Best 4x game(s)

[jezz8me]

I was reading the thread on 4x games and although previously not knowing what they were i realised they were the sort of games i love. Not focusing on speed and action but strategy. I have only realy played Medieval: Total War and Empire at War. What 4x games do you reccomend?

 

[Souplex]

4x? Is this some new slang for a genre or is it a developer? Are you referring to Turn based strategey? Real time strategey? Those are the only ones that come to mind from your refrences.

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

I was unsure as well, but after some research (Wikipedia.org), I think 4x = eXpand, eXplore, eXploit, eXterminate.

Total War is my favorite of that type. The Civilization series is another good example, although that game focuses on the turn-based map. If you haven't played it, it's like Medieval: Total War but with no Real Time tactical battles, and a crazy good Strategic game instead. I'd direct you to Civilization 4: Gold Edition.

Also, Empires: Total War early next year...

Add: Get ready to learn what "one more turn..." gameplay is all about.

 

[jezz8me]

Yea they are a sort of strategy game standing for eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate.

They are basically grand scale more RISK sort of strategy games, usualy with a turn based system.

 

[Razzle Bathbone]

Master of Orion II.

I couldn't count the number of hours I spent playing that. If I could run it on XP, I'd be playing it still.

 

[Souplex]

Advanced wars is good and portable.

 

[The_White_Crane]

GalCiv2.
Who wants to conquer the world when you can conquer the GALAXY?

 

[TonyOfPlimith]

/taps mic

Sins of a Solar Empire, by far the best 4x space title out there...

 

[SmugFrog]

Master of Orion II is the best 4x game out there! There are so many random things about that game (i.e. you can't have all the technologies, except with one race, so your opponents might come up with weapons/shields/tactics you haven't seen before). If they would remake that game or even put it on PSP / DS... oh man.

Razzle, you CAN play Moo2 on XP! You just need to load up a patch for it. It doesn't play well with DirectX. Do a google search, I have forgotten the page for it.

Galactic Civ II is a great game, but I found it lacking in the combat aspect - you can't control it, and it all comes down to rock/paper/scissors. GC2 has the best ship editor by far (something Moo2 had in a very primitive form by choosing the hull design).

Sins of a Solar Empire is a good game also, but with no real story mode (Moo2 didn't have one either though). Sins is great for the amount of chaos going on in combat and the amount of planets you can have in the universe. I played a game with 500+ planets... insane. It just kind of got old after a while with no real tech tree and chasing opponents from planet to planet. Diplomacy is a joke in that game.

There were so many things done well in Moo2 that if they implemented more of them, instead of taking bits and pieces, you could have an amazing game. Maybe someday if I ever get around to programming...

 

[Vortigar]

All hail Ascendancy!

Civ 1 remains emminently playable and you can get it for a million systems.

 

[jezz8me]

4) age of empires 2

while an awsome game and one of my favourites that got me into gaming it is an RTS not 4x

 

[t0mme]

The Paradox Interactive games (Europa Universalis I, II, III, Crusader Kings, Victoria, Hearts of Iron I, II) are brilliant 4X games, but have a ridiculous steep learning curve. A bit too abstract for the most gamers, but if you manage to understand it, it's really really addicting.

Civilization is the king of 4X in my book. A very appealing idea of guiding your little tribe through time with simple effective diplomacy and the thrills of an escalating nuclear war.

Master of Magic was a brilliant Civilization I clone set in an fantasy setting. Loved it. Age of Wonders is quite nice in that aspect as well.

In space, it's Galactic Civilization I and II all the way, though closely followed by Masters of Orion I and II, Ascendancy and more recently Sins of a Solar Empire.

For a little more onscreen action, it's the Total War series for you, because, and only because, of the massive RTS battles. Though it's not Civilization with added RTS battles. With the RTS stripped, it's an average game series.

Stretching the envelope a bit; Jagged Alliance and X-Com. More a squad-based 4X.

 

[Xvito]

Freeciv...

 

[HobbesMkii]

Europa Universalis 3 is definitely at the top of my list. Probably Sins of A Solar Empire and Medieval II: Total War.

 

[Eyclonus]

Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri, with the Alien Crossfire Expansion pack. It uses the same design mechanics as Civilisations, but your stuck on an alien planet and each faction is drastically more different than in a normal Civilisation game.

 

[Rikkano]

4x? Is this some new slang for a genre or is it a developer? Are you referring to Turn based strategey? Real time strategey? Those are the only ones that come to mind from your refrences.

4x is a term which was used to descripe a special genre of strategy games.
eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXternimate.

 

[Gethsemani_v1legacy]

Master of Orion II.

I couldn't count the number of hours I spent playing that. If I could run it on XP, I'd be playing it still.

The verson available at Good Old Games dos run on Vista. It might be worth six bucks to you, it definatey was to me.

 

[Spectrum_Prez]

The Paradox Interactive games (Europa Universalis I, II, III, Crusader Kings, Victoria, Hearts of Iron I, II) are brilliant 4X games, but have a ridiculous steep learning curve. A bit too abstract for the most gamers, but if you manage to understand it, it's really really addicting.

Europa Universalis 3 is definitely at the top of my list. Probably Sins of A Solar Empire and Medieval II: Total War.

These guys have got the right answer. Not turn based, but pausable and time can be sped up and wound down depending on what you're doing.

Europa Universalis 3 is not that hard to learn. Trial and error, avoid minting, don't disband units after a war. That game is like crack if you have any interest in medieval/renaissance/reformation/enlightenment history.