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[LurkerPrime]

Of all the post-Starcraft 2 years to choose, this is among the worst to claim "RTS is dead." I don't wanna go listing games, but pure RTS games have been making a resurgence these last few years; they even came back on consoles, which seems crazy to me. They've never been dead, just niche, like most strategy titles.

Plus, the big split in RTS kinda kneecapped its popularity for a while. It might not be common knowledge these days, but the MOBA genre originated in Starcraft 1 and Warcraft 3. It was years later that the genre got actual commercial releases, but it already had a huge following within WC3, which had a little game custom map called DotA.

Speaking of RTS games, apparently Total War: Warhammer 2 is out next month! The first one only released last November, leaving a less than one year gap between entries. Guess it did well to warrant such a quick sequel.

It's a really good game. One that has only gotten better since release.

They need to bring Austin back for another Warhammer stream when it releases. (The original one is what convinced me to get Total Warhammer 1.)


Dunno about classifying TWWH as an RTS, though. It's mostly a 4X, with rea-tme combat as well.

 

[daveo42]

AoE2 is probably the only RTS I ever really got into thanks to lan parties at college. Other than that, I've never really gone out of my way to play them.

We have .hack to thank for Sword Art Online.

But we also got the superior Log Horizon. Still surprised no one has made some sort of game around that. Must be too much actual game included in the source material to make an anime game around.

 

[nckillthegrimace]

Hot take: DBZ is a bigger phenomenon than AoE, so the news segment should have been entirely devoted to breaking down the Dragon Ball FighterZ news and AoE should be cancelled in favor of a DBZ RTS.

 

[Harpuia]

Hot take: DBZ is a bigger phenomenon than AoE, so the news segment should have been entirely devoted to breaking down the Dragon Ball FighterZ news and AoE should be cancelled in favor of a DBZ RTS.

Hotter Take: We should have gotten more Dota 2 talk, the Hottest Video Game out in our modern era.

 

[LurkerPrime]

Hot take: DBZ is a bigger phenomenon than AoE, so the news segment should have been entirely devoted to breaking down the Dragon Ball FighterZ news and AoE should be cancelled in favor of a DBZ RTS.

It's not too late for the Beastcast to make this important change this week.

 

[Hindl]

You really have an egocentric view on all of this. I don't have numbers to back it up and I certainly don't need it imho - should we just ignore that genre and say fuck it? Ridiculous viewpoint.

Halo Wars 2 came out this year.

A genre or game doesn't have to be a blockbuster success that sells 10m+ units to be viable or relevant. Lack of mainstream success does not equate to irrelevance. The genre not being at its mid-to-late 90s height of popularity also does not equate to irrelevance.

I'll respond both of you at the same time. Halo Wars 2 came out this year, and then quickly went away. Until MS announced the update there really wasn't a lot of coverage of it since it released. The GAF OT about Halo Wars 2 has barely broken 30 pages, and that's the biggest release this year. I agree that a genre doesn't need to sell millions to be relevant. My definition for a genre's relevance is that occasionally, a game from that genre has to break through and have the general press talking about it. It doesn't have to take off, but I'd expect some talk about it outside of sites devoted to that genre. If you want to disagree with that definition, fine. I'm not saying the media should ignore RTSes, I'm saying that the media already is.

This all started because Giant Bomb didn't talk about AoE IV. That game will probaly sell well. But if it really isn't getting talked about anywhere other than sites devoted to covering RTSes, I don't consider it relevant. Other smaller genres like visual novels, point and click adventure games, turn-based strategy games, and the like occasionally have games that get wider recognition. But not RTSes. Even on RTS sites I've gone to recently, I see articles questioning if the genre is dead. And besides, what is there even to talk about with AoE IV? Would you have really preferred this exchange:

Brad: "Age of Empires IV got announced"
Jeff: "Ok. They showed nothing in that trailer"

Because that's all it would've been

 

[robotrock]

can they bet gumballs on this beast battle simulator game?

