What is your favorite RTS game ever?
- Thread starter Randoman01
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Hell yes.TrevHead said:
Homeworld, and Homeworld: Cataclysm are by far my favorite RTS's, hands down. Both of those games sucked me in from the opening cinematic, and held me gripped till the end with their storytelling. And the gameplay was hella awesome.
I loved setting a bomber wing to do a strike on a cap ship, and then switch the view to cockpit to watch the action up close xD
Damn, I need to re-install those and play them.
StarCraft is probably my favorite "RTS game", my favorite game with RTS elements would be Divinity: Dragon Commander. It's replay value is less than what you get in many other RTS games, but I loved the narrative choices and characters. Sure, you could treat the single-player campaign like turn-based game of Risk, but I loved waging a war that was a campaign with victories on some fronts with losses on others. It would have greatly improved by more challenging AI in the campaign, but human opponents generally have that covered.
I'd say SupCom and Sins of a Solar Empire are mine, as though I do like the genre, I hate the micro-fest that comprise games like SC2.
Oh, honorable mention to AI War. that's a cool game.
As the person above me mentioned, Dragon Commander's another favorite, though its RTS elements weren't its best component.
Oh, honorable mention to AI War. that's a cool game.
As the person above me mentioned, Dragon Commander's another favorite, though its RTS elements weren't its best component.
My first RTS was Age of Empires. Played them all until Conqueror's Expansion. So I'm gonna go with that. Every other RTS has always looked like an AoE clone to me.
StarCraft 2. I don't even like RTS games, normally. I got a beta key from somewhere, and I thought I'd give it a go. Picked Zerg, played a few games, and it was suddenly 20 hours later. I've played most other high profile RTS games up until that point, but none of them really captured me, not even SC1, like SC2 did. I just fell in love with it and played hundreds of hours just in the beta. I still don't really like RTS games in general, with SC2 being the only exception. Unless you count DotA 2 as an RTS, in which case it's the second only exception.
I am surprised and pleased by how few people are mentioning Starcraft and Warcraft. I'm not saying they're bad, I just don't understand why they have such a huge following compared to the many equal or better options.
Hard to say a particular favourite. C&C Red Alert 2 is probably my most time played; Supreme Commander I would consider the best technical / gameplay example of RTS; Sins of a Solar Empire, Homeworld and Stronghold Crusader are all excellent but atypical (i.e. 4x hybrid, 3d movement and extreme basebuilding respectively) RTS examples.
Hard to say a particular favourite. C&C Red Alert 2 is probably my most time played; Supreme Commander I would consider the best technical / gameplay example of RTS; Sins of a Solar Empire, Homeworld and Stronghold Crusader are all excellent but atypical (i.e. 4x hybrid, 3d movement and extreme basebuilding respectively) RTS examples.
Well, it depends.
If it's for the story, Homeworld takes my vote, hands down.[footnote]And I still say it has one of the best stories ever put to a video game.[/footnote] Same goes for music.
If it's for gameplay, Sins of a Solar Empire would be my pick; just as it would when going by aesthetics.
There are plenty of other RTS games out there that I enjoy immensely, for any of the reasons above, but Sins and Homeworld just resonate with me far more than any other. I've derived an incalculable number of hours of enjoyment out of both over the years.
However, if I were to choose one that fit all the criteria above; though it may not be my "favorite" at any of them; it would be MechCommander 2. It was one of the few RTS games that I loved mapping and modding for.
If it's for the story, Homeworld takes my vote, hands down.[footnote]And I still say it has one of the best stories ever put to a video game.[/footnote] Same goes for music.
If it's for gameplay, Sins of a Solar Empire would be my pick; just as it would when going by aesthetics.
There are plenty of other RTS games out there that I enjoy immensely, for any of the reasons above, but Sins and Homeworld just resonate with me far more than any other. I've derived an incalculable number of hours of enjoyment out of both over the years.
However, if I were to choose one that fit all the criteria above; though it may not be my "favorite" at any of them; it would be MechCommander 2. It was one of the few RTS games that I loved mapping and modding for.
