{"id":2662,"date":"2021-01-28T23:58:18","date_gmt":"2021-01-28T23:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/?p=1336109"},"modified":"2021-01-28T23:58:18","modified_gmt":"2021-01-28T23:58:18","slug":"how-to-get-over-the-intimidation-factor-and-start-loving-hardcore-strategy-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=2662","title":{"rendered":"How to get over the intimidation factor and start loving hardcore strategy games"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/tnw?filter_last=1&amp;fit=1280%2C640&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn0.tnwcdn.com%2Fwp-content%2Fblogs.dir%2F1%2Ffiles%2F2021%2F01%2Fck3map.jpg&amp;signature=31a09e1284af165d85596ef3f14e347f\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\"><\/div>\n<p>The strategy and wargaming genres contain some of the best reviewed and most beloved games of all time, but many of the most revered of these titles are fiendishly difficult to get into.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve been putting off trying new games such as <i>Crusader Kings III<\/i> and <i>Panzer Corps 2<\/i> because of their sheer scope or you\u2019ve tried to get into older games such as <i>Europa Universalis<\/i> and <i>Distant Worlds<\/i> but the learning curve was too steep, this guide\u2019s for you.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XOg4Md7zmiE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span>When we say \u201chardcore\u201d strategy and wargaming titles we don\u2019t mean to <\/span><i>only<\/i><span> include games that pass the <\/span><i>Gary Grigsby<\/i><span> litmus test for complexity. We\u2019re also talking about the gateway games that\u2019ll take you from being too intimidated to try&nbsp;<\/span><i>Sid Meier\u2019s Alpha Centauri<\/i><span> to practically begging your friends and family to jump into a multiplayer game of <\/span><i>Hearts of Iron IV<\/i><span> with you. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span>It\u2019s all about attitude<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Let\u2019s use <\/span><i>Crusader Kings III<\/i><span>, a newly released Paradox Interactive title, as an example. On the other side of this dynasty simulator\u2019s learning curve you\u2019ll find a game that lets you do almost anything you want. The sheer amount of power you can exhibit over the thousands of non-player characters in <\/span><i>CKIII<\/i><span> is incredible \u2013 especially when you consider that you only actually control one character at a time. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Up front, however, it was my experience that it actually feels like <\/span><i><span>there\u2019s nothing to do<\/span><\/i><span> in <\/span><i><span>CKIII<\/span><\/i><span> until you figure out what\u2019s going on. This applies to a lot of complex strategy and war titles, at least for me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xjn66Cl3pMA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span>In <\/span><i><span>CKIII <\/span><\/i><span>this boils down to slowly learning about feudal politics and medieval tax economy. To the untrained observer, a person playing <\/span><i><span>CKIII<\/span><\/i><span> looks like they\u2019re <\/span><i><span>playing <\/span><\/i><span>a game of Photoshop. <\/span><i><span>Oh looky there, they clicked on a picture and then right clicked on a drop down menu and made a selection. Now they\u2019ve waited a few minutes for the decision to render. And\u2026 oh wow. A small portion of the map has changed color. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span>That might not seem very exciting, but the seasoned <\/span><i><span>CKIII<\/span><\/i><span> veteran is probably experiencing a story full of betrayal, cannibalism, incest, murder, and romance. And, unlike roleplaying games, this isn\u2019t all in the strategy gamer\u2019s head. It\u2019s actually in the game, you just have to <\/span><i><span>let it happen.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span>The moment you realize that <\/span><i><span>CKIII<\/span><\/i><span> is a soap opera about creating the most interesting character-driven historical period piece possible, and not a game of basic conquest like chess, that\u2019s when you\u2019re actually playing the game. I stopped caring about flags and coloring the map the moment I shifted my perspective and realized <\/span><i><span>CKIII<\/span><\/i><span> is all about relationships. <\/span><i><span>Who gives a crap if I lose every battle, my territory dwindles to nothing, and I\u2019m murdered by my closest confidants? As long as I\u2019ve got a living heir my dynasty\u2019s story will be told. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span>On the flipside, if I play <\/span><i><span>Europa Universalis 4, <\/span><\/i><span>a game that looks and plays very similar to <\/span><i><span>CKIII<\/span><\/i><span>, the death of my country\u2019s ruler is a minor inconvenience at worst, barely worth noticing at best. I care about the flag in <\/span><i><span>EU4<\/span><\/i><span>, not the King\/Queen who\u2019s temporarily ruling behind it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>Once you adjust your level of focus to the proper, most understandable point of view, the fun can start. But if you\u2019re always treating it like a game of chess, you\u2019ll often miss out on some of the best experiences to be had in the genre. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span>Keep it simple, pick a system<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Most strategy and war games are complex because, unlike games that require quick fingers, they require a slower kind of deep focus. These games have hundreds or thousands of systems happening at once and the point is usually to find the best balance between them while advancing your own goals. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>In complex strategy games the sheer number of systems (economy, trust, ballistics, supply, units, etc.) can be overwhelming even to the most experienced hardcore gamers. The smartest way forward is just to worry about one or two things and be willing to fail because of a lack of attention to other things.