ForumsGamesWhat makes a strategy game good?

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iMogwai
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iMogwai
2,030 posts
Peasant

Well, my main question is pretty much exactly what the topic says, but I'll give you a quick explanation of why I'm asking first. If you don't care, just skip ahead to the questions below. I'm asking this because I've got a project in school, and my group decided to design a game. What we're thinking is a turn-based strategy game, with some elements of a RPG, such as soldiers gaining experience from battles. I'm not going to share the details, as I don't want it to influence your comments, but we've got a pretty good idea of we want the game to be like. Now we want to know what others like too.

Now, to the questions.
You don't have to answer every question, or any of them, as long as you try to keep your comments relevant. We just want to know what people like, and these questions are just examples of information we'd find interesting.

What do you like in your strategy games?

What is your favorite strategy game? What do you like about it? What do you dislike about it?

Are there any features or aspects of a game which you've thought was great, or awful?

Do you prefer strategy games which are realistic, or do you prefer strategy games which include fantasy races and magic?

Any comments you have on this would be appreciated as long as it is relevant.

Thanks in advance.

  • 43 Replies
25wes25
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25wes25
1,584 posts
Nomad

What do you like in your strategy games?

I like Strategy and combinations. (also tricks and anything that keeps you thinking)

What is your favorite strategy game? What do you like about it? What do you dislike about it?

Mine is Risk the board game very strategic and hard im currently makeing my own flash version well trying to anyways.
I dislike that it has 1 board or you got to buy a new set for a second board. (variety is key to games)

Are there any features or aspects of a game which you've thought was great, or awful?

Keep it on the hard side but fair. Don't copy things or thats just sad.

Do you prefer strategy games which are realistic, or do you prefer strategy games which include fantasy races and magic?

Both but i prefer no magic.

Any comments you have on this would be appreciated as long as it is relevant.


Is it flash or how are you doing it?
iMogwai
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iMogwai
2,030 posts
Peasant

Is it flash or how are you doing it?


Well, we haven't really decided on that yet. There's also the possibility that we don't reach the point where we actually have a real, playable game. We have discussed using C#. However, our instructor advised us to spend a little more time deciding on what to do before we decided how to do it.

Keep it on the hard side but fair. Don't copy things or thats just sad.


We don't want to copy things, the reason I asked was partially because we wanted some inspiration, but mostly because we don't want to end up making a mistake which has been done before.
25wes25
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25wes25
1,584 posts
Nomad

We don't want to copy things, the reason I asked was partially because we wanted some inspiration, but mostly because we don't want to end up making a mistake which has been done before.


I just said try not to copy

Well, we haven't really decided on that yet. There's also the possibility that we don't reach the point where we actually have a real, playable game. We have discussed using C#. However, our instructor advised us to spend a little more time deciding on what to do before we decided how to do it.

If you do flash that will be hard you could make stuff.
If you want some good tutorials ill give you a good site to go to.
Hydraulic
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Hydraulic
223 posts
Nomad

I`m rushed for time, so I can only give you a teeny weeny bit of advice:

Look at StarCraft and it`s sequel for an amzing disc-based game. If you`re going with an online component, then StarCraft is the example you should look at.

If you`re not really going that route, look at one of the games right here on the site. Colony is a great game that has a better story, really.

All in all, it really comes down to to two things: Balance, and replayability. If you have different factions playable, make sure they have the same basic units. If you need to, reskin them to make them look like something unique.

Replayability can be understood in two ways: Either make your singleplayer campaign insanely, amazingly well-done, or have some ``skirmish``-like option so that people aren`t forced to slog through the campaign when they just want to play the game.

Hope something helped in that.

ImaFiringMyLazar
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ImaFiringMyLazar
60 posts
Nomad

I want to play a strategy game if it's challenging, has great music that goes into the game, medium-high graphics, and a longer gameplay. That's how I want to play my strategy game.

locoace3
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locoace3
15,053 posts
Nomad

i want one that has dynamic music dun care bout graphics( i play AoE 1 alright graphics) an A.I. that instead of cheating (tweaking units to make them stronger) out strategies you long game play and preferably squad or army based

25wes25
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25wes25
1,584 posts
Nomad

Look at StarCraft and it`s sequel for an amzing disc-based game. If you`re going with an online component, then StarCraft is the example you should look at.


Thats actually a bad example. Starcraft has no real strategy just time and place. I would suggest warcraft but thet has multiple game types. for a turn based look at flash games that has a lot of things it always needs a good AI and a skirmish or survival. (best is both)
HahiHa
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HahiHa
8,259 posts
Regent

Strategy games I like are Age Of Mythology (old but still good), LotR:BfME, and Supreme Commander.

What I like in AoM are the units and upgrades, the choice of a main god and the resulting choice between minor gods in each age. I'm a mythology freak and this game has good and true informations on each beasts (as long as it does exist in real mythology, some are made up).

Battle for Middle Earth has a great concept with bataillons instead of single units, and the ability of unlocking spells adds to the strategy of a game. Plus, it is Tolkien mythology, which I really like. And it's quite of an intense game, compared to AoM who can get slow and boring the longer the game lasts. It's also quite more realistic and looks good. It has music from the movies who add to the atmosphere.

Supreme Commander is again a new concept with your Commando unit and technicians for building. This is more a game with masses of units, and it's rather intense too, also with the ability to build land, air and water/underwater units, experimental units who are massive, strong and costy units, and also nuclear weapons.. with all these things it's a game where you have to put a big effort in defence. It also has some quite epic music sometimes.

I played a lot of Empire Earth, but this is a game that most of the time ends up in loooong game hours. But it's units are all units that existed, from the stone age to modern times; it places high value on realism (unit realism, not graphic since it's a very old game). It's music bugs though, and adds to the boring.

Lintire
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Lintire
114 posts
Nomad

I liek my strategy games to be comprised of two elements - gameplay and plots. Since in a strategy game it's all about mastering a certain, set set of rules and regulations, along with applying them to moves, I want them to be as smooth as possible and allowing for the maximum possible moves. Which is why I don't really like tiered approaches to RTS - you have to get this then this then this then kill the enemy, doesn't really work out for me.

Plot on the other hand, for me has to be extremely well told to enthrall my interest - they have a limited amount of moves at their disposal, so it's important for them to able to wrap it all around a story as smoothly a s snake does Original Sin.

Those are my two must haves, and most modern games are seeming to stand up to them Sonny 2 being a great example flash wise, and Dawn of war 2 being on the same level commercially wise.

FinnDragon
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FinnDragon
993 posts
Blacksmith

I like strategy games, becouse there is strategy (lol!).I mean that you need to thing what you do and just not go rampage.
My favourite strategy game is C&C Tiberium wars 3:Kane`s wrath.And in flash its Colony.And in TD games its GemCraft 0 or Protector 4 or Back2Back.
Upgrading is really good idea at strategy games, becouse it makes game more strategaicly.

checker702
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checker702
211 posts
Nomad

stratygames are harder than action games. thats nice

25wes25
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25wes25
1,584 posts
Nomad

Supreme commander is probly the best example of a RTS game.

vctrcool
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vctrcool
72 posts
Nomad

the good thing of a strategy game...well i will thing about the gameplay and the tactics a strategy game isnt a strategy game if you cant roam around the map get items and sometimes if its online a good chat system if certain game dont have this characters it isnt good (for me i guess)

25wes25
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25wes25
1,584 posts
Nomad

Vctr your right a strategy game needs freedom for someone to make a good a bad turn.

CruelAce
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CruelAce
71 posts
Nomad

Strategy games are some of my favorites. They require you to think through your moves, and you win by outsmarting your opponent.

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