View source for Real-time strategy

{{short description|Strategy video game sub-genre}}
[[File:Cossacks EW Battle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|Armies clashing in the real-time strategy game ''[[Cossacks: European Wars]]'']]
[[File:Soldiers on walls.jpg|thumb|Games in the genre can feature defensive structures, such as these city walls in ''[[0 A.D. (video game)]]'']]
'''Real-time strategy''' ('''RTS''') is a [[Video game genre|subgenre]] of [[strategy video game]]s that does not progress incrementally in [[turn-based game|turns]],<ref name="c">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/real_time/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427052656/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/real_time/ |archive-date=April 27, 2011 |title=A History of Real-Time Strategy Games |access-date=March 31, 2008 |author=Bruce Geryk |website=GameSpot |quote=Early computer strategy games adhered firmly to the turn-based concepts of their board game ancestors, where—by necessity—players had time to plan their turns before their opponents had a chance to move. Real-time strategy changed all of that so that games would begin to more closely resemble reality: Time was limited, and if you wasted yours, your opponents would probably be taking advantage of theirs. }}</ref> but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time." By contrast, in [[Turn-based strategy|turn-based strategy (TBS)]] games, players take turns to play. The term "real-time strategy" was coined by [[Brett Sperry]] to market ''[[Dune II]]'' in the early 1990s.<ref name="a">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/real_time/ |title=A History of Real-Time Strategy Games |access-date=March 31, 2008 |author=Bruce Geryk |website=GameSpot |quote=It wasn't until some time after the game was in development that I decided to call it "real-time strategy"--it seems obvious now, but there was a lot of back and forth between calling it a "real-time war game", "real-time war", "wargame", or "strategy game". I was deeply concerned that words like "strategy" and "wargame" would keep many players from even trying this completely new game dynamic. Before 1992, wargames and strategy games were very much niche markets—with the exception of [[Sid Meier]]'s work—so my fears were justified. But in the end, it was best to call it an "RTS" because that is exactlywhat it was. |archive-date=April 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427052656/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/real_time/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="b">{{cite web |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/top10/february04/rts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616031405/http://archive.gamespy.com/top10/february04/rts |archive-date=June 16, 2010 | title=Top ten real-time strategy games of all time | publisher=GameSpy | quote=You can't really talk about the real-time strategy genre without giving a nod to Dune II, the title that kicked off the phenomena. | access-date=December 2, 2008}}</ref>

In classic real-time strategy games, each participant positions structures and maneuvers multiple units under their indirect control to secure areas of the map and destroy their opponents' assets. In a typical RTS game, it is possible to create additional units and structures generally limited by a requirement to [[Resource management (gaming)|expend accumulated resources]]. These resources are in turn garnered by controlling special points on the map or possessing certain types of units and structures devoted to this purpose. More specifically, the typical game in the RTS genre features [[resource gathering|resource-gathering]], base-building, in-game technological development, and indirect control of units.<ref name=bgeryk_gspot>{{cite web |last=Geryk |first=Bruce |title=A History of Real-Time Strategy Games |website=[[GameSpot]] |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/real_time/ |access-date=May 29, 2007 |archive-date=April 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427052656/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/real_time/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=ignstate/>

The tasks a player must perform to win an RTS game can be very demanding, and complex [[user interface]]s have evolved for them. Some features have been borrowed from [[desktop environment]]s; for example, the technique of "clicking and dragging" to create a box that selects all units under a given area. Though some video game genres share conceptual and gameplay similarities with the RTS template, recognized genres are generally not subsumed as RTS games.<ref name = ignstate>{{cite web |last=Adams |first=Dan |title=The State of the RTS |website=IGN |date=April 7, 2006 |url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/700/700747p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060409154749/http://pc.ign.com/articles/700/700747p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 9, 2006 |access-date=May 31, 2007}}</ref> For instance, [[city-building game]]s, [[construction and management simulation]]s, and games of [[real-time tactics]] are generally not considered real-time strategy per se. This would only apply to anything considered a [[god game]], where the player assumes a god-like role of creation.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/real_time/ |title=A History of Real-Time Strategy Games |access-date=March 31, 2008 |author=Bruce Geryk |website=GameSpot |quote=Although games such as Populous and SimCity are certainly played in real time, these give rise to the "god game" genre, which includes such titles as the city-builder series from Impressions, Will Wright's innovative designs, and much of Peter Molyneux's work, including the upcoming Black & White. Games in this genre tend to appeal to their own fans, and while there definitely is an overlap between these two genres, gamers generally see them as distinct from one another. |archive-date=April 27, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110427052656/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/real_time/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==History==
{{Video game history}}
===Origins===
The genre recognized today as "real-time strategy" emerged from an extended period of evolution and refinement. Games sometimes perceived as ancestors of the real-time strategy genre were never marketed or designed as such. As a result, designating "early real-time strategy" titles is problematic because such games are being held up to modern standards. The genre initially evolved separately in the United Kingdom, Japan, and North America, afterward gradually merging into a unified worldwide tradition. {{Third-party inline|date=January 2024}}

Allgame listed ''War of Nerves'' (1979) as the oldest "2D Real-Time Strategy".<ref name="allgames">{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17383 |title=War of Nerves! - Overview - allgame |website=www.allgame.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114203712/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17383 |archive-date=14 November 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Tim Barry in May 1981 described in ''[[InfoWorld]]'' a multiplayer, real-time strategy space game that ran ("and probably still is") on an [[IBM System/370 Model 168]] at a large [[San Francisco Bay Area]] company. He stated that it had "far better support than many of the application programs used in the business", with a published manual and regular schedule. Comparing its complexity to ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]'', Barry recalled that "when the [[saved game|game was restored]] at 5 P.M., a lot of regular work stopped".<ref name="barry19810511">{{Cite magazine |last=Barry |first=Tim |date=1981-05-11 |title=In Search of the Ultimate Computer Game |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cz4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11 |magazine=InfoWorld |pages=11, 48 |access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref>

