The Dawn of War games are always a good bet (excluding Soulstorm...we don't talk about it), Starcraft 1 and Brood War are classics and pretty easy to get the hang of.
Good RTS Games For A Beginner
- Thread starter Smithy311
- Start date
The campaign in Starcraft 2 is a really solid introduction into the genre as each mission has a specific focus on a certain game mechanic and there's also great diversity between the missions.
Myth the fallen lords is nice.
And I'm surprised no one suggested it as of the time of writing besides me.
There's a steam group for it, a couple and often they can help you around the complete abandonment of the game, modding, community patches and the like
Just if you HAVE to buy a copy, go for soulblighter, there is a TFL mod for it and the game is just better.
I bought that one a long time ago, being a big fan of C&C specifically RA2.
It was a disappointment, and i almost froze my foot off getting it.
Try RA2, Yuri's revenge.
Much better game.
Just spring for the c&c complete collection, you can find them at any dried up electronic store that used to sell PC games.
Dune 2000 is great, like the old C&C type.
And any Rome total war and medieval total war is great.
(though i think we can both agree that Medieval 2 is much better then the ensuing games with the only possible exception being shogun2)
And I'm surprised no one suggested it as of the time of writing besides me.
There's a steam group for it, a couple and often they can help you around the complete abandonment of the game, modding, community patches and the like
Just if you HAVE to buy a copy, go for soulblighter, there is a TFL mod for it and the game is just better.
I am so sorry.Smithy311 said:
I bought that one a long time ago, being a big fan of C&C specifically RA2.
It was a disappointment, and i almost froze my foot off getting it.
Try RA2, Yuri's revenge.
Much better game.
Just spring for the c&c complete collection, you can find them at any dried up electronic store that used to sell PC games.
Dune 2000 is great, like the old C&C type.
And any Rome total war and medieval total war is great.
You sir are a true roman.TheArcaneThinker said:
(though i think we can both agree that Medieval 2 is much better then the ensuing games with the only possible exception being shogun2)
I really, really want to recommend Supreme Commander since it's my favorite RTS, but I realize there are some complicated aspects to it, so I'm not sure it applies. There are some super user-friendly UI options in it that make it easy to start with, so you could do worse for a first RTS.
Personally, I think looking back at the RTS roots might be a good idea. A lot of RTS games have tried to trump previous games and versions, and it might be good to start ahead of that wave of "innovation" instead of after it. Warcraft 2 was a major player in my childhood, and while I think I would have a tough time playing today, it might be a good place to start, even if it means playing just a few levels.
Personally, I think looking back at the RTS roots might be a good idea. A lot of RTS games have tried to trump previous games and versions, and it might be good to start ahead of that wave of "innovation" instead of after it. Warcraft 2 was a major player in my childhood, and while I think I would have a tough time playing today, it might be a good place to start, even if it means playing just a few levels.
The Starcraft 2 campaigns actually do a pretty good job of easing you into things, and are pretty fun, with nice varied mission design. They also have much more usable UIs and controls than the SC1 campaigns.
I'll add Warcraft III (and its expansion: The Frozen Throne).
It starts off basic and easy, introducing elements smoothly and by the end of the campaign you'll be ready for any RTS game.
Solid mechanics, great story, fun units and a good sense of humor. It may not have aged that well, though, but that's personal taste.
In the same vein: Age of Mythology.
Like WCIII, a very colourful and user friendly game. This is the game that basically introduced me to RTS games. And it got remastered last year. Personally I thought is was a little more accessible than the other games in the Age of Empires series.
It starts off basic and easy, introducing elements smoothly and by the end of the campaign you'll be ready for any RTS game.
Solid mechanics, great story, fun units and a good sense of humor. It may not have aged that well, though, but that's personal taste.
In the same vein: Age of Mythology.
Like WCIII, a very colourful and user friendly game. This is the game that basically introduced me to RTS games. And it got remastered last year. Personally I thought is was a little more accessible than the other games in the Age of Empires series.
