"The Lost World", like Settlers, is an economic-strategic toy with a clear emphasis on economic activity. That is, before it comes to waving swords and fists, you have to go through a rather long path of economic development and build a decent city with 2-3 dozen buildings. However, unlike Settlers, you are given the full opportunity to control your own units: you can “take any of them by the scruff of the neck” and “stick your nose” into what he needs to do if he himself is not smart enough. (In fact, we have a good article on this topic in our issue by Malleus, who is a Magician in “Rift Territory” - approx. ed.)
monetary mechanism
The main resource in the game is coins. Money is spent on constant content buildings, and are also required for scientific research, teaching citizens crafts and training warriors. In addition, part of the money can be used to increase motivation their subjects (then they work faster). The main source of cash income is taxes from citizens (each citizen brings 7 coins per month). You can also earn money by trading with friendly races.
Motivation
Your subjects do not work out of pure love for their benefactor and, naturally, demand the satisfaction of their natural and not entirely natural needs. Always give them food, and as the city develops they begin to demand more: a newsstand, a circus, a temple - details in the "USELESS BUILDINGS" section. If the subjects lack something, they begin to fall motivation. This means, first of all, the absence of residents in newly built houses. Citizens also begin to work more slowly and are more negligent in their duties. As a result, production and construction slow down, and buildings begin to gradually collapse (lose “hit points”). In addition, crime begins to increase, as a result of which some residents become bandits. Bandits do not pay taxes at all and prevent civilians from working, driving them away from their jobs and taking away their food. To fight bandits, all you need to do is build police station and train policeman. The policeman will catch the bandit and “straighten” his brains, thanks to which the bandit will cease to be such and will return to his former profession. (Usually one police officer is enough for an entire city, no matter how large it is, although residents as the population grows may require the construction of several police stations.)
To increase motivation, it is necessary, naturally, to build what the residents demand (newsstand, temple, circus). In addition, on the resource panel there is a lever called - motivation. By moving it to the right, you can increase the level of motivation, but at the same time spending part of your Money. It is useful to move this lever even when there are no problems in your city - it is always nice to see that your subjects are spinning faster. However, this is only realistic at the final stage of the game, when all (or all the necessary) research has already been done and you need to put together a decent army as quickly as possible - then the money spent on science can be transferred to motivation.
Food
Food is perhaps the second most important resource (after coins), which is also usually in short supply. After all, your subjects are not fools to eat, and to eat plenty. Lack of food leads to decline motivation.
The easiest way to get food is to pick berries from bushes. Do it porters. However, not a single porter will pick berries until you “poke his nose” into the bush. However, the porter will have enough sense to start picking berries from a nearby bush after the first one runs out of berries. Each bush brings 5 units of food. The berries slowly “regenerate” over time, so don’t forget to periodically inspect already picked bushes (you don’t have to click on the bush - the presence of berries is indicated by beaded berries).
A miner's helmet combined with a mini bikini is a cool outfit from Versace. |
In picking berries, you have competitors - wild animals, from rabbits to giraffes and hector lizards. All these creatures are completely harmless to your subjects, however, they also feed on berries. But this is not so bad, since these animals themselves can serve as food (each animal provides from 4 to 12 units of food). Animals can only be slaughtered hunters. But all hunters are rather “short-sighted” and begin to track their prey only when it sneaks under their very noses. Therefore, hunters usually have to target game. Although you can use one trick here - post hunters as guards to the berry bushes. It will turn out as in the proverb - “the beast runs to the catcher,” and then there is almost no need to target the hunters “manually.” Note also that hunters are the only civilians who have weapons. And although they cannot be compared with regular troops, they are quite capable of fighting off visiting “touring” hunters of hostile races, so it is recommended to have at least 3 hunters before you have professional warriors.
There is a third way of obtaining food, and it is good because it allows you not to depend on the mercy of Mother Nature. But for this it is necessary to build special farms, which different races are called differently. For example, elves can build mushroom farms and grow on them mushrooms(dryads - cocoa, anty - tobacco). These mushrooms can then be processed into I'm going or schnapps(Dryads process cocoa into chocolate; Ants have tobacco in cigars). Processing mushrooms into food is completely free and automatic - you just need to indicate the “percentage of processing” on the resource panel. (For example, 75% means that 3 out of 4 mushrooms are used for food, and the fourth mushroom is “stocked” for the production of schnapps.) To produce schnapps, you will have to build winery, in which 2 units. mushroom + 1 unit forests are processed into 1 unit. schnapps. (An extortionate “rate”, considering that 1 unit of mushroom yields 2 units of food.) At the same time, schnapps is not formally considered “food,” but its presence is necessary to increase the motivation of residents.
City Hall - the heart of the city
In the literal sense of the word. Destruction city hall or the death of the one sitting in it founder city usually means automatic loss. The City Hall also serves as a warehouse: it can store up to 25 units of each resource. (But you can also build ordinary warehouses, each of which increases the maximum storage limit of each resource by 25 units.)
In most cases you are given the opportunity to teach at a university founder cities. With its help, you can found a second city in any place you like. Do this as early as possible. You will feel the benefits of “splitting” immediately. You don’t even have to develop the second city properly, turning it into a “cash appendage.” But you can also specialize cities: let, for example, one city be focused on the production of weapons (this is a long, expensive chain), and the second at this time will extract the necessary resources. By the way, resources that fall into one warehouse are automatically available from another distribution point in the same city, so it becomes very convenient to serve the needs of megacities.
Construction
All construction is carried out architect and help him porters, promptly bringing the necessary materials - forest And stone(some cool buildings also require iron or rarer resources like weapons). The porters are smart guys: if one of them was idle, then immediately after the call “Construction of the building has begun,” he will immediately go to stock or in city hall behind necessary materials. At the same time, porters who are busy picking mushrooms or berries will give up what they think is a useless occupation. But if there were no “free hands” (for example, you gave all the porters the task of building another building), then you will have to “manually” point the burly fellows to a higher priority task. You can have two or more architects, and then they will work faster on one building or carry out parallel construction. But, as experience shows, at first one architect is enough. Later, when you have to build several buildings at the same time, for example, for a production chain, two builders will be more than needed. Moreover, as soon as the porters take everything necessary to one construction site, they will begin delivering materials for the next one.