''[[Ars Technica]]'' traces the genre's roots back to ''[[Utopia (1981 video game)|Utopia]]'' (1981), citing it as the "birth of a genre", with a "real-time element" that was "virtually unheard of", thus making it "arguably the earliest ancestor of the real-time strategy genre".<ref name="arstechnica">{{cite web | last = Moss | first = Richard | website = [[Ars Technica]] | url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/09/build-gather-brawl-repeat-the-history-of-real-time-strategy-games/ | title=Build, gather, brawl, repeat: The history of real-time strategy games | date = September 15, 2017 | access-date=October 20, 2017 }}</ref> According to Ars Technica, ''Utopia'' was a [[turn-based strategy]] game with hybrid elements that ran "in real-time but events happened on a regular turn-based cycle."<ref>{{cite web|title=The evolution of gaming: computers, consoles, and arcade|url=https://arstechnica.com/features/2005/10/gaming-evolution/7/|website=[[Ars Technica]]|date=2005-10-11|language=en-us}}</ref> According to Brett Weiss, ''Utopia'' is often cited as "the first real-time strategy game."<ref name = "Weiss">{{cite book | first = Brett | last = Weiss | title = Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984: A Complete Reference Guide | date=2011 | page = 291 | publisher = [[McFarland & Co.]] | isbn=9780786487554 }}</ref> According to Matt Barton and Bill Loguidice, ''Utopia'' "helped set the template" for the genre,<ref name="Loguidice">{{cite book|last1=Loguidice|first1=Bill|last2=Barton|first2=Matt|title=Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time|url=https://archive.org/details/vintagegamesinsi00logu_076|url-access=limited|date=2009|publisher=[[Focal Press]]|location=Boston|page=[https://archive.org/details/vintagegamesinsi00logu_076/page/n250 238]|isbn=978-0240811468}}</ref> but has "more in common with ''[[SimCity]]'' than it does with ''Dune II'' and later RTS games."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Loguidice|first1=Bill|last2=Barton|first2=Matt|title=Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time|date=2012|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9781136137587|page=73}}</ref> Barton also cites ''[[Cytron Masters]]'' (1982), saying it was "one of the first (if not ''the'' first) real-time strategy games [sic]."<ref name="gamasutra">{{cite web | last = Barton | first = Matt | website = [[Gamasutra]] | url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1706/the_history_of_computer_.php?page=3 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027134513/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1706/the_history_of_computer_.php?page=3 | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 27, 2007 | title=The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 2: The Golden Age (1985-1993) | access-date=October 16, 2017 | quote = "SSI's most famous non-CRPG game is probably Cytron Masters (1982), one of the first (if not ''the'' first) real-time strategy games." }}</ref> On the other hand, Scott Sharkey of ''1UP'' argues that, while ''Cytron Masters'' "attempted real time strategy", it was "much more tactical than strategic" due to "the inability to construct units or manage resources".<ref name=1UP-Duke/> ''[[Byte (magazine)|Byte]]'' in December 1982 published as an [[Apple II]] [[type-in program]] ''Cosmic Conquest''. The winner of the magazine's annual Game Contest, the author described it as a "single-player game of real-time action and strategic decision making". The magazine described it as "a real-time space strategy game". The game has elements of resource management and [[Wargame|wargaming]].<ref name="sartoriangus198212">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1982-12/1982_12_BYTE_07-12_Game_Plan_1982#page/n3/mode/2up | title=Cosmic Conquest | work=BYTE | date=December 1982 | access-date=19 October 2013 | author=Sartori-Angus, Alan | pages=3,124}}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, the earliest real-time strategy games are ''[[Stonkers]]'' by John Gibson, published in 1983 by [[Imagine Software]] for the [[ZX Spectrum]], and ''[[Nether Earth]]'' for ZX Spectrum in 1987. In North America, the oldest game retrospectively classified as real-time strategy by several sources<ref name = ignstate/><ref name=rakrent>{{cite web | url=http://www.rakrent.com/rtsc/html/glist-hist.htm | title=RTSC Historical RTS List | access-date=August 5, 2006 | archive-date=August 23, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823113637/http://www.rakrent.com/rtsc/html/glist-hist.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> is ''[[The Ancient Art of War]]'' (1984), designed by Dave and Barry Murry of Evryware, followed by ''[[The Ancient Art of War at Sea]]'' in 1987.

In Japan, the earliest is ''[[Bokosuka Wars]]'' (1983), an early [[Tactical role-playing game|strategy RPG]] (or "simulation RPG");<ref name=Nintendo>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_bw/index.html Bokosuka Wars] ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendo.co.jp%2Fwii%2Fvc%2Fvc_bw%2Findex.html translation]), [[Nintendo]]</ref> the game revolves around the player leading an army across a battlefield against enemy forces in real-time while recruiting/spawning soldiers along the way, for which it is considered by Ray Barnholt of [[1UP.com|''1UP'']] to be an early prototype real-time strategy game.<ref name=1UP>[http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3135870 Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20050119105913/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3135870 |date=2005-01-19 }}, [[1UP.com|1UP]]</ref> Another early title with real-time strategy elements is [[Sega]]'s ''[[Gain Ground]]'' (1988), a strategy-[[action game]] that involved directing a set of troops across various enemy-filled levels.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110513042004/http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/531/531748p1.html Sega Ages: Gain Ground], [[IGN]], July 20, 2004</ref><ref>[http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/882/882363p1.html Top 10 Renovation Games], IGN, June 17, 2008</ref> [[TechnoSoft]]'s ''[[Herzog (video game)|Herzog]]'' (1988) is regarded as a precursor to the real-time strategy genre, being the predecessor to ''Herzog Zwei'' and somewhat similar in nature, though primitive in comparison.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071123002558/http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=242 Herzog Zwei], GameSpy</ref>

''[[IGN]]'' cites ''[[Herzog Zwei]]'', released for the [[Mega Drive|Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]] in 1989 as "arguably the first RTS game ever",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://top100.ign.com/2003/61-70.html#62 |title=IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time |publisher=Top100.ign.com |access-date=2011-06-01 |archive-date=July 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713005135/http://top100.ign.com/2003/61-70.html#62 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and it is often cited as "the first real-time strategy game" according to ''Ars Technica''.<ref name="arstechnica"/> It combines traditional strategy gameplay with fully real-time, fast-paced, [[Arcade game|arcade]]-style [[action game]]play,<ref name="cvg_zwei">{{cite journal|last=Glancey|first=Paul|title=Mean Machines: Herzog Zwei|journal=[[Computer and Video Games]]|date=April 1990|issue=101|url=http://amr.abime.net/review_27759|access-date=4 February 2012|page=103}}</ref> featuring a [[Split screen (computer graphics)|split-screen]] [[Multiplayer video game|two-player]] mode where both players are in action simultaneously and there are no pauses while decisions are taken, forcing players to think quickly while on the move.<ref name="cvg_zwei"/> In ''Herzog Zwei'', though the player only controls one unit, the manner of control foreshadowed the point-and-click mechanic of later games. Scott Sharkey of ''1UP'' argues that it introduced much of the genre conventions, including unit construction and resource management, with the control and destruction of bases being an important aspect of the game, as were the economic/production aspects of those bases.<ref name=1UP-Duke>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3134179|title=Hail to the Duke|author=Scott Sharkey|website=1UP.com|access-date=March 1, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040913063641/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3134179|archive-date=September 13, 2004|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''[[Herzog Zwei]]'' is credited by [[1UP.com|''1UP'']] as a landmark that defined the genre and as "the progenitor of all modern real-time strategy games."<ref name=1UP-Duke/> Chuck Sperry cited ''Herzog Zwei'' as an influence on ''[[Dune II]]''.<ref name="Edge 2008">{{cite magazine|title=The Making of... Dune II|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-making-of-dune-ii/|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|publisher=Next-Gen.biz|access-date=July 27, 2011|date=December 9, 2008|quote=The inspiration for Dune II was partly from Populous, partly from my work on Eye Of The Beholder and the final and perhaps most crucial part came from an argument I once had with Chuck Kroegel, then vice president of Strategic Simulations Inc ... The crux of my argument with Chuck was that wargames sucked because of a lack of innovation and poor design. Chuck felt the category was in a long, slow decline, because the players were moving to more exciting genres ... I felt that the genre had a lot of potential – the surface was barely scratched as far as I as [sic] concerned, especially from a design standpoint. So I took it as a personal challenge and figured how to harness realtime dynamics with great game controls into a fast-paced wargame . . . Herzog Zwei was a lot of fun, but I have to say the other inspiration for Dune II was the Mac software interface. The whole design/interface dynamics of mouse clicking and selecting desktop items got me thinking, ‘Why not allow the same inside the game environment? Why not a context-sensitive playfield? To hell with all these hotkeys, to hell with keyboard as the primary means of manipulating the game!}}</ref>

