Real-time strategy (RTS) is a
subgenre
Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
of
strategy video game
Strategy is a major video game genre that emphasizes thinking and planning over direct instant action in order to achieve victory. Although many types of video games can contain strategic elements, as a genre, strategy games are most commonly defi ...
s that do not progress incrementally in
turns,
but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in
turn-based strategy (TBS) games, players take turns to play. The term "real-time strategy" was coined by
Brett Sperry
Brett Sperry is an American video game designer, a fine arts gallerist, and a professional photographer. He is also a leading developer of the Las Vegas arts community where he's made significant investments in property and infrastructure, primari ...
to market ''
Dune II
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
'' in the early 1990s.
In a real-time strategy game, each participant positions structures and maneuvers multiple units under their indirect control to secure areas of the map and/or destroy their opponents' assets. In a typical RTS game, it is possible to create additional units and structures, generally limited by a requirement to
expend accumulated resources. These resources are in turn garnered by controlling special points on the map and/or possessing certain types of units and structures devoted to this purpose. More specifically, the typical game in the RTS genre features
resource-gathering, base-building, in-game technological development, and indirect control of units.
[
The tasks a player must perform to win an RTS game can be very demanding, and complex ]user interface
In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine f ...
s have evolved for them. Some features have been borrowed from desktop environment
In computing, a desktop environment (DE) is an implementation of the desktop metaphor made of a bundle of programs running on top of a computer operating system that share a common graphical user interface (GUI), sometimes described as a graphica ...
s; for example, the technique of "clicking and dragging" to create a box that selects all units under a given area. Though some video game genres share conceptual and gameplay similarities with the RTS template, recognized genres are generally not subsumed as RTS games. For instance, city-building game
A city-building game, or town-building game, is a genre of simulation video game where players act as the overall planner and leader of a city or town, looking down on it from above, and being responsible for its growth and management strategy. ...
s, construction and management simulation
Construction and management simulation (CMS),
sometimes also called management sim or building sim, is a subgenre of simulation game in which players build, expand or manage fictional communities or projects with limited resources. Strategy vid ...
s, and games of real-time tactics
Real-time tactics (RTT)(Article at IGN discussing their perception of RTS and related genres as of 2006. RTT is discussed as a new and not yet established genre from the publisher's perspective, so currently all RTT possible titles are still con ...
are generally not considered real-time strategy per se. This would only apply to anything considered a god game
A god game is an artificial life game that casts the player in the position of controlling the game on a large scale, as an entity with divine and supernatural powers, as a great leader, or with no specified character (as in ''Spore''), and pla ...
, where the player assumes a god-like role of creation.
History
Origins
The genre recognized today as "real-time strategy" emerged from an extended period of evolution and refinement. Games sometimes perceived as ancestors of the real-time strategy genre were never marketed or designed as such. As a result, designating "early real-time strategy" titles is problematic because such games are being held up to modern standards. The genre initially evolved separately in the United Kingdom, Japan, and North America, afterward gradually merging into a unified worldwide tradition.
Tim Barry in May 1981 described in ''InfoWorld
''InfoWorld'' (abbreviated IW) is an information technology media business. Founded in 1978, it began as a monthly magazine. In 2007, it transitioned to a web-only publication. Its parent company today is International Data Group, and its siste ...
'' a multiplayer, real-time strategy space game that ran ("and probably still is") on an IBM System/370 Model 168
The IBM System/370 Model 168 and Model 158 were both announced on August 2, 1972. Prior 370 systems had not "offered virtual storage capability, which was to be a hallmark of the 370 line," and some said that
the 168 and 158 were the first "real ...
at a large San Francisco Bay area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
company. He stated that it had "far better support than many of the application programs used in the business", with a published manual and regular schedule. Comparing its complexity to ''Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
'', Barry recalled that "when the game was restored at 5 P.M., a lot of regular work stopped".
Ars Technica traces the genre's roots back to ''Utopia
A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island societ ...
'' (1981), citing it as the "birth of a genre", with a "real-time element" that was "virtually unheard of", thus making it "arguably the earliest ancestor of the real-time strategy genre". According to Ars Technica, ''Utopia'' was a turn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy (TBS) game is a strategy game (usually some type of wargame, especially a strategic-level wargame) where players take turns when playing. This is distinguished from real-time strategy (RTS), in which all players play si ...
game with hybrid elements that ran "in real-time but events happened on a regular turn-based cycle." According to Brett Weiss, ''Utopia'' is often cited as "the first real-time strategy game." According to Matt Barton and Bill Loguidice, ''Utopia'' "helped set the template" for the genre, but has "more in common with ''SimCity
''SimCity'' is an open-ended city-building video game series originally designed by Will Wright. The first game in the series, ''SimCity'', was published by Maxis in 1989 and were followed by several sequels and many other spin-off "''Sim ...
'' than it does with ''Dune II'' and later RTS games." Allgame listed ''War of Nerves'' as the oldest "2D Real-Time Strategy". Barton also cites ''Cytron Masters
''Cytron Masters'' is a computer game by Dan Bunten released for the Apple II and Atari 8-bit family in July or August 1982. Developed by Ozark Softscape and released by Strategic Simulations, ''Cytron Masters'' is one of the earliest computer ga ...
'' (1982), saying it was "one of the first (if not ''the'' first) real-time strategy games ic" On the other hand, Scott Sharkey of 1UP argues that, while ''Cytron Masters'' "attempted real time strategy", it was "much more tactical than strategic" due to "the inability to construct units or manage resources".[ '']BYTE
The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable uni ...
'' in December 1982 published as an Apple II type-in program
A type-in program or type-in listing was computer source code printed in a home computer magazine or book. It was meant to be entered via the keyboard by the reader and then saved to cassette tape or floppy disk. The result was a usable game, ...