Buildings can only be built within the city limits, determined by the distance from city hall(mines are an exception; they can be installed outside the city). The city border can be moved further and further using outposts And fortresses.
The architect also repairs damaged buildings, and the same porters bring materials. To repair buildings, there is a special button on their panel. Nearby there is a button that allows you to demolish the building. (Sometimes this can be useful: for example, to replace a building with a more advanced one or to clear a place.) At the site of a demolished building, a pile of stones remains, which is automatically removed by porters. There are exactly as many stones there as were spent on construction (the spent units of wood and iron simply disappear). Considering that stone is the only irreplaceable resource, in huge cities it is sometimes necessary to demolish a building in order to make way for a more advanced construction.
Education
But it is not enough to build a building - it is also necessary to provide it with labor (otherwise the building will not function). For example, an innkeeper is required to operate a tavern, a priest is needed in a temple, etc. (Although some buildings do without labor: these are a university, a warehouse, an outpost, a fortress, a barracks, a fur farm and a magic tower.) All crafts are taught in university- you just need to enter the university and choose the appropriate specialty. After this, the tuition fee is deducted from your treasury (usually within 40-100 coins), and the nearest available porter will go as a student. If there are no available porters, then you will have to send the student “manually” (by the way, this does not have to be a porter; you can, for example, retrain a lumberjack into a stonemason). If you suddenly run out of stone and porters are not needed at all, you can drive them to the university, and later retrain them into someone useful. The same applies to other buildings that require the production of a free unit for needs.
"Woman with a Basin" is a new composition. |
Now the sacramental question - where do porters come from? But here the storks seem to have nothing to do with it: each new House gives three new porters (depending on the motivation at the time of construction, one porter is immediately populated, and after some time two more appear). A residential complex provides shelter for 9 porters at once. Construction residential complex It is clearly more profitable than building ordinary houses, since its maintenance costs 8 coins less than the maintenance of three houses accommodating the same 9 inhabitants (not to mention saving space). You just need to get to the opportunity to build a residential complex and get some iron, so the complexes are usually available only towards the end of the mission.
Almost any building can be “turned off” for a while: to do this, it is enough to remove the employee from it (there is a special button on the building panel). This can be useful when there is a shortage of funds. For example, if you have studied all available technologies, then you can withdraw professors (by the way, saving on students - then you can transfer it to bank) from the laboratory and library, thereby depriving them of the state budget and saving 15+50=65 coins.
The absolutely necessary specialties required throughout the game are lumberjack And stonemason supplying you with the necessary Construction Materials. Only both need to indicate their place of work.
Research
From the very beginning of the game, only 3-4 types of buildings are usually available to you. Everything else needs to be explored. To do this you need to build laboratory and send a professor to it. Then select the desired science/technology, and on the resource panel indicate the percentage of money spent on research (using the engine research right under the engine you already know motivation). The names of the technologies speak for themselves, and the necessary explanation appears underneath them. For example, “embassy” makes it possible to build an embassy, “temple” - a temple, etc. At the same time, the corresponding specialty required to work in the building automatically becomes available to you (at the embassy - a diplomat, in a temple - a priest).
Later it becomes available to you library, allowing you to significantly speed up the remaining research. Just keep in mind that maintaining the library costs a tidy sum: 50 coins, after all.
"Useless" buildings
As the city grows, the demands of its residents begin to grow, so more and more “useless” buildings need to be built. They are “useless” in the sense that they do not provide any new resources, technologies, opportunities or other “bonuses”. These buildings are needed only to maintain motivation residents at the proper level.
You will encounter the first such problem when the number of inhabitants reaches 15 individuals. Then you will be required to build tavern. Then you will soon need newsstand And police station. Then - the “specialty dish” of the race. For example, elves will demand schnapps. A little later - temple, and at the end - circus/theater/arena(for elves/dryads/ants). Although the temple is not a completely useless building, since priest can treat the wounded. It should be taken into account that each building provides only a certain number of inhabitants. Therefore, approximately at the same time as the temple, the subjects will demand a second tavern.
Diplomacy
Initially, all races are in neutral relations. If someone attacks someone, this means an automatic declaration of war. Hostile actions can be stopped through diplomatic relations by concluding truce or world. To do this, you need to build embassy and train diplomat Then you need to call the embassy panel, mark the required agreement and click on the “conclude agreement” button. After this, the diplomat will leave your embassy and go straight to the embassy of the desired race. There the fate of the proposal will be decided - they can either agree or refuse. However, if another race does not have its own embassy, then it will not be possible to establish any relations with them other than those that were by default.
Trade
Peaceful coexistence is also useful because it allows trade between races. At the same time, you have a great opportunity to “push” to competitors what you already have in stock (usually timber) and get paid for it. To trade you need to build market square and train merchant. Then you need to open the market panel and indicate what you want to sell, as well as the minimum selling price and the minimum quantity of goods that must always remain in your warehouse (and the same for purchases, if you want to purchase something). After this, you can send the trader to a competitor’s market, and the trade will be completed if you agree on a price (you can always look at the competitor’s prices if you have an agreement with him world - To do this, just click on its market). To increase profits from trading, you can build bank, however, its maintenance costs 50 coins, so the bank pays for itself only with a decent trade turnover. On the other hand, the bank in any case brings money even without trade - after its construction you receive a bonus to the total profit of 50 coins, plus taxes will increase depending on the residents.
Generally speaking, you should not rely on trade as a solid source of capital, especially since diplomatic ties are a rather fragile thing. The only thing where trade can be guaranteed to help is interracial relations, if you have several cities. Then, with the help of market areas, you can easily transfer resources to where they are lacking.
Mining ore
At the final stage of the game you cannot do without gland. It is needed for the construction of a number of “cool” buildings: a temple, a bank, a residential complex, a fur farm and a fortress. In addition, iron is required for the production weapons, absolutely necessary for training at least somewhat decent warriors (without weapons your entire fighting army will consist only of archers and hunters).
First of all, you need to study metallurgy. This will make it possible to install mines. Mines can only be built in the mountains - these are characteristic hills of gray and white color. At the same time, the mine can be located outside the city (this is the only building that can be built outside the city limits). A stonemason is required to operate the mine. The mine produces 1 unit. iron with 2 units. forest, which is automatically brought by free porters (in fact, it turns out that the mine is the place where 1 unit of iron is made from 2 units of forest). It is convenient to place a warehouse next to the mine - thus the turnover of “wood - there, iron - from there” will increase significantly.
