In the mood for an RTS (help)

horrorshow

horrorshow

Lakewood Original
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
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Well, its been a while and I feel its finally time to "switch it up" genre-wise. (One can only play so much Fallout 4, GTA V, Grim Dawn etc etc)

Anyways, I'm not looking to purchase a game but merely dig into something I already own.

I'm just going to list the games I own that I would even consider playing and let you guys decide which one I should pick up....

Command and Conquer Generals: Zero Hour
Dawn of War II: Retribution
Rise of Nations: Extended Edition
Supreme Command: Forged Alliance

I haven't spent any significant amount of time playing these in the past. (I haven't even tried C&C: Generals, ever)

Let me know what you guys think!!
 
On that list, I have RoN and DoW2. Between the 2, I prefer DoW2. Mostly removes the base building element of RTS and concentrates solely on micromanaging tactics (e.g. cover and positioning) without getting bogged down by managing resources and baby sitting your base.
 
Generals IMO is the more "traditional" RTS of that bunch. I didnt get around to RoN but heard great things. Back when it was current i was still playing the shit out of empire earth and CNC generals.
 
Sup com : fa is by far the best rts game on that list. Even to this day it still is the best and offers game play that no other rts game can. I'm considering going back to playing it bc nothing compares...
 
From that list I would go with SupCom. Food for thought, can't go wrong with modded CoH or Sins.
 
Company of Heroes 2 with the build all units mod is a lot of fun. Normal COH2 with the weak pay to win generals system sucks.
 
Amaroth said:
From that list I would go with SupCom. Food for thought, can't go wrong with modded CoH or Sins.
Click to expand...

I've got Sins: Rebellion and CoH: Tales of Valor....

Anyone else want to chime in? I'll prolly install something in about an hour....

Leaning towards C&C: Generals or SupCom: FA.... (I think I'm one of the few people that actually enjoys base-building etc)
 
The Total War series is awesome.
I recommend checking those out.
 
horrorshow said:
I've got Sins: Rebellion and CoH: Tales of Valor....

Anyone else want to chime in? I'll prolly install something in about an hour....

Leaning towards C&C: Generals or SupCom: FA.... (I think I'm one of the few people that actually enjoys base-building etc)
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Load up Star Trek Armada 3 mod for Sins or Blitzkrieg for CoH. Both those mods are incredibly solid. Star Trek Armada 3 is amazing.
 
Rise of Nations and Supreme Commander are my top two favorite RTS of all time.

Supreme Commander 2 dumbed things down a bit. I preferred the first one since base building is more involved.
 
Sup Com for sure for me. I actually enjoy the base building. Me and my Brother used to start at opposite ends of the map and spend hours building up a force with only minor skirmishes...then when ready launch a full scale war on each others base. great times.
 
It should be noted that Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance has a thriving updated mod that requires the original FA client (I think) - Forged Alliance Forever! http://www.faforever.com/ . It balances, adds lots of new things including an entirely new faction, graphical updates, and has a modern comprehensive multiplayer (including a metagame based on different factions etc) which is nice, after the official MP servers were shut down awhile ago. You can also play both single player campaigns as well, of course. Many feel that Supreme Commander Forged Alliance is one of the best RTS ever, and the Forged Alliance Forever mod only extends that.

C&C Generals Zero Hour is an older title as well, but a great one if you like the traditional C&C gameplay. There is a good single player campaign here as well (both the Generals and Zero Hour offer campaigns). Note that if you like CnC and aren't adverse to spending a tiny amount, Red Alert 3 and its expansion are on Steam, typically for really cheap.

Dawn of War 2: Retribution is a favorite of mine . Some feel that the lack of heavy base building impairs it and while I could go the other way, I really like the idea that you have only a handful of controllable squads, each of which are upgraded RPG style with equipment,XP etc.. and most importantly, these squads (which are actually named after the main soldier in each unit, but there are others that are visual identifiers of how much health the guy has left ) actually FEEL like commanding soldiers, not a cloud of idiots who have to be told what to shoot. Sure, you give directions and things like using special abilities, tactical placement, cover etc.. are activatable and somewhat up to you, but your soldiers will generally crouch smartly if you click where there "green or yellow" cover indicators are, will fire if a hostile appears during travel, and generally make decisions you expect of trained soldiers unless you tell them to do otherwise. This is one thing that annoys me about the "old school / StarCraft" paradigm of huge armies of peons that require tons of micromanagement; I really wish more games would embrace less micro-heavy play the way that DoW2 Retribution does so. Note that there are 2 other DoW games (the original DoW2 and the Chaos expansion) which each have campaigns that can be picked up for cheap. DoW2 Retribution itself has an absolute fuckton of DLC, but it is often affordable especially on sale. Enjoy!

Rise of Nations Extended Edition is another from the heritage of the recent "remake/upgrade" paradigm that the Age of Empires series has gone through recently (with AoE2 HD and its expansions, Age of Mythology Extended Edition etc..). You'll have some upgraded visuals in some ways, but realize they haven't made the whole thing a modern textured title or anything. You get the RoN expansion too, as well as Twitch support, and comprehensive modern multiplayer (Steam based). If you liked Rise of Nations back in the old days, or just like Microsoft strategy titles, go for it!

