Time in strategy games.

[Malakal]

Inspired by another post in another topic here sneering on real time with pause games I decided to start this topic to discuss time in strategy games.

For me real time with pause is perfect for any type of strategy, simultaneous turns being the second best option. Why? It doesn't take so damn long to play the game! It works in multi and my favorite games (Paradox ones) are RT with pause.

Classic turn based is also good but unfortunately greatly limits MP options. And with AI being these days what it is it is a big drawback...

 

[DraQ]

Personally I'd fap* to actual real time with extensive time compression.


*)
<-illustrated

 

[Johannes]

Proper real time is best for multiplayer games, since it more easily lends itself to nice short games without waiting. Well guess turnbased can work for that too, if it's specifically designed for single-session multiplayer with a short timelimit for a turn.

For single player, just about any system implemented well.

 

[hoverdog]

RT most often means your typical RTS, which I hate with a power of thousand suns. Probably the only real time game I enjoyed was Sins of the solar empire. RT with pause is obviously better, but pause in multiplayer? doesn't work.
Simultaneous turns seem to be the perfect middle ground between real-time multiplayer affinity and turn-based sophistication. However, the only real implementation, dominions 3, is far too complex for my feeble mind

 

[chzr]

since strategy is quite huge genre, it depends more on the execution itself then how's time handled.

 

[Chef_Hathaway]

I don't see any one system being superior to the other, as they present different challenges to the player.

However, the only real implementation, dominions 3, is far too complex for my feeble mind

Do you have the manual?

Because it explains the basics quite well.

 

[Luigi]

since strategy is quite huge genre, it depends more on the game/execution itself then how's time handled.

 

[DraQ]

RT most often means your typical RTS, which I hate with a power of thousand suns.

Hence my emphasis on "actual".

I'd love to see a strategy game in real time, where construction of units or buildings wouldn't take between seconds and minutes, but where you'd have massive time compression to prevent long stretches of inactivity.
RTS games flatten the timescale, because they need to represent strategic ad tactical layer in similar stretches of time, such a game would be free of such limitation and able to accommodate much more complexity.

And you know what I'd really love?
Such space strategy/tactics with at least newtonian level of simulation - orbits, fire exchanges from millions of km away and whatnot.

 

[Demnogonis Saastuttaja]

It doesn't take so damn long to play the game! It works in multi and my favorite games (Paradox ones) are RT with pause.

What? Nothing happens in Paradox games (or alternately, the game slows down to a crawl because there's a bunch of chores to do which you can't automate, like killing off crap rebels) for long periods of time. They're nothing like a good turn-based game where something important happens every turn.

Eh, anyway, classic is good for a variety of games, simultaneous can be awesome but I can't think of many games that use it and real-time is good for clickies. RTWP, good for nothing.

 

[Crooked Bee]

I'm torn between options 1 and 2.

 

[J_C]

And you know what I'd really love?
Such space strategy/tactics with at least newtonian level of simulation - orbits, fire exchanges from millions of km away and whatnot.

I haven't played it yet, but doesn't Nexus: The Jupiter Incident have these kind of features. Or at least something similar.

 

[DraQ]

And you know what I'd really love?
Such space strategy/tactics with at least newtonian level of simulation - orbits, fire exchanges from millions of km away and whatnot.

I haven't played it yet, but isn't Nexus: The Jupiter Incident has these kind of features. Or at least something similar.

Well, no, its much smaller and not really newtonian (although it pretends to be).

It has the right vibe, though.

 

[Malakal]

It doesn't take so damn long to play the game! It works in multi and my favorite games (Paradox ones) are RT with pause.

What? Nothing happens in Paradox games (or alternately, the game slows down to a crawl because there's a bunch of chores to do which you can't automate, like killing off crap rebels) for long periods of time. They're nothing like a good turn-based game where something important happens every turn.

Eh, anyway, classic is good for a variety of games, simultaneous can be awesome but I can't think of many games that use it and real-time is good for clickies. RTWP, good for nothing.

Untrue, there is always something to do in Rome, CK, HoI (during war) and Victoria. There are indeed boring periods in EU but its because of the long timelane. Besides wouldn't you call moving hundreds or thousands units in TB games a chore? But it is a good pain for us (strategy players).

Simultaneous is used in Civ 4 multiplayer (all human players execute their turns at the same time) and AoW IIRC. I find those implementations very good.

 

[Malakal]

Personally I'd fap* to actual real time with extensive time compression.


*)
<-illustrated

I was sure you fap to scaly stuff...

I think that the only game where this is present in any way is HoI where units are indeed built in real time as is combat (to the hour). But I suppose you wanted this on the RTS scale.

 

[DraQ]

Personally I'd fap* to actual real time with extensive time compression.


*)
<-illustrated

I was sure you fap to scaly stuff...

I think that the only game where this is present in any way is HoI where units are indeed built in real time as is combat (to the hour). But I suppose you wanted this on the RTS scale.

Not necessarily scale (see my second post), but maybe a bit more RTS form.

Of TB options, simultaneous turns is probably the best.