I don't play a lot of RTS because a lot of them don't appeal to me.
but it doesn't mean that I don't care for the genre. I've come across a handful of RTS over the years that I really enjoyed and played the hell out of. and lately I've been kind of itching for a new one although my attention has been taken with all the great FPS and RPG's that have come out this last year.
frankly I wouldn't know where to begin looking since RTS have been under my radar for awhile now. honestly though my framework for an enjoyable RTS comes from my original favorite Command & Conquer; namely the original and the sequel Tiberian Sun. I don't know how many people played Tib Sun or remember it, but it really stood out to me because of the varied gameplay.
instead of every mission boiling down to zerging or simply being faster than your opponent, there was real importance placed on the balance of offense and defense. you couldn't merely overwhelm the other guy with an attack force if he was smart about building his base because a good base was almost impregnable. but if you only focused on a large, tough base then you'd eventually run out of resources to build an attack force when it came time to finish off the enemy. you can't leave your base defenseless but you can't just sit back either.
and then some maps weren't about base management at all.
there were these great clandestine-style missions where you're dropped in with a small but specialized group of units who are vastly outnumbered but capable of taking out an entire enemy army through guerrilla warfare. like capturing enemy base components or units and using it against them, destroying key pieces of logistics (power/economy) to expose weakness, luring important units away from their defenses and kidnapping or assassinating them, and things of that nature. these guerrilla-type missions were usually optional but tied into the primary mission for that "level." by completing one of the optional assignments you would gain some kind of special advantage during the main mission. this often took the form of free aid from elite or unique units, a window of opportunity when the enemies defense was lowered, or extra starting resources.
are there any RTS like this in today's market?
I'm more concerned with finding a well-rounded single player experience than any kind of multiplayer. I have no interest in trying to prove that I can click faster than some anonymous person. I just want a good challenge and some versatility in gameplay. land units, air units, sea units, subterranean units, small units, large units, units that attack, units that defend, units that support (engineer/medic). all that good shit.
are there any RTS that place an emphasis on base building?
not just mass unit production. I really loved how C&C came with a variety of base tools like sandbag trenches, barb wire fences, concrete walls, electrified/firestorm walls, etc. you could even pave your entire base with cement to prevent subterranean units from burrowing beneath your defenses and popping up behind them. then there were machine gun nests, laser turrets, RPG towers, SAM sites, and a host of static defense positions that could be attached to your walls.
oh and don't forget the occasional super weapon.
one faction had access to the ion cannon while the opposing faction could launch a cluster bomb or chemical missile. they could only be used sparingly but were devastating if placed well.
but it doesn't mean that I don't care for the genre. I've come across a handful of RTS over the years that I really enjoyed and played the hell out of. and lately I've been kind of itching for a new one although my attention has been taken with all the great FPS and RPG's that have come out this last year.
frankly I wouldn't know where to begin looking since RTS have been under my radar for awhile now. honestly though my framework for an enjoyable RTS comes from my original favorite Command & Conquer; namely the original and the sequel Tiberian Sun. I don't know how many people played Tib Sun or remember it, but it really stood out to me because of the varied gameplay.
instead of every mission boiling down to zerging or simply being faster than your opponent, there was real importance placed on the balance of offense and defense. you couldn't merely overwhelm the other guy with an attack force if he was smart about building his base because a good base was almost impregnable. but if you only focused on a large, tough base then you'd eventually run out of resources to build an attack force when it came time to finish off the enemy. you can't leave your base defenseless but you can't just sit back either.
and then some maps weren't about base management at all.
there were these great clandestine-style missions where you're dropped in with a small but specialized group of units who are vastly outnumbered but capable of taking out an entire enemy army through guerrilla warfare. like capturing enemy base components or units and using it against them, destroying key pieces of logistics (power/economy) to expose weakness, luring important units away from their defenses and kidnapping or assassinating them, and things of that nature. these guerrilla-type missions were usually optional but tied into the primary mission for that "level." by completing one of the optional assignments you would gain some kind of special advantage during the main mission. this often took the form of free aid from elite or unique units, a window of opportunity when the enemies defense was lowered, or extra starting resources.
are there any RTS like this in today's market?
I'm more concerned with finding a well-rounded single player experience than any kind of multiplayer. I have no interest in trying to prove that I can click faster than some anonymous person. I just want a good challenge and some versatility in gameplay. land units, air units, sea units, subterranean units, small units, large units, units that attack, units that defend, units that support (engineer/medic). all that good shit.
are there any RTS that place an emphasis on base building?
not just mass unit production. I really loved how C&C came with a variety of base tools like sandbag trenches, barb wire fences, concrete walls, electrified/firestorm walls, etc. you could even pave your entire base with cement to prevent subterranean units from burrowing beneath your defenses and popping up behind them. then there were machine gun nests, laser turrets, RPG towers, SAM sites, and a host of static defense positions that could be attached to your walls.
oh and don't forget the occasional super weapon.
one faction had access to the ion cannon while the opposing faction could launch a cluster bomb or chemical missile. they could only be used sparingly but were devastating if placed well.