Notable as well are early games like ''[[Mega-Lo-Mania]]'' by [[Sensible Software]] (1991) and ''[[Supremacy: Your Will Be Done|Supremacy]]'' (also called ''Overlord'' – 1990). Although these two lacked direct control of military units, they both offered considerable control of resource management and economic systems. In addition, ''Mega Lo Mania'' has advanced [[technology tree]]s that determine offensive and defensive prowess. Another early game, ''[[Carrier Command]]'' (1988) by [[Realtime Games Software|Realtime Games]], involved real-time responses to events in the game, requiring management of resources and control of vehicles. Another early game, ''[[SimAnt]]'' (1991) by [[Maxis]], had resource gathering, and controlling an attacking army by having them follow a lead unit. However, it was with the release of ''Dune II'' (1992) from [[Westwood Studios]] that real-time strategy became recognized as a distinct genre of video games.<ref name="bgeryk_gspot"/>

===1992–1998: Seminal titles===
Although real-time strategy games have an extensive history, some titles have served to define the popular perception of the genre and expectations of the genre more than others,<ref name=bgeryk_gspot/> in particular the games released between 1992 and 1998 by [[Westwood Studios]] and [[Blizzard Entertainment]].

Drawing influence from ''[[Herzog Zwei]]'',<ref name="Edge 2008"/><ref name="origin_rts">{{cite web|last=Clarke-Willson|first=Stephen|title=The Origin of Realtime Strategy Games on the PC|url=http://www.above-the-garage.com/blog/1998/8/18/the-origin-of-realtime-strategy-games-on-the-pc|work=The Rise and Fall of Virgin Interactive|publisher=Above the Garage Productions|access-date=30 January 2012|author-link=Stephen Clarke-Willson|date=August 18, 1998|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030504034920/http://www.above-the-garage.com/rblts/vie16b.htm|archive-date=2003-05-04 }}</ref> ''[[Populous (video game)|Populous]]'',<ref name="making_dune2">{{cite web|last=Winstanley|first=Cam|title=The Making of Dune II - The birth of the real-time strategy game|date=June 9, 2020 |url=https://readonlymemory.vg/the-making-of-dune-ii/|publisher=Read-Only Memory|access-date=6 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230227071053/https://readonlymemory.vg/the-making-of-dune-ii/|archive-date=2023-02-27 }}</ref> ''[[Eye of the Beholder (video game)|Eye of the Beholder]]'', and the [[Mac (computer)|Macintosh]] [[user interface]],<ref name="Edge 2008"/> Westwood's ''[[Dune II|Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty]]'' (1992) featured all the core concepts and mechanics of modern real-time strategy games that are still used today,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3134179 | title=The Essential 50 Part 31: Herzog Zwei | access-date=December 17, 2006 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040913063641/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3134179 | archive-date=September 13, 2004 | df=mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=gspystrategy1>{{cite web | last =Walker | first =Mark | title =Strategy Gaming: Part I – A Primer | publisher =GameSpy | url =http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/february02/strategy1/ | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100810204341/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/february02/strategy1/ | archive-date=August 10, 2010| access-date=October 28, 2007}}</ref> such as using the mouse to move units and gathering resources,<ref name=ignstate/> and as such served as the prototype for later real-time strategy games. According to its co-designer and lead programmer, Joe Bostic, a "benefit over ''Herzog Zwei'' is that we had the advantage of a mouse and keyboard. This greatly facilitated precise player control, which enabled the player to give orders to individual units. The mouse, and the direct control it allowed, was critical in making the RTS genre possible.”<ref name="Edge 2008"/><ref>{{cite web|title=The History of Command & Conquer|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/894724/the_history_of_command_conquer.html|work=NowGamer|access-date=May 14, 2014}}</ref>

The success of ''Dune II'' encouraged several games that became influential in their own right.<ref name=ignstate/><ref name=gspystrategy1/>'' [[Warcraft: Orcs & Humans]]'' (1994) achieved great prominence upon its release, owing in part to its use of a fantasy setting and also to its depiction of a wide variety of buildings (such as farms) which approximated a full fictitious society and not just a military force.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} ''[[Command & Conquer (1995 video game)|Command & Conquer]]'' (1995), as well as ''[[Command & Conquer: Red Alert]]'' (1996), became the most popular early RTS games. These two games contended with ''[[Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness]]'' after its release in late 1995.

''[[Total Annihilation]]'', released by [[Cavedog Entertainment]] in 1997, introduced 3D units and terrain and focused on huge battles that emphasized [[Macromanagement (gameplay)|macromanagement]] over [[Micromanagement (gameplay)|micromanagement]]. It featured a streamlined interface that would influence many RTS games in later years. ''[[Age of Empires (video game)|Age of Empires]]'', released by [[Ensemble Studios]] in 1997, tried to put a game in a slower pace, combining elements of ''[[Civilization (series)|Civilization]]'' with the real-time strategy concept by introducing ages of technologies. In 1998, Blizzard released the game ''[[StarCraft]]'', which became an international phenomenon and is still played in large professional leagues to this day. Collectively, all of these games defined the genre, providing the ''de facto'' benchmark against which new real-time strategy games are measured{{fact|date=October 2022}}.

===1995–2003: Refinement and transition to 3D===
The real-time strategy genre has been relatively stable since 1995. Additions to the genre's concept in newer games tend to emphasize more of the basic RTS elements (higher unit caps, more unit types, larger maps, etc.). Rather than innovations to the game concept, new games generally focus on refining aspects of successful predecessors.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} Cavedog's ''Total Annihilation'' from 1997 introduced the first 3D units and terrain in real-time strategy games. The ''Age of Empires'' focus on historical setting and age advancement was refined further by its sequel, ''[[Age of Empires II|Age of Empires II: Age of Kings]]'', and by [[Stainless Steel Studios]]' ''[[Empire Earth (video game)|Empire Earth]]'' in 2001. [[GSC Game World]]'s ''[[Cossacks (video games series)|Cossacks]]'' series brought population caps into the tens of thousands.

