Looking for RTS games with diplomacy like Civilization games

[Quagmire]

I played Civ 4, loved the diplomacy, but couldnt get into the combat...I like turnbased RPGs on consoles, but didnt work for me with a strategy game like Civ. And by diplomacy I mean for example, setting up trades, alliances, creating new cities via settlers, open boarders, the different ways to win the game, etc. I know I'm probably not gonna be able to get the diplomacy exactly the same as Civ, but would like to be able to get it close

I have heard some great things about the total war series, how do they compare? What else is out there...new or old, I'm fine with either. I like a variety of nations to beable to be used too

[Crazy Jamie]

I have two main suggestions for you.

1) Total War series: Namely Shogun (bit old now), Medieval or Rome (either would be fine). It's a little bit different from Civ in how it works, but the general idea is the same. It has less depth but is a little more user friendly for it. The combat is not typical RTS fare though and could isolate you a little bit. It's certainly no where near Civ levels (it is actually an RTS) but it is by no means traditional either. Worth a shot though, they are all excellent games.

2) Rise of Nations: This is basically a deep game of risk where every battle is fought out RTS style. The graphics are not very good at all and the diplomacy is no where near the depth of either Total War or Civ (it really is like Risk), but the actually RTS sections are fantastic gameplay wise. One for the RTS hardcore though, because a lot of micromanagement is required. You actually build more cities and have borders and such in the RTS battles themselves.

It's possible that Rise of Nations is not quite what you're looking for, so I'd go for Total War.

[Quagmire]

I have two main suggestions for you.

1) Total War series: Namely Shogun (bit old now), Medieval or Rome (either would be fine). It's a little bit different from Civ in how it works, but the general idea is the same. It has less depth but is a little more user friendly for it. The combat is not typical RTS fare though and could isolate you a little bit. It's certainly no where near Civ levels (it is actually an RTS) but it is by no means traditional either. Worth a shot though, they are all excellent games.

Can you sort of elaborate on that? I did some research and this is what I seem to have gathered...you select where you want to move your troops and if an opposing army runs into you, the game then switches to RTS...is this right more or less?

Also I assume I can flank an enemy, is this correct?

Thanks

[The_Mess]

Yeah, it sounds like Total War's mix of tactical real-time battles + empire building is probably what you're looking for.

You might want to also consider Sword of the Stars and Sins of a Solar Empire.

I'll post fuller descriptions a bit later when I have more time...

[The_Mess]

Okay then...

Sword of the Stars: Turn based empire building + real-time battle sequences. Basically a stripped down hybrid of Homeworld and GalCivII, but with only 2d space combat and the empire building is mostly restricted to research, colonising and strip-mining uncolonisationable worlds for resources + trading blocks in Born of Blood (BoB), the x-pack for it.

Defining features are;
-3D star maps, yes 3D.

-Asymmetric races, not cooker-cutter ones, with well-developed-ish background fiction.

-and being asymmetric all 5 races (as of BoB) have different FTL/STL drive systems, eg the Hivers get by on STL drives, but with gateships networks for instant star to star travel while humans have fast, but confined and fixed node-lanes to travel via FTL.

-this asymmetry also goes right down to ship designs and also chances of getting different techs. Basically the number and class of weapons mounts is different for each ship section between races.

-yep, much like GalCivII you decide how the ship is outfitted, but unlike GalCivII it's not so much of a rock/paper/scissors system... Muwhahaha...

-yes, the techs are assigned by chance, there's a set probability that each race will get x tech in a game. This forces you to adapt, sometimes drastically :( but is off-set by being able to salvage other races techs post-destroying an enemy fleet/glassing a colony. And superior tactics in the real-time combat sequences

All and all an addictive, stripped down, sometimes epic space-strategy game. Especially on the 350 star maps :D

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that you also have environmental "hazards", from colony traps, to bio-construct mining insect hives (the swarm) to the grand menaces of "sparky" and the locusts... Makes for "interesting" expansions, especially now the swarm can colonise new systems.

[Crazy Jamie]

Can you sort of elaborate on that? I did some research and this is what I seem to have gathered...you select where you want to move your troops and if an opposing army runs into you, the game then switches to RTS...is this right more or less?

Also I assume I can flank an enemy, is this correct?
That's what happens, yes. You fight if two armies cross on the main ma screen. You can flank the enemy. What I am referring to is that it is a bit slower and more tactical than other RTS games. It is in real time, but the slow pace means that it is almost turn based in how tactics are applied. It does sound like Total War would suit you though.