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[Sideways]

The name says it all... doesn't it?

I find myself wanting to install Starcraft when I get home, but I would rather have something different... something I haven't played-to-death.

I go through PC RTS phases from time-to-time.

Last one was a few years ago, and happend to happily coincide with the release of 'Impossible Creatures' - which was standard RTS fare in terms of resource management and combat, but REALLY shined in terms of units (you created your units out of two animals, basically making your units by selecting a certain head on a certain body, etc... CHIMPANZEE-WHALES FOR THE WIN!!).

Can anyone recommend a really good one?  Maybe another 'create your own units' type of RTS... or something a bit customizeable?

I think the idea of a futuristic/sci-fi RTS, where you can actually build your units out of various robotic parts (something like an Armored Core RTS) would be supakeen.  Does anything like that exist?

[SpacemanSpiff]

Homeworld 2. Once you've gotten used to an RTS that's really 3D (as in: You can attack from every side and it does make a difference), you don't want to go back.
Also, the company responsible for Impossible Creatures (Relic) is also responsible for the Homeworld series.

[Sideways]

Neat.  I'll research it.  Any others?

[Storm Rider]

Black and White 2 and Age of Empires 3 both came out recently.

Older good ones include Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War, Rome: Total War, and Rise of Nations.

[Switchblade]

"Perimeter"

you want different? you got it.

the basic premise is taht you have only one resource: energy generated in your base, with this, you build units and mount your defence. Units come in three varieties: soldiers, engineers and officers. these are then combined to form more advanced unit types (five officers produce a laser sniper, for example).

The perimeter is absically an impenetrable energy shield that completely shields your base from enemy attack, but sucks up the power like nothing else in the game.

Pretty good.

Alternatives: Darwinia, Dawn of War, Homeworld 2, Rome Total War, Warcraft 3, Command&Conquer Generals.

[est]

i heartily agree with both Dawn of War and Rome: Total War.

Dawn of War is pretty short, but it is a lot of fun.  the story is pretty good and the units fairly well balanced.  you should be able to pick it up on the cheap now.  i think i got it for something like $25 or $30 US while i was over there.

Rome: Total War is a builder/RTS.  you have the campaign, which is like Civ, say.  then you have the actual battles, which are 3d and tactical and take high-ground & terrain into account, etc.  i must confess to not really playing the battle sequences all that much, but the campaign mode is very good in itself.

[Storm Rider]

The main issue I have with Rome: Total War is that it would be so much better if there were a random map generator. Conquering all of the old world with every civilization is great and all, but it would be a lot better if you could get some different maps.

[Bunnyman]

Rome looks awesome.  Its predecessor Shogun was AWESOME.

Second the Dawn of War bit, 'specially Winter War.  Run to your deaths, my little human-wavelings!  FOR THE EMPEROR!  YA-HA-HA-HA!

And Homworld is more kinds of awesome than I care to articulate at the moment.

[Micolithe]

My roommate is currently loving Civ 4. I'm not big on strategy games so I can't tell you my personal opinion, but he loves that game.

[McTaggart]

Civ 4 is turn based (but from what I've seen pretty damn good).

I second any motion of Dawn of War. I'm not really into rts's but that game just worked. Also, KKnD Xtreme:
http://melbournehouse.kknd2.com/kkndxtreme/images/screen_shots/kkndxe/kknd_x50.jpg">
It's pretty standard, pretty old, and pretty simple, but I just couldn't stop playing it.

[edit]Re-reading your initial post, have you heard of Metal Fatigue? There were maybe four units in the game, but the main one was awesome. It's called a Combot, basically a great big robot that's made out of any combination of two arms, a torso and a pair of legs. You could pick up enemy parts after a battle, research them and build them onto your own ones.

[Bunnyman]

Well, if we're talking Oldschool too...

The first C&C:Red Alert.  So amazingly awesome.  Was so much more viscerally satisfying than Blizzard games...I mean, hordes of infantry getting cut down by machinegun fire, MiG strikes on tank columns, and the odd nuclear explosion or teleporting ore truck for good measure.  Good times.
 
Also, it was one of those games where you could start cackling maniacally on several occasions.  Most notably parking a couple of heavy cruisers outside an enemy base and raining heavy gunfire upon it until it transmutes into a smoldering heap of wreckage.  Aah, memories.

