Poll: Calling master strategists

[Horticulture]

I gotta say you can't beat the classics. I also have to say chess. Sure there is the micromanagement that Warcraft brought in and future build plans created by starcraft. Civilization taught people to learn to invest in learning but their combat was on pure chance.

Chess is timeless in terms of strategy. One wrong move and you just lost a peice which will affect your entire game. Sure there is no micro but you have to force your opponent into making moves you want them to do while ensuring you do not fall into the same trap. I love playing video games but give me another person, a couple of drinks and a chess board and there will be some serious matches even if you are a rookie.

kekekekekeke pawn rush -_-

 

[sms_117b]

I voted total war, however I do happily acknowledge Chess, Go and Othello as being very tactically challenging, and at a push 3-dimensional 4 in a row naughts and crosses, which can take ages to play a single game.

 

[zifnabxar]

Uh... chess?
Or how 'bout Go?
Now THAT takes strategy. If you aren't thinking at least 10 moves ahead, you aren't going to win unless the person you're playing is terrible.

I agree, Go requires a lot of strategic play.

Chess is mostly tactical in my opinion, tactics and strategy are not the same thing.

Here here. It's amazing how important strategy can be in go. I've had a 9 stone handicap and still been beaten into the ground by some players who aren't close to pro, because they knew some of the strategy.

 

[Valiance]

Civilization definitely. You have to know what you'll do before you even begin to play, and juggle a million different things at once.

^

That's my vote, though Chess is a close second.

 

[Zaydin]

Another good RTS is Sins of a Solar Empire. Massive maps (Biggest map has over 100 worlds), games that can last months, etc.

 

[defcon 1]

I think strategy games with imperfect information require a bit more guessing than strategy games with imperfect. I would have to say "Go" is one of the most strategical games I'm aware of.

 

[Archaon6044]

i'd say SupCom.

i almost never play chess (no one to play against)
i've only played Medievil Total War, and i could never be bothered to see it through
Warcraft, AoE, starcraft, DoW, Sins of a Solar Empire etc etc i just turtle up, turtle up, turtle up, and the EXPLODE outwards from my base in an unstoppable wave of fully upgraded super units and cannon fodder, and roll over all things in my path

Sup Com is just too damn big for that to work. defenses have to be placed where they'll be most effective, defense armies need running around inside your lines, and you have to manage an economy worse that ours is all the damn time. seriously, building power crashes your mass, buildin mass generators crashes your power. building anything else crashes both.
i'ts all balanced on a knife edge, and to cap it all off, the AI just keep on coming for you

 

[runtheplacered]

endwar company of heros and supcom were all good but endwar online was made entirely of artty company of heros puts some factions at a greater advantage at the start and end and the balance is fucking aweful supcom in my mind is a eco rts ONLY because for battle you spam maybe 2 or 3 units and the only one that regularly fights is tanks and games rarely ever get past early game

halowars is fun for me (prepares for bashing)

. <---- There you go. Copy and paste that period so you can use it. Sorry to hear yours is broken.

 

[FragKrag]

As for pure strategy, Go is the ultimate game. In terms of video games, I'll have to say civilization and the Total War series when you're in civilization mode. Tactically, it's definitely Total War. In terms of mechanical skill, Starcraft takes the cake.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

Total war. I actually did a bit of study into medieval military tactics for it.

 

[FarleShadow]

You forgot Total Annhilation, a game which is still around in the TASpring style with mods out of the ears.

I prefer that to SupCom, since SupCom was basically 'Spam same unit until bored'

 

[lizards]

endwar company of heros and supcom were all good but endwar online was made entirely of artty company of heros puts some factions at a greater advantage at the start and end and the balance is fucking aweful supcom in my mind is a eco rts ONLY because for battle you spam maybe 2 or 3 units and the only one that regularly fights is tanks and games rarely ever get past early game

halowars is fun for me (prepares for bashing)

. <---- There you go. Copy and paste that period so you can use it. Sorry to hear yours is broken.

HEIL GRAMMAR...........o i thought we were pretending to be grammar nazis o wait a second you are.....

 

[Hunde Des Krieg]

Chess. With most RTSs, you can pretty much just make it up as you go along. Most pre-planning comes from resource collection in anticipation of building certain units.

In Chess, you gotta know every possible move your pieces can make, and every possible move your opponent's pieces can make. Also, you gotta know what moves they can make for the next dozen rounds, and what moves your opponent is likely to make.

Chess is a turn based strategy game.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

Fire emblem seems conspicuously absent from this list.

I believe this to be true. We'll wait...

Chess and Total War, for me. I feel most of the other games you can create arse loads of units in most of those other games and swarm the enemy, resulting in overkill, something you can't do in either of the above games. Don't get me wrong though, it's not always possible, and those games are rich in strategy, but that fact is still there.

And no C&C? Really?

On a personal note:
I know some of you are pack rats and collect those wonderful hidden gem games that reek of excellence and good quality, even if they are old, and I would like to give credit to Age of Wonders 2, which is sadly not on the list because most people haven't played it. If you have, more power to ya, if not, if you got a little extra money and a PC i highly recommend it. If your a fan of the turn based games your sure to love it.
cheers

Loved that game. God if I have time or I finish all of the stuff I'm playing now, I may have to unearth it.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

So online chess, when you win do you shout 'PAWNED!'?

Ahem, anyways, I'm not a huge fan of the genre but I felt Gladius was hugely overlooked on XBOX, was a gladiator themed 'Advance Wars' or 'FF Tactics' style game.

 

[linchowlewy]

Total war. I actually did a bit of study into medieval military tactics for it.

Same here, did the same thing for roman tactics with Rome. mind you online in Rome comes down to an Urban cohort and spartan phalanx spam.

 

[Mirika_the_warrior]

Fire emblem seems conspicuously absent from this list.

ah yes it is good, but it is less a strategy and more a story.

Personally I prefer total war and chess, the former for the empire management, real time command, and the like. the latter is just an excellent exercise in strategic though. but chess does require more forethought.

 

[Ultrajoe]

I'm a huge fan of DoW1 for multiplayer. Games are fast, intense, and offer much more scope for innovation than ritualized and sluggish games like AoE or Supreme Commander. Dont get me wrong, i love any RTS, it's my chosen Genre, but DoW has a visceral speed and control that is the core of any good RTS with no added baggage.

DoW 2 is also a huge amount of fun, but the lack of game modes does do it an injustice. I hope an expansion sees this rectified, and my prayers go to a 'Meat grinder' mode, where one player must hold off waves of the enemy that the game spawns for them to control, with similarly timed reinforcements. Bloodshed alley was one of my favorite DoW1 maps, and seeing a game mode in it's tribute would be awesome.