Looking for games

[0wca]

I'm starting this thread, because I need help finding good old RTS games. U used to play a lot of them but now I forgot all of the titles. If you guys could maybe refresh my memory...

P.S.:Preferably old games (not too old though - i don't wanna play in DOS :smallbiggrin: ), preferably space or sci-fi...

[Sneak]

I suppose you've already got StarCraft on your list, or does that memory need to be refreshed too?

[0wca]

lol, of course I have starcraft. :smallsmile:

any other suggestions?

[Exachix]

Homeworld II (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeworld_2) and Homeworld. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeworld)
- 2 three-dimensions Space RTSes.

Dawn Of war.
+ expansions.

All are good RTSes.

[Murongo]

Total Annihalation

[WampaX]

From the Westwood vaults . . .
Dune II
Red Alert
Red Alert II

[Telok]

Problem isn't so much knowing/figuring which ones are good, but finding them. I still have my old Dune 2 disk here, but finding a copy of Emperor is rather no. I've seen one copy of Homeworld pass through the used computer stores here in the last three years, Homeworld 2 may as well be vaporware for all I can find any. While all those stores have multiple copies of every Command and Conquer anything else in the RTS set is extremely rare.

So, anyone have hints as to finding any of them?

[Exachix]

That's true.

I usually look around in Game for any game really, and only buy those that really appeal to me, that's how I found Homeworld II.

Failing that, ebay, or Amazon.

[Lord Herman]

I don't know if they're old enough for you, but I've always liked the Star Trek: Armada games.

[Artanis]

Hmm...

X-Com: Apocalypse is a good game. It's not as amazing as the original in the series, but taken on its own merits, it's really rather good. You can even switch the combat to original-style turn-based if you want, though it quickly becomes obvious that it wasn't balanced for turn-based.

Star Wars: Rebellion is kindasorta real-time. It's a 4X game, so it's technically turn-based, but it feels more like time is passing in very fast real-time, with the option to slow it down to give orders...if you've ever played Sim City or Sim City 2000 (and maybe the newer Sim Cities, but I've never played those), that's how the speed feels. The combat is also true real-time with full 3D motion. Plus, it's Star Wars, letting you control the main characters from the movies and the first two or so series of books (i.e. Mara Jade and Talon Karrde).

[0wca]

Of course, X-Com Apocalypse!!

Thx, I completely forgot that one.. :smalltongue:

[Corlindale]

My favourite RTS game is Sacrifice. It's a VERY different take on the genre, though, certainly nothing like Starcraft and C&C. For one thing, it's played in third-person perspective, and the battlefield can be insanely chaotic. It also features some very weird units, and the entire premise of the game is certainly not seen elsewhere.
Basically you play a wizard and then summon an army of creatures. To summon you need souls, and the most common way to aquire these is to take them from the enemies. So every battle becomes not only a matter of killing the enemy force, but more importantly of converting their souls before the enemy wizard retrieves them.
I've never played a game that made my adrenaline pump more - the sheer stress of both needing to command your troops, cast spells at the enemy, keep your wizard safe, keep the other wizard incapacitated, and still have time to convert enemy souls while you're at it can be quite overwhelming. But it's great fun.

Somewhere in the same vein are the old Battlezone games, which also plays out in third-person perspective, but otherwise are more traditional.

I second the recommendation of Homeworld. One of the only RTS games where battle truly features all three dimensions.

The old Red Alert games are pretty fun as well.

[Premier]

Some games others haven't mentioned yet:

- Ground Control. RTT (Real Time Tactics) rather than RTS, you carry out missions with a small number of units equipped and customised before the operation. Cool, sci-fi, and the company declared it freeware a few years ago.

- Metal Fatigue. This is the sci-fi RTS for you if you like Manga-style giant robots. Besides a small but useful selection of tanks, artillery, fighters and the like, you get to build such robots, assembling them from different parts which give you different abilities. Also, combat takes place simultaneously on three levels: on the ground, in underground tunnels, and around orbital platforms.

- Earth 2150 and expansions. Another sci-fi RTS with three distinctly different sides, good graphics for its time, and multi-level battlefield (surface and underground). Great attention to tactical detail: for example, if you order your vehicles to turn off their headlights and approach the enemy base at night and under the cover of heavy snowfall, they'll only notice you when you're already breathing down their necks. Approach in bright weather at noon, and they'll see you from a mile away.

- Warzone 2100. Graphics look a bit aged now (but still 3D), but very intriguing and challenging game. Huge research tree (several hundred research items, AFAIK), and a similar number of components to build your units from. Variety of units leads to rich tactical options: fast harasser units, slower MBTs, artillery, spotters, commander vehicles that coordinate attacks, etc.

- Not sci-fi, but Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns. Squad-based RTS, meaning that instead of creating individual units, you assemble small companies consisting various types of infantry, cavalry, archers, wizards, etc.. Interesting and easy-to-learn economic model which lets you customise your cities for certain tasks.

[The Orange Zergling]

From the Westwood vaults . . .
Dune II
Red Alert
Red Alert II

How can you forget the original Command and Conquer?

[Dhavaer]

Total Annihalation

Get Core Contingency, too. The multi-barrel plasma guns are made of good and godly win.

[WampaX]

How can you forget the original Command and Conquer?

Surprisingly I never played it.
Most likely because my home computer couldn't run it when it came out and Warcraft II was rampaging around the dorms when I got to college (and a better computer).

[BR4life]

Warcraft 3:reign of Chaos and Age of Empires 1,2 and conquerors expansion

[Timberwolf]

Total Annihilation FTW, good luck finding it though

any old school CnC up to Red Alert 2

Mechcommander 1, Gold and 2, I cannot recommend those highly enough. For the Clans !! Crush the Inner Spher freebirth scum !!

Earth 2150, Lost Souls

Homeworld (any)

[The Evil Thing]

Imperium Galactica II is a quasi-RTS and definitely worth a look. I can also vouch for Sacrifice (brilliant) and Giants (with Cockney aliens; also brilliant).

If you can find a copy of TA, get it because, like everyone says, it's a work of art. You can also put the game CDs into a CD player and listen to the soundtrack.

You might struggle a bit to get the older C&C/Westwood titles to work on XP. Don't be surprised if you have to hunt around the net for an hour or two to find a workaround.

If you can get them to work, Dungeon Keeper I and II are definitely worth a look. They are very, very British games. Likewise, check out Startopia if management is not something you hate.

I have a vague recollection of Dark Reign not being too bad but others may be able to tell you a little bit more about it.

[Shikton]

Personally I quite liked Dune 2000 and the two first Warcraft games the most, in addition to Red Alert 2. Go them.