Fraser

"Most" is a wee bit of a stretch. Rob didn't talk about multiplayer because he's still playing through the campaign, but Bruno and I did. I'm pretty sure I even recommended that Rob play at least one MP match before he's done with it because it's the best part of the game. That said, I don't think we've had any particular attitude towards MP or SP on the show for years. SP campaigns are a big draw for a lot of people, and in many cases it's the only part of the game that they'll play, so we'd be remiss not to spend a big chunk of time talking about it.

We mention the similarities to Pikmin and Little King's Story when it comes to controlling your army of critters in the episode. I can honestly barely remember what Darwinia's like however, since it's been so many years since I played.

I answered this very question for RPS https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2017/04/28/total-war-warhammer-all-dlc-review/ That was published before Norsca was announced, but I would include that in the must buy category too. If you're on a budget or want to limit yourself instead of buying the lot, I reckon that the Wood Elves and the King and the Warlord DLC will keep you entertained. With that you get a mini-campaign, the Wood Elves faction, and new Greenskin and Dwarf leaders, starting locations and units.

Empire Earth 2 was fantastic, and I can't believe none of us mentioned it.

<3

Specifically campaigns where it's not just a series of battles and missions, but where there's a separate but connected strategy game wrapped around them - stuff with campaign maps and dynamic events opposed to a list of interconnected fights.

There's definitely a good chat about strategy storytelling waiting to be had. Maybe we'll do something like that in the near future!

War in the East and Unity of Command would probably suit you more, especially if you're looking for a game that a bit like those complex tabletop games you didn't have time to play. I'd recommend Unity because it's the more accessible of the two.

Quill18 has a couple of videos that explore division creation and then a battle - you might want to check them out! As we said on the episode, the best battles are team-based. Find a bud (or many buds), pick a role (air support, infantry, etc) and try to tackle an AI team on normal difficulty. The real challenge is learning how to handle all the different crises you're bound to encounter in a battle, but focusing on a particular role reduces the number of things that will need your attention.

I don't think the size of the developer has any bearing on how deserving a game is of discussion. I wanted to do a Monks & Mystics episode because it's what I've been playing and it's a fascinating expansion. That said, we have a monthly Patreon poll for this very reason - to find out what people want to hear us chat about!

Of course not, but it was especially horrific and trench warfare in WW2 was very different.

It's not the linearity on its own that's the problem. Linear is fine. No issues with that. The problem is the way it's inconsistently restrictive. One moment you're going over a wall, and the next you can't even step over what is basically a 1 foot tall rock. You get a jetpack, opening the game up, changing the format of the battles, and then it's ditched because it won't fit in a gargantuan cave you have to briefly pass through, even though you can clearly see that it does. Honestly, though, my biggest problem with it is that it's simply dreadfully dull. The combat is decent, but there's nothing beyond that. No surprises. No exploration. Dismal characters. And aside from the aforementioned jetpack bits, it's content to just plod along, doing the same crap over and over again. Anyway, I'm totally right. It's shite. But it's shite that a lot of people really enjoyed, and that's fine. I like a lot of garbage too. I gave Rome 2 a 7/10, after all.

Blood Bowl 2 was literally the first game mentioned. That has to count for something!

I feel very silly for not bringing that up when we were talking about things like Sunless Sea and AC4. M&B definitely has a lot of Pirates' DNA. Though M&B itself is getting on a bit too (it's only a few years younger than Pirates) and even Warband is over six years old. Thank goodness Bannerlord is on its way!

I don't think any of us planned to talk that much about documentation or tutorials, but when the point was raised, we all obviously realised we had a problem with it. Such is the nature of these chats! I definitely agree that it could be an interesting standalone topic though.