http://www.gamespy.com/top10/february04/rts/

just finished reading the "Top ten RTS games of all time". I agree with a few in there (RoN, AoE etc) but the no1 I was quite confused about.

Many a year ago when I was screaming at my old Cyrix-powered computer to play the computer games I wanted, I knew that for some reason, I had a safe haven in the form of the game, "Total Annihilation". despite not being able to run other games like Carmageddon, TA always seemed to work with me (even trying to play C&C made my computer sound like it was close to having a stroke) I did love that game and I played it profusely......... but do I consider it to be the Best RTS game EVER?

hmmmm........... no, sorry, not really. I did love it, but there are more games that I would have moved up. In my personal opinion C&C should have at least been IN the top ten, and C&C: Red Alert should have been no 1, and Dune II should have gotten more than a "honourable mention". I am proud to say I came close to failing my standard grades due to C&C and have no regrets!! :lol:

But thats just my opinion........... whats your favourite RTS game of all time...... or do you hate them all alltogether??

(I was going to put this in Off-Topic but I couldn't decide if it was better in here or not, so I'll just put it in here)

Actully, this should be in All Other Games. ;)

DOH!!! I forgot about that one. Sorry.

erm...... I hate to ask........ but could a Moderator maybe move this........ please

Personally, I hated Total Anhillation. My favourite has to be Red Alert 2. I just loved those deployed GI. I used to wipe out whole bases with a division of them.

Empire Earth was my faviote of the group.

Originally posted by steviejay
DOH!!! I forgot about that one. Sorry.

erm...... I hate to ask........ but could a Moderator maybe move this........ please Well, it isn't my domain, but seeing as I'm replying...

My favourite would have to be Dune II, and I still play the updated clone Dune 2000. The only thing it lacks is a decent AI that doesn't just dribble a unit or two at you but attacks the weak points in strength. But easily the most addictive IMHO. :)

Bit hard to say really. I've never really played TA, and the first C&C game was the first rts game I played. Except maybe for Starcraft, I can't think of any other rts game I've enjoyed as much.

Red Alert 2, hands down. RTS perfected. It really couldn't get any better. Starcraft, while a great game, just doesn't compare.

Based on what I have played:

Best:
StarCraft - the most balanced game, modern, still re-playable (hey, it's been out for like 8 years now.)

Notables:
WarCraft II (I'm biased cuz this one started it all for me)
Age Of Empires II
Command & Conquer/Red Alert
Dark Reign

Want my money back:
WarCraft III
Total (waste of time) - I got this one out of a $5 bin, and I want my money back.

I agree with Total Annihilation being number one. But Empire earth should of been number two!! Arghhh

It’s quite funny, but when I was very little, the very first computer game I have ever played was Dune II! I loved it; I am very honoured that they brought mention to it. :)

The introductory piece at the site highlighted the difficulties inherent in this sort of exercise with such widely varied criteria.

I would vote for the inclusion of Europa Universalis II based on historical accuracy, replayability and longterm strategic challenges.

Medieval Total War should have been numero uno. And yes, Total Annihilation deserved, if not the top spot, then atleast number 2. The C&C series would be third if only for the innovation factor. Westwood's contribution to the RTS gaming legacy is second only to Blizzard's Warcraft series.

I've never played TA, so I'm not the right to judge, but SC really is worth the first place. I've spent hours and hours playing and tweaking and playing it back in the days that was the best my computer could handle. And when WCIII is lower than SC.
That's the best strategy of my choice:
- Civ(2)
- Starcraft

I have yet to play Medieval: Total War. But I plan to.

I've only played the demo, but it was damn cool watching all these horseman come over the hill and seeing how outnumbered I was. :)

I still quite like M1 Tank Platoon 2. Classic.

RoN could kick the butt of any of those other games! The blend of the two best games in history was brilliant!

Ah, Total Annihilation, I have some fond memory's of that golden oldie:) TA was a damn fine game, not sure if I would call it the best ever though.

Can't really comment on much else, TA, Cossacks, AoE and Red Alert 2 are the only rts games I've ever really played, all good games, but TA was miles ahead of em.

Cossacks felt like a napoleonic TA to me, which is no bad thing the way I see it.

I particularly liked the tongue in cheek b-movieness of RA2, though unfortunatley the tank rush was still alive and well in the series. Though the Yuris Revenge expansion curbed that somewhat it, imho, created an even bigger problem with those damn evil mind control thingys. That was all fine and dandy in single player, but in multiplayer a turtling yuri player was unstoppable.

But yeah, TA is my fave rts, but I get the feeling its not quite the best, even more so these days's given its age.

I love TA and still play it...

But I can not say what RTS rank as numer 1 for me, I like to many of them... RA2, WC3, RoN, SC, etc, etc...

It just too hard!!!

Originally posted by Lifeblood
Medieval Total War should have been numero uno.

The reason it was not higher up on their list was the fact that the RTS part of it is not too great, while the turn-based is great when combined with the RTS.

