-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
bitbydeath
Member
Start here.
worldwithpyramids
Member
WarCraft III and StarCraft are incredibly fun and good for beginners.
diffusionx
Gold Member
AOE2 Definitive Edition
C&C Remastered
Starcraft 2
All good options to start and see what you like - and the three main “branches” of the genre back in the day.
C&C Remastered
Starcraft 2
All good options to start and see what you like - and the three main “branches” of the genre back in the day.
The Cockatrice
Gold Member
read up on the story of Starcraft 1 and then go ahead and play the entire Starcraft 2 experience. Sure the RTS gameplay is wonderful but that game packs quite an amazing story and it also has some pretty insane cinematics.
Last edited:
VisualFidelity
Member
gears tactics, easy to understand and fun
rodrigolfp
Haptic Gamepads 4 Life
WH 40K Dawn of War
Tschumi
Member
Allow me to exercise my lameness:
There are multiple types of RTS.
Some require resource gathering, some don't, some have some other form of resource. Some are full 3D, some are partially 3D, some - some of the very best - are 2D. I'll suggest.... 3 (that number may change) games which I guess represent a good spread.
1) World in Conflict.
An descendent of the superb 'Ground Control', this game came out in 2007 or something but is arguably to this day the best looking RTS. It doesn't involve base building or resource gathering - you just [augment your steadily building] requisition points by holding key points - so the combat is pretty fluid. The visuals - fully 3D and gorgeous, full of amazing effects - are fantastic, and the gameplay is everything you might expect from a third iteration of a gaming vision. This is without doubt the single greatest 'modern warfare' simulation RTS out there.
2) Age of Empires 2: The Conquerors Expansion
This is the gold standard high water mark for RTS gameplay. Get the original version if you can - Ensemble's scripting is far superior to any remakes. You just can't go wrong with this game - it includes the OG AoE2, Age of Kings - it offers endless replayability and some really good campaigns.
Edit: the below gif is of a remastered faction, i think, it was the best i could find. Real game looks basically identical apart from building and tree sprites.
3) Homeworld 1+2 Remastered
You have to play these games. I believe they're on steam in HD versions... but they're just perfection. Visually stunning, great gameplay, amazing music, epic stories, they're not super replayable but they are just titans of the genre. Basic resource gathering that carries over between missions powers a robust gameplay model.
4) Anno 1440/1800
You have to play this Austrian series, and I have to recommend 1800 because it's the most recent and more accessible gameplay model. It's also gorgeous. The reason I include 1440 here is because it's almos equally accessible, and a lot of fun. Older titles are less polished. This game brings resource gathering to a new level with really complex production trees and labour management - it's pretty much the whole game. So only play this if you're into that stuff.
5) Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom
This is the Impressions City Builder I choose. Caesar 3 is probably the best, but this is the most polished, beautiful, and controlled. Set in ancient China, you build cities for independently acting AI controlled sprites that move around, take jobs, complete tasks, and work together to give you a a) pretty city that is b) economically self-perpetuating. It's a really, really, really fun game type that relies a lot on things like city layout planning and such.
6) Majesty 2.
Last but not least (turns out I did 6) this is an INCREDIBLE, hugely underrated RTS game with really unique gameplay. Think of this as being the dude who hands out WoW's quests. You build a town, build guild halls, they spawn AI heroes who wander around responding to your banners (quests you can place on locations, enemies, etc) for gold, experience, which they pump back into the economic buildings of your town (buying potions at marketplaces), which your taxman collects income from for your war chest. You also have god powers on cooldown that you can use to help your town along. It's an amazing gameplay system. You can carry your heroes over into the next mission (for a cost) and by the end of the day you can have high level heroes walking around in epic lootz kicking serious ass. It's also a really challenging game.
Edit: you can set how much gold those banners offer for reward, you need to put up more to attract more/better heroes, this is really cool, especially when you dump 10k gold on a boss and watch every hero and their pet marmot march to their deaths trying to get the duckets.
ps. this is like the only way I could get images of the game, google search got nuthin'
EDIT:
7) Rise of Legends
Just wanna add this in, I posted it on the next page but I wanna let it be more visible. I mentioned this game early - a spin-off to Rise of Nations. They've got some really funky additions to the gameplay, 3 fantasy races with drastically different playing styles, flying units (flying trade carts for example), a cool way of building cities, full 3D and some really nicely detailed units, a pretty fun campaign plot with tons of voice acting, just all in all a really cool riff on the classic RoN formula.
... this video is pretty long , and only really focuses on one race (the ''Vinci"), but it's pretty great. Skip along to the final 3rd or 4th of the video to see his settlement already established, but the extended build-up part is pretty instructive too - if a little slow.
There are multiple types of RTS.
Some require resource gathering, some don't, some have some other form of resource. Some are full 3D, some are partially 3D, some - some of the very best - are 2D. I'll suggest.... 3 (that number may change) games which I guess represent a good spread.
1) World in Conflict.
