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Real Time Strategies for the PC
- Thread starter LordMaji
- Start date
Fragamemnon
Member
Schafer said:
Yeah, that's a good list. I'd add Star Wars: Empire at War as well, especially if you like the original SW trilogy.
If you want to get into Dawn of War, I'd say start out with Dawn of War: Dark Crusade, especially if you plan to play a lot of single-player. That game is much more fleshed out in that regard than the other DoW games.
Attack You
Member
I'm gonna pathetically jack this thread to ask the age-old question: can anyone recommend a good newbie RTS? I have a hard time getting into these games.
Teknopathetic
Member
"I'm gonna pathetically jack this thread to ask the age-old question: can anyone recommend a good newbie RTS? I have a hard time getting into these games."
Command and Conquer's probably for you. Really simple and fast gameplay. No massive tech trees or economy management. You just build stuff and send it to kill/die.
Command and Conquer's probably for you. Really simple and fast gameplay. No massive tech trees or economy management. You just build stuff and send it to kill/die.
Oldschoolgamer
The physical form of blasphemy
Attack You said:
Command and Conquer: Red Alert eased me into the genre. I would try that out.
Teknopathetic
Member
"you should play a slower paced one, not sure which, but definately not CnC, its on speed."
While CnC is very fast, it's also *very* simple (not a bad thing) and there's much less for the player to manage. Despite its speed, I'd say it's a great choice for someone who has a hard time getting into RTSs.
While CnC is very fast, it's also *very* simple (not a bad thing) and there's much less for the player to manage. Despite its speed, I'd say it's a great choice for someone who has a hard time getting into RTSs.
Command & Conquer is VERY n00b friendly. It's too simple for most veteran players to the point where they don't even want to play it anymore (read: me!)
Simple build structure, few units, and not a lot of micromanagement (like in Company of Heroes). I also advice the tutorial missions in the Relic games (Company of Heroes & Dawn of War). They're quite extensive, and will teach you everything you need to know. Strategies and such you will learn in the single player campaign or online if you dare. Beyond that, download replays from forums and copy their strats. Convert them to your own, play shitloads and own the leaderboards
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Simple build structure, few units, and not a lot of micromanagement (like in Company of Heroes). I also advice the tutorial missions in the Relic games (Company of Heroes & Dawn of War). They're quite extensive, and will teach you everything you need to know. Strategies and such you will learn in the single player campaign or online if you dare. Beyond that, download replays from forums and copy their strats. Convert them to your own, play shitloads and own the leaderboards
.Fragamemnon
Member
Attack You said:
I've always recommended the latest installement of Age of Empires to RTS newbies, and still do so.
Battle for Middle Earth 2 is also a pretty darn good choice.
Some people will come in and try to convince you to play the Blizzard games, but they are so incredibly dated (Starcraft) that they miss basic modern genre trappings, or are just newbie-unfriendly, retrograde products (Warcraft 3).
Chairman Yang
if he talks about books, you better damn well listen
I'd recommend Europa Universalis 3. I'd also recommend Europa Universalis 2 (which is a very different game from its sequel), Hearts of Iron 2, and Victoria: Empire Under The Sun (although the last two games have steep learning curves). These games are very different from standard RTSes, but in a good way--they have no micromanagement or "build orders", and are basically focused on epic, realistic grand strategy.
Age of Empires III is not a very n00b friendly RTS, IMO. So if you've been doing that recommending without playing these games, you're wrong.Fragamemnon said:
Command & Conquer games are a good starting point since they're so action-based. Battle for Middle Earth II is an offshoot of the series, but you can skip the expansion.
Age of Mythology is probably a great place to start for people new to the genre, or Starcraft. Starcraft especially because the longer you wait to play it, the more it will annoy you with its lack of automation found in more modern RTS games.
For the original poster, I've been playing and reviewing RTS in print mags for a long time now. All the major stuff and almost all the minor eastern european stuff too. With that perspective gained, I can tell you that Company of Heroes was my Game of the Year on PC last year without a doubt. Get that.
Fragamemnon said:
Your hate for Blizzard RTS games are def clouding your opinion here.
I couldnt think of a better way for someone to start their RTS experience than playing through Starcraft and Warcraft 3. Decent storyline, very user friendly controls and an emphasis on fun.
Age of Empires? For someone who is on the fence about RTS games? Really? And Battle for Middle Earth 2 is pure shit compared to any Blizzard RTS. I usually agree with you too... wow.
