Sophisticated RTS

[Sib]

Can I put in my vote for Supreme Commander?

 

[GenHellspawn]

I understand, it's just to me, every single C&C game I've played not made by Westwood is terrible. I mean, I got so addicted to Red Alert 2 I could play it for days. But after playing Red Alert 3 (beta) a couple times, I seriously considered uninstalling the game.

Could you elaborate? I personally found RA2 boring, and RA3 looks like a carbon copy with japs. Are they really that different?

Very much so.

 

[Ultrajoe]

And DoW 2 has tyranids... finally... now i can stroke my 3 RL hive tyrants as a make a digital one eat the face of a space marine.

I was Wrong
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.66335?page=2#573039

I'd recommend the original Red Alert, it's low tech, but it was recently released for free

Yes, yes you were... When i found out i considered sending you a little PM based heavily on 'I told you so'

But i resisted...

Here, i do not have to resist.

'I told you so'

MAHAHAHAHAHAHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHhaHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAH

 

[BaronAsh]

sins of a solar empire, you wanted sophisticated, you get it right here for $30 or so dollars american(whinch in a matter of days will equal 1 pound*laughs at sad political humor*).

Yes, Sins is an AWESOME game. Also, if you like Star Wars, I LOVE Empire at War.

Own it and beat it every way possible.(SWEaW)

 

[TOGSolid]

Uh, actually just get the Complex Mod for Homeworld 2. It takes the base game and jacks it full of steroids.

Other than that, Dawn of War is the best RTS for more fast paced games, and if you want something grand in scope, Sins of a Solar Empire is just an incredible game. Company of Heroes is a good game, however I prefer DoW's pacing. I will recommend you check out CoH.

I cannot recommend Supreme Commander due to the absolutely horrid unit AI and terrible formation control in that game.

EDIT: I also cannot recommend my spelling. Good lord there was a doozy I noticed after I hit submit.

Basically, just go get anything from Relic or Stardock, and it'll be money well spent.

 

[Devil's Due]

Command and Conquer series. So awesome.

Also..

Command and Conquer 3 is a steaming turd, just get Company of Heroes. Its one of the most critically acclaimed RTS ever made.

To each his own, Codgo.

 

[Silvertongue]

I know they're as old as the hills but it's dirt cheap and good: Stronghold and Stronghold: Crusader. You can run them both without too much lag on, like, Windows freakin' 95. I first played them on ME, and they ran like gold.

edit: The combat isn't that complex, but the economy building is some of the best I've seen anywhere.

 

[Count_de_Monet]

It depends on what you consider sophisticated.

Supreme Commander's resource system is a bit more complicated to manage than your traditional RTS. Tactically it's really not that difficult. The maps are enormous so you can attack from various angles, however, most of the time it really doesn't give you an advantage. You'll end up making swarms of land units, some air cover, and a decent T2 navy with a couple battleships in every game.

I love Dawn of War but it's not nearly as complex as Company of Heroes. The resource point system means most races have to constantly fight in the same spots but you have to know when, where and what to attack with and how to use it. Teching up is pretty simple but Soulstorm is a bit bleak online. I stopped playing a little while ago and to my knowledge Relic still hasn't released the update it promised 9 months ago...

Company of Heroes wins, in my opinion. You absolutely can't just attack move your forces and expect a good result. You have to put everything in cover, set ambushes, flank enemy positions and pay a lot of attention to your armor because it will be blown to pieces if you lose focus. Resourcing isn't complicated but you'll be fighting over it fast and constantly.

I'm sure other people make good RTS's besides Relic but I just haven't gotten into any of them in the last couple years... I'm going to buy Sins of a Solar empire this week because I'm bored of everything I have and X3: Reunion is annoying the crap out of me. I can understand EVE if you're in a corp but X3 gives you no help whatsoever and I don't feel like wasting a month of my life figuring it out.

 

[Zemalac]

Well, every other RTS seems pretty well covered, so I'm going to reccomend World in Conflict. It's more real-time tactics than stratagy, with you having a small amount of units and fighting with a team of other players. In multiplayer you actually choose a class to fight as, like in a FPS or something, and that determines what units you can get. Since you can't get that many there's a large amount of stratagy involved in choosing what units you want to use depending on the state of the battlefield at the moment.

That and it looks beautiful if you can run it right. Good, deep game.

 

[thiosk]

I like dawn of war... but only the necrons... really. If you like building up your base, and creating a masterful army through resource control and turtling... DON'T play dow. Turtling ain't allowed.

If you are into the multiplayer, do give Sins a try. I bought it, enjoy it, but don't have time to play competitively, so I don't play much anymore.

When I feel the need for some RTS, I simply can not have more fun than busting out Rome: Total War. If i want to control the minutae of an army, this simply can't be beat. Tactics! Cavalry charges into the flanks! Every total war iteration seems to be better and better, so mideval 2 would be great. And i hear theres a new one with real naval battles and muskets on its way...

 

[LewsTherin]

Medieval 2 Total war is my current drug of choice

 

[mtk2a]

Sins of a Solar Empire is about as complex as real-time gets, but only when playing a map with several systems and a couple hundred planets.

 

[SP MeaslyBinkie]

Original War is a mix of RPG/RTS made by Altar Interactive its worth checking out you can probaly get it cheap if you can find it.

 

[Jazzyluv]

Starcraft, it has more depth than any other RTS out their. You don't need an overly complicated resource system to create depth. Starcraft has more depth simply because their are thousands of ways to play it, and their is actually more on the fly thinking. More STRATEGY, and less "learn overly complicated resource and unit management that after about 8 hours of it you have mastered it"

Real Strategy, out thinking and playing your opponent is Starcraft

 

[Ultrajoe]

I like dawn of war... but only the necrons... really. If you like building up your base, and creating a masterful army through resource control and turtling... DON'T play dow. Turtling ain't allowed.

I've often found thats what makes it sophisticated, any fool can win if he turtles and amasses a huge army but DoW thrusts you out onto the field and makes the constantly thinking tides of war right on your doorstep.

And the games much faster, there is always that.