Viewing Thread:
"RTS gripes"

I have recently been watching the excellent ìBand of Brothersî. I have also seen some excellent recent war films like ìSaving Ryanís Privatesî or whatever it was called and ìThe Thin Red Lineî. These astounding renditions of World War 2 resparked my enthusiasm for some of my favourite games: the RTS. I took up my copy of Sudden Strike and went forth to shoot some Nazis. However, I am getting a little frustrated with it. I have tried emulating the tactics I have most clearly seen demonstrated in ìBand of Brothersî, but I havenít been entirely successful. I know this wonít get me everywhere every time, and it is my responsibility to look after these guys, but my troops could show a little more intelligence. If a real soldier comes under mortar fire, he doesnít just stand there to be hit, he will get himself into some cover, or get behind a tree or something to get himself out of harms way. He will not just stand there or continue to treck towards his target as the enemy rains fiery death around his ears. A soldier assaulting a machine gun emplacement will not just walk towards it as it fires round after round at him. He will move evasively, use the terrain, keep himself safe. As for my virtual troops on-screen, aside from hitting the deck (which is no help ñ it only serves to slow them down) they show a quite astounding kamikaze attitude. Anyone who hasnít played Sudden Strike may not realise there is an ìassaultî button. You click it and tell them what you want assaulted. Again, it is really my responsibility to look after them, but they will take the shortest route there, no matter how much artillery and mortar fire they come under. Another slight limiting factor in this is that the terrain in Sudden Strike is a little limited to say the least. The maps are mostly flat, there are no ditches to hide in, no rises in the ground to get behind, and no high ground to speak of to take and use to your advantage. Ground Control addresses some of these complaints and I thank them for it. The wealth of tactical options is genuinely astounding. You can hide troops in shadow and take high ground, which not only increases your line of sight but also gives you an accuracy bonus as well as an accuracy penalty for anyone shooting up at you. This makes for some fascinating gameplay, but the fact still remains that my soldiers do not behave like soldiers, but like units. Or possibly robots. Massive moves have been made recently to improve the AI of the enemy, to make it feel like youíre fighting a person, but what about AI of your own soldiers? And while weíre about it, letís get some aircraft that behave like real planes. Total Annihilation got it right. I havenít seen another game (well, maybe ground control again) that got even faintly close. YehÖ proper fighters that take off and chase after bombers trying to shoot them down. Itís been done, so why canít they do it again?

Phew! Well, thatís it from the King of Whingers for now. If you feel like correcting me on the above, go right ahead.

FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> space your dtuff ouy a bit more.
that lot made my eyes hurt!

---

learn to spell
those 2 lines made my eyes hurt!

i've haven't watched it,you'd think with all this fighting they'd cancel it.

space your dtuff ouy a bit more.
that lot made my eyes hurt!

I have recently been watching the excellent ìBand of Brothersî. I have also seen some excellent recent war films like ìSaving Ryanís Privatesî or whatever it was called and ìThe Thin Red Lineî. These astounding renditions of World War 2 resparked my enthusiasm for some of my favourite games: the RTS. I took up my copy of Sudden Strike and went forth to shoot some Nazis. However, I am getting a little frustrated with it. I have tried emulating the tactics I have most clearly seen demonstrated in ìBand of Brothersî, but I havenít been entirely successful. I know this wonít get me everywhere every time, and it is my responsibility to look after these guys, but my troops could show a little more intelligence. If a real soldier comes under mortar fire, he doesnít just stand there to be hit, he will get himself into some cover, or get behind a tree or something to get himself out of harms way. He will not just stand there or continue to treck towards his target as the enemy rains fiery death around his ears. A soldier assaulting a machine gun emplacement will not just walk towards it as it fires round after round at him. He will move evasively, use the terrain, keep himself safe. As for my virtual troops on-screen, aside from hitting the deck (which is no help ñ it only serves to slow them down) they show a quite astounding kamikaze attitude. Anyone who hasnít played Sudden Strike may not realise there is an ìassaultî button. You click it and tell them what you want assaulted. Again, it is really my responsibility to look after them, but they will take the shortest route there, no matter how much artillery and mortar fire they come under. Another slight limiting factor in this is that the terrain in Sudden Strike is a little limited to say the least. The maps are mostly flat, there are no ditches to hide in, no rises in the ground to get behind, and no high ground to speak of to take and use to your advantage. Ground Control addresses some of these complaints and I thank them for it. The wealth of tactical options is genuinely astounding. You can hide troops in shadow and take high ground, which not only increases your line of sight but also gives you an accuracy bonus as well as an accuracy penalty for anyone shooting up at you. This makes for some fascinating gameplay, but the fact still remains that my soldiers do not behave like soldiers, but like units. Or possibly robots. Massive moves have been made recently to improve the AI of the enemy, to make it feel like youíre fighting a person, but what about AI of your own soldiers? And while weíre about it, letís get some aircraft that behave like real planes. Total Annihilation got it right. I havenít seen another game (well, maybe ground control again) that got even faintly close. YehÖ proper fighters that take off and chase after bombers trying to shoot them down. Itís been done, so why canít they do it again?

Phew! Well, thatís it from the King of Whingers for now. If you feel like correcting me on the above, go right ahead.