Octopus Overlords

Here's something to look forward to in the next year, 2020’s most anticipated strategy games

2019 was a very good year for strategy games, and 2020 is looking to be even better. We have all sorts of flavors of strategy here, from RTS games featuring giant robots, grand strategy games in the medieval era, pirates, giant lasers, crime bosses, and even a 4X game that can put a Neanderthal in space. There’s a little something for every strategy gamer in 2020, and here are some of our most anticipated titles.

I'm really looking forward to Empire of Sin myself.

I’m in such a gaming funk right now. Over this holiday break, I’ve tried - and utterly failed - to get into a ton of different games, and nothing’s clicking at all. Even went for stuff outside my typical genres, and still just can’t generate excitement for any game. I’ve installed and played at least an hour of the following:

- Division 2
- Destiny 2
- Shadow Tactics
- Neverwinter Nights
- Baldurs Gate 2
- Age of Empires 2
- Age of Wonders Planetfall
- Ape Out
- Civ VI
- Risk of Rain 2
- Black Desert Mobile
- Dragon Quest XI
- Guild Wars 2
- Demons Tilt
- Wolfenstein 2
- Elex
- Moonlighter
- Tower of Time
- Rayman Legends
- Neverwinter (the MMO)
- Elder Scrolls Online
- Ys Seven
- For the King
- Little Inferno

I just lose interest in pretty much everything within a few hours of starting it. Games and genres that used to keep me riveted are now just “meh”.

I probably just need to step away from gaming for a bit.

I'm right there with you. Nothing is drawing me in. I think I'm just on overload from the holidays and need more mindless entertainment.

Same here. I just let my FFXIV sub lapse, because I wasn't wanting to pay and not play, (though I did finish through the first exp this time and it was lots of fun). Over the break, I played:

- Several rounds of Civ VI
- Went back to my lifetime sub of LOTRO
- Started several clubs in "Football, Glory and Tactics"
- Bought and dabbled with Anno 1800
- Went back and shot things in Division 2
- Got tired of OOTP's Perfect Team again
- Played more Madden and less MLB: The Show
- Wasted time with Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, Marvel Strike Force and DC Legends
- And have been happy w/ our new Switch by playing mostly Golf Story and Fire Emblem - Three Houses

Had fun, but very random and restless.

I got something "similar" here, as I have about 3 dozen games installed, but I've only played a couple.

It seems my frustration threshold has decreased over the years.

Got tired of Fallout 4 when I have settlements all over the place, multiple suits of power armor, dozens and dozens of fusion cores (currently, about 70+) friendly with EVERY faction. I just don't feel like visiting Nuka World or Far Harbor right now.

"Finished" Grim Dawn w/o expansions. it's becoming... tedious. I can one-shot most enemies, and dispatch entire mobs in 3-4 hits, as I'm level 50. Just found my first legendary weapon (purple, not blue epic) but those radiant quests are boring and vague as f***.

Playing through Baja, and while circuit races and such are slightly tedious, it's entertaining enough so far, as each track is a little different and some of these circuit tracks actually have multi-path in some segments, and choosing the right path becomes a tactical decision. It's not like major different like Rallycross's "joker lap", but close. And it's not every track. On the other hand, with a dozen different locations, and a dozen variations of tracks, there is sure a lot of variety, and so far I'm not bored yet.

(Yet I have no desire to go back to Dirt 4 or WRC5 and resume my career there)

Tried Arc Savior again, was reminded why I stopped playing it... it's just too f***ing hard when enemies can just swarm you.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Jan 01, 2020 11:51 am I'm right there with you. Nothing is drawing me in. I think I'm just on overload from the holidays and need more mindless entertainment.

The most frustrating part is that the last couple weeks are the rare time of year when I actually DO have time to play games. The rest of the year, I’m lucky if I get an hour a day to game, but I’ve had huge stretches of time over the holiday break. And simply nothing grabbed me.

I just let my FFXIV sub lapse, because I wasn't wanting to pay and not play,

Same, mine expired on the 23rd of Dec. I’m sure I’ll jump back in at some point, but was super burned out on the endgame loot grind.

Still playing Baja. In arcade mode, it's got less sense of traction and momentum than the Dirt series, can't even match Dirt 2 or 3, muchless Dirt Rally series or Dirt 4. But the tracks are f***ing LONG, and it'll even let you do a full Baja 1000 (run a full HOUR) if you're up to it. I don't really "feel" the car sliding, and the jumps can be pretty ridiculous. And the random car damage? It's basically resource management, while you're racing, as now you must plan to meet a repair chopper or the pit lane!

