/r/RealTimeStrategy

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Real-Time Strategy (RTS) game news, discussion, and modding.

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A sub-reddit for discussion of RTS games and news.


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/r/RealTimeStrategy

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3

Is it impossible to get into multiplayer RTS games without prior experience

It seems like the micro-action reflexes and skill ceiling in this game are way too sweaty, competing against old timers who've played RTS games since the original AOEs and Warcraft and getting stomped. On and off I've tried, but it seems like the same thing all the time. No preparation, I can't even build a barracks before getting completely demolished in a sudden rush from some low grade units 1 minute into the game, etc.

Are there any RTS games that aren't like this online?

3 Comments
2024/05/18
17:36 UTC

0

Is Clash of Clans among the bare minimum RTS's worth playing?

Because right now, the RTS genre is not as popular right now as it used to, because nobody wants to macro and micro their own bases, resources, and units, respectively, at the same time as each other while dealing with another player who could do both faster and more efficiently. Versus with Clash of Clans, you're just tapping on your screen and switching between building and managing your base, resources, and army, and sending your units to automatically attack the closest enemy structures they can find when you're invading other players' bases. And your own base automatically defends itself from enemy invaders while you shut off the game or your phone, and don't get to see the results of its defense until after you turn the game back on.

Combined with its esports scene, as well as the insane amount of monetization that increases as you further build and improve your base and army, and it makes me wonder if Clash of Clans just managed to develop that large of a monopoly on the RTS genre. But did it really build that large of a monopoly on RTS's, though? Or is nearly the rest of the genre still alive and well, and I haven't noticed?

8 Comments
2024/05/18
14:14 UTC

7

Shrot, the upcoming indie base building Sci-Fi RTS, demo on Steam

0 Comments
2024/05/18
13:28 UTC

3

For the last few weeks I've been working on easily expandable bonuses that the player can earn throughout the game. Now I can add them in bulk. Each of the bonuses will have three levels of power. All images text etc are just placeholders. Any ideas for special bonuses?

0 Comments
2024/05/18
12:34 UTC

1

Recommendations please

I like games that makes me think strategically. And the last one that made me feel that way ( I know there are haters since controls were crappy but mechanics and gameplay was great).was Tom Clancy's End War. I loved that game. Anything as engaging and similar like that please ?

4 Comments
2024/05/18
09:08 UTC

1

Battle for Minas Tirith I Dawnless Days Total War Cinematic

1 Comment
2024/05/17
07:48 UTC

4

Help me remember!

I just had a vivid flashback to some older survival game that I used to play when I was younger (I'm 27 now). It involved handling a small colony of people, and you had to get men and women to have babies so that you could have more people. There were certain jobs you could assign them to, like foraging, building, etc. I also remember it being very difficult or maybe there was a brutal difficulty. You could screw up and the whole population would die, so your choices really did matter. The art was pixelated. It was pretty, at times. Apologies if this sounds so fragmented, I'm just having a hard time remembering what this freaking game is/was!

1 Comment
2024/05/16
23:43 UTC

0

Does anyone know which classic RTS games are most similar to this?

8 Comments
2024/05/16
22:53 UTC

10

Help playtest our indie game Ruined Horizons. A Tactical Space Combat game.

We're quite proud of the lasers!

We're working on a tactical 3d space combat game with strategic overmap elements. Think XCOM meets Homeworld. We're currently looking for people to playtest a practice mission we have prepared.

You can download it here: https://cmdrwhitesnake.itch.io/ruined-horizons

If you can fill answer the questions below, we'll include you as a playtester in the game credits!

  1. Did you finish both tutorials, and If so do you feel the game's controls were adequately explained to you?
  2. Did you finish the mission?
  3. Was there a time you were bored or felt you had nothing to do during the mission?
  4. Was there a time you felt overwhelmed?
  5. Was there a time you didn't know what to do next?
  6. Did you feel that you were able to make impactful strategic decisions?
  7. Did each ship feel unique to play/control?
  8. If you could describe the combat in one sentence, what would it be?
  9. If there was one thing you would change about this what would it be?
  10. Overall, would you be interested in playing this again?
1 Comment
2024/05/16
22:47 UTC

10

Let's settle this. What is more important for a good RTS?

Hopefully devs will learn and give us what we want.

View Poll

23 Comments
2024/05/16
22:19 UTC

24

Men of war 2

I am curious to hear about genuine opinions about the game because the amount of content seems really appealing. Steam reviews are unreliable because a lot of them are 30 minutes refunds, sponsoring Gates of hell and saying little about the game itself. Apart from the comparison to the other title, how is the game? Is it suited more towards single player or multi-player or even both? I am curious to hear opinions on the game quality itself, free from comparison to GOH or previous MoW games

23 Comments
2024/05/16
20:07 UTC

10

Stellaris… is it for me?

Hey guys.

I’ve been playing Sins of a Solar Empire for many years and before that homeworld so I love space strategy games. I also love playing the total war series, I started with Rome when it came out and have played every game since.

Now one thing I will say as why I have never played stellaris before is I thought it was turn based not real time and I’ve always hated turn based games. I know total war has turn based gameplay too but I hate that part I just like the battles. I also tried games like Civ in the past and I just hated turn based games. So now so many years after the stellaris release I just found out it’s real time.

So from my own research I see that it’s similar to sins of a solar empire but with less focus on the completely unique factions and combat but more focused and sandbox experiences and freedom to make loads of choices.

I’m looking at getting Stellaris while it’s on sale but I’m just wondering if you guys would recommend it to me? Am I missing out or do you think I should wait for the full release of Sins of a Solar Empire 2 instead?

19 Comments
2024/05/16
18:42 UTC

2

Developing Hypercoven’s Resource System

The initial idea for the game was very simple: "Everything is infinite." You capture spawners, and they keep producing units endlessly. You add upgrades (in the form of buildings), and all future units will be stronger - as long as the upgrade building is intact. The gameplay would be the same as all RTS, only very abstract, without resources: Keep the opponent under control while advancing your macro position, until you overwhelm them with superior forces.

To reduce the potential for stalemates, only one tweak was added: Players can permanently sacrifice a whole spawner in exchange for a temporary boost in unit production speed. This would enable "race to the bottom" style gameplay, players are forcing each other to sacrifice more and more, until finally one side has nothing left.

Now when I had all that working for multiplayer and turned to the singleplayer, a new aspect came up. I did specifically not want the solo mode to just be "mp vs. ai" - rather it should be a series of capturing randomly generated fortifications. Taking the fort would mean taking a bunch of spawners, to power a larger assault against the next (larger) fort, and so on. But ramping linearly like this is harsh. One would like to have smaller fortifications on the side, to discover, to destroy for some sort of reward. Less linear gameplay, more choices. Rush it or take it easy.

So I added "Artifacts," a smaller kind of reward. Acts like an upgrade building, only it can be moved around. So you take a small fortification, find an artifact, put it to some of your spawners and get stronger units. Still infinitely.

This fundamentally worked as a solo mode. But players noted that it all felt a bit hollow. Just stomping forward, growing, no real "resources to manage." So I got back, to a yet older idea of mine - which would have been an RTS where each unit was composed of 3-4 parts: Body/Frame, Weapon, Armour, Jewelry. With the equipment pieces being complex like in a proper ARPG, and at the same time: exhaustible. Maybe the PoE devs can make this game one day! I now think it’s way too complicated for too little gain. But I took the one point from it, namely making Artifacts have a limited amount of charges, after which they are used up and disappear. And similar to sacrificing spawners, artifacts can be put into overdrive to grant more power, at the cost of using up charges faster.

So the concept of "Artifact" is turned into "Stockpile of Trinkets" - little magical pieces that we give to our troops to make them stronger, and that get lost on the battlefield with their bearer.

Players still commented that the solo mode felt a bit - aimless. Because there was a lot of space, not filled with all that much going on. This inspired the latest step in evolution. The amount of Trinket Stockpiles to be found on the map has been vastly increased, and not all of them are fully guarded anymore. To properly turn the game into more of a grand old "collect resources" type of journey.

There remain further ideas, of how detailed management and gameplay could be added around the Stockpiles. Maybe new spawns have to first walk there, to pick up their trinket? Having to place the piles for shortest pathing and all, would start to feel like a real economy management game. We will see about that?

In multiplayer, it all remains optional. The mapper can decide if and how many trinket piles to spread on the map, and fix their stats upfront or have them randomised, and have them guarded or free for all to take.

1 Comment
2024/05/16
17:09 UTC

16

I just uploaded the Defense mode, Alpha version. Build, harvest, defense waves of enemies.