Hope this helps a bit
 
You could try planetary annihilation..
Xaeos: sup com fa added another faction? What all is New, getting me excited...I never got a chance to play it once gpgnet went down. I've really been wanting to play it again but I got a hard copy of the game and not the steam version..
I use to love playing rise of nations, do people still play online? Never got a chance to do online play..What has changed in the latest enhanced edition?
 
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Oil Rush!!! It's a great game, available on any OS.

oilrush_41.jpg
 
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I used to like Submarine Titans back in the day, don't know why beyond that it's one of the few (perhaps only) fully underwater RTS's.
 
Pivo504 said:
You could try planetary annihilation..
Xaeos: sup com fa added another faction? I never got a chance to play it once gpgnet went down. I've really been wanting to play it again but I got a hard copy of the game and not the steam version..
I use to love playing rise of nations, do people still play online? Never got a chance to do online play..What has changed in the latest enhanced edition?
Click to expand...

SupCom FA itself hasn't developed since gpgnet, but the "Forever" mod I linked above is the one that has done everything from adding the new Nomad faction to creating an entirely new (free) online multiplayer system w/built in maps/mod management. You can use any version of Forged Alliance, Steam or otherwise. Heck, it even works with a cracked version.. In case you missed it, the Forged Alliance Forever website is at http://www.faforever.com . And here's how they describe their mod/utility...

"orged Alliance Forever (commonly abbreviated to FAF) is a community-driven project designed to ensure that Forged Alliance will live on… forever. It is a complete lobby client system, similar to that of GPGNet was, the default client provided with Forged Alliance, but with many improvements:
  • Updated game. FAF is not only a lobby, and it’s not a mod: We are constantly adding features, graphics and sounds enhancements, bug fixes and balance patches to the game.
  • Active development. GPGNet is dead. Steam version won’t be updated. FAF is under active development to continually add new and exciting features, and ensure that any bugs discovered will be quickly dealt with.
  • Longevity. FAF is a community-supported project, and already has funding to support its server for several years.
  • Cooperative campaign. The solo mode of Supreme Commander and Forged Alliance (a total of 24 missions) are playable with up to four players in cooperation! Fight for the best time in the speed-run leader board !
  • Live replays are always on and always working, with a 5-minutes delay to remove the possibility of cheating during tournaments or ranked games.
  • Exciting new game modes such as the Nomads (an entirely new playable faction), Experimental Wars (adds many new units to the game), Black Ops, Murder Party, LAB WARS, Phantom X, and many more featured mods. All are integrated directly into the client so it’s easy to setup a game with others, and even come with their own Leader boards.
  • Automatic patching. This means you will have the latest patch without any sweat. The client can also downgrade immediately to see older replays.
  • TrueSkill rankings for both ranked 1v1 and all custom games. TrueSkill is a vastly superior rating system which can accurately take into consideration 2v2s, 3v3s, 4v4s, FFAs, and any other game type.
  • Responsiveness. Chat is fast, unlimited, and can be joined with any IRC client, even on your smart-phone. FAF is designed from the ground up to be lightweight, responsive, and efficient.
  • 12 player games. 5v5s and 6v6s are possible on FAF.
  • Non-destructive patching. It patches the game separately from your current installation. That means that you can continue to use your original game and FAF concurrently – they do not “overwrite” each other.


As far as Rise of Nations, note that the RoN Enhanced Edition is a completely different official "remaster" of the game, currently available for sale on Steam. Its community is currently active and is managed by Steam (matchmaking etc.) so it is different from the now defunct original - you'll likely find a much better chance of players. According to the Community Hub for the game in Steam, there are around 350 players in game currently for instance.



Steam product page - http://store.steampowered.com/app/287450/ and here's how they describe the differences between the original RoN and the EE...


Rise of Nations

Rise of Nations is a real-time strategy game that spans all history.
Start with a single city in the Ancient Age; gather resources; build an infrastructure; research technologies; construct Wonders of the World such as the Pyramids and the Eiffel Tower; and expand your military might across the world, conquering hostile nations with bombers, battleships, and tanks—all over your lunch hour!

In Rise of Nations there are:

  • 18 Nations—each with special abilities and unique military units.
  • Over a hundred military units operating on the ground, sea, and air— from Hoplites to Frigates to Helicopters.
  • Over two dozen buildings with upgrades and technologies that will take your nation from a small City to an Information Age society.
  • 14 Wonders of the World—the Terra Cotta Army, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower. Each gives your nation special bonuses.
  • More than a dozen map types, ranging from the Amazon Rainforest to the Himalayas to the Nile Delta.
  • Conquer the World campaign—a linked series of dozens of scenarios.
The Extended Edition includes:


  • Rise of Nations
  • Rise of Nations: Thrones and Patriots
New in the Extended Edition:


  • Improved Visuals
    • Improved water
    • Improved textures
    • Full-screen anti-aliasing
  • Full Steamworks Integration
    • Multiplayer with ranked matches (ELO)
    • Achievements
    • Trading Cards
    • Cloud saves
  • Extended Features
    • Twitch Integration
 
Xaeos: thanks for the post! If you've never played forged alliance since forever took over is it going to be new and fresh again to me? Sup com was prob my all time fav rts. If forever added enough new cool units and strategies I'm Def going to reinstall it. What's your opinion of it? Btw is rise of nations still played heavily online?
 