Also, if you like a bit of realism/simulation, I recommend the Close Combat series.  I'm particularly fond of CC3, which takes place on the Eastern Front.  Real-time, but plays like a wargame.  Quite sensational, and still has no lack of 'maniacal cackling' moments, many involving either flamethrowers or StuGs.  Blowing the snot out of a particularly pesky machinegun nest with steely determination and a 75mm Close Support Howitzer is eminently satisfying.

And, of course, we can't forget Total Annihilation.

[Switchblade]

OOH! the Total Annihilation Spring project

Basically, this is an open source project taking original TA, and converting it to full 3D, without changing the game dynamic at all. TRES cool thus far. if you know TA, you'll be able to play TA Spring instantly, basically.

Thus far, the terrain's a lot more detailed than the units (they basically just used the 3D models from the original TA) but it's still a great way to play the game.

[Oli]

I quite like the battle realms games...

They are fairly unique

And the way to make a certain unit is by taking a peasant then training him at one place, then at another and so on till you get the combonation of teh UBER units

Also if you are really into RTS you might wanna give "Cultures" a shot.

Basically you run viking settlements and have to make everything.

For example:

If you wanna make a spearman (the easiest soldier in the game to make)

You have to:

Get a guy chopping wood to get logs.

Once he's chopped wood for a wee while he becomes good enough at it to become a joiner (Put somone else on the chopping wood duty so there are still logs coming in for him to work with)

Build him a joiners workshop

Once he is good enough at joining stuff he can become a spear maker

Have him build spears

While guy 1 is busy chopping/joining/spear making have another guy hunting. (hunting gets food, but more importantly for this leather)

Once he's hunted for long enough he can become a tanner (I think, it's been awhile since I played)

Tanners make leather armour for the spearmen

Once you have a few sets of spear and armour built

send them to a barracks (which you've built)

Send some guy into the barracks an make him a soldier

Making bowmen and swordsmen is harder.

Fighting in that game is solid...I never completed it...

it's still quite fun and should get easier once you get into it...but you really do have to run EVERYTHING!

[Peet]

Rome: Total War.

It's the shiz. And, you can download the mod that I'm making: Fourth Age: Total War. It's about Lord of the Rings.

(http://www.thefourthage.net)

EDIT
Well, there's team of us making it. I'm not that good

[Oli]

Rome: Total War.

It's the shiz. And, you can download the mod that I'm making: Fourth Age: Total War. It's about Lord of the Rings.

(http://www.thefourthage.net)

EDIT
Well, there's team of us making it. I'm not that good

HOLY SHIT THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!*


*yes I did have to shout

[est]

Basically you run viking settlements and have to make everything.

For example: (example)

i really don't like that example.  i don't see how chopping wood automatically teaches you to become a joiner, or how hunting animals teaches you how to be a tanner.  the skillsets are disparate.  i'd much rather see some kind of system based on:

• take 1 peasant, teach them the basics in a skill (say: hunting)
• he goes off and hunts, gets better at it.  if you give him equipment for skinning then he skins things and gets better at that, also
• take another peasant, train him in basic tanning
• he goes off and starts tanning, getting experience at tanning with every item he makes.
• etc[/list:u]
  
  basically what i'd like to see is a game that treats every individual in the game as a distinct person with their own experience and skills etc.  that way you really want to defend them because if your master tanner doesn't make it into the town holdfast in time and gets killed by raiders then you can't make the high-end armour anymore until his apprentice skills up enough to fill his role.
  
  i'd also like to be able to name your townfolk.  if your blacksmith dies then it's not nearly as traumatic as ol' Bob the master blacksmith dying, especially if no-one has anywhere near his level of ability and your weaponry/steel armour levels go down as a result.
  
  also: that TA Spring project looks pretty neat.  i'll have to keep my eye on it.

[Dal]

Total Annihilation or Rome: Total War.
Or starcraft. Starcraft's always good.

EDIT: For what you mentioned you could try Children of the Nile, but I'm not sure if there's any violence in that.

[Sideways]

There were enough recommendations of Dawn of War for me to finally decide on that one.  It was a pretty cheap game too... $29.00.  Wow... does this game ever rip off Warcraft 3!!!

