Gaming How to write...a Strategy game

http://www.bit-tech.net/gaming/2008/01/09/how_to_write_a_strategy_game/1

The third instalment in our exploration of how computer game stories are written and designed looks closely at Strategy games. With an in-depth interview from Magnus Jensen, lead designer on World In Conflict, we show you just what it takes to make an RTS game.

Digg for keeps: http://digg.com/pc_games/HOW_TO_Design_a_Strategy_game_with_Magnus_Jensen

 

Very interesting read Joe, very well done.

Westwood Studios for those who don't know, was bought out by the evil Electronic Arts.

Sam

 

To bad westwood was briljand, love RA2.

 

RTS moving to consoles? Red Alert was released on the PS1 way back when...
How about RTS's designed for consoles first like Halo Wars?

Interesting article, but wish Magnus had been a bit more involved or spoke more so we really could've got his point of view not Joe's interpretation

 

RIP westwood. i still play most of their RTS games going back to Dune2000. nice article.

 

imo an RTS on a console is a laughable concept at best. I honestly cant believe supcom is getting ported to 360.

it'll prolly only have 4 units per side

 

good read!

i love RTS since dune.

very much into pvp in C&C and Starcraft. i was surprised to see Starcraft being still being played in south korea on recent visit.

strangely enough, reinstalled all the Rise of Nations series last week.

 

Good read Joe, although to be honest my gauge of a good RTS story is based solely on whether Joe Kucan is in it or not.


Though, sorry to be pedantic, but isn't Theme Hospital technically a God Game, not an RTS? They're pretty destinct genres.

 

nice read. Does RA2 really look that dated? lol, greatest RTS i've ever played. and yes I agree boo on EA for buying Westwood and cancelling Renegade 2

 

I think because it has a very narrowed scope on a competitive environment and because it has clear Win scenarios it is a Strategy game rather than a God game. You can if you mess up your spending and you have got firmly set aims to progress through the levels. A God game is more about managing a civilisation, or something with a very broad scope. They tend not to have structured levels per se and often just perpetuate endlessly without a clear victory - like The Sims, Theme Park, Civ etc.

 

I have a question about the review images.

Last page, the RA2 image. What mod is it?

It looks awesome, and I wants it.

 

No idea I'm afraid - I can't find the site it on and lost the original since I've reformatted my PC since the article was started. These things take bloody weeks to write!

 

D'awww.

Ahwell. time to scoure some of the RA mod sites still in existance.

Nice article, too. Enjoyed reading it.

 

N'ah, I'm sure one of the people here should be able to help you out. Yes Bauul, I'm looking at you...

 

Interesting article, but I was hoping for more of a technical discussion regarding the challenges of designing RTS games, and new ideas that are coming to the table. The article focussed too much about bringing the story and narrative the the game and hybrid RTS/RPG elements.

Its starting to look like the 360/PS3 can now 'game' on par with a relatively newish PC - or should I say that the AAA games for the PC are making themselves 'console viable' - COD4, OrangeBox, UT3, Supreme Commander, World in Conflict..

How about an article about how control schemes for RTS games on consoles ? Or about the more technical details of what makes RTS as a concept work ?

I have a 360/Wii/PC. The PC will always be my first point of call for RTS games, but Im pleased they are coming to the consoles to widen the market.

And with regards to SupCom on the 360.. it will be 500 unit limit, with 4 player multiplayer, and units comparable to the PC version. I hear its going well from the beta, and the interface is very easy. graphics are supposed to be very good. People need to give the 360 credit here.. its more powerful than people realise. We'll never see SupCom on the Wii though!

 

Looking back at that Dune I screenshot brings back good early gaming memories. Anyone know if it'll run on XP? If so, I might be forced to bring out the discs for it later...

 

Hm, maybe I'll look at that in the future - seems like a good idea.

 

Lol, you know me so well!

Unfortunately, that isn't a mod, it's an extremely early promotional screenshot Westwood released long before the game ever hit Gold status. In other words, it's an alpha build, and all the funky units you can see must have been subsequently dropped before the game was finished. There might be some mods out there of people adding them back into the game themselves, but it'd be a long shot with a game this old. Sorry!

 

...even I'm stunned by that level of geekiness

 

Stunned but appreciative!

I ended up scouring some RA2 mod sites, and there are a few with the same units in use (Guessing they're fan models) but the projects all look pretty dead, at least, a last post of four years ago doesn't look hopeful!

Thanks for the info, Bauul.