The Miscellaneous PC & vidya Games Thread

[Habbaku]

Flying Tigers (American air units supporting China / Sichuan in WWII)

I would find it surprising if there was a single poster here who was unaware of who they were. 

[Syt]

Yeah, the game seems very focused on the pre-1930s period which seems like an absolute bonkers era.

Poked around a bit more. Moving armies around requires coolies that you have to "recruit". Unless you can afford expensive trucks. In the basic Hunan scenario I had one of my characters go and bribe a bandit gang to become his "army." He paid extra to ensure their loyalty. When he ordered them to move ... they went, "Nah." Ensuring loyalty of your soldiers (and characters) is a big focus.

And so is actions of your non-general characters. A communist activist might go into a city to try organize the workers, crate a workers militia, launch worker strikes etc. Or you might work on improving lives for the people (though some strata might not like you moving away from ancient traditions in favor of modern ideas).

I started a games as Guomindang in 1920 and was then stumped because I only had Liao Zhongkai who was tasked by Sun Yat Sen to prepare his return to Guangzhou. So I realized that I could move from the China map to the Guangdong Regional map. And then enter the city of Guangzhou, where - if you have the right characters with the right traits - you can interact with the Chamber of Commerce, the Police Precinct, the Mechanic's Union and the Trade Mission (foreign influence does play some role). Such city maps seem to exist for some cities (Hong Kong, Shanghai, maybe more?). Actually, sending Liao Zhongkai to Hong Kong first to gather resources might be a better move, but it doesn't change that the scale of the game makes this feel like having an ant run around the map (when you pass a week, all kinds of warlord movement happen on the map while you just try to rally forces first :lol. ).

So you start of at the very bottom, rallying support, gathering finances, recruiting more people, try to sway maybe other characters etc. Talk about an uphill battle.

[Syt]

Btw, I really enjoyed The Good, The Bad, and The Weird, a Korean action flick, which is basically a spaghetti western set in Manchuria 1939 (which works surprisingly well ): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0901487/

[Sheilbh]

Cannot work out a single thing I'm meant to be doing in that game

Which is fine it wasn't too expensive and I got some time noodling around. But a shame as I am really, really interested in the period.

[Syt]

Yeah, it's fairly obtuse. 

There's tutorials and pop ups and a wiki that are meant to be helpful (plus an overlay when you press ALT that shows # of available options for your selected character on a map),but there's definitely a learning curve that I'm not sure I'm ready for atm.

[Syt]

Anyways, the trailer for the next Age of Wonders expansion looks good.

[Jacob]

I would find it surprising if there was a single poster here who was unaware of who they were. 

I'd never heard of them until I wandered into that museum in semi-rural Chengdu. The building was quite a testament to pro-American yet patriotically Chinese sentiment.

I assume there's some sort of massive pop-cultural product or classic film on the topic that I've missed?

[Josquius]

Flying Tigers (American air units supporting China / Sichuan in WWII)

I would find it surprising if there was a single poster here who was unaware of who they were. 

Unknown. Might have been able to figure it out from context, I know these people did exist, but I don't think Flying Tigers is such a stand out famous name that sans all context I'd know it.

[Crazy_Ivan80]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3CUh0w13PY&ab_channel=TheTerminator

could be something

[Syt]

Trailer for the new game from the makers of Battle Brothers. If you didn't like BB's 2D gfx, maybe give this one a look.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2432860/MENACE/

ABOUT THIS GAME
Command a strike force of marines, mercenaries, and criminals in a distant system, cut off from the Core Worlds. At the lawless frontier, the Wayback system is controlled by pirate warlords, questionable corporations, and fractured planetary governments who struggle for a new order. Though you initially lead your strike force of marines from aboard the strike cruiser TCRN Impetus, you'll quickly need to unite the disparate locals under your leadership to defeat an unknown threat. Fielding tanks, mechs, and infantry squads with a massive selection of equipment to choose from, you'll train your troops, plan out operations, and engage in deadly tactical battles.

The developers of Battle Brothers take us to the far future in MENACE – a turn-based tactical RPG set in an isolated system where a strange new threat has begun to emerge.






Your Republic Marine Corps strike force has made its way over to bring the frontier back into the fold, but what was supposed to be a simple pacification mission revealed a threat that puts the entire system at risk...