Zero-K [zero-k.info]. It basically does Total Annihilation's style of flow-based economy and physical simulation, but streamlines the economy so that spending is consistent (all construction uses 1 metal and 1 energy per second), and puts the game at a scale where the physical simulation actually matters for unit control. It feels like a hybrid of Total Annihilation's map control oriented gameplay with C&C's pace and scale. I point that last bit out because everyone who has mentioned TA/SupCom has gone on about its large scale (which I found didn't mesh well with the physics simulation in SupCom's case), so I'm guessing that a smaller scale is not as much of a selling point. It also has a lot of dynamic read & response play, much like C&C games.
It's also free (in every sense of the word), and played competitively.
On a different note, the game I'd most want to see remade or otherwise re-popularized is Rise of Legends. I really liked how that game handled competing military needs while keeping trade and territory consolidation an important tradeoff for resources, and the dominance mechanics were neat (mostly for the information transparency and alternate advantage conditions). I kinda wish it gave the units a bit more to do and to be used for.
Lastly, for mods, StarBow (for StarCraft 2) eliminates the deathball and one-battle-to-win play from StarCraft 2, and as a result provides a lot more room for adjusting one's play to their opponent, as one single mistake won't cost the game, so there is some room to adjust and respond. Still very tech-tree and upgrade focused, so responses aren't that quick, but there is enough time to build up what is necessary, and enough importance in local advantage (like I said, no deathball) that having fewer units than the opponent isn't an immediate loss.
It's also free (in every sense of the word), and played competitively.
On a different note, the game I'd most want to see remade or otherwise re-popularized is Rise of Legends. I really liked how that game handled competing military needs while keeping trade and territory consolidation an important tradeoff for resources, and the dominance mechanics were neat (mostly for the information transparency and alternate advantage conditions). I kinda wish it gave the units a bit more to do and to be used for.
Lastly, for mods, StarBow (for StarCraft 2) eliminates the deathball and one-battle-to-win play from StarCraft 2, and as a result provides a lot more room for adjusting one's play to their opponent, as one single mistake won't cost the game, so there is some room to adjust and respond. Still very tech-tree and upgrade focused, so responses aren't that quick, but there is enough time to build up what is necessary, and enough importance in local advantage (like I said, no deathball) that having fewer units than the opponent isn't an immediate loss.
In no particular order as i cant make a decision. Warcraft III, I am shit at skirmish and regularly get beaten by the AI on easy.... but dat campaign. (except for the last Orc mission, FUCK THAT MISSION).
Dawn Of War II. The only RTS I am remotely competent at. At first i was against the idea of small units and skirmish like battles but it worked so well and felt like an arcadey Company of Heroes with pretty awesome campaigns.
Empire at War. Ok i think its kind of bad and the ground missions arnt much fun but those Space Battles more than make up for it.
LotR Battle for Middle Earth 1. Mostly for the the Helms Deep and Minas Tirith battles in both the good and evil campaigns. I used to have save files just before those missions so i could replay them.
Dawn Of War II. The only RTS I am remotely competent at. At first i was against the idea of small units and skirmish like battles but it worked so well and felt like an arcadey Company of Heroes with pretty awesome campaigns.
Empire at War. Ok i think its kind of bad and the ground missions arnt much fun but those Space Battles more than make up for it.
LotR Battle for Middle Earth 1. Mostly for the the Helms Deep and Minas Tirith battles in both the good and evil campaigns. I used to have save files just before those missions so i could replay them.
Age of Empires 2 is probably my favourite, I just love almost everything about it. The original Age of Empires was also one of the games that got me into gaming and alongside the original Warcraft: Orcs vs. Humans, was my introduction to strategy gaming.
Of the modern rts released in the last few years, Company of Heroes and Dawn of War 2 have probably been my favourites. Relic make some great rts and I'm curious to see what they do next, now that they're owned by Sega instead of THQ.
Of the modern rts released in the last few years, Company of Heroes and Dawn of War 2 have probably been my favourites. Relic make some great rts and I'm curious to see what they do next, now that they're owned by Sega instead of THQ.
