What RTS has the most epic battles?

[StevenNevets]

I've never gotten into RTS games but I feel like giving one a try.

What's the best one for long battles where the ending of close games give you that on edge feeling?


I know CoH is big here but I want something else. Preferably released within the last 4 years. (I do care about graphics to an extent)

[SLCoran]

CoH is really the big one with really nice graphic.

[Wibby]

Supreme Commander maybe. I played the demo but that was about it.

[CassiusMelacor]

No love for the Homeworld series? Not sure if you could call the battles epic, but I really enjoyed the games quite a bit. Hmm.. on edge feeling... How about World in Conflict? The single player can be quite hectic. If you are going for epic (in terms of size) battles then Supreme Commander may be something you could enjoy.

[Crotch-Rot]

I thought the Total War RTS series have really epic battles of hundreds of troops beating the shit out of each other.

[LordBeer]

Homeworld and Company of Heroes are done by the same people. Relic really knows how to put together excellent RTS games. Was actually playing Homeworld a few months ago and it still holds up well. Graphics on it are still pretty sharp. Good soundtrack on it as well. Although what I liked most about it was that it was unlike any of the other RTS games at the time.

Sorry you're ruling out CoH though. I've had some of the best gaming moments ever in it. Most matches last about 45mins but every now and then there is a truly epic 2hr or longer fight. Nothing like coming back from having your base destroyed twice and still pulling off a win. I like the fact it's possible in that game to win even while fielding a weaker force. Sure looks DAMN good too. Should be able to get the Gold edition that includes Opposing Fronts for about $30. The only real downside is that it takes a bit to learn it and be effective.

I almost forgot about Medieval Total War 2. The fights in that game are some of the coolest looking things ever. Thousand guys out here hacking away. Calvary charges scattering people all over like a bowling ball. Watching the trebuchet setup to fire then watching as it sets a city on fire. Good times there. In between the fights there is a lot of city building to take care of, but that doesnt take away from the game at all.

Hmm.. I never really got into the Dawn of War series but it is a quality game. That one might be worth looking into. It's another game from Relic based in the Warhammer 40k world.

[Gruthar]

I think all my picks have been called... Homeworld, Total War series, Total Ann- err I mean Supreme Commander. ;)

Age of Empires is still fun from time to time.

Of those mentioned, Total War has always given me the best 'epic battle' moments, especially when you're vastly outnumbered and still manage to defeat waves of enemies. (Especially the Mongols and the Timurids with their damn elephant artillery.) Nothing like seeing a trail of corpses leading up to -and away from- the hill where your army stands victorious.

[CrazyCow222]

yeah, medieval 2 total war is the best rts ive ever played. and thats sayin something, because I really like rts games. Medieval 2 has an awesome campiagn, as well, and theres plenty of mods out that make it even better. The battles are massive, with thousands of guys on each side, and the graphics are really good. if you turn off shadows, the game runs twice as fast and you can turn up the graphics really high. The battles are nice and long, with bodies strewn everywhere at the end. you can see the battle lines based on where all the bodies are, and the seiges are totally awesome. in the campaign, no 2 battlefeilds are the same unless fought on the same square and all the cities are different. plus, theres variables like weather, time of day, season, all sorts of stuff. the campaign is really fun, it combines rts and empire building type gameplay, and takes a while to beat. once youve beat it you can just pick another faction and start again. theres 21 factions i think, and if you get lands to conquer mod you can play as any of them, except for timinurds mongols and aztecs. I just love this game, and i still play it quite often. and if you get bored with the original game, the broken crescent mod completley re-does the game and focuses on the middle east and india. i heard the expansion is quite good, but havent bought it yet. Probably the thing i like most about the multiplayer is that it isnt one of those games where you just build stuff, and whoever builds the most of the best unit automatically wins. every faction has different units, and in medieval 2, you actually have to plan out your strategy and put it into action. in the single player campaign, theres lots of different factors like upgrades and your general's expierience. also, everything that happens in a battle directly affects the campaign like number of men lost, buildings damaged/destroyed, general killed, etc

if youre looking for something a little more fast paced, world in conflict is good. theres lots of multitasking and its really easy to have all of your force go up in flames, but its easy to rebuild it again too. a few clicks, 10 seconds, and bam, youve got a brand new army at your disposal. the multiplayer is crazy, with 8 on 8 battles on dedicated servers. theres an expansion coming out, but theyre releasing the multiplayer content free of charge.