An descendent of the superb 'Ground Control', this game came out in 2007 or something but is arguably to this day the best looking RTS. It doesn't involve base building or resource gathering - you just [augment your steadily building] requisition points by holding key points - so the combat is pretty fluid. The visuals - fully 3D and gorgeous, full of amazing effects - are fantastic, and the gameplay is everything you might expect from a third iteration of a gaming vision. This is without doubt the single greatest 'modern warfare' simulation RTS out there.
2) Age of Empires 2: The Conquerors Expansion
This is the gold standard high water mark for RTS gameplay. Get the original version if you can - Ensemble's scripting is far superior to any remakes. You just can't go wrong with this game - it includes the OG AoE2, Age of Kings - it offers endless replayability and some really good campaigns.
Edit: the below gif is of a remastered faction, i think, it was the best i could find. Real game looks basically identical apart from building and tree sprites.
3) Homeworld 1+2 Remastered
You have to play these games. I believe they're on steam in HD versions... but they're just perfection. Visually stunning, great gameplay, amazing music, epic stories, they're not super replayable but they are just titans of the genre. Basic resource gathering that carries over between missions powers a robust gameplay model.
4) Anno 1440/1800
You have to play this Austrian series, and I have to recommend 1800 because it's the most recent and more accessible gameplay model. It's also gorgeous. The reason I include 1440 here is because it's almos equally accessible, and a lot of fun. Older titles are less polished. This game brings resource gathering to a new level with really complex production trees and labour management - it's pretty much the whole game. So only play this if you're into that stuff.
5) Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom
This is the Impressions City Builder I choose. Caesar 3 is probably the best, but this is the most polished, beautiful, and controlled. Set in ancient China, you build cities for independently acting AI controlled sprites that move around, take jobs, complete tasks, and work together to give you a a) pretty city that is b) economically self-perpetuating. It's a really, really, really fun game type that relies a lot on things like city layout planning and such.
6) Majesty 2.
Last but not least (turns out I did 6) this is an INCREDIBLE, hugely underrated RTS game with really unique gameplay. Think of this as being the dude who hands out WoW's quests. You build a town, build guild halls, they spawn AI heroes who wander around responding to your banners (quests you can place on locations, enemies, etc) for gold, experience, which they pump back into the economic buildings of your town (buying potions at marketplaces), which your taxman collects income from for your war chest. You also have god powers on cooldown that you can use to help your town along. It's an amazing gameplay system. You can carry your heroes over into the next mission (for a cost) and by the end of the day you can have high level heroes walking around in epic lootz kicking serious ass. It's also a really challenging game.
Edit: you can set how much gold those banners offer for reward, you need to put up more to attract more/better heroes, this is really cool, especially when you dump 10k gold on a boss and watch every hero and their pet marmot march to their deaths trying to get the duckets.
ps. this is like the only way I could get images of the game, google search got nuthin'
EDIT:
7) Rise of Legends
Just wanna add this in, I posted it on the next page but I wanna let it be more visible. I mentioned this game early - a spin-off to Rise of Nations. They've got some really funky additions to the gameplay, 3 fantasy races with drastically different playing styles, flying units (flying trade carts for example), a cool way of building cities, full 3D and some really nicely detailed units, a pretty fun campaign plot with tons of voice acting, just all in all a really cool riff on the classic RoN formula.
... this video is pretty long , and only really focuses on one race (the ''Vinci"), but it's pretty great. Skip along to the final 3rd or 4th of the video to see his settlement already established, but the extended build-up part is pretty instructive too - if a little slow.
Last edited by a moderator:
Nhranaghacon
Banned
Starcraft 2 Strategy in MP is unmatched.
Tschumi
Member
it's really good, not really an RTS though, more turn based empire sim with real time battles.. It's fantastic, no doubt about it. I didn't include any Total War games in my big post (#13) because i don't think they quite count.
Post sequel for online RTS games:
Starcraft 2.
SC 1 was the ultimate E Sport for ages, but SC 2 is better, looks better. I wouldn't look any further than this.
Last edited by a moderator:
Bolivar687
Banned
It's actually quite excellent and not a bad starting point at all. I know some people might quibble with the classification but it doesn't really stretch the meaning of the genre any further than some other games do. It's really an RTS game that pretends to be a grand strategy.
Starcraft II is free so you can start playing campaign missions and checking out multiplayer right now.
I love C&C Remastered but Tiberian Dawn can be kind of hard only a few missions in. But the presentation of the remastered visuals and soundtrack together make for such an awesome experience. The missions are also kind of bite sized too, with a lot of depth hidden within its simplicity.
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
Starcraft II
It's the most modern, most polished, most robust RTS ever made.
It's the most modern, most polished, most robust RTS ever made.
Lanrutcon
Member
AoE2, DoW, Warcraft 3, Total Annihilation...all sexy as hell. Starcraft 2 is overrated as fuck.
Edit: Shit, forgot Company of Heroes. Never played 2, because it was a CPU killer when it came out.
Easy there. This thread is already completely out of control with the definition of RTS, but let's at least keep to the RT part.
Edit: Shit, forgot Company of Heroes. Never played 2, because it was a CPU killer when it came out.
Easy there. This thread is already completely out of control with the definition of RTS, but let's at least keep to the RT part.
