Thread Tools
Old October 21, 2000, 23:41   #1
DanQ
Guest
 
Posts: n/a
Column #137; By Tim Bromige
Tim Bromige examines the playing field of the turn-based strategy genre today in his article entitled "Is Turn-Based Strategy in Danger?".

Comments/questions welcomed in this thread, or you may contact Bromige directly.

----------------
Dan; Apolyton CS
 
Old October 22, 2000, 01:17   #2
Christantine The Great
Prince
 
Local Time: 17:45
Local Date: October 30, 2010
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 771
I think it is in danger. Everything now is pretty much real time. Not that they require strategy.

------------------
"Freedom, Trade, Christantine!"

The Official Webpage of the Chrisonian Republic

The Viking Archives

The MGE Succession Game Team. Sign Up Today!
Christantine The Great is offline  
Old October 22, 2000, 06:15   #3
Evil Capitalist
King
 
Evil Capitalist's Avatar
 
Local Time: 22:45
Local Date: October 30, 2010
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Reconstruction commissioner
Posts: 1,890
TBS will always be around, but will be in a minority. Look at games like Civ 2 or Imperialism 2. Compare these with Star wars Supremecy. This is the choice, and you would have to be visionary genius or an idiot to think that certain games would be better played RTS than TBS- you cannot simulate 100s of years in real time.

As long as there is a market for these games there will be a supply of TBS.
Evil Capitalist is offline  
Old October 22, 2000, 08:04   #4
Father Beast
King
 
Father Beast's Avatar
 
Local Time: 15:45
Local Date: October 30, 2010
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: My head stuck permanently in my civ
Posts: 1,703
I am starting to think that Tim and I are on the same wavelength. I submitted an article for the column on this very subject a few days ago, and now I see Tim echoing my thoughts!
I went a different direction, going with personal experience instead of examining the market, But I came to the same conclusion. I prefer TBS.
A review of Civilization: Call To Power at mobygames said that one of the big problems was that they put an RTS interface into a TBS game. Maybe, Maybe not, but CTP has not been very loved around here.

But TBS dying out? are we all playing civ or AOE, after all. I know some of us do play AOE, but we're still here.
Father Beast is offline  
Old October 23, 2000, 10:20   #5
SCG
Civilization II Democracy GameCivilization II Succession GamesCivilization II Democracy Game: Red Front
King
 
SCG's Avatar
 
Local Time: 17:45
Local Date: October 30, 2010
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: of less than all that I see
Posts: 1,055
I've always favored turn based over real time. Not so much that I like turns per se, its more because I like having some control over the tempo of the game. I've always been a bit of a micromanager and the better real time games take this in account; they can be played as if it was either a turn based [i]or[/] a real time game. Take a game like warcraft (and its sequels) - its a real time game, but you can slow down the game play at key times to offer better control over where all your units will go, just like a turn based game. Of course for the computer games, giving me the choice to do every command either with the mouse or the keyboard also is nice, since I am much more in control with the keys (and therefore can play faster) vs the mouse.

I think there always will be some variation of turn based games out there. After all, isn't the World Series essentially a turn based game (typically 9)? There are definite pauses between innings and any player can call time out at any time. Since it is multiplayer, they have some limits on how long the time outs are (with a couple exceptions - say a pitcher gets injured and can't continue when no one was warming up in the bull pen - the reliever is allowed as much time as he needs to warm up), but essentially, every turn takes as much time to finish as that side needs, whether it is 3 first pitch fly outs or a prolonged 10 run rally with 5 pitching changes.

So I guess I agree with Tim Bromige on this one, I just worry that there will just be fewer and fewer good new turn based games as real time games continue to make accountants drool...

------------------
Sleep is a luxury and I don't have Shakespeare's Theatre in my back yard.
SCG is offline  
Old October 23, 2000, 15:53   #6
Christantine The Great
Prince
 
Local Time: 17:45
Local Date: October 30, 2010
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 771
Star Wars Rebellion (Supremacy in U.K.) is the only RTS game I play once in a while. I got the first edition of Age of Empires and hated it. Too much clicking.

------------------
"Freedom, Trade, Christantine!"

The Official Webpage of the Chrisonian Republic

The Viking Archives

The MGE Succession Game Team. Sign Up Today!
Christantine The Great is offline  
Old October 23, 2000, 17:42   #7
Smash
Emperor
 
Smash's Avatar
 
Local Time: 14:45
Local Date: October 30, 2010
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Civ2 Diehard
Posts: 3,838
If tbs games die then so will my pipeline of money to makers.I've played alot of Myth and Close Combat and while they are good games,they come down to who has the best keyboard dexterity.Not who has the best plan etc.

Also real times games give me pain and stiffness in my shoulders/neck area.Feels like someone is jabbing a needle in me.This takes some of the enjoyment away.

I prefer chess to checkers.
Smash is offline  
Old October 23, 2000, 21:39   #8
Everyman
Civilization II Multiplayer
Chieftain
 
Local Time: 22:45
Local Date: October 30, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Honolulu, HI USA
Posts: 60
Here are a few trends that seem to go counter to a demand for TBS games.

1. Increasing popularity of multi-player. Although developers acknowledge that most PC game purchasers play against the computer, they seem to be increasingly gearing their games towards internet play.

2. A demand for the latest in graphics. Graphics are not the TBS games' forte.

3. A demand for simplicity. Younger gamers don't have the patience to learn the intricacies of a game like Civ II.

I'm confident that PC games will continue to evolve and eventually, there'll be a breakthrough game that will redefine the RTS or TBS genre. In the meantime, I'm hoping that Civ III will be a worthy game -- if so, it may keep me happy for another four years.

Everyman is offline  
Old October 24, 2000, 08:42   #9
Ming
lifer
Civilization II MultiplayerCivilization III MultiplayerPolyCast TeamCivilization IV: MultiplayerApolytoners Hall of Fame
Retired
 
Ming's Avatar
 
Local Time: 17:45
Local Date: October 30, 2010
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Mingapulco - CST
Posts: 30,317
I'm afraid for us true believers of TBS games.

The general trend these days seems to be for flashy graphics and fast action. That seems to be what developers think we want.

I don't know about you guys, but if Civ III or the next version of MOO were to come out as RTS games, I would have no interest in even trying them.

Hopefully they will figure out that strategy games are different! When a "strategy" game can be won by the quickest person to move, it stops being a strategy game
Ming is offline  
Old October 25, 2000, 13:25   #10
Tim Bromige
Settler
 
Local Time: 22:45
Local Date: October 30, 2010
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Halifax, NS, CANADA
Posts: 2
quote:

Originally posted by Ming on 10-24-2000 08:42 AM
I'm afraid for us true believers of TBS games.

The general trend these days seems to be for flashy graphics and fast action. That seems to be what developers think we want.

I don't know about you guys, but if Civ III or the next version of MOO were to come out as RTS games, I would have no interest in even trying them.




Ming, I know what you mean. Indeed, my previous article (which sucked in a fair amount of flak) covered some of your points, especially about how CivIII is going to turn out. However, TBS can still use the latest technology and trends (vide Shogun) without losing its integrity. Like you, I want CivIII to be another step in the evolution of the Civ series, rather than a revolution. If Sid and the boys go too far off the path defined by Civ and CivII, then the game won't be CivIII, but Something-else I.

Tim Bromige is offline  
 

Bookmarks

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 18:45.


Design by Vjacheslav Trushkin, color scheme by ColorizeIt!.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Apolyton Civilization Site | Copyright © The Apolyton Team