It innovates in it's on way, and I'm certainly not complaining here (Warcraft 3 was a wicked game!), I was just shocked at how even the characters seem to be stylistically similar to W3... exagerrated proportions and whatnot.

Really good so far.  I didn't have too much time to play it on the weekend.  I went through the first 4 or 5 missions in the human/starter campaign, and then played a skirmish with the CPU (where I totally whooped the CPU) where I was using some alien race.  I can't remember which race, but the builders kept talking about their songs, and such... they seemed pretty kick-ass.

Their mechs were awesome, anyway!

Good game, thanks all for the recommendations!

[Cerulaetas]

Also, KKnD Xtreme:
[Picture of KKnD Xtreme]
It's pretty standard, pretty old, and pretty simple, but I just couldn't stop playing it.

Quoted for truth!

Holy shit, I didn't think anyone else had even heard of this game let alone played it!  It's an oldie but a goodie, I always liked it more than the Command and Conquer games.

Have you played KKnD 2?  Yes, they did come out with a sequel... It's an updated version of KKnD Extreme, with a new race (Series 9, they're farming robots gone insane!), some tweaks to the units, an upgraded interface and a non-linear campaign.  Also added are more air units - you can build aerial transports (great fun), and fighter planes.  If you don't like how the various units perform, they added in a unit-customizability option, where you can tweak the stats for all the different units.

EDIT:

Really good so far.  I didn't have too much time to play it on the weekend.  I went through the first 4 or 5 missions in the human/starter campaign, and then played a skirmish with the CPU (where I totally whooped the CPU) where I was using some alien race.  I can't remember which race, but the builders kept talking about their songs, and such... they seemed pretty kick-ass.

Their mechs were awesome, anyway!

Good game, thanks all for the recommendations!

That alien race would happen to be the Eldar... http://us.games-workshop.com/games/40k/eldar/catalog/default.htm

Dawn of War is actually based off of a table-top wargame called Warhammer 40k, and all the races playable in Dawn of War are actual races in the game.  They actually left out quite a few Wh40k armies, which was rather disappointing, but oh well.

[Switchblade]

There were enough recommendations of Dawn of War for me to finally decide on that one.  It was a pretty cheap game too... $29.00.  Wow... does this game ever rip off Warcraft 3!!!

I was struck by that the first time I played it as well. there are a lot of similarities in the two games. The difference is, DoW isn't just a sci-fi ripoff of WC3, as it really is set in a very well-established universe. Which really does have Space Orks.

I can assume you aren't very well informed on things Warhammer 40,000. Check out www.games-workshop.com if you're interested.

It innovates in it's on way, and I'm certainly not complaining here (Warcraft 3 was a wicked game!), I was just shocked at how even the characters seem to be stylistically similar to W3... exagerrated proportions and whatnot.

Really good so far.  I didn't have too much time to play it on the weekend.  I went through the first 4 or 5 missions in the human/starter campaign, and then played a skirmish with the CPU (where I totally whooped the CPU) where I was using some alien race.  I can't remember which race, but the builders kept talking about their songs, and such... they seemed pretty kick-ass.

Their mechs were awesome, anyway!

The wraithlords? Yeah, they rock.

I must insist that you buy the expansion pack, Winter Assault, as soon as you possibly can. It improves upon the original in so very many ways it's mind-blowing.

[McTaggart]

Have you played KKnD 2?

I did, but I wasn't really in a strategy game mood at the time. I'll have to dig it out again some time.

[Oli]

Basically you run viking settlements and have to make everything.

For example: (example)

i really don't like that example.  i don't see how chopping wood automatically teaches you to become a joiner, or how hunting animals teaches you how to be a tanner.  the skillsets are disparate.  i'd much rather see some kind of system based on:

• take 1 peasant, teach them the basics in a skill (say: hunting)
• he goes off and hunts, gets better at it.  if you give him equipment for skinning then he skins things and gets better at that, also
• take another peasant, train him in basic tanning
• he goes off and starts tanning, getting experience at tanning with every item he makes.
• etc[/list:u]
  
  basically what i'd like to see is a game that treats every individual in the game as a distinct person with their own experience and skills etc.  that way you really want to defend them because if your master tanner doesn't make it into the town holdfast in time and gets killed by raiders then you can't make the high-end armour anymore until his apprentice skills up enough to fill his role.
  
  i'd also like to be able to name your townfolk.  if your blacksmith dies then it's not nearly as traumatic as ol' Bob the master blacksmith dying, especially if no-one has anywhere near his level of ability and your weaponry/steel armour levels go down as a result.
  
  also: that TA Spring project looks pretty neat.  i'll have to keep my eye on it.

