What are some PC games similar to the David Kershaw mobile games?

[rustinpeace91]

I've been playing these games on my iPhone by a developer named David Kershaw. The games I've played are Poland 1939, Korsun 1944, Korea 1950 (the biggest and best imo), and Sicily 1943. What I like about his games is that they are simple and streamlined enough to play without having to read hundreds of pages of manual and yet they give you the freedom of more complex games. What annoys me about games like Panzer General and Unity of Command (as much as I love UoC) is that they simulate battles by giving you a very limited amount of time to achieve your objectives, making there only one way to play the game, aggressively and quickly. In the DK games you can be much more calculating about your losses and choose paths of movement. In Korea 1950 for instance you can decide where to land as the Americans, but also how far to push into North Korea, which drives up Chinese readiness, then of course how to defend against the Chinese pushback, if there is one. or you can decide not to push into North Korea at all and just hold South Korea, which gives you a historical victory. This is the type of thing I want to do more of when I play war-games, but I've beaten the AI in all of his games to a bloody pulp at this point and of course would like something similar on a bigger screen. Any suggestions?

[zakblood]

any game here will beat a mobile version hands down, not had one yet that had a good AI programmed into it, either lack of space on the device or target audience didn't need it and was programmed to be that good but a simplistic design...

just pic a time period you like and see a demo and video and a few reviews and you won't be disappointed by any here, or they wouldn't have lasted here tbh if they failed to be playable and a good challenge

[MrsWargamer]

First suggestion, stop waiting for an AI to challenge you I suppose.

I could mention a few titles, but if you plan to play them solo there is little point. Most great games are only great because they are great played against people.

Whether they be massive PC titles, or more modest mobile games, the AIs are all the same, unsatisfactory.

You might want to look at the Conflicts series for Android or the Panzer Campaigns titles from John Tiller if you want a mobile game with some depth. but the AI will likely not be too much of a challenge.

[zakblood]

while i normally don't disagree with ladies, sorry i disagree, as i only play single player and hardly ever apart from testing that is play online...

so AI has to be good or great at least, very good or excellent at best

[shunwick]

rustinpeace91,

The Operational Art of War III maybe what you are looking for.

Best wishes,
Steve

[wings7]

James, also check out John Tiller's Campaign Series.
http://www.matrixgames.com/products/318 ... ign.Series
This a good solid game! [:)]

Patrick

[MrsWargamer]

ORIGINAL: zakblood

while i normally don't disagree with ladies, sorry i disagree, as i only play single player and hardly ever apart from testing that is play online...

so AI has to be good or great at least, very good or excellent at best

You must be regularly disappointed Well considering there is no such thing as good AI. There's the occasional illusion of barely acceptable AI, there's countless examples of dreadful AI, but there is no such thing as decent AI.

As for playing solo, a person's time is probably better spent just playing hotseat, and being both sides. It's worked for decades with board games. In fact, I'd likely love to see several board games given a decent computer interface just so I could set them up and play them and not be constrained by space limitations.

Vassal is ok if a person desperately has to have another mind to play against.
But I only bought World in Flames the computer version, as it eliminates the space problem. I couldn't care less if they ever get the mangled AI resolved. I have no plans to ever obtain it.

Inasmuch as the OP request though. Well for PC based selections, there is so many choices, almost impossible to really narrow them down entirely.

I suppose if they plan to play solo against the AI, and plan to ignore how the AI will suck, then it becomes really just about topic choice. TOAW III does seem to have the widest range of settings. Panzer Campaigns seems to have the largest catalogue of separate game releases.

The Panther Games titles seem to at least enforce the most credible looking command and control simulation.

AngloGerman war is probably the most faithful to looking like a board game.

But the moment you start playing something of substantial work load and immersion, and you allow your efforts to be set against the AI, you are really just saying you don't mind putting in hundreds of hours only to witness the AI do something utterly idiotic, and in the process throw the game.

If a human were to 'throw the game' after several sessions, you would normally not be very amused with that person. I find it infinitely interesting that so many gamers give the AI a pass on conduct that a human would never be forgiven for.

[barkman44]

The best ai I have played against is the one in the current deal of the week.Hannibal and Rome.
Since it is a single player game it has to be.

[Dorb]

ORIGINAL: zakblood

while i normally don't disagree with ladies, sorry i disagree, as i only play single player and hardly ever apart from testing that is play online...

so AI has to be good or great at least, very good or excellent at best

+1
I have been war gaming a long time, Command HQ is what got me into PC gaming and my first real PC to play it!
It is now 2014 - almost 2015 and I too expect a lot from my AI. When you work 9 hrs a day, it is hard to meet and hook up with actual folks to play.
By the way, I share your same thoughts on WitW too.

[aaatoysandmore]

+1 on disagreeing with a lady. [:'(] Some games do have some pretty challenging ai's. Not smart mind you but "challenging". Some of the older dos games of old had some quality challenging ai's. But, a lot of games today just throw together an ai making it very hard to find a really challenging one. This new game "Pike & Shot" has a very challenging ai to the point of being a good player with smarts. Command Ops has a good challenging ai. Panzer Command: Osfront has one. Though few and far between there aren't many but they are out there. I haven't played this Carthage and Rome, but, from what I've read it has a pretty challenging ai opponent as well. Even Rome II if you play certain factions has ai opponents that can make you jittery. I think it's Julian faction of Rome that gets a pretty tough challenge in that game played on VH or higher.