''Cosmic Conquest''. The winner of the magazine's annual Game Contest, the author described it as a "single-player game of real-time action and strategic decision making". The magazine described it as "a real-time space strategy game". The game has elements of resource management and wargaming
A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...
.
In the United Kingdom, the earliest real-time strategy games are '' Stonkers'' by John Gibson, published in 1983 by Imagine Software
Imagine Software was a British video games developer based in Liverpool which existed briefly in the early 1980s, initially producing software for the ZX Spectrum and VIC-20. The company rose quickly to prominence and was noted for its polished, ...
for the ZX Spectrum
The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer.
Referred to during development as the ''ZX81 Colou ...
, and ''Nether Earth
''Nether Earth'' is one of the earliest computer real-time strategy games. It was released for the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 in 1987. It was published in the United Kingdom by Argus Press Software and re-released in Spain by Mind ...
'' for ZX Spectrum in 1987. In North America, the oldest game retrospectively classified as real-time strategy by several sources is '' The Ancient Art of War'' (1984), designed by Dave and Barry Murry of Evryware, followed by ''The Ancient Art of War at Sea
''The Ancient Art of War at Sea'' is a computer game developed by Broderbund and released for Macintosh and DOS in 1987 as a sequel to '' The Ancient Art of War''.
Plot
The player commands a fleet of ships in this naval-combat simulation which ta ...
'' in 1987.
In Japan, the earliest is '' Bokosuka Wars'' (1983), an early strategy RPG
Tactical role-playing games (abbreviated TRPGs), also known as strategy role-playing games and in Japan as (both abbreviated SRPGs), are a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical (turn-b ...
(or "simulation RPG");[Bokosuka Wars]
, Nintendo the game revolves around the player leading an army across a battlefield against enemy forces in real-time while recruiting/spawning soldiers along the way, for which it is considered by Ray Barnholt of 1UP.com
''1Up.com'' was an American entertainment website that focused on video games. Launched in 2003, ''1Up.com'' provided its own original features, news stories, game reviews, and video interviews, and also featured comprehensive PC-focused conten ...
to be an early prototype real-time strategy game.[Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga]
, 1UP
In video games, a life is a play-turn that a player character has, defined as the period between start and end of play. Lives refer to a finite number of tries before the game ends with a game over. It is sometimes called a chance, a try, rest ...
Another early title with real-time strategy elements is Sega's '' Gain Ground'' (1988), a strategy- action game that involved directing a set of troops across various enemy-filled levels. TechnoSoft
was a Japanese video game developer and publisher based headquartered in Sasebo, Nagasaki. Also known as "Tecno Soft", the company was founded in February 1980 as Sasebo Microcomputer Center, before changing its name to Technosoft in 1982. The c ...
's ''Herzog
''Herzog'' (female ''Herzogin'') is a German hereditary title held by one who rules a territorial duchy, exercises feudal authority over an estate called a duchy, or possesses a right by law or tradition to be referred to by the ducal title. ...
'' (1988) is regarded as a precursor to the real-time strategy genre, being the predecessor to ''Herzog Zwei'' and somewhat similar in nature, though primitive in comparison.
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
cites ''Herzog Zwei
(, German for "'' Duke Two''") is a real-time strategy video game developed by Technosoft and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis. An early real-time strategy game, it predates the genre-popularizing ''Dune II''. It was released first i ...
'', released for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis home console
A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. Home consoles are generally less powerful and customizable than ...
in 1989 as "arguably the first RTS game ever", and it is often cited as "the first real-time strategy game" according to ''Ars Technica''. It combines traditional strategy gameplay with fully real-time, fast-paced, arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
-style action gameplay, featuring a split-screen two-player
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same computing system ( couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or ...
mode where both players are in action simultaneously and there are no pauses while decisions are taken, forcing players to think quickly while on the move. In ''Herzog Zwei'', though the player only controls one unit, the manner of control foreshadowed the point-and-click mechanic of later games. Scott Sharkey of 1UP argues that it introduced much of the genre conventions, including unit construction and resource management, with the control and destruction of bases being an important aspect of the game, as were the economic/production aspects of those bases. ''Herzog Zwei
(, German for "'' Duke Two''") is a real-time strategy video game developed by Technosoft and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis. An early real-time strategy game, it predates the genre-popularizing ''Dune II''. It was released first i ...
'' is credited by 1UP
In video games, a life is a play-turn that a player character has, defined as the period between start and end of play. Lives refer to a finite number of tries before the game ends with a game over. It is sometimes called a chance, a try, rest ...
as a landmark that defined the genre and as "the progenitor of all modern real-time strategy games."[ Chuck Sperry cited ''Herzog Zwei'' as an influence on '']Dune II
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, f ...
''.
Notable as well are early games like ''Mega Lo Mania
''Mega-Lo-Mania'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Sensible Software. It was released for the Amiga in 1991 and ported to other systems. It was released as ''Tyrants: Fight Through Time'' in North America and ''Mega-Lo-Mania: Jikū ...
'' by Sensible Software
Sensible Software was a British software company founded by Jon Hare and Chris Yates that was active from March 1986 to June 1999. It released seven number-one hit games and won numerous industry awards.
The company was well known for the exa ...
