Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Recommend me a RTS!

Neki

Scholar
Joined
Jul 30, 2016
Messages
145
Age of empires 1, it was my drug back in the day.
 

Beastro

Arcane
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
7,952
Warzone 2100 rule! Nothing like it ever since! It's the exception that allow me to say I do enjoy some RTS.

Both hated and loved getting to the end fight and losing. Been wanting to revisit it so much.
 

Beastro

Arcane
Joined
May 11, 2015
Messages
7,952
I played the PSX version back in the day, which I wouldn't reocmmend.

I think there's a free PC revamp one for modern comps kicking around. I DLed the install years ago but never got around to playing it.

Here it is: https://wz2100.net/

Recommendation if you play it, though my memories vague: Use as much time as you need in between missions building what you need and make sure you've done everything you want before moving onto the next one. There's no pressure then and if you get caught up in a mission you can find yourself poorly prepared and have no room to fix shit before time runs out.

Hopefully the above linked one has multiple save slots, the PSX version didn't and I'd lock myself in missions which is how I got fucked in the end. The end drags on and your army gets really worn out, if it's not built well you're fucked, especially since the last campaign has almost no room to build up free of the clock, you're constantly pushed in some way. In that respect it's a game I respect for making me lose, though I dunno if it was because I was a teen then or because it was the console version or both, but it's why I wanna revisit it some day and give it my full attention.

With that said it's very much a game that starts out great and declines over time (or maybe it's just the big switch in tone going from building up almost 4x-like to racing a clock), though it's still damn great even in the end. The end campaign gave me the feeling they ran out of time/money and rushed things before I knew that was a thing.
 

Dayyālu

Arcane
Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Messages
4,466
Location
Shaper Crypt
MP or SP?

Most of the classics have already been covered. About very recent stuff, 8bit armies and their expansion are literally C&C redone on a shitty artsy engine, but they work as MP timewasters (honestly I prefer OpenRA for my MP needs, but that's me). They look shitty, sure, but they work as advertised.

Keeping up with the Petroglyph tradition, Universe At War has already been named, but I feel it's worth another endorsement as it's a nice little game with some nice little SP campaign, something like a unholy marriage of Starcraft and C&C sensibilities. Disclaimer: they ran out of money and the last campaign is shit. Grey Goo is nice, but I played only SP and I had fun. It's another classical Petroglyph RTS, though, so the formula is well-known. I liked the plot, even! Seven out of ten?

Desserts of Homeworld (Deserts of Kharak) is a recent one, and it's rather disappointing. I mean, it's artsy and it has that Homeworld feel and setting, but the gameplay itself is rather mediocre and uncreative. MP is ded. It's worth pirating, methinks.

Dawn of War 2. People already covered DoW1. DoW2 has better graphics and an annoying SP campaign that thinks it's a MMORPG (BOSSES EVERYWHERE). If you have to play, Chaos Rising, the expansion, is good for what it is and Retribution is fun for playing for you favourite Warhams race. Don't be like me and play on max difficulty though, it's a chore.

I need to always support glorious Battlezone 1998 and its sequel, Battlezone 2. They are a tad older than your requests but the gameplay is very good, probably the best hybrid between RTS\FPS they ever managed to chug out. Avoid the Remastered versions, they are crap. Avoid the Chinese campaigns too, they are.... built for some autism-level skills. And of course, Hostile Waters, the little brother of Battlezone in the RTS\FPS ghetto.

Earth 2150 and its expansions, Moon Project and Lost Souls. They share some of Warzome 2100 mechanics, but are far more fun to play on the long run as the tech tree isn't as big and the SP campaign was better balanced. Some very creative concepts at work (ammo consumption, weapons working on temperature\electronics, etc.) and now they should be cheap as fug.

You don't like "realistic" games, I got it. But I need for completeness' sake to point out European Escalation, a innovative RTS that evolved afterwards into the mostly MP-focused Wargame series. When you want to larp a Cold War commander, that's the thing.

I also vote for Warrior Kings and Warhammer Mark of Chaos, as they are both good SP experiences. Paraworld is good and a sad story, as it sank its studio soon afterwards despite good reviews. Kohan 1&2 are also very good.

SunAge is pretty as fuck, but the gameplay is mediocre. Sad. Perimeter is Russian, and that means is has a great setting, great mechanics and shit gameplay. Play through it grinning your teeth and pushing forward.

I have to downvote just Incredible Creatures: I finished it just two weeks ago, and it's surprisingly mediocre. Very few creatures are viable and all the campaigns are limited to - rush to creature X, spam, destroy -. No variety, not an inch of good mission design.


