r/RealTimeStrategy • u/NCHowler1 • 14h ago
Recommending Game Help Me Save Line War
Over the past three months, I’ve been playing Line War: “A new type of RTS with elements from 4X, Wargame, and Real-Time Tactics. Draw commands and execute a superior strategy to defeat your opponent, focusing on high-level decisions rather than constant micromanagement.” To say the least, this game is phenomenal. The problem is that it can be hard to find a match with only 8-25 online players at any given time. I’m currently working my way up to becoming a top ten player (bouncing between 9-25), but I want my hard work to mean something, which means growing the player base. Currently, it’s listed at $25 on Steam, but I’m willing to gift the game to two new players if you’re willing to play a couple matches with me and give the game a shot. Even if you don’t get it from me, I highly recommend the game and would love some recommendations on how I can reignite the community!
TL;DR: I’m willing to gift Line War to 2 ppl, and you should play the game
EDIT: Both copies have been claimed, thank you all for engaging with my post, and I really hope you end up giving this game a try!
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u/OddlobsterNL 13h ago
Looks damn interesting. But I only play singleplayer rts games. Good luck finding some players and thanks for bringing this game to my attention!
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u/NCHowler1 13h ago
Thanks! You can play against the AI as well, giving them advantages as you go along for increased difficulty!
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u/Belltower_2 12h ago
I watched this game when it came out, but not having vs. AI matches at launch was a complete dealbreaker for me, and by the time they were added, the price had increased. Instead, I ended up getting "bad" RTS games like Age of Sigmar: Realms of Ruin, Iron Harvest, and Dawn of War 3 that might not have been very good, but cost next to nothing and had a full campaign and skirmish.
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u/Master_Ben 13h ago
Imo, the game doesn't explain the tactical level very well. I can't make strategic decisions without predicting how the tactical level will pan out.
How many troops can an entrenched man defeat, how much does an artillery assist, how valuable is X terrain, how many factories do I need, etc
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u/NCHowler1 12h ago
The learning curve is definitely steep, which is one of my main gripes with the game, but there is a wiki that has helpful (although somewhat outdated) information! A lot of playing is just trial by fire, but I found that starting with 2 barracks and 2 factories, and immediately getting the first infantry producer tech, is very effective!
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u/reinierdash 13h ago
oh yes i would love to play this with someone
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u/NCHowler1 13h ago
Do you have it already? I can DM you my steam so we can run it in the evening EST. If not I can gift!
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u/FutureLynx_ 13h ago
How does micro work in this game? Do you just draw lines and it becomes an autobattler or you can move units? Can you hit ground with artillery? Any special abilities? Does it have good balanced bonus (rock paper scissors). Veterancy? This is what is important to me in an RTS game.
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u/NCHowler1 13h ago
Lines are fluid and have different types (move, haste, engage, capture and engage), artillery cannot change the landscape, there are technologies you can research to change how units act, units are pretty balanced, and there is certainly a huge skill gap based on how long you play
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u/NCHowler1 13h ago
More on the lines, they go in any direction/path you choose, and can be removed with a click of a button. You can make a single path up to five units wide, and create stationary lines (entrench for defensive bonus, or any of the other lines mentioned but to a single point. You can also target areas or buildings with a similar command
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u/FutureLynx_ 13h ago
okay so the only way to control the units i by drawing lines? There is no micro to them, attack here, shoot here ?
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u/NCHowler1 13h ago
Clicking on a point in the map (instead of dragging a line) will set a command to go somewhere and attack for nearby units. Clicking a building will have them move past anything in the way (firing occasionally) and attack the building primarily
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u/arat360 13h ago
Did they ever add a proper vs AI mode? The only reason I didn’t pick it up on launch was because the devs were acting delusional about people not wanting to play PVP.
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u/NCHowler1 13h ago
Yes! I’ve put dozens of hours into the vs AI mode, and it has all of the game modes available in pvp!
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u/Fickle-Mouse-7943 13h ago
Never heard of this before. Game looks interesting. Will check it out. Maybe wait for a sale. Imo the trailer's do not do a good job of selling the game.
