GWJ Strategy Gaming Group: Now Playing Midnight Suns

Sorbicol wrote:

Hmmm. Well for the first time the club has picked a game I haven't played and.... I'm not sure if I want to play this or not. I've not really played a Paradox "Grand Strategy" title beyond Stellaris (and yes I know, that's not really Grand Strategy) mostly because of the inpenetrability of the UI - I've previously tried both Crusader Kings and EU IV, and could never get into what I was supposed to be doing or how I was supposed to be doing it.

Exactly where I am. Stellaris is the only one I really managed to like.
I enjoyed the "stab in the back" scheming/drama element of Crusader Kings 2, but most of the gameplay was incomprehensible.

The big selling point for me in Imperator is the time period though.

Right there with y'all.

It was the $6 price tag (see my previous post) that tipped me over to "what the hell, why not?"

FWIW, Shadout, CK3 is far more accessible than CK2. And the discussion group for that game has tons of play advice. Just in case you feel the itch...

Robear wrote:

FWIW, Shadout, CK3 is far more accessible than CK2. And the discussion group for that game has tons of play advice. Just in case you feel the itch... :-)

I certainly do. But as with other Paradox games, it seems sensible to wait until they have had a few large patches and DLC.

There's a reason that the Marius patch was given the version number 2.0.

I feel like there's a balance to be found there, though. PDX tends to up the complexity of the games with the patches as well, so at some point it becomes pretty much impossible to jump in without any previous experience with the game.

I recently fired up Stellaris for the first time in a few years and I immediately had no idea what I was doing (mostly to do with the changes to planetary management).

So I booted up Imperator, started the tutorial and whoa boy there’s a lot to learn. I’d like to make a suggestion - how about we push the deadline out from April to May? That will alleviate some of the pressure and let people get into the game at their pace. And yes I’m acting a little selfish since I probably won’t have time to do a deep dive till early April.

There is. As usual with Paradox, drill yourself on finding things in each and every menu and screen. Want to build a ship? Click on a port, then go to the lower right box in the window, click the crossed swords, then click the picture of the ship. That's the build ship menu. (No ship pic, no shipyards.) Or, you can use the "macro builder" in the left side menu to do it.

Find out how to find info, and that's half the game.

Finally decided to take on Apulia, and rapidly found that every little polity in and around southern Italy had tied their fortunes to the Apulian Way. Ended up losing the first phase of the war in a big battle, so I reformed my troops (combining them into a big stack) and surged back in, knocking out the Apulians. Problem was that I'd taken so long to get there at a negative warscore that the war ended in a White Peace. Another, smaller war that kicked off somehow also ended that way, but I did manage to take and hold a two-province state n a second spinoff war (which implies that one should knock off small allies first...). In the process, one family got lots of fame and thus dissed one of the Co-Consuls, whose family is now pissed off at their losses. We changed parties in the middle of the war, and about 5 office-holders and researchers died (I've been farming out old experienced dudes into government where possible, to get their experience into play one last time). Plus, we dipped into the red again financially, only pulling out when the war ended. Still, not as far as last time, with all the new markets and other economic buildings and benefits I've put in place.

I finally navigated the tech trees far enough to get the basics of a Legion going. Have not built it yet, because geez, they are expensive. But my next war will hopefully see the Legio I stomping faces all over Apulia and environs.

I remain hopeful. Gotta find some way to deal with the 33 ship pirate units, though. Probably should stockpile wood in Ostia and get the tech for triremes first. Otherwise, the Navy will freaking bankrupt me lol and the fight will still depend on the relative skills of the leaders, and some of those pirate leaders are tough.

Oh, and those idiot Carthaginian rebels who showed up to plead for intervention just after my army had been smashed in Apulia? Thoughts and prayers, gentlemen, we sacrificed a white bull for you especially... (They ended up staying in Rome along with 5000 of their closest friends, which was a nice boost to the local population.)

I didn't even realise the level of automation in the game for both land and sea units. I have just left my 20 ship fleet doing its thing, and they capture boats from navies they beat so it's 42-strong now.

I can only build a 12k legion right now (which also prevents my raising any levies from Rome proper), but it's pretty strong so I tend to split it and leave one half on Carpet Siege and then control the other half manually to deal with armies. I have a lot of individual city states that I can turn into client states and then integrate, which is taking a little bit of time, but then I just need to deal with Syracuse to have most of the peninsula.

Do you leave the Legion intact through peacetime? Or just raise and disband it?

Edit - Now I see that they are meant to be permanent, and you pay for them every month (around 2% to 1.3% of the total cost of the legion each month).

jdzappa wrote:

So I booted up Imperator, started the tutorial and whoa boy there’s a lot to learn. I’d like to make a suggestion - how about we push the deadline out from April to May? That will alleviate some of the pressure and let people get into the game at their pace. And yes I’m acting a little selfish since I probably won’t have time to do a deep dive till early April.

I'd be fine with an extension, I'm still in the midst of AoW Planetfall

The recent posts discussing Imperator Rome may be better taken to the official game thread here: GWJ Strategy Club Game 4: Imperator Rome
Perhaps it was missed as the change of the main thread title can be a little confusing when looking through favourites. Maybe it's worth keeping the main thread title simply GWJ Strategy Gaming Group: Main Thread?

Oh, sorry. I'll move to the other thread. I keep getting them confused.