''[[Dungeon Keeper]]'' (1997), ''[[Populous: The Beginning]]'' (1998), ''[[Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds (1998 video game)|Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds]]'' (1998), ''[[Warzone 2100]]'' (1999), ''[[Machines (video game)|Machines]]'' (1999), ''[[Homeworld]]'' (1999), and ''[[Dark Reign 2]]'' (2000) were among the first completely 3D real-time strategy titles. ''Homeworld'' featured a 3D environment in space, therefore allowing movement in every direction,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamereplays.org/portals.php?show=page&name=the_history_of_real_time_strategy_pt3_2|title=The History of Real Time Strategy, Part 3.2: Polygons and Pixels, continued|author=TDA|date=June 6, 2008|access-date=March 23, 2011|quote=Homeworld was the first fully three-dimensional RTS game to be released.|publisher=gamereplays.org}}</ref> a feature which its semi-sequel, ''[[Homeworld Cataclysm]]'' (2000) continued to build upon adding features such as waypoints. ''[[Homeworld 2]]'', released in 2003, streamlined movement in the 360° 3D environment. Furthermore, ''[[Machines (video game)|Machines]]'', which was also released in 1999 and featured a nearly 100% 3D environment, attempted to combine the RTS genre with a first-person shooter (FPS) genre although it was not a particularly successful title. These games were followed by a short period of interest in experimental strategy games such as ''[[Allegiance (video game)|Allegiance]]'' (2000). ''Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds'' was notable for being one of the few completely non-linear RTS games ever.

It is only in approximately 2002 that 3D real-time strategy became the standard, with both ''[[Warcraft III]]'' (2002) and Ensemble Studio's ''[[Age of Mythology]]'' (2002) being built on a full 3D game engine. ''[[Kohan: Immortal Sovereigns]]'' introduced classic [[Wargame (video games)|wargame]] elements, such as [[supply lines]] to the genre. ''[[Battle Realms]]'' (2001) was another full 3D game, but had limited camera views.

The move from 2D to 3D has been criticized in some cases. Issues with controlling the camera and placement of objects have been cited as problems.<ref name=splanetsacrifice>{{cite web | title =Sacrifice | publisher =StrategyPlanet | date =December 6, 2000 | url =http://www.strategyplanet.com/features/demos/sacrificedemo/ | access-date =November 19, 2007 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071226044741/http://www.strategyplanet.com/features/demos/sacrificedemo/ | archive-date =December 26, 2007 | df =mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=gameindustry>{{cite web |last=Hargosh |first=Todd |title=Emperor's Spice Flows Strong |publisher=Game Industry News |url=http://www.gameindustry.com/review/item.asp?id=355 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226225151/http://www.gameindustry.com/review/item.asp?id=355 |archive-date=February 26, 2008 |access-date=November 19, 2007}}</ref><ref name=ttgamer>{{cite web | title =Age of Empires 3 PC Review | date =December 5, 2005 | publisher =TTGamer | url =http://www.tweaktown.com/gaming/2399/age_of_empires_3_pc_review/index.html | access-date=November 19, 2007}}</ref>

===2004–2012: Specialization and evolution===
A few games have experimented with diversifying map design, which continues to be largely two-dimensional even in 3D engines. ''[[Earth 2150]]'' (2000) allowed units to tunnel underground, effectively creating a dual-layer map; three-layer (orbit-surface-underground) maps were introduced in ''[[Metal Fatigue (video game)|Metal Fatigue]]''. In addition, units could even be transported to entirely separate maps, with each map having its own window in the user interface. ''[[Three Kingdoms: Fate of the Dragon]]'' (2001) offered a simpler model: the main map contains locations that expand into their own maps. In these examples, however, the gameplay was essentially identical regardless of the map layer in question. ''[[Dungeons & Dragons: Dragonshard|Dragonshard]]'' (2005) emphasized its dual-layer maps by placing one of the game's two main resources in each map, making exploration and control of both maps fundamentally valuable.

Relatively few genres have emerged from or in competition with real-time strategy games, although [[real-time tactics]] (RTT), a superficially similar genre, emerged around 1995. In 1998, [[Activision]] attempted to combine the real-time strategy and [[first-person shooter]] genres in ''[[Battlezone (1998 video game)|Battlezone]]'' (1998), while in 2002 [[Rage Games Limited]] attempted this with the ''[[Hostile Waters (game)|Hostile Waters]]'' games. Later variants have included [[Natural Selection (video game)|''Natural Selection'' (2002)]], a game modification based on the Half-Life engine, and the [[free software]] ''[[Tremulous]]''/''[[Unvanquished (video game)|Unvanquished]]''. ''[[Savage: The Battle for Newerth]]'' (2003) combined the RPG and RTS elements in an online game.

Some games, borrowing from the [[real-time tactics]] (RTT) template, have moved toward an increased focus on tactics while downplaying traditional resource management, in which designated units collect the resources used for producing further units or buildings. Titles like ''[[Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War]]'' (2004), ''[[Star Wars: Empire at War]]'' (2006), and ''[[Company of Heroes]]'' (2006) replace the traditional resource gathering model with a strategic control-point system, in which control over strategic points yields construction/reinforcement points. ''[[Ground Control (video game)|Ground Control]]'' (2000) was the first such game to replace individual units with "squads".

Others are moving away from the traditional real-time strategy game model with the addition of other genre elements. One example is ''[[Sins of a Solar Empire]]'' (2008), released by [[Ironclad Games]], which mixes elements of grand-scale stellar empire building games like ''[[Master of Orion]]'' with real-time strategy elements. Another example is indie game ''[[Achron]]'' (2011), which incorporates time travel as a game mechanic, allowing a player to send units forward or backward in time.<ref>{{cite news | newspaper=[[Spiegel Online]] | last=Fahrenbach | first=Achim | title =Dancing on the timeline | language=de | url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/games/0,1518,690063,00.html | date=April 25, 2010 | access-date=August 30, 2011}}</ref>

