Need newer game, please recommend.

[CrossLOPER]

I need a game from the last year or so. This is my list:

*Sins of a Solar Empire (Install limit)
*World in Conflict (SecuROM)
*Prince of Perisa (???)
*The Witcher: EE (Tages)
*Fallout 3 (SecuROM)

The things in the parenthesis are reasons not to buy. If someone can convince me why, for instance, SoaSE is so awesome that it is worth installing two times before the CD becomes a shuriken, I'll get it. If you have other suggestions, please feel free to contribute. Thanks.

[Kekvit Irae]

Neverwinter Night 2, with both expansions.

[TevashSzat]

Umm....

Bioshock
Supreme Commander
Unreal Tournament 3

There are plenty, I'll recommend some more when I remember them

[Crandaeolon]

Sins of a Solar Empire (Install limit)

That sounds odd, I installed SoaSE on two desktops and a laptop. Granted, I haven't played the game since 1.04 so I might be a bit behind the times, but as I understand it the game has no DRM except for patch downloading, which requires internet validation. And, patches are available in self-installing exe packages - you can patch multiple installations with them.

[Vladimir]

Neverwinter Night 2, with both expansions.

Seconded. While not as easy to mod (and therefore a smaller modding community) it is nevertheless a very good game.

But what do I know? I've been itching to play a modded version of MoOIII.

[Mailman653]

Mass Effect has an excellent story and the character custimization is pretty fun, but I think it has some odd copy protection issues.

[frogbeastegg]

*Sins of a Solar Empire (Install limit)

Stardock is the publisher, and they're very vocally against things like install limits. There's not so much as a CD check on Sins.

Copy protection is provided by the somewhat unusual system of providing huge patches and updates, but requiring players to get them via Impulse, Stardock's online download service. It's somewhat like Steam, except that you only need to run Impulse when you want to check for updates. You do not need to load it or connect to the internet otherwise. You don't need to validate your install before you can play your game; you can play the unpatched game as much as you like.

It was a good game but missing something IMO. I'd try the demo before you buy.

[Kekvit Irae]

It was a good game but missing something IMO.

Like a campaign? Or a story?

[Martok]

*Sins of a Solar Empire (Install limit)

Sins doesn't have an install limit. Unless you're referring to the fact that you can "only" install it on two different machines at any one time (which is more than what you can say for most PC games)?

Like a campaign? Or a story?

Yeah, I do think Ironclad/Stardock messed up in that regard. I understand their reasons for not including a proper campaign, but I still think it was a mistake nonetheless.

Personally, however, the major reason Sins just isn't my cup of tea is because it lacks the depth I crave in 4x games. Yes the combat is great, but otherwise it's a rather shallow experience for me -- it doesn't *feel* like a true empire-builder, and that's what I need.

[CrossLOPER]

Sins appears to have a transcendental type of limit/DRM. I don't mind the two per machine install as much as I mind the fact that if I resell it, that person will not be able to patch it. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Martok]

Now that, I honestly don't know. You may well be right, although I don't remember how it works with Stardock (re: reselling). I guess it never occurred to me since I've no intention of ever reselling my copy of GalCiv 2 anyway.

[Veho Nex]

Newer game eh?

Thats hard if you dont have a list of games you currently own or are more likely not wanting to play.

[frogbeastegg]

Like a campaign?

Yes, though it's not what I'd consider to be the big lack. Games like Civ4 and Galciv2 don't have campaigns and work well without them. Sins doesn't have the variety to be replayed as many times as those games, so it needs to have something else to bring variety to play.

Or a story?

You can see that the developers have cooked up some backstory, and then their choice of game modes left them without any way to pass it along. It's impossible to tell a story with an endless series of random map games. I'm not so bothered about storylines in my strategy games though; many of my favourites make no effort at all to have one and are better for it.

The big lack IMO was that indefinable something. On all technical levels it was a fine game, and it played very well. There were certain things it did very well indeed, and I was impressed with aspects such as the fleet AI being good enough to handle your smaller battles without any player guidance. What it failed to do was catch my imagination and keep me playing. Sins is still on my HD. I patch it when Impulse prompts me, and keep saying that I will load it up again one day. Truth is I haven't touched it since before the first big patch.

