Strategy games remain one of the more “niche” categories of video games for their appeal to natural strategists and wargamers – players who want to zoom out of conventional protagonists and instead control the fate of entire factions and groups. While today’s equivalent of “strategy” games fall on the grand strategy niche – think Total War and Civilization – the genre actually traces its roots to “smaller”-scale real-time strategy.
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In fact, some of the most groundbreaking works of the strategy genre revolve around titles that slowly introduced mechanics that RTS and its offshoots are known for today. However, just which strategy game releases were the most impactful to gaming?
8
Herzog Zwei
The Accidental Blueprint For RTS And MOBA Games
- Proto-RTS, as it’s a shooter with strategy mechanics
- The strategy component turned it into a cult classic
- Players had to deploy and command troops from a transforming jet-robot
While the initial release of Herzog Zwei in 1989 resulted in lackluster sales and criticisms towards its complexity as a shooter, it earned an unexpected cult following for its strategy component. In Herzog Zwei, players use a transforming jet-robot to carry troops to the enemy base. The bots themselves can’t attack – instead, players balance deploying troops, transporting them to the enemy’s side, and commanding them manually.
It’s this “command” layer that sets Herzog Zwei apart from conventional shooters at the time, but it’s also this sub-mechanic that unexpectedly turned the game into a “proto-RTS.” Aside from using the jet-robot to purchase troops and air-lifting them to the field, there’s a surprising amount of micromanagement involved: players need to balance unit cost with features, and combat units need manual resupply from players. Herzog Zwei cements itself in strategy game history as an unexpected progenitor, as other OG strategy games like Dune 2 cite it as an inspiration.
7
Company of Heroes
The Paradigm Shift From Macro To Micro
- Introduced squad-based strategy to games
- Presented very interactive environmental elements, like cover, suppression, and destructible terrain
Players have Dawn of War as the go-to RTS-“lite” if they want the intensity of Warhammer 40K without going fully Total War, and they have Company of Heroes to thank for the mechanics behind this entire niche. While scenario-driven like other WW2 games, Company of Heroes doesn’t lock players into one-way approaches with a unique resource system. Instead of building a base in one’s spawn point, maps have set nodes from which RTS elements like structure-building, unit training, and research take place.
Strategic positioning and “control” of these nodes are important, as they steal “points” from the enemy faction. To better emphasize this more “minimized” gameplay, units are released as “squads” with “upgrades” like new firearms or promotions that affect individual members. This “micro” control extends to the environment, which now features destructible buildings, a cover system with dynamic animations and actual bonuses, and even suppressive fire. Such was the innovation introduced by Company of Heroes that it’s been awarded many Game of the Year awards in its 2006 release.
6
Dune 2
The First Game To Fully Embody The Definition Of RTS
- First game to introduce a more in-depth tech tree, fog of war, and a mouse cursor that adapts to context
- Used a UI that eventually became the basis of the “standard” RTS UI
Given Westwood Studios’s reputation with hits such as Command & Conquer and Red Alert, it’s no surprise that the studio was also responsible for gaming’s first “traditional” RTS: Dune 2. While set deep in the Dune universe, its premise is simple: the player (in charge of either House Atreides, Harkonnen, or Ordos) will fight other factions for control over the planet Arrakis. Initially known as the war strategy sequel to the more adventure-esque Dune, the intuitive mechanics of Dune 2 put it in the immediate spotlight among gamers in 1994.
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At its core, Dune 2 was responsible for many “traditions” that define an RTS title. It introduced the intricate relationship between base-building, resource-gathering, and unit production. The game also featured a rudimentary form of a tech tree, fog of war, and a mouse cursor that can “adjust” actions based on what’s being hovered. Even its UI structure, which features a dedicated mini-map and base-building menu, will serve as the blueprint for RTS titles to come.
5
Total Annihilation
The Progenitor Of The Macro RTS
- Multi-layered interplay between units, resources, and the environment
- 2D backgrounds turn quasi-3D thanks to a dynamic physics engine
In the far future of Total Annihilation, the machine empire of the Core and humanity’s last vestige in the Arm are in the final throes of a devastating war – the scale of which is reflected in the 1997 title as the earliest equivalent of the “macro” RTS. Players begin a match with a Commander unit that can both fight and construct buildings. Thanks to a constant stream of resources, players can “technically” build anything they want. However, the “macro” part of the game begins when considering its multi-layered aspects.
For instance, many buildings rely on Energy to function – but it’s also a resource for buildings and train units. Radar tech can reveal units in the mini-map, but it can be equally destroyed to obstruct this feature. Even units have distinct strengths, weaknesses, and playstyles – all of which can auto-perform tasks to remove micromanagement. These elements are all enhanced with the game’s built-in physics engine, with maps having flammable plants and different strengths of gravity, tides, and winds. Verticality also comes into play through line of sight, where obstructions like hills and cover can affect unit performance – practically making the game quasi-3D.
