Matrix Games Forums

Like the title says, let's hear about what you've been playing lately! Can be wargames, regular games, even boardgames if you like.

I just upgraded my gaming rig so I've been going back and playing some old games at higher settings and a brand new one. Was going to include some screenshots but I can't seem to get them to appear correctly (trying to link from Steam screenshot library).

DOOM 2016: Talked about it a lot in the other thread. The single player campaign is a blast. Feels much closer to the original games than Doom 3. There are upgrades for your suit and weapons, but they only add to the fun. You get upgrade points in a lot of ways related to each level like finding secrets and completing challenges, which encourages thorough exploration of each level and replaying them to get every last point. The game introduces new enemies, weapons, and features at a perfect pace to keep things interesting. The difficulty is just right on Ultra-Violence for me, you have to constantly be moving to dodge attacks and going in for the melee kills to generate extra health as needed. It's like a gory ballet with demons and explosions. I tried Nightmare difficulty but it beyond my current abilities, literally one misstep and you are dead. However it wasn't unfairly impossible, it just requires a certain level of skill to stay alive. And it must be noted, since I bought this game to test out my new gaming PC build, the graphics are excellent. While "pretty" isn't the right word, the special effects and lighting really bring the locations to life. I was just in the forge level and I could feel the heat coming off the screen. All while running butter smooth (if your setup can handle it).

I'm also really excited to play with the SnapMap feature. You can easily whip up a new map in a few minutes, or take the time and hand craft a really good level. Some people have even come up with new game modes like a Horde mode, a Harvest Moon level, tower defense, etc.

Endless Legend: I have this game and Age of Wonders 3, and have never played either one beyond the tutorials because they didn't run great on my old system. I flipped a coin and Endless Legend won out to be played first on my new system. All I can say is wow, where has this game been all my life. One of the best 4x games I've ever played. I did play Endless Space quite a bit but found it to be too limited in some ways. Legend definitely takes a step in the right direction. It has elements from a lot of other games but does them all with a higher amount of polish. You build cities, design your own units, recruit and level up heroes, do quests, pacify local tribes to get access to unique units/bonuses, research interesting technologies, it's all there and then some. All of this handled by one of the best UI's I've ever seen. It's just so elegant and clean and functional at the same time. I plan on picking up all the expansions next time they go on sale, since each race has unique mechanics which makes them all play a bit differently.

What have y'all been playing?

I'm currently playing Valkyria Chronicles and loving it. The gameplay is very similar to the origional X-Com. I like this game even better.

Play Neverwinter an online Dungeon and Dragons game

I play Advanced tactics Gold. I have a ton of other games but that is all I play right now.

ORIGINAL: stormbringer3

I'm currently playing Valkyria Chronicles and loving it. The gameplay is very similar to the origional X-Com. I like this game even better.

That's a great game, I played it way back when it first came out. The gameplay was wonderful, but at the time I think I was too cool for the anime part of it. I quit playing because it got just too cheesy. I'm a lot more forgiving nowadays, I could probably enjoy it.

I wish there were more games in that style.

Dark Souls III, if you like hack and slash, it's hard.

Tigers on the Hunt - 60% of my time
Black Desert Online - 20% of time
Civilization V - 10% of time
Panzer Corps - 10 % of time

I NEED more time.

Old school Doom 2 with Brutal Doom:Project Brutality Mod and a few other mods. 7 Days To Die on the groghead server, map got reset so started a new build and some Zombicide board game with the kids, we just got the toxic mall expansion.

have to agree with you Ranger on Endless Legend, just started that myself, excellent 4X game. I just cant get into civilization games anymore, recently tried 4 and 5.

Three games on the go at present:

Matrix World In Flames
1. Playing a 4-player game of MWIF (complete with AAR if you fancy a look). I'm playing as the French/Soviets/Chinese Communists alongside another General Discussion regular Orm playing the CW/US/Chinese. Two MWIF regulars AllenK (Italy and Japan) and Mayhemizer (Germany) are the evil Axis. We are only just in 1940 and currently in a bit of a pickle; France fallen already [X(]. We have set up a main thread for the game commentary and then each of the Axis and the Allies have their own private threads to discuss tactics, ideas etc.

tm.asp?m=4061938&mpage=1&key=

Decisive Campaigns: Barbarossa
2. Playing DC:B with Orm and another MWIF regular PeskPesk. We are playing the AI with each of us taking an Army Group to command. I am von Rundstedt and, in a regular feature of my play, am in something of a pickle having run out of fuel with the 1st Panzergruppe.... The game is played by simply e-mailing the turn to each other and the last person then runs the AI turn and we begin the next go.

