Recommend an RTS?

[J T]

For the RTS player that doesn't usually play RTS games (at least that's how I think of myself and I loved this game).

[Jagosaurus]

I picked up AvP Extinction recently & am looking forward to it. RTS in the AvP universe.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_V ... Extinction

[MrPopo]

I'd say for someone new to RTS's that Command & Conquer: Red Alert would be the best intro. The original C&C has a lot of "commando" missions that require a fairly high level of micro to get through (especially on the Nod side). It also spends a lot of time keeping you behind the tech curve from the computer, while Red Alert keeps you more balanced.

[isiolia]

I'd say Warcraft III, mostly due to how the focus is shifted partly to the hero units. It kinda changes the dynamic a bit, and for me made the game a lot more interesting to play in campaign. More like an RPG with main characters and supporting units. As someone who also doesn't play many RTS games, I found it easy to get into and actually complete.

[Tanooki]

My early RTS progression went Dune II > Warcraft I & II > Command & Conquer.

As it already has been mentioned, RTS is way beyond the old base-building days. There's more to consider.

That was my progression to where I maxed out, then it went downhill from there. Starcraft I never fell in love with, nor could I handle playing beyond half of it before I got fed up and used cheat codes because the AI drove me nuts how it could produce so much so fast and keep flooding in while I couldn't. Red Alert on the C&C side bugged me too when they got all weird with things like mental powers to freeze units and other weird ass stuff that was a turn off. I then gave it a last try with Warcraft 3 and that one bugged me too with the 'hero' type units and having stages around making sure they don't drop but put in situations hwere you have to be a pre-RTS playing pro to survive the stuff so I packed it in.

I'll still go back to Dune 2, C&C(and addon) along with Warcraft 1 or preferably 2 but that's it. The games just because more and more layers on top with slow progression complexity, sadist AI that needs a certain touch to survive, and perhaps that's why some of them are just vastly loved online just for the multiplayer and not the campaigns these days.

Also one to consider kind of a RTS/Civilization hybrid clone of sorts I really got into for a long time, Age of Empires 2 (recently fixed into HD to work on stuff from Win Vista->Win 8 as the old version isn't compatible. That game with the tech tree and base building is fun.

[CFFJR]

I've looked at everything mentioned and it all sounds interesting (its all going in a list of things to potentially check out if I have a good time with this), but so far it seems that Starcraft has garnered the most comments.

At the same time, the hero units of Warcraft 3 make it sound pretty enticing to me.

I'm still undecided...

Thank you everybody, for all the input!

[CRTGAMER]

I'd say for someone new to RTS's that Command & Conquer: Red Alert would be the best intro. The original C&C has a lot of "commando" missions that require a fairly high level of micro to get through (especially on the Nod side). It also spends a lot of time keeping you behind the tech curve from the computer, while Red Alert keeps you more balanced.

Agree, the Command Conquer series really should be checked out for anyone curious about RTS. Red Alert is very good. But then the original has such cool music. Mechanical Man is my favorite.

For the RTS player that doesn't usually play RTS games (at least that's how I think of myself and I loved this game).

<PS2 GrimGrimoire>

Leave it to J T to introduce yet another game that I never played! Yeah the life bars look like RTS!

[Ivo]

Yes it's old with crappy graphics but this is still a fantastic RTS. An overlooked and utterly brilliant game.

That looks pretty interesting, with the perspective change.

Battlezone is an extremely good game but it is also 1. very atypical for an RTS 2. has significant "sort of 2. has significant FPS elements (sort of, do you consider Descent and FPS?) 3. possibly as part of the previous, it is considerably on the hard side as far as I remember.

You not only need to be on top of the base building and your "wingmen", but as far as I remember if you aren't yourself a skilled pilot you are screwed.

I would NOT recommend it to someone who wants to try out RTSs, even though is is really, really good.

The same also applies to Herzog Zwei in terms of requiring you to be a good pilot, although in my opinion the single player is not so good, and maybe it is also not as hard as Battlezone?

Age of Empires was also suggested and it is very good RTS with a different focus.

Now onto the classic style:
Starcraft is a good suggestion, but at some point someone asked about the "first one", in which case you want Dune 2 which is really simple even though you need to manually move each unit. But the game is designed with that in mind so it is actually a very good introduction to the genre I think.

Alternatively the first or second Warcraft which is also not as refined as Starcraft but really solid and a good introduction.

Command & Conquer is also a good game (as is Red Alert) but I think Blizzard's RTSs, even the ones pre-Starcraft, stood the test of time significantly better.

[Exhuminator]

it is considerably on the hard side / also not as hard as Battlezone?

I do remember you had to simultaneously set up your structure buildings, manage your local squads, and fly around and shoot stuff yourself. I remember that was a frantic but very fun affair. When I beat this game though I don't remember it being brutally hard. Although to be fair that was circa 2001, so my memory might be a little hazy.

Well here is a more classically styled RTS I'll recommend then:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Reig ... ure_of_War

http://www.gog.com/game/dark_reign_expansion

[fastbilly1]

If you like heroes, but find Warcraft 3 to be too complicated for your playstyle, try Warlords Battlecry 2 or 3. Battlecry has alot of options (there are 14 armies), but it is not overly complicated - armies play one of a handful of ways. That and you can be a giant cockroach man.