gerry wrote on 2026-01-29, 17:54:

For me there are various non command and conquer RTS games that i was once fairly interested in that i now just don't

For me, RTS games in general don't have as much appeal nowadays as they did in my youth.

As an example, I could spend hours playing WarCraft 1 back in the day. Now, I take one look at that clunky UI and it's an instant no go. I did replay StarCraft a while back, and for the most part, I liked it. But it didn't feel super engaging, just kinda alright I guess.

Duke Nukem 3D

Back in the 90s, this was my favorite FPS game and probably my favorite game period. Not just for single player, but I spent a lot of time building custom maps for it and playing a lot of deathmatch.

Now, I find it very dated. I don't think a lot of it has aged very well. The R-rated content and trash talking protagonist was novel at the time, but now... it feels "meh". I have little desire to do a replay of the game.

In contrast, I think Blood has held up as the best of the build-engine era games. If nothing else it has the most interesting aesthetic and doesn't feel as dated.

For me it's Castles II: Siege & Conquest.

It was supposed to be a game with great AI. I was going back to it once in a while but never played it for more than few games in one run. Few years ago I spent more time with it and noticed that it's just cheating heavily against human player and I lost respect to it.

How about a more modern example. Magic the Gathering, digital or live is a complete mess right now. Power creep, cheap removal, obvious bomb cards, and many other factors have turned strategy into luck of the draw even in the best circumstances. It's not like it can't be walked back but it's going to take some drastic changes.

Also all the God awful expansions and tie ins... geez.

I used to love RTS games 20 years ago, but they make me feel stressed now. I need the pause at the end of a turn to think things through. I want to be fully optimized.

And I'm just too old and crusty for on-line shooters. Used to have a CS source server, a lot of friends playing on it, and an admin console to kick misbehaving randos. Now, I don't have the same number of friends playing shooters and I don't have the admin console to clear out the cheaters, griefers, scammers, spammer and tea baggers. I still get the gang together for the occasional coop shooter like borderlands.

Probably a large gamut of apogee, id and epic games for several reasons.

My taste hasn't really changed, but my brain got slow, so RTS games feel like a chore today.

Worms - Had to play it every day for a year because it was the only game I could afford. To this day, hearing the intro music makes me throw up in my mouth.
Half-Life - Was revolutionary back then, not so great today. Slow, empty levels, boring enemies, unsatisfying gunplay.
Need for Speed 1, 2 and 3 - Returning to them now, I realized these were style over substance. I was shocked how simplistic and boring the driving felt.
GTA - Tank controls, camera zooming in and out while driving. Couldn't stomach it for more than two minutes. Still love the GTA London expansion though.

Shagittarius wrote on 2026-01-29, 19:33:

How about a more modern example. Magic the Gathering, digital or live is a complete mess right now. Power creep, cheap removal, obvious bomb cards, and many other factors have turned strategy into luck of the draw even in the best circumstances. It's not like it can't be walked back but it's going to take some drastic changes.

Also all the God awful expansions and tie ins... geez.

Me too with MTG. I was hooked on MTG: Arena a few years back. Then the meta shifted to something I didn't enjoy. Around that time they also started pay-gating the more fun modes (e.g. Brawl).

There was some other annoying stuff they did prior, but that was the end of it for me. Uninstalled it and never went back.

This is something I've been thinking about more and more lately as I've revisited games I've had fond memories of, only to realize I should have kept those fond memories as memories for a reason or another.

The biggest change has been how I view the entire RPG genre, it used to be easily my favorite genre of them all but somewhere along the way typical RPG tropes have started to really bug me. Things like taking far too much time to complete, having to spend tons of time familiarizing yourself with the game mechanics and character classes, party micromanagement, slow and mechanics-heavy combat, having to talk more or less with everyone you come across, checking every stupid barrel and box on the side of the road because for some reason people keep their gold and valuables in them and how some enemies in some RPG's drop things they have no logical reason to carry whatsoever.

Lemmings. When it first came out it was the thing even non-gamers were aware of but tbh after the novelty wore off I don't think it's actually any good as a game.

Also Dungeon Keeper, Rampage, Speedball, Portal, Skyrim, Sonic the Hedgehog, Assassin's Creed, Elite Dangerous.

They must have something to them because they were all very popular but I just did not really find lasting enjoyment in these despite giving some of them several tries.

Sombrero wrote on 2026-01-29, 20:46:

The biggest change has been how I view the entire RPG genre, it used to be easily my favorite genre of them all but somewhere along the way typical RPG tropes have started to really bug me. Things like taking far too much time to complete, having to spend tons of time familiarizing yourself with the game mechanics and character classes, party micromanagement, slow and mechanics-heavy combat, having to talk more or less with everyone you come across, checking every stupid barrel and box on the side of the road because for some reason people keep their gold and valuables in them and how some enemies in some RPG's drop things they have no logical reason to carry whatsoever.

I have a similar take on RPGs. I was a big of RPG video games growing up (especially JRPGs). But I've since shifted my view and now regard RPGs as probably have some of the worst game mechanics in any video game genre.

Part of the issue is that mechanics designed for tabletop play don't translate well to a video game. This is especially anything involving dice rolls. For table top gaming, dice rolls are needed to add an element of uncertainty to game outcomes. But translating those to video games feels like it makes the games too RNG dependent instead of focusing on player agency and skill.