EDIT: The 4x4, with upgraded clutch, accelerates like mad, and I can actually gain several places in the first 50 yards even when starting at the back of the pack. But once they get up to speed, overtake becomes much more difficult, and even worse when you take transmission damage.

EDIT2: I'm into the next vehicle class, "open wheel" buggy, and the upgraded clutch is incredibly good. The max upgrade vehicle can accelerate like mad from full stop and pass 4-5 vehicles in the first 50 yards while starting from last place. That leaves 2-3 vehicles in front.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Wed Jan 01, 2020 11:51 am I'm right there with you. Nothing is drawing me in. I think I'm just on overload from the holidays and need more mindless entertainment.

I'm burned out on Phoenix Point and before that Ghost Recon Breakpoint. I want to play a new game, not reinstall an old one. But nothing new is attracting me right now. Maybe it's because I've got another day of taking down Xmas decorations ahead of me .

With Watch Dogs Legion delayed, the next big game I'm thinking about is Cyberpunk 2077. Assuming it doesn't get delayed or turns out to be a big disaster

You're about the fifth person to claim general gaming burnout this week! I'm there, too. I have been for a month or so. I still remember the solution: do something else for a while. I've been watching the occasional show, doing some painting, playing some board games, and making a strong effort to boost my GMing skills. When gaming sounds fun again, I'll be ready to go.

I've been watching Grimm between gaming sessions to avoid burnout.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:23 amYou're about the fifth person to claim general gaming burnout this week!

I was pretty burned out for the last part of 2019, but Pathfinder: Kingmaker seems to have reinvigorated something. I'm more into gaming (playing that) than I have been in some time - months maybe.

I was at the point previously that I was playing a game on one monitor and watching a movie on the other.

Slumps come faster for me these days. It used to be that I'd game like nuts for a year, burn out for a few weeks, then go again. Now it seems that I play a couple of games to completion, go into a slump, then play a game or two, then slump.

We're the first generation to really grow up with gaming, from early memories in the arcade to pong to today. I sometimes worry that some of us are approaching a point at which there are new games, but not new experiences (IE - Borderlands 3 is new, but at its core, it isn't all that different from Quake II and Diablo 1, both of which are closing in a quarter century.) And human interest is driven by novel experiences.

My first thought is to try different types of games, genres I don't usually play. And sometimes I wonder if it means that I should have found a new hobby years ago, but age is just making me reluctant to change.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:23 am You're about the fifth person to claim general gaming burnout this week!

I just want to say, there are some of us keeping the gaming torch lit. I see no end in sight! I finished Remnant 4 times then finished up all of the achievements and after a little bit of time considering my options, I am a few hours into Control now and enjoying that. I'm kind of sad that I have to go back to work tomorrow.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:15 pm Slumps come faster for me these days. It used to be that I'd game like nuts for a year, burn out for a few weeks, then go again. Now it seems that I play a couple of games to completion, go into a slump, then play a game or two, then slump.

We're the first generation to really grow up with gaming, from early memories in the arcade to pong to today. I sometimes worry that some of us are approaching a point at which there are new games, but not new experiences (IE - Borderlands 3 is new, but at its core, it isn't all that different from Quake II and Diablo 1, both of which are closing in a quarter century.) And human interest is driven by novel experiences.

My first thought is to try different types of games, genres I don't usually play. And sometimes I wonder if it means that I should have found a new hobby years ago, but age is just making me reluctant to change.

My problem is that I can't game like I used to. Meaning I can't sit down for several hours and do nothing but game. With the kids and wife and small house I'm lucky to get a few hours on a Friday night. And I really don't enjoy games in short bursts.

When I do get a few hours, the gaps between sessions are so long I forget controls and/or quests.

I've been trying rogue-likes for the short sessions but they aren't doing it for me.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 12:15 pmI sometimes worry that some of us are approaching a point at which there are new games, but not new experiences (IE - Borderlands 3 is new, but at its core, it isn't all that different from Quake II and Diablo 1, both of which are closing in a quarter century.) And human interest is driven by novel experiences.

I can echo that. My wife (frequently) questions why I find PC Gaming so entertaining. To her it's all the same. On your ass, in front of a computer.

To me, PC Gaming is filled with different experiences, and the computer is just a medium. An RTS is different from a CRPG is different from a FPS is different from a TBS. For me and how I feel about it, it is a varied hobby.

You're right about novelty, though. It's been a while since I was genuinely excited about a game. I have close to (if not over) 500 computer games between all the platforms and media. It's hard for a game to feel new. The ones I go back to as standards have layers of gameplay and deep challenge that varies from play to play - like Rimworld, XCOM, and Space Rangers 2.

