What's your favorite RTS game?

[kingcomrade]

Mine is Starcraft, followed closely by Total Annihilation. Both of those games have given me a lot of joy in the years that I've owned them. They're both fairly simple, and neither are based on a rock/paper/scissors model that most strategy games seemed to be built upon. Starcraft has a very cool visual style that I've always enjoyed (2d is better than 3d 90% of the time). TA had a lot of really cool features that haven't been replicated much. The first is weapon physics, which is one of the primary reasons the game isn't rock/paper/scissors based. Any unit can kill any other unit, used properly (well, almost). They both had fairly robust and simple economic models, Starcraft was about bases while TA was about controlling territory (metal deposits). Also, TA is the only game where I've put in the game CD just to listen to the music, while doing something else.

Give me some RTS games you've enjoyed, I already know you guys are Total War and turn-based fans.

 

[S4ur0n27]

I'd say it's Warcraft II, because it's the first computer game to which I really got addicted, thus it has a symbolic importance to me, but I think the game I enjoyed the most was Starcraft, too.

HoMM3 is one of my favorite as well, if it's to be considered strategy. And Civilization 2.

 

[kingcomrade]

I should probably mention Homeworld. Very difficult game, but very fun and rewarding. The thing is, I didn't enjoy playing it that much after the initial enthusiasm wore off. It would've been better if it had been 2-and-a-half-D instead of full 3d (like that new Star Wars game) and if the pace had been a bit faster. The music was excellent. The coolest part of that game was the B&W cutscenes. Those were just too cool.

 

[Oarfish]

1. XCom, Enemy Unknown (UFO Defense for you septics).
2. XCom, Terror from the deep
3. Medieval Total War
4. Hearts of Iron II
5. Steel Panthers

Edit, oops, just failed a reading comprehension test. Stupid thread titles.

RTS wise, would have to be Total Anihilation and Homeworld. I liked the full 3d, shame about the lack of replay value. Some of the in engine cutscenes were good too (the one with the swarmers in particular).Agree with the music being spot on as well, but I'm a krautrock fan

 

[Nicolai]

RTS? Hm, let's see...

Some Real-Time Strategy games I've enjoyed:

Urban Assault
Battlezone 1 & 2
Dungeon Keeper 1 & 2
StarCraft
Total Annihilation
Homeworld (Never got Homeworld 2 to work properly on my system for some reason, so I've yet to play it)
Dune 2
Warcraft 1 & 2
Dark Reign
Warzone 2100
Rise of Nations
Red Alert
Uprising
Populous 3
Hostile Waters:
Ground Control
Myth 1 & 2
Earth 2140
The Close Combat series
Some Tycoon games


:aiee:

 

[VasikkA]

Wargames... no, it'd have to be Civilization 2 or Master of Orion.

 

[S4ur0n27]

Damn, how could I forget Myth 1 & 2 and Close Combat II?

 

[VasikkA]

I'f we're talking RTS, I'd choose Close Combat IV(not sure abot the number, but I mean the Ardennes one) because of the somehow functional strategic view, but CC2 started my lovestory with the series.

And why is this in Site Feedback?

 

[Naked_Lunch]

You're such a noob, KC.

Anyway, if you forced me at gunpoint and had me chose my favorite strategy games OF ALL TIME OR SOMETHING I guess it would be X-Com, followed by Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic with Europa 1400: The Guild tailing in a close third postition. Honorable mention to Jagged Alliance 2, Myth 2, and the Combat Mission series.

X-Com is da best because it really has all I'd want from a tactics/strategy game. You got the neato base-building, which instead of building to pump out units, you use it to do cooler things like research, setting up larger radars, hangar space and so on. Research was also a boatload of fun, especially when you started getting some serious killer alien technology.

The combat was top-notch and still hasn't been bested, though JA2 comes veerrry close. It was a bit on the hard side, but if you had some balls you could get through it.

Plus, X-Com also has the coolest opening video ever. You just can't beat 80's glam rock solos mixed in with an alien attack. No sir.

Oh, this thread is about RTS. Well, fuck you then.

P.S. Europa 1400: The Guild.
P.S.S. Myth II

 

[Seboss]

I like Total War series. I can't wait for Medieval 2.

I'd kill for a XCom remake. Don't mention the 'UFO: whatever' steaming pile of crap.

 

[Seboss]

You just can't beat 80's glam rock solos mixed in with a sandworm ride. No sir.

Fixed.

 

[obediah]

damnit butters, if FF isn't an RPG then starcraft sure as hell isn't a strategy game!

I gave up the Real Time Strategy vs Real Time Tactics battle before KingComrade got pubes, but I expect more from this site.

 

[Thrawn05]

Best one? Total Annihilation. But I have to use TAM because the original AI is a joke.

 

[kingcomrade]

I need to be more specific, as I think my thread title is throwing you guys off. Favorite RTS game besides Total War. I already know you all love X-Com, so do I.

I recently installed TA again, just to play it. It hasn't aged nearly as well as Starcraft has.

damnit butters, if FF isn't an RPG then starcraft sure as hell isn't a strategy game!

