Real-time tactics
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Real-time tactics (RTT)
Characteristics
Typical real-time strategy titles encourage the player to focus on logistics and production as much as or more than combat, whereas real-time tactics games commonly do not feature resource-gathering, production, base-building or economic management,[3] instead focusing on tactical and operational aspects of warfare such as unit formations or the exploitation of terrain for tactical advantage. Real-time tactical gameplay is also characterized by the expectation of players to complete their tasks using only the combat forces provided to them,[2] and usually by the provision of a realistic (or at least believable) representation of military tactics and operations.
This contrasts with other current strategy game genres. For instance, in large-scale
As suggested by the genre's name, also fundamental to real-time tactics is
Genre classification
While some publications do refer to "RTT" as a distinct subgenre of real-time strategy or strategy,[1][4][5] not all publications do so. Further, precise terminology is inconsistent. Nonetheless, efforts have been made to distinguish RTT games from RTSs.[citation needed] For instance, GameSpy described Axis & Allies (the 2004 video game) as a "true RTS", but with a high level of military realism with such features as battlefield command organization and supply lines.[6] A developer for Close Combat said their game never aspired to be an RTS in the "classic sense", but was rather a "real time tactical simulation", lacking such features as resource collection.[7] A developer of Nexus: The Jupiter Incident remarked on his game being called a "tactical fleet simulator" rather than a "traditional RTS", citing its focus on tactical gameplay and fixed units at the start of each mission.[8]
Comparison with real-time strategy
In general terms, military strategy refers to the use of a broad arsenal of weapons including diplomatic, informational, military, and economic resources, whereas military tactics is more concerned with short-term goals such as winning an individual battle.[9] In the context of strategy video games, however, the difference often comes down to the more limited criteria of either a presence or absence of base building and unit production.[10]
Real-time strategy games have been criticized for an overabundance of tactical considerations when compared to the amount of strategic gameplay found in such games.[
In an article for GameSpy, Mark Walker said that developers need to begin looking outside the genre for new ideas in order for strategy games to continue to be successful in the future.[9]
In an article for
Brief history and background
Wargaming with items or figurines representing soldiers or units for training or entertainment has been common for as long as organised conflicts[
Though popular as table-top games, tactical wargames were relatively late in coming to computers, largely due to game mechanics calling for large numbers of units and individual soldiers, as well as advanced rules that would have required hardware capacities and interface designs beyond the capabilities of older hardware and software. Since most established rule sets were for turn-based table-top games, the conceptual leap to translate these categories to real time was also a problem that needed to be overcome.[13]
Establishing the genre: the late-1990s rise in popularity
This section possibly contains original research. (August 2009) |
Around 1995, computer hardware and developer support systems had developed enough to facilitate the requirements of large-scale real-time tactical games. It was in 1995 that the regimentally focused wargame Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat was released, groundbreaking not only in that it focused purely on the operational aspects of combat (with all aspects pertaining: regimental manoeuvring and formations, support tactics, terrain, etc.), nor only in that it was entirely real-time, but also that it introduced zoomable and rotatable 3D terrain. In 1997 Firaxis Games' released Sid Meier's Gettysburg!, a detailed and faithful recreation of some of the most significant battles of the American Civil War that introduced large scale tactical battlefield command using 3D.
Released in 1996 by
In 1997, Bungie released Myth: The Fallen Lords, which introduced radically larger battlefields than ever before[citation needed] and included a realistic (at the time) physics engine. In 2000, Creative Assembly created Shogun: Total War, taking map sizes to even greater levels, as well as introducing historical and tactical realism until then unheard of in real-time computer games. Ground Control was also released in 2000, gaining much attention for its luscious visuals but earning developers Massive Entertainment few sales. In 2007, World in Conflict was also released by Massive Entertainment.
Eastern Europe
The 2000s (decade) saw a number of tactical simulations developed in
Examples in different settings
Historical and contemporary
Real-time tactics games with historical or contemporary settings generally try to recreate the tactical environment of their selected period, the most common eras and situations being the
While the degree of realism is uniform, the scale of command and precise mechanics differ radically according to the period setting in keeping with the tactics of that period. So for instance, titles set in the Napoleonic Wars are often played at a company or battalion level, with players controlling groups of sometimes hundreds of soldiers as a single unit, whereas recreations of modern conflicts (such as the Iraq War) tend to offer control down to squad or even individual level.
- The The Creative Assembly, as exemplified by the first title, Shogun: Total War (2000), is widely recognised for its large-scale tactical recreations of battles. Units are organised and controlled in regiments, frequently of fifty to a hundred soldiers, and the games are built to encourage the use of authentic tactics. Battles are freeform and generally take place in open country, and there are no plotted side-missions as in the Warhammer games (discussed below). Rome: Total War (2004) was praised for its impressive attention to detail [15]and encouragement of tactical thought.
- Napoleon Bonaparte's last and most famous battle of 1815. Also noteworthy is Imperial Glory (2005) by Pyro Studioswhich recreates the multi-polar conflicts of Europe between 1789 and 1830.