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4
StarCraft 2
The Game That Brought Esports To The Mainstream
- Off-match faction gimmicks introduced to improve immersion
- Brought the already-hit RTS in South Korea to a global audience
- Improves upon the high-aggression gameplay of the franchise that brought unique faction gameplay into the RTS scene
After the success of StarCraft in 1998, StarCraft 2 finally continues the galactic conflict between the militaristic Terrans, the psionic Protoss, and the brood-like Zerg. Throughout its 6-year release run, StarCraft 2 and its standalone expansions improved what the original game introduced in the RTS scene: fast-paced skirmishes featuring factions with completely different themes, playstyles, and mechanics.
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The initial Wings of Liberty release and its sequels, Legacy of the Void and Heart of the Swarm, introduced unique faction gimmicks to improve immersion. These included off-match opportunities to unlock and upgrade units, improve a main ship’s toolkit as an in-game super-unit, and even “evolve” Sarah Kerrigan to one’s liking as the Queen of Blades. While StarCraft already saw professional play in South Korea and even some international presence, it’s StarCraft 2 that finally brought the game to mainstream esports enjoyers. Unfortunately, the technical ceiling of the game and the rise of other titles led to a slow decline, with the Esports World Cup missing the iconic RTS in its lineup.
3
Command & Conquer
The MVP In Showcasing The Genre’s Storytelling Potential
Command & Conquer Remastered
- Released
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June 5, 2020
- ESRB
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T For Teen Due To Blood, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Known for its stellar production value, complete with an amazing soundtrack and campy live-action FMVs
- Deep lore and engaging gameplay put Westwood on the radar in terms of RTS dominance in the 1990s and early 2000s
Ask any RTS fan for a game that defined the genre, and chances are they will mention Command & Conquer, as there’s no other game at the time that featured full-blown FMV cutscenes that highlighted the campy intensity of the war between the UN’s Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod. Such was Westwood’s commitment to these FMVs that they were shot in spare rooms, with the initial cast comprising members of their own team.
While its initial release in 1995 led to comparisons with Dune 2 of the year prior, the IP is unique enough to set itself apart – especially when both factions have unique units and encouraged playstyles (aggression for GDI, while numbers and speed for Nod). Command & Conquer is also one of the first RTS titles to come with two discs for two players, allowing gamers to engage in online multiplayer right off the bat.
2
Age of Empires 2
A Persisting And Engaging Classic
Age of Empires 2
- Released
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September 27, 1999
- ESRB
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T For Teen // Mild Blood, Mild Language, and Violence
- First time an RTS treats evolving tech trees as an active gameplay component
- Niche mechanics make it a refreshing experience compared to any RTS
- Very active competitive scene due to its technical potential
Carefully treading the line between traditional RTS and grand strategy is Age of Empires 2, a strategy game that elevates the original “strategy-across-time” premise of Age of Empires into a hyper-competitive experience that remains unmatched today. Every Age of Empires 2 match starts the same way: players in the Stone Age work their way to “improve” their civilization across the Ages, each of which unlocks new technologies and mechanics unique to their chosen faction. While the premise is simple, there’s a technical appeal in the need to balance dominating with one’s current Age with the resource-intensive Age-ups for new technologies.
In fact, it’s this intricate balance that continues to motivate players to figure out winning strategies over the years in its persistent competitive scene. Beyond tactics around factions, Age of Empires 2 strategies are unique in that they often involve sequential “build orders” and evolving strategies based on which Age players are on and what Age their enemies have already reached.
1
Warcraft 3
The Game That Birthed The MOBA And One Of MMO’s Greats
- Popularized the Defense of the Ancients fan mini-game, which in itself will become DOTA and the MOBA genre
- Critical acclaim with its story will spawn World of Warcraft, arguably the world’s largest MMO at the time.
- Builds upon Warcraft’s asymmetric factions with unique unit types
While fans know the original Warcraft release as the game that introduced asymmetric factions in a genre where the norm involved “different aesthetics, same ability sets,” it’s Warcraft 3 that evolved the franchise beyond its RTS roots. Set after the events of Warcraft 2, players of Warcraft 3 take Azeroth’s assorted factions as they deal with the threat of the Undead Scourge. This also introduced some of the franchise’s most notable storylines, including Arthas Menethil’s corruption into the Lich King, Illidan Stormrage becoming a Demon Hunter, and Sylvanas Windrunner’s transformation into the Banshee Queen.
Besides giving existing Warcraft factions unique themes that set them apart from their traditional fantasy counterparts, the title paved the way for some of gaming’s most historical events. For starters, the fan-made Defense of the Ancients mode transformed Warcraft 3‘s hero mechanics into what would become the MOBA. Secondly, such was the critical acclaim of Warcraft 3’s story that Blizzard turned it into World of Warcraft, perhaps the poster child of MMOs in the 2000s.
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