Chris Taylor on RTS Mechanics [Jan 12, 2010, 11:50 pm ET] – Share – Viewing Comments
The Supreme Commander 2 Interview on Eurogamer chats with Chris Taylor, supreme commander at Gas Powered Games, who discusses their upcoming real-time strategy sequel. As they note separately, he expresses concerns about the relentless pursuit of innovation in the RTS genre: "There's been some desperate moves in the industry to find a new place for RTS," he tells them. "All these kinds of variations, but it's like saying let's add a fifth wheel to a car, or let's take a wheel off. But maybe we can actually make the car more comfortable, maybe we can make the drive less noisy or more fuel-efficient."
Heh, not even a quad core would let you dual box supcom 1 - load up a skirmish with 4 ai's and enable an fps counter and cpu load display. As soon as the first ai units get stuck on a river the cpu usage goes skyward (which is why theres so few maps with rivers too)
Or let the ai play on coast 2 coast - it can't handle the fact that tanks can not swim, and the more it builds the more cpu cycles are wasted on them infinitely trying to find a path that doesn't exist. The modded AI's fix this issue to some extend, but are even worse performance wise because of more computations
Or let the ai play on coast 2 coast - it can't handle the fact that tanks can not swim, and the more it builds the more cpu cycles are wasted on them infinitely trying to find a path that doesn't exist. The modded AI's fix this issue to some extend, but are even worse performance wise because of more computations
You must have a very powerful computer.I think the point is that you could install the games on different computers normally. Still can only play the game one at a time, but you can play two different games on two different computers at the same time.
"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts." -- Bertrand Russell (I think...)
It's called dual-boxing and it's quite common.
I used to dual-box the shit out of Eve back when I played it.
Also, by "very powerful computer", you mean one that cost more than $299 at Wal-Mart, right?
This comment was edited on Jan 13, 2010, 22:51.
I used to dual-box the shit out of Eve back when I played it.
Also, by "very powerful computer", you mean one that cost more than $299 at Wal-Mart, right?
This comment was edited on Jan 13, 2010, 22:51.
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Two games that you own running at the same time? Hmmm. And how would you handle the controller portion (Mouse, joystick, keyboard etc?)
I don't get it.
I don't get it.
javajeff wrote on Jan 13, 2010, 13:22:
I do not plan to buy it due to steam. Steam is the worst DRM because it does not allow you to have two games that you own running at the same time. So I would not play SupCom 2 while my son wants to play Left 4 Dead 2 for example.
You must have a very powerful computer.
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For the guy that says Relics recent RTS's belong in a pale *sic*, I say you are high. Both CoH and DoW2 are by far my favorite RTS games of all time.
Company of Heroes is more squad based but at least you could still throw out respectable numbers of units. Dawn of War II on the other hand doesn't even belong in the RTS genre, it's a cross-genre disaster that more resembles a shitty mix of RPG/RTS/ARPG. I'm sure there are people out there who enjoy it but you can not possibly compare it to true RTS games, it isn't one in the first place unless your definition is controlling less than 10 units at a time. There's little strategy in the retreat button either for that matter.
I do not plan to buy it due to steam. Steam is the worst DRM because it does not allow you to have two games that you own running at the same time. So I would not play SupCom 2 while my son wants to play Left 4 Dead 2 for example.
I love Supreme Commander. If they'd just un-dumbed the pathfinding AI, improved late-game performance, improved the graphics, and gave us new units to play with I'd have been way-happy with that for a sequel. The scale of SupCom is the best part of the game. And that's being taken away. :/
Less of everything maybe means better performance and smarter AI? If so, then sc2 might not be a train wreck
Kind of like that game A.I. War where you have 50 billion forgetable units. What I love about Homeworld and CoH is that you sometimes cared about the units due to their rank or cost and since there were fewer units, and it took a while for them to die, the battles were enjoyable.
Sins of a Solar Empire misses this somewhat too, with too many units though they hit the nail on the head with the capital ships and rank.
Heres to less but more important units in all RTS'.
Sins of a Solar Empire misses this somewhat too, with too many units though they hit the nail on the head with the capital ships and rank.
Heres to less but more important units in all RTS'.
For the guy that says Relics recent RTS's belong in a pale *sic*, I say you are high. Both CoH and DoW2 are by far my favorite RTS games of all time. CoH was recognized widely as such.
My problem with Supcom was that is devolved to pushing dots all the time. It was generally well executed, but dots, dots, and more dots.
