What type of 4x game do you most like to play?

[Martok]

I'm just curious as to what type of setting/world for 4x games is everyone's favorite. 


Personally, I genuinely enjoy them all.  However, I'll readily admit I've always found those set in space have generally appealed to me the most, with fantasy 4x titles coming in a fairly strong 2nd place (I really wish there were more of them). 


Given the plethora of space 4x/grand-strategy games out there, I'm guessing that's what others most enjoy as well, but sometimes I wonder if that's just an assumption of my (and others') part.  What say you? 

[Undercovergeek]

I’d like to say historical but I can’t actually think of any, I thought it would be fantasy but I continually bounce off endless legend and the other one that had a recent spurt on the forum - forget it’s name

My trouble is I want my 4x to be grand opera, mass battles like TW - I struggle to be captured by me, my wizard and a giant spider as my ‘army’

[Martok]

I’d like to say historical but I can’t actually think of any,

I'd say the Civ franchise certainly counts as historical 4x, even if it is generally considered the standard-bearer for the genre overall.  There were also other games back in the day, such as the Call to Power series, but of course Civilization was dominant even then. 

More recently, we've seen Oriental Empires, Aggressors: Ancient Rome, and its sequel, Imperiums: Greek Wars (all games that I've never spent enough time with, incidentally ). 

Finally, The Old World is currently in early access on the Epic store, with a projected release date (on both Epic and Steam) sometime next year.  And of course, Humankind is due out in 2021 as well, with many expecting it to topple (or at least seriously challenge) Civilization for the proverbial "throne". 

I thought it would be fantasy but I continually bounce off endless legend and the other one that had a recent spurt on the forum - forget it’s name

Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes?  Warlock II? 

Either way, I sympathize.  I was never drawn to EL in the first place (there's something about Amplitude's game design that I just can't get into), and the other two games are obviously far from perfect.  I do find FE:LH and Warlock II appealing in their own ways, but there is indeed something still lacking about both. 


I really keep hoping/waiting for Slitherine to announce what they're doing with the Master of Magic franchise, other than simply re-releasing it (along with that Caster of Magic "expansion" that someone made).  A true, proper sequel would fantastic! 

My trouble is I want my 4x to be grand opera, mass battles like TW - I struggle to be captured by me, my wizard and a giant spider as my ‘army’

You're preaching to the choir, brother. 

While I can get that operatic feel and epic battles in at least a few of the space 4x titles out there (Distant Worlds and Stellaris both immediately come to mind), they're sorely lacking in both historical and fantasy 4x games.  At one point, the Elemental/Fallen Enchantress games were supposed to have large battles more on the scale of Total War, but I guess Stardock just wasn't able to make it work in the end.   

[Barthheart]

My vote is historical. Civ, EU, Field of Glory: Empires, etc. Can’t wait for full release of Humankind. Old World not so much.
Next is space, although recently I’ve only really liked Stellaris. It was Moo II before that, that really held my attention.

[bbmike]

My vote is historical. Civ, EU, Field of Glory: Empires, etc. Can’t wait for full release of Humankind. Old World not so much.
Next is space, although recently I’ve only really liked Stellaris. It was Moo II before that, that really held my attention.

Same here.

[bob48]

Fantasy, without a doubt. Pure escapism.

[Steelie]

I voted space but I love 'em all. Hell, I'd really like to see a 4x horror genre, something along the lines of starting a community and trying to turn the tide against zombies, evil, door-to-door salesmen, whatever. I own "Surviving the Aftermath" but it's too limited in scope to be considered 4x. Excellent summary by the way, Martok. It's like you've played a few 4x games in your time or something 

[Martok]

I voted space but I love 'em all. Hell, I'd really like to see a 4x horror genre, something along the lines of starting a community and trying to turn the tide against zombies, evil, door-to-door salesmen, whatever. I own "Surviving the Aftermath" but it's too limited in scope to be considered 4x.

I'm actually a little surprised that no horror-themed 4x game(s) appear to exist, as it's a common enough request.  There are a few post-apocalyptic 4x titles out there, but they typically avoid themes like the undead.   