The second big lack is easier to quantify. Sins was designed with a strong lean towards the MP community. That rarely makes for a good SP game - all that's there is a sandbox for training future MP players. I don't do MP, don't want to, and never will.

Sins appears to have a transcendental type of limit/DRM. I don't mind the two per machine install as much as I mind the fact that if I resell it, that person will not be able to patch it. Correct me if I am wrong.

You would have to give that person your entire stardock account and stop using it yourself. That means you would lose access to any other games you had registered, and the other person would gain them.

[FactionHeir]

I need a game from the last year or so. This is my list:

*The Witcher: EE (Tages)

Get the non EE version and patch it up to EE. Then you have no protection on it and can play without disc too.

Alternatively, get the EE and install the game without EE patch. Then download the "download" EE patch for same effect.

[CrossLOPER]

Newer game eh?

Thats hard if you dont have a list of games you currently own or are more likely not wanting to play.

I'm pretty sure all I have from the recent crop is Quake Wars and the Orange box. Then we make our way back to Doom 3... The most recently released game I am getting soon is Quake 4. It would have been Prince of Persia had it not had that yellow tag on the back of the DVD case... Again, if someone clarifies the purpose of that tag ("contains software... may interfere with drives...").

You would have to give that person your entire stardock account and stop using it yourself. That means you would lose access to any other games you had registered, and the other person would gain them.

Wait... so it's like Steam in that I can sell my account? OK, that sounds better. I use Steam, but I plan on capping my purchases of games that run on Steam after Half-Life 2: Episode Three comes out.

Get the non EE version and patch it up to EE. Then you have no protection on it and can play without disc too.

Alternatively, get the EE and install the game without EE patch. Then download the "download" EE patch for same effect.

BUT THEN I DON'T GET THE AWESOME MAP AND OTHER SWAG DAWG.

Actually, looking here, it appears that all it does is check the disk. As long is Tages is about as mild as SafeDisk, I'm fine...

[FactionHeir]

Sure you do, if you buy the EE but install the game without the EE patch only. Then update using the downlaod patch as I described.

[CrossLOPER]

Sure you do, if you buy the EE but install the game without the EE patch only. Then update using the downlaod patch as I described.

My reading skills shot out after my last final. Thanks.

[BigTex]

Could use a few suggestios in the ways of hardcore strategy games. After finding the remake of Colonization to be pretty flat compared to it's predicessor, I want to find something else. Are there even any decent strategy games out there anymore?

Most I've run across have scrapped most of their depth for pretty color's and making the game "more accessible" for players. Debating just loading up Sierra's Civil War II or Ghengis Khan2, PTO even, and spurning the new.

[Zenicetus]

Could use a few suggestios in the ways of hardcore strategy games. After finding the remake of Colonization to be pretty flat compared to it's predicessor, I want to find something else. Are there even any decent strategy games out there anymore?

Have you tried Galactic Civilizations 2? It's the best strategy game I've played in the last few years. It's pure strategy; turn-based, with no tactical layer (you don't control ships in space battles). There is a campaign, but it's really just a trainer for the game mechanics. It's basically a sandbox strategy game, where you can set up different-sized, randomized game maps. The AI is very good, and the last expansion adds unique tech trees for each race. Don't get it without that expansion (Twilight of the Arnor). No copy protection, although you have to register and use their online service for updates.

[CrossLOPER]

Speaking of The Witcher, how is it? I heard it has quite a few bugs and that the stats system is a little bit too similar to Oblivion's (i.e. you can max out all your stats). What game could it be compared to?

[TevashSzat]

Speaking of The Witcher, how is it? I heard it has quite a few bugs and that the stats system is a little bit too similar to Oblivion's (i.e. you can max out all your stats). What game could it be compared to?

The stats systems is extremely different from Oblivion. You can't max them out at all. I vaguely remember maxing out at most maybe 4 different "trees" of skills.

The game is pretty good. You can't really compare it to any game since it has a very different style. It is linear in the sense that there are "acts" that you must go through in order. The main story line within each act must be completed before moving on to the next one. It is not linear in the sense that there is a ton of sidequests that you may do and there are usually quite a few areas to explore in each act.

