My favourites

[Mouzafphaerre]

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First of all, my favourite genre has always been strategy, although I've been inclined with several RPGs in the last years as well.

It started with Dungeon Keeper II, continued with the Starcraft and C&C series. Not all of them though...

Then I discovered my top favourites, the city building games. Pharaoh was the first. Emperor, it's successor, is te best in many aspects IMHO. (I'm Mao Dun in its forum.) Tropico 2: Pirate Cove is also a very good game despite many glitches.

I got MTW sometime in 2002, VI a few months ago. I played it all along at that time, until I was introuced to Sea Dogs, which started my love for naval/pirate games, most of which being RPGs. (Hence Hayreddin Barbarossa...) Sea Dogs was followed by Cutthroats, Pirates Gold, Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons. The community feel I've been experiencing related to these games is an important part of their leisure. Therefore, when my internet connection was terminated last March for a six month period, I abandoned all of them and returned to MTW, then Emperor...

At the end of last summer, I got Port Royale, the first trading sim I've ever played. After getting the hang of it, I became adicted and got Patrician III as well. I think I'll get Tortuga/Pirate Hunter (the RPGfied version of Port Royale) too.

Cossacks: European Wars is also one of the best war strategies IMO. Unfortunately, its campaigns are very hard. I have to admit that it beats MTW in its micromanagement opportunities in the battles, formation etc. slightly. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

I've got Anno 1503 too but didn't play enough to have an idea on it. If I like it, I may get its prequel 1602 AD as well.

I'm planning to give Pax Romana, seemingly a good competitor for our RTW, a try sometime;, awaiting the release of RTW, Cossacks 2, Pirates 2 and Port Royale 2; vouching for a new video card in order to be able to play Pirates of the Carribean (the sequel to Sea Dogs) and playing MTW for 18 hours when I launch it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
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[Lehesu]

Pirates really blowed. Don't get it. Try reading reviews at gamespot and gamespy to save your money.

[gaelic cowboy]

MTW + VI is the only one of those I have the rest just never grabbed cossacks just bored me with all the resource collecting and the like.

[kiwitt]

All Time Favorites:

MTW:VI (It be here a long time)
CivIII and CivII (MTW:VI knocked this of its perch after some time, also why I sold my Playstation)
Caesar3 (Still good, great watching those people walk on all those paths; Bit like Sim City)
DoomI&II (Great when set at Invincible and just having a bash, to release some stress)
GT (Why I bought, my Playstation)

[frogbeastegg]

I played and really liked Pharaoh and Emperor, also Zeus and Caesar II+III. Pharaoh is the best of the bunch, although Zeus is very close behind.

Cossacks was good but the series has been going down ever since the original. The first add-on improved many things (orders in pause mode) but lobotomised the AI from actually very challenging to dribbling moron. I didn't bother with the second add-on. American Conquest had some good ideas but again the AI was terrible and it just couldn't measure up to the original.

[spmetla]

Which of the C&C series did you like, personally I only like the orignal and the Covert Ops expansion.

And as for Caeser III they should have let you have the broader province control of Caeser II and allowed you to manage mulitple cities within the province. Caeser II was more fun but Caeser III is alright.

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Hello Frog,

Glad to find another Pharaoh/Emperor fan around here. I don't have Caesar but Sierra recently released a six-in-one pack in Scandinavia (Emperor, Cleopatra, Pharaoh, Poseidon, Zeus, Caesar III; not CI/II though). I'll wait and see if they release it in the international market or ask a friend in the region to get it for me. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

I've played only the original Cossacks up to now, don't have the expansions or AC. In the sequel, they'll minimize resource management and focus on combat. Wooden walls eating up your wood reserve was really stupid. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-no.gif

Hey Spmetla,

It's been at least three years since I played any C&C but one of them was Tiberian Sun. Can't remember the other. I don't think I played more than two of them though.
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[The Wizard]

Ahhhh Pharaoh. Great game. My most fond memory of that was a huuuuge city in the Levant somewhere, with three pyramids, a sphinx, and a crapload of a population.

Its sequel Zeus was great too, loved the campaigns with the mythology and all, and founding colonies in hard-to-colonize territory. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif
Also, the system of getting hoplites instead of weak little militia is great too, as well as seeing your monuments arise. Same goes for Pharao - the graphics were just right for the game, it was great to see all those cute little houses and their beautiful presentation, avenuues, temples, markets, sphinxes, trade posts, inundation, etc.


Imho, Cossacks was just too hard to control. All those little men, the annoying resource system, and then there's strategy to worry about as well



~Wiz http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-jester.gif

[frogbeastegg]

A friendly word of advice Mouzafphaerre don't go back to Caesar when you've played the more refined titles It has no roadblocks, none at all, and you have no idea how annoying it is to build a city and have it collapse because your walkers are stupid enough to deliver food to clay pits instead of houses Pharaoh took Caesar and refined it to near perfection, going back to Caesar is like going to candles after experiencing electric lighting.

