Looking for a good fantasy strategy game

from GalCiv2 Forums
Fantasy strategy games have always appealed to me, but I've never been sure which ones I would enjoy. In addition, I have a few requirements that said game would need to fulfill, and I have no idea whether or not any of the fantasy titles out there would qualify. So I'll just list what I'm looking for, and hopefully someone here can tell me if there's a game (or games) out there that would fit:

1.) I'm looking for a turn-based empire-building title -- think Civilization crossed with Lord of the Rings. I do not want an RTS like the Warhammer games, no matter how much fun they may be; that's just not my cup of tea.

2.) Must have an open-ended campaign or "sandbox" mode. With very few exceptions, I've never liked playing campaigns that consist of a series of missions. I like to just build up my race/nation/empire in a more free-form environment.

2a.) A random map generator would be great, but it's not a make-or-break issue. (Obviously I have no problems with the TW games lacking randomly-generated campaign maps, for example.)

3.) Good AI. This is a must-have for me, as I play mostly singleplayer games. Not that I expect computer opponents to be brilliant, obviously, but it would be nice if they could at least give me a halfway-decent challenge.


So given all that, is there a fantasy game out there that fits everything I just listed?
strategy
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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Dominions 3 from Illwinter, published by Shrapnelgames.

See the this thread, reply #28 for more details.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
So given all that, is there a fantasy game out there that fits everything I just listed?


If there isn't yet, there will be when we finish ours (next year?) :)
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Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
If there isn't yet, there will be when we finish ours (next year?)


You guys need to announce it! Come on, you know you want to! We demand a screenshot or two! And some tidbits about features! Something, anything!

*begins picketing the forums until his demands are met*
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You might want to try Age of Wonders Shadow Magic. There was a linear campaign but I believe there was a sandbox mode. It really played like old school Master of Magic from Micropose. ahhh Micropose how I miss you.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I have not seen a good fantasy TBS since Master of Magic. I am very sorry about that. I loved this game. Especially creating artifacts. But unfortunately I found a universal tactics, that made the game easy even on the toughest difficulty. I wait for similar game since. How many years it was? No idea. But games games ran pretty fast on 80386-SX processor with 2 MB RAM!
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
There was a game that came out a few years ago that was kinda different and meets a lot of those points. It was random (sandbox), it had a decent AI, but it wasn't turn based, but it wasn't what I would called RTS either.

I think it was called "Majesty". One of the ways it was different was that you couldn't "make" your units do anything. You had little peons that you could have build your kingdom, then you had heroes who would show up. But if you wanted them to actually do something specific (like kill the enemy), you had to place bounties on the unit or structure you wanted killed. Every hero had different personalities and would respond to the bounties accordingly. Greedy ones, like theives, would go "hunt" the bounties but tended to be weak, versus a knight, who would rather compete in your jousting arena. Some heroes were adventerous, and a small bounty would entice them to clear out a monster's lair, but it might also get them killed if they go after the treasure but are too low level to handle it. I played it for a while, it was fun, took a while to learn all the little nuances of the game.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I liked the Warlords series a whole lot. I've played Warlord through Warlords IV. It is turn-based and has both campaign and sandbox games. In it you control cities and conquer more cities. It's totally turn-based. And the AI was always challenging.

Cities produce certain types of units. You can stack up to eight units per "army". It is very straightforward but very engaging. Warlords III was the best. Warlords IV changed the battle system a bit and was a rushed product. But a few patches later the game was pretty fun. I still play both from time to time.

And I'm very much looking forward to Warlords V, which has recently been announced as under development. That is, until the next, great thing comes from Stardock... :D
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Actually I have heard several times that Stardock is working on this type of game exactly. I will probably wait to see theirs as I have been looking for some fansasy based strategy. My only request is if they could work out some kindof TOTAL WAR tactical type gameplay for the battles.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
My only request is if they could work out some kindof TOTAL WAR tactical type gameplay for the battles.


They've already said that there will be tactical battles, though turn-based ones, not real-time ones. That's much preferable in my opinion anyway.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yep Dominions III and Age of Wonders Shadow Magic are the best ones currently out there closest to what you are looking for!
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I like Medieval Total War 2. However it is more historic rather then fantasy, but a great turn based strategy game IMO. Besides, who does not like seeing a large group of spear man getting smashed with a oil covered flaming boulder.
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thanks for all the recommendations, guys. I appreciate it.  :D 



I like Medieval Total War 2. However it is more historic rather then fantasy, but a great turn based strategy game IMO. Besides, who does not like seeing a large group of spear man getting smashed with a oil covered flaming boulder.


Thanks, but I've already got the original MTW, which is far superior.  ;) 
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
HoMM IV and V filled my fantasy vacuum a bit, as well as Age of Wonders Shadow Magic.