15 Comments
2024/05/16
14:39 UTC

1

Men of Gondor Vs Isengard | 15,000 Unit Lord of the Rings Cinematic Battle

0 Comments
2024/05/16
13:19 UTC

4

Working on an RTS/FPS game, looking for feedback on the demo

1 Comment
2024/05/16
04:50 UTC

1

Should a new blizzard style RTS have the Stormgate Quick Marco Panel (or keep the SC2 control)?

I am making a new pixelart RTS and now thinking if on PC (game will have a different set of controls on mobile) instead of using SC2 style controls I should copy the panel from storm gate which allows to build units and buildings without selecting the worker or production building.

View Poll

3 Comments
2024/05/15
21:34 UTC

42

Prominent RTS games that aren't on Steam. Which ones do you want?

Just something I was thinking a few days ago. Which important RTS games aren't on Steam? A few ones I can think of:

-Total Annihilation: Kingdoms (currently on GOG, don't think it will ever come to Steam since the original TA has been there for years)

-Star Trek: Armanda I and II (Currently on GOG)

-Homeworld: Cataclysm (currently on GOG)

-World In Conflict (delisted in 2016 for some absurd reason, currently on GOG)

-Most of "Settlers" series (I think some of them are on GOG, haven't checked)

-Starcraft and Starcraft II (On Battle.net, who knows, maybe some day they'll go to Steam, but after the OW/Diablo IV fiasco I find it unlikely)

-Warcraft I, II and III (the first two are on GOG, while WC: Reforged is on Battle.net, same case as SC)

-The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth I and II (arguably the two greatest RTS games that, to my knowledge, you can't play legally unless you're buy the CD on ebay or whatever)

-Dune II, Dune 2K and Emperor: Battle for Dune (EA released some older games, including those by Westwood Studios recently, so not all hope is gone)

-Rise of Nations: Rise of Legends (couldn't find it anywhere, don't have high hopes)

-Beyond All Reason (will be on Steam one day, who knows when, maybe in 2030).

Bonus: Civ I and II (while not RTS games, I think they're popular enough here to be mentioned).

Which titles did I miss? And among those that I've mentioned (or forgot) which ones do you want the most?

45 Comments
2024/05/15
21:17 UTC

135

I feel like campaigns in RTS are getting pushed further and further back

What is the best campaign in a RTS youve played made after Starcraft 2 because I genuinely feel like after sc2 people just stopping giving a fuck and pivoted hard to multiplayer.

156 Comments
2024/05/15
21:16 UTC

8

Very entertaining tournament with Brood War pros playing SC2 pros in mod that puts Brood War into SC2

2 Comments
2024/05/15
21:05 UTC

2

Men of War Vs CtA OSTFRONT

Anyone have a chance to compare the two yet?

They seem way too similar that I am having a hard time justifying MoW 2

6 Comments
2024/05/15
20:14 UTC

407

It's funny because it's true

17 Comments
2024/05/15
19:48 UTC

2

World in conflict Duel: Spectatorbal SVS Hard Guy

0 Comments
2024/05/15
19:39 UTC

38

After 10 months of hard work, I've just released the DEMO of my game on Steam! It's a tower defense/factory mix.

10 Comments
2024/05/15
18:55 UTC

2

Switch or laptop RTS games?

I have a Switch and laptop, I have played Northgard, it was ok. I don’t like PVP, just me and a campaign, build up my base then go search and destroy. I have played a lot of old but really awesome RTS games. Most of the old school RTS games I liked required resource gathering and base building before you set out to find the enemy on the map and wipe them out. I loved building up defenses, so I actually like tower defense games as well.

Old games I played:

-Dune -Star Wars (empire at war? Which one was the RTS game?) -Very first Warcraft -Very first StarCraft -both of these before they became online games -Command and Conquer

13 Comments
2024/05/15
18:27 UTC

8

Falling Frontier - The Space RTS We Have Been Waiting For?

1 Comment
2024/05/15
16:19 UTC

10

Did you know that the five original Close Combat games and the Warlords series just rolled onto Steam? I remember playing them when I was a kid, so I might just jump into classic strategy gaming nostalgia!

8 Comments
2024/05/15
14:12 UTC

5

Last month new RTS games?

Hello besides Manor Lord(I don’t enjoy city building) have there been any new RTS games released last month or in this upcoming two weeks? I’m looking to buy a new game and was hoping for an RTS but if not I’ll buy something else but thought I might ask here before Thank you in advance!

8 Comments
2024/05/15
07:43 UTC

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