Civilization V- Might actually be good now. Stay tuned.

[ghost]

Civ V wins PCGamers Strategy Game of the Year award.

My response (posted elsewhere) was that this pretty much confirmed that PC Gamer didn't play any of the other strategy games that came out last year (and there were some excellent ones). Strategy games make or break on how much they make you think. Civ5 may have had polish and accessibility, but at ship it required very little actual strategy to win.

So what would you have put in that spot?  I didn't keep up with the strategy games much this year. 

[Chenghiz]

Did you all seriously fail to figure out how to stop the into video from playing? Here, I'll help. From the official support forums--

How do I stop the introduction from playing?

If you experience a crash during the introduction or you would simply like to skip it to get into the game quicker do the following:
- Browse to Documents\My Games\sid meier's Civilization 5
- Open the usersettings.ini in Notepad
- Find the setting SkipIntroVideo = 0 and change the value to 1
- Save your changes and you're done

[Paelos]

Here's a hint. I shouldn't have to crack into .ini files in order to stop a FUCKING INTRO VIDEO.

Most games solves that with a magical device called "hit any key"

[Stormwaltz]

So what would you have put in that spot?  I didn't keep up with the strategy games much this year.

RUSE was a traditional RTS, but added innovative RTS mechanics that - shock - seemed to work pretty well. It added explicit gameplay elements to allow bluffing and deception. Moreover, the AI used them fairly well, and was vulnerable to them. No omniscience cheating here.

Distant Worlds was a realtime space 4x by New Zealand indie developer Code Force. It does yeoman's work trying to allow both infinite scope and absurd detail via innovative hands-off automation systems. It sold well enough that it already has an expansion out.

[Rasix]

Starcraft fucking 2 was also released this year.

[Soulflame]

I would expect to have to edit an .ini file about 10-20 years ago.  These days, something like that should be an option that can be disabled with a checkbox.

[ghost]

Starcraft fucking 2 was also released this year.

That won the award for Game of the Year and RTS Game of the Year.  

RUSE was a traditional RTS, but added innovative RTS mechanics that - shock - seemed to work pretty well. It added explicit gameplay elements to allow bluffing and deception. Moreover, the AI used them fairly well, and was vulnerable to them. No omniscience cheating here.

Distant Worlds was a realtime space 4x by New Zealand indie developer Code Force. It does yeoman's work trying to allow both infinite scope and absurd detail via innovative hands-off automation systems. It sold well enough that it already has an expansion out.

Thanks for the opinions.  I was thinking about picking one or both of these up.  I may have to check them out. 

[Stormwaltz]

Starcraft fucking 2 was also released this year.

That's the one that's a high-res reskin of some game from last century, right? I also hear it has some nice cutscenes.

[Rasix]

Starcraft fucking 2 was also released this year.

That won the award for Game of the Year and RTS Game of the Year.  

Kind of a dumb distinction, IMO, but this is PC gamer.    Not sure I'd give it game of the year, but this year was so mediocre I don't think we're even giving out our token awards here at all.

Starcraft fucking 2 was also released this year.

That's the one that's a high-res reskin of some game from last century, right? I also hear it has some nice cutscenes.

Oh, does it ever. They are spiffy.

[ghost]

I wouldn't have thought that there would be any other choice for GOTY other than Fallout NV. 

[Sky]

I'll just take this time to mention how much I dislike RTS. I never played Starcraft. To be honest, Dune 2 was good enough for me in that genre. A good strategy game should give you time to develop a strategy, mull over your options. Not reward whoever smokes the most methamphetamine in some back alley bang.

[Paelos]

I'll just take this time to mention how much I dislike RTS. I never played Starcraft. To be honest, Dune 2 was good enough for me in that genre. A good strategy game should give you time to develop a strategy, mull over your options. Not reward whoever smokes the most methamphetamine in some back alley bang.

Yeah the current iteration of RTS pretty much sucks. I don't feel like I'm doing any strategy so much as trying to execute an intricate micromanagement plan.

[Ingmar]

I wouldn't have thought that there would be any other choice for GOTY other than Fallout NV. 

I have NV 3rd-ish, personally, in the incredibly prestigious Games I Liked Last Year category.

