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Because the fundamentals of FPS skill are aiming, movement, and positioning, it is quite easy to restrict weapons and other mechanics and end up with a deep game. The weapons are somewhat separate from the core system mechanics, especially in arena shooters, where aiming is simply a matter of lining up crosshairs (except if grenades and rockets are involved), and the other two are mostly independent of weapon choice.
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1 |
Because the fundamentals of FPS skill are aiming, movement, and positioning, it is quite easy to restrict weapons and other mechanics and end up with a deep game. The weapons are somewhat separate from the core system mechanics, especially in arena shooters, where aiming is simply a matter of lining up crosshairs (except if grenades and rockets are involved), and the other two are mostly independent of weapon choice.
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| 3 |
On the other hand, RTS games mix that a bit more. Arguably the fundamentals of RTS are scouting, unit positioning, economy/territory control, and army composition. However, two of those depend greatly on the units available to be used, so that involves determining a fundamental set of units. They also depend on whether the system uses a strict RPS set of interactions, or sets such interactions up to emerge from other mechanics.
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3 |
On the other hand, RTS games mix that a bit more. Arguably the fundamentals of RTS are scouting, unit positioning, economy/territory control, and army composition. However, two of those depend greatly on the units available to be used, so that involves determining a fundamental set of units. They also depend on whether the system uses a strict RPS set of interactions, or sets such interactions up to emerge from other mechanics.
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| 5 |
If you had an RTS with only one unit (Multiwinia, for example), you'd end up with unit positioning mattering a great deal, but now army composition is irrelevant, and scouting is only relevant if Fog of War doesn't exist. I suppose that means army composition and scouting isn't fundamental, but in any RTS with multiple unit types knowing what composition would work best in a given situation is key. However, even in a game like Multiwinia, other game modes are added in to make sure there is something to do, given that unit positioning and sometimes territory control are the only skills that matter.
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5 |
If you had an RTS with only one unit (Multiwinia, for example), you'd end up with unit positioning mattering a great deal, but now army composition is irrelevant, and scouting is only relevant if Fog of War doesn't exist. I suppose that means army composition and scouting isn't fundamental, but in any RTS with multiple unit types knowing what composition would work best in a given situation is key. However, even in a game like Multiwinia, other game modes are added in to make sure there is something to do, given that unit positioning and sometimes territory control are the only skills that matter.
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| 6 |
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| 7 |
My
point
is
that
the
number
of
unit
types
available
(
one
or
many)
is
more
fundamental
to
RTS
than
the
number
of
weapon
types
available
to
FPS.
This
means
simplification
still
ends
up
with
either
a
fairly
complex
game,
or
you
ditch
all
but
one
unit
type
and
no
real
resource
management
and
end
up
with
a
game
that
has
only
one
skill
test:
unit
positioning.
|
7 |
My
point
is
that
the
number
of
unit
types
available
(
one
or
many)
is
more
fundamental
to
RTS
than
the
number
of
weapon
types
available
to
FPS.
This
means
simplification
still
ends
up
with
either
a
fairly
complex
game
with
a
few
fundamental
skill
tests,
or
you
ditch
all
but
one
unit
type
and
no
real
resource
management
and
end
up
with
a
game
that
has
only
one
skill
test:
unit
positioning.
|
The essence of RTS?