Expanding our holdings
From the very beginning the games are available to you watchtowers . The towers do not have any weapons, and their only purpose is to provide a large viewing radius (which is useful at least for tracking down wild animals). However, the towers themselves are “blind”, and for them to “see the light”, it is required scout. The Scout is also very useful in a "mobile state" for revealing the map, as it has the longest vision range.
| Heirs of the Settlers |
Everyone knows The Settlers. The first part of this toy appeared before the boom in the RTS genre, which is usually associated with the release of Command & Conquer (the first Settlers were called SerfCity, and now you are unlikely to find the game in stores - approx. ed.). Settlers is a distinctive strategy that focuses on economic development; second distinguishing feature- units cannot be controlled directly, telling each one what to do. However, in the third part, as well as S4, which is preparing for release this fall, direct control partially takes place. This second feature of the game irritated many, and not so long ago a “modernized version” of “Settlers” appeared called Knight & Merchants (“War and Peace” in the Russian localization of “Snowball”). It was already possible to directly command troops. Well, it would be logical to take the next step and give the player the opportunity to control all units. This is what was done in Die Volker (“The People”), a toy developed again by a German company (this time NEO Software). The idea, as well as its implementation, turned out to be so successful that it was immediately transferred to English language and published under the name Alien Nations. Why are we worse? So Snowball made a Russian version of the game called "The Lost World". In principle, he did the right thing - the toy turned out to be quite good, 8.6 according to the “Mania” rating... |
However, you can move the city line back (in the literal sense of the word - the line is indicated by such small “columns” of the color of your race) only with the help outposts And fortresses. In addition, two archers can sit in an outpost, and three archers in a fortress and pour fire on the enemy nearby. The enemy can get to the archers only after destroying the outpost/fortress itself, so the actual “strength” of the entrenched archers is greatly enhanced. Fortresses and outposts automatically push back the city limits, regardless of whether there are archers in them or not. If you are faced with a severe shortage of money, you can, as a last resort, destroy the outpost/fortress and thereby “rescue” +20/30 coins that were previously used for their maintenance. City limits At the same time, it will move to its original location, but all buildings outside the city will continue to work.
Let's go to war
Available to you from the very beginning of the game hunter, who, at worst, can pass for a warrior (all other civilians do not possess any weapons at all). But this is not serious. For more serious combat operations, at least barracks. The easiest warrior you can train there is archer(the Ants call it pyrotechnician). Archers are also good because they can be placed in an outpost or fortress, from where they will pour fire on the enemy, while remaining under the protection of thick walls. This is already something, but still not very solid.
To fight to your heart's content, an additional resource is required - weapon, without which it is impossible to train solid warriors (training archers requires only forest, not counting money, of course). So here you will have to expand the production chain: first set up a mine to extract iron, from which then to forges will be done weapon(note in parentheses that the dryads and ants call the forge weapons factory). It is impossible to do without a solid economic base.
But let's get back to our sheep... I mean, to the warriors. In addition to archers, you can also train in the barracks swordsmen, improved swordsmen ( hammerman/swordmaster/berserker) and saboteurs (elf-007 / dryad-008 / ant-714). With swordsmen, as well as with their improved version, everything is clear: these guys are cool in close combat, but saboteurs can blow up enemy buildings (if, of course, they get there, because they themselves are very frail and can be shot at by sharp-eyed archers at once). In addition, dryads can train in the barracks crossbowwoman - other races have no analogues (with balance, quality and quantity everything is in order: all races, as will be seen later, have 9 types of warriors).
In addition to the barracks, there are two more buildings that produce warriors. The first of them is the “magic building” ( magic tower / alchemist's laboratory / altar). It produces “magicians”, who also have different names: sorcerer / alchemist / spellcaster, but the essence of the matter does not change. All these “magicians” shoot something like “fireballs” and are very vulnerable in close combat. There is also an “improved version of magicians”: great sorcerer / master of alchemy / mantis.
Racial differences are especially pronounced in the third building. For elves and antes it is fur farm(although the Ants call it Morro Farm), and for dryads - Armory. Elves and antes produce approximately equivalent animals: 2 cool melee warriors each (elves - draboduc And crocodile, anty - Spitpack And guardian) and on a kamikaze fuse ( explodus And garak-buduk, respectively), which, when it explodes itself, hits all units around it. Dryads have a fur farm instead weapon workshop, in which they are produced catapults And guns(no comments needed). Thus, dryads are dangerous at a distance and lose their advantages in close combat. Only the dryads still need to be caught up - they are the fastest of all races.
Where to begin?
Typically, you start the game with one architect and two porters, with only a dozen units of wood and stone. And here you can indicate the optimal starting path. Let's indicate it for the elf race (for other races the plan is slightly modified, since dryads, for example, require more forest).
First you need to build a residential building, which will immediately give you 1 more porter (the other two will arrive a little later). Then immediately build a university and train a stonemason there. Direct the stonecutter to extract stone, since several units of this resource will be missing to build the laboratory. In the meantime, let all the porters pick berries. As soon as there is enough stone, build a laboratory, immediately transferring almost all the porters to the architect's assistants. Send one porter to the university and make him a professor. Send a professor to the laboratory and study forestry. (In the meantime, let all available porters collect berries.) Train a lumberjack and send him to harvest the forest. In the meantime, study hunting. As soon as you have enough resources, build a second residential building. Train the hunter and guide him to the hunt.
Further, not everything is so simple. Your immediate plans are to train two more hunters (necessary to protect the city from early attacks by enemy hunters) and one stonemason (since stone is usually required twice as much as forest). Learn agriculture as quickly as possible to build a farm and stop depending on nature for food. The future strategy is even more vague. Here we can advise you to act like this. Focus on the construction of residential buildings, since this immediately and directly provides extra labor and adds 3*7-5=16 coins of income at a minimum. Do this until the residents demand another "useless" building. Stop here and try to achieve the necessary technologies as quickly as possible, while there is money, and build what is required. Then get back to work on residential buildings, etc. Just don’t forget to reveal the map with the help of scouts and adjust your plans according to the level of development and the expected intentions of the enemy.
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| Table 1 Elven buildings |
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(l - forest, k - stone, w - iron) |
| table 2 Dryad buildings |
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| Table 3 Ant buildings |
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(k - stone, l - forest, w - iron) |
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It's no surprise that strategy games are so popular. After all, only this type of gaming entertainment allows you to control entire universes. Among these games there are also real gaming masterpieces, which are outstanding game series. Our story will be about them today.
And below are the ten best, TOP selected, most beautiful and multifaceted strategy games on PC. It is difficult to single out the best game within the series itself, so we will talk about the series in general and individual games in particular.
10. Total War
The most powerful, beautiful, thoughtful, starting from a masterpiece dedicated to Rome, and ending with modern brothers of the medieval and imperial sense.
The brainchild of a British company Creative Assembly. Traditionally, the games in the series combine the genres of turn-based and global strategy and tactical battles in real time.
The whole world is at your feet in all its temporary splendor. Famous events, colossal battles, and you as a commander and eagle over the battlefield. And most importantly - masterpiece fashions based on the Lord of the Rings universe and countless historical eras our time. The game really teaches history.
9. Star Craft
brainchild Blizzard Entertainment- a series of real-time strategy games that tells the story of the war between the Protoss, the Zerg and the humans. Since its release, the game has sold more than 11 million copies worldwide.
Star Craft- it is also a sports discipline and an amazing reaction simulator. Interesting story and a whole universe of whirlwind events that plunge you into the thick of bloody alien battles on either side.
The second part of the legendary masterpiece has been called by many critics the ideal real-time strategy game, which is the standard of the genre.
8.Warcraft
Warcraft - you are always in our hearts!
Of course not the one World, and the third part of this legendary strategy with RPG elements. The series is one of the oldest in the strategy genre - before Warcraft appeared, perhaps Dune. This legendary strategy from the company Blizzard determined the development of the genre for many years to come.
A unique fantasy game with its own unique approach to the distribution of powers, dozens of types of troops, hundreds of spells, thousands of combat tactics, an abundance of network modes provide wide scope for virtual military leaders
7. Civilization
Sid Meier's Civilization is a turn-based strategy covering the entire path of humanity from primitive times to the near and not so future.
In the legendary Civilizations you can try yourself in almost any role outstanding personality and rule numerous states, leading them through the centuries to economic and military victory. The time period of the game is truly centuries of development and continuous wars, starting from the Stone Age and ending with history not so distant
Millions of copies, national recognition, and most importantly - the most amazing gameplay. All this - Civilization
6.Age of Empires
The age of empires or the age of technology does not matter. An illustrious strategy series, stunningly attractive in its cheerful gameplay.
Age of Empires became famous, first of all, for its excellent graphics and balance for its time. The eras in the game are real and mythical, but all are epic and vibrant. Every step is on your conscience, unless of course you want victory. Otherwise - a shameful defeat.
The game is a classic real-time strategy, which means success here depends on your ingenuity and speed of reaction.
5.Command & Conquer
A very extensive project from Westwood Studios. Either Red Alert or the Tiberium canon, everything is menacingly swarming with technologically advanced and globally dangerous weapons.
Command & Conquer- these are terrifying robots, combat octopuses, huge double-barreled tanks, psycho soldiers and other funny evil spirits. And also - memorable characters, cool maps and speed - not a second of downtime, otherwise a nuclear mushroom will destroy your empire. Minimum economics, maximum military affairs.
And of course, this is a pseudo-Soviet cranberry that has reached the edge of the possible, in which all the craziest stereotypes about Russia are mixed.
4.Warhammer
"Warhammer 40,000" is a strategic universe developed on the basis of the studio's tabletop wargame "Warhammer 40,000" Games Warshop.
According to the plot, the player's main enemy is initially orcs. Afterwards it becomes clear that the Chaos Space Marines are to blame for everything. Well, then all hell began to happen.
The distant imperial religious future is so cruel that it attracts and repels at the same time. There is everything here - fantasy and science fiction, and historically designed mixtures. In general, the developers' idea was to combine everything that was possible with everything that was possible, resulting in a kind of hodgepodge for all times.
The truth is that the game is fully revealed only in multiplayer.
3. Heroes of Might and Magic
All the laurels of this outstanding series, perhaps, go to the third part. The project allows you to play alone against artificial intelligence, or against other people on the same computer. The player controls the Hero, leading armies of mythical creatures into battle.
IN Heroes of Might and Magic two parts are combined: strategic (the Hero travels across the game map, exploring territories and capturing all kinds of objects) and tactical (Heroes fight enemy troops on a separate map). If you have never played this masterpiece, then you are missing out on a lot. After all Heroes- This is practically a milestone in turn-based strategies.
2. Cossacks
Perhaps the most outstanding strategy of the classic type with the construction of cities, economic development, resource extraction and combat operations on land and sea. In a word, there is everything that should be in a normal strategy.
The Cossacks game turned out to be so successful that it later allowed GSC game world to use the money raised from it to create Stalker!
A breakthrough strategy for its time about European wars, it gives sophisticated gamers the opportunity to take part in the gameplay of historical battles, played out on a real scale, taking into account the specific tactics and strategies of each of the warring parties. There is also a developed economic system, and the most beautiful smoke from gun shots, which has become the hallmark of the game.
1.Stronghold
It's hard to pick the best game in the series, because they are all great! Whether it's iconic Stronghold Crusader 2, powerful Stronghold 3 Revenge or amazing Stronghold Kingdoms, which for the first time allowed thousands of players from all over the world to clash in mortal combat with each other via online means!
The game is now completely free! Unlike previous parts, you will not fight against the computer, but against real players. Capture, plunder, build, defend and attack - all this and much more awaits you in this game.
20.05.2016 16:56 | XGO
website/XGO
Top best strategies on PC that can be played online or online with friends and random opponents, description of ways to play
Strategies are games in which you can feel like a king, ruler, and even God. They do not feature dynamic gameplay (as in shooters), but they force the player to think logically, develop tactics, and make various decisions. Victory in them depends on the user's ability to foresee the future actions of the opponent, coordinate the actions of his army and calculate his strength.