Last edited:
Guy Legend
Member
Command and Conquer remastered is the correct answer.
Tschumi
Member
better yet: track down a cracked torrent of warcraft 3 UNremastered
*thumbsup*
diffusionx
Gold Member
On this forum, Civilization 6 is a RTS apparently
Allnamestakenlol
Member
It's fucking glorious. Steep learning curve in the beginning, just because of how much is there, but well worth the effort.
ZZZZ
Member
Only the combat is RTS, the diplomacy and everything else is turn based. You can make the argument it has the best combat overall in the genre, i have over 1000h in it, game is a masterpiece.
Last edited:
pullcounter
Member
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
Tschumi
Member
Not one mention of Rise of Nations?
For shame GAF.
If you want to go medieval, Stronghold and Stronghold Crusader. Unfortunately the other entries are burning dumpster fires.
I loved rise of nations, but going back to it now the gameplay doesn't seem quite so buttery smooth.. rise of legends was a really fantastic spinoff
Stronghold was great, i loved the original the most.. "Grrreetings, Lord Tschumi."
Last edited by a moderator:
Tschumi
Member
Yeah heaps of people say this game is perfection, i tried a bit of it, certainly a cool formula but i couldn't get into it. Might have been the mission design.. I'm sure it's epic in multiplayer
iHaunter
Member
Starcraft is definitely NOT good for beginners. I would say C&C and WC3 to start. If starcraft maybe Starcraft II.
Last edited:
Zog
Banned
That sounds like where to end, not where to start.
HoodWinked
Member
Red alert is the best for starters you basically take your time and build up defense structures and the enemy will trickle in enemies hopelessly to die to them. Then you just build up a sea of tanks then just ctrl group 1 and steamroll them. Then realize it's been 2 hours.
Tschumi
Member
This is a good call. To be honest i see people putting up c&c, but i personally always thought c&c was a bit outdated, especially after red alert 2 came out.
Men_in_Boxes
Snake Oil Salesman
SinDelta
Member
Age of Mythology has one of the best stories and campaigns in any RTS period. Amazing game that perfected the Age of Empires formula. (Age of Mythology DE should be in next in pipeline given Age of Empires 1,2, and 3 have gotten DE.)
Galactic Battlegrounds is like Star Wars but Age of Empires.
You want pure distilled awesome? Command and Conquer Red Alert 2 (2 Remastered should be in the pipeline considering how 1 Remastered has done.)
Galactic Battlegrounds is like Star Wars but Age of Empires.
You want pure distilled awesome? Command and Conquer Red Alert 2 (2 Remastered should be in the pipeline considering how 1 Remastered has done.)
Last edited:
TheContact
Member
I recommend Warcraft 3 campaign or Starcraft 2 campaign.
Last edited:
worldwithpyramids
Member
It was my first RTS at 11 years old and I remember it being pretty simple to learn. It’s why I fell in love with the genre. I dunno. I definitely found it more accessible than C&C.
mcz117chief
Member
Just a little nitpick, you gain requisition gradually regardless of how many victory points you have. The ony modifier is that you gain it faster the more you are left to receive from the total pool of 6000 (in a standard game) so basically the more units you got the slower it will go until it stops.
Last edited:
Tschumi
Member
Age of Mythology is probably the perfect game in everything it does, just doesn't quite do everything AoE2 did for me, personally speaking.. beautiful achievement of a game. I'm really mourning that iteration of ensemble the more i think about this thread...
Great input, ta much
how great is that freakin game*if one existed I'd link a gif of Frasier saying "thanks, Niles, for keeping me grounded"*
Last edited by a moderator:
Krappadizzle
Member
mcz117chief
Member
No problem, mate. I used to play World in Conflict competitively and was among the top 100 players sometimes (between 95-150 mostly).Great input, ta much
*if one existed I'd link a gif of Frasier saying "thanks, Niles, for keeping me grounded"*
Not anymore it seems, and you can only play as 2 factions, the others cost around 13€ a pop (or 20€ in a bundle for Western armies), which is just too damn high imo.
Last edited:
longdi
Banned
At least company of heroes 2 is still free on gamepass
There is a complete 64bit edition coming next week.
www.coh2.org
I believe the GP version is already 64 bit, which is supposed to improve performance and stability.
OP get into coh2 yo!
There is a complete 64bit edition coming next week.
CoH2: All-Out War Edition - 64bit - COH2.ORG
www.coh2.org
I believe the GP version is already 64 bit, which is supposed to improve performance and stability.
OP get into coh2 yo!
Beer Baelly
Al Pachinko, Konami President
Halo Wars baby!
Soulblighter31
Banned
yup. Supreme Commander is the apex of real time strategy design. Its the very peak of what rts can be. But its certainly not for begginers, thats a game you play after you eat strategy games for breakfast
What do you mean ? Because its old ? The original ?
teezzy
Banned
Galactic Battlegrounds is an awesome start. Nice to be familiar with the IP/setting going in, and the tutorial is top tier.
Awesome, awesome, awesome game. Doesn't even need the widescreen mod imho.