- The Close Combat series (1995–) (by Atomic Games) are tactical battle simulations set in WWIIknown for a very high degree of realism taking into account limited ammunition, severity of wounds and the psychology and mental welfare of individual soldiers.
- Age of Sail (1996) and Age of Sail II(2001) are 3D naval real-time tactics games where you command sailing vessels in high sea and coastal battles. Beyond heading, aspects such as amount of sails and cannon ordnance can be ordered.
- British Commandosunit. Each mission is loosely based on historical events during World War II to carry the plot.
- Sudden Strike (2000) (by Fireglow Games). In contrast to the Close Combat series, this title focuses on larger-scale operations and mechanised tactics rather than low-level details, though individual units have ammunition supplies and gain experience.
- In the wild westsetting. The first game takes place in 1881.
- Robin Hood: The Legend of Sherwood (2002) is a stealth-based real-time tactics video game developed by Spellbound Studios. It is similar to games such as Desperados: Wanted Dead or Alive and the Commandos series.
- Soldiers: Heroes of World War II (2004) (Codemasters) is similar to Close Combat, also being set in WWII. It offers greater autonomy over individual units as well as 3D graphics.
- The tactical shooters that incorporate some tactical aspects, such as Ubisoft's Rainbow Six series and Gearbox Software's Brothers in Arms.
- hit points, increasing or decreasing based upon certain events (such as soldiers being fired at, or soldiers firing upon the enemy). The player is thus deprived of control over the company whenever it falls under a certain level of danger. Soldiers in the Napoleonic wars carried muskets, which did little damage over long distances and took a lot of time to reload. This is reflected in the game, as it takes a long time for a company to reload before it can produce another volley. Further, reloading costs resources, and the food resource is constantly drained depending on how many soldiers the player controls.
- Faces of War (2006) (Ubisoft) is a sequel to Soldiers: Heroes of World War II.
- World in Conflict (2007) is set in an alternate 1989 as the Soviet Union invades Western Europe and the United States' West Coast in a last-ditch effort to hold onto power while economic troubles threaten to cripple the country.
- The Wargame series is another RTT game which focuses on various Cold War scenarios between 1975 and 1995.[16] There are currently three games in the series (Wargame: European Escalation, Wargame: AirLand Battle), with a third (Wargame: Red Dragon) released in 2014 offering new opportunities with the introduction of naval combat and amphibious operations. Wargame is characterized by its large maps, realistic feel and vast array of units and factions.
- Tom Clancy's EndWar (2008) is based on a fictional World War III in 2020 where nuclear weapons are obsolete and conventional warfare makes up the bulk of the gameplay.
- XIII Century(latest installment 2009) is set in the time of the Fourth to Ninth Crusades (1202–1272 CE) and features a complex battle resolution engine where each individual soldier is taken into account when determining the outcome.
- Men of War series.
- Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun (2016) is a spiritual successor to the Commandos series in Japan's Edo period.
Fantastical
While most fantasy titles bear some resemblance to a historical period (usually medieval), they also incorporate fictional creatures, areas, and/or magic, and are limited by few historical constraints.
The leading
- Warhammer: Shadow of the Horned Rat (1995). This is one of the earliest mainstream real-time tactics games. While the game's depth of tactical simulation is comparable to that of Total War, it leans more toward skirmishes over epic battles, and features both unique hero characters and a tightly-authored story.
- The highly influential video game Myth: The Fallen Lords (1997) emphasised formation cohesion to a lesser degree than the Warhammer titles, but introduced more extensive maps.
- Warhammer: Mark of Chaos released in 2006. Similar in kind to the two preceding Warhammer titles, it however took gameplay away from the realistic focus and fidelity of the Warhammer rules toward a more arcade- and micromanagement-oriented form.
- Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders and its sequel were complex and difficult games made in Korea mixing both elements of RTT and Dynasty Warriors-like action.
- Player generated content.
- Nordic Warriors by MashMashu Studio with a play style influenced by the popular Myth series and set in Ragnarök is set to release on June 19, 2020.[17]
Futuristic
Games set in the future and combining elements of science fiction obviously are not constrained by historical accuracy or even the limitations of current technology and physics. Developers thus have a freer hand in determining a game's backstory and setting. Games that are set in outer space can also add a third, vertical movement axis, thereby freeing up new tactical dimensions.
- Ground Control's (2000) setting provided innovative new use of air units.
- Starship Troopers: Terran Ascendancy (2000) is an action-oriented game based on Robert A. Heinlein's book, Starship Troopers. It is characterised by smaller and more autonomous units.
- MechCommander 2 (2001) is notable for implementing a lightweight resource acquisition system without turning into an RTS. Players could earn 'Resource Points' at the beginning of and during a mission, but they could only expend them upon support tasks. Save for repairs and plucky on-field salvage operations, the system did not affect the player's combat forces in any way.
- Soldiers of Anarchy (2002) is a post-apocalyptic, squad-level game which emphasised a realistic environment scale, vehicles, and scavenging in the aftermath of battles.