I was going to post this!GundamSentinel said:
Seconded.
Both games have easier resource management than, say, Age of Empires 2, and the heroes are immortal most of the time (as opposed to, again, AoE 2, where heroes were so fragile that they were more a hindrance than an advantage.
Supcom 2 is user friendly Kanes wrath also good. Never liked micro just like the build base roll units type of gameplay so i'm biased.
One nice thing about Age of Empires II or Age of Mythology for a beginner is that during campaign/single player you can pause the game at any time to look things over and issue orders. While it may look more complex than say a Starcraft because there's more resources to manage and like 7 'ages' to upgrade through it all flows very naturally so it really isn't difficult.
Although some have said the newer games are easier, I found it the other way round. But then I started playing RTS since Dune 2. I found games like Warcraft 3, Ground Control, C&C and the first Dawn of War much easier to come to grips with. Once they started getting really involved and more like "work" I got put off and stopped playing. But then that seems to be the inverse of most people's experience?
Myth IS outstanding, but a lot of folks here may be a little young for it. It's also hard as fucking balls, so it may not be a good intro to the genre. In terms of an RTS where individual unit tactics and the environment matter though, it makes the DoW/CoH franchises look like kids' stuff. Just an amazing couple of games.cleric of the order said:
It's a shame 3 was so awful.
Empire at War is great.The Enquirer said:
If you're into Star Wars, I'd also recommend Galactic Battlegrounds. The awesome thing about GB is that it's basically a re-skinned Age of Empires 2. Plays the same, runs the same, on the same engine, etc. They're actually pretty complementary experiences.
yeah.Rayce Archer said:
Worse yet the player funded kickstarter went down
I was really hoping that would turn out.
8Ocleric of the order said:
I had no idea this was even a thing.
Oh man. Seems weird to still be going with sprites though.
Of the games you listed, Dawn of War is a good first pick. The vanilla game has a fairly easy campaign and the game mechanics aren't too hard to understand. It's also a very cool looking game, with large firefights and well presented melee combat. The first two expansions, Winter Assault and Dark Crusade are both great, with Dark Crusade being a candidate for the best RTS ever made on this planet.
Next, you might want to look into the classics: Command & Conquer series is a fairly safe bet. Red Alert 2 is a must-play, as are Tiberium Sun and Tiberium Wars. Generals is also pretty nice. The original C&C and Red Alert are quite dated, but still solid. Tiberium Twilight is garbage, Red Alert 3 is mediocre.
Age of Empires is another classic. Personally, I've never been a fan of AoE3, but AoE2 is pure gold. Starcraft basically redefined the genre when it came out,and SC2 has a very good campaign mode worth checking out.
Other than that, the question is where do you want to go?
If you'd like to see a melding of RTS with RPG elements, Warcraft 3 is a classic, or a more recent example with Dawn of War 2 (and its expansions).
Maybe you're interested in large-scale engagements? In that case Supreme Commander (and expansion) is where it's at (not SupCom2, that one's garbage). Also, Sins of a Solar Empire might be worth a look as a fairly unique RTS.
Perhaps you might be into a blend of large-scale turn-based strategy with RTS battles? Here your main point of interest is the Total War series, with Rome and Medieval 2 being arguably the best in the series, but if you want something more recent Shogun 2 is very good. Steer clear of Rome 2 (garbage) and Empire (gem in the rough, very rough). For a more Sci-Fi take, try Star Wars: Empire at War, and if you want to add RPG elements into the mix, try King Arthur.
EDIT: In case someone recommends Grey Goo to you, I'd advise against it. The game isn't bad, but it's main claim to fame is that it's an RTS in a time when RTS are few and far between. Also, it's not very newbie friendly in my opinion. It's a good game, sure, but there's a ton of better RTS games you could play first...
