The Miscellaneous PC & vidya Games Thread

[Syt]

So I can play miniature battles with it... okay, maybe that's pretty convincing.

I do have the first edition of Field of Glory sitting on my bookshelf... though I never played it....

I'm not sure the games follow the miniature rules much (I think Field of Glory 1 did, but I never played it). The new games are made by the company who made Pike & Shot (16th/17th century battles) and Sengoku Jidai: Shadow of the Shogunabout - well, it's in the title (both great games, btw).

Field of Glory 2 uses a much improved version of those two games' engine. The game and its expansions are great fun if you're into the period 1000 BC to 1000 AD. It's quick to play and has a lot of unit variety at this point (still hoping for more content pre 1000 BC ... ). It's easy to whip up a random battle or campaign (which is really just a string of battles). The game and each DLC comes with historical battles and campaigns too (again, just a series of battles with some little decisions on between - still great fun).

FoG2: Medieval is the successor, using an updated engine for medieval battles. Covers 11th through 14th century, with the next DLC adding 15th century units, including Swiss pikes. For some reason, this emotion doesn't quite click as much as the one covering the ancients - that may very well be down to my greater interest in antiquity, though.

As for the integration between FoG2: Empires and FoG2 - it's cool and works well, but it also stretches out campaigns A LOT if you want to play them all out. The in game resolution works fine by me, and while I like both games,  I tend to play them separately. Empires has some cool concepts, though its decadence mechanic can be hard to manage and wrap your head around  but it's a great way to slow down player expansion. Empires yhat grow rapidly will tend to struggle more with that then those that move slower. and Empire size is not what wins the game; prestige is.

Overall, Empire plays more like a board game when compared to Total War or Imperator: Rome, but I don't consider it a mark against the game. I'd recommend checking the manual or some beginner guides.

[Jacob]

Yeah, so I bought it and started it up... not enough tool tips to just play and see what happens. Sheesh.

I'm not going to watch youtube videos, so I guess reading the manual it is.

I also just bought Fantasy General II. Gameplay seems alright, but I forgot how much I dislike "narrative campaigns" when it comes to strategy games

[Syt]

I also just bought Fantasy General II. Gameplay seems alright, but I forgot how much I dislike "narrative campaigns" when it comes to strategy games

Yeah, I think I played two or three scenarios (if that much) and then just dropped it.

[Valmy]

Yeah, so I bought it and started it up... not enough tool tips to just play and see what happens. Sheesh.

I'm not going to watch youtube videos, so I guess reading the manual it is.

I also just bought Fantasy General II. Gameplay seems alright, but I forgot how much I dislike "narrative campaigns" when it comes to strategy games

I thought it was pretty cool in Battletech: The Crescent Hawk's Revenge.

[Josquius]

I finally got 20 minutes to start disco elysium.
Funny.
Died in the first room.
1 shotted by a ceiling fan.

[CountDeMoney]

I recommend "Tin Can" on Steam.  Nifty little thinker; you are, in essence, trying to keep yourself alive in an escape pod.

Different game modes, from timed survival to just exploring and seeing what works.

[Syt]

Was listening to the Three Moves Ahead podcast episode where they talk about Field of Glory 2: Medieval. They touch on some interesting points there, and maybe some explain why the game doesn't grab me as much as the Ancients version did. They have a point that battles seem a lot more static. Once your units are locked in melee they stay there. That was true of Ancients, too, but those melees seemed to be more fluid - units would break sooner, get pushed back more often etc. In Medieval they just seem to hang there for a long, long time. Secondly, the armies are a lot more similar than in Ancients. In the predecessor you could have Person archers go against Greek Hoplites, Roman Legions against Germanic horde, and any number of matches between 1000 BC and 1000 AD. In Medieval, you're kind locked into very similar armies (unless you bring in the Mongols or some of the Muslim army lists) that may have variance on the fringes, but not so much in their core units. This may or may not get remedied with more DLC (like the Swiss pike focused on about to come out - unit variety in the FoG2 Ancients base game was also not huge, but seemed a lot more varied).

One of them made a good point. It would be cool to have a game like Battle Brothers (or Mount & Blade, I guess) but with battles from FoG2: Medieval, where you run a mercenary company and hire units, maintain your forces etc.

[Syt]

I recommend "Tin Can" on Steam.  Nifty little thinker; you are, in essence, trying to keep yourself alive in an escape pod.

Different game modes, from timed survival to just exploring and seeing what works.

That looks cool.

[Syt]

An upcoming game that might be of relevance to some here. It seems a bit Frostpunkish (resource management, tough decisions, narrative trappings).

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1266030/The_Pale_Beyond/

Five years ago, The Viscount and its crew set sail into The Pale Passage in search of absolute magnetic South. The ship and its crew were tragically lost to the ice, never to be seen again. Her sister ship, The Temperance shall follow in her path, hoping to find answers where The Viscount failed.

You didn't ask to lead this expedition but here you are: stuck in the ice, Captain missing, miles from civilization and everyone looking for you to lead. Manage your meager resources, balance safety and morale, make the hard calls and head in the only direction you can - into The Pale Beyond.

A polar exploration game set in an unforgiving frozen wasteland where you embark on a treacherous voyage across the ice and into the Pale Beyond. It's a stunning yet harsh landscape that can change at any moment.


Every decision matters. As the expedition unfolds and the winter approaches, every decision you make will have a meaningful impact on the story as you navigate a way over the ice.

After the Captain mysteriously goes missing, you unwillingly take the position of Captain. You didn't ask to lead this crew but here you are: stuck in the ice, miles from civilization and everyone looking for you to lead.

Keeping the crew and sled dogs safe, fed, and warm during an expedition is key for survival. Surviving the ice will matter little in the face of a mutiny, every vote will count. So keep the crew on your side.

Inspired by Victorian etchings and historic paintings of the time depicting the ice, each character and environment has been drawn by hand. The result is a unique artstyle with an expressive cast to see you through the cold and grim environment of the ice.

[Solmyr]

I wish more survival games would take place in not-icy snowy terrain. I want jungle or desert!

Related, last week I was in the closed beta of V Rising, which is like Valheim but you are a vampire trying to gather power and build your evil castle. It felt fun, and it's just come out in early access. RPS has a review here: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/v-rising-preview-a-vampiric-valheim-you-shouldnt-miss-out-on

[Threviel]

One of them made a good point. It would be cool to have a game like Battle Brothers (or Mount & Blade, I guess) but with battles from FoG2: Medieval, where you run a mercenary company and hire units, maintain your forces etc.

If you want to go old style there's always my first PC game Warhammer: Shadow of the horned rat or the later and somewhat better Dark Omen. I don't understand why they haven't made sequels.

[Josquius]

I wish more survival games would take place in not-icy snowy terrain. I want jungle or desert!

Related, last week I was in the closed beta of V Rising, which is like Valheim but you are a vampire trying to gather power and build your evil castle. It felt fun, and it's just come out in early access. RPS has a review here: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/v-rising-preview-a-vampiric-valheim-you-shouldnt-miss-out-on

A desert one could be cool. Trying to stay in the shade as a major mechanic.

[Syt]

You want Burntime: https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/burntime/screenshots

(Though it's a post-apocalyptic desert )

[Darth Wagtaros]

I wish more survival games would take place in not-icy snowy terrain. I want jungle or desert!

Related, last week I was in the closed beta of V Rising, which is like Valheim but you are a vampire trying to gather power and build your evil castle. It felt fun, and it's just come out in early access. RPS has a review here: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/v-rising-preview-a-vampiric-valheim-you-shouldnt-miss-out-on

If Survivorman taught us anything its that it is harder to survivein the deep jungle than the tundra.

[Josquius]

You want Burntime: https://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/burntime/screenshots

(Though it's a post-apocalyptic desert )

Wow. Looks like a proto fallout. And wasteland gets all that cred. Never heard of it before.