Posted by Garion on 2020-05-01 21:35:47

Battletech used to be great in the 90s. Though no idea what the ruleset is like now.
Necromunda is brilliant but requires a fair bit of investment.

Posted by lanky316 on 2020-05-01 21:41:10

They're computer games. Sadly the Necromunda adaptation appears to be lost to development hell!

Looking at your list, I can't think of many games to add. Divinity : Original Sin 2 is great and missing. I've not actually played the first one to offer an opinion on that but it was on a sale so grabbed that. Don't feel I'm missing anything in that regard story wise.

Posted by JanMattys on 2020-05-01 21:48:00

Invisble Inc is a neat little gem. I enjoy it immensely.

Posted by JanMattys on 2020-05-01 21:51:12

also, if what you write in your bio is still true today

"I used to LOVE a game called 'Laser Squad' (Gollop brothers pre UFO/XCom). In this little 1-2 player spectrum/amiga game you controlled a small armed squad of future troopers. anyways... In it you could easily win the first, assasination based, level just by taking the rocket launcher and levelling the whole thing (optionally laughing insanely). Everyone did that once or twice. Some always did it thereafter, some learned to beat that level with only a knife and a pistol with 6 rounds. I chose the latter route as i crave elegance in my gaming."

then Invisble Inc will give you that exact kind of feeling. You CAN kill, but if you do things tend to go fubar much quicker, and the brute force solution, while there, is never the best one.

Posted by Wozzaa on 2020-05-01 22:04:55

Front Mission for Snes.

Posted by Naama on 2020-05-01 22:12:17

Warhammer 40k: Chaos Gate is probably something that should be at least mentioned when talking about tactical squad games. I think you can still find that on good old games (gog.com).

Not sure how well it has aged but back then it was a really good game. Though i think there were some effort involved to get it running smoothly on new operating systems.

Posted by akuku88 on 2020-05-01 22:13:22

Mutant Year Zero combat system is similiar to XCOM 1&2, but the game's pretty short and linear. Go there, do that, do something else, finish the game. No replayability value really.

Battletech and Mechanicus are very similiar, you customize your units and go through missions you have a small selection of, some decisions on what to do next, but otherwise still not crazy much. Both are solid games tho. Battletech perhaps a bit better, Mechanicus has an incredible music and overall feeling tho, yet both have very interesting style you'll remember.

Phantom Doctrine is a XCOM 1&2 wannabe, you can smell wasted potential of it.

Posted by cowhead on 2020-05-01 22:32:39

Been playing XCom:Chimera Squad, not too bad for the price. Not as good as the proper XCom games, but a decent stop gap until no.3 comes out.

I enjoyed Mordheim: City of the Damned, especially as I never got to play the original game.

Posted by Kaiowas on 2020-05-01 22:42:41

Jag Alliance 2 is still being modded heavily, @Neubau told me about it a year or so ago. Its undefeated for me :)

Posted by Azure on 2020-05-01 22:57:46

Invisible Inc is certainly a winner - an excellent game.

Posted by Verminardo on 2020-05-01 23:50:33

Yeah Battle Tech and Mutant: Year Zero are both very X-COM-ish. I enjoyed Battle Tech because of nostalgia for the 90s novels and table top and Mech Warrior P&P, challenge level was good but the campaign got boring and grindy at a point, didn't finish it. Mutant: Year Zero has great atmosphere and graphics and also decent challenge level.

Banner Saga combat was a bit like Might & Magic but I found the whole game really dull. YMMV.

I did enjoy some retro 2D pixel-ish tactical games lately, Battle for Wesnoth (not new I know) and Into the Breach (the latter is a rogue-like so you don't get to save which is rather silly if you ask me, but I quite liked the game mechanics).

Currently playing For the King but don't really have an opinion yet.

Check out the weekly free give-aways at Epic Store if you're not doing that already, they sometimes have good stuff.

Posted by C0ddlefish on 2020-05-01 23:55:03

Divinity Original Sin 2 is brilliant and worth every penny.

