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Real-Time Strategy Games - Too Many Clicks?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the clicky-click dept.

simoniker writes "A new Gamasutra article asks provocatively in its synopsis: 'Could games like Civilization benefit from putting their interfaces on a diet? Can a player control too many objects at once in a strategy game?' Are RTS titles too UI-intensive? The author notes: 'Even for a Civ addict like me, the game isn't much fun after about 1800. Too many clicks. I counted the clicks, mouse movements, and keystrokes that it took me to get through one move of Civilization III in the year 1848. Many hours later, when that turn was done, I'd counted 422 mouse clicks, 352 mouse movements, 290 key presses, 23 wheel scrolls, and 18 screen pans to scroll the screen.'"

8 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. I'll just give up RTS games and go play Diablo! by KatchooNJ · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ya know something... this article opened my eyes. Before I get carpal tunnel, I'm going to uninstall my RTS games and load back on Diablo! Weee!!

    Click... click... click... click... click... click... click... click... click... click...

    --
    "Never give up, for that is just the time and place when the tide will change." -Harriet Beecher Stowe ^_^
  2. Too many... what? by LSD-OBS · · Score: 2, Funny

    For a second there, I swear it said "too many chicks". There was a new tab opened to www.ebgames.com before I even had the chance to reparse!

    --
    Today's weirdness is tomorrow's reason why. -- Hunter S. Thompson
  3. no wii for you by dolson · · Score: 4, Funny

    If you get exhausted just from moving your fingers to click and push buttons, then I think you aren't going to be too happy when you hear about the Nintendo Wii's control scheme. What America really needs is a gaming console that lets you control your games simply by chewing food and drinking soda.

    1. Re:no wii for you by sammy+baby · · Score: 2, Funny
      What America really needs is a gaming console that lets you control your games simply by chewing food and drinking soda.


      Actually, I've played several games where the entire user interface is comprised of drinking beer. They belong to a genre usually referred to as "Drinking Games."

      There's also a simplified version of the game, which can even be played solo, called "Drinking." Dedicated fans sometimes like to follow it up with a wind-down round of "Drunk-dialing the ex" or "Puking your guts out."
    2. Re:no wii for you by voice_of_all_reason · · Score: 2, Funny

      There's also a simplified version of the game, which can even be played solo, called "Drinking."

      Would you mind writing up a strategy guide for this one? I'm having a bit of trouble on level 6.

    3. Re:no wii for you by JonLatane · · Score: 2, Funny

      Oh, and I forgot to mention: If you do decide to rescue a princess, make sure you keep your levels low, as trying this outcome at extremely high levels (level 13+ makes it impossible for my character) is impossible; your Tool Use and Maintenance scores decrease by about -10 each level, and word spreads among princesses if you don't do a good job saving them.

  4. How Not to Write a Thesis by LargeWu · · Score: 4, Funny

    Pick one data point. Make sure it's outdated and unrepresentative. Base it on subjective criteria.

    Seriously the article could have been summarized like this:
    "There's this one real-time strategy game, except it's a turn based game, and it requires too many clicks per turn once the game is sufficiently advanced. Except this problem was mitigated in the next version. Therefore, RTS games require too many clicks."

  5. Re:Let's get something straight. by Anne_Nonymous · · Score: 5, Funny

    >> Civilization... is a 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate) Turn Based Strategy game

    Actually, I think it's an eX-employee, eX-girlfriend, eX-hausted from no sleep, and eX-iled to the basement until you take a bath, Turn Based Strategy game.