h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A610309

This is my first submission to the guide. I hope I wrote it well. There are currently no submissions about RTS to my knowledge, and I believe there should be. Please review it and comment on it. Thank you.

airdemon

Hi airdemon,

it's a good read - well done. I think the gaming industry improved massively with this type of game. Am I right in also thinking that Age of Empires would be included in this genre? If so, do you think it's worth mentioning?

Also, sequal should be sequel.

Is there any chance that you could look in to the technical side of these games and maybe document why games like this were made possible? I imagine it's something to do with multitasking? (Not that I'm an expert at all!).

Adam

I think this entry should be called "Real Time Strategy Computer Games". I don't think you should put RTS in the title, even if you use the abbreviation throughout the article.

I'm a big fan of RTSs although my machine is somewhat lacking in certain requirements to run one or two of them and that's why I feel I should respond to this. Please take this as friendly advice, as is it intended, and not a personal assault (spot the new person trying not to offend anyone).

If your piece is meant to be a balanced report on RTSs in general, then it does seem heavily biased towards Westwood. You go into a lot of detail into the Westwood games (explaining the plot and so on) but only mention the Blizzard games in passing. Even if you don't like them, I think your entry could benefit from a bit more detail on one of the Blizzard games.

Also you say that Command & Conquer was 'revolutionary' but don't actually say why. You also argue against it somewhat with your description of the game. Having played both Dune 2 and C&C, I appreciate that there are differences. However, to someone reading your entry who has not played them both, the description of C&C makes it sound essentially like a direct copy of Dune 2 except you're harvesting 'tiberium' instead of 'spice'. I think you need to emphasize the unique points of C&C more so that it sounds less like a Dune 2 clone and backs up your claim of it being 'revolutionary'.

Every single RTS you mention is also heavily into combat, which is also a tad biased. There are RTSs out there where things like trade agreements and alliances are possible. Trade is almost a standard feature in the modern RTS, and alliances are excellently handled (in my opinion) in Space Empires 3.

Despite all that, I think your entry is good as far as it goes, but it doesn't go far enough. If you're feeling up to it, I'd suggest proposing this as a University project so that the different areas of RTSs can be covered by various researchers. I'm not sure how things could be split up, but it is only a suggestion.

I hope this helps in some way, and that it hasn't offended you (or anybody else for that matter). The only other point I'd make is in furtherance to the comment on the mis-spelling of sequel. It isn't the only word which has become victim to a typo/spelling mistake but I'm not going to point them out here. I recommend going through the entry with a dictionary and a fine-tooth comb.

Jon D. - if you're going to put your foot in it, do it up to the groin.

This is definately an article which is well worth writing, but in common with some of the replies already posted, I think this one needs a title change to something along the lines of 'History of RTS games' (preferably more catchy though). What it does is provide some nice synopses on a selection of the more significant (and historical) games rather than a description of RTS gaming as a whole.

There is plenty more scope, for instance the topic of computer intelligence (contradiction in terms?) and tactics since most of the time, playing the computer involves holding off its often pitiful, badly co-ordinated and entirely predictable (after the first week of playing) attacks while you build up the horde of flaming death with which to demolish every last brick/titanium panel of his base/village.

You could also talk about economy management which as has already been mentioned is an integral part of most of the modern games, why the games themselves are so addictive and have such staying power because of the variation possible within individual games and of course there's the joy of multi-player linkups (via serial cable for instance) which brings a whole new aspect to the games, either of co-operation (there's nothing so satisfying as watching your mate's cavalry drawing the enemy infantry straight into the line of fire of your carefully positioned elite archers who promptly nail them to the nearest tree) and then of course there's the challenge of human opposition.....

Anyway, a good article for what it achieves but there is material enough in RTS gaming for a whole selection of articles and a University project might indeed be a good idea.

Xuenyl

Hi, I don't necessarily agree that this is a university project - that may be taking things a little seriously in my opinion.

I'm afraid I don't know a huge amount about the history fo the Real Time Strategy game (which I agree should be in the title) and found this interesting . I've played Dune2000, C&C and Age of Empires and I have to agree that the latter is definitely one of these and ispossibly more complex than the previous two as you have to collect several resources - food, wood, stone and gold - plus use of farming and mining technology comes into it. I definitely think this deserves a mention - I've always thought that C&C and Dune were ones that simplified the collection of raw materials into one harves (Spice or Tiberium) and concentrated on the combat side of it.

at the Previous comment on playing against the computer - how true! Entirly predictable doesn't necessarily help when it periodically and predictably fires a nuclear missile at you though!