I played a tonne of MoM back in the day. We used to gloat over our high scores. Boy, my HS grades sure suffered due to that title.
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is probably the best available IMO (and it meets all your requirements). HOMM V has its charms as well. Disciples II is a great looking game and has some neat ideas, though I find the gameplay a bit lacking. The Dominions games have an excellent reputation, but are profoundly inaccessible and (in my opinion only) not enough fun to warrant the effort one has to put into them.
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Virraith: I hope you are right about Age of Wonders. I decided to buy it. It was a little bit problem, because it is an ancient game, but I found it on Amazon. Amazon does not send games to my country, but fortunately I have a nice college in Austria.
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Thirding Dominions 3, since it is, IMHO, the best game ever.
Reply #19 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It also has the best manual, ever. Seriously. And the amount of backstory for each nation and hero is amazing.
Reply #20 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Virraith: I hope you are right about Age of Wonders. I decided to buy it. It was a little bit problem, because it is an ancient game, but I found it on Amazon. Amazon does not send games to my country, but fortunately I have a nice college in Austria.



Make sure you pick up the unofficial 1.4 patch, it does wonders for that game. I hope you enjoy it!
Reply #21 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
There is a very nice mod for Rome Total War, called End of Days, it is fantasy falovred and with very nice atmosphere.

It is not really true "TBS", but I frankly havent seen a game up to par to old MoM(and I played both dominions and AoW).
Reply #22 from Stardock Forums Top
I think the Dominions series is the best fantasy TBS that's been released in recent years, but no campaign settings. And, as has been mentioned before, it's not very accessible. For those who have the gumption to unpack the gameplay, it's like crack.

The Civ IV: Fall from Heaven mod is free, for anybody with the original Civ IV or CIV:BTS (BTS version is a bit more full-featured), and is EXCELLENT. IMHO, it suffers from some of the same challenges as the original Civ IV, but that still leaves it a darn excellent game! CiV FfH doesn't have a campaign mode, either.

Warlords IV was a good game that the publisher launched way too early, but the user community and Steve (?) Fawkner, the original Warlords developer, have produced some excellent follow-up patches at www.warlorders.com which have given the game a lot more playability. It does have all the features you've specified, and with the mods, the AI is even pretty competent.

It's not a 4x game in the classic sense, but I've recently started playing Fantasy Wars and it is a very enjoyable game. Think Panzer General, with unit promotions and beautiful graphics. The gameplay isn't so different from that venerable series of a decade ago, but with the PG series, gameplay was never a problem...
Reply #23 from Stardock Forums Top
here's a blog I have found on turn based strategy games.

http://turnbasedstrategygames.blogspot.com/

theres a list of some good games at the bottom but I think Master of Magic probably fits your requirements well.

Fantasy Wars is a game I been playing a lot at the moment too. When I can get past the ****ed up protection system that is! (3/5 of the time the program either insists I put the correct disk in or simply pops up an error box and 1/5 of the time, it resets my computer.)

I found Dominion 3 too hardcore to get into.

Fantasy General is one of my favourites for this style of game, its free too (the above link)
Reply #25 from Stardock Forums Top

I just found a gem of a 4x multiplayer TBS game hidden in the depths of the interweb recently.  It is called Fall of Rome (www.fallofromegame.com) and a spiritual successor that is even more fantasyesque is coming out very soon called Kingdoms of Arcania. Fall of Rome isn't typical high fantasy but there are unusual sightings to explore and magical artifacts to capture that give you special powers in battle and high priestesses that can heal your armies and divine the whereabouts of other's armies or cities.  Games consist of 11 players with simultanous turns lasting 3 days and games lasting up to 2+ months.  Battles, politics, alliances, espionage, assassinations, it has it all.  It features a great online manual and helpful mature community too.  I'm having a blast.  I could go on and on about it but just go to the site and read about it and if it interests you sign up, join the next regular game (games may take a day or 2 to start since 11 players must join before it starts and its a small community) and play Centurion (a military only basic tutorial you play vs. computer opponents) and message me, General Gohan, and I will help you get set up to play Campaings of Centurion, which is a scaled down version of Fall of Rome with 9 minute turns and you can play with AI or up to 5 players.  But what is really cool about the campaigns of Centurion (and why you need help before you can play it) is that you get to choose your military composition (calvary, infantry, archery of which there are 5 types of each), noble composition (your princes, barons, counts, etc.) etc etc. and you gain experience through games so you can add to your starting army/ambassadors/agents whereas in Fall of Rome there are 11 different starting nations which each have different militaries etc. etc.. Well its really late and I'm rambling but go check it out and sign up you won't be disappointed.