Good Multiplayer Turn-Based Strategy Games?

[lamaros]

I am desperately looking for something fun to play at the moment and hoping the wise brains here will have some ideas.

I want to find a fun turn-based strategy game. Something like Pox Nora would be ideal, but without all the rip-off pricing, where you have to spend $100s to get anywhere. Surely someone out there is doing this for a reasonable price?

From what I can see SOE seems to have the market covered, and I really really dislike everything they have done with it. I find the websites ugly and hard to navigate, the pricing exorbitant, and the software ugly and intrusive.

Does anyone know anything similar that might actually be fun? The main criteria is (hopefully unit focused) turn-based gaming, everything else is just shiny.

[Ingmar]

Maybe find some offline game you like and play it on Vassal? There are little communities for a lot of different games.

[lamaros]

Maybe find some offline game you like and play it on Vassal? There are little communities for a lot of different games.

Never played an offline game in my life really, I would have no idea where to start. The only popular ones on Vassal from my look seem to be Warmachine and Hordes and Warhammer?

[jakonovski]

I recommend just playing Warmachine, Hordes or Warhammer. Miniature wargames are so much more satisfying than silly computer games.

[Malakili]

I recommend just playing Warmachine, Hordes or Warhammer. Miniature wargames are so much more satisfying than silly computer games.

This is true, I think.  The best turn based games I've played are without a doubt miniature table top games.  It never seems to translate well to the PC for some reason.  Though I'd love if someone just directly translated Warhammer 40k to the PC straight up with its rules and all, but I guess that might take away from their killing on miniature sales.

[Azazel]

There's also that one that people were talking about the other day.

http://forums.f13.net/index.php?topic=19191.0

[Druzil]

If you're looking for something simple but fun I recommend Weewar.  It's easy to learn, you can play 1v1 or in a bigger free for all or team game.  Plus you can play a few of the limited unit maps for free.  It's very similar to Advance Wars and the Battalion flash game series if you have ever play those.

http://weewar.com/

[lamaros]

I recommend just playing Warmachine, Hordes or Warhammer. Miniature wargames are so much more satisfying than silly computer games.

Except they are fucking expensive, yes?

[Bann]

If you can get over paying full price for an old game that looks like ass, Consider Dominions 3. I think the best introduction to the game is probably one of the LP's on SA. Unfortunately, SA seems to be requiring membership for the threads I'm thinking of, so heres a dominions 3 lp from the LP archive.

http://lparchive.org/Dominions-3/
 

 I haunt this forum

http://z7.invisionfree.com/Dom3mods/index.php?showforum=3

and they have a variety of new games starting, including ones for new players only. Most of the games there use a the CBM (Conceptual Balance Mod) which I find better than vanilla, but I believe you can find MP vanilla games on the offical forums and on SA

[Der Helm]

The main criteria is (hopefully unit focused) turn-based gaming, everything else is just shiny.

Blood Bowl ? 

[jakonovski]

I recommend just playing Warmachine, Hordes or Warhammer. Miniature wargames are so much more satisfying than silly computer games.

Except they are fucking expensive, yes?

Not on a per hour basis, but the initial outlay is in the hundreds, yeah.

[Ice Cream Emperor]

Dominion 3 is a fantastic game but it has a huge hole where 'tactical combat' would normally be in such a game -- it's designed for PBeM games and so all the actual fighting is scripted (you give your units general commands to execute blindly and see what happens.) It's its own kind of puzzle, but often pretty frustrating to watch your ultra-awesome units get their asses handed to them because they can't adapt in the moment to counter a simple strategy.

But if 'turn based strategy' for you is more about micromanaging empires, unit creation, expansion, spell research, etc. then Dominion is a winner for sure. Currently the reigning heir to Master of Magic, but with a much stronger multiplayer focus. And at least last time I checked there was a fairly active online community on the official boards, including lots and lots of useful strategy guides & advice, which you will absolutely need.

Also the last game I can remember that actually has like an 80 page paper manual that includes a print version of the tutorial.

[lamaros]

The main criteria is (hopefully unit focused) turn-based gaming, everything else is just shiny.

Blood Bowl ?  

Accoring to steam I have played 400+ hours of BB since Jan, so yeah. Need another one, though.

Thanks for the recomemdations everyone, I'm going to check them all out.

[Ingmar]

Is Dominion 3 still full price for a 5 year old game or whatever?

[Stormwaltz]

Is Dominion 3 still full price for a 5 year old game or whatever?

Yes, though it's still patched roughly quarterly with new content (spells, units, pretenders, making more things mod-able, and even entire new nations).

EDIT: There's a demo on the web site.

[Sheepherder]

Need another one, though.

Buy it, borrow it, or steal it.  Then build a Windows 95 machine if you can't get it to run on a modern one.

[bhodi]

The main criteria is (hopefully unit focused) turn-based gaming, everything else is just shiny.

I know I'm late to this party, but spend 10 minutes and check out Alien Assault, the freeware game that is TOTALLY NOT space hulk because THQ pulled the rights to use the art assets at the last moment even though games workshop initially gave them the go-ahead.

[naum]

If you can get over paying full price for an old game that looks like ass, Consider Dominions 3. I think the best introduction to the game is probably one of the LP's on SA. Unfortunately, SA seems to be requiring membership for the threads I'm thinking of, so heres a dominions 3 lp from the LP archive.

http://lparchive.org/Dominions-3/
 

 I haunt this forum

http://z7.invisionfree.com/Dom3mods/index.php?showforum=3

and they have a variety of new games starting, including ones for new players only. Most of the games there use a the CBM (Conceptual Balance Mod) which I find better than vanilla, but I believe you can find MP vanilla games on the offical forums and on SA

Dominions 3 is the greatest TBS ever.

Graphics look like Arbys vomit.

Gameplay is like a fantasy novel unfurling — serious, someone could write fantastic narratives from the AAR.