(1991) and '' Supremacy'' (also called ''Overlord'' – 1990). Although these two lacked direct control of military units, they both offered considerable control of resource management and economic systems. In addition, ''Mega Lo Mania'' has advanced technology tree
In strategy games, a technology, tech, or research tree is a hierarchical visual representation of the possible sequences of upgrades a player can take (most often through the act of research). Because these trees are technically directed and ac ...
s that determine offensive and defensive prowess. Another early (1988) game, ''Carrier Command
''Carrier Command'' is a 1988 video game published by Rainbird for the Amiga, Atari ST, IBM PC compatibles, ZX Spectrum, Macintosh, Commodore 64, and Amstrad CPC. ''Carrier Command'' is a cross between a vehicle simulation game and a real-time st ...
'' by Realtime Games
Realtime Games Software Ltd. was a British computer game developer, founded in 1984 by three Leeds University students Ian Oliver, Andrew Onions, and Graeme Baird.
Their first game, ''3D Tank Duel'', was a wireframe graphics game, in the style ...
, involved real-time responses to events in the game, requiring management of resources and control of vehicles. The early game ''Sim Ant
''SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony'' is a 1991 in video gaming, 1991 life simulation game, life simulation video game by Maxis and the company's third product, focusing on ants. It was game design, designed by Will Wright (game designer), Will W ...
'' by Maxis
Maxis is an American video game developer and a division of Electronic Arts (EA). The studio was founded in 1987 by Will Wright and Jeff Braun, and acquired by EA in 1997. Maxis is best known for its simulation games, including '' The Sims ...
(1991) had resource gathering, and controlling an attacking army by having them follow a lead unit. However, it was with the release of ''Dune II'' from Westwood Studios
Westwood Studios, Inc. was an American video game developer, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in 1985 as Brelous Software, but got changed after 2 months into Westwood Associates and was renamed to Westw ...
(1992) that real-time strategy became recognized as a distinct genre of video games.
1992–1998: seminal titles
Although real-time strategy games have an extensive history, some titles have served to define the popular perception of the genre and expectations of real-time strategy titles more than others,[ in particular the games released between 1992 and 1998 by ]Westwood Studios
Westwood Studios, Inc. was an American video game developer, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was founded by Brett Sperry and Louis Castle in 1985 as Brelous Software, but got changed after 2 months into Westwood Associates and was renamed to Westw ...
and Blizzard Entertainment
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three gradu ...
.
Drawing influence from ''Herzog Zwei
(, German for "'' Duke Two''") is a real-time strategy video game developed by Technosoft and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis. An early real-time strategy game, it predates the genre-popularizing ''Dune II''. It was released first i ...
'', '' Populous'', '' Eye of the Beholder'', and the Macintosh
The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software en ...
user interface
In the industrial design field of human–computer interaction, a user interface (UI) is the space where interactions between humans and machines occur. The goal of this interaction is to allow effective operation and control of the machine f ...
, Westwood's '' Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty'' (1992) featured all the core concepts and mechanics of modern real-time strategy games that are still used today, such as using the mouse to move units, and gathering resources,[ and as such served as the prototype for later real-time strategy games. According to its co-designer and lead programmer, Joe Bostic, a "benefit over ''Herzog Zwei'' is that we had the advantage of a mouse and keyboard. This greatly facilitated precise player control, which enabled the player to give orders to individual units. The mouse, and the direct control it allowed, was critical in making the RTS genre possible.”]
The success of ''Dune II'' encouraged several games which became influential in their own right.['' Warcraft: Orcs & Humans'' (1994) achieved great prominence upon its release, owing in part to its use of a fantasy setting and also to its depiction of a wide variety of buildings (such as farms) which approximated a full fictitious society, not just a military force. '']Command & Conquer
''Command & Conquer'' (''C&C'') is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game franchise, first developed by Westwood Studios. The first game was one of the earliest of the RTS genre, itself based on Westwood Studios' influential strategy game '' Dune ...
'' (1995), as well as '' Command and Conquer: Red Alert'' (1996), became the most popular early RTS games. These two games contended with '' Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness'' after its release in late 1995.
''Total Annihilation
''Total Annihilation'' is a real-time strategy video game created by Cavedog Entertainment, a sub-division of Humongous Entertainment, and was released on September 26, 1997 by GT Interactive for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. Two expansion packs ...
'', released by Cavedog Entertainment
Cavedog Entertainment was a PC game developer and publisher based in Bothell, Washington. Founded in 1995 as a division of edutainment game developer Humongous Entertainment, Cavedog was known for the 1997 release of ''Total Annihilation'' ...
in 1997, introduced 3D units and terrain and focused on huge battles that emphasized macromanagement over micromanagement
In business management, micromanagement is a management style whereby a manager closely observes, controls, and/or reminds the work of their subordinates or employees.
Micromanagement is generally considered to have a negative connotation, main ...
. It featured a streamlined interface that would influence many RTS games in later years. '' Age of Empires'', released by Ensemble Studios
Ensemble Studios was an American video game developer. It was founded by Tony Goodman in 1994 and incorporated the following year. It borrowed the name of Ensemble Corporation, a consulting firm founded by Goodman in 1990. It was acquired by Mi ...
in 1997 tried to put a game in a slower pace, combining elements of ''Civilization
A civilization (or civilisation) is any complex society characterized by the development of a state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond natural spoken language (namely, a writing system).
...
'' with the real-time strategy concept by introducing ages of technologies. In 1998, Blizzard released the game '' StarCraft'', which became an international phenomenon and is still played in large professional leagues to this day. Collectively, all of these games defined the genre, providing the ''de facto'' benchmark against which new real-time strategy games are measured.