Pharaoh really was a class act, just as Wizzy...er the Wizard (why is everyone changing their name?) said. The only thing I didn't like was monument building - too slow The game needed some kind of hyper speed up setting, 200% speed or something. I left my PC on and unattended while my city ran itself in the pyramid building levels rather than sit there for 5 hours waiting. I loved the inundation, watching those poor little peeps drown because the roads were busy and the flood waters rose was a tense experience. Will they escape or will they drown taking my much needed barley with them? Oh the excitement

One of the things I liked about Zeus was the ability to campaign, carrying your cities on and bullying the colonies you created for resources. Also conquering other people for tribute and fun. Loved the way you could call on heroes and have gods wandering your streets...and the herds of animals running around your pastures...and the games, both winning and hosting them...great times

[Knight_Yellow]

Best RTS

1. Dark Colony
2. MTW+VI
3. Zues master of olympus
4. AOEII kings
5. Homeworld 2

EDIT: i think Zues was the best (long hours collecting marble to build the monument of zues, even my Strategy hating cousin loved this game) but i purchased Emperor rise of the middle kingdom a while ago.

i never realy got into it much.


might just load it up again the now.

[The Wizard]

My fav was the temple of Ares (in Greece? yes, in my city http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif)... free super-hoplites Always won me a war and gained me a new monument.

Also, hosting the different games was great too. In one year, I won every single game, as well as the Olympics The next year I got to host them all, but I won only about two. =\

Damn, I miss my huge city with its huge population in Pharaoh(10,000 or 100,000, don't remember what was more realistic in the game). Unfortunately it was on my old pc, which my mom got and she had it reformatted. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif



~Wiz

[Mouzafphaerre]

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Thanks for the advice Froggy, I'll keep it in mind. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

I also liked conquering neighbouring cities for fun in Emperor. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/handball.gif

Knight_yellow,

I also played Age of Kings a little bit. Not a bad game indeed but not my favourite type. I played Empire Earth too. A little better than AOK but same comments... The AI hits before you can build up. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-inquisitive.gif

Thanks all for replying. It's fun reading your comments.

http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wave.gif
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[The Tuffen]

Quote[/b] ]Pirates really blowed. Don't get it. Try reading reviews at gamespot and gamespy to save your money.

Pirates of the carribean was really bad. I got it cos i liked morrowind and thought it would be alright as it was from Bethseda. I was wrong, the controls are the biggest problem i found but there may of been more, i got to bored of it within bout a day.

[Leet Eriksson]

Ahh the city-building seriesthese are pretty fun games....

It first started with ceasar II it was pretty fun especially with 2 maps one of your city and the other of the entire italian peninsula,you had cohorts patrolling and taking over other cities it was really fun,but it had its own flaws...

Ceasar III,well i liked it alot,but some features from ceasar 2 were removed,most notably the ability conquer neighbouring cities...

I also played Zues and Pharoah,i actually like Zues alot more becuase of the mythology and heroes in the game oh and you can also campaign.

Emperor is the one i play most nowdays,it also features online play,but barely anyone is online nowadays..the game is still good,the music is well done and pleasing to the ears,the war/strategy part in unit managment and fighting is pretty good too and you can also campaign,diplomacy is pretty well done too,imo Emperor is the best in the city building series...the walkers are still annoying tho,and road and roadblock managment is a pain,also gates sometimes don't block certain walkers,and it does'nt provide the option to block them,despite this i still emjoy it a lot

[Mouzafphaerre]

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The Tuffen,

Try it with the mods mate. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif Many glitches have been removed and several new features added. The team (which I was a part of until last month) have been working on a large scale expansion for more than seven months. Check their work at the PotC Mods board here (http://www.thelib.com/yabbse/). http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

Btw, it's not from Bethesda; it's from Akella, just like the prequel, Sea Dogs. Bethesda published both of them. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

faisal,

I like the diplomacy in Emperor too. Something MTW deserved. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/rolleyes.gif IIRC, residential gates work pretty well.
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[The Tuffen]

Quote[/b] ]Try it with the mods mate. Many glitches have been removed and several new features added. The team (which I was a part of until last month) have been working on a large scale expansion for more than seven months. Check their work at the PotC Mods board here.

Cool, I'll have a look later when i get home.

[Russian Threat]

Quote[/b] (The Tuffen @ Feb. 29 2004,19:41)]
Quote[/b] ]Pirates really blowed. Don't get it. Try reading reviews at gamespot and gamespy to save your money.

Pirates of the carribean was really bad. I got it cos i liked morrowind and thought it would be alright as it was from Bethseda. I was wrong, the controls are the biggest problem i found but there may of been more, i got to bored of it within bout a day.
I agree somewhat. While POTC's visuals, sounds and sea battles rocked, there was just too many unresolved glitches and bugs that undermined many a gamer's (including mine) potential enjoyment of the game. And the swordplay could have been much improved with the inclusion of the ability to strafe.