Next, you might want to look into the classics: Command & Conquer series is a fairly safe bet. Red Alert 2 is a must-play, as are Tiberium Sun and Tiberium Wars. Generals is also pretty nice. The original C&C and Red Alert are quite dated, but still solid. Tiberium Twilight is garbage, Red Alert 3 is mediocre.
Age of Empires is another classic. Personally, I've never been a fan of AoE3, but AoE2 is pure gold. Starcraft basically redefined the genre when it came out,and SC2 has a very good campaign mode worth checking out.
Other than that, the question is where do you want to go?
If you'd like to see a melding of RTS with RPG elements, Warcraft 3 is a classic, or a more recent example with Dawn of War 2 (and its expansions).
Maybe you're interested in large-scale engagements? In that case Supreme Commander (and expansion) is where it's at (not SupCom2, that one's garbage). Also, Sins of a Solar Empire might be worth a look as a fairly unique RTS.
Perhaps you might be into a blend of large-scale turn-based strategy with RTS battles? Here your main point of interest is the Total War series, with Rome and Medieval 2 being arguably the best in the series, but if you want something more recent Shogun 2 is very good. Steer clear of Rome 2 (garbage) and Empire (gem in the rough, very rough). For a more Sci-Fi take, try Star Wars: Empire at War, and if you want to add RPG elements into the mix, try King Arthur.
EDIT: In case someone recommends Grey Goo to you, I'd advise against it. The game isn't bad, but it's main claim to fame is that it's an RTS in a time when RTS are few and far between. Also, it's not very newbie friendly in my opinion. It's a good game, sure, but there's a ton of better RTS games you could play first...
#Silentpony said:
DoW would be my pick also. I play skirmish mode on and off since it's original release like 10 years ago. And with all the modded races available (I have like, 18 all at once ATM to choose from) it has pretty enbless re-playability. It has a good tutorial and campaigns as well to ease you into the mechanics.
Seconded.GundamSentinel said:
Apart from the historical value for the genre, I'd like to add a few gameplay aspects that make this game very user friendly in my eyes, well, at least compared to Starcraft: Visually bigger, slower moving units and the low max population (smaller armies) take a little effort from the micromanaging aspect away. Plus, you don't have to expand that often or manage that many bases at once. Yes, like in Starcraft, workers behave differently for each race, but it is not like each race has it's own macro mechanic that you have to use constanly for a perfect production (I refer to Injecting as a Zerg, Chrono Boosting as a Protoss and using MULE as a Terran in SC2).
One aspect I am not sure about are the spellcasters and especially the hero mechanic. That could be overwhelming at first, especially when you did not try a MOBA in your gaming career (nvm, you played Dota, awesome - scratch that then). I advise to learn hotkeys (you can have custom hotkeys if you change your customkey.txt file if I recall correctly) and using controlgroups/tabbing through your army as quickly as possible. Having more control = more fun.
Edit: When you're done with War3, I'd recommend to check out Starcraft again. Heck, check out Star1 too when the graphics do not bother you much (the campaign is a blast to play). If they do bother you, there is a mod for Star2 that recreated the Star1 and BroodWar campaigns in the Star2 engine, called Mass Recall. War3 and Star2 still have many things in common, so I think you should do better in Star2 after playing War3. Heck, in one aspect Star2 feels even more comfortable: you can put an unlimited amount of units/buildings into one control group. Trust me, that is a blessing after playing Star1 as a Zerg lol.
Always good to see new people checking out the genre btw. Have fun with whatever you will try out!
- Rome Total War
- Red Alert 1 (still my favorite out of the series) if you can stand the graphics and find a working version
- Third Age Total War (mod for Medieval 2). The Total War I actually spent the most time on. Very challenging and fleshed out well.
- Rise of Nations. Older game as well and a bit more complex than Age of Empires.
- Red Alert 1 (still my favorite out of the series) if you can stand the graphics and find a working version
- Third Age Total War (mod for Medieval 2). The Total War I actually spent the most time on. Very challenging and fleshed out well.
- Rise of Nations. Older game as well and a bit more complex than Age of Empires.