Starcraft vs Company of Heroes

Moe.RON

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 15, 2007
Messages
185
My group of friends and I are completely split down the middle. Some of us prefer sc where as an equal amount prefer CoH. I just want to know what the popular opinion is. In my opinion CoH is much better then sc. CoH may have its balance issues, but it's an all around much more fun game to play. Not to mention the amazing graphics for an rts and its ability to support a res higher then 640x480. All in all i love CoH and despise sc.
 
I don't see how one can even compare the two games. They completely differ from each other.
 
This thread doesn't deliver :( That said, CoH is an excellent game for sure. Never played starcraft, I skipped it in favor of C&C and Close Combat.
 
I know they are completely different, but at a base level they are both RTS's. And as such I believe that they can be compared to each other and rated on which is more fun to play. That's all I'm really asking for, which do you enjoy more. Just want some kind of opinion about the games.

Plus, ty on the worst thread ever vote;)
 
I know they are completely different, but at a base level they are both RTS's. And as such I believe that they can be compared to each other and rated on which is more fun to play. That's all I'm really asking for, which do you enjoy more. Just want some kind of opinion about the games.

Plus, ty on the worst thread ever vote;)

Like you, Starcraft is just too outdated for me. Sure I loved it in 1998 (I remember drooling over the graphics at the time) but now I don't see the need to play it, especially with Supreme Commander, Dawn of War, CoH, C&C 3, WC3. So ultimately, I would choose CoH over Starcraft. Plus I like Relic more than Blizzard. :p
 
If you're going to compare games that are ~10 years apart, you shouldn't really use the graphics excuse against the older game. With that said, I much much MUCH prefer StarCraft. I haven't played another RTS that has 3 completely different factions/races that are as balanced as StarCraft. StarCraft's online multiplayer is also much better than CoH's IMO. There has to be a reason why tens of thousands of people still play StarCraft on battle.net daily after close to 10 years.

As for the core gameplay, I also prefer SC's over CoH. I guess I might be a traditional RTS guy, but I like gathering resources and building up my base and not just rush into the action like CoH. Believe it or not, base/building planning and resource management requires a lot of strategy, and I'm sad to see most modern RTS focusing on action. I also like that in StarCraft (or most older RTS) how you can select individual units instead of a whole group like most modern RTS. Its a pain in the ass to micromanage your units when you can't command them individually.

Don't get me wrong, CoH is a great game, I played it and enjoyed it a lot. But seriously, StarCraft is one of the top PC games of...scratch that, one of the top games of all time. We'll still be talking about it for years to come. (unless those bastards at Blizzard finally make SC2!)
 
You cant compare a game like that, they are too fundamentally different.



But, that aside, if you asked me "do you want to play starcraft or company of heroes at the next lan?" I would say company of heroes, hands down.
 
It's been what... 10 years since SC hit the market? Would you like to compare doom to halo as well?
 
Starcraft has Protoss, therefore Starcraft is superior.

I don't even know how CoH plays. I was under the impression it was a squad-based thing that didn't play like a "build a base, build huge army, invade other side of map" thing.
 
thats like comparing a nintendo game vs. a 360 game lol years difference things have changed so hard to compare. I'de look at it like this, For the time SC Ruled. Does it still yes it does but In it's own right! Where as COH well thats for you guys to decide if you like it or not. You can even go so far as to say if it wasn't for SC the appeal of RTS's to some people would be quite lacking. C&C was good some people liked warcraft as well but they weren't for everyone. I also don't think COH will even sell even 25% of the amount of copies SC did.
 
Both are *great* games. It's too bad COH doesn't get the recognition it truly deserved, even though it did make IGN's list of 25 best PC games ever. COH is the best pc game I've played since HL2, and I've played COH significantly mroe than HL2 or CSS. Online in COH is just awesome.
 
If ya really gotta pick between the two...Starcraft.

How the hell can you beat Use Map Settings?
 
good god.. wow.....

Your comparing 2 games with a variation of approx. 10 years. Yes, both are RTS, but wow....

Bottom line: Starcraft has stood the test of time, esp. when games are measured by game play, graphics, sound, updates, etc, etc... Don't get me wrong, CoH is a good game, but lets see if people are still playing it in the volumes that SC is being played to this day.

Waaaaay too early to even being comparisons.

It's like comparing Commander Keen to Doom 2 or HL (original)
 
starcraft!

its being included in WCG again this year just like always. Graphics dont matter, starcraft is great because of how competitive it is. Most new RTS's automate and dumb down everything for the user which eliminates skill advantage.
 
Not a StarCraft fan. Played it with friends off and on for a few years, but it never held my attention. I've come to dislike Blizzard's approach to RTS, specifically resourcing and how unrealistic terrain effects and unit movement are. I like games that require real tactics.