1995-2003 Refinement and transition to 3D
The real-time strategy genre has been relatively stable since 1995. Additions to the genre's concept in newer games tend to emphasize more of the basic RTS elements (higher unit caps, more unit types, larger maps, etc.). Rather than innovations to the game concept, new games generally focus on refining aspects of successful predecessors. Cavedog's ''Total Annihilation'' from 1997 introduced the first 3D units and terrain in real-time strategy games. The ''Age of Empires'' focus on historical setting and age advancement was refined further by its sequel, '' Age of Empires II: Age of Kings'', and by Stainless Steel Studios' ''Empire Earth
''Empire Earth'' is a series of real-time strategy video games developed by Stainless Steel Studios and Mad Doc Software, and published by Sierra Entertainment. The games in the series are historical RTS games that are similar to '' Age of Emp ...
'' in 2001. GSC Game World
GSC Game World is a Ukrainian video game developer based in Prague. Founded in Kyiv in 1995 by Sergiy Grygorovych, it is best known for the '' Cossacks'' and '' S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'' series of games. GSC Game World was the first company in Ukraine ...
's '' Cossacks'' series brought population caps into the tens of thousands.
''Dungeon Keeper
''Dungeon Keeper'' is a strategy video game developed by Bullfrog Productions and released by Electronic Arts in June 1997 for MS-DOS and Windows 95. In ''Dungeon Keeper'', the player builds and manages a dungeon, protecting it from invading ' ...
'' (1997), '' Populous: The Beginning'' (1998), '' Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds'' (1998), ''Warzone 2100
''Warzone 2100'' is an open-source real-time strategy and real-time tactics hybrid computer game, originally developed by Pumpkin Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. It was originally released in 1999 for Microsoft Windows and Play ...
'' (1999), ''Machines
A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecul ...
'' (1999), ''Homeworld
''Homeworld'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Studios on September 28, 1999, for Microsoft Windows. Set in space, the science fiction game follows the Kushan exiles of the planet K ...
'' (1999), and ''Dark Reign 2
''Dark Reign 2'' is a 3D real-time strategy video game developed by Pandemic Studios and released by Activision on July 3, 2000, for Microsoft Windows. A prequel to '' Dark Reign: The Future of War'' and its expansion pack, ''Dark Reign 2''s s ...
'' (2000) were among the first completely 3D real-time strategy titles. ''Homeworld'' featured a 3D environment in space, therefore allowing movement in every direction, a feature which its semi-sequel, '' Homeworld Cataclysm'' (2000) continued to build upon adding features such as waypoints. ''Homeworld 2
''Homeworld 2'' is a real-time strategy video game sequel to ''Homeworld'', developed by Relic Entertainment and released in 2003 by now defunct publisher Sierra Entertainment. Its story concerns Hiigara's response to a new enemy called the Vaygr. ...
'', released in 2003, streamlined movement in the 360° 3D environment. Furthermore, ''Machines
A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecul ...
'', which was also released in 1999 and featured a nearly 100% 3D environment, attempted to combine the RTS genre with a first-person shooter (FPS) genre although it was not a particularly successful title. These games were followed by a short period of interest in experimental strategy games such as ''Allegiance
An allegiance is a duty of fidelity said to be owed, or freely committed, by the people, subjects or citizens to their state or sovereign.
Etymology
From Middle English ''ligeaunce'' (see medieval Latin ''ligeantia'', "a liegance"). The ''al ...
'' (2000). ''Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds'' was notable for being one of the few completely non-linear RTS games ever.
It is only in approximately 2002 that 3D real-time strategy became the standard, with both ''Warcraft III
''Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos'' is a high fantasy real-time strategy computer video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment released in July 2002. It is the second sequel to ''Warcraft: Orcs & Humans'', after ''Warcraft II: Tides ...
'' (2002) and Ensemble Studio's '' Age of Mythology'' (2002) being built on a full 3D game engine. '' Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns'' introduced classic wargame
A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...
elements, such as supply lines to the genre. ''Battle Realms
''Battle Realms'' is a real-time strategy video game published and released by Crave Entertainment and Ubi Soft in November 2001. It was the first game created by Liquid Entertainment. An expansion pack '' Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf'' was ...
'' (2001) was another full 3D game, but had limited camera views.
The move from 2D to 3D has been criticized in some cases. Issues with controlling the camera and placement of objects have been cited as problems.
2004 till present: Specialization and evolution
A few games have experimented with diversifying map design, which continues to be largely two-dimensional even in 3D engines. '' Earth 2150'' (2000) allowed units to tunnel underground, effectively creating a dual-layer map; three-layer (orbit-surface-underground) maps were introduced in ''Metal Fatigue
In materials science, fatigue is the initiation and propagation of cracks in a material due to cyclic loading. Once a fatigue crack has initiated, it grows a small amount with each loading cycle, typically producing striations on some parts o ...
''. In addition, units could even be transported to entirely separate maps, with each map having its own window in the user interface. '' Three Kingdoms: Fate of the Dragon'' (2001) offered a simpler model: the main map contains locations that expand into their own maps. In these examples, however, the gameplay was essentially identical regardless of the map layer in question. ''Dragonshard
''Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard'' is a real-time strategy role-playing video game, developed for Microsoft Windows by Liquid Entertainment, and published by Atari in September 2005. It takes place in Eberron, one of the official ''Dungeons ...
'' (2005) emphasized its dual-layer maps by placing one of the game's two main resources in each map, making exploration and control of both maps fundamentally valuable.
Relatively few genres have emerged from or in competition with real-time strategy games, although real-time tactics
Real-time tactics (RTT)(Article at IGN discussing their perception of RTS and related genres as of 2006. RTT is discussed as a new and not yet established genre from the publisher's perspective, so currently all RTT possible titles are still con ...
