Gifts for Gamers: Some End-of-Year Recommendations, Part 2

12/29/2009

More games for Linux and open source - a large choice for every taste. Strategy, chess, and more.To be continued.

Strategy

Warzone 2100

GPL, activated 3D graphics, http://wz2100.net

Originally released 1999 as a commercial real-time strategy game from Edios Interactive, Warzone has been further developed by a horde of volunteers under the GNU license. Unlike its competitors in the same genre, Warzone 2100 allows for individual unit design with varied unit characteristics and tactics.

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LordsAWar

Free, 2D graphics, http://www.nongnu.org/lordsawar

The turn-based strategy game is still in its early development stages. The object is to create armies in cities to conquer neighboring cities and send heros on quests for treasure.

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LGeneral

Free, 2D graphics, http://lgames.sourceforge.net/index.php?project=LGeneral

Friends of the turn-based strategy game Panzer General would feel at home with the LGeneral clone. As general, you guide your troups across hexagonal battlefields.

MegaMek

GPL, 2D graphics, http://megamek.sourceforge.net

Likewise with a beehive playing field, MegaMek is an unofficial version of the BattleTech board game, with overdimensioned robots pulled into battle.

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<section xmlns:image="http://ez.no/namespaces/ezpublish3/image/" xmlns:xhtml="http://ez.no/namespaces/ezpublish3/xhtml/" xmlns:custom="http://ez.no/namespaces/ezpublish3/custom/"><paragraph xmlns:tmp="http://ez.no/namespaces/ezpublish3/temporary/">Massive robots moved in hexagonal fields are what make the MegaMek multi-player game.</paragraph></section>

Lux

Commercial, http://sillysoft.net

The strategy game is loosely based on the Risk board game, with some extensions. Taking over the world involves aligning your troops across 700 maps, including phantasy worlds

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NAEV

GPL v3, activated 3D graphics, http://code.google.com/p/naev

Unlike Elite, this space trading and combat game has a bird's-eye view. The object is still to conquer large galaxies.

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Privateer: Ascii Sector

Free, 2D graphics, http://www.asciisector.net

The game reduces the concept popular in Elite and Privateer to its graphic minimum. The space conquering simulation works exclusively with ASCII characters, with a considerable retro effect.

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<section xmlns:image="http://ez.no/namespaces/ezpublish3/image/" xmlns:xhtml="http://ez.no/namespaces/ezpublish3/xhtml/" xmlns:custom="http://ez.no/namespaces/ezpublish3/custom/"><paragraph xmlns:tmp="http://ez.no/namespaces/ezpublish3/temporary/">The graphics in Ascii Sector consist of ASCII and special characters. </paragraph></section>


Mechanical Tower

Free, activated 3D graphics, http://www.tdb.fi/mechtower.shtml

Robots gone haywire storm a tower and you must set traps to destroy them before they do the same to you.

BattleDuel

Free, 2D graphics, http://terstiege.de/battleduel

In a mountainous landscape, opponents try to out each other with fixed cannons. They take turns firing, but need to reckon with wind and ballistics.

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Tiffanys

GPL, 2D graphics, http://tiffanys.sourceforge.net

A simple chess game with multiple game modes.

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( Tim Schuermann)

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