[[Multiplayer online battle arena]] games (MOBA) have originated as a subgenre of real-time strategy games, however this fusion of real-time strategy, [[Role-playing video game|role-playing]], and [[action game]]s has lost many traditional RTS elements. These types of games moved away from constructing additional structures, base management, army building, and controlling additional units. Map and the main structures for each team are still present, and destroying enemy main structure will secure victory as the ultimate victory condition.<ref>{{Cite arXiv|last1=Silva|first1=Victor do Nascimento|last2=Chaimowicz|first2=Luiz|date=2017-05-30|title=MOBA: a New Arena for Game AI|eprint=1705.10443|class=cs.AI|language=en}}</ref> Unlike in RTS, a player has control over the only one single powerful unit, called "hero" or "champion", who advances in level, learns new abilities, and grows in power over the course of a match.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last1=Cannizzo|first1=Alejandro|last2=Ramírez|first2=Esmitt|title=Towards Procedural Map and Character Generation for the MOBA Game Genre|journal=Ingeniería y Ciencia|year=2015|volume=11|issue=22|pages=95–119|doi=10.17230/ingciencia.11.22.5|issn=1794-9165|doi-access=free|hdl=10784/7884|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Players can find various friendly and enemy units on the map at any given time assisting each team, however, these units are computer-controlled and players usually don't have direct control over their movement and [[Spawning (gaming)|creation]]; instead, they march forward along set paths.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-08-01|title=How MOBAs Took Over Gaming|url=https://me.ign.com/en/pc/70142/feature/how-mobas-took-over-gaming|access-date=2020-09-14|website=IGN Middle East|language=en-ae}}</ref> ''[[Defense of the Ancients]]'' (''DotA''), a ''[[Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos|Warcraft III]]'' [[Mod (video gaming)|mod]] from 2003, and its standalone sequel ''[[Dota 2]]'' (2013), as well as ''[[League of Legends]]'' (2009), and ''[[Heroes of the Storm]]'' (2015), are the typical representatives of the new [[Strategy video game|strategy]] subgenre.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2014-09-01|title=The history of MOBAs: From mod to sensation|url=https://venturebeat.com/2014/09/01/the-history-of-mobas-from-mod-to-sensation/|access-date=2020-09-15|website=VentureBeat|language=en-US|archive-date=April 20, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420145319/https://venturebeat.com/2014/09/01/the-history-of-mobas-from-mod-to-sensation/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.progamerreview.com/best-moba-games/|title=Best Modern MOBA Games - LoL, Dota 2, HotS & Smite Compared|last1=Amstrup|first1=Johannes|last2=ersen|date=2017-09-15|website=Pro Gamer Reviews|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-19|archive-date=October 19, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019134555/https://www.progamerreview.com/best-moba-games/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Former game journalist [[Luke Smith (writer)|Luke Smith]] called ''DotA'' "the ultimate RTS".<ref>{{cite web|last1=O'Connor|first1=Frank|last2=Smith|first2=Luke|date=February 19, 2008|title=The Official Bungie Podcast|url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/8/5/d85ce76f-0cb2-41df-aaae-a8c96790332b/Bungie_Podcast_021908.mp3|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080411182931/http://download.microsoft.com/download/d/8/5/d85ce76f-0cb2-41df-aaae-a8c96790332b/Bungie_Podcast_021908.mp3|archive-date=April 11, 2008|access-date=February 27, 2008|publisher=[[Bungie]]}}</ref>

=== 2012–present: Expansion and adaptation to various gaming formats ===
The popularization of the [[smartphone]] in the 2010s led to a new market for [[video game]]s to expand to and develop. Innovation on the traditional RTS format accelerated throughout the early 2010s as RTS games were released for [[mobile device]]s. With a new format specific to [[mobile device]]s, mobile RTS games were often simpler than their desktop counterparts. The simplification of the RTS formula coupled with the adoption of the smartphone during this period allowed for mobile RTS games to be more accessible than traditional RTS games. ''[[Clash of Clans]]'' (2012), a mobile game published by [[Supercell (video game company)|Supercell]], is a good example of a game which modified the RTS format into a simpler mobile experience. While often classified in the broader [[Strategy game]] genre, ''Clash of Clans'' still possesses many of the classic RTS elements, such as a "perspective of god", control over buildings and mobile units, and resource management. It also introduces and simplifies specific elements of an RTS to fit the mobile format with "idle" resource gathering and defenses, as well as reducing the number of resource types, unit types, and building types to make the game more accessible to new users. In an interview between game journalist Bryant Francis and ''Clash of Clans'' developer Stuart McGaw, McGaw attributed ''Clash of Clan''{{'}}s design to "a focus on simplicity and accessibility", something that "anyone could pick up and play", while also retaining "the strategy DNA", that gives players "lots of options" while remaining "clear to understand".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bryant |first=Francis |date=2022-08-22 |title=Game Developer {{!}} Game Industry News, Deep Dives, and Developer Blogs |url=https://www.gamedeveloper.com/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=www.gamedeveloper.com |language=en}}</ref>  Multiple other mobile games, such as ''[[Boom Beach]]'' (2014), ''[[Plague Inc.]]'' (2012), the ''[[Bloons Tower Defense]]'' series (2007-2021), and more have (varyingly) adapted the RTS format in the same manner as ''Clash of Clans'', and in turn developed a style of RTS unique to the mobile game industry.

Beginning in the early-mid 2010s, the expansion of the [[Indie game]] market on game developer [[Valve Corporation]]'s gaming distribution service, [[Steam (service)|Steam]], allowed RTS game developers to produce smaller-scale and increasingly accessible Indie-RTS games.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bea |first=Robin |date=2023-09-21 |title=20 Years Ago, Valve Changed How We Play PC Games Forever |url=https://www.inverse.com/gaming/steam-20th-anniversary |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Inverse |language=en}}</ref> These RTS games often are more true to the traditional RTS formula, with the player having the "perspective of god" and managing units and resources. Such Indie-RTS Games released in this period were often subject to [[Porting]], and often made it to mobile devices. A few of these Indie-RTS games are ''[[Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator]]'' (2017), the ''[[Machines at War]]'' series (2007-2012), and ''[[Bad North]]'' (2018).

Oftentimes, modern RTS games attempt to capture the "nostalgia" of classic RTS games. ''Rusted Warfare'' (2017), is an indie-mobile release which is a good example of a traditional-style RTS which utilizes assets from the unreleased ''Hard Vacuum'' (1993) to create a "revived" RTS experience. ''Hard Vacuum'' was intended to include "resource gathering from mineral deposits", "base building", and "a wide range of fighting with units".<ref>{{Cite web |last=fgasking |date=2022-12-28 |title=Hard Vacuum (PC) |url=https://www.gamesthatwerent.com/2022/12/hard-vacuum/ |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Games That Weren't |language=en-GB}}</ref> ''Rusted Warfare'' and other traditional RTS titles utilized the element of classic PC-gaming nostalgia in order to drive the game-playing experience.

Traditional RTS games released in the late 2010s - early 2020s were developed with a focus on coupling the traditional-style gameplay with uniquely styled, or hyper-realistic graphics. These RTS games are often Indie-RTS games, but released on a multitude of platforms. Some RTS releases like ''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' (2017), ''[[Steel Division 2]]'' (2019), ''[[Company of Heroes 3]]'' (2023), and [[Last Train Home (video game)|''Last Train Home'']] (2023) are examples of modern RTS games that are focused on providing a traditional RTS experience.

==Gameplay==
[[File:0 A.D. alpha 25 - playing as Spartans.jpg|thumb|300px|Screenshot from the game ''[[0 A.D. (video game)|0 A.D.]]'', showing typical RTS interface elements such as a resource overview (top left), a map of the game world (bottom left), and a description of the selected unit (bottom center)]]

In a typical real-time strategy game, the screen is divided into a map area displaying the game world and terrain, units, and buildings, and an interface overlay containing command and production controls and often a "radar" or "minimap" overview of the entire map.<ref>[http://www.nassaulibrary.org/centreblog/starcraft.png Starcraft in-game image] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524092606/http://www.nassaulibrary.org/centreblog/starcraft.png |date=May 24, 2010 }}</ref><ref>[http://i.d.com.com/i/dl/media/dlimage/89/25/1/89251_large.jpeg Command & Conquer in-game image] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100524092554/http://i.d.com.com/i/dl/media/dlimage/89/25/1/89251_large.jpeg |date=May 24, 2010 }}</ref> The player is usually given an [[Isometry|isometric]] perspective of the world, or a free-roaming camera from an [[Bird's-eye view|aerial viewpoint]] for modern 3D games.<ref name="fundamentals">{{cite book|last=Rollings|first=Andrew|author2=Ernest Adams|title=Fundamentals of Game Design|publisher=Prentice Hall|year=2006|url=http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_gamedev_1/54/14053/3597646.cw/index.html|archive-date=December 31, 2017|access-date=February 17, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231072651/http://wps.prenhall.com/bp_gamedev_1/54/14053/3597646.cw/index.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Players mainly [[Scrolling|scroll]] the screen and issue commands with the mouse, and may also use keyboard shortcuts.

