Non-RPG General News - The 4X and 4X-Like Games of 2021

Henriquejr spotted a list of upcoming 4X-games at Explorminate:

The 4X and 4X-Like Games of 2021

As the end of the year draws in, it is tradition for the staff here at eXplorminate to pick a list of our most anticipated 4X titles due for release over the following twelve months. We're only aware of four pure 4X games incoming in 2021, so this time around our list will be a little different.

Instead, let's look at the four confirmed 4X games, a couple of confirmed 4X-adjacent games and a 4X game we'll go out on a limb and say might be out in some form or another in 2021.

Without further ado…

[…]

• Humankind
• Distant Worlds 2
• Old World
• Remnants of the Precursors
• Alliance of the Sacred Suns
• Terra Invicta
• Star Dynasties
• Slipways
• Galactic Civilization IV (speculation)

More information.

The ones I'll be looking for (in no specific order of preference):

• Old World;
• Remnants of the Precursors;
• Alliance of the Sacred Suns;
• Terra Invicta, from Pavonis Interactives (the developers of the Long War mods for XCOM1/XCOM2). Those XCOM mods are quite popular, and I'm eager to see what they'll do in the 4X genre ;
• Star Dynasties

Notes:

a) Remnants of the Precursors is a Master of Orion 1 remake, written in Java, and it's FREE, so you can play it right away if you will (download it here, just remember it's still on beta);

b) Hey @Couchpotato, you once created a thread where you ask for "4X Crusader Kings 2 Inspired Games In Space". Well, Old World is not a Space game but it is still 4X meets Crusader Kings 2, perhaps you should take a closer look on it;

c) The article speculates that Galactic Civilizations IV may be released this year (they show some kind of proof that says the game is being developed, which I didn't know). If that's true and the game really gets to be released this year, this would be as bombastic (when it comes to 4X games) as a news about the launch of the new TES game when it comes to RPGs.

I've been following all these games for years already. As this is my favorite genre of games besides RPGs that I love to play. Would love more classical RTS games though.

By that I mean the Command and Conquer or Supreme Commander type.

Here are two I'm really interested in.

Link - https://www.rpgwatch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45727

Humankind really looks interesting. Does anyone know if it stops at a certain era or if it a game can be configured to end at a certain era?

Originally Posted by Morrandir
Humankind really looks interesting. Does anyone know if it stops at a certain era or if it a game can be configured to end at a certain era?

You start out in the Ancient age and progress to the Modern age as you play.

Combine up to 60 historical cultures as you lead your people from the Ancient to the Modern Age. From humble origins as a Neolithic tribe, transition to the Ancient Era as the Babylonians, become the Classical era Mayans, the Medieval Umayyads, the Early Modern era British, and so on. Each culture will add its own special gameplay layer, leading to near-endless outcomes.

Almost the same as the civilization games it seems.

Link - https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1124300

That's a nice article and 2021 looks like a great year for 4X games. Wish there was a great fantasy one on the list but maybe with mods. I would list my favorite genres as:

1a-RPG's
1b-4X

Originally Posted by Couchpotato
You start out in the Ancient age and progress to the Modern age as you play.
Almost the same as the civilization games it seems.

Ah, darn. Civ loses charm for me at about rennaissance age. And unfortunatly there isn't a game mode to end at a certain era. There are mods but they can't maintain balance.

Perhaps Old World it is then.

Terra Invicta is interesting as well developed by some X-Com 2 modders.

Link - https://www.kickstarter.com/projects…/terra-invicta
Link -https://store.steampowered.com/app/1…Terra_Invicta/

Yes, Old World it is! From IGN:

While Civilization covers the entire scope of human history, Old World is, as the name might suggest, fully focused on the ancient era – roughly modeling the Mediterranean region in the period from the rise of early Iron Age civilizations until the height of European antiquity.

That's exactly my cup of tea. Also you have to manage leader succesion and stuff. Nice!

Originally Posted by Morrandir
Yes, Old World it is! From IGN:That's exactly my cup of tea. Also you have to manage leader succesion and stuff. Nice!

I hope that game is worth the long wait.

It's developed by Soren Johnson, the lead designer of Civilization 4, and a few mods. I remember he was sick at one point in development. It caused a huge delay.

Anyway yeah I'm not a huge fan of the civilization series after the fourth game myself.

Oh, I see. So when you say he was sick, he has recovered now?

Originally Posted by Morrandir
Oh, I see. So when you say he was sick, he has recovered now?

I believe the update is still on the kickstarter page. He never went into detail but it halted development for months. As the game should have been released already.

All is fine now though.

I'm wondering if I should wait around for Firaxis to make a Short War mod for Terra Invicta before buying?

I didn't include Humankind in my personal list above and I tell you why:

I played the first two Humankind Opendev Scenarios for free on Steam, and I just couldn't understand how combat works. I *think* there is a deploy phase and a combat phase but I simply couldn't position my combat unit where I'd like to and the whole "combat lesson" was, to me, hard to learn. The game didn't clear this out for me. I even made this clear on Humankind forums. As a result, I didn't even care to play the third Opendev Scenario they released on Steam as well as the most recent Lucy Opendev.

Thing is, I feel my bad personal experience with the Opendev Scenarios ruined the game for me. Beyond repair. I don't even care to follow its news anymore. It's with a mix of sadness and dissatisfaction that I say that I probably won't be playing Humankind when it gets released.

As I've said in my post on the Humankind forum, "have fun you who liked the game. I swear I tried to."

I'd definitely like to check out Distant World's sequel, if this one will have a readable damn font size.

4x is my favourite genre alongside RPGs… but personally, I'm getting tired of sci-fi 4x games. There have been so many over the last 6 or 8 years or so. Really wish we'd see some good fantasy-based ones (for me, only Endless Legend and Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes fit that bill).

Anyway, minor rant aside, I've been playing Humankind and Old World. Humankind is ok. Maybe I expected more but it plays like Endless Legend does Civilization. I guess that's what they were aiming for but I hoped they'd try and be more innovative. I think it'll be a solid game - just nothing spectacular. Maybe some DLCs will flesh things out or add some new, interesting things - but overall I'm left feeling a bit "meh" on it.

Old World is more interesting imo. There are some more innovative things in it (like the Orders system and of course the personalities and relationships). I haven't played it much recently but my biggest concern is polish. It was really pretty rough around the edges but hopefully that's getting ironed out. Of the two games, this is the one that has held my attention more.

Okay, I'm stupid : What does "4X" mean ?

Seriously do you live under a rock? Never played Master of Orion?

Alright here we go it simply means Explore, Expand, Exploit, & Exterminate.

Link - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4X

Don't lie to the poor guy, Couch. It means XXX, but even sexier.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Okay, I'm stupid : What does "4X" mean ?

I'll translate to Dinosaur: WhrarrgrrRROOAR… games like Warlords.. GRRRROOOAR.