Otherwise I totally agree with TA being best. It is actually much more balanced than Starcraft, since (as they mention in the article) each unit is balanced individually , making the game itself completely balanced, even though it has 200+ units, which also makes it strategically and tactically interesting. How many other games have you snuck a group of varied artillery to the back of your enemies base while you have them covered with radar jammer vehicles?
Only down-side is that there is not too much difference between arm and core, but there is a difference, as any veteran can tell you.

I'm a core man myself, but not in rush games.

my TA disk broke, i miss that game sometimes. but Age of Empires2 was pretty cos it was one of the first i played

Fave: Red Alert

Other great games:
Civ 2
WarCraft 2
StarCraft
Medieval Total War
Dungeon Keeper(RTS? maybe not)
Age of Empires 2

Name one RTS with good AI (SC, AoE2, Cossacks are my personal favorities but all their AIs suck).

(The only game with fairly good AI is Total War but that isn't really RTS --only battles are in real-time.)

Has no one played 'American Conquest?' Heard it had stuff from Cossacks only better.

I think the best is rts is Aok (and add on) then aoe rise of rome, then red alert (i played this for so many hours) also dunes cool, and hertz dogs why (spelt to very wrong) was a game on master system. Also metal fatigue is cool. and black and white (if this counts)

People keep saying civ (which is the best game) its not real time

My favorite RTS game is Impossible Creatures (http://66.246.74.50/~mednickd/icp/index.php). The link is to the best website for the game.

The game is so great because you make your own units and your own armies. This allows your only limiting factor of strategy to be your own mind. :)

Yay! Starcraft second! [dance][party][dance]

1.Civ2:king:
2.C&C:Red Alert
3.Dune 2000
4.Star Trek Armada:borg:
5.Star Craft
6.Settlers 5
7.Empire Earth
8.Metal Knights

I only have played 8 RTS games so this is not a top 10

Civ 2 isn't an RTS... Its TBS...

It seems that another rather popular game has somehow escaped the attention. From the point of AI strength, there was RTS named KKND made by an Australian team (smthing like Melbournehouse) in 1988 or even 1987, don't remeber. C&C and AoE/AoK is a cake walk compared to KKND and not because of handicapped production or some aritficial bonuses but purely because of AI strength. The expansion, KKND II, however, is not that powerful. The point of the game was to have very simple tech tree and rules (kill them all!) and relatively few units with accent on proper tactics on defense and offense. I still play it sometimes. More modern variation is the Cossacks games which has much weaker AI but more fun due to great design and cool multiplayer tactics.

C&C: Red Alert should have been no 1, and Dune II should have gotten more than a "honourable mention".

Damn straight. Red Alert is no1 easy, no contest. Whereas Dune II was great in its day but there really is a lot better now, so... maybe an honourable mention was a better way of including it than a position.

Red Alert is simple. Name one strategy except from using longer range weapons, tank rush, or superweapon. The tank rush is the only true tactic. While in TA, there were tons of ways of playing. There were still rushers, but there were others ways of countering it.

Red Alert is simple but thats what makes it great,. In the end though I would probably pick Age of Empires 1 & 2 as I played both games quite alot, including playing AOE2 online where I first used Dell19. Ah the memories...

Dune II was the first RTS, wasn't it?

I prefer CnC Generals Zero Hour but I have not tried that many.

when u guys are nominating the best game what are u basing on?

on the game u enjoyed the most (which has no effect on what other thinks, so therefore everyone would have different #1s)

or on the game that was the most popular

or the game that was designed the best in gameplay strategy element glitches etc.

If it is the 3rd one, i think everyone should agree stracraft is it. maybe 2nd one too.

Red alert had horribly broken gameplay. It isnt good by that standard.

RoN certainly has alot potential, ive just played the demo that i keep on my HD(although get 1 fps later in the game!!)
..i love c&c:red alert 2...i also played AoK to death a few years ago..but Dune 2 is in its own league! It was the best! :D

Also rumour has it that Empire Earth 2 is coming out next spring

P.s how do you get Red Alert 1 to work on Windows 2000?? It keeps saying it won't install on windows NT5...grrr

Medieval total is total cool (It says it right there in it's title).
Then RON
Then AOE II
Homeworld
Then AOM
Then AOE I

Originally posted by Nylan


6.Settlers 5



Settlers 5???

Best RTS ever: Warlords Battlecry 2 and starcraft

Walords battlecry official site (http://www.infinite-interactive.com/wbc2)
warlords battlecry 2 original official site (http://www.warlordsbattlecry2.com)

Age of Empires 2 and Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds.

Easily AoE, till today no other has done best!

Though Cossacks is quite impressive also.
And I love when in games against Very hards I mantain the front stocking spare armies and then invade the enemies town with +1200 pikeman, 500 cavalry, +1200 grenadiers, 70 mortars, 200 dragoons,...
Just too apotheotic!!! :)

Go Starcraft Go!!! I´m proud of my little honey :D. Altough I don´t play you anymore ... Warcraft3 is just ... sorry ....

