Will There Ever Be A Succesful Rts/fps Game?
<div class="IPBDescription">I say ..... no.</div> There are only a handful of RTS/FPS games to come out, most of which people have never heard of or played, due to the massive market failures they have all been.
Here's the ones I can think of, in chronological order.
1) Battlezone
2) Microsoft's RTS/FPS hybrid
3) Allegiance
4) Battlezone 2
5) Savage
6) Natural Selection
Both Battlezones were critically acclaimed but flopped hugely. BZ2 sold so poorly that it could be bought for $5 after a month from release in a 6 CD action pack with other cheapo games. I was a huge fan of BZ2, but i'm not going to lie about it. The game was freakishly unbalanced, slow, boring, and individual players fighting under each commander had a huge impact that totally de-strategised whatever strategy was in the game in the first place. Only the huge amount of player made MODs that came out for it kept it fresh and fun.
Allegiance was critically acclaimed, but no one actually played it, no one thought it was worth $10/month to play. The total lack of AI involvement and slow, boring combat physics didn't help. The fact that 90% of the game's tech tree didn't become accessible in 90% of all matches made Allegiance flop like a fish out of water. The game can now be played for free as it's supported by a very small community of fans now.
I never played Microsoft's hybrid, although it was pretty fun as an action game. This flopped pretty quickly too, so it's no wonder i can't remember the name. Then here comes Savage, the fate of which remains to be seen. I found the beta to be pretty well balanced, but the gameplay just wasn't fascinating or exciting, as it was entirely melee combat at a very sluggish pace. Extremely simplistic fighting. I don't expect Savage to succeed.
I think this is the end of the line, really. No one else seems to be approaching the hybrid concept anymore, and with good cause. They haven't worked yet! All of these games have their cult following, but that's about it. So will NS change this mold? Personally, I don't think there's a chance in hell that NS could ever pull in a profit, should the NS team even wish to pursue that option. The majority of games in NS end in a very lopsided conclusion.
Hybrid games seem fundamentally flawed, forcing a majority of players to suffer under rigid strategic choices that are decided by the few, lording over the many. If i could have it my way, all these hybrid games would make AI involvement the PRIMARY controller of the commander's units. Only a small number of players would be allowed onto each army, and they would be mostly just slightly superior standard units... faceless and insignificant in a battle of dozens, or hundreds. Maybe then the only things that matter would be the wise choices of the commander, while the players do nothing more than go along for the ride.
Here's the ones I can think of, in chronological order.
1) Battlezone
2) Microsoft's RTS/FPS hybrid
3) Allegiance
4) Battlezone 2
5) Savage
6) Natural Selection
Both Battlezones were critically acclaimed but flopped hugely. BZ2 sold so poorly that it could be bought for $5 after a month from release in a 6 CD action pack with other cheapo games. I was a huge fan of BZ2, but i'm not going to lie about it. The game was freakishly unbalanced, slow, boring, and individual players fighting under each commander had a huge impact that totally de-strategised whatever strategy was in the game in the first place. Only the huge amount of player made MODs that came out for it kept it fresh and fun.
Allegiance was critically acclaimed, but no one actually played it, no one thought it was worth $10/month to play. The total lack of AI involvement and slow, boring combat physics didn't help. The fact that 90% of the game's tech tree didn't become accessible in 90% of all matches made Allegiance flop like a fish out of water. The game can now be played for free as it's supported by a very small community of fans now.
I never played Microsoft's hybrid, although it was pretty fun as an action game. This flopped pretty quickly too, so it's no wonder i can't remember the name. Then here comes Savage, the fate of which remains to be seen. I found the beta to be pretty well balanced, but the gameplay just wasn't fascinating or exciting, as it was entirely melee combat at a very sluggish pace. Extremely simplistic fighting. I don't expect Savage to succeed.
I think this is the end of the line, really. No one else seems to be approaching the hybrid concept anymore, and with good cause. They haven't worked yet! All of these games have their cult following, but that's about it. So will NS change this mold? Personally, I don't think there's a chance in hell that NS could ever pull in a profit, should the NS team even wish to pursue that option. The majority of games in NS end in a very lopsided conclusion.
Hybrid games seem fundamentally flawed, forcing a majority of players to suffer under rigid strategic choices that are decided by the few, lording over the many. If i could have it my way, all these hybrid games would make AI involvement the PRIMARY controller of the commander's units. Only a small number of players would be allowed onto each army, and they would be mostly just slightly superior standard units... faceless and insignificant in a battle of dozens, or hundreds. Maybe then the only things that matter would be the wise choices of the commander, while the players do nothing more than go along for the ride.
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Natural Selection,a MODIFICATION for a game, cannot really be included in that list as it is based off of another game, and is not a game itself right now.
That was FPS, (if you're talking about Renegade).
[edit] NS is probably the most successful one, because it's a mod of HL. [/edit]
edit: but it was advertised as an RTS.. i owned that game (not that i was the MASTER, i mean i OWNED it and it was my property until i ebayed it.)
and it had RTS elements. so it fits.
I see much flaming ahead in this topic -_-
I see much flaming ahead in this topic -_- <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
LOL
YOUR TITLE IS ANIME ENCYCLOPEDIA!!! how come you get a special title T-T
i used to be like a male sheena... but i sorta stopped cuz it got stressful.
is there anything i can identify myself as?
I think the higher you go on the list the worse it gets.
CS First place? Understand? <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
For real though, I feel Savage does a very good job. Commanding isn't a pain, and you have an equal chance at winning, no matter your strategy. No matter what your team does, even if some newb is off killing Monkits instead of "helping" at the front, he is still helping collect gold...
NS Is great, but too stringent. If you make a single fatal flaw on the marines its game over. Deviate from HA, omg, prepare for flameage. Sadly, Savage is my new favorite game <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
Renegade wasn't really an RTS/FPS hybrid. Players had no direct control over the resource system short of blowing up the other guy's harvester, there was no system of command and control - essentially, the only strategy elements were the buildings you could blow up. In fact, I'd say the resource system has more in common with Counter-Strike than Natural Selection or other genuine RTS/FPS games.
As for the topic, well, NS is doing just fine. So there.
good, that means that my massively multiplayer, RTS FPS RPG set in modern times, ww3 ish type game that i will make in 20 years will be fresh!
expect it!
good, that means that my massively multiplayer, RTS FPS RPG set in modern times, ww3 ish type game that i will make in 20 years will be fresh!
expect it! <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo--> Thanks for the idea I just mailed the concept to myself. GG Stealing
Therefore I call down the power of lockage upon this thread.