Board Games
3. I have introduced my little warspite to Stratego! Good fun. She has not beaten me yet but she is learning very, very fast (she already plays Risk and has beaten me on many occasions). Maybe this will be the start of something in the wargaming dept for her [:)]

Wars of Napoleon
4. I started a newbies AAR (with me as the British against the AI) to get me into this game but then the offer of the MWIF game came up and the game was updated (which meant starting again or continue with the existing bugs) so that is on hold at present. I will look to go back to that when MWIF finishes.

at the moment:

very much yes to Endless Legend - that game is a complete gem;

still doing some testing of Pride of Nations. Once the (probably final) patch is out I'll go back to do a long planned never started campaign with Russia

testing WiTE2 - very impressed even this early in its development

managed to squeeze in one of the shorter scenarios of Flashpoint: Red Storm last night. Had forgotten just how good that is and the recent patches have really improved what was already a great game.

Need more time or the sort of clients who are happy to pay me without expecting any work in return.

Mount and Blade Warband.

CKII

War of the Lance.

Here's what I've been playing

Campaign Series Middle East
Champions of Krynn - Old SSI Gold Box RPG from GOG
Twilight Struggle Digital Edition
Rule the Waves
Diplomacy - Board game PBEM with several friends

Daily I play Hearthstone.

Would like to try Tigers on the Hunt.

Interested in seeing how SC3 comes out.

Interested to see how the free to play Orders of Battle is done.

I have a slew of user made maps and counters for Panzer Blitz and Panzer Leader. Have needed a method I like to mount the counters.

I have been thinking of fidgeting with Squad Leader.

CM Final Blitzkrieg, CM Red Thunder, CM Normandy and modules, GT Muis Front, Steam and Iron Campaign, Wings Over Flanders Fields 3, Running with Rifles, Project Zomboid, CK2, EUIV and DC Barbarossa.

I'm currently playing:

- VGA Planets on PlanetsNu http://planets.nu/#/start

- Fighting Flattops http://www.fightingflattops.com

- Master of Orion

- Distant Worlds: Universe

- Flat Top (Avalon Hill)

My most recently played game is Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword. PBEM going on. Another one is Age of Wonders III. Got this itch and needed that game to scratch it. Last month had meeting with anime club. I dragged my laptop there and plugged it on to video projector. On laptop were:
Broforce, testosterone filled manly platformer for up to 4 players. 3 gamepads took laptop's USB ports, so I played with a keyboard.
Street Fighter Alpha 2 is oldie but still goodie. I enjoyed of it with fellow otaku.
Ultra Street Fighter IV runs mighty fine on my aging laptop (HP Pavilion DV7). Game's built-in benchmark clocked average 90 frames per second.
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is old-school side scrolling beat 'em up with up to 4 anime-style sprite girls for the players. I didn't get Trust gamepads work on it right, though no problems with Xbox One gamepad.

I have also played MegaMek just past weekend. On Win8 tablet. I had printed some record sheets, took few books, and went to the game event looking for players. I had 2 other players have 1 BattleMech each gang up against my heavier and stronger BattleMech. We passed tablet around from player to player as we took our turns. Last set of players (2 of them as well) even took time to write damage and expended ammo on the printed record sheets. One player commented it works well for few players, but for larger games there could be map sheets and minis for better visualization available for all players at all times (not only when given player is holding the tablet). BattleTech can be heavy game in literal sense, as one comment makes it very clear: "Heck, most laptops weigh less than TacOps!" MegaMek on tablet takes off considerable amount of weight

Currently playing War in the East and Kerbal Space Program, with a little Witcher 3 thrown in.

JTS - The Final Struggle - using it to determine if the Tiller Napoleonic system is worth my coin ... answer is a resounding - Yes !!! - onto Leipzig next.

Flashpoint Campaigns - it's been sitting on my desktop - taunting me for some time - currently playing first mission - glad I took the plunge !

TOAW III - Tannenberg 1914 - time to play with German trains behind the lines! Interesting battle mechanics - from the battle itself and also the TOAW system.

Endless Legend - agree with Loki - total gem of a game. I am currently trying to establish a remote colony to serve as a forward base for remote operations. It will host the fallen technology of the Vaulters that will transport my troops across continents to seize an ancient city that is key to understanding our origins as a fallen space civilization. (great combination of strategy and fallen science fiction genre in EL)

None...it's summer time...why would I want to be inside?..prefer to bbq and drink beer on the balcony

I picked up Age of Wonders III again this week. Going to play through campaign. Work has been beating me up recently, so not much time or urge to game.

Age of Wonders III Necromancer campaign was pretty good / interesting.

I would not pay for / touch the game until they released that expansion.

I need to return to it some day. But as you say games come after work ... so who knows ... by the time I get back to it ... the Dark Elves may find their way back with some creative writing. (sorely missed from AOW II)