(RTT), a superficially similar genre, emerged around 1995. In 1998, Activision
Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one ...
attempted to combine the real-time strategy and first-person shooter
First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...
genres in '' Battlezone'' (1998), while in 2002 Rage Games Limited attempted this with the '' Hostile Waters'' games. Later variants have included ''Natural Selection'' (2002), a game modification based on the Half-Life engine, and the free software
Free software or libre software is computer software distributed under terms that allow users to run the software for any purpose as well as to study, change, and distribute it and any adapted versions. Free software is a matter of liberty, no ...
'' Tremulous''/'' Unvanquished''. '' Savage: The Battle for Newerth'' (2003) combined the RPG and RTS elements in an online game.
Some games, borrowing from the real-time tactics
Real-time tactics (RTT)(Article at IGN discussing their perception of RTS and related genres as of 2006. RTT is discussed as a new and not yet established genre from the publisher's perspective, so currently all RTT possible titles are still con ...
(RTT) template, have moved toward an increased focus on tactics while downplaying traditional resource management, in which designated units collect the resources used for producing further units or buildings. Titles like '' Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War'' (2004), '' Star Wars: Empire at War'' (2006), and ''Company of Heroes
''Company of Heroes'' is a real-time strategy video game series developed by Relic Entertainment. The series is set during World War II.
Games
''Company of Heroes''
The first game in the series was released on September 12, 2006 in North ...
'' (2006) replace the traditional resource gathering model with a strategic control-point system, in which control over strategic points yields construction/reinforcement points. '' Ground Control'' (2000) was the first such game to replace individual units with "squads".
Others are moving away from the traditional real-time strategy game model with the addition of other genre elements. One example is ''Sins of a Solar Empire
''Sins of a Solar Empire'' is a 2008 science fiction real-time strategy video game developed by Ironclad Games and published by Stardock Entertainment for Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is a real-time strategy (RTS) game that incorporates ...
'' (2008), released by Ironclad Games
Ironclad Games is a Canadian PC game developer. The company was founded in 2003 by former employees of Rockstar Vancouver. Ironclad is located in Burnaby, British Columbia.
Titles
Ironclad released their first game, ''Sins of a Solar Empire'' ...
, which mixes elements of grand-scale stellar empire building games like ''Master of Orion
''Master of Orion'' (abbreviated as MoO) is a turn-based, 4X science fiction strategy game in which the player leads one of ten races to dominate the galaxy through a combination of diplomacy and conquest while developing technology, exploring ...
'' with real-time strategy elements. Another example is indie game ''Achron
''Achron'' is a real-time strategy computer game. It is considered to be the first "meta-time strategy game" (Real-time strategy with time travel), notable for being the first game with free-form multiplayer time travel and its themes of concept ...
'' (2011), which incorporates time travel as a game mechanic, allowing a player to send units forward or backward in time.
Multiplayer online battle arena
Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is a subgenre of strategy video games in which two teams of players compete against each other on a predefined battlefield. Each player controls a single character with a set of distinctive abilities that ...
games (MOBA) have originated as a subgenre of real-time strategy games, however this fusion of real-time strategy, role-playing
Role-playing or roleplaying is the changing of one's behaviour to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. While the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' offers a definition of role-playing a ...
, and action games has lost many traditional RTS elements. These type of games moved away from constructing additional structures, base management, army building, and controlling additional units. Map and the main structures for each team are still present, and destroying enemy main structure will secure victory as the ultimate victory condition. Unlike in RTS, a player has control over the only one single powerful unit, called "hero" or "champion", who advances in level, learns new abilities, and grows in power over the course of a match. Players can find various friendly and enemy units on the map at any given time assisting each team, however, these units are computer-controlled and players usually don't have direct control over their movement and creation
Creation may refer to:
Religion
*''Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing
* Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it
* Creationism, the belief tha ...
; instead, they march forward along set paths. ''Defense of the Ancients
''Defense of the Ancients'' (''DotA'') is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) mod for the video game '' Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos'' (2002) and its expansion, ''The Frozen Throne''. The objective of the game is for each team to destro ...
'' (''DotA''), a ''Warcraft III
''Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos'' is a high fantasy real-time strategy computer video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment released in July 2002. It is the second sequel to ''Warcraft: Orcs & Humans'', after ''Warcraft II: Tides ...
'' mod
Mod, MOD or mods may refer to:
Places
* Modesto City–County Airport, Stanislaus County, California, US
Arts, entertainment, and media Music
* Mods (band), a Norwegian rock band
* M.O.D. (Method of Destruction), a band from New York City, US ...
from 2003, and its standalone sequel '' Dota 2'' (2013), as well as ''League of Legends
''League of Legends'' (''LoL''), commonly referred to as ''League'', is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by '' Defense of the Ancients'', a custom map for ''Warcraft III'', ...
'' (2009), and ''Heroes of the Storm
''Heroes of the Storm'' is a crossover multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It was released for Microsoft Windows and macOS on June 2, 2015. The game features various characters from Bl ...
'' (2015), are the typical representatives of the new strategy subgenre. Former game journalist Luke Smith called ''DotA'' "the ultimate RTS".
Gameplay
In a typical real-time strategy game, the screen is divided into a map area displaying the game world and terrain, units, and buildings, and an interface overlay containing command and production controls and often a "radar" or "minimap" overview of the entire map. The player is usually given an isometric perspective of the world, or a free-roaming camera from an aerial viewpoint for modern 3D games. Players mainly scroll the screen and issue commands with the mouse, and may also use keyboard shortcuts.
Gameplay generally consists of the player being positioned somewhere in the map with a few units or a building that is capable of building other units/buildings. Often, but not always, the player must build specific structures to unlock more advanced units in the tech tree. Often, but not always, RTS games require the player to build an army (ranging from small squads of no more than 2 units, to literally hundreds of units) and using them to either defend themselves from a virtual form of Human wave attack
The human wave attack, also known as the human sea attack, is an offensive infantry tactic in which an attacker conducts an unprotected frontal assault with densely concentrated infantry formations against the enemy line, intended to overrun an ...
or to eliminate enemies who possess bases with unit production capacities of their own. Occasionally, RTS games will have a preset number of units for the player to control and do not allow building of additional ones.