- Nexus: The Jupiter Incident (2004) is set in space and replaces as a result most genre conventions (not least of which is the use of terrain for cover and mobility) with its own.
- Star Wolves (2004) is focused on small-scale space fighter wing battles around fighter carriers. Notable for the distinct pilots under your command and for incorporating elements of role-playing games such as character attribute development with experience.
- Ground Control II: Operation Exodus (2004) is a sequel to Ground Control.
- Dawn of War, was a real-time strategy game.
- Kane saga. It has changed the formula of a C&C RTS making it a full-fledged RTT.
- End of Nations (cancelled [1]) combines the action and strategy of a traditional real-time tactics game (RTT) with the persistence, progression and social features of a massively multiplayer online game (MMO). It focuses on building squads consisting of different types of units and taking control points.
- Star Trek: Away Team (2001) is set in the fictional Star Trek universe. The stealth missions that the player sends commandos to perform do not accurately represent the in-universe principles of the Starfleet faction the player assumes, but accurately represents the RTT genre. A small number of commandos with unique skills, including "computer hacking" or Star Trek's Vulcan nerve pinch, infiltrate enemy bases and rescue captured comrades and accomplish primary and secondary objectives.
See also
- List of real-time tactics video games
- List of military tactics
- Strategy game
- Tactical role-playing game
- War
References
- ^ a b c "The State of the RTS". IGN. 7 April 2006. Archived from the original on April 9, 2006. Retrieved 14 September 2006.(Article at IGN discussing their perception of RTS and related genres as of 2006. RTT is discussed as a new and not yet established genre from the publisher's perspective, so currently all RTT possible titles are still considered RTS.)
- ^ a b "Point - CounterPoint: Resource Collection vs. Fixed Units". StrategyPlanet. Archived from the original on 2007-12-31. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
- ^ Walker, Mark. "Strategy Gaming: Part II". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2019.
- ^ "Review - Warhammer: Mark Of Chaos". Eurogamer. 23 November 2006. Retrieved 23 November 2006. (Review of Warhammer: Mark of Chaos explicitly calling the game a "RTT" as compared to a "RTS" game and discussing the difference)
- ^ "Exclusive : Warhammer Mark Of Chaos: How is the RTS game shaping up?". HEXUS gaming. 24 July 2006. Retrieved 2 September 2006. (uses "strategy game", "real-time strategy", and "real-time tactics" in the same article)
- ^ Suciu, Peter (September 9, 2004). "Axis & Allies". GameSpy. Retrieved 2010-02-28.
While A&A will be a true RTS, rather than the real-time tactical gameplay along the lines of Blitzkrieg or Sudden Strike, the game should rely on a lot of actual military doctrine, including battlefield command organization and supply lines.
- ^ "Interview: Close Combat Series Redux". armchairgeneral. Retrieved 19 March 2007.
The overall tone emphasized realism, and modeled the emotional state of the units under your command, including panic, desertion, and surrender. Close Combat was never an RTS in the classic sense since resource gathering and other typical factors played no part in the game. Close Combat was far more of a tactical simulation and would be better described as a RTTS (Real Time Tactical Simulation).
- ^ Bedigian, Louis (January 5, 2005). "Plan the Ultimate Tactical Attack in Nexus: The Jupiter Incident". GameZone. Archived from the original on 24 July 2009. Retrieved 2010-03-26.
Nexus is not a traditional RTS. It has no resource collection, the player cannot build units and there is no research tree. Nexus' focus is on the tactical elements of the gameplay. So you are given a number of ships at the start of a mission with which you will have to achieve your objectives. Nexus is often called a 'Tactical Fleet Simulator'.
- ^ a b Walker, Mark (February 2002). "Strategy Gaming: Part VI -- Where the Genre is Headed". GameSpy. Archived from the original on 2007-10-30. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
- ^ Gamasutra. Retrieved 2010-02-02.
- ^ a b Keefer, John (July 8, 2005). "Supreme Commander Interview (PC)". GameSpy. Retrieved November 4, 2007.
- Gamasutra. Retrieved 2010-02-02.
- ^ Wojnarowicz, Jakub (February 22, 2001). "Editorial: What Happened to Turn-Based Games?". FiringSquad. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
The 1980s were arguably the heyday of the turn-based game. Computers then were powerful enough to produce quality turn-based games that were fairly deep and complex, but those same computers didn't have the power to run those games in real-time. Oh, we had our action games and even somewhat complex flight sims, but major strategy games and RPGs? How could a computer handle all that, plus the interface necessary? Nevermind the players who would be overloaded with information. No - that was out of the question... at the time. ... [M]any a hardcore war-gamer ... hang on tenaciously to their turn-based, highly detailed and completely micromanaged turn-based classics. ... These war-games don't translate well to a real-time format
- ^ Personal Computing. Vol. v.6 1982. Personal Computing Magazine. 1982.
- ^ Rome: Total War Review Archived 2009-04-12 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Eugen Staff". Archived from the original on 2014-05-02. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
- ^ "Nordic Warriors Game". Nordic Warriors Game Official Website. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
External links
- The State of the RTS, IGN, 2006