 

[Piston Hyundai]

can they bet gumballs on this beast battle simulator game?

Alex said that's against the rules because

 

[Tagyhag]

Y’all are getting nuts about this shit at this point

Not in a conspiracy way or anything like that, but in a "Brad should be more aware about what's important news in the video game industry" way.

I mean, that's his job right?

 

[derFeef]

I'll respond both of you at the same time. Halo Wars 2 came out this year, and then quickly went away. Until MS announced the update there really wasn't a lot of coverage of it since it released. The GAF OT about Halo Wars 2 has barely broken 30 pages, and that's the biggest release this year. I agree that a genre doesn't need to sell millions to be relevant. My definition for a genre's relevance is that occasionally, a game from that genre has to break through and have the general press talking about it. It doesn't have to take off, but I'd expect some talk about it outside of sites devoted to that genre. If you want to disagree with that definition, fine. I'm not saying the media should ignore RTSes, I'm saying that the media already is.

This all started because Giant Bomb didn't talk about AoE IV. That game will probaly sell well. But if it really isn't getting talked about anywhere other than sites devoted to covering RTSes, I don't consider it relevant. Other smaller genres like visual novels, point and click adventure games, turn-based strategy games, and the like occasionally have games that get wider recognition. But not RTSes. Even on RTS sites I've gone to recently, I see articles questioning if the genre is dead. And besides, what is there even to talk about with AoE IV? Would you have really preferred this exchange:

Brad: "Age of Empires IV got announced"
Jeff: "Ok. They showed nothing in that trailer"

Because that's all it would've been

They must be really bad "RTS sites" that claim the genre is dead. I take your posts as joke posts now, sorry... it's like weird fiction from another dimension.

 

[Human Trashcan]

Hot take: DBZ is a bigger phenomenon than AoE, so the news segment should have been entirely devoted to breaking down the Dragon Ball FighterZ news and AoE should be cancelled in favor of a DBZ RTS.

I mean, I would be okay with that personally.

This RTS argument is inane. We had Halo Wars 2 and Dawn of War 3 this year, and AoE 4 just got announced. It's as healthy as it's been in a while, seems to me. If you're waiting for the genre to have a huge crossover success that's not a Blizzard game before you deem it relevant, then most genres that aren't action games aren't relevant.

 

[Piston Hyundai]

I mean, that's his job right?

I don't think we've gotten to the bottom of that one yet

 

[oti]

I wonder how well AoE 4 will sell if it's a Win10 exclusive.

The only thing I remember from Halo Wars 2 was that it was 19 Euros BEFORE release in Germany. That must've been some kind of record.

 

[- J - D -]

It's a really good game. One that has only gotten better since release.

They need to bring Austin back for another Warhammer stream when it releases. (The original one is what convinced me to get Total Warhammer 1.)


Dunno about classifying TWWH as an RTS, though. It's mostly a 4X, with rea-tme combat as well.

Yeah you're right but in this particular circumstance 4X/RTT games are close enough to true RTS that I don't feel like I'm cheating for mentioning them in the same breath for this discussion about genre relevance.

But we also got the superior Log Horizon. Still surprised no one has made some sort of game around that. Must be too much actual game included in the source material to make an anime game around.

Never watched Log Horizon, but I hear good things from friends who keep recommending it to me. I just don't have it in me to watch more mmo animes. I put in the time with the .hack series and SAO. I'm good.

 

[Tagyhag]

But not RTSes. Even on RTS sites I've gone to recently, I see articles questioning if the genre is dead.

What the hell kind of sites are those?

Did they not play Steel Division or Ultimate General? I wouldn't really call them RTS sites then lol.

The RTS genre is not only having a resurgence, but for the past two to three years it's been at a much better position than it was a decade ago.

 

[Glass Shark]

.