Your approach is entirely yours to determine – as distress calls roll in, calling you from planet to planet, you can decide which to respond to, what resources to employ, and when to engage based on your readiness levels. Your choices will determine how the local factions feel about your presence, with a direct impact on your relations with them and what favors they may be willing to do for you. Will you prioritize relations with the arms dealers for access to better equipment on the battlefield? Or will you set their needs aside, focusing on the shipwrights instead to gain access to ship upgrades that can support your ground troops from orbit?

With all communications cut off, you're at the top of the chain of command, and your team of marines, mercenaries, and criminals turn to you for answers. Any single operation is not limited to one battlefield, instead taking you on branching paths of multiple missions each, asking you to engage in a series of battles across entire worlds. Make strategic decisions as you progress through an operation, choosing between the missions available to you – will you first take out the enemy air defenses that keep you from landing tanks? Or will you press directly into the enemy to rescue a group of hostages and gain the trust of the locals? Proceed mission by mission to complete the operation, and ultimately, further your grand campaign, but beware – every decision has serious consequences, not just for the operation at hand, but the entire system itself.

The strike cruiser TCRN Impetus acts as your base of operations, not only ferrying you between missions, but providing both orbital support and a place for much needed R&R. Invest in upgrading and customizing your mobile HQ to best synergise with your approach on the battlefield, seeking out opportunities among local allies to gain the upper hand for the task ahead of you.

Without access to your standard issue naval arsenal, you'll have to rely on local black market dealers and the spoils of war to equip your squads. From the jerry-rigged war machines of the pirate factions to the refined, high-end arms of the local mercenaries, each engagement isn't just an opportunity to bring the fractured system under control, but to acquire new equipment to help accomplish your mission.







The threat of death is real as you find yourself pit against numerically, and at times technologically, superior enemy forces. Large engagements across diverse battlefields are subject to the effects of weather conditions across a multitude of biomes, and human foes are the least of your concern. In the recesses of the system, something alien has taken hold, and its methods are unpredictable and unrelenting.

Battles in MENACE are deadly affairs – under the hail of bullets, plasma bolts, and missile fire, you will face off against enemies that are well prepared, and ruthless. Expect to permanently lose squad leaders and their squads, and prepare to adapt to constantly evolving situations on the battlefield. Pacifying an entire system doesn't come without a few risks, and superior tactical prowess will determine the victor.

Use flanking maneuvers to make your way around cover, or use heavy ordnance to flush enemies out from their firing positions. Rush from cover to cover as you plot pincer attacks, opening fire to suppress enemy squads and pin them in place while working to destroy cover they might run to. A tactical approach is essential to coming out on top but remember to stay on your toes – though you can plan around intel gathered for mission briefing, plans never survive first contact with the enemy.
Keep an eye on your weapons' efficient ranges, their damage over distance, and whether they're best used against heavily or lightly armored enemies. Even beyond accurate ranges, every round fired causes some degree of suppression to the squad it lands next to – whether they were the intended target or not. With heavy fire more likely to pin an enemy down than small arms, you'll be able to adapt based on the tools at your disposal, but make sure to adjust your approach as needed. Study the enemy to assess if you should be sniping from a distance or aggressively closing the gap under the cover of suppressing fire.

Arrive on the battlefield with a variety of vehicles and mechs alike, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and a variety of weapons systems to choose from. The firepower of a tank is immense, but the nimble mech is able to respond to fast-moving threats in an instant, rotating freely and quickly. Designated pilots are able to bring these vehicles to the battlefield, albeit at a high cost. Will you opt to bring in an expensive mech you've commandeered from the mercenaries at the cost of better equipment for your infantry? You might lose an entire squad, but the extra firepower might just be what secures your victory.

Use limited supplies to kit your squads out before each mission and ensure you're equipped for the task ahead. Infantry squads can swap their armor to strike a balance between protection and utility with additional accessory slots, where accessories range from disposable rocket launchers to grenades to target designators. Each squad can be equipped from a wide selection of weapons with different advantages and disadvantages, as well as particularly powerful specialist weapons – everything from flamethrowers to sniper rifles to EMP cannons.







Pike is the model marine – loyal to the Republic, and a professional soldier, unwavering in the face of adversity. Rewa suffers from the trauma of past scars, a violent rage constantly boiling beneath the surface. Lim owes Pike for saving his home colony, and distrusts non-Marines – but he'll have to learn to meet them in the middle as the going gets rough. Every squad leader in MENACE has a history and personality, and as their commander, it's up to you to navigate the trouble that can bring.

