Into the Breach (fingers crossed).
Tooth and Tail.
EDIT: I've updated the ranks for everyone who has responded. Given that strategy games can be so time consuming and open ended, I've changed the system slightly. You now get a rank for each game you play. If you don't see your name listed, please let me know how many games you've played and I'll update the list.
Ok the initial suggestions are in. You know the drill soldiers - vote for your top 3 by Friday at Midnight PST. Here are the nominees:
Company of Heroes 2: $20
Dominions 5: $40
Europa Universalis 4: $40
Frostpunk: $30
Hearts of Iron 4: $40
Imperator: Rome: $40
Into the Breach: $15
Shadow Empire: $40
Shogun Total War 2: $30
Stellaris: $40
Tooth and Tail: $20
One quick note: I had to nix Total War Three Kingdoms and Warhammer Total War 2 since they currently cost $60. I'm willing to nominate them during the next big Steam Sale but I'm trying to keep this month's choices under $40.
Imperator: Rome
Stellaris
Tooth and Tail
That’s my final selection from these choices. 
Imperator
Shogun Total War 2
Tooth and Tail
Company of Heroes 2
Stellaris (which I've been meaning to get back to but would like to wait for the next update)
Into the Breach
Imperator: Rome
Shogun Total War 2
Company of Heroes 2
Imperator
EU4
Shogun 2
Tooth and Tail
Frostpunk
Hearts of Iron 4
Into The Breach
Stellaris
Tooth & Tail
Frostpunk (on GamePass for Xbox at least)
Imperator
Stellaris
My votes:
Frostpunk
EU 4
Imperator
You now get a rank for each game you play. If you don't see your name listed, please let me know how many games you've played and I'll update the list.
jdzappa, do games we played before they became the club game count?
I haven't played anything as part of the club, but I have played Battletech to death and a fair bit of AoW: Planetfall. I also played enough Endless Space 2 to be disappointed by its state at launch.
Voting:
Imperator: Rome
Total War: Shogun 2
Stellaris - although should we hold off until the next DLC & update are out?
Tooth and Tail
Into the Breach
Fingers crossed for Tooth & Tail, not played much but it's the only RTS that seems to play decently with a controller on PS4.
I haven't played anything as part of the club, but I have played Battletech to death and a fair bit of AoW: Planetfall. I also played enough Endless Space 2 to be disappointed by its state at launch.
Voting:
Imperator: Rome
Total War: Shogun 2
Stellaris - although should we hold off until the next DLC & update are out?
I don't have a problem giving you credit for past games as long as nobody in the club objects.
I don't have a problem giving you credit for past games as long as nobody in the club objects.
Erm. I do think a minimum requirement of being in the club should be you actually play the game with the club when they are voted for. Otherwise, what’s the point? I’m sure I’m not alone in having played many, many many previous strategy games, and if we’re not actually playing then I could send you a list and not worry about it.
I’m not worried about people finishing a game a such - a good attempt should be all that’s required given the nature of strategy titles - but yeah, I do think actually playing it should be the minimum requirement.
jdzappa wrote:I don't have a problem giving you credit for past games as long as nobody in the club objects.
Erm. I do think a minimum requirement of being in the club should be you actually play the game with the club when they are voted for. Otherwise, what’s the point? I’m sure I’m not alone in having played many, many many previous strategy games, and if we’re not actually playing then I could send you a list and not worry about it.
I’m not worried about people finishing a game a such - a good attempt should be all that’s required given the nature of strategy titles - but yeah, I do think actually playing it should be the minimum requirement.
That’s a fair point Sorbicol. At some point I may do the “retirement home” concept that the RPG group does but that’s probably a few months away.
Bubblefuzz, we’re still playing Planetfall through the weekend if you want to get credit for that game. Or we will get you on the board in March.
Bubblefuzz, we’re still playing Planetfall through the weekend if you want to get credit for that game. Or we will get you on the board in March.
Do you mean Mind Elemental ?
I tried the demo of planetfall on ps4 but for me it wasn't suited for console play so uninstalled. 
I played Battletech with the group; I have both ES2 and Planetfall but haven't put significant time into them while everyone else was. Maybe I'll find some Planetfall time this weekend.
For this time out:
Imperator
Dominions 5
Shadow Empire
I’ll go...
Imperator
EU4
Shadow Empire
I’ll go...
