i need some help (choosing strategy game)

[jverne]

hey guy...i think you''l know better than me.

ok i just got back interested in RTS games.

what games would you suggest i get?

i've played

Starcraft, TA, SC, AOE1/2, homeworld 2,...

i want games with a good story, not just hack and slash, i really like if the games have any movie cut scenes (Starcraft owns in this regard). What C&C was the best?

oh i need to mention i play the games on a weak laptop (Celeron 1.8GHz, 1Gb RAM, X3000 Intel integrated), so i guess any games after 2006/07 wont work so good.

thanks

 

[Nid Banikeri]

I'm not sure if it'll run on your computer but Company of Heroes is a must buy.

 

[jverne]

I'm not sure if it'll run on your computer but Company of Heroes is a must buy.

sounds pretty WW2, i used to like that genre, not anymore.

 

[Kyorisu]

Homeworld and Homeworld Cataclysm if you can find them. As for C&C try and grab a copy of Tiberian Sun.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Company of Heroes if your laptop is good enough (regardless if you like WW2 or not, it's amazing).

Sadly your laptop misses that by a lot, so Red Alert 2 would be my choice.

 

[Dekstar]

I know it's not generally what you're looking for, but have you thought about turn-based strategy games? Heroes 3 is an excellent game, and the complete version has 2 expansion packs built in, which means LOADS of campaigns, all with story-lines and IIRC cutscenes. Very difficult game though. I've been playing it for years and I have trouble against the AI.

 

[jverne]

Company of Heroes if your laptop is good enough (regardless if you like WW2 or not, it's amazing).

Sadly your laptop misses that by a lot, so Red Alert 2 would be my choice.

nah probably wouldn't work, my CPU is too weak and so is my GPU.

red alert 2 you say?

anything else? Rise of nations?

RTS games get boring really fast if they don't have some kind of good story behind them.
i never really went trough much of starcraft, might give it a try again sometime.
currently i'm revisiting AOE2+conqueror. Quite entertaining, but only if played on camping or mp.


edit:
heroes 3...hmm i don't know...seems a very slow game, i don't have a lot of time to spend so RTS offer a bit more for the same time, but i'll keep it in mind.

 

[noisebleed]

starcraft is always good no matter what time it is. go play on battlenet.

 

[AiM]

WarCraft 3:TFT

The expansion pack's campaign tries really hard to differentiate from most single-player RTS campaigns by making you do objectives that differ from the typical:

1. Turtle
2. Amass a ridiculously large army
3. Win

Of course, the game overall is definitely tailored towards multi-player (this is where the game really shines). But as far as fancy cutscenes and low spec requirements, War3: TFT definitely fits that bill.

 

[jverne]

WarCraft 3:TFT

The expansion pack's campaign tries really hard to differentiate from most single-player RTS campaigns by making you do objectives that differ from the typical:

1. Turtle
2. Amass a ridiculously large army
3. Win

Of course, the game overall is definitely tailored towards multi-player (this is where the game really shines). But as far as fancy cutscenes and low spec requirements, War3: TFT definitely fits that bill.

as much as i hate the WC lore, i'll put it on my list.

 

[Evo]

Red Alert 2 - some of the best fun you can have with an RTS, really good game

 

[Deleted member 56031]

Definitely get Red alert 2

 

[Citrus]

I've always liked the Total War series. Medieval II: TW will probably be too demanding for your laptop, but Rome: TW might be able to run.

"Praetorians" was a game I got for the equivalent of $4 and it's not too bad. You could always try that out.

 

[Bob_Marley]

Cuban Missile Crisis: The Aftermath.

Somewhat similar to R:TW in concept, there is an overall strategic sector map delt with in turn based and then a smaller tactical enguagement (which comes up when your forces attack the enemy forces on the strategic map) mode in real time. It has a well thought out storyline, though you have to read most of it (theres 2 cut scenes, one at the beging and one at the end) it is well done. It also incorporates strategic resource allocation, as you have to manage how much fuel, ammuntion and spares you will assign in each battle (so for example if you have a large force of heavy tanks enguaging in offensive operations you'll need alot of fuel compared with if you have infantry and artillery defending a fixed position, where more emphasis might be on ammuntion).

