# PC Game Genres overdure for a resurgence **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [April 5, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009 "2010-04-05T13:01:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/1 "2010-04-05T13:01:26Z")
In another thread, someone made the excellent observation that there haven’t been any good spaceship games lately (that didn’t involve trading or arcade style gameplay), and that got me thinking: there’s got to be a few PC game genres that are really overdue for a resurgence. My personal vote is for WWI Air Combat flight sims. Proper ones, accurately modelling physics, aerodynamics, damage, etc and so on. The last one I can think of was Red Baron II, which was released in _1997_ and updated by fans in 2004. There were quite a few WWI games in the early days of 3D PC gaming- _Knights of The Sky_ and the _Red Baron_ games were two of the better-known ones, and there was also a _Wing Commander_ style one called _Wings of Glory_ too, IIRC. Anyway, it’s always struck me as a genre that’s crying out to be done properly with modern computing capabilities, but so far it hasn’t happened yet. What other PC Gaming genres do you think are long overdue for a resurgence? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/2 "2010-04-05T13:07:19Z")
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - I’d kill to relive the days of playing Wing Commander as a teenager. That said, Oregon Trail 2010, anyone? ---
**Author:** ![yendis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ed8c4c/32.png) [@yendis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yendis)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2010, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/3 "2010-04-05T14:19:03Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > My personal vote is for WWI Air Combat flight sims. Proper ones, accurately modelling physics, aerodynamics, damage, etc and so on. The last one I can think of was Red Baron II, which was released in _1997_ and updated by fans in 2004. > > Anyway, it’s always struck me as a genre that’s crying out to be done properly with modern computing capabilities, but so far it hasn’t happened yet. > > What other PC Gaming genres do you think are long overdue for a resurgence? [Rise of Flight](http://riseofflight.com/en) is a new WW1 flight sim with a fantastic flight and damage model. Over stress the wings in a turn and you can see them crumple and then tear off. A nearby flak burst can shred the fabric from your plane and see you lose lift and spin into the ground. The flying also feels real with the difference between some planes being huge. Take a Sopwith Camel up after flying some of the more forgiving planes and you will crash. The only issue with Rise of Flight is that it is still a work in progress, with new features and planes being added as they are completed. They also charge extra to unlock planes beyond the four included in the base game. So the game can be very expensive if you want to have acces to all the aircraft. ---
**Author:** ![PopeJewish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@PopeJewish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PopeJewish)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/4 "2010-04-06T23:31:25Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - I’d kill to relive the days of playing Wing Commander as a teenager. That said, Oregon Trail 2010, anyone? I agree with needing a new Wing Commander/Freespace/X/Freelancer-ish type game. I love the whole space combat/sim genre, and we haven’t had any real new games in that genre for ages (other than EVE Online which isn’t really my thing. I hate MMOs) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/5 "2010-04-06T23:48:14Z")
The games I loved the most back in the day were “The Bard’s Tale” and “Wasteland.” I’d like to see that style of RPG come back without being a FPS-with-XP-and-HP á la “Fallout 3.” Not sure how that could be effectively updated, but I miss that style of simple turn-based RPG. I suppose “Final Fantasy VII” was vaguely similar, however there was still a lot of running around and linear gameplay. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/6 "2010-04-06T23:48:43Z")
Yeah, I’m surprised by the lack of space combat sims too… Even a remake of _TIE Fighter_ or _X-Wing_ would be better than the “Nothing” currently available. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2010, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/7 "2010-04-06T23:58:38Z")
My second-favorites were those **Sierra** _-Quest_ series games. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/8 "2010-04-07T00:19:54Z")
I’ve been cleaning my apartment and I found my old _Lost Treasures of Infocom_ box; now if only I had a floppy drive to install it from. Text adventures aren’t coming back, are they? ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/9 "2010-04-07T00:36:40Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’ve been cleaning my apartment and I found my old _Lost Treasures of Infocom_ box; now if only I had a floppy drive to install it from. > > Text adventures aren’t coming back, are they? Probably not, I’m afraid. I believe the last game that could be considered a “Text Adventure” was _Starship Titanic_ (1998), and even that had pretty graphics but a text interface, IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/10 "2010-04-07T00:46:29Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Text adventures aren’t coming back, are they? There’s a thriving indie text adventure scene. Check out [SPAG](http://www.sparkynet.com/spag/). ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/11 "2010-04-07T14:50:18Z")
