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I've previously thought and written a little about the different skills that different RTS games required or reward, so upon seeing someone else's list I thought it was time to write my own. It grew too large for discord so I decided to make it into a post. I just made it up and it is tentative, but maybe some of you will find it interesting.
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I've previously thought and written a little about the different skills that different RTS games required or reward, so upon seeing someone else's list I thought it was time to write my own. It grew too large for discord so I decided to make it into a post. I just made it up and it is tentative, but maybe some of you will find it interesting.
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The idea I am exploring is that different (competitive) RTS games seem to encourage and reward players for focusing on different skills. This can be a nice way to reconcile the differences between distinct styles of game without having to conclude that one is better than the other. The point isn't to say that it is better for a game to test logistics than it is for it to test mechanics, the point is to have categories within which games that focus on different skills can succeed at being the type of game they are trying to be.
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The idea I am exploring is that different (competitive) RTS games seem to encourage and reward players for focusing on different skills. This can be a nice way to reconcile the differences between distinct styles of game without having to conclude that one is better than the other. The point isn't to say that it is better for a game to test logistics than it is for it to test mechanics, the point is to have categories within which games that focus on different skills can succeed at being the type of game they are trying to be.
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The
user
_DeltaV
in
defense
position_
started
the
topic
and
wrote
their
own
list
on
[url=https://discord.
gg/EEGCvNs]wayward
strategy
discord[/url].
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5 |
The
user
_DeltaV
in
defense
position_
started
the
topic
and
wrote
a
list
on
the
[url=https://discord.
gg/EEGCvNs]wayward
strategy
discord[/url].
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*Clairvoyance*
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*Clairvoyance*
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Seeing things that are unseen, feeling when something is off. Is your opponent behaving a little unusually? Perhaps they are being overly defensive with an army, are they saving up for something? Perhaps they are aggressively killing off scouts that move towards an area. Perhaps they are performing a tech switch, hiding an all-in, or have a hidden expansion in the corner of the map. Are they moving their raiders suspiciously, trying to force the battle into an area, potentially indicating a minefield.
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Seeing things that are unseen, feeling when something is off. Is your opponent behaving a little unusually? Perhaps they are being overly defensive with an army, are they saving up for something? Perhaps they are aggressively killing off scouts that move towards an area. Perhaps they are performing a tech switch, hiding an all-in, or have a hidden expansion in the corner of the map. Are they moving their raiders suspiciously, trying to force the battle into an area, potentially indicating a minefield.
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*Valuation*
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*Valuation*
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Weighing the value of your options, often on the fly as windows of opportunity close. Is it worth diving a small force into that expansion to kill a few workers, losing the force in the process? Is it worth standing and fighting to the death to inflict a few losses, or better to retreat and save many of your units? How much is one unit worth to you or your opponent at this particular stage of the game. This can include deciding how and when to use an ability.
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Weighing the value of your options, often on the fly as windows of opportunity close. Is it worth diving a small force into that expansion to kill a few workers, losing the force in the process? Is it worth standing and fighting to the death to inflict a few losses, or better to retreat and save many of your units? How much is one unit worth to you or your opponent at this particular stage of the game. This can include deciding how and when to use an ability.
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*Mechanics*
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*Mechanics*
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How quickly, effectively and precisely you can control the game. This includes quickly using abilities, managing your base and looking around. Every action involves some aspect of mechanics, but actions do not necessarily test other skills. For example, if an ability should always be cast at a particular point in a fight, and in a particular way, then casting it is not a test of valuation. The real time aspect of RTS creates an interplay of mechanics and valuation as you must decide where to direct your attention.
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How quickly, effectively and precisely you can control the game. This includes quickly using abilities, managing your base and looking around. Every action involves some aspect of mechanics, but actions do not necessarily test other skills. For example, if an ability should always be cast at a particular point in a fight, and in a particular way, then casting it is not a test of valuation. The real time aspect of RTS creates an interplay of mechanics and valuation as you must decide where to direct your attention.
