Before the advent of real time strategy (RTS) games, it was very true that no nation could be built in a day. In their wake, however, nations have been known to rise and fall over the course of an afternoon, battles are determined in minutes, and cities miraculously thrive on a scant few resources. Though the video game market isn’t as heavily populated by RTS games as it once was, the genre is still a respectably sized, and recent releases like Civilization V and StarCraft II prove that these games can still be well-received. Given the nature of the RTS game, this genre is one of the few that has remained focused on the PC as a platform. As such, it has a more traditional and limited multiplayer mode when it comes to online play.
Usually, the multiplayer RTS game is played in scenario mode, which means that one player pits themselves against one or more others with an ultimate goal that usually involves total map domination. Players build cities and raise armies while competing for land, resources, and any bonuses that may exist on the map. Alliances are built and broken, buildings are razed and reconstructed, and the game is played in perpetuum until there is but one player or alliance left standing, regardless of whether victory was achieved through conquest or the less glamourous condition of outlasting their fellow players at their computer.
Online RTS play is actually highly competitive. StarCraft, the obvious predecessor to StarCraft II, has an active competitive circuit, which is beyond impressive for a game that’s been around for over a decade. StarCraft II itself has been played at the competitive level since it was still in its beta stage, and post-release tournament prize pools have exceeded $100,000. Though very few people will play at this level, the momentum from these tournaments has fostered a sizable online gaming community for StarCraft and other RTS games.
The RTS genre isn’t the most traditional choice for online play, and these games will never be among the most popular played, but they are a viable way to spend a few hours nevertheless. With settings that range from the fantastic to the historic, the modern, and the futuristic, RTS games are still sure to appeal to a wide variety of gamer tastes.
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