From the marines you flew in with to the locals you need to recruit, each squad leader carries their own expectations and aspirations. Engage with them between missions to learn more about them and what makes them tick – their opinion of you and their morale will determine the performance of your squads both on and off the battlefield.

Squad leaders and their squads earn promotions and improve over time, giving you the option to customize them to your liking. Keep your squad leaders alive and choose perks from a varied promotion tree, acquiring additional abilities to use against the enemy.

Each playthrough features a selection of characters from a massive pool – learn how individual backstories are tied together and prepare to navigate the unique combinations of each run. Stories unfold in unexpected ways as your squad leaders push from engagement to engagement. Watch them crumble under pressure from a cataclysmic threat, and do your best to train them for the fight against the MENACE.





With procedurally generated multi-mission operations and battle maps, alongside a big selection of characters and countless equipment options, every run of MENACE plays different from the last. Find yourself face to face with a seemingly insurmountable challenge that takes on multiple forms across playthroughs, and put your strategic and tactical prowess to the test in new ways each time.

[Tamas]

 

[Syt]

GOG has released old Omnitrend games from the early 90s.

Universe I-III (sci-fi RPG)
Rules of Engagement I & II (Space Battles strategy - fairly detailed IIRC)
Breach I & II (ship boarding tactical game set in the same world as RoE - Breach 2 and RoE2 can be combined - when you board a ship in RoE2 you can play this out in Breach 2)

https://www.gog.com/en/games?developers=omnitrend-software-inc

[Syt]

Yes, I'm way too excited for this.

[Sheilbh]

I have a specific interest in the Sichuan region for a number of personal reasons. I went to a pretty cool museum there when I visited some years back. It had an entire building dedicated to the Flying Tigers (American air units supporting China / Sichuan in WWII) and pretty big exhibit on the Sichuan Army as well - they (though at that point they were fully integrated into the Republic of China) apparently fought the only successful Chinese action outside of China in WW2, coming to the aid of beleaguered British forces in Burma - the Battle of the Yunnan-Burma Road as it's called in English.

Just heard about that battle separately - apparently those Chinese troops were basically the only troops that Stilwell trained in line with his strategy. His strategy was basically to train and equip Chinese troops on the American model with lots of American advisors enough to get at least some Eastern ports back which would open up supply. Chiang rejected that because Chiang's fear was that it would undermine his control over various points of power in the Chinese nationalist side but also would basically blow up his coalition which he'd need to fight the Japanese, but also to fight the Communists in the post-war. You'd need to take on lots and lots of vested interests with other centres of power within Nationalist China - you'd basically be opening another civil war within the war.

It's really interesting because, given that battle, perhaps a Stilwell-ish Chinese army could have really fought back against the Japanese far more effectively but also perhaps Chiang is right and it would have basically blown up the entire nationalist coalition. It feels plausible they're both right - which is obviously really unfortunate for China's experience of the war

[Syt]

It's Societally Sanctioned Spooky Month (October), and just in time World of Horror has come out of early access after a somewhat choppy development. It's a mix of randomly generated lovecraftian JRPG with 2 bit color art style and a visual style heavily inspired by the likes of Junji Ito and his disturbing imagery.

https://www.pcgamer.com/world-of-horror-review/

WORLD OF HORROR REVIEW
Moody pixel art and chilling adventures bring World of Horror's ancient monsters to un-life.

Maybe the monsters will be the death of me this time, assuming the unnatural holes that have recently opened up on my face don't finish me off first. Maybe neither of them will, because the ancient abomination inching ever closer towards what's left of reality will snap my mind in two long before it comes to that.

Maybe—just maybe—I'll push through, save the world, and most people will never realise anything strange was happening at all. Maybe.

It's this uncertainty that makes World of Horror, a game best described as a head-on collision between Junji Ito's imaginative cosmic horror and HP Lovecraft's tentacle-strewn Cthulhu mythos, so compelling. I can never be quite sure of how the story's going to end: each mystery can play out in multiple ways, based on a combination of my own actions in the moment as well as whether I dare to fulfil a risky additional objective, which might help the town but put me in harm's way in the process.

This bit of agency in an adventure game is exciting, but also makes World of Horror scarier. I can't just click through creepy pictures until I get to the end (or die): I have to actually read the burnt notes I find for clues, listen to gossip and actually remember what was said, and then—if I've got the awareness and equipment to do so—perhaps use this information to push a mystery towards a better conclusion. One of my "favourite" climaxes sees my poor character piercing someone's eye with a needle in a desperate attempt to save them from an even more gruesome fate, and I'm the one who has to mouse their eyeball and manually click the needle in myself, with my own hand.

In the heat of the moment I'm right there, and I hesitate just a little before I remind myself that this is the least bad thing that could happen to them. As unpredictable as the game may be, I'm always right at the blackened heart of this supernatural storm. I'm always the one thing that makes a real difference.

For all the gore, ghouls, and randomised micro-scenarios that may help or hinder my progress, there's a rigid structure to World of Horror that keeps this eldritch uncertainty from descending into a disjointed monster mash. I know I always have to solve five mysteries, each with their own specific goals, unique encounters, and endings. I know I then have to use the keys earned from completing these mysteries to unlock the lighthouse door and hopefully save the universe as we know it. Whatever happens—and the game is not shy about getting downright weird—there's always some sliver of hope, something concrete to aim for. If I can just hang on a little longer I know I can make it through, or at the very least lose my sanity in a productive way.



All of this impending doom is conveyed using the sort of graphics usually found on dusty 5-inch floppy discs, a world made of heavily dithered monochrome pixel art. As simplistic as that may sound, nothing could suit the game better. Every scene is detailed enough to make me wish I couldn't see the hungry eyes staring out from the twisted remains of someone's face, while still leaving enough of a void-like nothing in there to encourage my already nightmare-inclined imagination to eagerly fill in the gaps. I may not always know what the hell it is I'm looking at, but I know in my bones it's something truly awful.

World of Horror's story follows a similar minimalist style, creating an unsettling feeling of being lost or hunted, than it is to follow a typical flowing narrative. This lack of consistency is actually a strength: it  makes it easier for me to weave the deliberately fractured scraps into a sort of improvised dreamlike whole. Going from opening my bills to finding a bloodsoaked box to encountering a man prepared to trade my memories for cold hard cash may not make much sense, but it does make me feel like I'm in danger, like reality's on the verge of collapse, and nowhere is safe.

When the shadows do inevitably come for me, World of Horror's achievement system manages to make death still feel like some sort of win. Whether I banish the ancient horrors or not, performing certain actions as I play—helping someone out, poking something I perhaps shouldn't, even dying in a specific way—can unlock new spells, costumes, items, and more. There's always some sort of reward waiting just around the corner, even when a run ends early because I've succumbed to madness on another plane of existence. No matter what I do the game just keeps getting more varied, more interesting. I'm never put in a position where a mystery I've played through before comes up and the only difference is I pick Option B instead of Option A.

There are plenty of ways to make each run feel as fresh as a newborn shoggoth, with different ancient gods to fight against, mysteries to solve, characters to play as, and customisable background stories to go with them. I can even tweak the overall difficulty at the start of each run. It's a practical, patience-saving alternative to the usual roguelike setup of either repetitively grinding until I'm strong enough to succeed no matter what, or blindly throwing myself into a run and simply praying I'll be lucky this time around.



I only rarely stumbled into moments that felt poorly designed rather than cosmically cursed. World of Horror is many things, but a carefully balanced game is not one of them. I find spells generally fail to justify the drain on my Reason required to cast them, and properly dealing with ghosts in battle using a series of claps and bows just isn't worth the hassle. But in a roguelite that lasts perhaps half an hour on a successful run, these issues don't have a snowball in hell's chance of sticking around long enough to cause a real problem, and there are more than enough alternative ways to cause damage or recover from it anyway. If anything, repeat plays only make it clear that the game is more unbalanced in my favour than the grisly trappings would initially have me believe.

Even with those snags, World of Horror is a superb horror adventure that does a fantastic job of making every dark curse feel like another claw tightening around my character's doomed throat, and every hard-won boon frighteningly temporary. A full run might not last long on its own, but it's a very easy game to play all night long—sleeping isn't recommended after you've caught the Old Ones attention, anyway.

85% - Atmospheric, imaginative, and enjoyably unpredictable—this is one of the year's best horror games.