 

[ThanksVision]

what's the best podcast game from this year? thinking of getting wild lands so i have some background noise while i watch GB videos and such

 

[Piston Hyundai]

what's the best podcast game from this year? thinking of getting wild lands so i have some background noise while i watch GB videos and such

probably Wildlands

 

[Harpuia]

For those of us who were enticed to try out XCOM 2 after watching Exquisite Corps., it looks like it's on sale on steam for a cool (USD) 24 bucks! They also seem to be doing a free weekend. Which, I'm all about to be quite honest.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/268500/XCOM_2/

 

[Hasney]

what's the best podcast game from this year? thinking of getting wild lands so i have some background noise while i watch GB videos and such

I play shittons of Overwatch, XCOM 2 and just started on Disgea when podcasts are on.

 

[J_Viper]

what's the best podcast game from this year? thinking of getting wild lands so i have some background noise while i watch GB videos and such

Wildlands is great for this, but I'm sure Destiny 2 will be better

 

[Glass Shark]

.

 

[Death Metalist]

For me it was the Commander & Conquer series, Age of Empires, Commandos, Desperados, Company of Heroes, Black & White.etc but somewhere around 2006-2007 I stopped playing RTS games all of a sudden for some reason. I don't have the urge to play them again BUT I don't mind checking one out if it's really cool.

 

[Wunder]

For me it was the Commander & Conquer series, Age of Empires, Commandos, Desperado, Company of Heroes, Black & White.etc but somehwere around 2006-2007 I stopped playing RTS games all of a sudden for some reason. I don't have the urge to play them again BUT I don't mind checking one out if it's really cool.

Company of Heroes fucking sucks

I'll play a new C&C Generals though

 

[Human Trashcan]

I really enjoyed the squad tactics of Dawn of War 2, never really played anything else like that. Is there anything similar?

 

[BTA]

AoE2 is probably the only RTS I ever really got into thanks to lan parties at college. Other than that, I've never really gone out of my way to play them.



But we also got the superior Log Horizon. Still surprised no one has made some sort of game around that. Must be too much actual game included in the source material to make an anime game around.

Never got around to finishing season 2, but Log Horizon's pretty good, yeah. Really interesting take on the genre by someone who's clearly actually played MMOs, and is also interested in the community of players and not just the flashy skills they use.

 

[Blitzrules240]

Holy shit that Beast Battle QL was gold. It was only fitting it was a GBeast joint.

 

[Wunder]

I really enjoyed the squad tactics of Dawn of War 2, never really played anything else like that. Is there anything similar?

company of heroes

 

[ThanksVision]

The Division is a great podcast game, better than Ghost Recon imo. It came out last year but they've updated it a lot since release.

oh I totally agree--it was my podcast game of 2016

e: i guess that means wildlands prob fits the best bill then. maybe i should wait to get it on the one X

 

[Human Trashcan]

company of heroes

but... but you just said it fucking sucks.

 

[Wunder]

but... but you just said it fucking sucks.

yeah, dawn of war 2 sucks

 

[Spirit of Jazz]

I really enjoyed the squad tactics of Dawn of War 2, never really played anything else like that. Is there anything similar?

Shadow Tactics might be worth a shot.

 

[Human Trashcan]

yeah, dawn of war 2 sucks

Nah it's great. But thanks I guess?

Shadow Tactics might be worth a shot.

That's more Commandos-esque, but I have been meaning to play that at some point.

 

[ShadowSwordmaster]

yeah, dawn of war 2 sucks

The expansions are great.

 

[Archaix]

I dunno, to me he seemed like the typical WWE "blindly praise whatever the bad guy does" heel commentator with a good deal of "X WINS! X WINS! X WINS!" thrown in.

If you're talking about Juvi, I probably missed that since I started watching it from like August 2000 after Hogan bailed.



scott steiner brought out a tiger

I'd hope the answer is no, but are you watching Thunder? Just this morning I was talking with a coworker about the only televised wrestling show I've ever been to, a September 2000 episode. I remembered literally nothing about this show. I read the synopsis and nothing rang a bell. I was in the first row and old enough that I should remember, but it must have been so terrible that I blocked everything about the event. I had stopped watching wrestling almost a year earlier but still know most of the names involved, but have no memory of seeing any of them.