Turn based strategy games. I am so sick of real time wargames that really only test your mouse clicking ability. While the Total Wat series is visually impressive it’s about as tactically deep as Candyland. Give me Panzer General with better graphics that’s easily modable and has a fantastic scenario editor. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/12 "2010-04-07T15:23:42Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - I’d kill to relive the days of playing Wing Commander as a teenager. That said, Oregon Trail 2010, anyone? Me too. For those that liked Elite, there is a great remake out there: [http://www.oolite.org/](http://www.oolite.org/) Oregon Trail 2010 would be great. I’d suggest using a Fallout 3/Oblivion type engine, and you have to get your wagon(s) down the trails, forage for food, defend from hostiles, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/13 "2010-04-07T15:36:15Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > Me too. For those that liked Elite, there is a great remake out there: [http://www.oolite.org/](http://www.oolite.org/) > > Oregon Trail 2010 would be great. I’d suggest using a Fallout 3/Oblivion type engine, and you have to get your wagon(s) down the trails, forage for food, defend from hostiles, etc. While also searching for your father, uncovering his mysterious past, and planting a nuke in a small village for kicks? ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/14 "2010-04-07T16:34:35Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Turn based strategy games. I am so sick of real time wargames that really only test your mouse clicking ability. While the Total Wat series is visually impressive it’s about as tactically deep as Candyland. Give me Panzer General with better graphics that’s easily modable and has a fantastic scenario editor. I used to love the heck out of Heroes of Might and Magic II a few years back and I wouldn’t mind seeing something like that come back either. It also looks like sports games on the PC are dying. EA Sports doesn’t seem very interested in putting their games there any more. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/15 "2010-04-07T16:51:25Z")
Gimme an _X-Wing_ remake. None of that “old republic” or “prequel trilogy” crap : X-wings. TIE fighters. In space. They fight crime. Well, mostly they fight. In gorgeous, modern 3D, but with the exact same gameplay as before. [QUOTE=Sitnam] Turn based strategy games. I am so sick of real time wargames that really only test your mouse clicking ability. While the Total Wat series is visually impressive it’s about as tactically deep as Candyland. Give me Panzer General with better graphics that’s easily modable and has a fantastic scenario editor. [/QUOTE] Yes. Better yet : fuck WW2. I want _People’s General_ with better graphics. Or just _People’s General_ that happens to run on XP… Finally, bring on the _Planescape_. I’m sick to death of the formulaic Bioware RPG, with the karma meters, the dur dur Angel/Puppy-eating Daemon options and all the saving the Kingdom/world/Universe crap. I just want to get by and do my own thing amidst the surrounding chaos. And bring some totally whacked out, alien, off-the-beaten-path universe to life while you’re at it. Try _Deadlands_. Or _Earthdawn_. Or _Legends of the Five Rings_. Hell, even a decent cyberpunk, _Shadowrun_-style RPG would be nice. Keep the morality grey-on-grey and the action movie clichés to a minimum, that’s all I ask. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/16 "2010-04-07T16:55:49Z")
> [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](#): > > I used to love the heck out of Heroes of Might and Magic II a few years back and I wouldn’t mind seeing something like that come back either. You do know they’re up to HoMM 5 now ? (although most fans and I agree that #4 was crap, and #3 was better than #5 in every respect except graphics) Last I checked, they were making a kind of HoMM-MMORPG : a persistent online, turn-by-turn game spanning an entire continent, in direct continuation to HoMM V’s storyline. Then again, it’s been a while since I last played HoMM. So many games, so little time… ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/17 "2010-04-07T19:18:29Z")
The MMO HOMM is a Chinese effort IIRC. I still play V (doing so right now, waiting for the AI’s turns to cycle). ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/18 "2010-04-07T19:30:00Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Gimme an _X-Wing_ remake. None of that “old republic” or “prequel trilogy” crap : X-wings. TIE fighters. In space. They fight crime. Well, mostly they fight. > In gorgeous, modern 3D, but with the exact same gameplay as before. > … Well, maybe they can fix some stuff, too, like _not_ being able to take down a Star Destroyer with a single Y-Wing. But otherwise, yes yes yes. Even with a plot, I don’t need to do anything but be a space fighter pilot, thanks. See the original TIE Fighter game for how to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Airk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Airk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airk)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/19 "2010-04-07T20:09:15Z")
X-wing would need more than a graphical overhaul, IMHO. I felt the overall gameplay was completely inferior to Freespace (Though it did have the advantage of having fewer controls, but then, you didn’t -have- to use any more controls in Freespace in than X-wing had, but you had the option to if you wanted.) with the lack of any sort of ‘afterburner’ speed boost, the goofy energy management system (The most effective way to charge your shields was to send your charge to your weapons and then manually ‘shunt’ energy to your shields, rather than just…sending energy to the shields.) the ridiculous TIE fighters with shields and tractor beams (That were best used by turning them off to send the sudden excess of energy to your other systems) and so on. Not saying it can’t be good, but I am saying that the best thing it had going for it when it came out was being Star Wars and not terrible, so it should get more than a graphical update. (Don’t believe me? Grab DOSBOX and go back and play it.) With regard to Turn Based Strategy, if you’re hankering for Heroes of Might and Magic, why not try out the new King’s Bounty, which is sortof a remake/inspired by version of the OLD King’s Bounty, which is basically what the original HOMM games ripped off. You move around the map in ‘real’ time (pauses and stuff are fine) but battles are on a turn based hex map. ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2010, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009/20 "2010-04-08T04:40:06Z")
A god game like populous or dungeon keeper [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-game-genres-overdure-for-a-resurgence/535009.md?page=2)