Gameplay generally consists of the player being positioned somewhere in the map with a few units or a building that is capable of building other units/buildings. Often, but not always, the player must build specific structures to unlock more advanced units in the [[tech tree]]. Often, but not always, RTS games require the player to build an army (ranging from small squads of no more than two units to literally hundreds of units) and using them to either defend themselves from a virtual form of [[Human wave attack]] or to eliminate enemies who possess bases with unit production capacities of their own. Occasionally, RTS games will have a preset number of units for the player to control and do not allow building of additional ones.

Resource gathering is commonly the main focus of the RTS games, but other titles of the genre place higher gameplay significance to how units are used in combat (''[[Z: Steel Soldiers]]'' for example, awards credits for territory captured rather than gathered resources), the extreme example of which are games of the [[real-time tactical]] genre. Some titles impose a ceiling on the number simultaneous troops, which becomes a key gameplay consideration, a significant example being ''StarCraft'', while other titles have no such unit cap.

===Micromanagement and macromanagement===
{{main|Micromanagement (gameplay){{!}}Micromanagement}}

[[Micromanagement (gameplay)|Micromanagement]] deals with a player's constant need to manage and maintain individual units and resources on a fine scale. On the other hand, macromanagement refers to a player's management of economic expansion and large-scale strategic maneuvering, allowing the player time to think and consider possible solutions. Micromanagement involves the use of combat tactics involved in the present, whereas macromanagement considers the greater scale of the game in an attempt to predict the future.

===Criticism of gameplay===
====Turn-based vs. real-time====
{{Main|Time-keeping systems in games}}
A debate has emerged between fans of real-time strategy (RTS) and [[Turn-based strategy|turn-based strategy (TBS)]] (and related genres) based on the merits of the real-time and turn-based systems. Because of their generally faster-paced nature (and in some cases a smaller learning curve), real-time strategy games have surpassed the popularity of [[turn-based strategy]] computer games.<ref name=gspytbsrts>{{cite web | last =Walker | first =Mark | title =Strategy Gaming: Part V – Real-Time vs. Turn-Based | publisher =GameSpy | url =http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/february02/strategygames05/ | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081221074049/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/february02/strategygames05/ | archive-date =December 21, 2008 | access-date=October 28, 2007 | url-status=dead}}</ref> In the past, a common criticism was to regard real-time strategy games as "cheap imitations" of turn-based strategy games, arguing that real-time strategy games had a tendency to devolve into "click-fests"<ref name=armchair>{{cite web |title=Theatre of War by 1C and Battlefront – Interview |publisher=Armchair General Magazine |url=http://www.armchairgeneral.com/articles.php?cat=59&p=2806&page=1 | access-date=June 2, 2007}}</ref><ref name=pcp>{{cite web | title =Point – CounterPoint: Turn Based vs. Real Time Strategy | publisher =[[Strategy Planet]] | date =June 27, 2001 | url =http://www.strategyplanet.com/features/articles/pcp-turnvsreal/ | access-date =April 5, 2007 | url-status =dead | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070226185919/http://www.strategyplanet.com/features/articles/pcp-turnvsreal/ | archive-date =February 26, 2007 | df =mdy-all }}</ref><ref name=gspystrategy2>{{cite web | last =Walker | first =Mark | title =Strategy Gaming: Part II | publisher =GameSpy | url =http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/february02/strategy02/ | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100105182651/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/february02/strategy02/ | archive-date =January 5, 2010 | access-date=October 28, 2007}}</ref> in which the player who was faster with the [[computer mouse|mouse]] generally won, because they could give orders to their units at a faster rate.

The common retort is that success involves not just fast clicking, but also the ability to make sound decisions under time pressure.<ref name=pcp/> The "clickfest" argument is also often voiced alongside a "button babysitting" criticism, which pointed out that a great deal of game time is spent either waiting and watching for the next time a production button could be clicked, or rapidly alternating between different units and buildings, clicking their respective button.<ref name="babysitting">This mostly a concern with older RTS games that did not feature building queues, meaning that players would have to click the button to build a unit soon after it was completed. However, in some games where units have timed abilities that must be explicitly activated, for instance heroes in the real-time tactics game ''[[Mark of Chaos]]'' this is still a concern.</ref>

Some titles attempt to merge the two systems: for example, the role-playing game ''[[Fallout (video game)|Fallout]]'' uses turn-based combat and real-time gameplay, while the real-time strategy games ''Homeworld'', ''[[Rise of Nations]]'', and the games of the ''[[Total War (video game series)|Total War]]'' and ''[[Hegemony (video game series)|Hegemony]]'' series allow the player to pause the game and issue orders. Additionally, the ''Total War'' series has a combination of a turn-based strategy map with a real-time battle map. Another example of a game combining both turn-based game and real-time-strategy is ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-Earth II]]'' which allows players, in a 'War of the Ring' game, to play a turn-based strategy game, but also battle each other in real time.

====Tactics vs. strategy====
{{See also|Real-time tactics#Genre classification}}
A second criticism of the RTS genre is the importance of skill over strategy. The manual dexterity and ability to multitask and divide one's attention is often considered the most important aspect to succeeding at the RTS genre. According to Troy Dunniway, former Westwood developer who has also worked on ''[[Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars]]'': "A player controls hundreds of units, dozens of buildings and many different events that are all happening simultaneously. There is only one player, and he can only pay attention to one thing at a time. Expert players can quickly flip between many different tasks, while casual gamers have more problems with this."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dunniwaydesign.com/rts_design.htm |title=RTS Design |work=Aspects of real-time strategy |date=September 2007 |access-date=September 13, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927142342/http://www.dunniwaydesign.com/rts_design.htm |archive-date=September 27, 2007 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Real-time strategy games have been criticized for an overabundance of tactical considerations when compared to the amount of strategic gameplay found in such games. According to [[Chris Taylor (game designer)|Chris Taylor]], lead designer of ''[[Supreme Commander (game)|Supreme Commander]]'': "[My first attempt at visualizing RTSs in a fresh and interesting new way] was my realizing that although we call this genre 'Real-Time Strategy,' it should have been called 'Real-Time Tactics' with a dash of strategy thrown in."<ref name=christaylor>{{cite web | last =Keefer | first =John | title =Supreme Commander Interview (PC) | publisher =GameSpy | date =July 8, 2005 | url =http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/supreme-commander/631678p1.html | access-date=November 4, 2007}}</ref> (Taylor then posits his own game as having surpassed this mold by including additional elements of broader strategic scope.)<ref name=christaylor/>

In general terms, [[military strategy]] refers to the use of a broad arsenal of weapons including diplomatic, informational, military, and economic resources, whereas [[military tactics]] is more concerned with short-term goals such as winning an individual battle.<ref name=gspytbsrts/> In the context of strategy video games, however, the difference is often reduced to the more limited criteria of either a presence or absence of base building and unit production.