I often get into a "mood" for a game. I'm in the mood for something Tactical. Maybe it's Mechs. Maybe Zombies. Building. Space. Survival. Post-Apocalyptic. Process Oriented. Sometimes the mood is illusive and nothing feels compelling. Those are my real slumps. Those are the times when I wish something new would strike.

Paingod wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:39 pm My wife (frequently) questions why I find PC Gaming so entertaining. To her it's all the same. On your ass, in front of a computer.

A problem that I am lucky not to have.

Her favorite game:

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:38 pm

My problem is that I can't game like I used to. Meaning I can't sit down for several hours and do nothing but game. With the kids and wife and small house I'm lucky to get a few hours on a Friday night. And I really don't enjoy games in short bursts.

When I do get a few hours, the gaps between sessions are so long I forget controls and/or quests.

I've been trying rogue-likes for the short sessions but they aren't doing it for me.

You know, that may be a factor for me, too. With the kids here, there's a school thing, or dinner, or a question, or something all the time, and when I do game I'm sitting three feet from the TV Michelle is watching, and two feet from Caiden gaming and talking with his friends on Discord. I no longer get the opportunity to 'disappear' into a game and really get absorbed.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 2:03 pm You know, that may be a factor for me, too. With the kids here, there's a school thing, or dinner, or a question, or something all the time, and when I do game I'm sitting three feet from the TV Michelle is watching, and two feet from Caiden gaming and talking with his friends on Discord. I no longer get the opportunity to 'disappear' into a game and really get absorbed.

Even without kids I've been trying to deal with this. I love my wife, but she has never quite understood that, even if she's sitting behind me and trying to be quiet, I'm in a completely different headspace trying to play games when she's there versus when she's not.

*cough* Bioware sex scenes/stuffed unicorns *cough*

Sepiche wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 2:19 pm I love my wife, but she has never quite understood that, even if she's sitting behind me and trying to be quiet, I'm in a completely different headspace trying to play games when she's there versus when she's not.

My wife has always been wonderful about my hobbies, game playing and collecting books. When we got married we moved into a two bedroom apartment and she decided that one of the rooms would be my game room. She (really!) surprised me when one day I came home from work and found she had made me a ten foot by three foot table for my game room so I could leave Campaign for North Africa set up all the time

When she started designing the house we've now been living in for the past 35 years, she asked me what I needed in the house. I said that I wanted my game room to be the second biggest room in the house after the living room, and that we would have a garage big enough so that we could keep both cars inside and still have space to get around them to store stuff. She succeeded on both counts.

She still doesn't really "get" why I enjoy gaming so much, but she's more than happy to let me have my gaming time every evening. Of course, I don't understand all that devotion to Xmas decorating either

My wife was always supportive too. She bought me my first PC in 94 and always got me upgrades. She got me something to sit it on and a chair to sit me on Then she bought me all the games for years. About 1 or more a month and all the magazines. When I was tired and trying to finish something around here she'd tell me to sit down and play my games and enjoy myself while I rest. Said whatever it was I was doing would be there tomorrow. I told her many times recently I felt bad sitting here at the PC with my back to her but she'd again say its ok Im watching tv. We're together and thats what matters. God I miss that little lady. My wife was so dear to me.

Picked up a PS4 Pro over the Holidays with Spider-Man. Here are some nits:

1. Bonus points for kicking thugs off buildings. WTH? Spidey doesn't kill people. There should at least have been an animation of the thugs getting webbed up to the side of the building.
2. Early on Spidey has to hunt down The Shocker, who is pretty much doing hulk jumps all over the city. Since when can the Shocker do Hulk Jumps?

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:46 pm

Paingod wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:39 pm My wife (frequently) questions why I find PC Gaming so entertaining. To her it's all the same. On your ass, in front of a computer.

A problem that I am lucky not to have.

Her favorite game:

I'm in a similar boat. Though in my case it's a different game.

Sometimes I feel I should be going to meetings.... "Hi, my name is TheMix, and I am a World of Warcraft widower."

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2020 1:23 am You're about the fifth person to claim general gaming burnout this week! I'm there, too. I have been for a month or so. I still remember the solution: do something else for a while. I've been watching the occasional show, doing some painting, playing some board games, and making a strong effort to boost my GMing skills. When gaming sounds fun again, I'll be ready to go.

I thought that Cities Skylines might break my long drought. Played it three nights in a row for 1-2 hours at a time, then went "meh" and back into my slump. It's a cool enough city builder and I might go back to it...eventually.

Bah newbies. Ive been in a slump for 13 months. Rookies.