Excellent summary by the way, Martok. It's like you've played a few 4x games in your time or something 

Heh, thanks.  I have indeed played the occasional 4x here & there.   

[thecommandtent]

Historical followed closely by fantasy.

[BanzaiCat]

I voted space but I love 'em all.

[Martok]

^   

Historical followed closely by fantasy.

 

[Anguille]

Being the Star Trek and Star Wars nerd, space 4x has always been my favourite genre.  I am also a big fan of history and mostly ancient times so historical 4x comes second.

Not a big fan of fantasy 4x, though i would love to see one with Lord of the Rings.

[Martok]

Being the Star Trek and Star Wars nerd, space 4x has always been my favourite genre.

Same here (as you know ).  Trek, in particular, has been a major influence in my life; among other things, it's caused me to often look to the stars... 

I am also a big fan of history and mostly ancient times so historical 4x comes second.

I'm not sure I'm so much into historical 4x per se, but historical grand strategy. 

I've never gotten involved much with the Civ games, for example, yet I have thousands of hours in Paradox and (especially) the Total War series.  Not sure why that is, since on paper, it should probably be the sub-genre that appeals to me most (except for maybe space).   

Not a big fan of fantasy 4x, though i would love to see one with Lord of the Rings.

Same here.  Although... 

Related to what i just said above, I wonder whether a LotR title would be better off as a 4x game, or grand-strategy game?  Given that locations in Middle-Earth are generally already "known", how much sense would it make to have a 4x game where everything has already been "explored" (for all intents and purposes)? 

[bayonetbrant]

Related to what i just said above, I wonder whether a LotR title would be better off as a 4x game, or grand-strategy game?  Given that locations in Middle-Earth are generally already "known", how much sense would it make to have a 4x game where everything has already been "explored" (for all intents and purposes)?

Honestly, I was thinking the same thing when I first saw TCT's comment, but then again, we know what the 'real' Earth looks like and that doesn't stop us from putting it all in a blender and redoing the map with the Romans, Germans, Japanese, Incans, and Polynesians in a historical game.

I'd be curious to know what the tech tree would look like in a Middle Earth game, tho... 

[Martok]

Honestly, I was thinking the same thing when I first saw TCT's comment, but then again, we know what the 'real' Earth looks like and that doesn't stop us from putting it all in a blender and redoing the map with the Romans, Germans, Japanese, Incans, and Polynesians in a historical game.

For me, at least, a lot depends on the settings/conditions for that type of scenario:  How does tech and/or cultural progression work?  What about religion?  Are key resources (like tin for making bronze) still located in the same place as in the real world, or are their locations randomized on the game map? 

Regardless, however, a key difference in most historical 4x games is that due to randomization -- of civilization starting positions, resource locations, etc. -- there is still a reason to include the exploration phase.  Without it, you "only" have a grand-strategy game, where you start out in the "expand/exploit" phase.  (I find those two typically coexist so thoroughly with each other, that oftentimes they might as well be considered just one "X".) 

I'd be curious to know what the tech tree would look like in a Middle Earth game, tho... 

That's another question:  *Would* there be a tech tree in a Tolkien 4x/GS game? 


It's something I've given thought to before, and I have my doubts.  Even if there were a tech tree, it would almost have to be a fairly shallow one. 

Middle-Earth -- indeed, pretty much all of Arda -- was virtually locked into Medieval Stasis for thousands of years, since before the beginning of the First Age.  There was the *very* occasional mention of more advanced technology (the gunpowder used by Saruman and Gandalf probably being the most prominent example), but that was definitely the exception to the rule. 


If a Middle-Earth 4x/GS game were to include a tech tree/research system, it would probably be best to model it on those from the older Total War games, where constructing X, Y, or Z building grants you A, B, or C ability (or unlocks a new, more powerful unit you can recruit into your army).  Still not terribly "realistic", but it would at least fit better thematically than the notion of being able to research the telegraph or railroads.