good point... I'd not even thought to invoke a game so old not many ppl would know what the hell I was talking about =)
I'm sure there are other examples to this hybrid feature and I never did try to claim SC was first in that regard. =)
Archon rocked the house though didn't it =)
Cheers!
-Liq
I'm really not sure where people are getting this idea that turn based Strategy games are dying off.
Take games such as Alpha Centauri, Combat mission, Heroes of might and magic, Age of wonders, Space Empires 4, Reach for the stars, Warlords and the descriminating gamer has plenty to choose from. Add to that pile, up coming classics CIV3, Stars!SuperNova and Master of Orion 3 and I just do not see TBS games going away anytime soon.
Real Time Strategy is no doubt a very popular format but realistically, it's Real Time Tactical gaming and a different game altogether. As a fan of both types of games, I can tell you that the requirements for each TBS and RTS are quite a bit different.
In most TBS games, a very real part of the game is long range planning. Since the player is given time to actually run through all the options, the complexity of the game can get very sophisticated.
With real time tactical games, you have very real restrictions on how much can be done in a set amount of time. What this does is force the designer to shrink the strategic portion of the game down to the bare minimum as to allow the player to concentrate on the immediate tactical situation.
I find both genres, when well done, to be a joy to play. At the same time one hardly can take over the reign of the other, as they are simply too divergent in their final goal.
I find Hybrids such as Shogun, which mixes a turn based stategic game with a fully realized RTS tactical module as a refreshing take on the scene. It's hardly a new idea (the original Star control had the same sort of dual genre) but with the surge of new gamers entering the scene via the starcrafts and Age of Empires I think the two tiered approach might well pick up new converts.
..I'm heading down to the Patent Office on Monday and Filing A new Patent... my body and mind.
I figure this way I can charge my HMO royalty fees when I visit a doctor and pull a Rambus and sue any company that tries to sell anything based on the human body.
Figure that way I can make my bid to single handedly stop the entire medical community though the use of Copy Write Infringment Lawsuits.
"Hey that's a direct violation of my patent.. on me!"
Here are my predictions for the the year 2001
1. Trying to keep up with AMD's new 2GHz Athlon, Intel will rush a 2.4 GHz cordless phone to market under the name Pentium 5 then have to recall it because customers cannot call the take out Chinese restaurant down the street..
2. The average cost of a PC will sky rocket to $10,000 with $9,000 being paid to Rambus in patent royalties
3. Linux users will declare victory when 7-11 declares it will be selling redhat at the cash register.
4. Microsoft's Windows 2001 will just be an x-box... and will actually come out in 2003.
5. Peeved that the Supreme Court stole the presidency from him, Ex Vice President Al Gore will demand that everyone leave HIS Internet.
6. Slushdot.com billed as 'News for politicians. Stuff the polls say matters' will open to rave reviews despite ripping off slashdot's format. The message boards posts will be 100% anonymous cowards.
7. The newly released cuecat2's will come with retinal scanners to ensure proper registration.
8. Apple will fully embrace the 3 button mouse.
9. Saddam Hussain will finally get his hands on a few PS2's and proceed to take over the former Soviet Union.
10. Google.com will still be the best damned search engine around and even more youngsters won't understand what the heck all the old people are raving about.
Slashdot Mirror
good point... I'd not even thought to invoke a game so old not many ppl would know what the hell I was talking about =) I'm sure there are other examples to this hybrid feature and I never did try to claim SC was first in that regard. =) Archon rocked the house though didn't it =) Cheers! -Liq
I'm really not sure where people are getting this idea that turn based Strategy games are dying off.
Take games such as Alpha Centauri, Combat mission, Heroes of might and magic, Age of wonders, Space Empires 4, Reach for the stars, Warlords and the descriminating gamer has plenty to choose from. Add to that pile, up coming classics CIV3, Stars!SuperNova and Master of Orion 3 and I just do not see TBS games going away anytime soon.
Real Time Strategy is no doubt a very popular format but realistically, it's Real Time Tactical gaming and a different game altogether. As a fan of both types of games, I can tell you that the requirements for each TBS and RTS are quite a bit different.
In most TBS games, a very real part of the game is long range planning. Since the player is given time to actually run through all the options, the complexity of the game can get very sophisticated.
With real time tactical games, you have very real restrictions on how much can be done in a set amount of time. What this does is force the designer to shrink the strategic portion of the game down to the bare minimum as to allow the player to concentrate on the immediate tactical situation.
I find both genres, when well done, to be a joy to play. At the same time one hardly can take over the reign of the other, as they are simply too divergent in their final goal.
I find Hybrids such as Shogun, which mixes a turn based stategic game with a fully realized RTS tactical module as a refreshing take on the scene. It's hardly a new idea (the original Star control had the same sort of dual genre) but with the surge of new gamers entering the scene via the starcrafts and Age of Empires I think the two tiered approach might well pick up new converts.
Cheers!
-Liquidated
..I'm heading down to the Patent Office on Monday and Filing A new Patent... my body and mind.
I figure this way I can charge my HMO royalty fees when I visit a doctor and pull a Rambus and sue any company that tries to sell anything based on the human body.
Figure that way I can make my bid to single handedly stop the entire medical community though the use of Copy Write Infringment Lawsuits.
"Hey that's a direct violation of my patent.. on me!"
Cheers!
-Liq
Here are my predictions for the the year 2001 1. Trying to keep up with AMD's new 2GHz Athlon, Intel will rush a 2.4 GHz cordless phone to market under the name Pentium 5 then have to recall it because customers cannot call the take out Chinese restaurant down the street.. 2. The average cost of a PC will sky rocket to $10,000 with $9,000 being paid to Rambus in patent royalties 3. Linux users will declare victory when 7-11 declares it will be selling redhat at the cash register. 4. Microsoft's Windows 2001 will just be an x-box... and will actually come out in 2003. 5. Peeved that the Supreme Court stole the presidency from him, Ex Vice President Al Gore will demand that everyone leave HIS Internet. 6. Slushdot.com billed as 'News for politicians. Stuff the polls say matters' will open to rave reviews despite ripping off slashdot's format. The message boards posts will be 100% anonymous cowards. 7. The newly released cuecat2's will come with retinal scanners to ensure proper registration. 8. Apple will fully embrace the 3 button mouse. 9. Saddam Hussain will finally get his hands on a few PS2's and proceed to take over the former Soviet Union. 10. Google.com will still be the best damned search engine around and even more youngsters won't understand what the heck all the old people are raving about.