What's worse, Bethseda Softworks never released or intended to acknowledge that the game badly needed a patch. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/mecry.gif

I'm hoping the remake of Sid Meier's Pirates (due later this year hopefully) will cure my quality-pirate-game withdrawl symptoms. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-smile.gif

[Russian Threat]

Quote[/b] (Mouzafphaerre @ Mar. 01 2004,17:13)]-

Try it with the mods mate. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif Many glitches have been removed and several new features added. The team (which I was a part of until last month) have been working on a large scale expansion for more than seven months. Check their work at the PotC Mods board here (http://www.thelib.com/yabbse/). http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

Btw, it's not from Bethesda; it's from Akella, just like the prequel, Sea Dogs. Bethesda published both of them. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
D'oh I must have mistakenly skipped over your last post, m8. Stupid me http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-embarassed.gif

I will check out the mods for POTC later...thanks for the link http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/bigthumb.gif

[Stormer]

my top 5 games of all time would proberly be.

Close Combat - my first ever RTS game i started me off

Command and Conquer - This was more of a drug then a game.

Civlisation 3 - one of my first ever pc games

Shogun - what can i say http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/gc-yes.gif

Call of Duty - my favorite FPS

[RZST]

i agree with some of those games :)
my fav ones would be...tropico, C&C series, mtw :p

you should try out Civilization Series, that game is pretty awesome.

my top 5 strategy games would be..

1.Total War Series
2.Civ Series
3.GalCiv
4.C&C Series
5.Commandos Series

i do play other genres though :)

[Mouzafphaerre]

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I have Civ 3 but never had the chance to try it out thoroughly. Will do when I have time; many people adore it. http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
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[Suraknar]

Well, I'd have to say many of the Games mentioned are wonderfull indeed.

Started out with mostly TbT Strategy/RTS games.

Some of my Early favorites was Colonization and Dune II, Master of Orion

Simulation, such as the Star Wars, Wing Commander Series were excelent.

Early Action Multiplayer Often by 1-1 Modem, Rise of the Triad, and Duke Nukem 3D, later on moved to LAN.

Another game that not many talk about now days was Syndicate, specially over LAN, but it required a NetBios setup :P

Shogun Total War and STW/MI are on my All time Favorites list

Moved to Online Games, with Ultima Online, played for 5 years Then many followed but did not last for long, althought SWG certaintly is the new King of the Hill, WWII Online aswell within it's category of Online Games.

Sea Dogs is what got me out of Online Games, strange phenomenon really, an RPG not even Multiplayer, heavy on Modding it, I have to agree with HB (Mouza), the community played a big role in it.

MTW came out, and it is what got me here initially, a place which I equally cherish

Now Modding Pirates of the Caribbean, and I have to say, anyone that has this game and has not played the Moded Version of it (I suggest trying Build 10.1), try it with the Mods, it is a different Game.

We keep on Modding it and a new Map should be out in the Comming months too

Cheers to all
http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/cheers.gif

[Kekvit Irae]

I loved the Dungeon Keeper series.
Your dungeon is damp. Install central heating.
Your dungeon is on an incline. Angry creatures cannot play marbles.
It is the witching hour. Curses are half-price.


It's funny, I've played almost all of the games mentioned, but I still dont consider myself a geek.

[Rosacrux]

Of the city-building series, the only one I've played more than a couple of times, was Caesar2&3. Nice and neat, but repetitive and boring after a while (for my style of play, at least).

I haven't played many games in general, I only play strategy and CRPG though. My top of the tops:

Strategy:

MTW&VI
STW&MI
CivI&2&3
MOO2 (great, great game - MOO3 blew it badly)
Colonization (great old timer)
MOM (anyone remember that?)
The old Koei games (Bandit Kings of Ancient China, Genghis Khan, Nobunaga's ambition etc.)


RPG

Dungeon Master (the ooooold one)
Return to Krondor
Baldur's Gate1&2 and expansions (and most of the Infinity engine games)
NeverWinter Nights

[hrvojej]

Pharaoh & Cleopatra were really good games. Caesar 3 kinda faded after playing a much more sophisticated sequel, but it was great fun at the time. Zeus never really grew on me, as less emphasis was on city building and more on other things. My impression of Zeus was that it was simplified and toned down in many aspects when compared to the prequel. And since I am a weirdo who actually enjoyed watching the pyramids grow in Pharaoh.... http://www.totalwar.org/forum/non-cgi/emoticons/wacko.gif

I never got Emperor, as I understood it was more like Zeus and less like Pharaoh.

[Suraknar]

MOM - Master of Magic :)

Neverwinter Nights and Knights of the Old Republic both great recent RPG's