Game influences

[Rollory]

Apologies if this is something that has been discussed to death (I expect it has but I haven't seen the threads, so ...) but I was wondering: are there particular games that the Erfworld creators have played that influenced the Erfworld one? I'm thinking in particular of Age of Wonders; the more I read this comic, the more I find myself wanting to go back and replay some of the mega-epic scenarios that have been built for its various incarnations. It isn't cutesy, but other than that, there seems to be a very strong spiritual similarity between the two. (It might be just "they're both turn-based fantasy strategy games", admittedly)

[Tividar's Thorn]

I think there's a little bit of lots of things, D&D obviously. But mostly Pop Culture, I'm curious to see what people indicate may have influenced this comic.

[Scientivore]

Computer games that have been bandied about as possible influences include and are not limited to Age of Wonders, Heroes of Might & Magic, Civilization (if it were fantasy, especially II and later), Alpha Centauri (if it were fantasy), Warcraft (if it were turn-based), Starcraft (if it were fantasy and turn-based), Master of Magic, Warlords (especially I and II) and Fantasy General.

If you're looking for a good fantasy turn-based strategy game, Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic is a very low cost, high value proposition. It includes the previous content like a gold edition, and it's older now so (last I checked) it's available from online retailers for a pittance.

[Dragor]

The first thing I thought of was Pikmin, but that doesn't work.

The closest thing I can band it to is Heroes of Might and Magic

[Scientivore]

Oh yeah, I just remembered that I happened across a new game (not yet in public beta) the other day. It's called The Continuum and it's very different from the others: browser-based, collectible armies, pure battle, like an online version of miniatures wargaming. What made me think of it is just that the battles are turn-based and they've noticed the overlap between wargame geeks and comic geeks.

[Tividar's Thorn]

Myth II, Age of Wonders II.

[Nerd-o-rama]

Parson getting PLOT'd into the world is similar to the plot of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, although that tends to be smaller scale and takes itself much more seriously.

[Thugorp]

WOOHOOOO first post on gitp forums!!!!!!

ok now that thats over I would have to say that from what I can tell of the game mechanics that we have seen so fare (as well as the seeming logic erfworld) the game that erf gest fits would have to be Lords Of Magic(heres a wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lords_of_Magic though it doesnt really get into the actuall game mechanics or interface)
(a really cool game by the way). the reasons I say this besids the fact that from what I have seen of erf and urok (the place that Lords Of Magic is set) they play almost identicly, even the plots are similare, (that is the plot of Lords Of Magic becomes identical to Erfworld from the players point of view (if we can assume that Parson is the player) once you beet the game one time.). the reason for this is that once you have beaten the game once you get to play as the lord of the death religion, which meens that, although, you the a totaly cool overloard(who rides a giant bat (kinda like tool and his dwagon)) absolutaly EVERY other mager NPC and all of their followers in the game is against you. (also as should be obviouse most of your soldirs end up being either captured or undead of some sort... or necromancers) There are probably about a hundred other comminalitys between erf and urok so I will just stop at four really good ones.

1. the turns people end turn and wate for the turn to come back to them.
2. warlords, in Lords Of Magic its all about the warlords they are the kye to the game. They buff normal units, they can impart xp. too other units, and of corce depending on which units you place under there comand they will grant bonusses to there underlings.
3. Large amount of quosi-off-camiera activity durring aponents turns: In L.o.M. I would actually say that the majority of all of the important things that will happen in the corce of the game (even the stuff that has nothing to do with anyone but you) will happen while its not your turn.
4. Sence of hummer suffusing the world: If you actually bother to read all the stuff that NPCs will give you to read there is a huge amount of stuff (that is absolutaly an integral part of the urok univers) that is really funny to an outside observer.

(wow that is alot more longer than I thought it would be, but I have been wanting to say that since Erfworld started) again sorry for the length of this poast, I hope it proves intresting at the very least.