Got this info from Blues News. For those in the forum who are older gamers, something of possible interest... AARP is wasting spending its research money investigating us: Who Is the 50+ Gamer? Gaming Attitudes and Habits of Adults Ages 50-Plus

The fun of gaming knows no age limit. A new survey by AARP shows older adults are increasingly playing video games on phones and tablets—most often drawn to classic puzzle, logic, card, and tile games.

AARP’s latest survey on the topic revealed that 44 percent of Americans age 50+ enjoy video games (interactive digital entertainment) at least once a month, up from 38 percent in 2016. That translates into nearly 51 million gamers in 2019 playing an average of five hours a week, compared to 40 million active players three years ago.

Notably, leading drivers of the trend are women; 49 percent of women say they regularly play, compared to just 40 percent of men. And nearly 53 percent of women say they’re daily video gamers compared to 39 percent of men.

Mirroring general shifts in device usage, older Americans are gaming on the go—moving away from computers and laptops (47%) and opting instead to play on their smartphones and tablets (73%).

And besides the article, there is a 48 page PDF to download for your enjoyment.

A new survey by AARP shows older adults are increasingly playing video games

They make it sound like people turn 50 then start gaming. We are the ones who grew up with gaming since children. We didn't just start. We have been playing video games 40+ years.

And Im not drawn to any of those genres listed. Im FPS, RTS, Strategy, Simulation, RPG....anything space. Those other genres are for old people.

Given the possible benefits of gaming on the aging mind, it isn't at all a waste.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 2:11 pm And Im not drawn to any of those genres listed. Im FPS, RTS, Strategy, Simulation, RPG....anything space. Those other genres are for old people.

I'm wondering if those "other" genres are also more popular among younger people as well, since I imagine that gaming on mobile devices are big for them too. I've been around people 30+ years younger than me that are hammering out on Candy Crush while waiting in line.

I've tried playing on mobile devices like tablets and my phone-like iPod Touch, but I really prefer sitting down at a desk with a big monitor and lots of CPU/GPU power to engage in deep, complex games.

Blackhawk wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 2:21 pm Given the possible benefits of gaming on the aging mind, it isn't at all a waste.

My former associates in AARP Taxaide, most of whom are older than my 66 years, not only get the brain benefit, but also the benefit of manipulating controls which helps in keeping reflexes and joints in better shape.

but I really prefer sitting down at a desk with a big monitor and lots of CPU/GPU power to engage in deep, complex games.

Same. I have zero games on my phone. My table has two but they are hidden object ones I played with my wife.

Wife just started gaming at age 62. She plays a word search game on her phone.

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 4:51 pm Wife just started gaming at age 62. She plays a word search game on her phone.

My wife started similarly at 44 with a word scramble-y game... haven't gotten her to try XCOM2 yet.

Guarantee if you download that .pdf from AARP you will get 75 pieces of junk mail a week for the rest of your life.

Z-Corn wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 5:38 pm Guarantee if you download that .pdf from AARP you will get 75 pieces of junk mail a week for the rest of your life.

Hmm? Its a PDF download that doesn't require a log-on or password. I wouldn't have posted it if it did.

In lieu of apologies you can just send me a magnum of my favorite imbibe, a 1982 Moet et Chandon Dom Perignon P3 Rose.

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 6:45 pm

Z-Corn wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 5:38 pm Guarantee if you download that .pdf from AARP you will get 75 pieces of junk mail a week for the rest of your life.

Hmm? Its a PDF download that doesn't require a log-on or password. I wouldn't have posted it if it did.

In lieu of apologies you can just send me a magnum of my favorite imbibe, a 1982 Moet et Chandon Dom Perignon P3 Rose.

Are you an AARP member?

Z-Corn wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 8:12 pm

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 6:45 pm

Z-Corn wrote: ↑Tue Jan 07, 2020 5:38 pm Guarantee if you download that .pdf from AARP you will get 75 pieces of junk mail a week for the rest of your life.

Hmm? It's a PDF download that doesn't require a log-on or password. I wouldn't have posted it if it did.

In lieu of apologies you can just send me a magnum of my favorite imbibe, a 1982 Moet et Chandon Dom Perignon P3 Rose.

Are you an AARP member?

Yup, lots of good discounts at restaurants and hotels. And I had to join anyway to be able to work for the AARP Taxaide program.

I haven't been in too much of a slump this year or last. I have my favorites and still play frequently as the pic shows. I took this yesterday.



I like killing aliens!

How do I get the image above to appear? It's a jpeg hosted on the free version of PhotoBucket.

That link goes to your library, not to the jpg itself. And I can't click through, as it won't let me on the page unless I disable my security software (which I won't do.)