| RTS (Real Time Strategy) | | | | way for current RTS game play in conjunction |
| A real time strategy game is a complex war | | | | with other popular titles like "Dawn of War" and |
| game where you manage your armies from the | | | | "Command & Conquer" which some have gained |
| ground up. The typical RTS game genre requires | | | | admirable titles like "Game of the year", "Largest |
| a player to farm resources, build structures and | | | | Income in Professional Gaming" and "Best Selling |
| units, research technology, secure areas and | | | | PC Strategy Game" from gaming industry leaders |
| destroy their opponents. The real time strategy | | | | the Guinness Book of World Records. |
| genre evolved from the UK and North America | | | | The fast pace of real time strategy games has |
| with the introduction of games like Command & | | | | attracted common criticism and claims that they |
| Conquer, Starcraft and Warcraft over the last | | | | are a cheap imitation of turn based computer |
| decade or so. A typical real time strategy game | | | | games however over the last decade real time |
| will have the main screen map displaying the | | | | strategy games have created a huge amount of |
| Terrain, buildings, units, etc with a command | | | | popularity and revenue worldwide. Versions of |
| production control overlay and a "minimap" or | | | | RTS games in the early 90's were more a game |
| "radar" overview of the entire map. Most modern | | | | of tactics than strategy for example, the early |
| RTS games will have a 3-D isometric perspective | | | | days of Command and Conquer gave birth to the |
| of the map and a free-roaming camera view. A | | | | "tank rush" tactic which is commonly known as |
| player will generally be started in game with a | | | | "zerging" where a player that acquires early |
| single structure or a handful of units and will be | | | | access to resources would quickly produce large |
| required to build specific structure to unlock | | | | amounts of relatively cheap tanks or units and |
| required units. | | | | overwhelm their enemies before they have a |
| All real time strategy games require a player to | | | | chance to create adequate defenses or troop |
| build an army to destroy their opponent whether | | | | production. The most important aspect for |
| it be AI or another human player. Gathering of | | | | success in any RTS game is the ability to |
| resources is also a key focus but newer titles | | | | multi-task as at times a player will be in control of |
| have shifted to a more combat focused game by | | | | hundreds of units, dozens of structures and can |
| advances in structure and unit capabilities. | | | | be in a multitude of battles at any one time. |
| "Starcraft" is very popular and helped pave the | | | | |