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I think it boils down to four things: - RTS games, since the first C&C, used an interface for selecting rectangles and pointing them at a single target. It sca
by b0rsuk 7y ago
I think it boils down to four things:
- RTS games, since the first C&C, used an interface for selecting rectangles and pointing them at a single target. It scales extremely poorly. Innovations in this area have failed to catch on. Keyboard used for shortcuts only. Come on, we can do better than that. We have Vim. Action, range(movement key). Alternatively, the Kakoune way: selection first, action second. Either way games lack a fast way to select only certain types of units, and especially - to point them at targets of certain types. Harvest: Massive Encounter is a low budget tower defense games which allows you to set targetting priorities for each type of your tower, but RTS games need much, much more systems like that.
Meanwhile Starcraft has been busy embracing and glorifying primitive user interfaces. It has its caveman charm, but - by design - it scales only by clicking faster.
- RTS games were popular at a time when computers were predominantly used by nerds. RTS games appeal mostly to people willing to get better at a game. Publishers discovered less demanding games sell better.
- RTS games are highly demanding to make from technical point of view. You get all the joys of pathfinding at large scale. Optimizations are very important.
- RTS games are not that immersive. This is true for all "topdown" perspective games.
- b0rsuk 7y agoI just came up with a 5th: - RTS games work poorly on consoles. They need a precise input device.
- celeritascelery 7y agoThat is only true if Starcraft style RTS games.
- gmueckl 7y agoAs opposed to which other style/styles?
- real_escape 7y agoArcade. As the godfather of all RTS, Herzog Zwei, used. Gameplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYfYrhT82RM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYfYrhT82RM
- twoquestions 7y agoTooth and Tail was pretty good, and it's only playable with a controller. I also played the hell out of Battlezone 64 back in the day, which is a FPS/strategy game. It's a doable thing, people just haven't tried (aside from the above) very hard.
- aerodude 7y agoI think this is the big one. Consoles and CoD dominated the market for a long time. Has the pendulum swung back towards PC games? I have to confess, it's been a long time since I played anything. Games dev companies just stopped making games for people like me.
- gmueckl 7y agoYou should look at the later TA style games then. Supreme Commander and SpringRTS (open source!) based games have many innovations when it comes to managing your units. Check out Zero-K for a game that is I think one of the most advanced RTSes in terms of gameplay and controls. It's not looking too pretty by today's standards, but the inner values make up for it if you are willing to invest some time to learn.
- the_gipsy 7y agoLet's make a RTS with Vim shortcuts/commands!
- EForEndeavour 7y agoAllow the user to choose between vim and emacs key bindings. Their choice determines the appearance of their units and buildings.
- b0rsuk 7y agoI actually don't mean this as a joke. This would increase the initial learning curve a bit, but then you would be able to press 3 keys to: [P]lanes [A]ttack [T]anks [T]anks [C]rush [I]nfantry [I]nfantry [M]ove Co[v]er A[r]tillery [A]ttack [B]ack A[r]tillery [A]ttack [D]amaged A[r]tillery [A]ttack B[u]ildings A[r]tillery [A]ttack [S]pread [D]amaged [M]ove [R]epair Basically there is a ton of potentially useful commands that can be issued with words (keyboard) and don't need the precision of mouse, especially when you target or select multiple units. There can be commands which target or select not based on unit type, but on role (attack anti-aircraft units), state (damaged, fortified, carried, loaded), position (flank, rear, front, high ground, low ground).
- stevenicr 7y ago'Either way games lack a fast way to select only certain types of units' - I remember this being a key to why I loved 'Empire Earth 2' so much. Selecting all of type X in view, or worldwide and such I think was a thing. I'd love to have a remake of the Empire Earth (1 and 2) - and to have a mashup with some of the things from Populace on the Amiga would actually be very cool.