[ZmaN]

I wanna buy a strategy game after seeing my cousins playing LOTR Battle for Middle Earth..  One problem, I hate LOTR..  I downloaded the demos of AOE3 and Civ4 (I havent tried civ 4), and I really like AOE3 (I realize its a Real Time Strategy game)..


What are your opinions on these games?
Oh, and what is the difference between a real time strategy game and a Turn Based Strategy game?

[Ghostavo]

What are your opinions on these games?
Oh, and what is the difference between a real time strategy game and a Turn Based Strategy game?

To be honest, I hated AoE3 because it reminded me of the RoN gameplay too much (which I hated as well).
Civ4 is... a normal Civ... that is, a good game.

Real Time strategy is when you can control everything (or at least most of it) in real time, such as:
StarCraft, Homeworld, WarCraft, Dawn of War, Age of Empires, Rise of Nations, and so on.

In Turn Based Strategy you can only control your assets when it's your turn to play.
Some people seem to be mistaken by thinking that this type of games is rare, or that are fewer titles than RTS. Nothing could be further than the truth. Again, you have:
Civilization, Galactic Civilizations, Master of Orion, Space Empires, Age of Wonders, even chess!! and so on.

[Shade]

Haven't tried AoE3, but Civ4 is a really great game.

As for the difference between turn-based and real-time strategy, aside from what Ghostavo said, it's really about the whole approach to playing:

In Real-time games like starcraft, speed, precision, reactions and a sound build order count for at least as much as actual strategy does. Indeed, there's little strategy in real-time strategy. It's mainly tactics.

Whereas in turn-based strategy games, strategy is everything. You never need reflexes or speed, as when it's your turn you have as much time to think about your actions as you need. for this reason, the scope for turn-based games is also much larger, as you have the time to deal with far more. The downside is that if you're looking for action, there is effectively none. Once you order units to fight, the outcome of the fight is in most games out of your hands.

There are exceptions to both of course, as well some games that blend the two genres somewhat.

[Prophet]

AoEIII is pretty nice. Especially the physics involved in cannons blasting buildings
If you don't mind the AoE traditional "group 5 enemy running past your guard tower to burn your blacksmith while there is a barracks and a hoard of villagers 2 meters away", then AoE3 is your game.

Nothing really needs to be said about Civ4. It's a civ and it roxors. D'oh.

Main broblem in real time sttategy is that you have to manage with one mouse against the computers limitless managerial ownage. There will be a time when you have to be in three places at once, but can't. And your army gets slaughtered because they're too stupid to shoot back. Thats enought for me and usually switch to Silent Storm or Civ... Thought if RTS is a must, then I you should grab Daw of War

[Cobra]

The Civilization series sucked IMO. I personally dislike turn-based strategy games. (except chess)

I recommend AoE 3. good graphics, good gameplay.

[Turambar]

go buy Warcraft II

that was a good one

[Carl]

Buy Age of Empires III. Civ4 is turn based, which isn't fun.

[SadisticSid]

I thought AoE3 looked like crap compared to its predecessor, actually, and yes, I did have the settings turned up. I didn't like the whole home city stuff either. To me, Warcraft/Starcraft are better than the 90% of games that just cloned it. Try those instead.

If you want a really good RTS then get Total Annihilation, to me, the best of its breed, and a game which didn't just clone Blizzard's titles.

[ZmaN]

i really like how AoE3 plays...  Its nopt too hard to learn and well, its fun!!

Definitly on my "to buy" list...
Ill try Civ 4, but idk if I'll like it...

[brozozo]

I definitely recommend Dawn of War and its expansion, Winter Assault. Great times to be had there.

[redsniper]

and if you don't have Homeworld yet get that too.

[Cobra]

and if you don't have Homeworld yet get that too.

seconded.

[Nix]

If you like Command and Conquer, the "The First Decade" pack is nice, but you're gonna run into lots of stupid little problems just getting the older games to run properly on XP systems.  I've mananged to figure out why CnC1 would crash with the line-of-sight bug, and it's a simple fix, yet Red Alert 2 is horribly slow still on XP.  It is a nice purchase though because it's an all-in-one pack, all expansions, all the games.  It's the only game from EA that I would reccomend, anything else, I just stay away from it.  (unless it's NFSU1 or 2.)

Honestly, Civ 4 and AOE3 are so far beyond my reach for RTS games, that I have no idea if they'd be good or not.  I suck badly at RTS's unless they were made pre 1999.

[Shade]

Well, Civ 4 isn't an RTS, so you might not suck at it Worth a try for sure if you liked Civ 1 or 2.

[MrBig101]

My advice?  Get AoE3 and Galciv2.  Or Civ 4 and Galciv 2.  Just get galciv2!

[Nix]

I remember playing Civ1 way back on a PowerPC in 8th grade.  that's hella old, and I actually kinda liked it. 

[brozozo]

I suck badly at RTS's unless they were made pre 1999.

Me too! The only RTS I've been playing consistently is Dawn of War, and the AI is quite good at spanking me in skirmish mode.

[Herra Tohtori]

My advice would be to get Rome:Total War (and Barbarian Invasion). 

You get both strategy AND tactics demanding game in one package!

[Blue Lion]

I would suggest Civ 4 over AoE

[Mongoose]

I've played very few examples of the genre, but I did enjoy Age of Mythology (if for nothing else than my being a Greek mythology fan).