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zL0kemiI0yc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span>If you\u2019re trying to get into <\/span><i>Stellaris<\/i><span>, for example, but it feels like there\u2019s too much going on at once and you get overwhelmed, just remember that you don\u2019t have to \u201cwin\u201d to have fun. Pick a race, start a game, and focus in on just your science ships and the event popups that show up in the middle of your screen. Ignore everything else until you\u2019re ready. You might crash and burn or get totally wiped out by another species, but that just means you can start over with a little more knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span>Time-management games require time investment<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>Most of the games you might find yourself daunted by are actually easier than you think. Complex real-time strategy games such as <\/span><i><span>Total War<\/span><\/i><span> and <\/span><i><span>StarCraft<\/span><\/i><span>, or even <\/span><i><span>Europa Universalis<\/span><\/i><span> and <\/span><i><span>Hearts of Iron<\/span><\/i><span>, are much easier to learn once you get into the habit of pausing the game while you take in new information and develop your strategies. Your job isn\u2019t (usually) to keep up with the game, but to make your decisions and then unpause or wait long enough to see them executed. The meat of these games usually occurs when the action is stopped.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>And turn-based games such as Endless Space 2 or Civilization VI are even easier to deal with. Click on literally everything on your entire screen and spend as much time as you need to following rabbit holes and figuring out how to best use the in-game help, encyclopedia, or glossary system. Treat every confusing playthrough or game start as an opportunity to figure out one or two aspects of the game and either restart or learn from a bad ending as much as you need to. The key to learning any strategy game is failing until you succeed.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>These games also tend to require more than just an in-game tutorial to figure out and appreciate. Just like I\u2019d suggest you watch a professional gaming group play Dungeons and Dragons on YouTube before you run off and invest a bunch of money into your first table-top RPG, I recommend you check out a \u201clet\u2019s play\u201d video for whatever strategy game you\u2019re considering getting into before you spend your money.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/R7zTgwXKiZg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span>The reality of playing a game like <\/span><i><span>Combat Mission<\/span><\/i><span>, for example, is entirely different than the impression a non-wargamer might get from a trailer, marketing blurb, or a glance at the graphics. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>My typical set up for playing a grand strategy or war game for the first time involves my big screen for the game (and about 20 minutes of playing with the graphics and UI to get things properly visible), my tablet for YouTube tutorials, and my phone so I can look up the answers to common questions such as \u201chow do I combine my fleets?\u201d and \u201cwhy does Australia keep declaring a surprise war on me?\u201d as they come up. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>I think the biggest impediment to \u201cgetting into\u201d strategy games, however, is that it\u2019s impossible to tell if you\u2019ll like most of these games until after you\u2019ve purchased them and invested hours of your time. It\u2019s not really plausible to do a demo version of many of these games because they don\u2019t usually work as bite-sized samples.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OsMa9EC3nf8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span>And nobody wants to spend 10 hours balancing a specific set of imaginary taxes just to realize that they don\u2019t enjoy balancing those particular imaginary taxes. Not to mention when there\u2019s 20-30 popular WWII command simulators in the genre with rabid fanbases, it can be as daunting to dive into one of these games as it can be to start a slow, epic novel like War and Peace. But the payoff is just as good, if it ends up being your thing. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>That\u2019s why I have\u2026 <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span>The one hour rule<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span>No matter how complex a game is, usually all I need is one hour of uninterrupted play time <\/span><i>after<\/i><span> I\u2019ve installed the game, set it up, and finished any and <\/span><i>all<\/i><span> tutorials that are baked into it. If, after 60 minutes, I\u2019m still not having fun because I can\u2019t get past the learning curve or things just don\u2019t make sense, I\u2019ll find and watch a \u201cLet\u2019s Play\u201d video from an enthusiast. Often I\u2019m just missing the point or maybe I haven\u2019t gotten to the meat of the experience yet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hc2XlW9BzqY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen>[embedded content]<\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span>Finally, if I really want to get into a game but it\u2019s just not clicking for me and I\u2019ve tried everything else, I\u2019ll try to get into a multiplayer match with someone who\u2019s either learning the game like I am (so we can fumble about together, thus splitting the intellectual burden) or a seasoned pro who can guide me towards the good stuff. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>The strategy genre has some of the most loyal, dedicated fans for a reason. Instead of jacking in for a quick dopamine fix, strategy gamers sink in for a deep, slow burn that demands your attention and focus in a way nothing else can. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>It may take a long time to wrap your head around all the complex systems at play in some of these titles but once you do there\u2019s nothing else out there that can scratch the strategy gaming itch. Once you\u2019ve played Go it\u2019s impossible to go back to tic tac toe.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/basics\/2021\/01\/28\/how-to-get-over-the-intimidation-factor-and-start-loving-hardcore-strategy-games\/\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The strategy and wargaming genres contain some of the best reviewed and most beloved games of all time, but many of the most revered of these titles are fiendishly difficult to get&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2663,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2662"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2662"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2662\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2663"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}