Comments on: On Site Review: HPS Punic Wars http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2007/03/20/on-site-review-hps-punic-wars/ The Best Strategy Game Blog in My House Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:15:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: JonathanStrange http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2007/03/20/on-site-review-hps-punic-wars/comment-page-1/#comment-33885 JonathanStrange Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:38:12 +0000 http://flashofsteel.com/index.php/2007/03/20/on-site-review-hps-punic-wars/#comment-33885 It's always been ironic to me that the pretty and exciting graphics of games like RTW (among the most recent of the them) do capture quite a bit of the pageantry and combat but, somehow, don't quite replicate the same tension of "will that unit obey its orders" or "what's behind that ridge?" Turn-based games, like Punic Wars, do seem better at recreating a semblance of the "wait and see" feelings an ancient general might have had: "His lead units are heavy infantry. Where's his cavalry?" or "The Fourth cohort is breaking. What I can send in to cover the gap?" and you DO feel an accomplishment when a plan works. I liked quite a bit of Punic Wars graphics, btw. The individual units looked decent and some quite cool. However, I'm no fan of the NATO military units - it's too generic, too similar to old-style "let's model warfare from 3000BC to 2100AD" games that used similar symbols for chariots, elephants and tanks. The lack of animations like flying arrows and flashing swords isn't a plus; and substituting sounds while helpful doesn't quite make up the difference. Will we ever get ALL that we want: looks and brains? We're closing the gap, but meanwhile you pretty much have to buy RTW and Punic Wars, they both have their charms. It’s always been ironic to me that the pretty and exciting graphics of games like RTW (among the most recent of the them) do capture quite a bit of the pageantry and combat but, somehow, don’t quite replicate the same tension of “will that unit obey its orders” or “what’s behind that ridge?” Turn-based games, like Punic Wars, do seem better at recreating a semblance of the “wait and see” feelings an ancient general might have had: “His lead units are heavy infantry. Where’s his cavalry?” or “The Fourth cohort is breaking. What I can send in to cover the gap?” and you DO feel an accomplishment when a plan works.

I liked quite a bit of Punic Wars graphics, btw. The individual units looked decent and some quite cool. However, I’m no fan of the NATO military units – it’s too generic, too similar to old-style “let’s model warfare from 3000BC to 2100AD” games that used similar symbols for chariots, elephants and tanks. The lack of animations like flying arrows and flashing swords isn’t a plus; and substituting sounds while helpful doesn’t quite make up the difference.

Will we ever get ALL that we want: looks and brains? We’re closing the gap, but meanwhile you pretty much have to buy RTW and Punic Wars, they both have their charms.

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