With that said it's very much a game that starts out great and declines over time (or maybe it's just the big switch in tone going from building up almost 4x-like to racing a clock), though it's still damn great even in the end. The end campaign gave me the feeling they ran out of time/money and rushed things before I knew that was a thing.


You are right. I replayed it recently after it kicked me when I was, like, 11, and the endgame is a boring slog, badly balanced. What a shame.
 

ucy

Barely Literate
Joined
Nov 6, 2016
Messages
1

Zboj Lamignat

Arcane
Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Messages
5,523
It's not really a new game (from 1997 afair), but for anyone who played a lot of rts and is looking for something new I'd always recommend Beasts and Bumpkins. It went pretty unnoticed back then, probably due to the quantity of absolutely top quality games being released left and right, but it's a really good and original game for an rts. Together with Netstorm (mentioned above) and Dungeon Keeper it would be my top three of great, quirky in a good way rts games that are also classic in the meaning that they feature "base builidng". Its campaign is long, varied and pretty challenging.
 

Atomkilla

Arcane
Joined
Jul 26, 2011
Messages
715
ParaWorld was a great game, though a bit unbalanced IIRC. I really hope it hits GoG eventually.
 

Slimu

Augur
Patron
Joined
Sep 26, 2011
Messages
169
Divinity: Original Sin 2 Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag.
Homeworld Remastered. With the 2.0 patch, I understand that it's very good.
 

Blonsky

Prophet
Joined
Jun 17, 2013
Messages
332
Location
Scratch city
All the good ones are already mentionetd so here are some mediocre ones.

S.W.I.N.E. i think it turned freeware i while back but its still good.
Dark Reign 2 not as good as the first one but decent timewaster.
Rising Kingdom very nice fantasy game, a bit unpolished.
Conquest Frontier Wars has some very anoying parts but decent game
If you like Star Trek stuff try Star Trek : Armada 1 or 2, play borg and assimilate everyone.
Also you could try Total Annihilation: Kingdoms but its complete shit.
 
Last edited:

L'ennui

Magister
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
3,256
Location
Québec, Amérique du Nord
If you like slower-paced, macro-level strategy games you could also check or Sins of a Solar Empire.

It's a sci-fi RTS in space with a lot of the trappings usually reserved for 4X games (exploration, colonization, deep diplomacy system, elements of subterfuge, sprawling tech trees).
 

catfood

AGAIN
Joined
Aug 28, 2008
Messages
9,314
Location
Nirvana for mice
There are 2 pre-starcraft activision games that I recommend:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NetStorm:_Islands_At_War
3 armies. Most units cant move, so it plays unlike any other game in the genre.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Reign:_The_Future_of_War
2 armies, though they arent that different. There are some nice ideas in it you may set an unit to auto-scout or to harass, and there's a unit that destroys the enemy resource-pit. The plot is very good for a RTS!
Quite possibly the best first post ever on this site. :salute:
 

rado907

Savant
Joined
Apr 23, 2015
Messages
249
Tzar: The Burden of the Crown & Kohan1&2.

P.S. I also loved Warlords Battlecry (mostly played the first one). Recently bought WBC3 on Steam but I couldn't get it to run properly :(. Great game tho. The old Warlords III TBS was also awesome, wish they'd remake it.
 
Last edited:

thesheeep

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 16, 2007
Messages
9,939
Location
Tampere, Finland
Codex 2012 Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Bubbles In Memoria A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
What are the RTS games that offer a true, open, conquest campaign (if the enemy fights back instead of just you blobbing, all the better) instead of a linear/branching storyline?
They have always been my favorite kind of campaign, especially with some story sprinkled in.

From the top of my mind, there are...

Warlords Battlecry 3
Emperor: Battle For Dune (the cinematics!!!!!!!)
DoW Dark Crusade / Soulstorm
Rise Of Legends
Universe At War

PS: I'm talking about "classical" RTS games with base building.
 
Last edited:

J_C

One Bit Studio
Patron
Developer
Joined
Dec 28, 2010
Messages
16,947
Location
Pannonia
Project: Eternity Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath
Panzers Phase 1 and 2, if you are into 2nd World War RTS games.
 

Dayyālu

Arcane
Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Messages
4,466
Location
Shaper Crypt
Also you could try Total Annihilation: Kingdoms but its complete shit.

Kingdoms is what happens when you get the artists and no one else to supervise the game. I find it pretty, and I love the steampunk-but-not ethos of the expansion faction, but gameplay was....

Ehrrrr....


Guess I should've added base building to that, so Panzers doesn't really fit.