I never heard about TA before and I don´t think it´s better then c&c or sc... The rest is fine!

I would say Tiberian Sun. But I also enjoy Star Wars Galactic Battlegrounds and Pharoah.

I must say Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds. Although most of you probably think that all it is is a cheap ripoff of Age of Empires 2, that is totally not true. It has the same engine, but It has lots and lots of cool new features, and cooler units and all civs look completely different. Also, Age of Empires 2 and Starcraft. I don't think the number 1 really is number 1, seeing as I've never even heard of it...

I've got to say RA 1 and 2, I've always loved being able to lead the communist war machine against Europe and America. The cinematics in those (and all other westwood games) are amazingly well done, and create an unbelivable movie-esque fealing. And then there's Yuri, good old crazy, sadistic, megelomaniaical, Yuri. Ahh, so many memories of "recycling" Civilians to fund my war efforts, driving my infantry arround in Mind-controlled busses or sometimes limos! So many fond memories, I have got to buy that the next time I see it.

Edit: Oh, and how could I forget turning the Eifel Tower into a giant Tesla Coil? Ah, good times...

I used to play Dune 2000 for hours on end. It was probably one of the more sophisticated and addictive games of that time. But then came Red Alert 2 which ended Dune's reign.

The introductory piece at the site highlighted the difficulties inherent in this sort of exercise with such widely varied criteria.

I would vote for the inclusion of Europa Universalis II based on historical accuracy, replayability and longterm strategic challenges.
Agreed - also, add Warlords Battlecry 3 to this list, IMHO. It is a great RTS/RPG.

Is there any place you can still get TA or Dune?

They listed strange games in the RTS category.

I would not rate Close Combat or the Total War series to be "RTS" type. It is quite insulting to the historical or WW2 "lite" grognards. :)

And then there's Yuri, good old crazy, sadistic, megelomaniaical, Yuri. Ahh, so many memories of "recycling" Civilians to fund my war efforts, driving my infantry arround in Mind-controlled busses or sometimes limos! So many fond memories, I have got to buy that the next time I see it.

"Yuri sent these puny weaklings to feed me to his Grinder. Harnest my rage, Commander, and show Yuris girly man what it means to be powerful!"

:confused:Who said that? I don't recall hearing this line from anyone during the Yuri's Revenge campaigns.

:confused:Who said that? I don't recall hearing this line from anyone during the Yuri's Revenge campaigns.
It was Arnie Frankenfurter.

Oh right, him. I hate those &@#$ celebreties! I should have just let them get ground...

I liked Clint Westwood best.

"meet smith & wessen"

When I click on those celebrities to give them orders, they sound like normal GIs :mad:

Age of Empires II without a doubt is the best RTS ever. Super popular when it came out, it introduced alot of people to the RTS genere. It had all the elements needed for a great RTS, strengths/weaknesses of the civs, good balance of units, trade and diplomacy. Not to mention the excellent SP campaigns. But of course, the thing that makes AOK stand out the most is the MP.

AoE II is probably 1st.
But RoN and EE are high up there.

AoE II is probably 1st.
But RoN and EE are high up there.

Yes Age of Empires probably has the most amount of people playing it online. Look on the Zone, always a few thousand people. :eek:
And there are always tons of cool scenarios.


YAY!!!!! MY 500th POST !!!!!
:goodjob: :bday: [party] :band: :clap: :worship: [dance] :beer: [party]

I reckon that RTS is too diverse a genre to have one real BEST. In building with resources/long battles it has to be AOE2, in pure fighting it's C&C series and there are many other games that are good at different things. BUY PANZER FRONT!

OH, congrats on 500 posts!

No argument from me that Total Annhilation is the best RTS. :) It's my most played RTS, followed by Rise of Nations. I still have some TA screenshots somewhere....

I haven't really played Starcraft or Age of Kings. :blush:

I guess that people will favour the games that they started playing first. Age of empires was pretty much the first strategy game I brought and AOK was the first game I seriously played multiplayer so I would rate both pretty highly.

I pretty much completly forgot I had Total Annihilation, that game was and still is fun. It also had the best sound track too IMHO.

No argument from me that Total Annhilation is the best RTS. :) It's my most played RTS, followed by Rise of Nations. I still have some TA screenshots somewhere....

I haven't really played Starcraft or Age of Kings. :blush:
Give some info on Total Annhilation, oh great leader :worship:
Finally, somebody else who likes RoN :)
Try gettin AoK, it's really good and it is the base for modern rtw games imho, oh great leader :worship:
No comment on Starcraft, never played it

Hey theres even a wikipedia entry for TA.
there you go LL.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Annihilation

Teah, Ta is pretty good, loads of replayability in it. Like i said earlier it's a different style to AOE so you can't really compare.

Total Annihilation was revolutionary when it came out, with elements beginning to be adopted only recently.