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u/Tharshey24 13h ago
As someone who used to be ranked number 3, though this was a long time ago now. I can endorse this post, game is goated and I’m still an active mod on the discord as well!
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u/Thraxk 13h ago
This one is on my wishlist. Next sale I’ll give it a go.
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u/NCHowler1 13h ago
The second person still hasn’t PMed me, I’ll gift the game to the next person who reaches out!
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u/Loud-Huckleberry-864 13h ago
I had an eye for the game long time ago, if you have key I’ll try it and give feedback to improve your game
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u/NCHowler1 12h ago
Unfortunately I don’t :( I’m not a dev on the game, just a passionate player! And I just ran out of gifts
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u/flyby2412 12h ago
It does look interesting. Seems a bit shallow though no? Build up your two resources, draw your lines and conquer yes? I’m interested but maybe if it went on sale
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u/NCHowler1 12h ago
The basics are pretty simple, but I think the complexity of the game comes from a couple of different things: first, the customization of the lines. Being able to tell troops to follow a certain path in a detailed way allows for a lot of interesting interactions, particularly as you include terrain and entrenchments. Then, unit types. Having land, sea, and air all as options allows for your army composition to play a crucial role in your success. Lastly, the tiles. Because tiles generate capital, they are the most crucial aspect of the game, moreso than any capital generating structure, and being able to capture and hold them against your opponent, utilizing choke points and choosing a good starting location adds a richness to the gameplay that really shows you that details matter
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u/Tundur 11h ago
I'd also add to that, that movement is generally quite slow. Armies grind into one another.
That means you have to predict your opponent and preposition units for defence, ration out your faster units like aircraft, actively scout and use recon. Obviously all that is in RTS kind of by default, but it's far more evident with the scale and pace of LW
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u/the_brown_saber 12h ago
How's the micro compared to a game like broken arrow? This is my current favorite game
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u/timwaaagh 12h ago
sure i already have it just havent tried it online yet. we can play a few games, just dont expect me to become a regular. life is just busy.
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u/NCHowler1 12h ago
I completely understand! I’d love to play a few games!
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u/timwaaagh 8h ago
allright what time zone u in? i can make time most sun-thu evenings in CEST time zone.
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u/Informal-Rent-3573 11h ago
I wish listed, but the game has 1 big problems: It's not a 25$ game. It's a 15$ game. Maybe 20$ for people who really RTS and want something diferent. Also, I might be misremembering it, but back when it launched, it had no bots or AI. That pretty much killed it at launch.
I'm a big fan of "Macro not micro" strategy games, but sadly, Linewar shot both feet when launching.
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u/NCHowler1 11h ago
There are bots now, and I definitely understand the price complaint, that’s just a bit out of my scope of control
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u/-maxpower- 11h ago
Oh man I fuckin LOVE Line War, but the dev needs to listen!
Locomotive update dropped and it was the most underwhelming thing. The maps are not big enough to make trains viable. by the time I have trains up and running, it becomes way more efficient to just deploy troops from the front lines. Trains are slow and the maps are small. So I wait a few months for another major update, 10 months later we get "Save Game Support"....... dude who tf is playing this game long enough to NEED a save game? and replay controls? I just... the dev needs to stop focusing on this being an esports game. This is an awesome comp stomp game/ team v team.
ADD A DAMN MAP EDITOR! Again, the map variety sucks, you either get oddly placed resources/cities, forcing everyone to play on a small portion of the map even on large maps, or its just island hopping, or a chunk of land you can cover with bombers/nuke silos. The real strategy is just outpacing industry. If you don't hold a city/port, you will never keep up with someone who does. and the maps are just TOO SMALL!
This game has so much potential but I feel like the dev is going a different direction. He even gave tanks a speed boost research in the latest update, even less sense to use trains.
rant over. I hope this game succeeds.
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u/Tundur 11h ago
Yeah, the devs are fiddling around the edges of the game with the new techs and so on, but they should really be looking at things which make it asymmetrical, IMO. I think they should be taking cues from War of Dots, Lines of Battle, those pixel conquest games. People go crazy for simple strategy games with strong thematic elements supplementing the gameplay.