[Malakili]

I'll just take this time to mention how much I dislike RTS. I never played Starcraft. To be honest, Dune 2 was good enough for me in that genre. A good strategy game should give you time to develop a strategy, mull over your options. Not reward whoever smokes the most methamphetamine in some back alley bang.

You don't develop your strategies mid game in Starcraft, do that out of game.  Its a combination of out of game planning and in game execution.

You should be well prepared enough that you know what to do immediately(or at least a possible thing to do immediately) if you see your opponent doing X.  If it doesn't work out, you load up the replay afterward and figure out why.  Granted, I can't talk too much because I've just put this game down again because I really don't have the time required to advance any further on the ladder, I sort of hit my max given the time I have to put in (not much), so I can understand why you'd want a game that lets you play with your strategy mid game rather than having to devote specific practice time.

Speed does matter in Starcraft, but not as much as you think, you can get pretty high on the ladder with only 60 APM or so, it isn't until master's league or very high diamond league that you need to start pushing higher to smooth things out a bit.

[Ingmar]

Broadly speaking I think separating RTS from turn-based in awards categories is a fine/good idea, though then you have to decide which side to put games like the TW series on.

[Malakili]

Broadly speaking I think separating RTS from turn-based in awards categories is a fine/good idea, though then you have to decide which side to put games like the TW series on.

Yeah, I generally agree that they are two separate genres, especially when talking about something like SC2 v. Civ5. 

[Merusk]

I'll just take this time to mention how much I dislike RTS. I never played Starcraft. To be honest, Dune 2 was good enough for me in that genre. A good strategy game should give you time to develop a strategy, mull over your options. Not reward whoever smokes the most methamphetamine in some back alley bang.

You don't develop your strategies mid game in Starcraft, do that out of game.  Its a combination of out of game planning and in game execution.

The point.. you missed it.  We play the TBS games because we don't have have time to do that shit.  You know, the same problem you've run in to.  If I'm playing the game I've got time to play and learn right then, take some time and plan a strategy and see it develop.    If it means I'm learning while playing, even better.  I'm not mapping out abilities, builds, income etc in a spreadsheet beforehand as I pour over my series of static maps to discern the optimal build order.  If I wanted that I'd play EVE.

[Rasix]

Or you can just play, take your time, pause for reflection, and think it up while you go along.  There's rank 100+ bronze players for a reason.  

I suppose it's right to split Strategy into two categories, but there's seemingly so few non-shitty RTS released per year nowadays that you just automatically would give the award to the one that doesn't suck.  

My pile of games up for overall GOTY would have to be something like Fallout: NV, SC2, Limbo, Dead Rising 2, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2. I have a sneaking suspicion that Amnesia could belong in there, but I haven't gotten around to it yet.  Minecraft, I'm just unsure about.  But it's not out of beta yet anyhow.    A best of 2010 thread might be worth making for entertainment purposes.  

[Malakili]

I'll just take this time to mention how much I dislike RTS. I never played Starcraft. To be honest, Dune 2 was good enough for me in that genre. A good strategy game should give you time to develop a strategy, mull over your options. Not reward whoever smokes the most methamphetamine in some back alley bang.

You don't develop your strategies mid game in Starcraft, do that out of game.  Its a combination of out of game planning and in game execution.

The point.. you missed it.  We play the TBS games because we don't have have time to do that shit.  You know, the same problem you've run in to.  If I'm playing the game I've got time to play and learn right then, take some time and plan a strategy and see it develop.    If it means I'm learning while playing, even better.  I'm not mapping out abilities, builds, income etc in a spreadsheet beforehand as I pour over my series of static maps to discern the optimal build order.  If I wanted that I'd play EVE.

Gee, somehow I got to the top 3% on the SC2 ladder without ever opening a spreadsheet and playing an average of 3 games a day.  I did hit the wall there, but for gods sake, exaggerate much?  The time problem I ran into really only happens at significantly high levels of play.  You're talking about a characterization of SC2 that is cute and funny and lulz asian APM and build orders, but has little to do with the way the game is actually played.

EDIT:  My point being that if your ONLY concern is being able to mull over strategy, SC2 can provide that, you just spend 5 minutes in between games quickly watching your replay on x4 or 8 speed, seeing where you went wrong, and resolving to try something different next time.  Thats very accessible and easy, and doable at any level of play.

