StarCraft

[MLeonard]

One of the best games ever IMHO. It's been around for a few years now and it's still selling copies. . .the graphics are great even though it's a few years old. Overall a great game, although MP on Bnet could be a bit better. . .anyone else play?

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ACS Off-Topic Forum
Vice-Moderator
MLeonard@apolyton.net
CONFORM CONFORM CONFORM!!!

[Strategist]

Isn't there already an active thread about this topic?

[MLeonard]

Yeah there is, but I didn't see it, besides. . .who's counting? Or maybe that should be posting if it's regarding this forum

[The Mad Monk]

Have you tried Total Anhilation?

[MLeonard]

Yeah I like TA a lot but I haven't bought it.

[Leonidas]

What's TA like? Do you have problems with rushes within 20 minutes of starting the game? Are there puzzle-missions in this game?

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Go tell the Spartans, passerby:
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie.
[This message has been edited by Leonidas (edited July 20, 2000).]

[MLeonard]

Hahahaha you call 20 minutes a rush!? HAHAHAHAH

[The Mad Monk]

You can have twenty minute rushes...in fact, a skilled player could probably have a five minute rush. However, any player worth his salt in TA can construct enough defenses in twenty minutes to make a rush a total waste of resourses. Besides, in MP it's considered 'bad form'.

What kind of puzzles do you mean? I mainly play SP skirmish, so I'm not very familiar with TA campaigns (my brother got me playing full-blown skirmishes from the beginning, so I haven't had much inclination to try the campaigns).

Since I haven't played Starcraft, it would be difficult to do an adequate comparison. I have, however played AoE; I found TA far superior, for several reasons:

*Resource generators in TA, as opposed to resource collectors in AoE (you can collect resources in TA, too, you're just not anchored to it)

*Up to 10 players in TA; up to seven in AoE

TA has a patrol function (give the unit a route, and an adjustable ability to wander from it) that can be applied to both units and plants; AoE dosen't.

TA construction units and plants have unlimited build queues; AoE buildings do not.

TA has "real" water (units can go underwater); AoE does not.

AoE has a 'tech tree'; TA does not, but does have different "levels" of buildings and units.

TA has been pretty much thrown open to third-party development, which has led to literally thousands of maps and units, hundreds of Ais, dozens of tile sets (used for making new maps), and more than a few new 'races'.

'The' site for TA maps: http://www.tamec.org/

A set of forums for all things TA: http://www.tauniverse.com/cgi-bin/Ul...i?action=intro

[Leonidas]

MLeonard: I'm used to turn-based games, so yeah, 20 minute rushes are realistic. By the way, I like your Charles Manson laugh.

The Mad Monk: Thanks for the information. I've heard a lot about the game, but I'm not really a RTS gamer. Is TA more like Command and Conquer or Warcraft? In other words does the computer rush you within a few minutes like in C & C games?

Also, from what I understand TA is set in the future, while TA Kingdoms deals with the past. Have you played both? And if so, which do you prefer?

Finally, do you find it difficult to control the units - by that I mean, are there so many units that you basically lose control of a battle? I usually had that problem in Red Alert games and it was very frustrating.

Thanks again for all your help and advice.

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Go tell the Spartans, passerby:
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie.

[The Mad Monk]

You can lose track of units, though in my case that tends to be the result of the huge maps I love to play on, and not the number / variety of units.

You can assign "squad numbers" to units and plants (in the plants' case, all units built by that plant are automatically assigned to that "squad"); there is no limit on the number of units that can be assigned to a single squad, though you are limited to a total of nine squads.

In addition, there is the previoulsy described "patrol" function, as well as a "guard" function; ordering a unit to guard a unit or structure causes it to stay near it's "target", and attack anything that attacks the "target" preferentially. In the case of construction units, it will repair the "target" if damaged, and assist the "target" in building/reclaiming/repair tasks. In combat, the guard function makes it easy to keep faster units in the area of slower units, instead of charging ahead.

I only play the original TA, but my brother has played SC, WC, and TA:K; he prefers original TA to all of them, for different reasons.

I'd like to post some screenshots, but I'm not sure what limit to place on file size; any suggestions?