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[Gnarf]

- It looks like it's 100% free, with the option to buy real life merchandise from the dev company. edit: one review claims that you'll need a cd from any other game from the series to play this.

It's free. It costs money if you want some "Mega-Campaigns" (like, the Generals Edition is the free version plus 4 Mega-Campaigns). I'd guess the Mega-Campaigns are mostly for singleplayer stuff. No need for any CD from anything to play it -- I've downloaded and installed and tried it myself without that.

creators of the good old X-COM saga for DOS, and the old Rebelstar and LaserSquad for ZX Spectrum

aka

awesome people

[Craig Stern]

I think another important distinction is mission-based or free-roaming. Some of them are free-roaming, like Spiderweb Software's games, and involve town exploration and all that, whereas others are strictly mission-based, battle after battle, without the RPG exploration element.

What would you consider an example of a free-roaming tactical RPG? Shining Force 2, perhaps?

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

Shining Force 2 was still heavily mission-based, even though there was some exploration -- same thing with Fallout Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics. By free-roaming I mean games that make no distinction between the normal play and the objects, i.e. games that don't have "levels" or "stages" in the normal sense, but instead just a plain world. As I mentioned, Spiderweb Software's Avernum/Exile/Geneforge is a good example of that. Another example are the Ultima games: it has turn-based top-down combat between large groups, but is more of an RPG than a tactical RPG, even though positioning is important in combat. Most tactical RPGs are mission-based though.

My favorite ones tend to be mission-based: Vanguard Bandits, the Vandal Hearts series, and the Front Mission series. Jagged Alliance 2 is also very good. Kartia too, since it has a really nice story and is a game of this type, even though its gameplay isn't very balanced. I tend to like the ones with expendable units less -- Fire Emblem, Warsong, etc. -- I always feel as if losing a character is a disaster and want to save and load to get them back, even though it's nearly impossible to get through those games without losing a character. I prefer when, if a character dies in a mission, you don't lose them permanently, since I get too attached to them.

[suiraclaw]

Shining Force 2 was still heavily mission-based, even though there was some exploration -- same thing with Fallout Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics. By free-roaming I mean games that make no distinction between the normal play and the objects, i.e. games that don't have "levels" or "stages" in the normal sense, but instead just a plain world. As I mentioned, Spiderweb Software's Avernum/Exile/Geneforge is a good example of that. Another example are the Ultima games: it has turn-based top-down combat between large groups, but is more of an RPG than a tactical RPG, even though positioning is important in combat. Most tactical RPGs are mission-based though.

My favorite ones tend to be mission-based: Vanguard Bandits, the Vandal Hearts series, and the Front Mission series. Jagged Alliance 2 is also very good. Kartia too, since it has a really nice story and is a game of this type, even though its gameplay isn't very balanced. I tend to like the ones with expendable units less -- Fire Emblem, Warsong, etc. -- I always feel as if losing a character is a disaster and want to save and load to get them back, even though it's nearly impossible to get through those games without losing a character. I prefer when, if a character dies in a mission, you don't lose them permanently, since I get too attached to them.

That's pretty much why I stay with multiplayer games for now...

Either way, to be honest: the only multiplayer turn based game that features an open world I know is Dofus (and Wakfu). The MMORPG. I could add it to the list but:
- while it used to be classified as an indie game when it started (got reviewed in a lot of indie blogs, like gametunnel), it now belongs in the top 10 of the most revenu generating MMORPGs out there and perhaps is too "mainstream" for this list.
- you only control one character. While the PvP is mostly team vs team, you control only your person, not the team. Unless you play a summoner. So it doesn't fit in that criteria very well.

Of course, I'm not saying that games in this category don't exist, but I don't know any.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

Actually a lot of people who play Dofus "cheat" and control multiple characters, by running multiple instances of the game in different windows. It's more expensive to play that way, since you need to pay a subscription fee for each character, but it is technically possible to control an entire team yourself.

[gambrinous]

Thanks for making this list, saving this thread for later!

[Duckmeister]

You people forgot one of the best flash turn-based tactical combat games ever, Modern Tactics 3!

http://www.throwtheproject.com/projects/mt3/

The third in the series of Modern Tactics games, all involving unlockable cosmetic and gameplay upgrades, huge campaigns, level editors, two-player hotseat multiplayer, nitpicking detail, excellent AI, and great strategy elements.  I love this game!

Right now the creator at his website, www.throwtheproject.com , is now working on a variety of spinoffs of the serious to bring attention to the "Modern Tactics 4", or Modern Tactics Online.  Since not a lot of people were playing MT Online, he had to close the server in order to avoid losing any more money.  Right now the spinoffs he's working on are WW2 Tactics, Knight Tactics 3, and Zombie Tactics (by request, obviously).

Try it out, it is really great.

[suiraclaw]

Oh sorry, didn't check this page in a while.

Thanks. I might mention Dofus somewhere in the original post (bottom line of Dofus Arena perhaps), but give it less attention than the rest because it doesn't fit in the category very well.

I'll take a look at modern tactics 3.

By the way: does cortex command belong here? I hear the name a lot but I know next to nothing about it.

[PGGB]

By the way: does cortex command belong here? I hear the name a lot but I know next to nothing about it.

Nope, it's real-time.

[Pluvious]

I love these types of games.  Ogre Tactics, Disagae, are my favorites of the two you mentioned.  Not that big on Final Fantasy Tactics. 

Dofus looks great and I'm checking it out in more detail.  I've been looking for an online game like this but I'm very picky.

Poxnora is good but I like a relaxed game and most of the game is about movement and getting your units/runes out in time. 

I actually liked Land of Legends a lot and beta tested for that game.  But a little limited. 

Tactics Arena was not my thing either.  I want more customization with your team and choices.  Not just straight tactics.

[suiraclaw]

Dofus Arena is still beta, so if you don't like it you should certainly mention why on the forums. (if you did mean to say Dofus, you might want to check out Wakfu)