What Game?

Eco-Logic · Post by **Eco-Logic** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 11:57 am

Quick question.

I have to travel a lot with my job and am looking for a good game to install on my work laptop.

The laptop is a IBM Thinkpad R51, with onboard video etc.

I installed BG2 last trip and found that I don't have the patience for a long rpg with a ton of talking/text while traveling.

I am more looking for something that is easy to sit down and play for short period or long periods of time, that requires strategy but isn't really hard to catch on to. I played the heck out of Sim City 2000 back in the day so don't recommend SC.

Thoughts?

I have never played X-Com but have heard a lot about it. What about Tropico?

I look forward to your suggestions!

*no fps, as I won't have a real mouse.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:06 pm

Which forum?

Bad Demographic · Post by **Bad Demographic** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:08 pm

Yup - this looks like it belongs in PC Gaming in General. Moving it there.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:10 pm

Gotta go with Pirates!

You can play for 10 mintues or play for an hour.

I think there's enough substance to the game to keep your entertained.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:10 pm

Stronghold and the expansion?

Some of the sandbox and scenarios are quick but you can also play in-depth scenarios and the campaign. I haven't played Stronghold II so I can't speak to that one.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:31 pm

Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic, of course! As a bonus, you can play it in a window.

O.DOGG · Post by **O.DOGG** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 1:33 pm

Heroes of Might & Magic 3: The Shadow of Death + Armageddon's Blade expansion. I think nothing can beat that for a laptop game. It takes a long time to clear a map but you can leave it at any point you want. Plus the expansion gives you the ability to generate random maps and thus you can play a different game on every sitting. The game is rather easy to get into but difficult to master - as they say. That's what I recommend.

dfs · Post by **dfs** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 1:43 pm

Can grab you for short periods or long periods....I find Pirates! to be kind of tough to put down, but it's a nice game. Don't know about mouseless.

You liked sim-city....Tropico, SimGolf, Rollercoaster Tycoon, The impressions city builders, Children of the Nile all come to mind. Railroad Tycoon2 has some meat in it's bones. That's a passle of older games that all have playable demo's. see what grabs you.

Oasis is a nice little mini-4x that is tile based. Sold via the Web.
Fate is another web-only action game that's good in small doses.

SuperHiro · Post by **SuperHiro** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 1:55 pm

Blackhawk wrote:Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic, of course! As a bonus, you can play it in a window.

And for a double bonus... you don't need a disc in drive to play it!

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 2:26 pm

dfs wrote:Can grab you for short periods or long periods....I find Pirates! to be kind of tough to put down, but it's a nice game. Don't know about mouseless.

It's all about the numpad in Pirates!

It's also the first game that I was able to get into using a Nostromo with, just based on that fact.

dfs · Post by **dfs** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 2:29 pm

It's all about the numpad in Pirates!

Right! Of course it is. Withdraw the mouseless objection. The only problem with Pirates! then would be if you can play it in short bursts.

Eco-Logic · Post by **Eco-Logic** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 2:30 pm

I'm sure I will get slammed for this, but are you all talking about Sid Miers Pirates!

This one?

Or the real old one?

Eco-Logic · Post by **Eco-Logic** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 2:31 pm

And thanks for all the suggestions. I will check out some demos this evening.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 2:34 pm

Eco-Logic wrote:I'm sure I will get slammed for this, but are you all talking about Sid Miers Pirates!

This one?

Yeeaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

Eco-Logic · Post by **Eco-Logic** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 2:40 pm

Good deal.

Thanks!

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 2:58 pm

Oh yeah - I just remembered, if you're into golf, I really enjoy Tiger Wood's PGA 2004 on the PC. Another game you can play 3 holes or an entire 18 hole tournament.

Sie Meier's Golf is another fun one, though if you're a grahpic's whore you'll probably pass.

Eco-Logic · Post by **Eco-Logic** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 3:37 pm

I normally play quiet a bit of tiger woods on my psp while I travel.

The PSP game drought is what prompted me to look at laptop games.

I think Heroes of Might and Magic 3 looks pretty interesting. I have never played a game like that but it sounds pretty fun.

I have played pirates before and enjoyed it quiet a bit.

I guess I will have to grab some demos tonight and make a decision. Thanks again.

SuperHiro · Post by **SuperHiro** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 3:44 pm

HOMM 3 is pretty hard to find nowadays IIRC. Number 4 really stank so people hung onto their copies.

Again, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is in the same vein, and I'll put it on par with HOMM 3. And it's very laptop friendly.

Eco-Logic · Post by **Eco-Logic** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 4:04 pm

SuperHiro wrote:HOMM 3 is pretty hard to find nowadays IIRC. Number 4 really stank so people hung onto their copies.

Again, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is in the same vein, and I'll put it on par with HOMM 3. And it's very laptop friendly.

Is AOW turn-based as well?

I really don't feel like playing a full fledged RTS on my laptop with no mouse.

I was under the impression (probably incorrectly) that AOW was like a fantasy AOE.

I will definitely check it out.

SuperHiro · Post by **SuperHiro** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 4:08 pm

Yeah it's turn-based. In the same vein as HOMM 5 and Master of Magic.

If you can't find Shadow Magic... then AoW 1 and 2 are also very very excellent (and really cheap). But Shadow Magic is the pinnacle.

Kobra · Post by **Kobra** » Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:46 pm

Kohan Ahrimans Gift would be great on a laptop.

As much as I think Stardock is lame, Political Machine was my number one laptop game of 2004, it is small, runs on any laptop, and the games play lightning quick with the 40 week max campaign seasons.