StarCraft and the other Blizzard RTS games are very prone to gimmick plays. He who knows the best trick for a particular map wins. CoH has some of that (rush this point and put up barbed wire, for example) but not nearly to the extent of SC. C&C Generals, with its SC-like resourcing, has many of the same problems, so don't think I'm just picking on Blizzard.

I picked Total Annihilation over StarCraft back then, I'll take CoH and SupCom over it today.
 
starcraft!

its being included in WCG again this year just like always. Graphics dont matter, starcraft is great because of how competitive it is. Most new RTS's automate and dumb down everything for the user which eliminates skill advantage.

Either you haven't played CoH, or you haven't gone up against someone who can micro his units well. That game is all about skill advantage. In fact, it's far more complex than SC: a buddy and I have had long conversations about the optimal mix of infantry units early in 2v2 games, where and how to secure key points on certain maps, and how best to counter specific units and strategies. This weekend we're sandboxing online so I can teach him some advanced anti-tank tactics because in our last 2v2 he got slaughtered by a Panther platoon that he should have been able to tear apart.

On the other hand, SupCom is all about planning and strategic execution. It automates so much because they don't think it should be a clickfest, having to issue every repair order, every build order, and jump back to your base every time a building finishes to start a new one. I agree; on a scale of hundreds of units, you shouldn't have to issue build orders every 90 seconds. You should be able to queue base structures as waypoints. You shouldn't have to manually start repairs when your engineer is near a damaged building. The skill in SupCom is being able to outsmart your opponent by finding his weak points and expoliting them.
 
Starcraft has Protoss, therefore Starcraft is superior.

I don't even know how CoH plays. I was under the impression it was a squad-based thing that didn't play like a "build a base, build huge army, invade other side of map" thing.

It's more like "build a base, build infantry, skirmish while you build better infantry, upgrade, and build tanks, then invade other side of map"

The genius behind CoH is that they make every inch of the map count. Resources are gained by controlling zones of the map (there can be dozens of zones). You can NOT turtle; it's death. it forces you to deploy combat units quickly, engage the enemy upon contact, and keep pushing or at least stalemate the enemy until you can overpower them.
 
Nothing beats that cut scene with the marines at the abandoned Science Vessel. All the suspense, thrill, darkness, then the camera focus on the big box with a freaking nuke on it, and it's full of beer and one of the marines say "thank god for cold fusion!" :D :D Also the shooting action that takes place after that with the zergs is superb, just like every cut scene Blizzard does on it's games. So yes, SC hands down >>> CoH.
 
Nothing beats that cut scene with the marines at the abandoned Science Vessel. All the suspense, thrill, darkness, then the camera focus on the big box with a freaking nuke on it, and it's full of beer and one of the marines say "thank god for cold fusion!" :D :D Also the shooting action that takes place after that with the zergs is superb, just like every cut scene Blizzard does on it's games. So yes, SC hands down >>> CoH.

For a cutscene???

In that case, Aliens is better than SC, because the action and suspense is even better. What's that? It's a movie? Ohh...well I thought we were just talking about entertaining things to watch, not just video games.

Okay, maybe that's a little harsh. But I play games because I want to...well...play. Not watch. A compelling story and interesting cutscenes are great, but in the end if the game itself sucks I'm not going to stick around for the next cool video to play. On the other hand, I'll play a game that is completely free of cinematics or even a plot if it's fun to play (Quake, Doom, etc). If I were reviewing games, one with excellent gameplay but no story-driven campaign could still get very high rating; cinematics would just earn a game a few extra points for drawing me in. It's still the gameplay that keeps you coming back.

Besides...who still plays the campaigns on SC after nine years? Wasn't the 20th time enough?
 
Like many have said before, this is a ridculous comparison. Starcraft was badass in its day and is still a deep and balanced RTS. CoH while not quite as mindblowing, is a game i would persoanlly rather play. Keep in mind your also comapring WW2 era gameplay vs crazy scince fiction alien warfare. But in terms of the actual gameplay, i would rather play CoH.

You do have me pumped again to play both when i get home.
 
I agree with those that say this is not a fair comparison. StarCraft is the grandfather of all RTSs. It's the one that new strats are always compared to. ei, "yeah the graphics are great, but it doesn't have nearly the balance b/w factions that starcraft did."

It's like comparing Tolkien's Lord of the Rings (book, not movies) to Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time. Both are great on their own, many comparisons can be drawn between the two, but when it comes righ tdown to it it's not a fair comparison because Rings is so much older and Wheel was influenced by it.

made sense in my head; hope it makes sense on the page.
 
I'd pay to buy a movie following Starcraft terrans in battle, like cutscenes but longer.
 
StarCraft is the grandfather of all RTSs.

