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Making Strategy Games with...Strategy?
KaB0b0 asks: "Many people I know play primarily RPGs and 'Strategy Games' in their free time (and even sometimes when they're pressed for time). But this arises a question. Is there really any such thing as a 'Strategy Game'? Most of my enemies online seem to think 'build a lot of troops, attack early' is a good strategy for their gaming advantage. In fact, you'd be very hardpressed to find someone who uses actualy tactics in a strategy game." Of course, most RTS games are vastly oversimplified which allows this type of "blitz" game. If games had the concept of supply lines, morale, and other such ignored aspects of battle mechanics, then maybe this would be different. Turn-based strategy games, also suffer from this to an extent, however it's less of a problem there. If you were to create a strategy game with real strategy, what would you implement?
"Take, for instance, StarCraft. The last time I played with someone actually used a strategy besides simply building a lot of medium units and some large units and then sent them all as soon as possible was.. well, never. What could a game developer do in order to insure actual use of strategy in a game intended for it? I realize there's always going to be people who play the game so they can get a good record for some stupid reason, but how can you actually make a game for the real strategist?"
I have this great idea for a computer game with lots of strategy. You have this board with 64 squares on it, every other square an opposite color from the previous one. The two people playing each other command a cast of figures representing medieval characters, each of whom moves in a different way. If you are able to move a character onto the same square a character of your opponent occupies while keeping within the rules of movement for your character, you capture your opponents piece, and it's taken out of the game. There are millions upon millions of interations of moves you and your opponant can make, and each decision your opponent makes has to be carefully analyzed and deduced to yield that optimal counterattack. If you hit your opponent at the right strategic point, particularly if he overextends himself, his defenses will crumble.
Best of all, there's lots of psychological conflict between the two of you, just like the kind you find in real war.
Oh, wait, someone's already done that....
General: "Soldier, I want you to invade that building."
Soldier: "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!" [puts gun on ground]
General: "That's an order, Soldier!"
Soldier: "Blah, blah, blah!" [starts crying]