Awww. That genre has sadly few representatives. As that thing happens when they have no budget for a "proper" campaign, and so they push whatever they can with skirmish maps and AI. Rise of Legends is the only truly different example, and the alien faction was cool as fuck.

Thus, if you don't need base building, both Ground Control 1&2 (2, why not Imperials ;_; ) or stuff like Blitzkrieg or Men of War are out. I guess Warrior Kings: Battles is coherent with your suggestions, but it's an endless amount of skirmishes against enemies that do not fight back in the strategic map. If I can ask a reply, sell me Warlords Battlecry. The praise made me genuinely curious.
 

pippin

Guest
I remember playing the demo for TAK and finding it very fun and unique. It was certainly different from any game I had played at the time.
I tried it recently and it's sadly very boring. Slow as shit and the missions are awful, even worse than the average old RTS.
 

thesheeep

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 16, 2007
Messages
9,939
Location
Tampere, Finland
Codex 2012 Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Codex+ Now Streaming! Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Torment: Tides of Numenera Codex USB, 2014 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Bubbles In Memoria A Beautifully Desolate Campaign Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Pathfinder: Kingmaker Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
Awww. That genre has sadly few representatives. As that thing happens when they have no budget for a "proper" campaign, and so they push whatever they can with skirmish maps and AI.
Yeah, I just usually find "proper" campaign to be far more boring and limiting... and sometimes very cringeworthy (AoE 3... ahem).
I'd rather larp my way around a proper conquest campaign + story elements

If I can ask a reply, sell me Warlords Battlecry. The praise made me genuinely curious.
Well, I'll be talking about WBC 3, which is clearly the best of them all.

16 races. Each of them playing between slightly and significantly different - though there is nothing totally crazy like the Goo in Grey Goo. And I'm not talking bout largely repaints like AoE uses to. They also look vastly different. And the voice acting. Beautiful! "Be cruel to me, masterrrr!" must make the Demons builder unit one of the best.
Also, includes Faeries. Faeries! The cute little buggers with their high-pitched voices.

Now, you might be asking, with so many races, is this game properly balanced?
Well, fuck you! This is one of the very few RTS games that does not balance its races into oblivion by making "everything equally viable". Some races are stronger than others, and there are certain rock-paper-scissors relations in some races being better against other races, etc.
The game is balanced enough (especially with the IMO needed community patch) to have fun alone, with friends or strangers.
And the different races allow you to impose a challenge upon yourself and define how you want to play more than any other RTS out there.

29 classes (28 without the community patch). I shit you not.
The hero in general is the center of your strategy. The classes contain everything from alchemists, to bards, knights, necromancers, healers, druids, monks...
Now, there are stats and skills. 4 main stats and the selection of skills depend on the class (as well as the race chosen). Of course, there are some classes sharing skills - the necromancer is not the only one with access to death magic.
If you are in for min-maxing, you can spend days on tinkering with the optimal race/class combination. Or you might want to play something hugely awkward like a Fey Deathknight.
You can build and level your hero to boost your nation more, or make him a high-ranking mage or a melee nightmare able to clean up the map mostly alone. All up to you.
Again, the game is made for exploring the gameplay, fiddling around with combos and having fun more than balancing for a PvP minority.

And yes, there is an iron man mode, if you dig that.

There are so many little gameplay gimmicks that I won't go into spoiling them here.
Here is the relatively new wiki (certainly wasn't there when I still played the game a lot): http://etheria.wikia.com/wiki/Warlords_Battlecry_Wiki

Downsides:
This game was not a AAA production and it shows in a few points
- The AI is really nothing very good (though it does impose a challenge on higher levels due to cheating).
- The original campaign is quite bad, especially because of far too slow leveling for your hero. I very much recommend the custom Conquest campaign.
- Tech limitations. The game is from 2004, so... expect no miracles. Personally I like the graphics, very charming. But the budget does show.

Just one more thing to be said:
The game features something that modern RTS titles still lack and that remove some of the more annoying microing hell in RTS games.
You can select the behavior of newly produced unit at the building they are built. And some of these behaviors are incredibly helpful, like automatic (though random) scouting, where the unit will roam the map to uncover it. Or automatic casting of their abilities.
All of these are obviously less efficient at targeting than if you did it yourself, but for people like me that despise such microing, it is beautiful.

You can also set your buildings to auto-production, similar to how you could do that in the Supreme Commander games.

tl;dr :
The game is great, but its greatest achievement may be to make you dream about what could be possible if such a game was made with less of a budget limitation.
 
Last edited:

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom