Matrix Games Forums

ORIGINAL: Jim_H

AoW was a good game for its time. I still have my boxed copy somewhere in the loft. Was AoW2 much different? I heard it was much harder.

I also have AOW2 and it is a good game, not my favorite as it could have been much better. It also becomes a clickfest at times. Very repetitive. I really liked HOMM4, "Heroes Of Might and Magic v4" but they went nuts with the last two releases. Now it's stupid.

ORIGINAL: Jim_H

ORIGINAL: marcusm
Good catch with AOW2. There are some superb campaign scenarios for that game.
I hope Stardock answers our needs .

AoW was a good game for its time. I still have my boxed copy somewhere in the loft. Was AoW2 much different? I heard it was much harder.

Vanilla had issues but with Shadow Magic it became a classic in my book. Some of the scenarios are fantastic.

Pity it is so hard to find nowadays. So glad I kept mine (I usually get rid of games I am bored at)

Together with Tropico,TOAW(3), JA2 and MOO2 it remains one of those rare games I will never really grow tired off. MOM would have been another but it aged a bit too much grapically
for my taste.

Just to stick in a mention of Disciples 2 in this context; as good as SM and more fun than HoMM 3 or 5 IMHO (I never played 4).

I had issues with Age of Wonders II and Shadow Magic because of the ease it is to destroy the entire faction by just killing its wizard. The AI isn't very strong at building wizards towers so it made it that much easier. Plus as allies they would let you march up to the capital doorsteps with 3 full stacks and then declare war and crush them. There should have been some better rules of diplomacy and allying in that you can never enter the capital area of effect (so many hexes) without your ally being at war with someone and they are fighting in that area of effect. The origional provided the best AI performance, but, Shadow Magic provided the random generations I wanted in the first game. As it is now I don't play either because I'm tired of the maps in the origional and the AI plus the stupid wizard thing are both stupid in the latter ones.

Also HOMM2 was the best of the series because you could individually tweak each AI to what level of difficulty you wanted. HOMM III was fair, but, it only had one difficulty setting and all the AI's used it and it never compared to the AI of HOMM II. I actually lost playing HOMM II and never lost in III. Didn't get IV or V because I read about them and really that's just too long of a sequel of the same game. If you've got II or III you've got them all.

MOM would have been another but it aged a bit too much grapically
for my taste.

How could you forget and put MOM in the old folks home of computer games? I can still play MOM today and the graphics don't bother me at all. Sure it's 8 bit, but, big deal graphics aren't everything. So, I guess when your wife gets old and wrinkled you're going to put her out of your mind too? hehehe Behind every wrinkle is still the same warm soft game you knew when it was young.

ORIGINAL: LarryP

I wouldn't doubt it. I just got done reading the March issue of PC-Gamer and everything is FPS and RTS. I am a TBS lover! I have World In Conflict and I can't stand the game. It got kudos up the ying yang but I still don't like it. Everything is hurry and hurry and hurry. Look around for a moment and you lose. [:@]

Then I don't recommend Supreme Commander for you [:'(]

[edit]
Reviews of WIC makes it sound much like Ground Control 2 that I've played. In GC2 I used following tactic: infantry secures bottlenecks while I micromanage tanks and other mobile stuff against enemy landingzones and other objectives. When objective is secured, I check out general picture, repair/heal stuff, and get appropriate reinforcements against next objective. Same could work in WIC. Try it before you throw towel [;)]

If someone could give me advice like that with Shogun: Total War... [&:]

ORIGINAL: Matti Kuokkanen

Then I don't recommend Supreme Commander for you [:'(]

Actually I have that and like it. It allows me to do things while paused and the speed controls are great. I bought SC because I have a great PC and I wanted to see how it ran. I ended up liking it. I read that the expansion for it is even better and also makes the interface easier to work with.

I also have F.E.A.R and I like that too. Go figure?! [&:]

I don't dislike all RTS games, but I always prefer turn based. [:D]

Well, the wizards are key players so it makes sense that you lose when they are killed. I think you can toggle that though. Also, AI has issues on some maps but it is almost like TOAW3, you need to make maps that AI can handle.

For you world war 2 naval buffs turn based type games, keep watch out for nws's upcoming supremacy at sea game.....