Don't let AI haters discourage you as what they want most is games to be made without AI as it takes away from the resources to make games for head to head play or playing with themselves (no pun intended MRSwargamer hehe) I've seen several that just want games to be made without AI's as if that will ever happen in quantity and the gaming market last as the whole reason most of us got into computer gaming was for a local in my home play anytime "I'm" ready to play opponenent. If I could find live opponents that way I never would have gotten into computer gaming in the first place. Even opponents you do find online have certain times they can play and they are not always available like a computer opponent. Some take days and weeks just to make one move in PBEM. Very discouraging.

One non-wargame with a good challenging AI that comes to mind is called 1830: Railroads and Robber Barons. Very tough opponents on hard and hardest. If it wasn't so slow with the turns I'd play it a lot more. Some turns can take 5 minutes or more for the AI to make it's move. But, I guess that's the price we must pay for quality good ai's. It's worth the wait every now and then just for the challenge.

[rustinpeace91]

ORIGINAL: aaatoysandmore

+1 on disagreeing with a lady. [:'(] Some games do have some pretty challenging ai's. Not smart mind you but "challenging". Some of the older dos games of old had some quality challenging ai's. But, a lot of games today just throw together an ai making it very hard to find a really challenging one. This new game "Pike & Shot" has a very challenging ai to the point of being a good player with smarts. Command Ops has a good challenging ai. Panzer Command: Osfront has one. Though few and far between there aren't many but they are out there. I haven't played this Carthage and Rome, but, from what I've read it has a pretty challenging ai opponent as well. Even Rome II if you play certain factions has ai opponents that can make you jittery. I think it's Julian faction of Rome that gets a pretty tough challenge in that game played on VH or higher.

Don't let AI haters discourage you as what they want most is games to be made without AI as it takes away from the resources to make games for head to head play or playing with themselves (no pun intended MRSwargamer hehe) I've seen several that just want games to be made without AI's as if that will ever happen in quantity and the gaming market last as the whole reason most of us got into computer gaming was for a local in my home play anytime "I'm" ready to play opponenent. If I could find live opponents that way I never would have gotten into computer gaming in the first place. Even opponents you do find online have certain times they can play and they are not always available like a computer opponent. Some take days and weeks just to make one move in PBEM. Very discouraging.

One non-wargame with a good challenging AI that comes to mind is called 1830: Railroads and Robber Barons. Very tough opponents on hard and hardest. If it wasn't so slow with the turns I'd play it a lot more. Some turns can take 5 minutes or more for the AI to make it's move. But, I guess that's the price we must pay for quality good ai's. It's worth the wait every now and then just for the challenge.

Unity of Command has really tough AI, although the fact that you only have 7-20 turns to beat each scenerio has a lot to do with it. I'd like a game where I can take my time more and deal with the consequences if necessary, instead of just a "mission failed" screen.

[Kuokkanen]

ORIGINAL: rustinpeace91

Unity of Command has really tough AI, although the fact that you only have 7-20 turns to beat each scenerio has a lot to do with it. I'd like a game where I can take my time more and deal with the consequences if necessary, instead of just a "mission failed" screen.

Then I second with TOAW3. Here's the good part: if given scenario doesn't have enough turns for you, switch to editor mode, change turn limit, save scenario, and restart. Problem solved!

[rustinpeace91]

ORIGINAL: barkorn45

The best ai I have played against is the one in the current deal of the week.Hannibal and Rome.
Since it is a single player game it has to be.

I'll check that one out, 10 bucks is a great deal. I also just listened to a great podcast on the punic wars, so I think i'll enjoy that one

ORIGINAL: Matti Kuokkanen

ORIGINAL: rustinpeace91

Unity of Command has really tough AI, although the fact that you only have 7-20 turns to beat each scenerio has a lot to do with it. I'd like a game where I can take my time more and deal with the consequences if necessary, instead of just a "mission failed" screen.

Then I second with ]TOAW3 Here's the good part: if given scenario doesn't have enough turns for you, switch to editor mode, change turn limit, save scenario, and restart. Problem solved!

I took a visit to the UoC forums and it turns out you can do the same thing in Unity of Command. Also some of the user created scenarios give you way more time (particularly Fall Weiss, which gives you 15 turns. I beat it in 10 turns, which was October 7th, 1939, aka a historic victory.

[starsima]

i think that its not for pc

[demyansk]

ORIGINAL: Dorb

ORIGINAL: zakblood

while i normally don't disagree with ladies, sorry i disagree, as i only play single player and hardly ever apart from testing that is play online...

so AI has to be good or great at least, very good or excellent at best

+1
I have been war gaming a long time, Command HQ is what got me into PC gaming and my first real PC to play it!
It is now 2014 - almost 2015 and I too expect a lot from my AI. When you work 9 hrs a day, it is hard to meet and hook up with actual folks to play.
By the way, I share your same thoughts on WitW too.

Hey Dorb, I still have that game in the basememnt - in the box, command HQ by Microprose