Well, Total Annihilation and AoE2 would definitely be jostling it out for runner-up. For a sci fi game, TA was fantastic at simulating naval warfare, air operations, combined arms etc, and the huge pop cap was great. AOE2 was just an incredibly polished game, with all the different buildings matching particular ethnic architecture. I learned so much medieval history just from reading the manual.
But, I just can't go past the original Company of Heroes for my favourite ever.
-Resources being tied to capturing territory rather than peon micro means the game is so much more tactical. There's nothing like the feeling of gearing up to make a push on the enemy line so you can take back the VP or fuel point.
-Lots of little touches: cover, dropped weapons, buildings that can be garrisoned and destroyed, wrecked vehicles that can be salvaged or used as cover, detailed sounds from different units, being able to lay defences like wire, sandbags etc
-The AI was better than any game I've played. It shows its age now, but the AI was leaps and bounds ahead of what had been done at the time. Even now, if you set up a massive defensive line, the AI will figure out where the weakest spot is and attack right there.
-It just gets the feel and balance of a WW2 game exactly right. Infantry and support weapons dominate the battle for territory in the early game, before light vehicles come out to try and push the infantry off, and finally tanks hit the field. Each time that happens the balance is completely shaken up and you have to react quickly.
But, I just can't go past the original Company of Heroes for my favourite ever.
-Resources being tied to capturing territory rather than peon micro means the game is so much more tactical. There's nothing like the feeling of gearing up to make a push on the enemy line so you can take back the VP or fuel point.
-Lots of little touches: cover, dropped weapons, buildings that can be garrisoned and destroyed, wrecked vehicles that can be salvaged or used as cover, detailed sounds from different units, being able to lay defences like wire, sandbags etc
-The AI was better than any game I've played. It shows its age now, but the AI was leaps and bounds ahead of what had been done at the time. Even now, if you set up a massive defensive line, the AI will figure out where the weakest spot is and attack right there.
-It just gets the feel and balance of a WW2 game exactly right. Infantry and support weapons dominate the battle for territory in the early game, before light vehicles come out to try and push the infantry off, and finally tanks hit the field. Each time that happens the balance is completely shaken up and you have to react quickly.
Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II
Sooooo many hours were spent in skirmish mode, playing co-op with a buddy against 4 (or 6, I can't remember) other CPU controlled factions, reaching our respective unit command limit and pitting our armies and powers against each other, Tom Bombadil landing the killing blow on the Balrog by dancing into it.
*sigh*
Fun times...
Sooooo many hours were spent in skirmish mode, playing co-op with a buddy against 4 (or 6, I can't remember) other CPU controlled factions, reaching our respective unit command limit and pitting our armies and powers against each other, Tom Bombadil landing the killing blow on the Balrog by dancing into it.
*sigh*
Fun times...
I would have to go with Starcraft. It's the earliest game I can remember that truly sucked me in, where it wasn't just about dicking around with cheats on.
The first to show me games as true entertainment, on the same level as a movie, or perhaps even greater. So it gets my vote for nostalgia's sake if nothing else.
Honorable mentions also go out to Age Of Empires 2, Battle For Middle Earth, and Dawn Of War 2.
Also, for Starcraft(2) fans, smash this in your facebrain!!!
There's dozens of them here. [https://www.youtube.com/user/CarbotAnimations/videos?view=0&sort=da&flow=grid]
The first to show me games as true entertainment, on the same level as a movie, or perhaps even greater. So it gets my vote for nostalgia's sake if nothing else.
Honorable mentions also go out to Age Of Empires 2, Battle For Middle Earth, and Dawn Of War 2.
Also, for Starcraft(2) fans, smash this in your facebrain!!!
There's dozens of them here. [https://www.youtube.com/user/CarbotAnimations/videos?view=0&sort=da&flow=grid]
Another one for Forged Alliance. The resource system makes sense now. RTS's like StarCraft and CnC drive me insane, and having a fully automated base? You shitting me, I can do that? Sign me up for that shit!
I'm not too big on Planetary Annihilation though. The spherical map makes things really confusing for me...
Captcha:
soft
kitty, warm
kitty
Wat?
I'm not too big on Planetary Annihilation though. The spherical map makes things really confusing for me...
Captcha:
soft
kitty, warm
kitty
Wat?