It's pretty much like that...

I probably describe badly.

Lets go again:

Villager becomes shitty hunter.

Hunts for ages.

Gets good at hunting.

Can then get a different job.

Which he has to become good at to get the more advanced job and such.

You can name them aswell...

It's actually got pretty much everything you said. Except fighting is UBER hard.

ALSO! I thouht of another good RTS

The Dungeon Keeper games are awesome...

And pretty unique.

It's hard to describe them, but if you do a google search for Dungeon Keeper 2 it'll come up.

[Sideways]

There were enough recommendations of Dawn of War for me to finally decide on that one.  It was a pretty cheap game too... $29.00.  Wow... does this game ever rip off Warcraft 3!!!

I was struck by that the first time I played it as well. there are a lot of similarities in the two games. The difference is, DoW isn't just a sci-fi ripoff of WC3, as it really is set in a very well-established universe. Which really does have Space Orks.

I can assume you aren't very well informed on things Warhammer 40,000. Check out www.games-workshop.com if you're interested.

I'm not /very/ well versed in the Warhammer universe, but I am knowledgeable enough to know that the basic themes in Warhammer are unique to Warhammer.

My comparison with Warcraft 3 was in presentation alone, not with regards to there being Orks in the game, or anything like that.  The game looks and plays as thought it was produced by Blizzard.

CERTAINLY not a bad thing!!

It just made me yearn for a W3-based Starcraft... since obviously the W3 engine translates NICELY to futuristic/sci-fi-fantasy play.  VERY nicely!

I was going to ask some questions about WH40K, but I think I'll just make a thread for it specifically, and leave this one to general RTS chat.

[est]

i think that now that Games Workshop has made a popular W30K game with decent tech if Blizzard made another Starcraft game with WC3 technology everyone would see just how much Blizzard ripped off from the W30K universe.

Terrans = Space Marines
Zerg = Tyranids (which were in turn ripped from Aliens/Giger art)
Protoss = Eldar

although playing Starcraft and knowing how well Blizzard make RTS games i know that i'd still buy it and love it, even if it was just Starcraft 1 redone with WC3 graphics  (although the addition of heroes that level up would be icing)

[Bunnyman]

Sounds to me like Blizzard ripped from GW.  Which makes perfect sense if you think about it.  W40k is a really cool universe for those with way too much money to spend and a tolerance for poorly-structured rulesets.

Dawn of War certainly is Blizzard-style, but many little touches set it apart...the configurability of units for example...you can take your basic Space Marine squad, buy more marines for it, get a sargeant to improve morale, attach an apothecary to heal them, and load up on specialist weapons like heavy bolters and plas-muh guns.  And the R/P/S infantry-heavy infantry-vehicle dynamic is quite nifty...gotta throw in some lascannons to balance out the wall of bolters.

Tre WIN.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Of course. I know I will get yelled for for this, but I prefer Relic's RTS to Blizzard's, they're prettier and at least to me just feel better.

Also, shame on you for not getting Homeworld 2. I mean, Dawn of War is one awesome game, but still. I mean, come on now. Check those pics of a small Vagyr strike force out and then tell me this doesn't look awesome:
Focus on a destroyer
Two dreadnoughts
Some fighters and a dreadnought (and some frigates in the back)
Most of the fleet

[est]

man, i tried playing Homeworld, but i couldn't get the hang of the camera.  spent more time looking about than playing, which isn't fun.

[IronOxide]

I've been addicted by Age of Empires III, it's flawless exept for the fact that the Home City Data is stored as a basic text document. Thus it is easily alterable.

[DavidGrohl]

Ummm . . Warcraft III moded EXACT 3D Version of Starcraft?  Need I say more?

http://revolution.wc3campaigns.com/

It's still under progress, but they've done a solid majority of it.

[Sideways]

That's really cool!

I still want a proper SC sequel.

I'm getting back into the RTS's in a BIG way right now.