At other times, strategies are not only battles between thousands of troops. Behind the entertainment lies complexity economic system, the development of which will also bring you victory in the game. And sometimes there are no battles at all - some developers produce exclusively economic strategies based on some business (or in other areas).
In any case, the strategies can keep you glued to the screen for a long time. In this article we presented TOP best strategies on PC of all time, in which you will find decent games. They can be played with friends, teaming up against AI, alone, or against other users. For convenience, the strategies are presented in the form of a list that describes their main advantages.
Of course, you can express your opinion in the comments on the article, and those who don’t have time to download strategies on a PC can look at the list of the best by rating browser-based online strategies which you can start playing right now.
Selection of games:
The best strategies for the computer
Warcraft III - online
Out: 03.06.2002
Genre: real-time strategy with RPG elements
The essence of the game lies in the uniform construction of a base, pumping up heroes and recruiting an army. For each game stage and situation, different actions are prioritized, of which there are an inexorable variety, which in itself determined the incredible success of the game among gamers. It is worth noting that different races have different priorities, which creates a certain abstract balance.
Of course, the game achieved success primarily because the history of Warcraft is quite old, and the first game in the series was released back in 1994 on DOS, which allowed it to win crowds of fans at the dawn of the gaming industry. The entire Warcraft series has a deep and thoughtful history, on which the plot of Warcraft III is based, although it is not important here, it is necessary for the full perception of the game.
For the most part, the game received recognition for its good balance of races and atypical gameplay for those years, which marked the beginning of a new era of strategies.
- Balanced hero leveling system;
- Balanced economic system;
- Interesting solo company;
- Balan races;
- You can play online;
- The graphics are outdated.
You can play Warcraft online on servers: Tangle, Garena, iCCup.
Heroes of Might and Magic III - online
Out: 28.02.1999
Genre: Turn-based strategy with RPG elements
Although the series of “heroes” is quite old, it has never acquired a significant plot. First of all, in the games of the series, the gameplay and gaming component are valued, and the plot is not at all important.
The gameplay itself boils down to the fact that the player needs to destroy all opponents on the map. Initially, the player has an undeveloped castle and one hero under his command. The castle is gradually upgraded by constructing new buildings, which opens up access to hiring new creatures. The hero can be upgraded in battle, or by distributing gold from chests to your troops. To win, it is enough to destroy all enemy heroes and capture all castles.
There are a total of 9 races in the game (specifically in the third part), including:
- Castle – people;
- Stronghold - elves;
- The tower is the residence of magicians;
- The fortress is a swamp;
- Citadel - barbarians;
- Inferno - demons;
- Necropolis - undead;
- Dungeon - command underground creatures;
- Conjugation - command the elements of the elements.
Each race has its own orientations, advantages, and special skills. For example, necropolis can raise the dead, inferno can turn its defeated fighters into demons, and so on.
Only the 3rd and 5th parts of the game are in demand among players, while the rest either fall short in gameplay or have too good graphics that make your eyes bleed out. We are talking about the excessive detailing of the 6th and 7th parts of the game, which played a disservice. The players did not like the fourth part because of the terrible models and textures.
It is the third part of the heroes that is considered the genius of the series, which is why large tournaments are still held for it and there is a significant gaming community. The problem with online play in Heroes 3 is the length of the matches, because some games lasted up to a month in real time.
If you want to try your hand at online play, we recommend visiting the heroesworld portal, which contains all the useful information.
- Expanded economic system;
- Developed leveling of heroes;
- Balance of gaming needs (in leveling, construction, hiring creatures, etc.)
- You can play online;
- Balanced combat;
- The presence of an unofficial team that is constantly improving the game.
Civilization Series
Out: 1991-2016
Genre: global turn-based strategy
Initially, the game captured the minds of players with its interesting gameplay, which boils down to balancing the army, economy and development (and later culture) of the nation. The game also has a certain historicity, because all nations actually existed.
To win this game you need to skillfully create cities, build trade networks between them, enter into alliances and betray allies, create an army balance that matches your economic development and wisely develop technology.
A simple example: if you only invest in the army, there may come a time when your soldiers will fight with sticks, and the enemy will already have tanks. You can also invest only in development, but then your civilization can be destroyed by ordinary barbarians, and you will never have time to develop.
It is precisely because of the diversity of the gameplay and the variability of development that many call Civilization the best strategy of all time.
On this moment An online game with random participants is available on Steam, allowing you to test your strengths and skills.
- Unique economic system;
- Unique research system;
- Balance of nations and play styles;
- Advanced multiplayer;
- Expanded political system.
In 2016, a continuation of the legendary series was released, Civilization 6 became the best turn-based strategy of the year on PC.
XCOM series
Out: 1993-2016
Genre: step-by-step strategy
The famous strategy about protecting the earth from the invasion of alien invaders. You are a special squad of professionals, the only stronghold of humanity in the struggle for survival. Study alien technologies, take them into your arsenal and destroy your enemies!
The gameplay of the game is tied to the tactical and economic components. Tactical includes battles with opponents, flights to the landing site or landing site of alien ships, development of fighters, choosing the right perks for them, and so on. Economic – development of the base, right choice technology, additional rooms, waste of resources and other things. Also, after the battle, the player receives trophies from the dead, which can then be sold on the black market or used independently in battle.
Many highlight XCOM as one of the best strategy games on PC.
- Interesting system leveling up fighters;
- A variety of game cards;
- Many battle strategies;
- An interesting system of research and leveling up the base;
- Extraordinary endings.
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Out: 1996-2008
Genre: real time strategy
The so-called “cranberry” strategy. For reference, cranberries are considered to be an unrealistic presentation of the inhabitants and ideology of the USSR, including its territory after the collapse. The game is built on this non-existent ideology. The action takes place in a parallel universe where there was no World War II, so all nations, including the USSR, were able to develop and become incredibly strong.
Later, a time machine was invented that allowed one to change the course of history. For example, the third part of the game takes place when the Russians decide to kill Albert Einstein in the past. Sending to the past was successful, the USSR captured almost all of Europe, but the war did not end - it was just the beginning.
The gameplay is standard for games of this genre, namely, you need to develop your base, hire soldiers, equipment to completely destroy opponents on the map.
