quote:

ORIGINAL: Max 86

Flashpoint and Alea Jacta Est are great games. Its really what your in the mood for. I was improving my knowledge of the Roman era so I picked up Alea Jacta Est games, stuff like that. Also, Take a hard look at Advanced Tactics Gold and Civil War II.
Welcome to the forums! [:)]

quote:

ORIGINAL: aaatoysandmore

You don't play Battle Academy? There's some user made mods that give it random missions and builds that you get to choose from. It's a pretty good game next to Steel Panthers just not as complicated.

Panzer Command Osfront is very good also. Better ai than Combat Mission from another company. Lots of randomness although not quite as random as pure random games. It has a selection of maps that just rotate during the selection phase and you never know where you're going to start. It has enough to keep it really new for awhile and I think there's some mods that make new maps to play and rotate.

Though not really random it does have random outcomes of WWII because you never know who is going to ally with who. That's Making History I and II.

For a sci-fi selection you can't go wrong with Distant Worlds although I am having some problems playing without a crash others play it just fine. I think mine has something to do with Net framework and Vista 64 compatibility.

John Tiller Campaign games are random and can be built into a sandbox of play.

One of my new favorites is "HELL" and I think it has one of the best AI's I ever played against. Some complain because they think the campaign is too hard but I never play campaigns anyways and went right on into sandbox random play. Lots of fun. Very challenging. Sometimes just when you think you have the AI beat here comes another horde. Scary, nail biting fun

Some are not WWII but I threw them in there if you'd like to take a look at something different.

quote:

ORIGINAL: AstaSyneri

I suddenly found myself much poorer.

Considering myself a long-time (I am old, yikes) TBS player - all that twitchy stuff is not for me and never has been, I treated myself to that Distant Worlds: Universe when it was on sale a while back and sort of got sucked into the Matrix/Slitherine Games world once more.

But I don't consider myself a Grognard. I played a bit of the Europa series back about 30 years ago, and I do own ASL - but never played beyond the first paratrooper missions due to lack of physical opponents.

On the computer I played a lot of light-weight war games, the Panzer General kind, Harpoon on 3.5" disks, X(-)COM (old and new), some EU IV, CK II and all those 4X games.

Then CMANO appeared on steam. Following by sale two weeks after. I didn't have a chance. It's mine now, all mine. Plus the WH40K Armageddon bundle for some "easy strategizing". It very much reminds me of Panzer General, but that's fine - so far the story is intriguing - and I do love scenarios that for once have nothing to do with WWII.

I put the Flashpoint bundle and the Alea Iacta Est bundle into my card several times, but didn't pull the trigger, because I couldn't figure out, whether these would good entry points for me. War in the West (I never enjoyed Eastern Front games - they just tend to be huge slug fests and hard to get into, ime).

So much for background.

Why am I writing this?

I'd like to know where to turn next. I already have "not-buyers remorse" and I am intrigued by the continuing sale on Matrix games. Alas there seem not to be any bundles here, are there? Which is un/fortunate, depending on perspective, as I am not sure I'd be able to hold out if the bundle deals that were on Steam were still available here.

Apart from those - what games would be good introductory games from the Matrix Catalogue?

* I do enjoy campaigns that ease you into the game system
* I enjoy co-op gaming over vs. multiplayer (Two people seeing and acting on the same screen on allied or even the same faction(s) while talking via TS and enjoying a good beverage is very dear to me)
* I enjoy randomized settings over pure historical (especially WWII)
* I do own Unity of Command, but never progressed very far
* Other games in my catalogue, nearly unplayed (yes, I enjoy buying those games, but often I find myself to be too tired in the evenings after putting kids and wife to bed (in that order)): Battle Academy
Battle Group 2, Unity of Command
* I do enjoy pleasing graphics, but content is more important than flashiness, my rig is not equipped for that in any case
* I was a soldier during the cold war - mandatory in Bundeswehr, likely why the Flashpoint scenarios are appealing to me, serving in Military Intelligence

So - any ideas for me on how to maybe capitalize on the Matrix Games holiday sale?

quote:

ORIGINAL: Joseph M
Well if you like Warhammer as it feels like Panzer General, and you like Panzer General, then Panzer Corps is the Spiritual Successor. Then also Order of Battle is very much so in the same vein:

And If you like the Thirty Years War period, then I'd also recommend Pike and Shot: Campaigns. Same engine as Battle Academy and Hell, but set in the Thirty Years War. The Campaigns edition now has a strategic map, as well as the historical campaigns, and the AI is certainly a challenge.

quote:

ORIGINAL: AstaSyneri

I believe that pretty much sums it up. Thanks everybody for the willing help - it's great to see that such a newb-like request is handled in such a mature and friendly fashion here. Kudos to the Matrix Games community!

I do have a christmas shopping list ready and will strike at my leisure before the sale runs out (got to keep the opponent guessing ;-)) - even though I'd much like to go for bundles (hint, hint):

* Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm/Germany Reforged Bundle
* Alea Iacta Est complete bundle

* Flashpoint Campaigns: Red Storm
* Civil War II
* Hell
* Order of Battle: Pacific
* Alea Iacta Est
* Thirty Years War
* Gary Grigsby's War in the West
* War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition

Of course this list is absolutely irrational - I'd be hard-pressed to even finish the Northern Lights CMANO campaign or the first WH40K campaign before next summer, so any of these would be pure gluttony. Doesn't have to keep me from buying, right? Right?

One last question: In this genre, are there any decent non-3D coop vs. AI titles?

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good list