Hardly. Dune 2 and WarCraft are the true grandfathers; they were the foundations for Command & Conquer and WarCraft 2, respectively. Even Total Annihilation beat StarCraft to the shelves by a year or so, and it was far more revolutionary than SC. StarCraft is just a step forward, taking the WarCraft style of play and refining and balancing it. It's so beloved today not because it was original, but because it was built on thoroughly-tested game mechanics so that the only balancing necessary was between factions.

Maybe it's just that I have a longer memory than most; I started gaming in 1991 and took to strategy games right away. I remember being absolutely hooked on Dune 2 (Deviators owned everything) until C&C came into my life. I preferred the WC2 interface and resourcing to C&C back then; not sure which I like better today. They're both kind of tired, and newer concepts like in TA/SupCom and CoH trump them in my book.

It's the one that new strats are always compared to. ei, "yeah the graphics are great, but it doesn't have nearly the balance b/w factions that starcraft did."

Balance is overrated. People want a perfectly evenly-matched RTS like StarCraft because they don't want to have to be creative. CoH is a very well-balanced game, if you know what you're doing. The two factions require two very different playing styles, to the point that some of the top-rated players only play one faction or the other because they are so radically different. A quick glance at the strat forum on Relic's site will demonstrate that.
 
I own both games.

- If you want a more realistic game, turn to Company of Heroes. If you like non-fiction and rooting for America, play Company of Heroes.

- If you want a better single player experience, play Starcraft. If you like competitive multiplayer, play Starcraft (with BW expansion) - some of the world's best RTS players have made a name for themselves playing it.

Starcraft was the more innovative game (when released). Both are outstanding RTS games for different reasons, IMHO.
 
starcraft hands down...new strategies are STILL being discovered....while not as rapid as they used to be but come on....10 years and people still find new ways to outsmart/outmacro their opponents..
 
Balance is overrated. People want a perfectly evenly-matched RTS like StarCraft because they don't want to have to be creative. CoH is a very well-balanced game, if you know what you're doing. The two factions require two very different playing styles, to the point that some of the top-rated players only play one faction or the other because they are so radically different. A quick glance at the strat forum on Relic's site will demonstrate that.

Sorry, but you lost all credit with that paragraph. You obviously haven't played Starcraft enough to know anything about it.

Balance overrated in a RTS? Starcraft's 3 races having the same play style? Don't make me laugh.

No RTS, especially CoH, even come close to the competitiveness of Starcraft. Show me another RTS that has televised matches with thousands of people watching.
 
Sorry, but you lost all credit with that paragraph. You obviously haven't played Starcraft enough to know anything about it.

Balance overrated in a RTS? Starcraft's 3 races having the same play style? Don't make me laugh.

No RTS, especially CoH, even come close to the competitiveness of Starcraft. Show me another RTS that has televised matches with thousands of people watching.

agreed
 
You obviously haven't played Starcraft enough to know anything about it.

Three years wasn't enough to know the game? Just because I don't share your opinion of a game doesn't mean I know nothing about it.

Balance overrated in a RTS?

StarCraft's brand of balance, yes. There are a lot of ways to balance factions; one of the reasons we never saw anything outstanding until recently (CoH and SupCom) is because nearly every game tried to emulate StarCraft's mechanisms. CoH achieves balance in a completely different way than the SC clones.

Starcraft's 3 races having the same play style? Don't make me laugh.

Obviously not, but let's think about how those races are varied. As combat is concerned, it's primarily done by mixing a set of attributes (range, power, speed, and hit points, mobility, cost) differently for each race. Balance between units is achieved by emphasizing different attributes for different races. What StarCraft really gave the RTS genre was the wildly different ways to climb the tech tree for each faction...but in all reality, that was its sole contribution. The oft-touted balance of it is present in every decent RTS since Dune 2 and WarCraft.

Remember, C&C had varied but evenly-matched factions. From 1993 to 1998, there were quite a few of RTS games put on the market that balanced factions with substantially different factions. StarCraft's balance was nothing new. The game has lasted primarily because it was accessible (easy to learn), solid (well-made, pretty much bug-free), and timed well to get into the market at the peak of PC gaming in the late 90s.

No RTS, especially CoH, even come close to the competitiveness of Starcraft. Show me another RTS that has televised matches with thousands of people watching.

Popularity != quality. StarCraft was a fun game and I can see the appeal in it, but it is *not* the Godsend some people seem to think. Paris Hilton is famous...does that make her a talented musician?

I've come to think of it this way: StarCraft is the arcade game of RTS. It's easy to start playing, popular, and surprisingly complex. At the same time, being good at it requires just as much reflex and memorization as it does actual tactical ability. Watch ToSsGirl play some time (hmm...thought I knew nothing about the game...). That actually illustrates a lot of the things I don't care for in the game...it's a clickfest at the competitive level.
 
Back
Top