Posted by ArrestedDevelopment on 2020-05-02 00:13:19

Planescape:Torment. Same infinity engine as BG1&2 and imo, the greatest crpg ever made.

Posted by uzkulak on 2020-05-02 01:35:24

The Strategic Command series and Field of Glory are good games if you prefer the more boardgame type experience. My top recommendation though is Ive recently started playing Battle Brothers and Ive got to say its brilliant. Very hard game play but very rewarding - definitely given it a look up on youtube.

Posted by Squishable on 2020-05-02 02:07:36

I might chip in with my experiences, the list is ordered from the ones I can recommend the most to the least:

Divinity: Original Sin 1 and 2 are amazing SL, TB games with a lot of depth in combat, there's a bunch of interlocking mechanics and mechanisms that, when combined with its great encounter design, make each fight feel unique and challenging. The world is fun, with some silliness here and there.

I've had an absolute blast with Mechanicus, the squad is very customizable and can be developed in a lot of ways, the combat is engaging, with a lot of interesting choices available at any time. Every enemy is a different challenge to tackle, every upgrade gives you more options as well as more decisions to make.

Battle Brothers is a game about managing a group of mercenaries. It's pretty brutal and unforgiving, you have to learn how it works and respect the rules it has laid out: the effects of elevation, morale, flanking or different weapon types' characteristics, and so on. But when you do get it, get all your guys equipped with great gear, and start to develop your own squad tactics, it feels very satisfying.

Expeditions: Conquistador puts you in the shoes of an expedition leader exploring the New World. It makes you manage your party as a whole, with things like gathering food, stocking up medicine for healing your units after battles, or repair supplies in order to keep your equipment in fighting condition or trap parts to help you in combat. The fights rely a bit more on positioning and managing your guys than powerful abilities, although your squadmates can tip the scales by themselves.

Mutant: Year Zero feels a bit like X-COM, though you have fewer options when developing your squad. It's a bit linear and restrictive at times. All in all, a pretty ok game.

Tyranny and Pillars of Eternity 1 are pretty similar in terms of game mechanics, but I enjoyed Tyranny a lot more. The story was more interesting and complex, which led to encounters being more impactful, as everything was tied to the main story in some way. Pillars was a bit less focused on the main story, and all I really remember about it was mindlessly grinding dungeons and completing quests one after another. Tyranny has 4 characters in a party, which is easier to manage. Pillars has 6, which makes controlling them get tedious (unless you just let the AI handle them for you), especially since the game has more combat encounters strewn about, so the fights tended to blend together.

Posted by Squishable on 2020-05-02 02:40:23

(Just a few more since you apparently can't edit posts. These ones are pretty high on the list as well)

Seeing as you also have enjoyed Frozen Synapse, I thoroughly recommend Broken Lines. It's about managing a group of soldiers behind enemy lines. Similarly to Frozen Synapse, the gameplay is split into 8 seconds of action, where everyone does their actions at the same time. Different weapon types have different characteristics and abilities, your characters have their own abilities which change based on the story as well the choices you make. The story is good, with different soldiers influencing each other. There is a lot of replayability. I think I played less than half of the missions after finishing the game. Future playthroughs can also be adjusted with a pretty extensive difficulty menu.

Invisible Inc. is one of my top tactics games, but it's really more of a stealth game in tactical game's clothing. Regardless, the gameplay is very fun as well as tense, you are always on the verge of being spotted, manipulating guards' behaviour, dancing around view cones, seeing how far you can push it before the elite enforcers start converging on your agents' position. The campaigns also end before they overstay their welcome, letting you choose other agents with other abilities and gear, and change the way you are playing the game

Posted by Nelphine on 2020-05-02 06:30:56

Someone built a java based Battletech game, in a similar vein to how FUMBBL is for Blood Bowl.

However, it never had enough popularity to really get going, and I've unfortunately lost the link, but it would probably definitely match what you were looking for. Just a faithful adaption of the tabletop rules.

