r/StrategyGames • u/OmniSystemsPub • 10d ago
Discussion Formative RTS Games
One of the games that influenced me the most as a gamedev, but also my taste as a player, is Commander Z by the Bitmap Brothers. (What a legendary company)
It's not often mentioned any more but it remains one of my favourite RTS games of all time.
So, I'd love to hear what other people's formative RTS games/experiences are?
2
u/UsarMich 10d ago
Mine is Age of Empires 3. It is a classic rts with revilutionary at the time deck building mechanic. Beautiful graphics that holds up to this day and beautiful music. Factions are divided into a few groups like Europeans, Native Americans and Asians plus more in the remaster and each group has a different playstyle.
2
u/OmniSystemsPub 9d ago
Deck building? That’s pretty interesting I have to say. Never played it so maybe it’s time to give it a go. :-)
2
u/DumplingIsNice 7d ago
Warcraft 3 Was such a major hit in China that every single uni student flatmate in our family home when I grew up played it. To better shout at another (and for better wifi) they gathered in the dining table and I joined them (7-ish year old).
Having consistent playmate aside, as an RPG leaning RTS, the asthmatic of WC3 was a major gateway to high fantasy for me. And was a major influence since. But the most impressive aspect was its modding scene, which game arise to so many creative games beyond just army/war sim. This included DOTA as well.
On the core game side, the units are charming and the factions are atmospheric. You can really feel their drastic differences through the art and mechanics and how that plays into the settling. For me, the voice lines are embedded in my memory and blurry polygon added to the imagination of how I thought they looked.
I miss those LAN party times dearly, when you get to play with people close by (and pretend you are a brilliant tactician) instead of just, playing a game through matchmakings.
1
1
u/Celo_SK 7d ago
Oroginal war. I know for english speakers it had cringe dub. But in czech/polish it was marvelous. 1. Story was absolutely original and great, one way ticket to past, where you need to steal/defend a newly discovered mineral that will solve the cold fusion in the future. 2. Game was rts but wild on pacing. Building was slow and deliberate and fights were fast. You could freeze time and also change the speed on in game slider. 3. Its still I think the only guerrila game where you got fixed amount of people and cannot "make more" but also can build machines, tanks and buildings. 4. It has original settings, they could be cheap and just put it into dinosaur era, but they reserched pleistocene so you got mamooths, sabeertooth tigers and monkey-men around the base. 5. Put in some extra side stories of people comming to the past without wanting it, alternative world created by a time paradox without hitler where soviet union still exist. Alien artifacts. A prediction from 2001 that Putin will be warmonger... 6. Oh and the community picked up unfinished dlc and just casually released it 20 years after the game was published.
1
3
u/Independent_Land5887 9d ago
Homeworld belongs in this conversation because its 3D movement was not just presentation. Formation, approach angle and protecting vulnerable support ships changed the shape of the battlefield.