Resource gathering is commonly the main focus of the RTS games, but other titles of the genre place higher gameplay significance to how units are used in combat ('' Z: Steel Soldiers'' for example, awards credits for territory captured rather than gathered resources), the extreme example of which are games of the real-time tactical genre. Some titles impose a ceiling on the number simultaneous troops, which becomes a key gameplay consideration, a significant example being ''StarCraft'', while other titles have no such unit cap.
Micromanagement and macromanagement
Micromanagement
In business management, micromanagement is a management style whereby a manager closely observes, controls, and/or reminds the work of their subordinates or employees.
Micromanagement is generally considered to have a negative connotation, main ...
deals with a player's constant need to manage and maintain individual units and resources on a fine scale. On the other hand, macromanagement refers to a player's management of economic expansion and large-scale strategic maneuvering, allowing the player time to think and consider possible solutions. Micromanagement involves the use of combat tactics involved in the present, whereas macromanagement considers the greater scale of the game in an attempt to predict the future.
Criticism of gameplay
Turn-based vs. real-time
A debate has emerged between fans of real-time strategy (RTS) and turn-based strategy (TBS) (and related genres) based on the merits of the real-time and turn-based systems. Because of their generally faster-paced nature (and in some cases a smaller learning curve), real-time strategy games have surpassed the popularity of turn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy (TBS) game is a strategy game (usually some type of wargame, especially a strategic-level wargame) where players take turns when playing. This is distinguished from real-time strategy (RTS), in which all players play si ...
computer games. In the past, a common criticism was to regard real-time strategy games as "cheap imitations" of turn-based strategy games, arguing that real-time strategy games had a tendency to devolve into "click-fests" in which the player who was faster with the mouse generally won, because they could give orders to their units at a faster rate.
The common retort is that success involves not just fast clicking, but also the ability to make sound decisions under time pressure.[ The "clickfest" argument is also often voiced alongside a "button babysitting" criticism, which pointed out that a great deal of game time is spent either waiting and watching for the next time a production button could be clicked, or rapidly alternating between different units and buildings, clicking their respective button.][This mostly a concern with older RTS games that did not feature building queues, meaning that players would have to click the button to build a unit soon after it was completed. However, in some games where units have timed abilities that must be explicitly activated, for instance heroes in the real-time tactics game ]Mark of Chaos
''Warhammer: Mark of Chaos'' is a real-time tactics game set in the ''Warhammer Fantasy (setting), Warhammer'' universe. It was developed by Black Hole Entertainment and co-published by Namco Bandai Games in the US and Koch Media#Deep Silver, Dee ...
this is still a concern.
Some titles attempt to merge the two systems: for example, the role-playing game ''Fallout
Nuclear fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and the shock wave has passed. It commonly refers to the radioac ...
'' uses turn-based combat and real-time gameplay, while the real-time strategy games ''Homeworld'', ''Rise of Nations
''Rise of Nations'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Big Huge Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios in May 2003. The development was led by veteran game designer Brian Reynolds, of ''Civilization II'' and ''Sid Meier' ...
'', and the games of the ''Total War
Total war is a type of warfare that includes any and all civilian-associated resources and infrastructure as legitimate military targets, mobilizes all of the resources of society to fight the war, and gives priority to warfare over non-combata ...
'' and ''Hegemony
Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one State (polity), state over other states. In Ancient Greece (8th BC – AD 6th ), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of the ''hegemon'' city-state over oth ...
'' series allow the player to pause the game and issue orders. Additionally, the ''Total War'' series has a combination of a turn-based strategy map with a real-time battle map. Another example of a game combining both turn-based game and real-time-strategy is '' The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II'' which allows players, in a 'War of the Ring' game, to play a turn-based strategy game, but also battle each other in real time.
Tactics vs. strategy
A second criticism of the RTS genre is the importance of skill over strategy in real-time strategy games. The manual dexterity and ability to multitask and divide one's attention is often considered the most important aspect to succeeding at the RTS genre. According to Troy Dunniway, former Westwood developer who has also worked on '' Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars'', "A player controls hundreds of units, dozens of buildings and many different events that are all happening simultaneously. There is only one player, and he can only pay attention to one thing at a time. Expert players can quickly flip between many different tasks, while casual gamers have more problems with this."
Real-time strategy games have been criticized for an overabundance of tactical considerations when compared to the amount of strategic gameplay found in such games. According to Chris Taylor, lead designer of '' Supreme Commander'', he said, "was my realizing that although we call this genre 'Real-Time Strategy,' it should have been called 'Real-Time Tactics' with a dash of strategy thrown in." (Taylor then posits his own game as having surpassed this mold by including additional elements of broader strategic scope.)[
In general terms, military strategy refers to the use of a broad arsenal of weapons including diplomatic, informational, military, and economic resources, whereas military tactics is more concerned with short-term goals such as winning an individual battle.][ In the context of strategy video games, however, the difference is often reduced to the more limited criteria of either a presence or absence of base building and unit production.
In an article for ]Gamasutra
''Game Developer'', known as ''Gamasutra'' until 2021, is a website founded in 1997 that focuses on aspects of video game development. It is owned and operated by Informa and acts as the online sister publication to the print magazine '' Gam ...