Just reinstalled WC3 on my computer.  I'd had a problem with my old video card, and the game kept freezing at the EXACT same spot each time.  Right after meeting the Tauren for the first time.

So I got fed up and uninstalled it.

Last night my GF was watching me load up WarHammer40K Dawn of War, and she said; "I wish you had a game like this, but in a more medieval setting".

Then it hit me.  I have a brand new motherboard, new video card, etc... why not reinstall WC3 and finally beat it?

I also thought to reinstall 'Impossible Creatures' but I'm missing my Disc 2.



I'll have to re-buy it at some point... it was a superfun game!

[Keaton]

I actually bought Black and White 2 not too long ago... it's an extremely fun game.  Very easy to become evil, but being good is surprisingly entertaining.  Need a pretty strong system to run it, though - I've got a decently high-end new Dell laptop with one of the better video cards offered, and it still runs slow.

[Oli]

That's really cool!

Then it hit me.  I have a brand new motherboard, new video card, etc... why not reinstall WC3 and finally beat it?

I've started play W3 lately too (I reinstalled it 3-4 days ago...) I'm up to the Orc campaign (the level where you have to get 15000 lumber)

I've never beaten it before either. (by that I mean the game, not that level)

The game is pretty easy till you get about mid way through the Orc campaign where it starts to get alot harder quite quickly. The night elves are fucking solid to use. But they're fun.

[SpacemanSpiff]

man, i tried playing Homeworld, but i couldn't get the hang of the camera.  spent more time looking about than playing, which isn't fun.

I found that once you get the hang of it, the problem in all other games is that you're thinking "I can't see shit, let's move the camera around and ... oh crap".

That 3D Starcraft mod is quite possibly the best thing since Homeworld 2 was released.

[Bunnyman]

Homeworld has arguably the slickest camera control yet devised.  Makes every other RTS ever created seem horribly awkward.  Once you get the hang of focus-clicking, you'll never get along with the excessive density of most 3D RTS controls (remember Myth?) and the really claustrophobic views in 2D RTSs (which 3D RTSs inherit, thanks to bad camera controls).  I also think that part of what made Homeworld manageable was the sensors manager, which gave an omnicscient view with a slap of the spacebar.  For all of DoW's brilliance, the camera control is rather klutzy in comparison.

And I'll add to all the good vibes directed at that SC mod.

[nihilist]

Warhammer!  Mmm.

[Sideways]

This weekend was an awesome RTS weekend for me.

I reinstalled WC3, played through some of the campaign, played through a bunch more of the WH40K:DoW campaign, and also reinstalled Starcraft: Brood War for some fun times on the intraweb!

I won 6 3v3 matches, and lost one.  Not bad, considering I hadn't played SC in a few years.

[DavidGrohl]

If you're bored, download this custom map at: http://www.dota-allstars.com/

Put it into your download folder in the warcraft III directory (I trust you can find it).  Pick custom maps from b.net and wait for the map to show (most popular game being played on b.net, so it shouldn't be a problem finding a game, though it might be hard joining one, they fill very quickly).  Anyways, that game is amazing.  If you take the time for the learning curve and try NOT dying, it's very fun.

[Luke C]

i heartily agree with both Dawn of War and Rome: Total War.

Dawn of War is pretty short, but it is a lot of fun.  the story is pretty good and the units fairly well balanced.  you should be able to pick it up on the cheap now.  i think i got it for something like $25 or $30 US while i was over there.

Rome: Total War is a builder/RTS.  you have the campaign, which is like Civ, say.  then you have the actual battles, which are 3d and tactical and take high-ground & terrain into account, etc.  i must confess to not really playing the battle sequences all that much, but the campaign mode is very good in itself.

What he said. I 100% recommend both games. They are quality RTS games.

[Odin]

I know it's an old thread, but I just had to interject on behalf of Sacrifice.

I know it's not the sci-fi rts you were asking for, but this one simply cannot go without mention. I know I thoroughly enjoyed it, even if the final mission is insanely difficult.

[El Opium]

If yr wanting an RTS with a detailed tech-tree that gives you some control over how you research/design yr armyI'd give Earth 2150 a shot. TA will always be my fave RTS though. I can't get the game to work with mods right now, I would do a re-instal cept when I do the game somehow doesn't uninstall properly; the new install remembers which map I last played on and as what color etc even though I remove everything.