You guys feeling the same, I think the last surge happened with StarCraft 2 launch, there hasn't been much hype going on in the scene...

The Total War series is still going strong. Personally I think it's a shame that the FPS + crime genres are doing so well... stifles growth in other areas.

Yeah I get the same feeling...

yeah same here too... personally the RTS genre is what led me to gaming. Now I'm focusing on other genre (mainly Geo-Political Simulation/Business Sims.. etc about sims... Oh and some stealth games like the AC series or Hitman.)

While we're at it, what games do you guys recommend? (Preferably games from the RTS/Sims [as mentioned above] genres)

I used to play a shitload of Empire Earth, but it's kind of an old game. It came out in 1999 iirc.

I remember my first RTS game. C&C Red Alert.

I used to play a shitload of Empire Earth, but it's kind of an old game. It came out in 1999 iirc.

I've heard of the EE series before but I cant find a decent place for me to get the game... without "paying." (yes, I'm talking about a torrent site that gives a decent amount of seeders..)

I remember my first RTS game. C&C Red Alert.

hey thats my first also.. XD

 

good times.

http://static.giantbomb.com/uploads/original/0/9408/727007-950820083_00.jpg

Ah, Dune 2 and taking down the Atriedies menace with Harkonnen nukes.

 

I think the RTS is a victim of the increase in nation sims (Paradox games, Civ, etc.). The arcadey action of old style RTSes worked well with the technology of the time, but tastes have turned to the more complex sims as computer specs got better. Players that want strategic action go to your LoLs, instead.

 

Crime/FPS games may have a small impact, but their audience is pretty different from your standard strategy player. Their growth is more likely from non-gamers joining the hobby than existing gamers abandoning other genres. These genres are the easiest to understand and play, so they attract a more casual audience looking to blow off steam. Strategy players enjoy puzzling out play mechanics and developing system efficiencies, which isn't going to be satisfied with an FPS.

Games like CK2 and EU4 are macro level, though. They're similar, but not the same as games where you micro-control units like in SC2 for example.

Games like CK2 and EU4 are macro level, though. They're similar, but not the same as games where you micro-control units like in SC2 for example.

Yeah, but in the 90s, those games couldn't have even existed on the level they are now. So people got their strategy on with RTSes, instead. Now that there's a more satisfying way to scratch the itch, that portion of the RTS audience is going away. I'm one example (played the Warcrafts, Dune 2, AoEs, and the Starcrafts, but haven't touched an RTS in years, while I've put hundreds of hours into nation sims).

 

Micro-control is better suited to the action RPGs, since you have more control of the characters. That leaves the RTS in an awkward niche between two genres that better suit those needs. Some innovator could find a way to revitalize the genre, but you can't just re-skin the mechanics anymore and make a profit, like you could in the 90s.

Some of the best RTS games were Age of Empires 1 and 2, Starcraft 1 and 2, Empire Earth Series, Command and Conquer games up until about late 00s, Rise of Nations, Dawn of War 1 (Dawn of War 2's gameplay is debatable), Company of Heroes 1, Men of War, Supreme Commander, Ruse, World in Conflict, Sins of a Solar Empire, and the Wargame Series.

 

Other awesome strategy games include the Total War and Civilization Series. Although some of the newer Total War games aren't living up to the expectations of their predecessors.

 

I have yet to experience a new, enjoyable RTS series or game that has come out since 2010. With the sole exception of the Wargame Series. Unfortunately the RTS genre has been quite stagnant for about 4-5 years.

The first strategy game I owned was Kessen. Its a fun game on the PS2, but I've pretty much done everything on it except on the harder lvls, where it basicly spams. 

 

The next RTS was Endwar. I loved that game, and was my favorite 360 game. Besides maybe Mass Effect 2. Cammand and Counqur didn't come later, but it didn't meassure up to Endwar, with 1v1's, 2v2's, and 4v4's as a strategy game. 

 

Infinite Crisis, LoL, Total wars are fun to me. (Unless we talking about empire total war, that one is my least favorite). 

people are enjoying over the top fancy graphics to much I guess.

 

never understood why stuff needed to be so "shiny", its about the game, not the desktop picture generating capability

Issue with RTS games is that it doesn't take long to run out of new settings. There are only so many History/Space/Future based RTS games you can have before they start appearing the same

 

Also each RTS uses different styles of economy/military management (or whatever else it allows you to control), and everyone will have their own preferred style they enjoy the most. For me that has been the Supreme Commander 1 & FA, that uses both simple resources that can become complex to maintain late game, and can be seen as a complex game to play with a debatably steep learning curve, especially in multiplayer.

 

Also some people just don't like the time required in RTS to build up your forces/strength etc. and prefer to get straight into the action, which you can do in most FPS, RPG, and Action/Adventure games.

 

But that's just my opinion.

