Games like Battletech or X-com?

Remove all ads!

I got the new Battletech for Christmas and I've been musing on how similar it is to X-Com and Jagged Alliance.

I also recall a game for the SNES that was never released in the USA but was given a translation patch by fans called Front Mission, although I never got my hands on any sequels.

I liked the turn-based tactical RPGS like the old Gold Box games and Spiderweb Software's old Exile series for the Mac (remade as the Avernum series), and the fan translation of Bahamut's Lagoon for SNES (I found a bunch of translated RPGs for the SNES back in the early 2000's when money was tight, might not have been strictly legal).

I heard a game called Warhammer 40K was supposed to be similar, but when I found Dawn of War last year at the library "Book Sale", it turned out to be a RTS that tests my reflexes and hand-eye coordination (as well as how good a condition my mouse is with only enough space for a traditional mouse mat for mousing around, making precision not as good as if I had more room), so that was a disappointment, unless that was the wrong game. Those book sales are pot luck, you never know what you're going to find. It's how I discovered X-COM (original, not the 2014 remake. Actually this was a couple years before the remake).

So, what else is out there similar to Battletech or X-com? I don't really care how old it is, if it's for the Apple II I've still got my old Apple IIGS in my mom's basement and I can use DOSBox. I've also got a Windows 98SE/XP dual-boot computer available for games that don't like Windows NT (which 2000 and later is based on and descended from as opposed to Windows 95/98/ME).

Older might be better to a certain extent since it is usually available cheaper, but I don't care about age. I still think Dungeon Master is one of the finest computer games of all time, and I enjoy Baldur's Gate II.

 

Xenonauts set out to be a spiritual successor to X-Com. From what I can tell, not actually having played X-Com, it succeeded pretty well. The combat did remind me somewhat of Jagged Alliance. More so than the newer XCOM game, where the combat reminded me more of battle chess. I wrote down some more on the game in the What game are you playing thread.

Aside from that, S2: Silent Storm also reminded me quite a bit of Jagged Alliance, though set in WW2, and lacking in personality of the mercs in JA. A bit unpolished, but quite fun to play for a time.

Either of these games can be had pretty cheap on a sale on GoG or whatever. Pretty sure Xenonauts was never on sale in actual physical shops, I thought it was crowd funded.

As for Warhammer 40K, Dawn of War is indeed not at all the same, but there are games in that universe that are also turn based. Not sure which ones you'd need to look at, though.

Battletech seems to have gotten some bad reviews, but you're enjoying it so far?

 

From what I understand, it was released prematurely with some bad bugs and balance, but after it was patched it's pretty good. Although if I hadn't known about rushing the first 3 story missions to get the Argo ASAP from reviews I'd have probably felt differently. It is that important that reviewers have no qualms about giving spoilers.

I'm not sure, I just got the game and it was patched. Also apparently it requires a fairly hefty gaming system, and I just spend $800 on a new computer system meant to let me play Battletech and the new Bard's Tale IV. Anything less and you might not have enough performance.
I haven't noticed, I have nothing to compare it to except a 10 year old computer.

 

Actually, I have one major complaint and one minor. The font size to indicate how many items I have when selling to a store, and the same quantity indicators when buying is WAY too small. I'm squinting with my glasses on and leaning forward to the monitor to make out what those numbers are, and still have trouble telling 5's from 6's and the difference between 3's, 8's, and 9's. Heck, sometimes I can't tell 2's from 5's and I am in no way, shape or form dyslexic.
The "flavor text" and the explanations for terms when you hover over something is also a little on the small side. Almost, but not quite as bad as the store text. I'm still squinting, but I'm not leaning forward putting my face a couple inches from the monitor like I am in the stores.
Most of the rest of the game I can play without my glasses, I just need to put them on to use the stores.

Also the intro logos are especially annoying since you see "Press ESC to skip" for the intro movie after they run, and even then, it takes 10-20 seconds after you see "Press ESC to skip" before that actually works to skip the intro movie.