ElectricBlue187
Member
Schafer said:
yup
Razoric said:
HEY HEY HEY when they restarted ladder i got 450 on ladder going on a 12-0 Team streak in TFT. I probably held that position for 2 days until they paired me with the top 10s in the ladder and couldnt keep up. YOU KNOW HOW AWFUL IT IS WHEN YOU PLAY A 3vs3 AND YOU ARE THE REASON YOUR TEAM LOSES. i cried.
Fragamemnon
Member
Dave Long said:
I always looked at recommending the Age of Empires series based on the series' historical/geogrphical context, simple isometric static camera, clean art and visual style, and solid single-player campaign. The games are econ-micro heavy, yes, but it's been my experience that microing econ is something that people acclimate to pretty quickly.
The single-player are newb friendly, but, as you said, the multiplayer scene is hardcore central and EXTREMELY in-combat unit micro intensive, especially WC3. Also, SC is missing basic interface and management features of modern games, and WC3's hero-centrism is completely an exception to pretty much everything else out there.
When he was asking about a n00b-friendly RTS I was assuming he meant single-player. I don't believe there is such a thing as a newb-friendly multiplayer RTS experience. (Except against friends that suck just as much as you do)Fragamemnon said:
Also, in answer to the OP I'd like to add another recommendation for Dawn of War, especially Dark Crusade. I still play it in MP from time to time.
InsertCredit
Member
Oh god. AT & RT trash out in full force.WARCOCK said:
Go solo boy, you know you want to.
InsertCredit said:
Solo is too brutally honest for my poor weak soul. You are totally out excuses when you fail. You have to face your total newbness in its entireity. WC3 solo is like a mother ****ing confessional. I have to admit though it DOES help to get your micro up to pace because TEAMs are often micro mind ****s, ive lost so many games because my mind just phases out when say 6 teams clash.COMPOSURE. I play HU. HU is hard
. ToD is god.InsertCredit
Member
ToD's still topclass yeah. Fun thing playing him @ wcg preliminaries.WARCOCK said:Solo is too brutally honest for my poor weak soul. You are totally out excuses when you fail. You have to face your total newbness in its entireity. WC3 solo is like a mother ****ing confessional. I have to admit though it DOES help to get your micro up to pace because TEAMs are often micro mind ****s, ive lost so many games because my mind just phases out when say 6 teams clash.COMPOSURE. I play HU. HU is hard
Too bad Grubby aint such a friendly guy, beating me out of a spot :/
Fragamemnon
Member
I think any game that's a good online interface, smurf-free matchmaking (thanks Relic for fixing this in CoH recently), easy replay browsing in the game's UI, and a decent skirmish AI is pretty "multiplayer-friendly". Yes, the total newbie might lose their first four of five ranked matches, but they will get better pretty quickly if they have all of those tools to work with. They'll never scratch the top 30% of the people playing the game, but they will do pretty well against the people the system matches them with.
I'm also sort of curious to know what people think is so hardcore about the Age of Empires series. It's been my generalist, all-encompassing RTS of choice since the original, and I never thought of it in any way as a hardcore RTS game.
ElectricBlue187
Member
JDSN said:
your question was already answered ffs
InsertCredit said:
You live in europe? Yeah man ToD and Moon are so incredibly consistent imo. Grubby is a legend but he has his shortcomings though. Im sad to hear you didnt go all the way but hey man you lost to Grubby! Too bad if blizzard wasnt so ****ing busy with WoW they could have nerfed NE already. ****ing eh.
InsertCredit
Member
Eu yea. Oldschool Madfrog-fanboiWARCOCK said:
. Gostop & Reign also for the win.And indeed blizz, get on with Starcraft 2 already.. We're in dire need of some gosu competitive play.
Fragamemnon said:
That's how I see Warcraft 3, Starcraft and C&C Red Alert. Faily basic RTS games with a simple UI and that are very fun. I'd even put Dawn of War in that group now.
I see AoE as a subset of the RTS genre. One you appreciate after you get into RTS games. I bet it can be pretty daunting to someone who's never played an RTS before to get into a series like AoE. Lots of different units, options, micromanaging, etc and not really much emphasis on story (which would force people to learn the controls to see what happens next).
Valkyr Junkie
Member
The Total War series is great. Rome is my favorite though. Company of Heroes is good also.
Danne-Danger
Member
I find the lack of Total Annihilation in this thread... disturbing.
Teknopathetic
Member
"I find the lack of Total Annihilation in this thread... disturbing."
No real need to mention Total Annihilation with Supreme commander out, unless you don't have a PC that can run it well enough.
No real need to mention Total Annihilation with Supreme commander out, unless you don't have a PC that can run it well enough.
TemplaerDude
Member
ta is way better than that nubular crap starcraft.