- Fascinating plot;
- Balance of Nations;
- Unique combat units;
Space Rangers
Out: 23.12.2002
Genre:“epic game” with elements of RPG, turn-based strategy, arcade, text quest.
A game about a war in intergalactic space between intelligent races. The player can play almost all races, except for the Klisans and Dominators - hostile semi-intelligent races that receive orders from the main ships, which control their behavior. The entire plot of the game tells about the war of the peaceful races of the commonwealth against the above-mentioned invaders.
The main advantage of the game is the gameplay. As you may have noticed, the game does not have a specific genre, since it is absolutely difficult to classify it into any genre. But the game is often singled out as the best strategy game because players spend most of their time controlling their spaceship in separate systems. There are also arcade elements in the game, namely, when flying between systems, you can stumble upon hostile nodes, where the game turns into real-time battle.
RPG elements manifest themselves in leveling up the skills of your captain, playing the role of a good ranger or an evil pirate smuggler. Elements of a text quest appear in some tasks that NPCs give to the player, or, for example, during visits to prisons, where the player balances between being released as quickly as possible and not dying at the hands of fellow inmates. In the latest versions of the game there are also battles with robots on planets in real-time strategy mode.
As you can see, the potential of the game is incredibly high, and it can rightfully be called one of the best RPGs of all time, not only due to the unique gameplay, but also nice graphics, random generation of maps, planets, tasks and other things, which allows you to start the game again and again .
- A unique game world that is randomly generated in each new game;
- Developed system for playing a game role;
- A good mix of many genres;
- Exciting text tasks;
- Nice graphics.
Stronghold: Crusader
Out: 2002-2014
Genre: real time strategy
A classic strategy game in which you act as the ruler of a small city. Your task is to equally develop military and economic power. In gaming companies you can play both the role of the cruel Arab ruler Saladin and the role of the King of England Richard the Lionheart.
The gameplay, as mentioned earlier, lies in the equal development of the army and the economy. Due to its unusual gameplay, the game received recognition. Some of the game's features include:
- Your servants need to build personal houses that provide the maximum number of army;
- It is necessary to develop the food industry, because your entire military machine may perish simply because of hunger. This also creates the possibility of prolonged sieges of castles, forcing the enemy to decay from hunger;
- Almost all fighters cannot be hired just like that - they need to create weapons and armor, and for this it is necessary to collect resources.
If you play against the computer, you will notice that it creates monotonous castles, which, however, are not so easy to break through if the enemy is one of the strong ones. Still, this is one of the disadvantages that can quickly discourage the desire to play. The main potential of the game is revealed in multiplayer maps, which can be played online using Hamachi or Tangle. It is also worth noting that a clear disadvantage is that the player is tied to the starting point - it is impossible to build buildings near the enemy’s castle.
- Unique production and economic system;
- Expanded construction capabilities;
- Not a bad company;
- You can play online with friends.
Kings bounty
Out: 2008-2014
Genre: real-time strategy role-playing game with turn-based battles
The unusual combination of the genre makes the game quite interesting for beginners, and the beautiful graphics without excessive detail are pleasing to the eye. It is worth noting that in the later parts of the game it is possible to enable a 3D game mode, which must be played with appropriate glasses.
The player can choose between three classes: warrior, paladin and mage. Each of them conducts battles in their own way. For example, a warrior has an increased number of creatures, a mage attacks opponents with spells, and a paladin is something in between.
The game takes place in a fictional fantasy world, which is inhabited by fairly canonical magical creatures such as vampires, demons, and elves. The player acts as a treasure hunter, on whose shoulders rests the fate of preserving the world. First, he will have to become a great hero, recruit an army of mystical creatures in order to fight the evil henchmen.
The gameplay looks something like this: you walk around the world map in real time, and when you come across enemy units, a turn-based battle mode starts, where the hero can use a book of magic and spirits. Looks like a classic turn-based battle. As you walk around the map, you can communicate with the characters that inhabit the world, complete tasks for them, receive rewards, hire troops, buy items, and so on.
- Interesting character leveling system;
- Many artifacts and unique creatures;
- Interesting combat system;
- Not boring quests;
- Nice cartoon graphics;
- Many games in the series are made in the same style.
StarCraft II - online
Out: 26.06.2010
Genre: real time strategy
An equally exciting game from the creators of Warcraft – Blizzard. The plot of the game tells about the battle of three cosmic races: the Zerg, the Protoss and the Terrans. Unlike Warcraft, the game is more dynamic and lacks heroes, which completely changes priorities in battles.
StarCraft also has a rich story, but it is presented to players during story cutscenes, making you merely an observer rather than a maker of the story.
Each playable race has its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, Protoss units have a lot additional abilities, which must be used at the right time, otherwise the army will be quite weak. Considering that the game itself is very fast, to succeed in the game you need to have skills quick game and thinking.
StarCraft can rightfully bear the title of the best strategy game on PC of all time.
The game can be played online through the Blizzard game downloader.
- Race balance;
- Balanced economy;
- Fast pace of the game;
- You can play online;
- Regular tournaments from official developers.
Warhammer 40,000 series of games
Out: 1999 - 2009
Genre: real time strategy
Warhammer is a fairly popular game not only in computer form, but also in card form. The history of the game appeared long before the development of the computer sphere (in 1983) in America, which determined the success of the series.
The history of the world tells of bloody wars for control of the galaxy, grandiose betrayals and ascensions, and so on. The games in this series are not tied only to the strategy genre, because there are both CCG and action branches.
The most famous games in the series for the general public: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, tell the story of a war for control of one designated planet between the game races. The player chooses one of the sides in the war, which has unique units and battle tactics. In the future, your task will be to seize control of the entire planet. Some games in the series divide the gameplay into two stages: global turn-based control and real-time strategy. The first mode is simply choosing a point of attack, and the second is the actual battle. In battle, you need to rebuild your base, capture key points that bring one of two resources - influence, strengthen them and attack enemy bases. It is worth noting that the main objective of the game is to destroy all enemy buildings.
Almost all Vakha strategies can be played through hamachi.
- Deep history;
- Race balance;
- Each race has its own unique characteristics;
- Interesting system for improving units;
- Interesting company.