Personally, I think the games of today are just more of the graphics and such... but doesn't have a soul (with, of course, the exemption of some of the great games of today)

 

True that we have our own taste and preferences.

for example. me; I have yet to find a game (rts/gps) that lets me create my own nation, customize it to however I please, with customized religion(?), managing both the military and economic growth, and somehow if possible, its a 4X

Note: it must not be a turn based strategy game

Personally, I think the games of today are just more of the graphics and such... but doesn't have a soul (with, of course, the exemption of some of the great games of today)

 

True that we have our own taste and preferences.

for example. me; I have yet to find a game (rts/gps) that lets me create my own nation, customize it to however I please, with customized religion(?), managing both the military and economic growth, and somehow if possible, its a 4X

Note: it must not be a turn based strategy game

You can do that in Paradox games with mods. They make all of their data files easily accessible and notepad friendly for a reason.

Can we consider Roller Coaster Tycoon to be an RTS game (in the original, you weren't allowed to construct anything while paused, so all actions needed to be done as the clock was ticking)?  If so, it was my favorite way back in the day.

Age of Empires II was a loved title as well.  It was nice that it was resurrected for modern computers recently, though I've unfortunately lost all my muscle memory needed to play well.

I think its not so much dying out but more of a lack of quality ones being made. A lot of people havent moved away from competitive AoE2 scene. SC2 is not as good as SC1. AoE is gone. C&C hasnt had a new game in ages, and the most recent chance for a new one was canceled. RTS is just having a lull period while game developers figure out how to make great games again.

I think its not so much dying out but more of a lack of quality ones being made. A lot of people havent moved away from competitive AoE2 scene. SC2 is not as good as SC1. AoE is gone. C&C hasnt had a new game in ages, and the most recent chance for a new one was canceled. RTS is just having a lull period while game developers figure out how to make great games again.

You can count C&C as gone too I think...

Can we consider Roller Coaster Tycoon to be an RTS game (in the original, you weren't allowed to construct anything while paused, so all actions needed to be done as the clock was ticking)?  If so, it was my favorite way back in the day.

 

Age of Empires II was a loved title as well.  It was nice that it was resurrected for modern computers recently, though I've unfortunately lost all my muscle memory needed to play well.

I would not call Roller Coaster Tycoon a RTS. I'd personally call it Economy strategy. Witch isn't bad, I enjoyed RCT growing up. I'd personally love a new one, that had a muitiplayer Feature, and you could visit other peoples parks, and compete in how much money, how many guests, and compete for guests and money. I wouldn't also mind if they re-made Jurassic Park, Operation Genesis. For a PS2 game, it was amazing and ahead of its time. I'd be willing to drop the cash for that in an Instant to create my own Jurassic Park again. 

 

Can we consider Roller Coaster Tycoon to be an RTS game (in the original, you weren't allowed to construct anything while paused, so all actions needed to be done as the clock was ticking)?  If so, it was my favorite way back in the day.

 

Age of Empires II was a loved title as well.  It was nice that it was resurrected for modern computers recently, though I've unfortunately lost all my muscle memory needed to play well.

I would not call Roller Coaster Tycoon a RTS. I'd personally call it Economy strategy. Witch isn't bad, I enjoyed RCT growing up. I'd personally love a new one, that had a muitiplayer Feature, and you could visit other peoples parks, and compete in how much money, how many guests, and compete for guests and money. I wouldn't also mind if they re-made Jurassic Park, Operation Genesis. For a PS2 game, it was amazing and ahead of its time. I'd be willing to drop the cash for that in an Instant to create my own Jurassic Park again. 

 

RCT series to me personally is just a Simulation game.

 

Can we consider Roller Coaster Tycoon to be an RTS game (in the original, you weren't allowed to construct anything while paused, so all actions needed to be done as the clock was ticking)?  If so, it was my favorite way back in the day.

 

Age of Empires II was a loved title as well.  It was nice that it was resurrected for modern computers recently, though I've unfortunately lost all my muscle memory needed to play well.

I would not call Roller Coaster Tycoon a RTS. I'd personally call it Economy strategy. Witch isn't bad, I enjoyed RCT growing up. I'd personally love a new one, that had a muitiplayer Feature, and you could visit other peoples parks, and compete in how much money, how many guests, and compete for guests and money. I wouldn't also mind if they re-made Jurassic Park, Operation Genesis. For a PS2 game, it was amazing and ahead of its time. I'd be willing to drop the cash for that in an Instant to create my own Jurassic Park again. 

 

 

I suppose Economy Strategy is a fair genre to lump RCT into.  That's where other vintage, but nostalgia-inducing, titles like Sim City 2000 and Railroad Tycoon II are.  Somewhere I think I have the disk for the latter - wonder how well it runs on a Win 7 machine.

Anyone remembers 7 kingdoms? That hooked me in, I played my first ever multiplayer on Red alert 1, you would dial to friends number on 56k modem, good times.

 

What I feel as also mentioned is converting people to this genre is a bit harder. I managed to convince a few guys in uni to play Ra2 (they were all single player ra2 fans), hit 7 of them like a truck on the map and they never played again. :-/.

 

Similarly, some new friends wants to play DOTA or something, they just get raoed even if you're going easy on them.

 

I don't think there's all slow and wait involved these, you generally get hit within first 5 mins.

I got 7 Kingdoms, never understoof how it worked. Then again i hardly tried and I was way younger

All you who complain about bygone RTS era being dead since EA raped C&C franchise, wipe your tears and grab your vuwuzelas. Act of Agression will resurrect the oldschool RTS genre and we will greet Eugene Systems as heroes.