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*Balancing*
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*Balancing*
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Your ability to keep an unstable system chugging along smoothly so as to more effectively produce something of worth. The system is usually destabilised by enemy prodding or your own attempts to grow it, with the most common example being your economy. This involves continually monitoring the system, doing the actions required to keep it from breaking, and expanding it (if it can be expanded) without breaking it in the process.
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Your ability to keep an unstable system chugging along smoothly so as to more effectively produce something of worth. The system is usually destabilised by enemy prodding or your own attempts to grow it, with the most common example being your economy. This involves continually monitoring the system, doing the actions required to keep it from breaking, and expanding it (if it can be expanded) without breaking it in the process.
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*Logistics*
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*Logistics*
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Essentially the valuation of distance, time and position, rather than valuation of resources and assets. Does the game reward you for getting your units into good positions and denying those positions to your opponent? How much opportunity is there for this? How complex are the potential interactions with the terrain? How easy is it to control terrain? A game that encourages the use of a single army will probably have easier logistics puzzles than one that encourages using two or more armies.
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Essentially the valuation of distance, time and position, rather than valuation of resources and assets. Does the game reward you for getting your units into good positions and denying those positions to your opponent? How much opportunity is there for this? How complex are the potential interactions with the terrain? How easy is it to control terrain? A game that encourages the use of a single army will probably have easier logistics puzzles than one that encourages using two or more armies.
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*Repertoire*
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*Repertoire*
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Do you like to perfectly execute a set strategy or do you like to mix it up each game? How much does a game reward or try to prevent build orders? Once you pick a strategy do you continue to execute it past the point of not working, or quickly realise this and switch into something better? Does the game even require switches, or will one strategy (with a few branches) see you through the entire game? This includes aspects from switching the unit types you are producing in response to the situation, to changing your goals and approaches on the map.
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Do you like to perfectly execute a set strategy or do you like to mix it up each game? How much does a game reward or try to prevent build orders? Once you pick a strategy do you continue to execute it past the point of not working, or quickly realise this and switch into something better? Does the game even require switches, or will one strategy (with a few branches) see you through the entire game? This includes aspects from switching the unit types you are producing in response to the situation, to changing your goals and approaches on the map.
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*Knowledge*
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*Knowledge*
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Do you need to know a lot to play the game? This looks a bit like repertoire, but is more focused on the passive aspect of knowing how a game works. As per usual, this aspect is related to everything else. You need to be aware of a niche tactic to use clairvoyance on it, you will need to know how combat works to be good at valuation, and you need an awareness of what can be done to have a repertoire. Knowledge can be emphasised by having many unique and relevant mechanics, interactions and units.
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Do you need to know a lot to play the game? This looks a bit like repertoire, but is more focused on the passive aspect of knowing how a game works. As per usual, this aspect is related to everything else. You need to be aware of a niche tactic to use clairvoyance on it, you will need to know how combat works to be good at valuation, and you need an awareness of what can be done to have a repertoire. Knowledge can be emphasised by having many unique and relevant mechanics, interactions and units.
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*Consistency*
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*Consistency*
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Playing well over an entire game is hard. How brutally does the game punish sloppy play, bad choices or sapped creativity? Do you simply lose if you misclick or make the wrong decision at a pivotal moment. Particularly punishing games can be won by simply waiting for your opponent to make a mistake. How long is the game and how predictable are the moments of action? Do you have to be ready for anything at any moment or do you have some control over when the action ramps up?
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Playing well over an entire game is hard. How brutally does the game punish sloppy play, bad choices or sapped creativity? Do you simply lose if you misclick or make the wrong decision at a pivotal moment. Particularly punishing games can be won by simply waiting for your opponent to make a mistake. How long is the game and how predictable are the moments of action? Do you have to be ready for anything at any moment or do you have some control over when the action ramps up?
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Types of RTS Skill