Hi

Im doing a topdown 2d RTS in the spirit of dune 2, warcraft 2 and total annihilation. With simple multiplayer-support.

You build bases, mine/collect resources and train units. Setting is somewhat modern/sci-fi with tanks and helicopter/hoovercrafts, and factories/powerplants. Idea is to have islands of buildable areas on the map where players will build bases to reach more recources (like dune 2).

While staying in the "traditional/early RTS" gameplay of games such as dune 2, warcraft/starcraft and total annihilation, what would you like to see?

1. What is nice with such games?
2. What is annoying, or disrupting gameplay?

3. What could be added, for more fun/deper gameplay?

Thanks!
Erik

1. Strategic challenge of defeating the many with the few or even "taking whole" a Sun Tsu term that indicates achieving victory without loses for either you or your enemy.

2. A disconnect between the commander and the soldiers. I've yet to encounter a game where I feel a kinship with my soldiers or populace (though the original COH comes close).

3A. Climbing the ranks, military command is earned. A soldier leans to fight, learns to follow tactical commands, learns to give tactical commands as part of an operation learns to give operational objectives as part of an overall strategy and if they survive and are bright enough, can learn to build strategy from a combat or logistical perspective. Most RTS just jumps to that last step instead of showing players "why they command".

3B. Obviously player driven soldiers (obviously 3A would enable this across all perspectives of the hierarchy).

3C. In the area of resource management, I think much more focus should be put on the effects of resource extraction, sustainable practices and the long term issues.

3D. Effect on civilian populace.

I agree a lot with above user.

1. What is nice with such games? I like starting from only a few units/buildings and growing into a massive war foce!

2. What is annoying, or disrupting gameplay? Onlything that comes to mind is usualy, whoever loses the first battle loses the game on WC3 and Starcraft.

3. What could be added, for more fun/deper gameplay? More city/building management. Mabey have to have food form farms, or wild animals such as in age of Empire!

1. I like the idea of building up a base and an army, but I've always especially liked the tactical side of RTS, whenever you can win a battle even though you have a smaller army, those are the moments you really remember.

2. Anything that gets in the way of the core gameplay and controlling units. A lot of the old RTS had mechanics or interfaces that artificially limited the player For example, in the early C&C games, you were limited to building from only one production building of each type at a time, and in the original Starcraft, you couldn't select more than 12 units at a time. Also, there's bad pathfinding and unit AI in a lot of the early RTS, and that could be pretty annoying.

3. I think it's good to add mechanics that make the game more realistic, in a way that also makes the strategy deeper. Things like realistic projectiles, line of sight, directional armor, and height or terrain bonuses all have the potential to make the game more interesting by adding strategic depth. Anything that promotes flanking, use of terrain, and proper unit formations is probably a good thing.