Time to Play!

[Doomwalker]

For me, I think the following questions about people's habits are more interesting generally:

(1) How many games do you have install on your hard drive that you feel are worth playing?

(2) Of those, how many do you actually play over the period of a month? How many times and for how long? How many hours all games in total?

(3) Assuming that you already own games which are worth playing and you do not have enough time to invest in them, then what is it that motivates to go out and spend money and time on yet unproven new titles?

(4) Obviously, there is a process by which some acceptable titles move from the actively being played list to the retired list. Can you describe what drives that process and that decision? Is it that the retired game itself loses its appeal due to replay issues? Or is it that your fickle heart always falls for the next dazzling 3D belle of the ball?

1. After my altercation with my computer over the last week. I now have 2 games on my hard drive I feel are worth playing. One being AACW and the other TC2M. Before the complete eradication of the entity living in my computer there was 10 games on my system, but still only 2 worth playing.

2. I play both AACW and TC2M on a regular basis. I probably average about 10 hours a week, with 6-8 going to AACW alone.

3. The subject material is what motivates me the most with my purchases. As of late though, I don't even look at new titles. AACW is soaking up most of my attention these days; and even when I do finish a game, I tend to start another one.

4. Retiring a game for me usually involves issues with it and my system. When they don't get along the game gets the boot.

[Chaplain Lovejoy]

Two games for me worth playing: AACW and Silent Hunter. Odd combo, eh? Now if Ubisoft would only do a Hunley mod, everything would come together for me. Captain: "Rig for silent running!" First officer: "Uh, I think that's pretty much the mode we're in all the time." Captain: "Well, then, open tube 1." First officer: "What's a 'tube'?" That's would be pretty much the drift of it.

[MarkShot]

What sub game are you playing?

I've been playing AOD[DOS], SHCE[DOS], and SH3/GWX2.0. I have SH4/RFB and SH4/TM installed, but haven't really played them.

Of everything, AOD is the best. Of course, SH3/GWX2 has amazing graphics, but the game sacrificed quite a bit in the are of gameplay to have flight sim quality graphics.

I've also played SC, DW, SCXIIc/SCU, and DW/LWAMI. Great game engine, but poor game play and replayability.

[Jabberwock]

AACW and Silent Hunter. Odd combo, eh?

Not that odd. There are quite a few avid subsim fans drifting around here.

EDIT: Simultaneous post. ^ There's one now. ^

[MarkShot]

Games I've got on this box:
...
RailRoad I & II

I've been playing a lot of

RTD[DOS] - Railroad Tycoon Deluxe (VGA upgrade to RT1)

IMHO, the RR Tycoon game, but for 1830 which is more about stock trading.

I have RT3 and SMR.

RT3 is decently done, but has no real AI challenge. SMR was killed by the removal of debt mechanics and territorial play found in RT1/RTD. Both RT3/SMR are immensely pretty, but RT1/RTD has the game play above the others.

[MarkShot]

Ha ha ... he's making fun of me, since I had a 4-5 page everything you wanted to know about sub games thread going in the private discussion area. Sadly, we locked the thread after the passing of our dear friend and comrade, Henry Doerle.

[Jabberwock]

Not making fun. If I had the free time for another game, it would probably be a subsim. I used to enjoy Harpoon even before it became a PC game.

[Doomwalker]

Ah yes the days of paper games. I used to play Harpoon way back then also. Then I picked up the Jane's games and played 688 a little bit, and Fleet Command a whole bunch. That is one game I truly miss. I wished the Harpoon 4 project had produced some results, it was looking promising.

[boboneilltexas]

Have you heard that Civ IV is coming out with a remake of Colonization? heck i was just playing that yesterday.

I play the railroad games, Rome, Medieval II and variations and some sims (Tropicos - Love the pirate one - ARGGG!), Pirates, Port Royale II, BOA. Of Course ACW.

[MarkShot]

Ah, I am trying to get into Tropico 1 (mucho macho edition; v1.53) if I can find the time.

In my opinion, this is the best game which PopTop/Phil Steinmeyer ever produced. What is brilliant about Tropico?:

* A well balanced economic/building game with a political layer built on top of it. So, you have the whole good/evil path to victory. You can maintain control through democracy and popularity or you can simply declare martial law and shoot the rebels.

* The game gets progressively harder the longer you play. Politically, the population becomes more judgemental. Expectations rise. Requirements for education and increase social structure rise. So, the game doesn't have your typical economic tipping point which once you pass it, you are home free --- boring!. It is quite easy to have the game turn against you in the later years.

* Vast replayability by being able to design and customize your own personal island.

* The perfect mix of tongue and cheek humor and pseudo realistic modeling which makes a light hearted and entertaining game.

* No AI, but instead the player competes against the environmental situation. However, the game definitely has a lot more focus than the completely open Sim City style games.

RT3 came very close to recapturing the greatness of Tropico 1, but for two major deficiencies:

(1) The AI had no "I". The AI is unable to either aggressively lay track and grow a rail empire or play the market and represent the robber baron threat. The original RT1/RTD has a brutally aggressive AI. It was the first "tycoon" game, but is has the play and feel of a good war game.

(2) The economy was a little too generalized. The model was well done and more logical than what was seen in RT1/RTD/SMR. Very nicely done flow of goods (supply/demand) and variable pricing. However, the player quickly realizes that they are playing "Business Tycoon". You can do very well by simply laying no track and simply buying up businesses on the leading edge of rail development before cargo begins to move. In that respect, RT1/RTD was very clever. It allowed the player to fund business development, but only to benefit from the derivative increased cargo requirements. However, the player could not directly benefit from a general business strategy and vertical integration.

---

Ooops ... sorry for the long rant. But for those who know me, I love to discuss the design of game systems. My profession is computer systems design. And my hobby is games. Thus, I love nothing better than to break apart game system and mechanics and explore the decisions and behavior. In fact, it is this passion that led me to my association with so many talented game designers: Panther Games, Adam Bryant of Mad Minute Games, and the Pair of Phils of AGEOD. I've spoken with Phil Steinmeyer too, but never really struck up a friendship. (Another designer I have become recently become acquainted with is Cliff Harris. Designer of the Democracy games. A beautiful simple and elegant game interface for a relationship engine.)

[Chaplain Lovejoy]

What sub game are you playing?

I've been playing AOD[DOS], SHCE[DOS], and SH3/GWX2.0. I have SH4/RFB and SH4/TM installed, but haven't really played them.

Of everything, AOD is the best. Of course, SH3/GWX2 has amazing graphics, but the game sacrificed quite a bit in the are of gameplay to have flight sim quality graphics.

I've also played SC, DW, SCXIIc/SCU, and DW/LWAMI. Great game engine, but poor game play and replayability.

AOD[DOS] was great. SH3 also great. SH4 boring because it's too easy.