Out: 2004-2006
Genre: Real-time strategy, fantasy
A series of strategies based on Tolkien’s novels “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” as well as Peter Jackson’s film universe of the same name. The storyline follows strictly the originals, and this is one of the main advantages of the games. Familiar heroes, events and most importantly - epic battles.
As for the gameplay, these are the usual strategies, but with some distinctive details. At the beginning of each task, the player, as befits the canons of the genre, needs to extract resources and build various buildings: farms, barracks, forges, and more. Next, you create units, replenish your army with them, and set off to destroy your opponents.
Under your control will be “unique heroes” - familiar characters from The Lord of the Rings. They have unique abilities: defensive, offensive and others. Heroes can be upgraded - this way they will become stronger and will be able to deal with a squad of enemies alone.
In addition to the single-player story campaign, there are customizable missions, as well as multiplayer in which you can fight with other real players.
- Some of the best Lord of the Rings games;
- Thoughtful, epic strategy;
- The atmosphere of Middle-earth, familiar characters;
- Multiplayer.
Spore
Out: 2008
Genre: God Simulator, Real Time Strategy
Spore is an unusual game that combines several genres. In short, you will develop your character from scratch, when he is just an atom in a giant ocean. Ultimately, he will become the leader of an entire civilization that will conquer other planets and reach the center of the Universe.
At the beginning, the game acts as a god simulator. You create your being and begin development in the depths of the world's oceans. The task is to absorb weaker creatures, while becoming stronger and increasing in size. Having achieved some progress, you will go onto land and begin to explore a new area, while the gameplay changes dramatically.
Gradually the game develops into a strategy. While on land, you will need to find a partner for your character to mate with. This way you create a whole tribe. As in the strategy, you will build buildings, hire people and participate in wars with other tribes.
The final stage is the conquest of the Universe. Having built spaceship, you will be able to travel to other planets and capture them.
- Unique gameplay combining several genres;
- Colorful graphics;
- Replay value;
- Unusual end-game content.
Out: 1999-… (still coming out)
Genre: Step-by-step strategy
A turn-based fantasy strategy that became the ideological successor to the game Master of Magic. Players will have to compete for power on the global map, having previously chosen a race. There are quite a lot of them, and some are traditional for the fantasy genre: people, elves, gnomes, orcs, halflings, lizard people and others.
The player will have his own city, which must be improved to receive various bonuses and open up new opportunities. To construct buildings you will need resources - everything as befits a strategy.
The battles are turn-based. Each unit has a limited number of movement points. They are spent, accordingly, on moving the unit. Combat is also a step-by-step process, with you personally choosing which attacks or abilities to use. In this case, the unit may miss - this happens randomly.
You can test your skills not only with a virtual, but also with a real opponent. There is multiplayer in which you can challenge several players at the same time, teaming up with friends.
The series has not yet been shelved. The fourth part, subtitled Planetfall, has been announced, this time in an unusual direction - science fiction. The release is expected in 2019.
- Turn-based combat system;
- Construction of cities;
- Abundance of races;
- Construction of the castle.
Out: 2004-2016
Genre: Real Time Strategy, Action, RTS
A series of military strategies united by one theme - Second World War(excluding the game “Saboteurs: Vietnam”). The games feature various single-player campaigns based on the events of the war, as well as a multiplayer mode for battles between several players.
Unlike other strategies, “Behind Enemy Lines” does not pursue spectacular and large-scale battles. Thinking through strategy comes to the fore, and as a result, reconnaissance, preparation for battle, and more. You will not control an army, but several soldiers, each of whom performs their own role (sniper, attack aircraft, etc.). In battle, you can use cover and terrain features.
What else is interesting in the games:
- Realism. Ammunition and fuel reserves are taken into account; when shooting at long distances, fighters miss more often, and so on;
- Physics engine. Thanks to it, there is destructibility that affects the course of the battle;
- Well-thought-out damage system. For example, tanks cannot be penetrated with a machine gun, and the caliber and type of shells used play a large role in penetrating armor;
- Manual control. As mentioned earlier, each soldier is under your control. He can be prohibited from shooting or personally aiming and making shots using the mouse.
Out: 2003-2017
Genre: RTS
Blitzkrieg is a series of military real-time strategy games, mainly dedicated to the events of the Second World War. The player is asked to choose a side: the Allies, the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany, and go through the storyline. In addition to these factions, there are others, non-player ones:
Italy, France, Poland. Each campaign includes several chapters and covers specific events of the war.
Unlike other strategies, Blitzkrieg does not have the ability to build bases. At the beginning of the mission you receive a certain amount of equipment and infantry. The task is to conduct reconnaissance, learn about the main forces of the enemy and capture the base. Of course, it is impossible to achieve success without well-thought-out tactics. In addition to the main forces, the player can sometimes receive reinforcements.
In addition to the single-player game, multiplayer is available for multiple players. You can compete with friends or join forces against a group of other players.
The game engine served as the basis for many user modifications. For example, a mod that transfers the action of Blitzkrieg into the Warhammer universe.
- Military strategy without base construction;
- Custom modifications;
- Tactical component.
Company of Heroes
Out: 2006-2009
Genre: real time strategy
The plot of the game follows such films as “Saving Private Ryan”, “A Bridge Too Far” and the television series “Band of Brothers”. The action takes place during the Great Patriotic War.
The gameplay is a classic RTS with wargame elements. Many note that the game is reminiscent of the Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War series due to the fact that the player can independently choose the weapons with which his platoons will fight. Troops also have a combat morale scale, which affects the effectiveness of soldiers. For example, if a platoon comes under machine gun fire, its morale drops sharply, which reduces its shooting and running speed. In addition, when a squad member who was holding a weapon dies, it does not disappear, but remains on the ground where it can be picked up. The next feature of the game is the system of squad ranks, which with each increased level fighters allows you to improve their characteristics, which creates a certain convention that the units are not just meat.
Wargame elements also include the fact that the player can install defensive structures himself, increasing the effectiveness of fighters. All the ditches, sandbags, etc. can be occupied by your fighters to increase their effectiveness. Since the game can maintain a small limit, and the combat speed is quite low, the result is an entertaining combat simulator. Of course, this game is not singled out as the absolute best strategy, but it deserves to be at least a nominee.
