Ok, because I recently wrote a friend an email about free real time strategies/turn based strategies, I became lazy and decided to post it here for you. There are 4 games that are way up on my list (as in...they are still installed on my computer...which is hard to do).
The first game is a realistic-looking (really good graphics) game, with un-realistic characters...but you only see the characters when story line is going on, or a transmission is being sent. It is called S.W.I.N.E., and it is a fight between pigs and rabbits, and you can pick either side that you want to. It has a lot of strategy in how you attack/move. There is no resource collecting, or unit/building construction.
The second game is called Dyson. It was recently updated to a newer version, called Eufloria, but Eufloria costs $20. Anyway, dyson is an ambient, unique strategy game. You start with about 30 or so seeds that fly around asteroids, and you have to plant trees, which costs 15 seeds. The interesting thing is, is that there is only two types of trees, defensive and seed-producing. Once you have enough seeds, you try to take other asteroids. There is actually a lot more strategy than it sounds, because every asteroid is different, and many other reason, and I enjoy the graphics, but they are definitely aren't realistic. The only real disadvantage to this game is that it is quite short....beatable in an hour. However, it is always an hour well spent :P
The third game is called Glest. This game has really good graphics, just like SWINE (both are 3D), but glest, as far as I can tell, doesn't have a storyline. However, the gameplay is amazing, and it does include resource collecting and unit/building construction, a tech tree, and fun to watch battles. It is easily re-playable because there are many, many custom levels made for it, and you can play your own custom game that you can adjust the settings of in under 2 minutes. There are two factions to pick from, magic and tech, and I am still not sure which is my favorite.
The final game is called Battle for Wesnoth. This is the only turn based game because Civ4 and Wesnoth complete my entire need for turn-based games. This game, by far, has the most strategy I have seen. It is played on a hexagon board, and there are 20 different, but amazing, story lines for you to play out, and many, many more online. (You can even create your own faction, with its own units) It is very strategical, and there is online play with lots of players on it. The only resource is gold, which you collect by taking control of houses, but you lose by owning units. Battle for Wesnoth is on my top 5 games ever list, including browser, freeware, and games that I have purchased, (Civ4, Supreme commander, Wesnoth, NEaB, and Hacker Evolution is the list).
Now for the last part, I am going to post about a really cool system that will be taking place on my island. Basically, as you go throughout your travels, you will receive different colored and shaped gems. You will also find that there is only 1 character in this entire game that doesn't do anything, besides standing on top of a room that has many, many mirrors. Once you insert the gem into the right mirror, you will gain access to that location anytime you want. Not only does this speed up traveling on my island, it gives the players rewards for finishing quests. (AKA, you get a new bonus location). Just one of the many, many unique things you find here on Alluvia!
Thanks for reading!
Tee
