield is probably more suited for you.

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz
Another sleeper hit out there is Mafia. I've heard "game of the year" accolades tossed at that one. I just bought that one with CM4, and it's on the rather large list of "games to play soon".

Just thought I'd re-chime in here, Mafia would pretty easily nab my award for Game of the Year last year. Most cinematic gaming experience you'll find, just great story, characters, and action.

There's a couple of parts were folks think it gets pretty tedious, there's a lot of driving back and forth between missions and such, and the infamous racing mission...but I really never found that to be boring, beautiful looking city and very much alive.

Game has a lot of GTA and a little Max Payne'ish 3rd Person action. Loved it.

Another game that fell under the radar and is a pretty damn fun FPS with a few issues is Vietcong. I had a blast playing through that, and I think it's the best squad oriented shooter out now for Single Player. HEAVILY scripted though. That game I won't heartily endorse as it does have it's share of problems, but I really enjoyed it.

Originally posted by Marc Vaughan
(Sorry to thread jack)
Do you have EP#5 installed? - if so then please report any problems you have on the bugs forum on sigames.com, that was we can ensure they're cleared up for the next game.

Yes Marc I've got EP#5 installed, but I wasn't talking about game stopping bugs, just some little bugs that are annoying :

- the agility-balance problem with some training schedules
- the awards that are completely wrong most of the times
- english instead of french in a few news
- always the same teams going out of CFA to National (that's because of how the groups are made, and that's the real groups would have been better).
and a few other things that I can't remember (I'm at my parents house so don't have all this on this computer).

I really think the game is already good as it is, just that he could be tweaked litle more.

Originally posted by Bee
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Morrowind. It took me about a month to beat the game and there were still plenty of side quests I could have gone back to do. The problem was at that point I was so powerful, I lost interest. I didn't have any interest in starting a new character because I would be playing basically the same game over even if I did do a few different side quests the main story was the same.

The mods that have been developed in the last year do a wonderful job at adjusting the game balance. They modify experience rates, monster difficulty, etc. I can't emphasize how much better the game has gotten since its release a year ago.

I agree completely, though, that the scripted missions make starting over a bit of a chore. Daggerfall got some criticism because so many missions were random, but it would have been nice to have some of the missions (especially the early ones) in Morrowind be random as well. I've started over three or four times, and replaying the first few hours gets a bit old the second time. However, the game is so huge that once you get three hours into it, you can be on a completely different tack than in previous games. Plus with the different character types, each game tends to play quite differently.

I bought Morrowind a few months ago and tried playing it but just couldn't get into it.

If you want, we can figure something out where I can just send you my copy (I don't think I've touched it since the first few days of March when I bought it.)

Originally posted by Godzilla Blitz
The mods that have been developed in the last year do a wonderful job at adjusting the game balance. They modify experience rates, monster difficulty, etc. I can't emphasize how much better the game has gotten since its release a year ago.

I agree completely, though, that the scripted missions make starting over a bit of a chore. Daggerfall got some criticism because so many missions were random, but it would have been nice to have some of the missions (especially the early ones) in Morrowind be random as well. I've started over three or four times, and replaying the first few hours gets a bit old the second time. However, the game is so huge that once you get three hours into it, you can be on a completely different tack than in previous games. Plus with the different character types, each game tends to play quite differently.

What mods would you recommend? I've played through the basic game and would like to start over.

And do you have Tribunal? I'd love to pick that up if anyone would like to sell or trade for it.

RPI: go to dirtcheap software.
Civ II MGE & 2 other games for $9.99

http://www.dirtcheapsoftware.com/stgaro3cdvap.html

Originally posted by FrogMan
Shoot TP, from not owning any and asking around which one is better, to buying both of them! I'm impressed :D

So I take it you liked TCY enough then. I fired back my copy of FOF4 when we talked about it the last time. Now in 2008 with the Cardinals, having fun... :)

After starting up TCY, playing it, and realizing that I've been playing for five hours without noticing... Yeah I'd say I liked it enough ;)

Originally posted by KWhit
What mods would you recommend? I've played through the basic game and would like to start over.

And do you have Tribunal? I'd love to pick that up if anyone would like to sell or trade for it.

The mods question is a big one, and would take a long time to answer. Also, I haven't played for a couple of months now, so the situation has likely changed with the release of Bloodmoon. I think the best answer I can give you is to go here (http://www.gonegold.com/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=2;DaysPrune=30) and do a search for "morrowind" and "mods". You'll pull up about a dozen threads debating the merits and disadvantages of the best mods. A couple of those threads have great posts with links to the best mods. If you spend 30 minutes reading those threads, you'll have a great starting point for which ones you're interested in. Another 30 minutes of downloading and installing, and you're off!

One of the big debates is whether to use Wakim's mod and/or the one called Super Adventurer's (or something like that). I have tried Wakim's and really liked it. It's apparently more subtle than the Super Adventurer's one, but makes a lot of improvements to the gameplay. The face pack mod that you'll read about is a definite, too. As well as the signs one, and one for reorganizing potions, and one that gives you a great house in Balmora, and...

And oh, yes, there are a zillion mods out there that either suck or instantly give your character an "uber weapon". I'd stick to the ones recommended in the threads you'll read at the above link, unless, of course, you want to have a world-killer from the start.

Hope that helps!

Originally posted by TargetPractice6
After starting up TCY, playing it, and realizing that I've been playing for five hours without noticing... Yeah I'd say I liked it enough ;)

Good, glad to see our recommendations were rigt on for you :)

Hope you have as much fun with FOF4 too. I might get myself tempted by TCY one of these days ;)

FM