Homeworld2: that's no moon, its a Space Station!

[Curiosity]

Os,

I'm not saying that you need a higher skill-level to play RTS than TBS; more like, there's a steeper learning curve.

Take a simple strategy in AOC; I intend to feudal at 10:30 with 3 forwards builders, tower his wood and palisade his gold, support my position with a few archers in case of a man-at-arms counter, cease building villagers at number 30 and castle at about 18 minutes, following up with raids on his economy by eagle warriors and siege to threaten his town centre, then begin booming not too long after 22 minutes. After that I'll make it up as I go along.

Getting to the point where you can even reliably fuedal at 10:30 takes considerable practise, never mind managing the economy during fuedal battles well enough to castle at 18 minutes. Once you have that degree of nervous control and economic intuition (speed is much overrated, btw) then there are many fascinating and complex strategies to explore.

In Civ, you can sit down, learn the rules and immediately start thinking about strategy - there's no learning curve there. You will still get killed by a player who's much more efficient - efficiency is really the key in all strategy gaming - but it typically happens after 70 or 100 turns, so there's plenty of time to have fun and do your own thing.

[Grumbold]

Originally posted by Curiosity
In Civ, you can sit down, learn the rules and immediately start thinking about strategy - there's no learning curve there. You will still get killed by a player who's much more efficient - efficiency is really the key in all strategy gaming - but it typically happens after 70 or 100 turns, so there's plenty of time to have fun and do your own thing.

Sorry, that just had me in fits of giggles. So AoE would have a steeper learning curve than computer Chess, because its an RTS? Puh-lease. Civ may be easier than AoE (I put forwward no opinion htere), but other games are more complex. In general it is possible to make more complex and strategic games that are turn based because you are able to take time and play at the speed you think, not be restricted to thinking at the speed of the game.

[Curiosity]

So AoE would have a steeper learning curve than computer Chess, because its an RTS?

Not by my arguments; in chess you can be checkmated in 3 moves if you don't know what's going on. There is zero space to 'do your own thing' because every move is intimately connected to your opponent's position.

There are certainly TBS games that are better strategy games than AOK. SMAC, for one example. But, by the criteria of involving well thought out plans and long-term goals, AOK is right up there IMO.