I suppose, it is somewhat similar to Neverwinter Night's campaign system

[Shieldmaiden]

Have you tried Galactic Civilizations 2? It's the best strategy game I've played in the last few years. It's pure strategy; turn-based, with no tactical layer (you don't control ships in space battles). There is a campaign, but it's really just a trainer for the game mechanics. It's basically a sandbox strategy game, where you can set up different-sized, randomized game maps. The AI is very good, and the last expansion adds unique tech trees for each race. Don't get it without that expansion (Twilight of the Arnor). No copy protection, although you have to register and use their online service for updates.

I'm thinking of buying Galactic Civilizations 2: Ultimate Edition for Christmas.

Does it feel like Master of Orion 2? Cos if yes warp 10 captain

[FactionHeir]

Speaking of The Witcher, how is it? I heard it has quite a few bugs and that the stats system is a little bit too similar to Oblivion's (i.e. you can max out all your stats). What game could it be compared to?

Bugs, not too many left (I run a bug list on the witcher wiki (really up to 1.3) if you are interested though, but haven't been able to reproduce several of them in the EE).
Stat system is fairly unique. It is true that you can max out most of the tree, but not all (again, I did a bit of numbercrunching on the wiki in that regard) and of course you are welcome to run my talent point balance (or rather: reduction) mod which makes choices a bit tougher. There's also mods from other people adding an insane difficulty mod if that's your thing

As for comparing it, its probably something of a mix between NWN, Diablo and Morrowind and polished.
In terms of quests, there's a lot of them and some go across several acts. You also got a potion/oil brewing system and several of your decisions impact the way the game progresses.

Note that some people experience issues running it on Vista, but a patch is slated for the start of January to address these.

Disclaimer: I am biased, sue me

[frogbeastegg]

Wait... so it's like Steam in that I can sell my account? OK, that sounds better. I use Steam, but I plan on capping my purchases of games that run on Steam after Half-Life 2: Episode Three comes out.

If you don't mind said person having access to private information like your email address, user name, plus access to every single game you have registered with impulse. Stardock don't officially approve of selling or passing on accounts so they will not support in any way or help if you or your buyer experience difficulties. They won't move to block you though, AFAIK.

I have been slowly making my way through The Witcher since the enhanced edition was released. It's very good. Think classic PC RPG in terms of main quest and side quest structure, with an action RPG style combat system which is heavily based on an almost Diablo-esque character building system. It's very mature in its tone, both in the truly mature grown up plot and characterisation for adults sense, and in the ratings mature blood and breasts sense. It can be a challenging game on the default level. It's good enough that I would have finished it much sooner if it were on a more comfortable system. I get tired of my PC after an hour's play.

RE the prince of Persia sticker, why not take a look on the Ubisoft forums and see if anyone has asked about it?

[Zenicetus]

Speaking of The Witcher, how is it? I heard it has quite a few bugs and that the stats system is a little bit too similar to Oblivion's (i.e. you can max out all your stats). What game could it be compared to?

It's similar in some ways to recent games like Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Fallout 3 that combine combat with storyline and character advancement. On the scale of FPS to RPG, it leans much more towards being a traditional RPG. There is combat, but also lots of interaction with NPC's to advance the plot. Those other games I mentioned feel more like shooters wrapped inside an "RPG Lite" shell. You spend more time in combat than you do dealing with character and plot elements. That's basically reversed in the Witcher. If you don't like spending lots of time running around to talk to different people, interspersed with occasional flurries of combat, you might not like the game. For me, it's a nice change of pace between playing the FPS/RPG hybrids.

The main thing it has going for it is the dark, medieval setting of the game. I've heard it described as "fantasy noir." The game mechanics like the skill system, crafting of potions etc. all have a unique flavor too. It's definitely not your cookie-cutter fantasy game. I think it's worth playing just to see how typical fantasy ideas can be re-worked with a different flavor. The moral choices you have to make are often more nuanced than simple good vs. evil stereotypes. There's a sense that most of the NPC's are basically looking out for themselves, with varying agendas and conflicts, and not many true "good guys" in the game. That's where that film noir feeling comes in. Your character is sort of the Humphrey Bogart detective type, trying to follow leads that will eventually advance the plot line, and not really interested in being a hero to everyone... although he may end up doing heroic things in spite of himself.

