I'm not looking for work. I'm looking for fun.

If you're interested, you should probably add me on an IM program so we can discuss the details.

The health meter breaks the immersion a fair bit. I'd get rid of it.

I couldn't care less. Windows XP is the last Microsoft operating system I'll ever use. I'm switching to Linux as soon as it's feasible.

I can do that. Groovy retro. Groovy like this, but with my current production quality. Is it going to be all serious or will it lighten up? And what format would you require?

[has]

A sprite is just an image. An object has a sprite (or to be precise, a reference to one), which it draws onto the screen. (alternatively, depending on your rendering style, is drawn by something else)

Music a little bit like what Bonesaw had is what I'm thinking.

Bonesaw?

How retro are we talking about? It don't get much more retro than this. On the other hand one can mix retro with a bit of modern like this. Or just not retro at all. These are pretty old, the quality is lacking. But to put something together I need more specific information.

Looks stylish.

You might wanna provide some more information. I can't possibly be interested if I don't even know what I'm being asked to do!

[4]

Not necessarily. ZZT had a rather extensive OO language associated with it that would allow for some serious abuse of the engine. Would you say that a HL2 total conversion didn't count? More work goes into the least of those than goes into some of these other games.

I wouldn't call it serious abuse. At most you could only define how individual objects behave in the game world, but the game world was still entirely based on ZZT's gameplay rules. Shooting, bombs, items, health... All hard-coded. And you could only use a miserable 4 boolean variables (IIRC).

Half-life 2 is an entirely different matter. A HL2 "total conversion" is not a mod of HL2 really, but rather a new game just using the Source engine. And Source is quite flexible, in fact, it has no limitations at all since you can write plugins that completely dictate the game engine.

Right. You've played chess before, I assume. There is zero luck in chess.

Chess however is tactics, not strategy.

I'm sorry, but this does not excite me. Power meters are the bane of games of all kinds. It's another method of introducing randomness into something that shouldn't be random.

It's not random. It's 100% skill-based. It allows players to actually make mistakes, which helps to pace the game. Also rather than having the game provide you with perfect precision, it adds an element of estimation. Estimating directions and distances is a deterministic problem, not random at all.

I'm sending you a pm, I'm sure no one else will enjoy an extended disucssion of this form and there is much else to discuss on IndieLib.

Pardon me asking but, what's the point of posting about sending a PM? What use is it for us to know that you're having a private conversation somewhere?

[Moonbase Commander]

The "least luck in any game you've played" does not imply "no elements of luck" at all.

I think Moonbase Commander is a shining example - It's all skill, it's turn-based, you build strategically, yet it also requires reflexes. Too bad so few people even know of its existence, and even fewer play it. (wink, wink)

Advance Wars is currently the only game I have played that featured only strategy and no elements of luck.

Are you serious? Advance Wars has a lot of luck. Every time you attack, for example, the damage done is taken randomly from a certain range. Just look at Nell's CO powers.

[Supreme Commander]

Supreme Commander was only mentioned in reference to another game, so I'll recommend that. Although I can't ever tell if I only enjoy the game out of nostalgia for the many hours I spent playing Total Annihilation when younger.

I bough SupCom ages ago and it sucks. It's just repeating the same pitfalls that have plagued the RTS genre for years. But it's real-time, I'm specifically looking for turn-based games here.

Tropico, although not what I'm hoping to find, does look interesting.

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/m_a_x_m_a_x_2
How is that impossible to acquire?

For starters, I don't have a credit card.

But nevermind, I managed to acquire it anyway.

Looks old, but solid. Too bad it's impossible to acquire.

Advanced Strategic Command was terrible. It's the very definition of non-accessibility.

I think he means that... actually, I don't know what he means.

It's not procedural, if that's what you mean?

They're nice, but repetitive.

Weird "challenge". But ok, here's mine: Machinary.

Most of your suggestions are turn-based tactics, not strategy. I want to build my base, not just move units/pieces around.

Advanced Strategic Command looks interesting, I actually considered it before, but didn't get around to trying it out.

Could anyone recommend any good turn-based strategy games? Ones that involve incomplete information and no luck/randomness. Bonus points if you get to build something besides just units.

I've been playing Moonbase Commander, Master of Orion, Jagged Alliance, Heroes of Might and Magic, Advance Wars and Civilization, to name a few (series).

There doesn't seem to be a lot of actually good TBS games, with simple rules but deep strategy.