In my random youtube wanderings, I was reminded of an old gem: "Submarine Titans".

321415-str_subtitans_013.jpg


An RTS from Strategy First back around 2000.

All underwater (obviously), multiple depth levels, deep tech trees.... All the classic 2d RTS stuff.

Why this isn't on GoG is beyond me!!
 
horrorshow said:
In my random youtube wanderings, I was reminded of an old gem: "Submarine Titans".

321415-str_subtitans_013.jpg


An RTS from Strategy First back around 2000.

All underwater (obviously), multiple depth levels, deep tech trees.... All the classic 2d RTS stuff.

Why this isn't on GoG is beyond me!!
Click to expand...

chenw said:
I used to like Submarine Titans back in the day, don't know why beyond that it's one of the few (perhaps only) fully underwater RTS's.
Click to expand...


Stop thinking like me :p

But I agree, this thing should be on GoG, I'd buy it in a heartbeat
 
Dawn of War 2 and then Zero Hour between ones you posted.
Can also buy Legacy of the Void SC2.
 
Almost certain I played it on Win 7, almost...

I'll check again sometime.
 
Another option is - http://wincdemu.sysprogs.org/ - I used to use VirtualCloneDriveuntil its drivers got a little wonky, but WinCDEmu seems to work flawlessly for mounting just about any image software and best of all, its open source and compatible with every version of Windows.
 
Though its not on your list and I'm not sure if you've played it before, you could try SC Broodwar if you want a single player challenge. I'm just about finishing up with it and damn some of the missions have been pretty crazy. Some of the most challenging rts missions I've played.
 
I've played sc brood war already but I heard it's possible to play it with the sc2 engine? Is this possible if you own sc2? How does everyone feel about legacy of the void
 
horrorshow said:
In my random youtube wanderings, I was reminded of an old gem: "Submarine Titans".

321415-str_subtitans_013.jpg


An RTS from Strategy First back around 2000.

All underwater (obviously), multiple depth levels, deep tech trees.... All the classic 2d RTS stuff.

Why this isn't on GoG is beyond me!!
Click to expand...
never knew this game existed, but I just watched a few yt vids and it seems kinda neat. I think I found my next game to play! We need an updated underwater rts with a modern engine audio/visuals. I actually though of this a little while back, why are there no underwater rts's?, well I guess there is! :p
 
On StarCraft II - I am to understand that someone has remade the original StarCraft and BroodWar as one of the custom map/mods, available from inside the SC2 "Arcade" browser. I've not played it myself, but I do remember reading that at least one version of such a project was quite admirable indeed.

When it comes to the campaigns, I'm a big fan of StarCraft 2. Legacy of the Void is very polished of course, but the previous 2 campaigns are worthy as well. I would highly suggest users play the SC2 campaigns in order (ie Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, Legacy of the Void). The campaigns have some great lore and progression which is nice especially for players that aren't already adept at SC2 play. Outside of the campaign,Legacy of the Void itself is also commendable, with access to a separate Co-Op "campaign" of sorts, plenty of challenge modes for solo players, as well the competitive multiplayer options (I rarely play these) and the Arcade which is home to all sorts of custom mods from various tower defense, progression-saving RPGs, and much more. Don't forget they've also announced a new campaign made up of several mission packs debuting next year, starring Nova the Terran Ghost!

Even for a player such as myself who doesn't care for multiplayer in an APM/Micro heavy environment, SC2 is well worth it. If you're going to get it, get the "whole package" with all the various campaigns. If you play any other Blizzard games, I suggest upgrading to the Digital Deluxe and/or Collector's version of each SC2 Episode for additional widgets and benefits in all their games.
 
Well I Def need to try sc2 remake of brood wars, sup com fa forever, and heart of the swarm and later void
 
I wish they would remake C&C Generals: Zero Hour with better graphics and, you know, a netcode that wasn't complete shit. The game itself was awesome but even on a LAN with 4 people it started to become unplayable after a relatively short time.
 
horse said:
never knew this game existed, but I just watched a few yt vids and it seems kinda neat. I think I found my next game to play! We need an updated underwater rts with a modern engine audio/visuals. I actually though of this a little while back, why are there no underwater rts's?, well I guess there is! :p
Click to expand...

The game doesn't actually look half bad even with today's graphical standards too.

Just make sure you watch your air. When I played it the first time, I didn't know you needed air so my docks took an age and a day to build, and I thought "WOW this game is slow".

Until of course, I get pounded by the AI before I even built my first cargo ship...

Black Octopus and White Sharks technology differ enough, but Silicons differ the most by far, and probably most complex to play properly, due to the numerous number of structures and units. Fully upgraded though, even their most basic unit is pretty powerful.
 
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