What games got you into tactical gaming?

[mrcash2009 0]

It was a games review late night station where I saw Ghost Recon being demonstrated and didn't get a high review, but something about it really got me interested with the look of it. So I bought it a week later back in late 2001, that was it for me. Then came Raven Shield, then Swat ... then nothing until I saw Arma1 (OP Flashpoint seemed to be completely missed for me at the time unsure as to why). Now Arma2/OA and then A3.

Before Ghost Recon I hadn't played any games since my Amiga back in 1992 and before, nothing interested me graphically all the way through the 90's one bit.

[rangerpl 13]

Being relatively young, the first shooter that I played regularly was this

[onlyrazor 11]

^The first PC game I remember playing is Joint Ops. Anyway, many moons later, I went to the local hardware 'n' software store to pick up a copy of MW2. They were all out. What they weren't all out of, though, was something I had been keeping a close eye on, but never really thought about it much before. Still, I decided to pick that jewel up, and this was it:

[max power 21]

Counter-Strike was the gateway for me.

[katipo66 94]

Duke Nukem!! the original...

not tacticool, but it was the most fun playing with cuz on dialup..

Also Lo Wang with his sticky bombs!

[jakerod 254]

Good call RangerPL. I forgot about Delta Force: Black Hawk Down. I started playing that after I realized OFP wasn't that great with urban combat. I had a lot of fun with it but then backed off for some reason. ArmA maybe or maybe JO came out. I don't know. I just know I didn't play JO so I either went to ArmA or back to OFP.

[viper[cww] 14]

Being relatively young, the first shooter that I played regularly was this

http://i.imgur.com/nYtjd.jpg

I bought that but couldn't get it to work on the familes windows 2000, back in the day :p

[vini_lessa 10]

If any genre is counting, it was X-Com in 1993.

If only shooters count, then it was the original Rainbow Six in 1998. This game simply blowed my mind, and changed the way I approach games forever. ;)

[Sierra117 10]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I guess I should include the Full Spectrum Warrior series; The first play-through of a level could be pretty intense but after that it became a by the numbers routine. The lack of AI freedom to choose their own actions pretty much sealed the deal on what options you had to take them down and what paths you took. If they had made the levels wide open and unleashed the AI opponents to maneuver against you, it would've been a different story. (I've only played the Xbox versions; if the PC versions are better please tell me.)

[maddogx 13]

Thanks for the responses, guys. I guess I should include the Full Spectrum Warrior series; The first play-through of a level could be pretty intense but after that it became a by the numbers routine. The lack of AI freedom to choose their own actions pretty much sealed the deal on what options you had to take them down and what paths you took. If they had made the levels wide open and unleashed the AI opponents to maneuver against you, it would've been a different story. (I've only played the Xbox versions; if the PC versions are better please tell me.)

Nope, the PC version is pretty much the same. Once you've learned how to get through a section, you can repeat the same process again and again with the same result.

Emergent gameplay = 0.

[nettrucker 144]

Panzer General . . . kind of Risiko in WWII settings with a lot of different units. It's a table game for computers practically. Ghost Recon, Silent Hunter and OFP from the beginning. Since then I'm having a hard time to play something else. After ten minutes max with other games I'm getting bored and frustrated.

Edited June 9, 2012 by nettrucker
grammar correction

[mrcash2009 0]

ince then I'm having a hard time to play something else. After ten minutes max with other games I'm getting bored and frustrated.

Thats the thing once you get into these types of games, and then you play something else your instantly looking for all the options and tactics and also for me nothing came close after GR (as i mentioned I completely missed OFP which was shocking really). In someways it limited my scope (pun intended) because it seemed everything else was just throw away short attention span shallow crap :)

[NacroxNicke 11]

Close Combat, and some hexagonal war games that now I don't remember

Then Combat Mission, and then OFP.

[Clarkey1 10]

My "gateway" tactical games would have to have been Ghost Recon & the Island Thunder, Desert Siege expansions, Rainbow Six, Spec Ops: Covert Assault.

[bonchie 39]

The old Delta Force games from the 90's.

[dmarkwick 261]

I tend to play every FPS tactically regardless of gameplay design :)

But, I guess the first "proper" tactical FPS I played would be Ghost Recon.

[JdB 151]

Since then I'm having a hard time to play something else. After ten minutes max with other games I'm getting bored and frustrated.

Thats the thing once you get into these types of games, and then you play something else your instantly looking for all the options and tactics

I can remember games before I played OFP (and even more sadly, long after it as well) that had streets/corridors you could look into, but once you wanted to enter them it was like hitting an invisible wall. Since OFP all games feel restrictive.

[ProfTournesol 956]

Mmmm... Commando for the tactical thingy, and Rogue Spear for a long time, together with Hidden and Dangerous.

[rowdied 44]

The original Rainbow6 on nintendo 64. I was always looking for a good coop tactical shooter and this was it. All the r6 interations later on but on PC and then took a chance on OFP. Tried it but found it too hard so it sat for months until I was ready for a challenge. Love of my life ever since.

[Smurf 12]

Rainbow Six and Hidden and Dangerous probably were the first ones.

[mrcash2009 0]

I can remember games before I played OFP (and even more sadly, long after it as well) that had streets/corridors you could look into, but once you wanted to enter them it was like hitting an invisible wall. Since OFP all games feel restrictive.

Yes it makes things feel even worse once you have taken the tactical red pill.

So many times I have seen "tactical" used and then once in play your ... oh, so i cant ... right but I bet it can ... oh no, hold on im sure it will ... ah, I see it doesnt. * plods along to end the story, uninstall and back home again to what you have reinforced was always better *

[Dead3yez 0]

I like to play every game tactical.

[papanowel 120]

I started wih Rogue Spears then moved to Ghost Recon (first one).

[Matthewkunx 3]

PS2 Game, SOCOM II NAVY SEALS. Best game back then imo. :P Now this is the next one.

[tremanarch 6]

Rainbow Six Rogue spear