RTS v. TBS

[ReverseEngineered]

I generally find RTS games too overwhelming. Strategy takes time to develop, and though I'm never a fan of extreme micromanaging, it's much less painful if I have time to do it. Though I liked Starcraft, I was never good at it, because there just wasn't enough time to be watching your base, building more units, expanding, defending, and attacking all at the same time. At least a game like Civilization (which I love), which still requires all the same attention to detail, gives you the time to do it.

If RTSes required less micromanagement, I think I'd enjoy them a lot more. Until then, I'll take a TBS.

Unless I'm playing against real people, in which case a TBS becomes tiring very quickly. I don't mind taking my time to make my own moves, but when you have to wait for 3 other people to do the same thing, you spend a lot of time not playing the game.

 

[hamster mk 4]

My favorite strategy game is Supreme Commander which is an RTS. I think it depends more on the game than the style of play. Some RTS's are crap and some TBS's are crap. Every once in a while a great game comes by that gives you that satisfying hard won victory feeling and you can not help but bask in its glow.

That being said I think RTS developers put more effort into production values. TBS's look more dated with everything on a grid and stuff moving only at certain times. The exception is Worms, but then it could be argued that Worms isn't a strategy game.

 

[Fatalis67]

There are very few TBS's that I enjoy, but the ones I do enjoy are supplies of hours of fun. The problem with RTS's is that they focus on building and managing a base constantly, which is not fun or strategic. An RTS that focuses on strategic combat would be my dream game, and I mean combat where you have to think alot more than in most RTS games, where strategy is mainly figuring out how many soldiers to include in your head-on attacks.

The problem with RTS multiplayer is that many people move freakishly fast, and have a full-on army by the time you barely have built up a village. It's like in MMORPGs, some people rush through the game to get to the highest level as fast as humanly possible, but others take it slower to get the full experience of the game.

 

[fyrh56]

I have no preference when it comes to single player. I can enjoy a good TBS as much as a good RTS.
Multiplayer however, i can't be arsed to play most TBS's online even if they do implement some kind of same-turn gameplay. There's always one git that can't decide how many troops he wants in Cambodia in less than 5 minutes per turn. That's the reason why i quit playing Risk II online really.