In an article for ''[[Gamasutra]]'', Nathan Toronto criticizes real-time strategy games for too often having only one valid means of victory — [[attrition warfare|attrition]] — comparing them unfavorably to real-time tactics games. Players' awareness that the only way for them to win or lose is militarily makes them unlikely to respond to gestures of diplomacy. The result is that the winner of a real-time strategy game is too often the best tactician rather than the best strategist.<ref name="gama_toronto">{{cite web | last = Toronto | first = Nathan | title = The Future Of The Real-Time Strategy Game  | website = [[Gamasutra]]  | date = January 24, 2008  | url = https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-future-of-the-real-time-strategy-game  | access-date = February 2, 2010}}</ref> Troy Goodfellow counters this by saying that the problem is not that real-time strategy games are lacking in strategy (he says attrition is a form of strategy), rather it is that they too often have the same strategy: produce faster than you consume. He also states that building and managing armies is the conventional definition of real-time strategy, and that it is unfair to make comparisons with other genres.<ref name="gama_goodfellow">{{cite web | last = Goodfellow | first = Troy | title = The Future Of The RTS – A Counter-Opinion  | website = Gamasutra  | date = January 28, 2008  | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17098  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080130023216/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17098  | url-status = dead  | archive-date = January 30, 2008  | access-date = February 2, 2010}}</ref>

In an article for ''[[GameSpy]]'', Mark Walker criticizes real-time strategy games for their lack of combat tactics, suggesting real-time tactics games as a more suitable substitute.<ref name=gspytbsrts/> He also says that developers need to begin looking outside the genre for new ideas in order for strategy games to continue to be successful in the future.<ref name=gspytbsrts_pvi>{{cite web | last =Walker | first =Mark | title =Strategy Gaming: Part VI – Where the Genre is Headed | publisher =GameSpy | url =http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/february02/stratfinal/ | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20071030014041/http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/february02/stratfinal/ | archive-date =October 30, 2007 |date = February 2002| access-date=February 13, 2010}}</ref>

This criticism has ushered into a couple of hybrid designs that try to resolve the issues. The games of the ''[[Total War (video game series)|Total War]]'' series have a combination of a (turn-based) strategy map with a (real-time) battle map, allowing the player to concentrate on one or the other. The games of the ''[[Hegemony (video game series)|Hegemony]]'' series also combine a strategy map and a battle map (in full real-time) and the player can at any point in time seamlessly zoom in and out in between both.

====Rushing vs. planning====
A third common criticism is that real-time gameplay often degenerates into "[[rush (video gaming)|rushes]]" where the players try to gain the advantage and subsequently defeat the opponent as quickly in the game as possible, preferably before the opposition is capable of successfully reacting.<ref name=ign_scvsdow>{{cite web | title =StarCraft vs Dawn of War | website =IGN | date =August 6, 2004 | url =http://pc.ign.com/articles/533/533146p1.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20090414092309/http://pc.ign.com/articles/533/533146p1.html | archive-date =April 14, 2009 | url-status =dead | access-date =December 1, 2007  }}</ref> For example, the original ''[[Command & Conquer]]'' gave birth to the now-common "tank rush" tactic, where the game outcome is often decided very early on by one player gaining an initial advantage in resources and producing large amounts of a relatively powerful but still quite cheap unit—which is thrown at the opposition before they have had time to establish defenses or production. Although this strategy has been criticized for encouraging overwhelming force over strategy and tactics, defenders of the strategy argue that they're simply taking advantage of the strategies utilized, and some argue that it is a realistic representation of warfare. One of the most infamous versions of a rush is the "Zergling rush" from the real-time strategy game ''[[StarCraft]]'', where the Zerg player would morph one of their starting workers (or the first one produced) into a spawning pool immediately and use all of their resources to produce Zerglings, attacking once they have enough to overwhelm any early defense; in fact, the term "zerging" has become synonymous with rushing.<ref name=bgeryk_gspot/>

Some games have since introduced designs that do not easily lend themselves to rushes. For example, the [[Hegemony (video game series)|''Hegemony'']] series made supply and (seasonal) resource management an integral part of its gameplay, thus limiting rapid expansion.

===On consoles===
Despite ''[[Herzog Zwei]]'', a [[console game]], laying the foundations for the real-time strategy genre, RTS games never gained popularity on consoles like they did on the [[Personal computer|PC]] platform.<ref name=1UP-Duke/> Real-time strategy games made for [[video game console]]s have been consistently criticized due to their control schemes, as the PC's keyboard and mouse are considered to be superior to a console's [[gamepad]] for the genre. Thus, RTS games for [[home console]]s have been met with mixed success.<ref name="CNETLOTR">{{cite web
| last =Ocampo
| first =Jason
| title =The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth II (Xbox 360)
| website =CNET
| date = July 7, 2006
| url =http://reviews.cnet.com/xbox-360-games/the-lord-of-the/4505-11457_7-31676469.html
| access-date=November 4, 2007
}}</ref> Scott Sharkey of [[1UP.com|''1UP'']] notes that ''Herzog Zwei'' had already "offered a nearly perfect solution to the problem by giving the player direct control of a single powerful unit and near autonomy for everything else," and is surprised "that more console RTS games aren't designed with this kind of interface in mind from the ground up, rather than imitating" PC control schemes "that just doesn't work very well with a controller".<ref name=1UP-Duke/> Some handheld consoles like ''[[Napoleon (video game)|Napoleon]]'' on the GBA uses a similar solution.