Then there is the fact a lot of RPGs add overly complicated game systems likely to compensate for core mechanics that are uninteresting and poorly implemented.

Sombrero wrote on 2026-01-29, 20:46:

checking every stupid barrel and box on the side of the road because for some reason people keep their gold and valuables in them and how some enemies in some RPG's drop things they have no logical reason to carry whatsoever.

Heh, poorly implemented random loot is a mood killer to be sure. Neverwinter Nights was especially guilty of this.

Random barrel in the slums, where the poor are begging for scraps? You find 150 gold pieces inside, and a saphire in the next one. That goblin who was poking you with a tiny dagger? Yeah, he just dropped a greatsword that's four times his height. I just can't help but laugh as the absurdity of that stuff.

gerry wrote on 2026-01-29, 17:54:

Age of Empires, Warcraft 2, TA, Z, Dune 2000, KKND, Warzone, dark reign and even starcraft - all good in their way, but none better than various C&C imo, so now a bit 'meh'. seems a shame, maybe i should try them again see if they catch my attention again

I used to love C&C back in the day but have not played it in ages (and I have them all).

For me I am stuck playing Age of Empires II : The Conquerors 4v4 on voobly.come every weekend.

I kind of quit playing RTS after they all went 3D, just doesn't look good to me. I don't even like AOE Definitive Edition.

Once every couple years I load up DUNE 2 in DOS and play it (even have the boxed floppy edition). Sure, it's very retro in controls compared to AOE but I just like the game.

Shponglefan wrote on 2026-01-29, 21:26:

Part of the issue is that mechanics designed for tabletop play don't translate well to a video game. This is especially anything involving dice rolls. For table top gaming, dice rolls are needed to add an element of uncertainty to game outcomes. But translating those to video games feels like it makes the games too RNG dependent instead of focusing on player agency and skill.

Yep, agree with you there. I don't think I ever particularly enjoyed anything dice roll related even at my heyday, but when I tried Pathfinder: Kingmaker some years ago I realized table top rules and mechanics just aren't my cup of tea. That game fully embraces its pen and paper roots and it made me feel like I was drowning in rulebooks and dices. Hats off to people who enjoy that stuff but I've had to bow out.

Joseph_Joestar wrote on 2026-01-29, 21:38:

Heh, poorly implemented random loot is a mood killer to be sure. Neverwinter Nights was especially guilty of this.

Guess what game made me think of that!

Modern first person action games. Especially shooters. Slower paced role playing I can handle.

It seems like they are all primarily multiplayer first, with single player tacked on as an afterthought. Also you now need to have the reflexes of a 10 year old at the peak of a sugar rush.

I loved FPS games during the early 90's... but they've morphed into a different, faster, twitchy genre to what they were originally. I don't have the reflexes to play them any more.

Shponglefan wrote on 2026-01-29, 18:12:

Duke Nukem 3D

Back in the 90s, this was my favorite FPS game and probably my favorite game period. Not just for single player, but I spent a lot of time building custom maps for it and playing a lot of deathmatch.

Now, I find it very dated. I don't think a lot of it has aged very well. The R-rated content and trash talking protagonist was novel at the time, but now... it feels "meh". I have little desire to do a replay of the game.

I had the same experience with Shadow Warrior. The whole thing just felt tiring.

After some years of retro gaming, I noticed there are only a few 'evergreens' for me like C&C Red Alert and RTCW, the rest I replayed once out of nostalgia but have no interest in going back to again.

Blavius wrote on Yesterday, 07:07:

Shponglefan wrote on 2026-01-29, 18:12:

Duke Nukem 3D

Back in the 90s, this was my favorite FPS game and probably my favorite game period. Not just for single player, but I spent a lot of time building custom maps for it and playing a lot of deathmatch.

Now, I find it very dated. I don't think a lot of it has aged very well. The R-rated content and trash talking protagonist was novel at the time, but now... it feels "meh". I have little desire to do a replay of the game.

I had the same experience with Shadow Warrior. The whole thing just felt tiring.

After some years of retro gaming, I noticed there are only a few 'evergreens' for me like C&C Red Alert and RTCW, the rest I replayed once out of nostalgia but have no interest in going back to again.

Anyone who wants a sniff of Shadow Warrior again should just play the 4 level shareware version. It has all the interesting game mechanics (radio controlled cars, rabbits!), just enough levels to keep you satisfied and it doesn’t include the ridiculous weapons like a beating heart 😉.

Duke Nukem 3D and Dark Forces kind of fall in the same category. Duke3D shareware has just enough levels to avoid repetition and Dark Forces shareware has one level that is really great (search for the secrets in this level, too) whereas the second and third level of the full version are crap. I never played the later levels.

Loved C&C and still like the remake 😀.

Battle Chess. I used to enjoy watching the animations as one piece takes another. Now I find it tedious.

I pretty much don't play games at all since 2012... so can't say much about it. But I did try Lost Vikings a few years ago and I just couldn't play it. I used to play it a lot back then even tho I think I didn't finish it 🙁

I should probably try to replay all my favorite 90s era games. It wouldn't be that many as I always had a pretty slow computer and new games wouldn't run 🤣