An Appetizer for Akbar

[Akbar]

Does anyone know of a good strategy game I could get for Christmas as an appetizer for CTP? I want someone else paying for, so I need an idea for CHRISTMAS. Criteria..

- All-round strategy. Economics, Warfare, Diplomacy, etc.

- NO Science Fiction games.

-Historic games appreciated.

-Fantasy games appreciated(Are there any with industrial and diplomatic management?)

-Preferably, game should not be in "mission" format. I want relative flexibility. But I'm open to all suggestions.

-Crucify me, but a game with more dimension then Warcraft, which I found bland.

Answer before my unfullfilled imperial urges overtake me and I unhesitantly smash my head through this very monitor!(By the way Activision, my condition hasn't been helped by the delaying the of my greatest hope for a cure, Call to Power)

[MarkG]

I'm playing Caesar 3 the last couple of days...
Resource management, trade, gods management(keeping them happy ), no diplomacy, not so much warfare(but interesting), several missions.
Generally an ancient-type SimCity, with some warfare added

Markos, Apolyton CS

[Ogmios]

How about Settlers III? Though I don't have the ability to play it here it seems to be an improvement over the second one(Can't beat C3
graphics though!)
I would say Anno 1462 or something too but it got burried in reviews.

[St Leo]

I tried Caesar III, and it just made me want to play Caesar II again. I do recommend Rairoad Tycoon II though, it's a beautiful and engaging business sim.:-)

[Akbar]

Thanks for the suggestions, but I'd like more flexibility then Ceasar. I don't want to have to play as Romans all the time and would like more than one city(is there still just one city in Ceasar?)My objection to Railroad Tycoon is that its pure business management.
I'd like to know more about Settlers III. The title is certainly less than "appetizing",("Settlers" paints a picture too similar to "Oregan Trail"!!!(shuddering)) But of course titles don't mean anything.

[Akbar]

How about Lords of the Realm II, or Age of Empires.

[St Leo]

Age of Empires is a good game. It has a solid single-player game, and I've heard that multiplayer is nice as well.

[Ogmios]

Don't even mention Lords of the Realm II please,it reminds me of wasted money.Now if you can get it dirt cheap(including the scenario builder-I suppose you have a pentium,now what sort of game has an EP that requires P-90 when the original doesn't?), and you have the desire to build your own game someday,I recommend it.It's full of things you should avoid(If you played Set.2 and didn't like it, you'll hate this one).It has a few good ideas, but that's it.
AoE:superb graphics, but not very good as a total.You can think of it as an attempt for civ-real time.You have only 1 wonder per race,A.I. sucks,not enough units,only a handfull of civs,not much replayability.Could make a good challebge for multiplayer.
By all means don't take my opinion for real though.Different people have different desires, I always say.

[Faboba]

No No No... AOE is just one era I recomend getting someone to lend you ..... CIVILIZATION 2 the ultimate best game ever except CTP so if some one loans you the disk you can play it without multimedia then just uninstall it when the glorious day comes when you know what is released.

[Warlord]

It's too late, but GANGSTERS would
be the best

[fred]

what did you get Akbar?

[Akbar]

Fred, my answer to your question requires a lengthy explanation because many of you might laugh at my choice. I went with Warlords III: Darklord's Rising. I know, uninspiring graphics and sound, little economic and industrial dimension(ironic considering i put that on my list.) and maybe an "amateur" strategy game in your minds.

But you must know this. You don't know my fascination with J.R.R Tolkien's work and the like from and early age, and, in my opinion, the seemingly lack of strategy fantasy games that did him and subsequent authors(a bunch plagerists, but I digress) any justice. This, coupled with the memories of epic Warlords II conflicts with my friends was to much for me to ignore. Then there is the game itself.

MASSIVE campaigns, full customobility(although i wish you could still create units like in the old days), an AI thats proven to be dynamic and challenging, a blend of strategy and roleplaying, an awesome scenario editor which really allows you to add *realism* to new worlds. The points value used in customizing reminds me of Warhammer, a game that did do justice to Tolkien like settings.(To bad the jump to the computer wasn't so smooth. Not that it deserved to be, or so I've heard) I was particularly impressed that entire scenarios and campaigns can occur in tunnels and citadels. I've just been experimenting with this games many tools for the past couple of days, and it will surely last me to CTP's release and beyond. Especially any given weekend when i feel like dismissing with civilians' petty whims, money hungry scientists, building aqueducts for lethargic vassals, and just need to do some good pillaging and ransacking.

But any way thanks for the suggestions everyone! After having an outdated computer for such a long time, that performed rather poorly, I had quite lost touch with the computer gaming industry. In fact I wouldn't have even known about the new Warlords game if I hadn't been answered in a thread similar to this. Thanks again, and I hope everyone is as satisfied with Santa's packages as I am.

P.S. Faboba, you think I actually did NOT own Civ2 yet! Even though I've been isolated, you wouldn't have expected me not to hear about a new Civilization game?

[fred]

I found WarlordsIII quite a good game (not Dark Rising) but i found it a problem when it had no campain editor and only 1 campain when i heard Dark Rising was coming out I got all excited but having a brother that didn't like the first War3 and also seeing the new one was the same as the first war3 with a few new features I didn't buy it I also found that the new war3 should have been an add-on not a whole new game!

fred

P.S.I got new game too It's called Rainbow Six and it is sooo fun. It's a 3D shooter put it also has a startgey part to it. It is also more realistic one shot and you're dead.

[Akbar]

Well the last Warlords game I played was the second one so obviously Dark Lords Rising was a huge improvement from my point of view.