However, several console titles in the genre received positive reception. The ''[[Pikmin]]'' series, which began in 2001 for the [[GameCube]], became a million-seller. Similarly, ''[[Halo Wars]]'', which was released in 2009 for the [[Xbox 360]], generated generally positive reviews, achieved an 82% critic average on aggregate web sites, and sold over 1&nbsp;million copies.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/halowars
|title=Halo Wars (xbox360: 2009) Reviews
|website=[[Metacritic]]
|access-date=March 6, 2009
|archive-date=February 27, 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227055715/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/halowars
|url-status=dead
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/935835-halo-wars/index.html
|title=Halo Wars for Xbox 360
|publisher=[[GameRankings]]
|access-date=March 6, 2009
|archive-date=March 3, 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303152635/http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/935835-halo-wars/index.html
|url-status=dead
}}</ref>
According to ''[[IGN]]'', the gameplay lacks the traditional RTS concepts of limited resources and resource gathering and lacks multiple buildings.<ref>{{cite web
|author=Geddes, Ryan
|date=February 20, 2009
|url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/955/955576p1.html
|title=Halo Wars Review; Ensemble takes Halo, and real-time strategy, to a whole new planet
|website=IGN
|access-date=March 6, 2009
}}</ref>

==Graphics==
[[File:OpenHV - Business as usual.png|thumb|The ''OpenHV'' project uses 8-bit [[pixel art]] graphics.<ref>{{cite web |author=Adrian Werner |date=24 September 2021 |title=OpenHV - Free RTS Based on C&C Red Alert Gets New Version |url=https://www.gamepressure.com/newsroom/openhv-free-rts-based-on-cc-red-alert-gets-new-version/za39e9 |website=[[Gamepressure]] |language=en}}</ref>]]

''Total Annihilation'' (1997) was the first real-time strategy game to utilize [[true 3D]] units, terrain, and physics in both rendering and in gameplay. For instance, the missiles in ''Total Annihilation'' travel in real time in simulated 3D space, and they can miss their target by passing over or under it. Similarly, missile-armed units in ''Earth 2150'' are at a serious disadvantage when the opponent is on high ground because the missiles often hit the cliffside, even in the case when the attacker is a missile-armed helicopter. ''Homeworld'', ''[[Warzone 2100]] and [[Machines (video game)|Machines]]'' (all released in 1999) advanced the use of fully 3D environments in real-time strategy titles. In the case of ''[[Homeworld]]'', the game is set in space, offering a uniquely exploitable 3D environment in which all units can move vertically in addition to the horizontal plane. However, the near-industry-wide switch to full 3D was very gradual and most real-time strategy titles, including the first sequels to ''[[Command & Conquer (series)|Command & Conquer]]'', initially used isometric 3D graphics made by pre-rendered 3D tiles. Only in later years did these games begin to use true 3D graphics and gameplay, making it possible to rotate the view of the battlefield in real-time. ''Spring'' is a good example of the transformation from semi-3D to full-3D game simulations. It is an [[Open-source software|open-source]] project, which aims to give a ''Total Annihilation'' game-play experience in three dimensions. The most ambitious use of full 3D graphics was realized in ''[[Supreme Commander (video game)|Supreme Commander]]'', where all projectiles, units and terrain were simulated in real time, taking full advantage of the UI's zoom feature, which allowed cartographic style navigation of the 3D environment. This led to a number of unique gameplay elements, which were mostly obscured by the lack of computing power available in 2007, at the release date.

Japanese game developers [[Nippon Ichi]] and [[Vanillaware]] worked together on ''[[Grim Grimoire]]'', a [[PlayStation 2]] title released in 2007, which features hand-drawn animated 2D graphics.

From 2010, real-time strategy games more commonly incorporated [[physics engines]], such as [[Havok (software)|Havok]], in order to increase realism experienced in gameplay. A modern real-time strategy game that uses a physics engine is Ensemble Studios' ''[[Age of Empires III]]'', released on October 18, 2005,<ref name=firstphysics>{{cite web |url=http://www.havok.com/content/view/188/53/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430152148/http://www.havok.com/content/view/188/53/ |archive-date=April 30, 2009 |title=Havok Enables Age of Empires III |date=October 18, 2005 |work=Havok announces the use of the Havok Game Dynamics SDK in Age of Empires III}}</ref> which used the [[Havok Game Dynamics SDK]] to power its real-time physics. ''Company of Heroes'' is another real-time strategy game that uses realistically modeled physics as a part of gameplay, including fully [[destructible environment]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last=Burnes |first=Andrew |title=Company of Heroes Review |url=http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/reviews/4043/Company-of-Heroes-Review |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071130081116/http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/reviews/4043/Company-of-Heroes-Review |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 30, 2007 |date=September 11, 2006 |access-date=January 24, 2011 |website=IGN}}</ref>

==Tournaments==
{{Main|Electronic sports}}

RTS World tournaments have been held for both ''[[StarCraft]]'' and ''[[Warcraft III]]'' since their 1998 and 2002 releases. The games have been so successful that some players have earned over $200,000 at the ''[[Warcraft III World Championships]]''. In addition, hundreds of ''[[StarCraft II]]'' tournaments are held yearly, as it is becoming an increasingly popular branch of [[e-sports]].  Notable tournaments include [[Major League Gaming|MLG]], [[GOMTV Global StarCraft II League|GSL]], and [[Dreamhack]]. RTS tournaments are especially popular in [[South Korea]].{{CN|date=March 2024}}

==See also==
*[[List of real-time strategy video games]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|author1=Chambers, C.|author2=Feng, W.|author3=Feng, W.|author4=Saha, D.|title=Proceedings of the international workshop on Network and operating systems support for digital audio and video |chapter=Mitigating information exposure to cheaters in real-time strategy games |date=June 2005 |publisher=ACM|location=New York|pages=7–12|doi=10.1145/1065983.1065986|isbn=978-1-58113-987-7|s2cid=7873680}}
*{{cite journal|first=Mark|last=Claypool|title=The effect of latency on user performance in Real-Time Strategy games|volume=49|issue=1|date=September 15, 2005|pages=52–70|doi=10.1016/j.comnet.2005.04.008 | journal = Computer Networks|s2cid=4688755 |url=https://digitalcommons.wpi.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1157&context=computerscience-pubs|url-access=subscription}}
*{{cite journal|author=Cheng, D.|author2=Thawonmas, R.|title=Case-based plan recognition for real-time strategy games|date=November 2004|journal=Proc. of the 5th Game-On International Conference|pages=36–40|url=http://www.ice.ci.ritsumei.ac.jp/~ruck/PAP/cgaide04-1.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812234533/http://www.ice.ci.ritsumei.ac.jp/~ruck/PAP/cgaide04-1.pdf|archive-date=August 12, 2007|url-status=live}}
*{{cite book|author1=Aha, D.|author2=Molineaux, M.|author3=Ponsen, M.|title=Case-Based Reasoning Research and Development |publisher=Springer Berlin / Heidelberg|doi=10.1007/11536406|pages=5–20|date=September 7, 2005 | volume = 3620|editor1-last=Muñoz-Ávila|editor1-first=HéCtor|editor2-last=Ricci|editor2-first=Francesco|series=Lecture Notes in Computer Science|isbn=978-3-540-28174-0}}
*{{cite journal|author1=Chan, H. |author2=Fern, A. |author3=Ray, S. |author4=Wilson, N. |author5=Ventura, C.  |name-list-style=amp |year=2007|title=Online planning for resource production in real-time strategy games|journal=Proceedings of the International Conference on Automated Planning and Scheduling|url=http://web.engr.oregonstate.edu/~afern/papers/icaps07-rts.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010140218/http://web.engr.oregonstate.edu/~afern/papers/icaps07-rts.pdf |archive-date=October 10, 2008 |url-status=live }}

{{Video game genre}}
{{Multiplayer online games}}
{{Real-time strategy gameplay}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2013}}

[[Category:Real-time strategy video games| ]]
[[Category:Video game genres]]