Also - in terms of the history - I don't know if this fits in anywhere but the gaming platform doesn't seem in my opinion to differ too hugley from that in SimCity - it just has added aspects - could this game have been the forerunner of this type of game.

In summary - an excellent start - possibly mearly finished but it does concentrate rather heavily on a couple of games whilst not even mentioning others - a list of RTS games available somewhere (at the end?) of the article would be nice

Orcus

I have a number of comments to make.

There is no mention of the Age of empires games, that were important in the genre. Also, there are some other approaches to the genre.

In the 7 kingdom series (I think that's what they are called), there is a more developed economy, and the diplomacy side of the game is more developed. You can send out spies, to find out about the enemy, and assassinate generals, and trade with you neighbours. You can also create alliances. In the economy there is money rather than resources. Also, leadership, and loyalty is important, as towns can rebel if you tax too hard, or don't provide work, or goods.

Also, there were earlier RTS games, such as Populous, that came out quite a bit before C+C, in which you play god, and megalomania. Probably, the likes of C+C started RTS on the PC though.

wow, i never thought i'd get so many replies so soon. thanks to everyone's advice.

well, let's start off. when i wrote this, it totally forgot about AOE (whoopsie ). i probably did that cause i've never really played them. i guess i did seem a little westwood biased, but every one makes mistakes. if i rewrite this, i'll probably write about westwood and blizzard RTS games, but i don't know if i will. I hope some one else will enjoy this article, know a bit more about the subject, and write a better one.

thanks again for the advice.

airdemon

Editorial Note: This conversation has been moved from 'Peer Review' to 'Computer games - RTS'.

This thread has been moved out of the Peer Review Forum because your entry has now been recommended for the Edited Guide.

You can find out what will happen to your entry here: http://www.h2g2.com/SubEditors-Process

Congratulations!

Good stuff and well done!

Ad

I would like to explain some things:

1. True AOE (Age of Empires) series is a very popular one, but it is also a micro management fiasco, the games play very slowly (unlike SC, C&C and other RTS) because of the many different resources and alliences and (unneeded) complexty in it.

2. RA2 is a new game in the C&C series in it is (in my opinion) the best RTS so far (surpassed only by it's expansion pack Yuri's Revenge), it is very fast paced, it has a superb multiplayer with great features like Co-operative Campaigns, Unholly Alience and stuff like that, it has lot's of combinations in units to it, for instance if you enter a unit into the IFV (Infantry Fighting Vehicle) this IFV becomes a stronger version of that unit (with added abilities), for instance when you place and engineer in the IFV you get a mobile repair vehicle, you can also use spies to steal money from enemy refineries, learn new technologies, sabotage enemy power and gain veterancy for your units.
Also YR (Yuri's Revenge) added a 3rd side to RA2, and this side relies not on it's strenght but rather on the strenght on it's enemies, they actually use the enemies own units against it (by psychic power).

3. Tiberian Sun (C&C2) was a great game, it had great features, although they could have been implemented much better (for instance live resources, this game had resources that actually affect the battle filed, and not only used to build more stuff, the smart player could really use those resources, which are Tiberium and it's by products to his adventage).
Also Tiberian Sun had a great multiplayer mode, and although not as fast paced as RA2 it was as fast paced as Starcraft.

I would also like to point out that the Tiebrian series of games (meaning C&C, C&C Red Alert and C&C Tiberian Sun and it's expansion Firestorm) have a great storyline, begining with the elimination of Hitler by Einstein and his time machine, to the rise of the Soviet empire to rule the whole of eaurope under the secret handling of the Nod leader Kane, to the rise of The Brotherhood of Nod itself after the Tiberium meteor strike the earth, to the great (Tiberian Sun) war and the discoverence of the possible source of the Tiberium meteor (and Kane still lives, the C&C manual refferes to the file about Kane that has a designation of Gen4:16, oddly enough Genesis chapter 4 verse 16 talks about Cain and his banishment to the land of Nod).