 

[Tubobutts]

yeah, dawn of war 2 sucks

You suck

 

[Piston Hyundai]

I'd hope the answer is no, but are you watching Thunder? Just this morning I was talking with a coworker about the only televised wrestling show I've ever been to, a September 2000 episode. I remembered literally nothing about this show. I read the synopsis and nothing rang a bell. I was in the first row and old enough that I should remember, but it must have been so terrible that I blocked everything about the event. I had stopped watching wrestling almost a year earlier but still know most of the names involved, but have no memory of seeing any of them.

I'm not, but I don't think any episodes of Thunder are on the WWE Network anyway

 

[daveo42]

I don't expect much from AoE4. I think other RTS games have done better with the formula while I think AoE4 will try and retread on AoE2 because of how popular it is.

Never watched Log Horizon, but I hear good things from friends who keep recommending it to me. I just don't have it in me to watch more mmo animes. I put in the time with the .hack series and SAO. I'm good.

Think about how an MMO or even games in general work and then make an anime based around that and does the "stuck in an MMO" plot better without the forced harem nonsense or Gary Stu antics of a 13 y/o's wet dream. It's good.

Never got around to finishing season 2, but Log Horizon's pretty good, yeah. Really interesting take on the genre by someone who's clearly actually played MMOs, and is also interested in the community of players and not just the flashy skills they use.

I need to get around to reading the LNs as the anime wasn't nearly as popular as some other anime and probably won't get a third season. Still, I'd love to see a game based around the game, either the actual MMO itself or exploring another part of that world since we've only ever seen China and Japan.

 

[Archaix]

I'm not, but I don't think any episodes of Thunder are on the WWE Network anyway

That's probably for the best. Nobody needs to see General Hugh G Rection in a main event tag team match.

 

[Piston Hyundai]

That's probably for the best. Nobody needs to see General Hugh G Rection in a main event tag team match.

What's wrong with the Misfits in Action?!?!?!?

 

[oti]

Did we slip into wrestling talk?

 

[Archaix]

Did we slip into wrestling talk?

No, of course not. Dave Lang's WCW Backstage Assault. Video game talk.

 

[Hasney]

I'd hope the answer is no, but are you watching Thunder? Just this morning I was talking with a coworker about the only televised wrestling show I've ever been to, a September 2000 episode. I remembered literally nothing about this show. I read the synopsis and nothing rang a bell. I was in the first row and old enough that I should remember, but it must have been so terrible that I blocked everything about the event. I had stopped watching wrestling almost a year earlier but still know most of the names involved, but have no memory of seeing any of them.

Going to take a wild guess and say September 27th? That ones almost famous for fuck all happening even by Thunder standards.

 

[TraBuch]

When's CM Punk taking over commentary for WWE?

 

[Archaix]

Speaking of things I've probably seen but didn't save into long term memory, is the title "Call of Duty: World War 2" just a way of saying fuck you, fine, we won't try anymore after the reception to future cod? I saw a trailer recently and assumed it was a placeholder name and thought that's real weird, but now I see there's a beta going on and they aren't doing anything with the title.

Going to take a wild guess and say September 27th? That ones almost famous for fuck all happening even by Thunder standards.

Yep! Glad to know I was part of some of the dullest lows in the history of professional wrestling.

 

[Hasney]

When's CM Punk taking over commentary for WWE?

"John, you spilt my Diet Pepsi"

 

[oti]

No, of course not. Dave Lang's WCW Backstage Assault. Video game talk.

Ah phew. OK then. Go on.

 

[Hasney]

Ah phew. OK then. Go on.

Overwatch PTR is overloaded and I want to fly around like I don't have a care in the world as Mercy. Gotta fill the time with somethin.

 

[Phatmac]

Log Horizon is great. It's a shame the author has tax problems so he hasn't been able to write a new LN in a long time. I'd love a game about it.

 

[AuthenticM]

I want Command & Conquer to come back. Complete with harvesters, minerals and resource management.