Best WW1 Wargame

[operating]

If you get CTGW be sure to download the 1.64 patch asap, Hands down beats any other versions of the game..[;)]

[Queeg]

ORIGINAL: wodin

1. WW1 Gold\ Centennial Edition
2. Strategic Command The Great War
3. Squad Battles First World War
4. John Tillers France'14

I second this list.

I've tried virtually every WWI game out there, and I think WW1 Gold/Centennial stands head and shoulders above the rest. I find it to be a great combination of grand strategy and war game, where the warfare feels very "right" historically but you can still change history in a variety of plausible ways through diplomacy. (I prefer the Centennial version because it runs best for me.)

Strategic Command is sort of a more abstracted version of WWI G/C. It's fine as far as it goes, but I just think WW1 G/C offers more game play.

Squad Battles First World War and John Tillers France'14 are both good games but fall into the more traditional "death by counters and hexes" genre. I find them both a bit tedious at times.

I know others have suggested Ageod's TEAW, but I can't. It's high on my list of games that I really wanted to love but don't. It just doesn't feel like WW1 to me - battles are more blobs than fronts - and diplomacy is limited to nonexistent depending on which nation you play. I just don't think the Ageod engine works well in a more modern-era game, and I've also found the AI to be very weak. (I know others enjoy the game in MP, but I'm a SP guy myself.)

[wodin]

Queeg, Yes WW1 Gold is the only game out there that can actually do both movement and trench warfare during the game. All the other Grand Strat games fail on this point sadly.

[skybluerob]

Thanks operating, although there seems to be a lot of praise for WW1 Gold.

Queeg, what are your thoughts on Commander - Great War. It's the only one you didn't mention?

[operating]

You could take a few minutes and check out the WW I Gold forum. Often I look at the AARs to get an idea on how the game plays, if it's a video AAR all that much better. Did a quick look to see what the playing style of the game is, it's not a hex map based game, whereas CTGW is, it depends on your preference.

[skybluerob]

Yes, there's lots more videos of Commander than the other games and it looks like I might enjoy that game. After I'm finished playing Squad Battles, I think I'm tempted to go for Commander as my next game.

[Queeg]

ORIGINAL: skybluerob

Queeg, what are your thoughts on Commander - Great War. It's the only one you didn't mention?

To me, Commander feels too much like a modified version of the Commander WWII game (or even the Commander Napoleon game) - it's a game system adapted to WWI rather than a WWI game. It just feels too generic for my tastes.

[wodin]

skybluerob, if you want a pretty authentic WW1 Grand Strat game it has to be WW1 Gold. As mentioned above WW1 needs a game that's been designed solely for that War. That's why WW1 Gold does it better than Commander, Ageods other WW1 game and Strategic Command..because all those games use an engine that was designed for another War.

To get the most out of SB join the Blitz forum and go check the SB forum..always people willing to have a game..plus great bunch of lads. SB comes alive PBEM.