[shiznitz]

Civ V wins PCGamers Strategy Game of the Year award.

My response (posted elsewhere) was that this pretty much confirmed that PC Gamer didn't play any of the other strategy games that came out last year (and there were some excellent ones). Strategy games make or break on how much they make you think. Civ5 may have had polish and accessibility, but at ship it required very little actual strategy to win.

So what would you have put in that spot?  I didn't keep up with the strategy games much this year. 

Would it be so bad for a gaming mag to say "well, none of the <genre> games we saw this year deserve an award"?  I know it isn't their real job to critique their industry but it wouldn't hurt to be a little tough on crap, would it?

[Modern Angel]

Oh, duh! My strategy game of the year is Blood Bowl.

[Rasix]

Oh, duh! My strategy game of the year is Blood Bowl.

Wasn't that released in 2009?

[Ingmar]

The legendary edition with more teams came out in 2010, but yeah I have a hard time treating that as a full new game in my head.

Mass Effect 2 is my winner, with RDR, New Vegas, and Starcraft 2 fighting over 2-4.

[Teleku]

I actually kind of do think of it as a new game.  They added in a ton more than just new teams.  All the extra induction shit they left out of the first games, for instance.  It just plays a lot differently with the extra stuff.

[Sky]

I'll have my 2010 goty awards ready in 2012 when I've played them all.

I'd probably say ME2. I have a hard time remembering what came out in 2010.

[Tannhauser]

Ing, I agree with you.

1.  ME2
2.  RDR
3.  FNV

Biggest disappointment:  Cataclysm

[Aez]

Turning 30 this year.  Had to google the 3 acronyms on your list 

[Ingmar]

Turning 30 this year.  Had to google the 3 acronyms on your list  

I'm 36, that's no excuse!

Given Cataclysm is an expansion it doesn't meet the qualifications to be considered for my prestigious award, but I haven't found it a huge disappointment personally (nor is it the greatest thing ever, but I like it fine.) My biggest disappointment is easily Elemental, not even close.

[Tannhauser]

Sorry, figured those were pretty common knowledge.  As for the dumb coont upthread who said 2010 was a bad year for games I say good day sir.  I said good day!

[Musashi]

Biggest disappointment has to be Civ 5.  Elemental didn't have anywhere near the hype.

[Rasix]

Sorry, figured those were pretty common knowledge.  As for the dumb coont upthread who said 2010 was a bad year for games I say good day sir.  I said good day!

Mediocre is the term I used, if you're referring to me.  My list has 5 big budget sequels and a 3 hour long XBLA game on it.  Every game on my list had something seriously wrong with it or had an aspect I absolutely loathed. 

Getting far afield now, though.

[Stormwaltz]

Ghost, here's another one to look into. It came out in 2009, but had two expansions last year and another scheduled for this year.

AI War - Rampant AIs have taken over the galaxy and nearly extinguished humanity. You play humanity. The AIs will ignore you if you scuttle around like a cockroach under their feet, but if you poke them, they will crush you. The AI is very clever and designed to play not like a human, but like an AI theoretically would.

[tgr]

I'll just take this time to mention how much I dislike RTS. I never played Starcraft. To be honest, Dune 2 was good enough for me in that genre. A good strategy game should give you time to develop a strategy, mull over your options. Not reward whoever smokes the most methamphetamine in some back alley bang.

Are you sure it hasn't changed sufficiently from what we used to call RTS, to the point it needs its own gametype? i.e. RTT (real-time tactics)?

[Malakili]

I'll just take this time to mention how much I dislike RTS. I never played Starcraft. To be honest, Dune 2 was good enough for me in that genre. A good strategy game should give you time to develop a strategy, mull over your options. Not reward whoever smokes the most methamphetamine in some back alley bang.

Are you sure it hasn't changed sufficiently from what we used to call RTS, to the point it needs its own gametype? i.e. RTT (real-time tactics)?

It seems to me something like Dawn of War 2 fits well into that RTT idea, and a lot of other stuff that has done away with the building all together or in a large part.  How do you feel about, for instance, Command and Conquer?

[Sky]

I played the first C&C. I think I did play Red Alert, too. That's about when I gave up on that.

I played some DoW and it seemed pretty cool, though I still think it would be better TBS :p

Anyway, to me something like this just looks dumb and anachronistic: