Demystifying the Term "RTS" in Gaming

The world of gaming is filled with acronyms and shorthand terms that can sometimes feel like a foreign language to the uninitiated. One such term that gets tossed around frequently in gaming circles is "RTS," which stands for real-time strategy. For those unfamiliar, understanding what exactly RTS refers to in gaming can be confusing.

In this comprehensive guide spanning over 2500 words, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about RTS games—from their origins to their defining gameplay characteristics to why they have such devoted fanbases. Let‘s dive in!

The History and Origins of RTS Games

So what exactly sets real-time strategy (RTS) games apart in the gaming realm? Put simply, RTS games are strategy video games that don‘t rely on turns or rounds like traditional board games. Instead, in an RTS game, players execute commands and actions simultaneously in real-time during gameplay.

The earliest direct ancestors of RTS emerged in the early 1980s as programmers experimented with translating strategic war gaming concepts into real-time computing environments. Titles like Utopia (1981) for the Intellivision console and Cytron Masters (1982) for the Apple II home computer offered early glimpses into proto-RTS gameplay involving resource management and controlling groups of units.

However, early home PCs lacked the processing power to fully deliver on the promise of large-scale real-time strategy. It wasn‘t until the release of Herzog Zwei for the Sega Genesis in 1989 that many hallmarks of the genre took shape. Herzog Zwei allowed players to directly pilot transformable mech units while also issuing commands to AI-controlled support units in real-time strategic battles for base domination. The game demonstrated innovative RTS design that over a decade later would become standard fare.

Despite Herzon Zwei‘s astonishing innovations given the technical limitations, many gaming historians cite 1992‘s Dune II as the first definitive and commercially successful RTS game that brought the genre into the mainstream.

Dune II, developed by Westwood Studios for the PC, introduced hallmark features of the genre like resource gathering, tech trees, and unit construction that later became RTS gameplay staples. Taking place in the Dune science fiction universe, Dune II delivered a fully-featured package with competitive multiplayer support – allowing players to go head-to-head for the first time in a modern RTS format. On the heels of Dune II‘s success, Westwood Studios went on to release the massively popular Command & Conquer series of RTS games. Not to be outdone, competitor Blizzard Entertainment followed suit – getting in on the action with the release of Warcraft: Orcs and Humans in 1994 which spawned its own blockbuster RTS franchise.

It‘s hard to overstate the impact Dune II and these early Westwood and Blizzard RTS titles had on the burgeoning home PC gaming scene in the mid-90s. Over the next decade, RTS design principles influenced countless new franchises including the likes of Total Annihilation, Age of Empires, StarCraft, Empire Earth, and many more. This meteoric rise owed thanks not only to gameplay innovations but also to rapid growth in home internet access – allowing larger scale multiplayer battles that fueled popularity. Tournaments, leagues, competitions, and eventually full-blown professional esports circuits brought RTS gaming straight into the cultural zeitgeist – competitive StarCraft in particular enjoying strong popularity in South Korea.

By the late 90s and early 2000s, real-time strategy had exploded into one of the preeminent PC gaming genres – almost entirely dominating strategy releases for over a decade thanks to a passionate and devoted community of armchair generals.

Defining Traits and Gameplay

So what exactly does playing an RTS game look and feel like? Some key qualities differentiate the RTS genre from other types of strategy video games:

• Aerial/isometric perspective of the battlefield
• Control of groups of units like armies rather than a single character
• Gathering resources used to build structures and units
• Exploring the visible game world to reveal a fog/shroud of war
• Balancing economic, technological, and military advances
• Managing supply chains and defending bases/strongholds
• Simultaneous turns where all players are continuously acting

The combination of these elements creates dynamic, complex gameplay full of risk/reward decisions. Skilled RTS players excel at multitasking—directing battles while continuing to grow their armies and resources. Strong strategic and tactical thinking are musts in order to outmaneuver opponents.

For newcomers, this real-time element can prove intimidating with so many plates spinning simultaneously. Mastering basics like establishing resource production, teching up, scouting, and deploying mixed armies takes practice. Excelling at combat tactics like properly supporting siege units or employing hit-and-run strikes represents the next level. Expert players take things even further – executing tricky "rushes" to catch opponents off guard or working in proxies and distraction units.

The skill ceiling runs incredibly deep thanks to expansive tech trees, diverse units, and varied upgrade pathways. Factor in scouting your enemy, keeping them off balance, and learning to counter their unit composition – and the sheer breadth of strategic options becomes daunting!

Yet finding the perfect approach and rhythm that just clicks against a specific race or faction provides immense satisfaction. The non-stop action and cascading decisions form an addictive whirlwind for RTS enthusiasts!

Notable Games Over the Years

The RTS genre has spawned some incredibly beloved gaming franchises since bursting onto the scene in the early 90s. Series like Command & Conquer, Warcraft, StarCraft, Age of Empires, Total War, and Homeworld have enthralled players with their addictive blend of strategy, combat, resource management, and more.

Specific standout RTS titles that have made significant impacts over the years include:

Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness – This 1995 fantasy RTS built upon the success of the original Warcraft with four distinct, wildly different playable factions and revolutionary (for the time) multiplayer support over dial-up internet.

Age of Empires II – Considered one of the greatest RTS games ever made, this 1999 historical RTS covered the Middle Ages with enormously detailed recreations of distinct civilizations. Original release sold over 2 million copies and still enjoys active online play more than 20 years later thanks to its Definitive Edition graphical overhaul.

StarCraft – Blizzard took the RTS genre to new heights with this iconic 1998 sci-fi title featuring three wholly unique races, gripping gameplay, and an esports scene that dominated South Korea for over a decade. Even today, competitive StarCraft livestreams can draw 50k+ concurrent viewers in Korea – a testament to its masterful design.

Rome: Total War – The 2004 addition to the Total War series successfully blended turn-based campaign strategy with real-time tactical battles, winning widespread critical acclaim. Future Total War titles continued expanding this formula, also incorporating role-playing upgrade systems.

Company of Heroes – This beloved 2006 WW2 RTS focused battlefield tactics and squad-based combat while de-emphasizing resource gathering. Dynamic destructible environments brought an unprecedented cinematic intensity that has rarely been matched.

The continued reign of franchises like StarCraft II (2010) and relaunches of classics such as Age of Empires IV (2021) demonstrate the lasting appeal of RTS for both veteran grognards (wargaming devotees) and newly minted armchair generals alike looking to test their strategic mettle!

The Next Wave of Upcoming RTS Games

If those classics have you eager to dive into commanding armies, luckily there‘s an array of exciting new RTS titles slated to launch over the next few years:

• Frostpunk 2 – A sequel to the popular survival city builder Frostpunk that adds real-time combat elements to the dystopian strategy.
• Homeworld 3 – The long-awaited second sequel to Relic‘s seminal 3D space RTS Homeworld that helped pioneer 3D battlefield dynamics.
• Stormgate – An upcoming free-to-play RTS helmed by ex-Blizzard and ex-Frost Giant developers – sure to include plenty of innovations.

With games like these primed to carry the torch forward, the future remains bright for the RTS genre!

Why Gamers Love RTS

So what is it that draws gamers to real-time strategy titles? More than just about any other genre, RTS games scratch that cerebral itch —allowing players to demonstrate strategic mastery and sharp decision-making abilities. The complexity inherent in juggling economic planning, technological progression, supply line management, scouting, and commanding armies in battle delivers an unparalleled sense of achievement when executed effectively.

On top of that, RTS fans love discovering optimal strategies and inventing creative new tactics across huge decision trees. The limitless paths to victory make replaying campaigns endlessly rewarding. Multiplayer components create tension-filled contests of skill against human opponents. There‘s nothing quite like the rush of outmaneuvering another tactician in real-time!

The thrill comes from reacting and adapting in the heat of battle while still keeping big picture objectives in focus. Careful coordination of groups epitomizes the merger of brainpower with manual dexterity. You need the steady hand to perfectly stage the ideal assault just as much as the mental clarity to hatch your overall gameplan.

When the two harmonize, it‘s strategy gaming nirvana! This seamless fusion of functional depth with immediacy of action is a potent combination that leaves fans hooked.

And RTS titles boast some of gaming‘s highest skill ceilings, meaning there‘s always room to improve strategical acumen. The pursuit of RTS mastery never ends!

By the Numbers: The RTS Esports Boom

This passion has supported a thriving competitive esports scene for decades. Let‘s look at some numbers that speak to the immense following that RTS gaming has built:

• StarCraft 2 esports prize money has totaled over $7 million since launch according to eSportsEarnings.com
• The most watched StarCraft: Brood War match hit over 120,000 peak viewers on South Korean TV in 2005.
• Popular streaming platform Twitch saw 5.1 million hours of StarCraft II streamed in 2021 – good for 7th overall among titles watched.
• Age of Empires IV tournament Red Bull Wololo blew away expectations with a peak viewership of over 73k fans tuning in live on Twitch.

The statistics paint a clear picture – RTS gaming remains a titan of the esports world thanks to incredibly passionate grassroots communities that have kept franchises thriving for 20+ years and counting!

Compare and Contrast to Turn-Based Games

As we‘ve established, the key differentiation between RTS and turn-based strategy games comes down to simultaneity. In turn-based games such as Civilization or XCOM, players take turns, whereas in real-time strategy, actions unfold dynamically without distinct turns.

This fundamental change in tempo makes for distinct gameplay feels. Turn-based gaming allows for careful examination of game state and calculation between moves. RTS on the other hand demands quick thinking, multitasking, and split-second decisions.

Both styles have their merits, but cater to slightly different audiences. Turn-based appeals more to purely cerebral players that enjoy analyzing situations without time pressure. RTS provides an action-packed, adrenaline-fueled experience for those looking for real-time interactive excitement.

At the end of the day, RTS places a bigger emphasis on mechanical execution and tactical adaptation than turn-based games that hinge almost entirely on big picture strategy planning. It comes down to personal preference, but the continuous dynamism of RTS gameplay drives much of its lasting popularity. Armchair generals choose RTS more often when looking to command forces in active battle!

MOBAs Emerged From RTS

Interestingly, developers have found ways to hybridize elements from both turn-based and RTS genres over the years. MOBAs (multiplayer online battle arenas) like League of Legends and DOTA emerged directly from RTS gameplay roots.

MOBAs borrowed RTS conventions like controlling single units, leveraging special abilities, gathering XP to level up skills, assisting teammates, and destroying an enemy base. But they integrated RPG-like hero customization and blended in some turn-based equipment purchasing moments between bouts of intense 5v5 online battles. The fusion brilliantly melded genres and overturned decades of RTS dominance to become one of the world‘s most played game types!

RTS Games Tend to Tax the CPU

Let‘s wrap up with a brief technical discussion. Due to the complicated calculations required to track resources, unit actions, pathfinding, and AI behaviors in real-time, RTS games have traditionally been more CPU-intensive workloads than GPU-intensive.

Of course, modern RTS titles still boast visually stunning graphics and effects. But even with beautiful artwork, animations, physics, and particles the sheer amount of number crunching running behind-the-scenes chews through CPU cycles. As such, RTS fans know the importance of prioritizing a strong processor and plenty of RAM to avoid late-game slowdown.

Thankfully with contemporary octa-core gaming hardware and bilinear upscaling to 4K displays, there‘s more than enough horsepower to drive new RTS releases. And GPUs have also increased focus on compute power – used heavily during real-time strategy cutscenes and terrain deformation.

The Sky-High Requirements of RTS

To illustrate this heaviness, let‘s examine some headlining requirements:

• The brand new Age of Empires IV calls for a 4 core 4 thread Zen 2 Ryzen 5 CPU at a minimum. Recommends 6 core/12 thread Ryzen 5 3600X instead.
• StarCraft II lists an Intel Core i5 or better for ideal performance – though even entry-level 11th Gen Intel CPUs start at quad core and eight threads.
• Homeworld 3 unusually lists a GeForce RTX 2060 GPU as its recommended baseline target – quite a powerful modern graphics card!

So while graphics processing plays a role, don‘t skimp on CPU power when building that ultimate RTS gaming rig!

Get Out There and Try One!

For strategy fans unfamiliar with real-time games, there‘s never been a better time to give the RTS genre a spin. With stellar newer entries like Age of Empires IV plus classics getting modern facelifts, you‘re guaranteed to find the right entry point whether a grizzled veteran or fresh-faced newbie.

Just be prepared – once you sample what RTS has to offer with its exhilarating fusion of strategic depth and real-time action, you might just get hooked for life like so many before you! Learning to balance economic development, technological research, supply chain logistics, and commanding forces in battle delivers an unrivaled gameplay rush with limitless skill growth potential.