Why not? The difference between Real-Time Tactics and RTS is basically there's a small group of anal retentive dictionary Nazis who aspire to be 1337. You can't separate tactics from strategy anyways, they're part of each other.

 

[Elwro]

A game that wasn't mentioned yet: I quite liked a postapocalyptic RTS called Tribal Rage . Didn't play it for too long, though...

 

[Seboss]

The best strategy game must be Hearts of Iron II. But I couldn't get into it. Too much micromanagement and parameters. I couldn't tell the consequences of my actions until hours later.

Anyway I prefer strategy boardgames over computer strategy games anytime.

 

[kingcomrade]

RTS? Hm, let's see...

Some Real-Time Strategy games I've enjoyed:

Urban Assault
Battlezone 1 & 2
Dungeon Keeper 1 & 2
StarCraft
Total Annihilation
Homeworld (Never got Homeworld 2 to work properly on my system for some reason, so I've yet to play it)
Dune 2
Warcraft 1 & 2
Dark Reign
Warzone 2100
Rise of Nations
Red Alert
Uprising
Populous 3
Hostile Waters:
Ground Control
Myth 1 & 2
Earth 2140
The Close Combat series
Some Tycoon games


:aiee:

Argh, flesh it out a little bit, I don't think I was the only one to just skip over all of that.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

I don't give a shit whether or not SC is RTS or RTT or BNOL or whatever. The fact of the matter is, it sucks serious amounts of ass and you might as well beat yourself to death with a brick if you're looking for similar enjoyment from a game.

I kinda fucked up my last post, so the best REAL-TIME STRATEGY GAME is obviously Europa 1400: The Guild, followed by Myth II. The Guild has a bunch of neato stuff, like be able to have wars with other dynasties (families) and if you're a priest you can hear people's confessions and blackmail them. The Guild 2 is looking good, too.

Myth II is my ideal "tradtional" RTS without all the messy and often shitty base-building and spamming units and so on. You have your squad and you gotta make do with it. Ground Control was similar in that aspect, and that was good, too.

 

[Nicolai]

RTS? Hm, let's see...

Some Real-Time Strategy games I've enjoyed:

Urban Assault
Battlezone 1 & 2
Dungeon Keeper 1 & 2
StarCraft
Total Annihilation
Homeworld (Never got Homeworld 2 to work properly on my system for some reason, so I've yet to play it)
Dune 2
Warcraft 1 & 2
Dark Reign
Warzone 2100
Rise of Nations
Red Alert
Uprising
Populous 3
Hostile Waters:
Ground Control
Myth 1 & 2
Earth 2140
The Close Combat series
Some Tycoon games


:aiee:

Argh, flesh it out a little bit, I don't think I was the only one to just skip over all of that.

Haha, no.

 

[kingcomrade]

Why does Starcraft suck ass? Because it's mainstream?

 

[Seboss]

RTS? Hm, let's see...

Some Real-Time Strategy games I've enjoyed:
<snip>
Myth 1 & 2
<snip>
:aiee:

WTF I must say.

 

[Naked_Lunch]

What's wrong with Myth?

 

[obediah]

damnit butters, if FF isn't an RPG then starcraft sure as hell isn't a strategy game!

Why not? The difference between Real-Time Tactics and RTS is basically there's a small group of anal retentive dictionary Nazis who aspire to be 1337.

Have you looked at any of the non-oblivion threads on this site? Or any of VaultDweller's posts? The Codex IS that small group you're talking about.

You can't separate tactics from strategy anyways, they're part of each other.

For all intents and purposes you can separate the two by running every conflict in isolation. Strategy is all the stuff in Fantasy General that isn't in Warcraft. Winning a battle isn't enough - how you win it affects future battles, and you may come out of a battle victorious with no chance of winning the war. Some RTS's make a nod at this with time limits or branches, or a few 'hero' units, but they are to strategy as the bioware incestous dialoge trees are to meaningful choices.

 

[kingcomrade]

I think he mistook Myth for Myst like I did for a couple seconds.

 

[kingcomrade]

For all intents and purposes you can separate the two by running every conflict in isolation. Strategy is all the stuff in Fantasy General that isn't in Warcraft. Winning a battle isn't enough - how you when it has an affect on future battles, and you may come out of a battle victorious with no chance of winning the war. Some RTS's make a nod at this with time limits or branches, or a few 'hero' units, but they are to strategy as the bioware incestous dialoge trees are to meaningful choices.

Not necessarily. I mean, you could consider a single skimish a campaign rather than one battle. After all, you must expand, manage your economy, you probably clash several times, attack different bases, you weigh risks in attacking versus expanding your army versus teching, etc. There's plenty of strategizing involved. Just because RTS games don't have world maps doesn't mean they don't involve strategy. I meant what I said about not being able to separate tactics from strategy, they're a fundamental part of each other.

What you said about affecting the outcome of the war, that certainly happens in RTS games. People make comebacks and people gain advantages by attacking and slaying enemy units and outposts. I make a strategic decision when I decide that I need to pare down my enemy's forces while I still have some advantage and seek battle, and I make a strategic decision when I decide I need to build my defenses and start producing units.