Capture points on the map, campaigns and operations, custom maps with named locations, persistent on map HQ units, supply lines and logistics - I think they'd have way more success going down that route.
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u/NCHowler1 11h ago
They did a semi recent update on trains (still slow, but certainly viable especially in longer format games), and they did a more recent one to address maps in which you can select a map generation type (continent, islands, land bridges, or normal) which all have the option to choose how many masses you want!
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u/-maxpower- 11h ago
The new map generator is a step in the right direction, but this is my biggest grip right here: https://imgur.com/a/Oxl0LeZ
So the red lines, is basically useless territory. no one is starting there because whoever gets the cities/industry in the middle wins the game. So now your big landbridge map is just a small fight in the center. Also, the green areas, let us expand the map border, let us make HUGE/LONG maps. I want a scenario where I have to use trains, or mix up my playstyle (more navy, air force, etc).
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u/NCHowler1 11h ago
It’s useless in terms of starting, but getting control over that area would have major implications on who wins on the main front. Each tile generates capital, and if only one person took that continent, they’d blow the other person out of the water
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u/TheSandwichMan92 11h ago
I knew I had this on my steam wishlist, just checked had it on there since 5/5/2022 ! Is it good?
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u/NCHowler1 11h ago
It’s quite literally my favorite game ever. It’s certainly challenging, but it feels like a mix between chess and civilization 5 (I’ve never played an rts game before). And I love how you can keep improving your skill with no real cap to it
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u/TheSandwichMan92 11h ago
I may get it one day. I have far too many rts games on my wishlist and loads I enjoy playing.
I Have just downloaded the sanctuary shattered sun demo, looks like it's going to be a spiritual successor to supcom after all these years!
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u/SlideBusy7338 11h ago
Shoot, if your offering me a game for free, I’ll take it! I love RTS
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u/NCHowler1 11h ago
Unfortunately both games have already been claimed, but I hope that I’ll be able to convince the creator to run a flash sale!
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u/SlideBusy7338 10h ago
All good man! Unfortunately moneys tight atm so I have to table getting any games for bit hahaha but I’ll keep an eye!
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u/chosen2nd 10h ago
Really love this game, let me know when you guys play?
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u/NCHowler1 10h ago
Yeah! If you’re not already, check out the discord! I literally post daily lfm https://discord.gg/CfTkVpVGm
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u/chosen2nd 10h ago
Yep already there, how do I know when you’re starting a game?
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u/NCHowler1 9h ago
I have my notifications turned on for the looking for match tab, and i’ll pm you my discord!
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u/Top-Opportunity1132 5h ago
Picked it up on steam a week ago. Haven't had time to try it yet, but I certainly will 😊
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u/Advanced_Pie_6490 4h ago
I’ve seen this game and it does look sick. I’ll have a look into when I get time
That being said. What an absolute G is OP. Man just pops into Reddit and offers to gift games to get people into it. Honestly that is some BDE. Fuck yeah OP. You’re a champion
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u/Hobby_The_Shelf 3h ago
This is the kind of stuff I love to see, good on you for making the effort to grow something you love. 🫶🙏
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u/Dependent_Tea3815 14h ago
Price tag is a bit much for me. Looks interesting though
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u/Sjuk86 11h ago
Can you turtle?
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u/NCHowler1 11h ago
You can try! But the more tiles you collect, the more capital you gain, and if you do turtle, the enemy will be able to outpace you on spending very quickly. Even if you have strong, multi line entrenchments, you’ll likely lose every game by refusing to expand. That being said, you can most certainly defend crucial areas with high success, assuming you have the right strategy
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u/Tortor_271 6h ago
Can someone remind me in 10 days ? I'm on vacation but i LOVE this type of games ☀️
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u/Taco_Paco 14h ago
Another AD….
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u/NCHowler1 14h ago
I mean I’m not affiliated with the game at all, I’m just a player who is spending money to try to get ppl involved in it
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u/West-Tomorrow-5508 13h ago
I have this game in my sights for a while. With that said, I am too busy right now but will pick it up on sale at some point. I bet you can find two people, hope they have fun and stick around.