Posted by mekutata on 2020-05-02 08:26:48

Vandal Hearts was such a strange game. So easy. Think I finished it in a couple of hours and was left speechless compared to the overlong FF VII. There was a sequel, never got to play that one.
But if you like this kind of (Japanese) isometric strategy RPGs and Blood Bowl, the Disgea series seems perfect and has not been mentioned yet.
Sadly I could only play early games (think on the Nintendo DS?) with my lack of modern playing consoles, but in general imagine Final Fantasy Tactics going evil and crazy.
The potential of open experimenting with skills, new monsters and combinations (characters can attack together) was very addictive and reminds me of the teambuilding aspect in blood bowl. Also I enjoyed the nonsense regarding storytelling compared to the stupidity and Kitsch of more serious games.
Chroma Squad is an indie game that also uses characters combining attacks, it's basically a Power Rangers parody and much more streamined than Disgea (which can go endless). Can be fun for a short time.

Posted by Mattius on 2020-05-02 10:44:29

Some hefty comments here! In case not mentioned, Baldurs gate 3 is coming! So keep an eye out for that one.

Posted by stej on 2020-05-02 19:10:39

I enjoyed Missionforce : Cyberstorm back in the day (and its sequal). Not sure how well it would stack up today but may be worth a look

Posted by bbcanariobb on 2020-05-02 19:22:34

Battletech cost 4 euros in instant gaming (90% discount), I have played 120ish hours to that game and I think it will tick most of the boxes.

The Banner Saga is an indie game that I played in Alpha. It was a great experience so even though I haven't played the final version I think It would be a good option too.

Another game I always recommend is Iron Grip: Marauders

Posted by Garion on 2020-05-02 21:17:56

Ahhh computer games.

Warhammer underworld. Turn based hexagon, strategy game. Right up your street I would think

Posted by Garion on 2020-05-02 21:26:29

Link - https://store.steampowered.com/app/1022310/Warhammer_Underworlds_Online/

Posted by Willownen on 2020-05-02 22:18:04

Tyranny is one of the best games Obsidian has made, maybe even the best. Sadly their alleged cheating of Paradox's money for it to Pillars shows somewhat. Still, I've completed Tyranny twice, with different characters and different paths, which there are many. Tyranny is also pretty short for an RPG, since it's meant to be played many times. You cannot even access every location on one play through. Glory to Kyros!

Pillars 1&2 are good games, I think, but they both had the Balance Man working on them, and it was apparent if you were playing the game while they pushed out patches. The second game feels a bit stupid at times, you are constantly told to hurry before the BBG destroys everything, but until you get to the locations that are relevant, nothing ever happens. Also, they should have used a new protagonist, instead of the hero from the first game returning. Tremendous character creation options, though.

Posted by huff on 2020-05-03 06:19:24

Memoir ‘44 by Richard Borg produced by Days of Wonder... They have a free to download and get your feet wet with the game through the website.

Posted by Bluegill87 on 2020-05-03 06:53:02

Try Kenshi if you want something of a freeform RPG that's incredibly punishing in the beginning. :)

You get to hire Squads, build up bases and generally just get your shit kicked in (which is actually how your character builds toughness lol).

Posted by Prez on 2020-05-03 08:46:46

There is some very good stuff here.

I can vouch for Memoire 44 and another great game Ticket to Ride, both at Days of Wonder.

Another WWII game is Axis & Allies, its very simplistic but good fun, esp when you and your ally work together effectively to win the game. Has always plans can be scuppered by dice!

Posted by Purplegoo on 2020-05-03 11:10:13

I'd recommend Twilight Struggle. It's a board game with a Steam version. While it's not exactly like an X-Com, or whatever, it would appear that it suits your (my) sort of taste. I've not seen Darkest Dungeon mentioned, that may also float your boat.

Posted by Bluegill87 on 2020-05-03 11:39:38

Talisman Digital Edition if you can grab most of the expansion packs cheap to suit more of your board gaming needs.

Welcome to RNG hell if you do tho. ;)

Posted by gumbi on 2020-05-03 17:19:23

Templar Battleforce is also pretty fun - similar to space hulk, but with more D&D character development.