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..
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.
On "E:2160[]
"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:
And NOW I see that the "General Avatar Unit" with the integrated "Rank & Experience" Mechanisms is being implemented in an RTS under development called:
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".
Comments on "Brothers"[]
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...."
Comments on "Officers"[]
"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.