Skip to main content

What's The Best RTS For Me?

 

Choosing The Right RTS For You


There are many RTS games out there, spanning from the early 1990s to now. Each one has its own gems and flaws, player base, and charm. So the question is, “Which one is right for me?” We will look at different categories on how to choose a good RTS that you will enjoy including: Release Dates, Setting, Difficulty, and Player Base.





Release Dates:

Are you looking for a good nostalgic game or high end graphics? There are many good RTS games from the 1990s and early 2000s, but you have to get over the clunky controls and “poor” graphics. Don’t ignore old games simply because of their age; there are some really good ones! Personally, my favorite old RTS is Tzar. 


Setting:

There are many different settings to RTS games. From history, science fiction, fantasy, and more. The question you should ask yourself is, “Which genre do I like the best?” Do you want to relive history and conquer civilizations? Do you want to face off against aliens in an unknown world or even BE aliens yourself? Do you want to immerse yourself in a war between your favorite fantasy stories with elves and orcs? Of course, you can always try out a few different genres, but think about which one interests you the most, because you will most likely like that game more. 


Difficulty:

This category can vary depending on what you find difficult. We will look at two subcategories for this one:

-Pacing:

There are faster and slower games within the genre itself. What do I mean? Some games like Starcraft 2 ramp up quicker in pace than  games like Age of Empires. Everything happens faster and the games “usually” end quicker. Pace can be the result of less “things” to manage, quicker access to powerful units, quicker gather rate, smaller maps, etc. You can also choose hybrid RTS games like the Total War series that have turn based economic management and real time strategy. So which would you prefer? Are you faster or slower paced?

-Knowledge Bank

Some games require a lot of knowledge in what you have to face. For example, Age of Empires 2 has 35 civilizations to figure out gameplay style, strengths, and weaknesses. Starcraft 2 has 3 races to memorize. Games can also have a huge variety in units with different skills and powers like Warcraft 3. Which do you prefer? More things to memorize might be annoying at first, but it does lead into more varied gameplay

-Mechanics

Some games are known for specific gameplay. Warcraft 3 for its heroes, Age of Empires for its Age Up progression, Stronghold for its castle building, etc. Depending on the mechanic, this can be easier or harder for you, but it could also be more fun. Perhaps looking into specific ways to play the game might interest you? 


Player Base:

Maybe you like the older games, but you spend way too much time looking for matches. In this case, see which games have a more active player base to get games quicker. These games will also have tournaments and updated guides. 


Check out my post on "A NEW ERA For The RTS Genre?" (https://forged2game.blogspot.com/2023/10/a-new-era-for-rts-genre.html) for a list of new RTS games.


Which is your favorite RTS? Leave a comment!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

RTS Game Theory/Guide Part 1

  RTS Game Theory: Multitasking Real Time Strategy games get their appeal from, well, the real time tactics. The thrill and suspense of split-decision making and constant action as you face off against the AI or other players make real time strategy games different from the other strategy games in the genre; it adds a whole other level of complexity in of itself. In this RTS Game Theory section, we are going to look at Multitasking . You may have tried an RTS for the first time and as you were learning the ropes for what building is what, you get attacked with a large force from an enemy. You go to move your army and…wait…you have one soldier just standing idly to face the threat. You were so focused on the economy, you forgot about your military. We have all been there. This frustration of everything going on at once can easily lead to frustration and quitting RTS games all together. Let’s break it down to an organized, manageable problem. The most common way to manage multitaskin...
Post a Comment
Read more

RTS Game Theory/Guide Part 2: Resource Management

  RTS Game Theory/Guide: Resource Management This is a deeper look at how to manage resources, but because this game theory/guide is for all RTS games, it won’t be a deep dive into any one game specifically. I recommend doing some research on your own for specifics. As previously mentioned, resources are the supply for the demand(military). Having a great economy will field a great army. Let's break this down into separate categories: Resource Types:   Most RTS games feature multiple types of resources, such as minerals, energy, food, gold, or wood. Understanding the different types and their uses is crucial. Buildings, units, and research all have specific costs of one or multiple of these resources. Depending on what you want to build, you need to allocate your workers to collect that resource. For example, if you need to train an army consisting of high cost gold units, you will need to collect more gold than the other resources. This may include assigning newly trained wor...
Post a Comment
Read more

Forged2Game Goals

   Welcome to Forged2Game! I'm thrilled to embark on this exciting journey with you as we delve into the realms of strategy, books, board games, video games, and so much more. Allow me to take a moment to introduce you to what lies ahead on this blog: How to Guides :  First and foremost, I wish to provide guides and beginner friendly information on Video, Board, and Card Games to help adventurers like yourself embark into the realm of gaming. Whether you are confused on keywords or mechanics, or just wish to broaden your understanding on the fundamentals, look no further! Bookish Escapes :  Are you captivated by the magic of storytelling? Join me in our literary journeys as we traverse the worlds created by brilliant authors. From immersive world building to table top role playing, we will dive into one of the oldest forms of passing information from one generation to another. Board and Digital Adventures : Board games and video games are more than just entertainment...
Post a Comment
Read more