My problem with Supcom was that is devolved to pushing dots all the time. It was generally well executed, but dots, dots, and more dots.
I don't know, I think he makes some good points. Look at Dawn of War II. I've never felt more ripped off and I got that on a steam sale. They have basically tried to mesh some weird action RPG with RTS and failed miserably, it's the most boring mess I've played in years. I think Chris himself has some experience with that phenomenon, Dungeon Siege was a bit too much of everything and not enough of any single play style.
Space Siege was abysmal. Chris Taylor has a steep up-hill battle to climb to regain his reputation after that train wreck
After Space Siege? His rep was already so low, I didn't even bother with it.
His only claim to fame was TA, and how old is that now? 13 years? TA was well supported, had lots of patches and they added lots of units. Supreme Commander is a bugridden, infested mole of a game, and the expansion only made matters worse.
Supreme Commander 2 has less of everything? Hey, if there's also less problems, I just might be interested.
Chris Taylor is NOT the guy to be talking at all about this. WHile I liked TA and it was revolutionary for its time, Supreme Com was not a great game. Too many redundant units, too much shit to do.
If you want to look at the BEST RTS ever made, look no further than Company of Heroes. That my friends is the Nirvana of RTS regardless of if you like the time period or not. The game makes sense, is beautiful, functional, all units have a purpose all the time and are useful.
* Homeworld 1 and 2 would be my second choice/suggestion. Both games made by Relic.
This comment was edited on Jan 13, 2010, 03:10.
If you want to look at the BEST RTS ever made, look no further than Company of Heroes. That my friends is the Nirvana of RTS regardless of if you like the time period or not. The game makes sense, is beautiful, functional, all units have a purpose all the time and are useful.
* Homeworld 1 and 2 would be my second choice/suggestion. Both games made by Relic.
This comment was edited on Jan 13, 2010, 03:10.
Space Siege was abysmal. Chris Taylor has a steep up-hill battle to climb to regain his reputation after that train wreck.
Don't like my post? Submit a complaint
Sorry, with all the dumbing down and streamlining of SC2 I really can't take anything this guy says seriously anymore.
All I see is less. Less units, less depth to the economic model, less polygons on the models, the list goes on. Don't even get me started on having square enix do the story. I think we've all had enough angsty teenagers with stupid hair-dos and too many belts.
Yes, Chris Taylor is just doing his marketing bs talk-up of his own games. He's trying to make it sound like he's on the pulse of RTS gamers but he's not. Don't believe him. I don't even think he believes what he's saying, but he's got to stay profitable.
I agree with the other poster here about Men of War. Wow what a great game, but it's not perfect and a bit clunky, but damn does it innovate and have tons of detail. Best hardcore RTS of late.
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Flatline wrote on Jan 13, 2010, 01:09:Wake me up when someone pulls off the next Homeworld.
I doubt you'll ever see another game quite like Homeworld.
Relic however has gone on to produce top-notch RTS games. Every RTS they've released has been fantastic in it's own way.
i dunno if you've ever played sup com or homeworld, but both recent relic rts's pale, or at least belong in a pale compared to either of the titles being discussed here. but at least they fall under the dumbed down rts genre which is well on topic.
Wallshadows wrote on Jan 12, 2010, 23:36:
SupCom was good but there was something about it which kept it from being great. I'm not exactly sure what it was, maybe it was the units or simply the maps.
For me it was when the playtime for a mission ballooned up to 3-4 hours. Every time you finish the mission it "escalates" up another level of detail and soon you're playing a f*cking minimap game so you have some idea of what the hell is going on.
F*ck that noise.
SupCom took Total Annihilation and buried it under scale.
/Still plays TA
Wake me up when someone pulls off the next Homeworld.
I doubt you'll ever see another game quite like Homeworld.
Relic however has gone on to produce top-notch RTS games. Every RTS they've released has been fantastic in it's own way.
Sorry, with all the dumbing down and streamlining of SC2 I really can't take anything this guy says seriously anymore.
All I see is less. Less units, less depth to the economic model, less polygons on the models, the list goes on. Don't even get me started on having square enix do the story. I think we've all had enough angsty teenagers with stupid hair-dos and too many belts.
All I see is less. Less units, less depth to the economic model, less polygons on the models, the list goes on. Don't even get me started on having square enix do the story. I think we've all had enough angsty teenagers with stupid hair-dos and too many belts.
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