, Nathan Toronto criticizes real-time strategy games for too often having only one valid means of victory — attrition
Attrition may refer to
*Attrition warfare, the military strategy of wearing down the enemy by continual losses in personnel and material
**War of Attrition, fought between Egypt and Israel from 1968 to 1970
**War of attrition (game), a model of agg ...
— comparing them unfavorably to real-time tactics games. Players' awareness that the only way for them to win or lose is militarily makes them unlikely to respond to gestures of diplomacy. The result is that the winner of a real-time strategy game is too often the best tactician rather than the best strategist. Troy Goodfellow counters this by saying that the problem is not that real-time strategy games are lacking in strategy (he says attrition is a form of strategy), rather it is that they too often have the ''same'' strategy: produce faster than you consume. He also states that building and managing armies is the conventional definition of real-time strategy, and that it is unfair to make comparisons with other genres.
In an article for GameSpy, Mark Walker criticizes real-time strategy games for their ''lack'' of combat tactics, suggesting real-time tactics games as a more suitable substitute.[ He also says that developers need to begin looking outside the genre for new ideas in order for strategy games to continue to be successful in the future.]
This criticism has ushered into a couple of hybrid designs that try to resolve the issues. The games of the ''Total War
Total war is a type of warfare that includes any and all civilian-associated resources and infrastructure as legitimate military targets, mobilizes all of the resources of society to fight the war, and gives priority to warfare over non-combata ...
'' series have a combination of a (turn-based) strategy map with a (real-time) battle map, allowing the player to concentrate on one or the other. The games of the ''Hegemony
Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one State (polity), state over other states. In Ancient Greece (8th BC – AD 6th ), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of the ''hegemon'' city-state over oth ...
'' series also combine a strategy map and a battle map (in full real-time) and the player can at any point in time seamlessly zoom in and out in between both.
Rushing vs. planning
A third common criticism is that real-time gameplay often degenerates into " rushes" where the players try to gain the advantage and subsequently defeat the opponent as quickly in the game as possible, preferably before the opposition is capable of successfully reacting. For example, the original ''Command & Conquer
''Command & Conquer'' (''C&C'') is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game franchise, first developed by Westwood Studios. The first game was one of the earliest of the RTS genre, itself based on Westwood Studios' influential strategy game '' Dune ...
'' gave birth to the now-common "tank rush" tactic, where the game outcome is often decided very early on by one player gaining an initial advantage in resources and producing large amounts of a relatively powerful but still quite cheap unit—which is thrown at the opposition before they have had time to establish defenses or production. Although this strategy has been criticized for encouraging overwhelming force over strategy and tactics, defenders of the strategy argue that they're simply taking advantage of the strategies utilized, and some argue that it is a realistic representation of warfare. One of the most infamous versions of a rush is the "Zergling rush" from the real-time strategy game '' StarCraft'', where the Zerg player would morph one of their starting workers (or the first one produced) into a spawning pool immediately and use all of their resources to produce Zerglings, attacking once they have enough to overwhelm any early defense; in fact, the term "zerging" has become synonymous with rushing.[
Some games have since introduced designs that do not easily lend themselves to rushes. For example the ]Hegemony
Hegemony (, , ) is the political, economic, and military predominance of one State (polity), state over other states. In Ancient Greece (8th BC – AD 6th ), hegemony denoted the politico-military dominance of the ''hegemon'' city-state over oth ...
series made supply and (seasonal) resource management an integral part of its gameplay, thus limiting rapid expansion.
On consoles
Despite ''Herzog Zwei
(, German for "'' Duke Two''") is a real-time strategy video game developed by Technosoft and published by Sega for the Mega Drive/Genesis. An early real-time strategy game, it predates the genre-popularizing ''Dune II''. It was released first i ...
'', a console game
A console game is a type of video game consisting of images and often sounds generated by a video game console, which are displayed on a television or similar audio-video system, and that can be manipulated by a player. This manipulation usually ...
, laying the foundations for the real-time strategy genre, RTS games never gained popularity on consoles like they did on the PC platform.[ Real-time strategy games made for ]video game console
A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
s have been consistently criticized due to their control schemes, as the PC's keyboard and mouse are considered to be superior to a console's gamepad
A gamepad is a type of video game controller held in two hands, where the fingers (especially thumbs) are used to provide input. They are typically the main input device for video game consoles.
Features
Gamepads generally feature a set o ...
for the genre. Thus, RTS games for home console
A home video game console is a video game console that is designed to be connected to a display device, such as a television, and an external power source as to play video games. Home consoles are generally less powerful and customizable than ...
s have been met with mixed success. Scott Sharkey of 1UP
In video games, a life is a play-turn that a player character has, defined as the period between start and end of play. Lives refer to a finite number of tries before the game ends with a game over. It is sometimes called a chance, a try, rest ...
notes that ''Herzog Zwei'' had already "offered a nearly perfect solution to the problem by giving the player direct control of a single powerful unit and near autonomy for everything else," and is surprised "that more console RTS games aren't designed with this kind of interface in mind from the ground up, rather than imitating" PC control schemes "that just doesn't work very well with a controller".[ Some handheld consoles like '']Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
'' on the GBA uses a similar solution.
However, several console titles in the genre received positive reception. The ''Pikmin
is a real-time strategy and puzzle video game series created by Shigeru Miyamoto, and published by Nintendo. The games focus on directing a horde of plant-like creatures called Pikmin in order to collect items by destroying obstacles, avoiding ...
'' series, which began in 2001 for the Nintendo GameCube
The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
, is beloved by players and became a million-seller. Similarly, ''Halo Wars
''Halo Wars'' is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released in Australia on February 26, 2009; in Europe on February 27; and i ...
'', which was released in 2009 for the Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generati ...
, generated generally positive reviews, achieved an 82% critic average on aggregate web sites, and sold over 1 million copies.