EDIT: holy crap, i just realized how long that medieval 2 rant is.... oh well its a really good game!

[FiLTHY_SNiPER]

Dawn of War is the most badass RTS game IMO. It's got some pretty intense battles.

[SoupyC]

Dawn of War is the most badass RTS game IMO. It's got some pretty intense battles.

This. All of em.

[Mad5cout]

I really didn't like Supreme Commander. Although, I only played the demo. There really have not been a lot of great ones in the last 4 years.

The Total War series is great I hear.

I really liked CoH. Not sure why you are ruling that one out. If there is something specific about it you don't like, it might help us make suggestions.

Another slightly underrated RTS: Battle for Middle Earth 2 (the first was a little weak which is probably why this gets overlooked). The physics in this game is awesome. I was never really on the edge of my seat in this one but I loved seeing the Witch King pick little dwarves up and throw them across the map or burn them alive. Big battles in this one.

Finally, may I suggest that if these all look sorta meh to you to wait for StarCraft 2 which should release in the near future. The first SC pretty much defined the modern RTS genre and this is bound to be phenomenal. It should release before X-mas I think... but they have not announced a date.

[Killerdraft]

The total wars you cant go wrong with, but when it comes to gameplay Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far is my fav. But a recent one you want to try is Sudden Strike

[Killerdraft]

Gamespot link for for Atomic Games ... the guys who did Close Combat

http://www.gamespot.com/pages/company/index.php?company=42425&om_act=convert&om_clk=tabs&tag=headerimage;developer

[Klickinater]

I know this has already been said, but the Total war series (by that I mean Medieval 2) definitely takes the cake. I don't believe any other game can get you commanding 5000 or more troops at once. And all the other variables other than skill of your troops play into it makes it possible for small armies to completely own armies of much larger size and skill. The singleplayer game never gets old as you can play as different people and have different strategies. Take an aggressive strategy then you end up having trouble maintaining your empire (happiness wise usually). But if you play more conservatively you end up with much harder battles as all the troops are better. Also saving Europe from the mongols is always fun, but then again letting France and Britain defend their homelands from the hordes is always interesting.

And then the multiplayer brings a whole new aspect into it. Now you have to make the best army possible while conserving money (you only get a set amount). And just as a tip if you do get M2:TW and play multiplayer, musketeers and pikes never go wrong

[[W33T] Canadian23]

if you get M2TW get broken crescent best mod for it changes the whole game into an epic and beautiful game play experience.

[LordBeer]

The total wars you cant go wrong with, but when it comes to gameplay Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far is my fav. But a recent one you want to try is Sudden Strike

I forgot about the Close Combat series. Very well done games. I always liked the moral system that they used. Kept things somewhat realistic because your troops would ignore suicidal orders.

Only downside is the graphics are not really cutting edge. Never really had any battles I'd consider epic either. Still are some good games though. I'd imagine you can find them for fairly cheap as well.

[CrazyCow222]

The total wars you cant go wrong with, but when it comes to gameplay Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far is my fav. But a recent one you want to try is Sudden Strike


wait, sudden strike is recent?

i fuckin love the first sudden strike, best old school rts ever! yes, its better than starcraft! muahaha!

[Killerdraft]

well recent as in 4 years or soif i remember correctly. Alot of people didnt like it because of the learning curve. but a very recent rts is World in Conflict ... this game is solid and the graphics are pretty good too, i think ill play world in conflict now. Link for it is below.


http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/worldinconflict/index.html

[=HR=Gumby!!!]

Dawn of War by far. I still play atleast a skirmish with the Cpu every few days or so. BTW can't wait for Dawn of War 2!

Sorry to dig up and old thread but I couldn't help but put my 2 cents in here :-X

None can stand before hte Greater Good!

[[W33T] JimmytehHand8]

The Imperium ftw.

[Goldragon]

Way back in the day, Dark Reign ruled all RTS, hands down.

Fully customizable maps, customizable units, and even customizable AI.

I miss that game.