Posts from ‘Strategy’ Category

Unity of Command 1.03 and Demo

By: Derek Yu

On: May 30th, 2012

unityofcommand2

Unity of Command, the operational turn-based strategy game set in the Eastern Front of World War 2, has received an update that adds an undo feature for actions and various improvements to History Mode.

Also, a PC and Mac demo has finally been released for the game. It contains the tutorial as well as a single-player scenario to try out.

Reprisal

By: Alehkhs

On: May 21st, 2012

When graphic designer Jon Caplin found himself with time on his hands while recovering from a broken jaw, he began work on a personal art-design project that drew from his memories of playing the classic god game Populous. What began as a simple hobby project arrives today as a full, completed game. Titled “Reprisal,” the finished product features one of the most gorgeous presentations of pixel art I’ve seen and is free to play in-browser.

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Starfarer 0.5a

By: Derek Yu

On: February 14th, 2012

Starfarer, by Fractal Softworks

Starfarer is a promising real-time tactics RPG that’s currently in development. The latest pre-order build, 0.5a, was released today, bringing the game one step closer to the open-world space opera that its developers have planned. Previous iterations of Starfarer have let you choose from a number of scripted missions, but in 0.5a you can finally tackle a basic campaign map that lets you expand your fleet (through purchase or capture) and level up your crew. No matter how large your fleet is, though, you’ll always control a single character and ship, directing your allies through a detailed tactical map.

The game already offers quite a bit in the way of customization to your fleet, from types of ships (large capital ships to tiny fighters) to weapons and armor, down to even the personality and experience of the crew. The final release, though, sounds like it will be a dream for fans of space combat and trading games like Escape Velocity Nova – whether you want to be an ace pilot, the admiral of a large fleet, or something in-between, there will be plenty of ways to make your (permanent, meaningful) mark on the galaxy. On top of that, Starfarer’s devs seem committed to making the game friendly for modders, with fans already creating their own ships and missions.

The final price of the game is set at $20, but you can pre-order it right now for $10 and receive the current build as well as all future updates.

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Natural Selection 2 (Build 194) – Gorilla

By: Alehkhs

On: February 2nd, 2012

The long-in-development indie FPS/RTS title Natural Selection 2 has reached an important milestone: The gorilla-like evolution for the alien team, the Onos, and the marines’ jetpack accessory (both of which were important facets of the original Half-Life mod that NS2 is the sequel to) are now in the game. These additions, along with a brand new map, “Mineshaft,” are just some of the over 100 new features, balances, and tweaks for this build, which is now available to all pre-order customers.

Check out the fantastic new trailer that shows just how far this project has come:

Preview: AirMech

By: Derek Yu

On: January 16th, 2012

Before Warcraft and before Dune 2, there was Technosoft’s Herzog Zwei (1989), a Genesis/Mega Drive game that laid the groundwork for real-time strategy games. Whereas the majority of RTS games that followed put you above the action, Herzog Zwei had you controlling a mech directly. This commander unit could fight, issue orders, and transport units.

Cut to today: Carbon Games is working on AirMech, an RTS game that is a more direct successor to Zwei. The small team comprises the core members of the now-defunct Titan Studios that developed Fat Princess for PS3.

If you want to join the alpha, sign up here and post in the forums here, letting Carbon know that you want to play.

Unity of Command

By: Derek Yu

On: January 3rd, 2012

Unity of Command, by 2x2 Games

Unity of Command nearly passed under my radar, which would have been a shame – even a casual strategy fan such as myself can tell that the game is something special. For one thing, long-time TIGSource readers may recognize the artist, Nenad JalÅ¡ovec, who created Rescue the Beagles and Ablation. Indeed, the artwork in Unity of Command is lovely – a far cry from the low-res pixel art of his previous games, the semi-iconographic style he employed here is much more detailed but nonetheless just as eye-catching and functional.

Set during the Eastern Front of World War 2, the game lets you play as either Germany or the Soviet Union in a campaign that includes the Battle of Stalingrad. You command at an operational level, with the campaign divided into scenarios where you control divisions of soldiers and earn prestige bonuses based on your performance. Supply lines are crucial to victory in each scenario – units quickly lose their effectiveness once they’re cut off. To emphasize this, Unity of Command lets you view supply easily and the AI, which has been praised by sites like The Wargamer, jumps on any chance to starve your army.

Alongside the campaign, UoC offers individual scenarios (including a tutorial), internet/hotseat multiplayer, and replays. It also comes with a 40-page PDF manual that is as well-put together as the rest of the package (just look at how much effort went into the cover art for this digital game!). With the manual, tutorial, and intuitive interface, even newbies can quickly get up to speed and start enjoying the more intricate aspects of the design.

TIGdb: Entry for Unity of Command

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Xenowar – X-Com for Android

By: Alehkhs

On: November 8th, 2011

While I’m waiting eagerly to the full release of Xenonauts, I’ve been filling my commutes and times away from home with the similarly titled Xenowar; a light, X-Com inspired game available for Android and Windows.

Xenowar

With a simple touch interface and low-polygon 3D graphics, Xenowar manages to maintain the essence of X-Com, tasking players to fight an alien invasion through the construction and management of bases, researching of futuristic technologies, and commanding of ground-troops. While there are some areas where the game is vague or obtuse, there is almost always a button present to pull up a ‘help’ or ‘reference’ screen.

If you’re a fan of X-Com who’s frequently away from their computer, be sure to check out Xenowar.

Knights of the Chalice

By: Derek Yu

On: October 16th, 2011

Knights of the Chalice, by Heroic Fantasy Games

Knights of the Chalice, by Heroic Fantasy Games… that almost says it all, really. Released in 2009, this tactical RPG won a cult following for its close adherence to Dungeons & Dragons rules (the game uses the d20 Open Gaming License), the strength of its artificial intelligence, and its high level of difficulty. Despite its rough presentation (which is rather charming, actually), the game’s interface is actually quite easy to use, putting the burden of success squarely on the player’s heavily-armored shoulders.

I missed this when it first came out, but I’ll keep my eyes peeled for the upcoming sequel, which looks to deliver even more heroic fantasy to fans of D&D and tactical role-playing games. Thanks to Chef Boyardee for bringing the game to our attention on the forums.

TIGdb: Entry for Knights of the Chalice

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Xenonauts at Eurogamer Expo

By: Derek Yu

On: October 4th, 2011

Goldhawk Interactive showed off their X-COM inspired strategy title Xenonauts at the Eurogamer Expo last week. Above is a short interview with TotalBiscuit and one of the developers as they play the game on the expo floor.

Trailer: Kenshi

By: Derek Yu

On: September 8th, 2011

Here’s one to look out for: Kenshi, a free-roaming, squad-based strategy RPG that takes place in what looks like a large-scale (400 sq. km) post-apocalyptic world inhabited by samurai. Its developer, Lo-Fi Games, is putting a lot of emphasis on the fact that your character starts out as a weakling and must suffer losses as he works his way up to faction leader (or badass lone wolf). The combat looks like a unique hybrid of real-time and turn-based systems, “based on motion capture and developed by an actual martial artist and sword practitioner”.

Kenshi is at a very early stage in development, but a playable demo is planned for supporters ($10) some time next month.

(Source: Rock, Paper, Shotgun)