The only minor gripe I have is with the balance of the difficulty settings. At Medium difficulty, the generic combat encounters (most of what you'll be doing) can seem a little too easy, once you figure out the combat system and learn how to craft potions and oils. However, there are still a couple of boss-level encounters that can be very tough to get through. Those can be almost impossible (for me, at least) if you ramp the game up to Hard level, to make the generic encounters more challenging. The real flaw is that this is one of those games where you're stuck with the difficulty setting you make at the start of the campaign. You can't change it mid-game to get past a rough patch. I still enjoyed playing through at Medium difficulty, mostly for the atmosphere and storyline.

On a technical level, the EE version seems pretty solid. No obvious bugs in the quests. I had one or two crashes to desktop, but the save system is good, and those seemed random.

[TevashSzat]

Quick Question @Crossloper

How old do you want the game to be? Do you have some hardware limits?

I might go through the games from the past year or so and I can make up a list for you if you give me some parameters

[Zenicetus]

I'm thinking of buying Galactic Civilizations 2: Ultimate Edition for Christmas.

Does it feel like Master of Orion 2? Cos if yes warp 10 captain

Well, it doesn't have tactical ship combat where you can control individual ships and determine the outcome. You're in charge of strategy -- you decide what types of ships to construct (and there is a great custom ship building module!), how many to put in a fleet, where those ships should be deployed for offense or defense. You can decide whether to initiate a battle if you have the movement points to reach an enemy fleet or target. When a battle starts, the results are auto-calculated by comparing stats of the two fleets. You can then watch a 3D movie of the actual battle, but the results are pre-determined by number crunching. So it lacks that hands-on space battle element in MOO, but I think it makes up for it with the overall depth of the game and AI quality.

Also, space battles aren't always central to winning a GalCiv2 game. There are two military-intensive paths: either raw territorial conquest through planetary invasion, or capturing and defending special resources scattered across the galaxy (which upsets all the other races when you get far enough down that path). Both require a lot of space combat. But there are also two other ways to win the game: cultural domination where you "flip" planetary systems to your side because you're just too cool and everyone likes your culture, or going far enough down the path of science research to reach a God-like state that triggers the tech win condition. Both of those win conditions require a strong military to keep other races off your back. However, I've played through a few games where it basically meant designing and building the right kind of ships to intimidate the other races, playing some background diplomatic games (like getting other races to go to war with each other), and never had to fight any major battles myself.

[frogbeastegg]

It would have been Prince of Persia had it not had that yellow tag on the back of the DVD case... Again, if someone clarifies the purpose of that tag ("contains software... may interfere with drives...").

I found a handful of comments on the PC version's box and DRM while reading a review. It seems like the decision to drop DRM was made very late in the day, after the box had already gone to print. I'll quote the comments over for you:

Poisoned Sponge: I checked the box of the PC version of PoP today at work, and it says that it requires at least the disc and a cd-key, so it’s definitely not without DRM, but there’s a chance that’s all that there is.

The package designers didn’t get the memo it seems. I own the retail box version, and while the box states that the game “contains technology intended to prevent copying”, I can confirm it has no DRM whatsoever, not even a disc check. Part of what sold me on the game. Goodness knows I’ve saved enough money skipping Bioshock, Mass Effect et al since the current incarnation of Securom pitches a fit when trying to read a disc off my DVD drive.

Link: Installed it, put away the disc, and played it on a completely offline PC with no issues whatsoever. Even made a backup disc, and I haven’t done that since the days of Planescape.

[CrossLOPER]

Thanks guys. Oddly enough, The Witcher won this round. I really did not think about bothering with the game until I made that list. Still, Amazon screwed me over by letting me know that it won't be shipping until Tuesday. I ordered it on Thursday, and for whatever reason in the world, they would not let me do anything to the order.

As of now, it will arrive around Russian Christmas...

[Jolt]

Play this game: http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=G1KAtuiKfL8

You'll love it. :D

EDIT: Players of this game who haven't seen the video will definetly die from laughter.