The Renaissance of the RTS Genre

The RTS genre, which includes games like Dune II, Starcraft, Age of Empires, and the Warcraft Trilogy, was once extremely popular in the late 90's and early 2000's. However, it seems that the RTS community has lost some of its past glory, and I, as a lover of the genre, long for its return to popularity. There is nothing like the thrill and excitement of leading armies into battle, and I believe that in order to regain its popularity, we must find the missing component in the RTS genre and adapt it to the modern era of gaming.

One major challenge for the RTS genre is that the most successful financial models are based around microtransactions and in-game purchases, such as cosmetics and battlepasses, and it would be difficult to adapt this model to classic RTS games, without detracting from their competitive game experience. Games such as Starcraft or Warcraft are highly skill dependent due to their consistent game environment which empowers their players with more strategic agency and control. Introducing personalised unit cosmetics within these games would make it much harder to keep track of what’s happening, and this would detract from their competitive nature. Similarly, a Pay to Win model would not be suitable for the classic RTS style, for these games typically value an even playing field that is entirely skill dependent.

I believe that Modern RTS game developers will have to face this crossroad early on: they can either build a game that aims to capture the spirit of the classic RTS style, by only including microtransactions that do not affect the in-game experience, or they must create an interesting twist on the RTS genre by adapting it to a Free to Play microtransaction model, while still maintaining a competitive nature and fun experience. Both options present different challenges and hurdles, and there is no right or wrong answer.

Another challenge for the RTS genre is the shift in the gaming landscape, with mobile gaming now occupying 52% of the total gaming revenue in 2021, while console and PC games make up 28% and 20% respectively. Classic RTS games typically rely upon high APM (actions per minute) which is best achieved on a PC, since a mouse and keyboard provide a high degree of control and accuracy thanks to hotkeys and agile reactions. This level of control and APM is hard to achieve on consoles and mobile devices, which could limit the portability of RTS games unless the player experience is changed significantly. The trend of mobile domination also appears to be on the rise, with mobile revenue growing by 7.3% while PC and console revenue shrank by 0.8% and 6.6% respectively in 2021.

Due to this challenge of adapting RTS games to a console or mobile landscape, I believe that any RTS game that wants to target this audience, will eventually have to diverge from the classic RTS style. This deviation will present an opportunity for developers to create a new twist on the RTS genre that is tailored for mobile devices and incorporates a Free to Play microtransaction model. It would also present an interesting foundation for innovation and experimentation within the genre, which is something that has been missing over the years.

Even though there are very few ‘classical’ RTS games being released every year, the older games still have a very active community. For example, Starcraft 2, which was released in 2010, has an active monthly player count of over 260,000, with almost 200,000 daily online matches. The problem is that many of these players are long-term fans of the title, be it Warcraft, Starcraft or Age of Empires, and it’s quite hard to onboard these players to a brand new RTS. Developers will have to strike a very fine balance, between making their game similar enough to the classics that it feels familiar to these players, while also being distinct enough to give them a reason to try something new, beyond simply being a graphical improvement. By introducing new and interesting mechanics in the RTS model, the genre could be revitalised while also attracting new players, since as a genre, it is sometimes seen as stagnant, or perceived to have already reached its peak. I believe that once this step is fulfilled, we will see a renaissance in the RTS genre.

One of my favourite examples of a unique RTS mechanic was found in Battleforge, a strategy game with a collectable card game twist. Players would form a deck from a pool of cards earned in-game or through purchasing packs, and they would use these cards to summon units and buildings in-game. This feature had introduced a fresh and unique dynamic to the gameplay, with every player having a highly customised deck, and I truly believe that the game had a lot of potential if only it was carefully nurtured and balanced. Other games, such as Company of Heroes and The Battle for Middle-Earth series, have also introduced new mechanics that have enriched the RTS experience. For example, Company of Heroes had an interesting feature to acquire resources which managed to capture the feeling of war, while the Battle for Middle-Earth series had some really fun dynamics, such as faction power trees and a diverse hero roster. By incorporating more of these unique mechanics, the factions and units within an RTS become more distinct, and this empowers our players with a wider variety of strategies to adapt to, while also enriching the game’s replayability.

History has shown us that the RTS genre can be extremely interesting to build upon, if you find other genres that complement it. Afterall, the highly popular MOBA genre started off as DOTA, a mod from Warcraft 3, and there are many other genres such as ‘Tower Defence’ which have been popularised through RTS mods. As cool as some of these features can be, we must still be cautious when it comes to our scope, since it’s harder to balance and control a unit, power or feature once it becomes more destructive, chaotic and unique. There’s a fantastic GDC lecture on the Game Design of Starcraft 2, in which the developers discuss features they had to scrap for this very reason, and if you’re interested in checking it out, I’ve left a link to it at the bottom of this article. I also want to emphasise that fun, cool and chaotic features definitely enhance a game, and they should be incorporated whenever possible, we just have to keep in mind that as game designers, our responsibilities also include game balance and providing our players with a seamless fulfilling experience. It’s worth taking a step back to map out our various features, mechanics, units and powers, to get a good understanding of the game’s dynamic and how these various systems complement and interact with each other.

It is also crucial to ensure that our game is accessible, and that its features don’t overwhelm a new player. We can ensure this, by introducing these features slowly to the player so that they won’t feel disheartened or lost, though at the same time, this must not come at the cost of our game’s skill ceiling. To put it simply, it must be easy to pick up, yet hard to master.

Unfortunately, due to the current state of the RTS market, large studios are hesitant to deviate too much from classic RTS mechanics, resulting in remakes of old classics, such as Warcraft 3 reforged or Age of Empires remastered. On the other hand, indie devs or small game studios might not have the resources necessary to match the scope of a good RTS, since it will often demand many layers of content and strategy. This is why I believe that realistically, it will depend upon mid-size studios to deliver the next groundbreaking RTS, and it will be a great opportunity for them to take the industry by storm, and define its future.

So to all my fellow RTS fans, take heart, for I truly believe that this isn’t a question of ‘if’, but ‘when’... and until then, we just have to wait patiently for the renaissance of the RTS genre.

References:

Starcraft 2 player Count

Mobile Market Share 2021

Starcraft 2 Cut Content