According to IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
, the gameplay lacks the traditional RTS concepts of limited resources and resource gathering and lacks multiple buildings.
Graphics
''Total Annihilation'' (1997) was the first real-time strategy game to utilize true 3D
3D computer graphics, or “3D graphics,” sometimes called CGI, 3D-CGI or three-dimensional computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data (often Cartesian) that is stored in the computer for th ...
units, terrain, and physics in both rendering and in gameplay. For instance, the missiles in ''Total Annihilation'' travel in real time in simulated 3D space, and they can miss their target by passing over or under it. Similarly, missile-armed units in ''Earth 2150'' are at a serious disadvantage when the opponent is on high ground because the missiles often hit the cliffside, even in the case when the attacker is a missile-armed helicopter. ''Homeworld'', ''Warzone 2100
''Warzone 2100'' is an open-source real-time strategy and real-time tactics hybrid computer game, originally developed by Pumpkin Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. It was originally released in 1999 for Microsoft Windows and Play ...
and Machines
A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecul ...
'' (all released in 1999) advanced the use of fully 3D environments in real-time strategy titles. In the case of ''Homeworld
''Homeworld'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Studios on September 28, 1999, for Microsoft Windows. Set in space, the science fiction game follows the Kushan exiles of the planet K ...
'', the game is set in space, offering a uniquely exploitable 3D environment in which all units can move vertically in addition to the horizontal plane. However, the near-industry-wide switch to full 3D was very gradual and most real-time strategy titles, including the first sequels to ''Command & Conquer
''Command & Conquer'' (''C&C'') is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game franchise, first developed by Westwood Studios. The first game was one of the earliest of the RTS genre, itself based on Westwood Studios' influential strategy game '' Dune ...
'', initially used isometric 3D graphics made by pre-rendered 3D tiles. Only in later years did these games begin to use true 3D graphics and gameplay, making it possible to rotate the view of the battlefield in real-time. ''Spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season)
Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of ...
'' is a good example of the transformation from semi-3D to full-3D game simulations. It is an '' open-source'' project which aims to give a ''Total Annihilation'' game-play experience in three dimensions. The most ambitious use of full 3D graphics was realized in '' Supreme Commander'', where all projectiles, units and terrain were simulated in real time, taking full advantage of the UI's zoom feature, which allowed cartographic style navigation of the 3D environment. This led to a number of unique gameplay elements, which were mostly obscured by the lack of computing power available in 2007, at the release date.
Japanese game developers Nippon Ichi
is a Japanese video game developer and publisher. The company was founded in 1991 and has developed several role-playing video games, most notably the ''Disgaea'' and ''Marl Kingdom'' series. Its mascot is the penguin-like ''Disgaea'' characte ...
and Vanillaware
is a Japanese video game developer based in Osaka. An independent company, it was founded in 2002 under the name Puraguru by George Kamitani, a game developer who had previously worked at Capcom and Atlus, and directed '' Princess Crown'' (199 ...
worked together on ''Grim Grimoire
is a 2007 real-time strategy video game developed by Vanillaware and published by Nippon Ichi Software (Japan, North America) and Koei (Europe) for the PlayStation 2. The story follows Lillet Blan, a trainee witch who is sent into a repeating cy ...
'', a PlayStation 2 title released in 2007, which features hand-drawn animated 2D graphics.
From 2010, real-time strategy games more commonly incorporated physics engines
A physics engine is computer software that provides an approximate simulation of certain physical systems, such as rigid body dynamics (including collision detection), soft body dynamics, and fluid dynamics, of use in the domains of computer gr ...
, such as Havok, in order to increase realism experienced in gameplay. A modern real-time strategy game that uses a physics engine is Ensemble Studios' ''Age of Empires III
''Age of Empires III'' is a real-time strategy video game developed by Microsoft Corporation's Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The Mac version was ported over and developed and published by Destineer's MacSoft. The PC ...
'', released on October 18, 2005, which used the Havok Game Dynamics SDK to power its real-time physics. ''Company of Heroes'' is another real-time strategy game that uses realistically modeled physics as a part of gameplay, including fully destructible environment
In video games, the term destructible environment, or deformable terrain, refers to an environment within a game which can be wholly or partially destroyed by the player. It may refer to any part of the environment, including terrain, buildings an ...
s.
Tournaments
RTS World tournaments have been held for both '' StarCraft'' and ''Warcraft III
''Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos'' is a high fantasy real-time strategy computer video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment released in July 2002. It is the second sequel to ''Warcraft: Orcs & Humans'', after ''Warcraft II: Tides ...
'' since their 1998 and 2002 releases. The games have been so successful that some players have earned over $200,000 at the ''Warcraft III World Championships
This is a list of international Esports, competitive video-gaming championship events for ''Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos'' and ''Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne''.
Individual competitions 2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2 ...
''. In addition, hundreds of ''StarCraft II
''StarCraft II'' is a military science fiction video game created by Blizzard Entertainment as a sequel to the successful ''StarCraft'' video game released in 1998. Set in a fictional future, the game centers on a galactic struggle for dominance ...
'' tournaments are held yearly, as it is becoming an increasingly popular branch of e-sports
Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams. Although orga ...
. Notable tournaments include MLG, GSL, and Dreamhack
DreamHack is an ESL Gaming brand specializing in esports tournaments and other gaming conventions. It is recognized by the Guinness Book of Records and Twin Galaxies as being the world's largest LAN party and computer festival with the world's fa ...
. RTS tournaments are especially popular in South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its eas ...
.
See also
* List of real-time strategy video games
References
Further reading
*
*
*
*
*
{{Use mdy dates, date=February 2013
Video game genres
Video game terminology