Recently I downloaded a free game called Battle for Wesnoth. Now, normally here I’d launch into a lengthy monologue about my reactions to the game, however, my exact reaction can be summed up pretty much completely in image format, so here, have a picture I made:
For the uninitiated among you, Battle for Wesnoth is a fantasy turn-based tactics game, and it is not easy. Let me rephrase that. I died on the tutorial level while fighting combat dummies. Then I died in the first campaign, on the “easy” difficulty setting. I died a couple of times, in fact, once because my main character got hit in the face a couple of times and promptly bit the dirt, and once because I ran out of turns (they’re limited!) before I could get to the checkpoint I had to get to.
Granted, it’s entirely possible that it’s just that hard because I’m still learning the game, and hence suck at it. But man, when was the last time I failed so spectacularly on a first attempt in a game? X-Com? Hearts of Iron II? Those are not exactly easy games.
Now the best part of this whole thing was probably my reactions to it. I was on voice chat with Mister Adequate as I played, and he was slightly nonplussed (just slightly, though– he knows me very well) and thoroughly amused to hear my squeals of delight as my butt was repeatedly demolished by the AI.* This game is difficult and I love it!
I haven’t had a chance to play as much as I’d like to yet due to less important things like work, but I very much look forward to digging into this game in earnest this weekend.
—
* I have it on good authority that Mister Adequate’s eyes glossed over and he stopped reading and started daydreaming upon seeing the words “butt”, “demolished”, and “AI” in the same sentence.
I really enjoy this game and I agree it’s pretty difficult. I have yet to finish The Heir to the Throne campaign… I just never have enough foresight to have the units/gold left over for later levels. Wesnoth punishes you severely for not thinking ahead, something which my run&gun attitude struggles to adapt to. Best thing about this game (and I’m surprised you didn’t mention it) is that it is both free and open source!
I’ve tried this several times and never gotten far. It really does have a steep learning curve.
Another game you might like is Jagged Alliance (especially JA 2). That’s a *bit* like X-Com in that you have two modes of gameplay, a “geoscape-esque” one where you recruit mercenaries and choose your next battle, and a “battlescape-esque” one where you do turn based combat. I think it might be abandonware, at least the first one is. But you can also pick them up cheap on gog.com and they will be guarenteed to run on modern systems.
I gave this game a go when I read this entry, and I have to agree it is a very awesome and hard game. I thoroughly got trounced during the tutorial, having run out of turns, but I have adopted a “move fast, far, and gang up as much as possible” strategy which has worked pretty well through two campaign. It has led me to losing some units who were leveled up or on the cusp of such, and that has been sad, but what choice do you have lest you want to lose because you have run out of turns?
I do enjoy having stumbled upon this and am going to learn how to be more successful with it. Thanks!