Neutrino wrote:
jdzappa wrote:

So I booted up Imperator, started the tutorial and whoa boy there’s a lot to learn. I’d like to make a suggestion - how about we push the deadline out from April to May? That will alleviate some of the pressure and let people get into the game at their pace. And yes I’m acting a little selfish since I probably won’t have time to do a deep dive till early April.

I'd be fine with an extension, I'm still in the midst of AoW Planetfall

The recent posts discussing Imperator Rome may be better taken to the official game thread here: GWJ Strategy Club Game 4: Imperator Rome
Perhaps it was missed as the change of the main thread title can be a little confusing when looking through favourites. Maybe it's worth keeping the main thread title simply GWJ Strategy Gaming Group: Main Thread?

Good point Neutrino I will change the name.

Also, if I can get one more club member to second the new end date I’ll move it to May 31.

I'm up for extending it. It can take a few starts to get comfortable with the game.

I’m all for the date increase as well. Very excited for this one. Although I haven’t yet fully grokked EU & CK, I enjoy them at the level I’m playing them at but know I would enjoy them more if I put more time into them (which I plan to). Hopefully, I can with this one playing alongside y’all. Time will tell!

Apparently the new Strongholds game, focusing on Asia for the first time in the series, is out (or is coming out soon)? This review is cautiously optimistic:PC Games

Yep, comes out tomorrow according to our own front page article

Bfgp wrote:

Apparently the new Strongholds game, focusing on Asia for the first time in the series, is out (or is coming out soon)? This review is cautiously optimistic:PC Games

I'll probably grab it today. I'd be interested in checking out the co-op or multiplayer once I get my legs under me.

Bfgp wrote:

Apparently the new Strongholds game, focusing on Asia for the first time in the series, is out (or is coming out soon)? This review is cautiously optimistic:PC Games

Thanks for the link, Bfgp!

The game has been on my radar for a while. "Cautiously optimistic" sounds about right, based on multiple reviews (also check out Leana Hafer's review at IGN and this review at Sixth Axis). Could be worth a look on sale.

PWAlessi, I'll be interested in your impressions.

I've never played a Strongholds game. What am I missing? Are there older ones worth a try in 2021?

I'm totally interested in the Strongholds game but will probably wait a year until it's eligible for the club.

Speaking of, in the other thread I'm going to try and organize a multiplayer learning game for this weekend. More details to come.

I'm a bit concerned about the reviewers saying the factions have identical units even though the campaign spans across most of East Asia. It might give the game less variety and perhaps we'd all be better off waiting for the next AOE.

Arise thread! I have three things to report:

1. I've updated the rankings - please double check and let me know if your rank is wrong. Once again, it's one rank per game you've played.

2. There's a huge historical sale on Total War games going on over at Steam this weekend. Might be worth picking some stuff up for future strategy games.

3. It's time to open up nominations for our summer game! Please add your top 5 games and we'll start winnowing them down next week. You'll have until next Saturday at Midnight PST to get your votes in.

In no particular order.

1. Into the Breach
2. Phoenix Point
3. Xenonauts
4. Company of Heroes 2
5. Twilight Struggle

Hmm. Looking at the previous nominations (we have a few recurring runners-up) and at the thread rules...

jdzappa wrote:

1. Games must be more than a year old.
2. Games should cost under $40.
3. Games should be beatable in a reasonable amount of time.
4. Games must be available on PC and easy to play without mods or simulators. However, it’s fine to play on console if a game is available on both.
5. A game doesn't need to be multiplayer but we may do multiplayer events from time to time.

... a few that might work:

1. Stars in Shadow - This almost seems tailor-made for the thread. It's a charming, colorful, elegantly designed, and challenging indie take on the MOO1/MOO2 formula, with plenty of interesting decisions and no bloat. It's also very cheap (currently on sale for less than A$10 at Humble), quicker to play than most other 4X games, and IMHO deserves a bigger audience.

2. TW: Shogun 2 - Another classic, with a short, sweet, tightly designed campaign about battling your way to Kyoto and holding it against your rival warlords. Multiple DLCs/expansions set in different eras mean that different players can play in the setting they find most interesting. Very cheap on the current sale.

3. Dominions 5 - This one is a bit iffier (it's niche and complex) but I know we had a few people interested in it last time. Deep, dense, rich fantasy strategy game that casts the players as competing gods battling it out with historically and mythologically inspired armies.

Will see if I can think of any more.

1. Remnants of the Precursors ‘Labour of love’ remake of Master of Orion 1. Added bonus of being free

2. Thea: The awakening

3. WH40k: Mechanicus - nothing to do with the fact I bought this in the Christmas sales in preparation for this group!

4. Company of Heroes 2

5. Civ 6 because it feels like time to go back to it.

1. Thea: The Awakening
2. Stronghold HD
3. Invisible Inc
4. Warhammer 40K: Mechanicus
5. Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2

N.B. you can currently pick up Thea: The Awakening in the following Humble bundle for around $1: Humble Deckbuild & Battle Bundle

Consolable offerings that I own...

Into the Breach
Northgard
Wargroove (if it belongs?)
Tooth & Tail
Frostpunk

1. Total War: Three Kingdoms (on sale for $30 this weekend on Steam)
2. Mechanicus
3. Phoenix Point
4. Into The Breach
5.