The game is a couple of years old now and wasn't that pretty when it came out, so you should have no trouble running it and should be able to pick it up fairly cheaply. I just looked on the Strategy first website and its $14.99, or free when you buy a boxed copy of Brigade E5: New Jagged Union (which is also $14.99), which is a pretty fun game as well, but of a rather different genre.

 

[jverne]

I've always liked the Total War series. Medieval II: TW will probably be too demanding for your laptop, but Rome: TW might be able to run.

"Praetorians" was a game I got for the equivalent of $4 and it's not too bad. You could always try that out.

uh oh...how did i forget that...

they are good games...but they become monotone and boring quite fast. they can be very slow to play.

i found that i mostly finish games if they have a good story, anything else i just quit in the middle.

remember fallout tactics?people complain about it, but i went trough it at least 6 times. every mission you do you feel you accomplished something. in most RTS the tension just blows out and your left with just with the struggle to finish the damn game.

i'll try C&C:RA2

 

[AJ Rimmer]

Someone mentioned Homeworld and Homeworld: Cataclysm, and both of them are way better than Homeworld 2.
World in Conflict is awesome, too with a great story. Company of Heroes I actually thought was pretty boring.

 

[Narvi]

Try C&C:Generals too. The game has good core gameplay but really lame story, and the modding scene has just about got off the ground now.

 

[Bad^Hat]

*ninja edit* <_< >_>

If you're thinking of getting any C&C game besides no. 3, just get The First Decade. Fantastic value and it all runs on XP (unsure about Vista).

 

[Que-Ever]

Force Commander!

 

[taviow]

I would stay with Starcraft or get Warcraft 3, as was already suggested. You can also try Age of Mythology, and I'm sure you can run Age of Empires 2.

 

[Lobotomy Lobster]

Try Ground Control if you want something a bit different. It has all the usual RTS building and resource gathering chopped out so you're left with just the battle tactics and overall strategy. Its excellent fun and needs a lot more planning and strategy rather than the usual resource balancing that you get in most RTS games. The meat of the game is in the campaign which has a fairly good story and is pretty long so you'll get a lot of playing out of it. The only bad side is that there's no skirmish mode or multiplayer to speak of unless you can get someone to play you on LAN.


It came out quite a few years ago so it should run fine on your computer and it was released free on Fileplanet a few years ago so you should be able to just download it and play it http://www.fileplanet.com/156136/150000/fileinfo/Ground-Control-%5BFree-Game%5D.

 

[Narvi]

Force Commander!

Hate you. With the fury of a thousand suns.

I wasted my System Shock 2 ownership on that game.

Also; Giants: Citizen Kabuto, which, if not for the retarded name, would be a classic.

 

[Emporius]

Age of Mythology

 

[Que-Ever]

Hate you. With the fury of a thousand suns.

I wasted my System Shock 2 ownership on that game.

Also; Giants: Citizen Kabuto, which, if not for the retarded name, would be a classic.

Ha! I loved force commander when I was like, 10.

 

[Evo]

Battlezone. FPS/RTS kinda hybrid thing..well worth it

 

[Lucid]

How the **** hasn't WH40k Dawn of War not been mentioned yet?!

I'm almost sure that the original game will be able to run just fine on your rig, the expansions maybe... but they add a lot more graphical flair.

The original has a decent story, but I play it for the incredible looking battles.

 

[jverne]

thanks for the tips.

i'll first complete AOE2, then i'll choose the winer.

but i'm aiming for starcraft or C&C:RA2, since i already own ST+BroodWars. but i'm not decided yet, but keep em comming.

 

[ríomhaire]

Company of Heroes is a must. It's one of the best RTS games I've ever played (and I am an RTS fan). Also Command & Conquer: The First Decade. Zero Hour is great fun multiplayer and the others not only have several great singleplayer campaigns each, but you get to play the games that shapped the RTS genre.