The RTS Genre

A Vision of Warzone II

 * Or......


 * RTS as it Was, Is and Could Be....


 * Essentially 2 Dimensions of gameplay suffice to define RTS.


 * 1.) Player Perception RT- Control over World Building (heretofore predominantly 3rd PPOV)


 * 2.) Player Perception RT- Control over building & Commanding Armies on the Field of Battle.(heretofore predominantly 3rd PPOV)


 * Within the scope of that definition you can have the prevalent copy-cat mediocrity of the last 6-years with the occasional minimal variant or


 * I posit that RTS can subsume FPS, RPG, & RT Tactical without violating RTS's essential character.


 * WHY do this ?


 * Because the RTS paradigm has grown stale & its fan base severly diminished such that the genre as a whole is, by any metric, been marginalized in the greater gameing community.


 * Also - it would be loads of FUN !


 * AND - It can be done elegantly.


 * HOW ? - You'll have to enter the magical spaces of this "New Content Community" for reams of foundation & innovative game design. :)


 * BTW: The reverse is NOT possible or desirable, methinks...


 * To wit - neither FPS, RPG or RT Tactical can inturn subsume RTS.


 * Ergo, RTS can resurge as more of an equal to FPS, RPG & RT Tactical in fan base #'s like it has NOT been able to for the last 7-8 years.


 * Lastly - WZ2 can spearhead this enhanced RTS design paradigm for it is ideally positioned to do so & has the requisite potential already imbeded in its Code ReDev architechtonic..


 * KEY:


 * POV = point of view


 * RT = real-time


 * Rman JackRman Jack 19:11, 1 Feb 2005 (PST)

"Earth 2160": 4th Installment

 * Check-out the preview, screen-shots & movie.....


 * This RTS has the GFX chops of "HL2" !!!! (Physics Engine)


 * And they go to MARS !! (among other planets)


 * Tasty Preview [URL=http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/earth2160/preview_6119443.html]HERE[/URL]


 * Due out May - June '05


 * Wonder how they've evolved their "Earth Script"... & architecture since "E:2150" & the "MP".


 * Talk about diehards.... these guys & gals that have been working on the "Earth" series since 1997 when their 1st DOS installment "Earth: 2140" was released.


 * And now this 4th installment - 4 + years in the making...


 * Beside "Earth Script", the state of the art GFX to rival premier FPSs, the new architecture...


 * I have to wonder - how have they addressed "Infantry" & most importantly the "Game Logic" & secure MP.


 * They surely were not rushed to market.... forced to release a fundamentally flawed game.

"Brothers in Arms" & "Officers"

 * Those of you who have been round for a while will remember:


 * The "GCI" or Global Command Interface related to


 * The "General Avatar Unit" which was integrated with new


 * "Rank & Experience" mechanisms.


 * Well..


 * I have seen the 1st Gen Iteration of the "GCI" in a new game called:


 * Brothers In Arms


 * And NOW I see that the "General Avatar Unit" with the integrated "Rank & Experience" Mechanisms is being implemented in an RTS under development called:


 * Officers


 * Talk about mixed feelings...


 * Oh well..... they have yet to put them all together.....


 * Which can be done ..... as many of us know who explored this deeply in the context of a WZ II....


 * It does make one feel that our explorations where not just pipe-dreams or bullchit that would never see the light of day.

More On "Brothers"

 * If you like to command with basic maneuve tactics - fix, suppress, flank, assualt - "Brothers" is the bomb.


 * The GFX, sound, physics, authenticity, immerssion.... all that is top of the line...


 * But for me it's the Command & Control.....


 * Your the commander, you have your avatar, you deploy tactically your sep Fire & Assault Groups useing the command interface with "Situational Awareness".....


 * The "SA" is sweet.... it's based on a very simple premise...... part of your intel as a ground commander is studying topographical maps.... combine that with your engagement LOS... For me the whole deal is a more true to life "Fog of War".

More on "Officers"

 * One the last items discussed in extensive detail in the "Rank & Experience" thread was "Threat Analysis".


 * I could see no other way to tie everything together into an elegant workable whole without devising a "Threat Analysis" Schema.


 * So ..... that's what capped-off that discussion with the factors & math delineated.


 * I just found out that the "Officers" RTS has "Threat Analysis" !!!!


 * It's some sort of "Algorithm" that they've come up with that they are being real hush-hush about for fear of being ripped-off before the game is released.


 * Me thinks there is much compatibility with "Officers" & its developers I'm inclined to explore, esp. now.


 * What was it Mark Twain said..... oh yea...


 * "History doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme...."

"Galactic Civ 2" BETA

 * Developer "Stardock" will be going into Beta with their award-winning space strat game "Galactic Civilization 2" in a couple weeks.


 * If your interested: Go Here


 * "Stardock" also has a facinating application that takes Modularization to a new benchmark.


 * It's called DesktopX and basically you can create widgets, desktops, independent programs (gadgets) in a matter of hours !!


 * More details: HERE


 * "Stardocks" approach to modularization is intrigueing & goes to the heart of core-concepts articulated for the WZ Source ReDev strategic goals.