Imperator
EU4
Shadow Empire
Thanks guys! I’m going to have to cut it off there and tally the votes this afternoon. It looks like it’s probably imperator but need to double check that. I’ll have a final answer by late afternoon.
Will also add you to the ranks list Qaraq.
Registering for my medals!
I played 2 with the club: Age of Wonders: Planetfall and Battletech and finished neither!
EDITed - I remembered I skipped Endless Space 2 but played it a few weeks prior to the club playing it when it was still on Game Pass. SO no credit for that one.
As you guys may have guessed, the winner for March-April is Imperator! This will be the new game from March 1-April 30.
You can find the new page here.
Also, Jonman you have your medals sir!
What counts as beating a game like imperator?
What counts as beating a game like imperator?
That’s a good question! I’d like to open it up to folks who have played it about whether you can finish a campaign in say 50 or so hours. If it’s crazy long, I’d say it’s fine to set your own choices like maybe winning the Punic Wars or conquering Gaul.
HEADS UP! It's currently on sale for $6 at Indie Gala. Offer ends midnight Monday, so get on that.
I was gonna skip this round, as I've yet to find a Paradox grand strategy game that wasn't a baffling snoozefest. But for $6? I'm in.
And don't forget that Steam refunds exist if you just bought it at $40. Looking at you, Zappa - Steam tells me you *just* got it today.
HEADS UP! It's currently on sale for $6 at Indie Gala. Offer ends midnight Monday, so get on that.
I was gonna skip this round, as I've yet to find a Paradox grand strategy game that wasn't a baffling snoozefest. But for $6? I'm in.
And don't forget that Steam refunds exist if you just bought it at $40. Looking at you, Zappa - Steam tells me you *just* got it today.
You're a gentleman and a scholar Jonman, and I take back anything mean I may have have said about you in P&C.
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.
I've got a bit of gaming backlog at the moment so might give this a skip this time around. Then again I may change my mind on a whim, so who knows?
I find Imperator somewhere between Stellaris and EU4 in complexity. It has fewer moving parts than EU4, but it's got a lot of the same mechanics as EU4. so it's a good primer.
There are a couple of hiccups following the tutorial where I got stuck and had to google / hunt around for the solution (no food in a province, and getting rid of forts in conquered territories to save money), but if the complexity of EU4 is what's put you off in the past I'd say it's worth a shot. If nothing else, people here should be able to help.
However, it's still a Paradox grand strategy game. More so than Stellaris.
I'm continuing my current young game as Rome, if that's cool. Started it last week when the patch dropped.
Just took out the Etruscans. I've been hesitant with my military, but now that I've got my spending and income sorted, I feel better about conquests. It's easier to bring a powerful enemy to a decisive battle, which gives a more realistic balance of battles and sieges. The time you spend hunting down small aggressive enemy units is greatly reduced (so far, anyway).
The family politics has really come into play, which makes the game much more interesting. I picked the option to
expand the number of tribes
when the event hit, which has led to more conflict and possibilities as families jockey for position (minor spoiler for the purists). But I find that trying to stay on top of the internal politics is a whole new aspect to the game that makes it much more like CK3, and thus much more interesting.
Still painting the Italian peninsula. Next I will turn south, and then push into the North Italian plain and see how my dabbling with the barbarian tribes pays off. Been trading with them whenever I can, so hopefully that helps their opinion of me.
It really is a blend of EU4, Victoria and a bit of CK3. You can move pops around and have different constituencies in play. Countries have different blends of pops (more or fewer slaves, for example) based on laws and resources and the like, and you have to take that into account when you take them over. You can move pops around (primarily slaves) if you feel the need, and policies, inventions, laws and government can change your relations with those groups.
Characters have the important skills categories, of course, but also have CK3-like traits - things that can help or hinder them in various roles. Also, military units of all types, even levies, can become loyal to a successful general they fought under. Not sure how that plays out in civil wars but I can guess heh heh.
DO NOT forget to adjust the policy of governors in each province (use the Province map mode to easily get at them). Make sure your government roles, including tech research, are all filled. Assign leaders to levies and fleets. Consider building infrastructure (buildings) when you get the cash. Keep your imports going, and don't be afraid to sell goods for cash to other polities. Do an occasional scan of your families (left side bar, near the bottom) to make sure you don't have a Scorned family festering away.
I am now willing to say that Marius has given the game a lot more of that "just one more war" feeling. Make a few conquests and you'll begin to see the game blossom much more than it did before.
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