February 08, 2006

Next Generation RTS redux

From about the last 7 years or so my wife and I have started playing Real-Time-Strategy computer games (starting with Red Alerts, then moving to Starcraft, then Age of Kings, Age of Conquerers, Age of Mythologies, and so forth). Being a game hoarder that I am, I also acquired a lot of "really cool games" which I can't play because my machine's graphics card is too crappy.

That all changed when Linda's nightly Age of Conquerer game result in the CDROM drive making funny noises, which to me means that now I have an excuse to get a new computer system to replace the 5 year old system.

Since I had a good experience with a Sony VAIO desktop, I stayed with it this time (especially since Fry's had a sale that week). I made sure that the machine (a VAIO-RB53) contains a PCI-Express 16 port which is what all the latest graphic cards runs on. Besides the basica machine, I also picked up some upgrades:

- An extra 1GB RAM so now I have 1.5GB.
- A Nvidia 6800GS PCI express Card.
- A new power supply so I can support the new graphics card (these new cards are serious power hog).

Now that I have my system ready for some serious challenge, all the newer games that I have accumulated over the years can get some play:

Age of Empires III- I am a big fan of AoE and AoM, so picking this one up is logical. It is very similar with other games in the franchize except that:
a) It's set in the gun powder age (which my wife dislikes, she's one that prefers the cold steel)
b) A "deck building" metaphor where you can setup your "god powers" (You know what I mean if you have played Age of Mythology) that tailors to your playing style.
c) Awesome graphics.
Of all the newer RTS, this one is probably the best looking one. FOr some reason the game seems kinda dry (I eskew the single campaign and only play the skirmish mode) so it's not seeing much play currently.

The Battle for Middle Earth- You have watched the movie, now play the game. This one uses the new Command and COnquerer engine, and the eye candy level is also quite high. All the graphics and sounds are from the movie, so fans can rejoice. The downside is that the play is very boring, where you just build stuff with the single resource in the game, then send the troops forward. Tactical considerations are much less than other games of this ilk, and the micromanagement aspect is still there (i.e. you need to keep clode control of heros, whom you have to click fast to launch specific spell/special powers). In this game the scenario is really the more interesting mode, since the simple gameplay means that experienced RTS player will get tired of the skirmish mode pretty quickly.


Warcraft III- Being a big fan of Starcraft, trying this one out is a no brainer. The races are interesting and very different (a hallmark of Blizzard RTS games). But the game is much more tactical rather than strategic then WC or AoE (that means grabbing the hero unit with your mouse frentically during a battle because you have to make sure you uses that scroll. Not my ideal game type, but the care that went into the game means it'll get occasional play from time to time.

Empire Earth 2 - Rise of Nations was one of my fav RTS game, where you get to "think high level" and not worrie about the small stuff. EE2 continues in the vein and "more". It has the least amount of micrimanagement in any RTS I've seen (you can manage citizens in the citizen screen to assign them to resources without having to select a unit and click on that damn goldmine). Builds are also easier (build a solder, then click the continuous build button, solder will continue to get pumped out as long as resource cost can be met). The whole airforce management is also simplified compare to RoN.
One other neat feature is what I call "security camera", where you can monitor what's going on in all parts of the map by setting up a security camera, whose content shows up in a picture in picture window bottom right of the screen. You can even select units and give orders in this PinP window!
A joy to play if into making high level decisions.(warning: when you have lots of units, the game can slow down quite a bit). My fav of the bunch.

Posted by msoong at 11:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack