You Got Your Strategy in my RTS

[Jason]

<strong>[ Article ]</strong>

<p>If you're looking for the salvation of the real-time strategy genre, look no further than Nathan <strike>Arizona</strike> Toronto, author of <strong><a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3515/the_future_of_the_realtime_.php?page=1" target="_blank">"The Future of the Real-Time Strategy Game"</a></strong>. In this article at Gamasutra, Mr. Toronto claims that the way forward for the RTS is to shift focus to wider strategy ideas like politics, diplomacy, internal rebellions. You know, the things turn-based strategy games and Paradox style real-time grand strategy titles have been doing for years. </p><blockquote><p> No RTS game will ever be able to represent politics in lifelike detail. These games are, after all, simplifications of reality. Still, RTS game developers could add a tremendous amount of strategic depth by building politics into their games. Players could be released from micro-managing society and the battlefield, they could be exposed to enemies both within and outside their societies, and they could be given more strategic options than attrition. </p></blockquote><p>Basically, the author wants to move away from tactics towards strictly strategic concerns. Which would sound fine if the author wasn't discussing a genre based primarily on tactical pressure. </p><p>Spotted @ <a href="http://www.gamasutra.com/">Gamasutra</a></p>

 

[dagorkan]

I am always amazed at people who manage to make a living talking crap like that.

 

[Sovy Kurosei]

Didn't Seven Kingdoms II have something like what the author is saying?

 

[Ryuken]

I think even Seven Kingdoms I had that...

 

[Shagnak]

Troy Goodfellow critiques it here.

 

[thesheeep]

Troy is right....

I thought the same, most of the things the gamasutra guy is missing are already there. Or were already there. Just look at Majesty.

Sheesh... this guy must be older than me and doesn't have a clue about older games.

 

[JarlFrank]

Eh, sounds pretty similar to the Best Strategy Game Ever [TM] that I have created in my mind [my mind is capable of many things, but sadly not of being copied onto a hard disk]... well, actually, this sounds much rather like an inspiration for a game that mixes Total War like battles with Paradox's games diplomacy. And that all in real time. This would be a game that has both politics and typical RTS elements, and is large scale.

 

[Deacdo]

IMO, the future of RTS games (if RTS developers have any taste) has been seen in Company of Heroes and World in Conflict. As mentioned, what is suggested in that article already exists as an RTS subgenre.

 

[Jason]

Troy's response to the article has been posted by Gamasutra. One of the comments is amusing:

IMO, there was no need to be so agressive.