The Perfect Game

[Grumbold]

A perfect RPG and TBS please. The TBS does not have to be a Civ clone, but your poll doesn't allow that

[Static Universe]

Originally posted by Osweld

There is a MMORPG that is making this one of it's main features - Dark and Light

Beautifully rendered but I can imagine what it will look like with several hundred or so player characters running around trying to level up, or what the server load will be like.

[Grumbold]

Asherons Call has been there and done that ... for the graphical quality available at the time. You could run across the entire continent if you chose with no zone loading to worry about.

[General Ludd]

Originally posted by Grumbold
Asherons Call has been there and done that ... for the graphical quality available at the time. You could run across the entire continent if you chose with no zone loading to worry about.

Yes, but it looked like crap. More importantly, it was crap.

[Dauphin]

TBS is my favourite style of game.

Civ is a great genre, but I would really like to see the Historyline style of game brought upto date and then some. I enjoyed the alternation between move and attack turns - a novel way around the simultaneous play problem.

[Boris Godunov]

What is Historyline?

[Dauphin]

I would give the link, but the site is abandonware related and full of spy crap from Gator.

History Line (released as The Great War: 1914 - 1918 in the US by SSI) is a World War 1 tactical wargame based on an improved and modified engined used in Blue Byte's earlier Battle Isle games. It is one of the few tactical World War 1 wargames to be made for the PC, and is a fun and enjoyable game, although shortcomings and awkward controls will take a while to get used to.
When the game starts, you see the Main Menu, and can change some of the options and the keyboard controls (the game also supports the mouse), and also enter a map code if you have unlocked hidden maps. Starting a new game, you can choose to play the Allies (France) or the Central Powers (Germany). The game starts with a battle in August 1914, with Germany invading France.

Every two months, there is a battle, for a total of 24. You also are encourged to try to preserve your units, for they will gain experience and become more powerful. The game is unique in having a split screen -- one side plays on the left side, and the other on the right. While the computer or the other player (History Line supports 'hot seat' play) is making their moves, you can also make yours on the other side. With the exception of different units or new maps, there is not much of a difference to seperate the two sides. Once you finish the game as one side, there is not much incentive to play the other.

The objective in History Line is simple -- in each battle, destroy the other sides army or take their HQ. Each turn is divided into two phases -- the Move Phase, and the Orders Phase. In the Move phase, you plan your moves, and then both sides move at the same time. In the Orders phase, you plan your attacks, then you see the results in a short graphical clip (which can be turned off once you get bored with them). The battle continues in this fashion until one side or the other is defeated. There are also depots and factories that start of either on your side or netrual. If you occupy them, you can 'use' units that are in them, as well as repair damaged units if you have enough energy points left. Units vary and are historically accurate, ranging from Infantry to Cavalry to various kinds of Artillery. However, they don't need to be resupplied, which reduces the historical accuracy of the game somewhat.

The graphics are simple VGA shapes and design, old looking but still pleasing to the eye and you can see everything clearly and recognize a unit from its graphic alone. The music and sound effects are good but get tedious after a while. One of my biggest complaints about the game is the controls. They are awkward, to say the least. To get a unit to do anything, you place the cursor over it and hold down the mouse button, which brings up a 'X' over the unit. Then, you move the mouse in one direction or the other to excute orders -- down to bring up information on the unit, or up to move it, for example, and then let the mouse button go to excute it. Slow, tedious, and awkward. You also do the same thing to switch from one mode to the other. Bringing units out of depots, factories, and your HQ is a similar process. You also need to press F1 to actually CONFIRM that you are ready to go on, and the only time you can save is by pressing the right key DURING that confirmation phase! Needless to say, you will HAVE to read the manual before you play this game. Its too bad, really, because besides the controls and the keyboard, the learning curve is not that bad.

In summary, this is a fun tactical wargame, unique for being one of the only ones to be set in the First World War. There is not a WHOLE lot to make this game stand out from other tactical wargames, though, although it is historicaly accurate for the most part and challening to play. Once you get used to the awkward controls, the game keeps

[Adagio]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov
What is Historyline?

Have you played Battle Isle (The first one)... it's kinda the same...

Great game, try to see if you can find it somewhere...

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by ADG


Have you played Battle Isle (The first one)... it's kinda the same...

Great game, try to see if you can find it somewhere...

Nope.

I can probably get History Line at Underdogs, though.

[Adagio]

I have recently played a 100% java coded game, that's a little of the same, like HistoryLine and Battle Isle, though I don't remember the name of the game.

It's a free source code game... but still in beta.

[Grumbold]

Originally posted by Osweld
Yes, but it looked like crap. More importantly, it was crap.

Hey, it was the best looking MMORPG at the time it was released. EQ and UO didn't start overhauling their graphics for nothing Sure it looks bad now we have 128Mb graphics cards in our machines and every modern MMORPG is doing their best to improve on the standards set (except maybe junk like Dransik.) I only had that much RAM in my PC and a 16Mb card when AC1 came out

[Skanky Burns]

Hey, Dransik did update their graphics. Before they used to have graphics that would have been quite at home on an EGA 16 colour screen.

[Boris Godunov]

Ultima IX: Ascension also featured the ability to freely roam the countryside without load times. And we all know how well that piece of utter, pestilent garbage turned out.

[Urban Ranger]

Why are there 2 RTS choices?

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Azazel
The perfect game will be a Real time RPG.

That would be very boring, because you'd face with long strentches where nothing happens.