- Interesting game missions;
- Unusual gameplay;
- The feeling of real battles is created;
Cossacks Series
Out: 2001-2016
Genre: economic strategy
The game stands out for its gameplay, which is based on the balance of economic and military force. The correct construction of the economy has a key role in the game, because even if you skillfully use military forces, skillfully withdraw them, divide them into groups, opening the horizon for a volley of guns, then sooner or later, with a weak economy, you will lose to the player who is more focused on economic component. Firstly, a player with a strong economy can simply spam units - he does not need to think about their safety, because there are always resources. Secondly, the availability of resources such as coal and iron determines the ability of shooting units to attack. If there is no coal or iron, the fighters cannot shoot. Food also plays an important role, as it is a constantly consumed resource. Therefore, if your population is growing, then your food infrastructure should grow accordingly.
The game also stands out in that each player can recruit a huge number of troops, which allows the use of diverse gaming strategies. Among the types of troops you can find: cavalry, melee units, ranged units, artillery. In addition, the game has technical development that allows you to recruit stronger and more technologically advanced troops.
Many players are betting that the third part of the series will be the best strategy game of 2016!
- Dependence of military power on the economy;
- Many battle strategies;
- The need to balance economics and military strength.
Anno 1404
Out: 2009-2010
Genre: economic strategy
The plot is tied to a parallel reality, which, however, repeats real historical prototypes, such as the Crusades, the dawn of early forms of capitalism, and so on.
The gameplay is tied to economic warfare and the development of colonies and settlements. You, as an effective ruler, need to correctly calculate the distribution of resources for the development of cities and conduct diplomatic relations. The combat component of the game is divided into sea and land battles, however, the opportunity to wage war is not immediately open, but later becomes one of the elements that helps to defeat opponents.
All states are divided into two types: European and Eastern. A European country cannot fully develop without spices and quartz, produced only in the east, which naturally determines the need for active trade, which is also one of the main ways to earn gold. One of the key tasks in urban planning is the construction of large cultural elements such as cathedrals or mosques.
- Developed economy;
- An interesting process of urban planning;
- Advanced diplomacy system.
Total War series
Out: 2000-2015
Genre: global strategy
Some semblance of historical strategy. Actions take place on the global world map in different periods of time - it all depends on the part of the game. The player can choose any of the presented countries and subsequently capture the entire map, depending on the established victory conditions.
But it is not for its plot and historical component that this game is singled out as the best strategy on PC, but for its gameplay. It is built on the step-by-step movement of armies, the development and capture of cities in various countries. Battles take place in real time, where the player acts as a commander, places his troops on the map and directly leads the battle. There is also a politics mode where the player makes alliances, declares wars, exchanges resources, and so on.
- Interesting policy system;
- Interesting in-game battles in real time;
- A developed system of internal events (crusades, jihads, etc.);
- An advanced system for improving cities, depending on their location.
Disciples
Out: 1999-2010
Genre: turn-based strategy with RPG elements
The game takes place in the cruel fantasy world of Nevendaar, where dark forces constantly strive to awaken. Companies for all nations are available to the player to complete. It turns out that the player himself weaves the whole story. There are a total of five nations available in the game, including:
- Hordes of undead - servants of the ancient goddess of death Mortis;
- The Empire is a race of people under the protection of the supreme angels;
- Legions of the Damned - Betrezen's demonic minions;
- The Elven Alliance is a united army of elves led by Queen Ellumiel;
- Mountain clans are harsh foothill people led by a high king.
The gameplay is classic strategy. The player’s task is to intelligently explore the territory and upgrade the army. Oh yes, unlike other strategies, here you can only hire minions lower levels, which in the future need to be pumped up, gaining experience in battle. Overall, the combat system in Disciples is unique, which is what made the game so successful. At the beginning, the player starts with one capital and a hero. The capital is a unique city guarded by a very strong creature, so it is almost impossible to break through the capital from the very beginning. The war is being waged over sources of magic - one of the resources and separate outposts that allow you to hire troops far from the capital.
- A unique system for leveling up creatures;
- Races are not alike;
- Race balance;
- An interesting system for using magic;
Age of Empires game series
Out: 1997-2007
Genre: real time strategy
Quite an old game that can also claim to be the best PC strategy of all time. The main advantage of this game is custom tournaments with large prize pools reaching up to 100 thousand dollars. The reason for such sums for such an old game is its fans from rich countries who can afford to spend such sums on organizing tournaments.
The gameplay itself comes down to a balance between technology, economy and army. Each nation can move between 5 eras in battle:
- Age of Exploration;
- Age of Colonization;
- The Age of Fortresses;
- Industrial Age;
- Age of Empire.
Each era opens up new research, types of troops and buildings. If you switch between eras early, without spending money on an army, then most likely you will be crushed by “homeless people”, and if you focus only on hiring troops, then most likely the enemy will crush you with a more high-tech limit.
Many players argue that to play effectively in AOE, you just need to be able to move your troops away from volleys of siege weapons and archers, which leads to low army losses and increased economic development, due to reduced resource consumption to maintain the combat limit.
Play AOE online with friends or random players via Steam, Tangle or Hamachi.
- The need for skillful balancing of all game aspects (economy, troops, research, construction);
- Balance of all races (in the latest version);
- Tournaments with large prize pools;
- Average game speed.
Age of Mythology
Out: 01.12.2002
Genre: Real-time strategy
Age of Mythology is somewhat similar to the game described above, but still has different roots and features that allow you to build a more interesting game.
The key feature of the game is the replacement of eras with the worship of gods, which bestow special powers and new mythical creatures with special characteristics and skills, such as fire or poisonous breath, freezing a key unit, etc.
Unlike AOE, where the player has only a human and siege limit, AOM also has a mythic limit, consisting of mythical creatures such as giants, dryads, rocs and others. AOM does not have such significant prize pools as AOE, but it also has its own community, among which relatively regular tournaments are held.
You can play AOM online via Steam, Tangle or Hamachi.
- It is necessary to correctly balance all game aspects (economy, troops, research, construction);
- Balance of all races and deities;
- You can play online;
- Average game speed.
Settlers 7
Out: 23.03.2010
Genre: RTS, city planning simulator
A simulator of building cities that subsequently create a vast kingdom. The main task of the game is to correctly place buildings, create transport connection between them. The player can develop his kingdom in three directions, including:
- Military production;
- Scientific approach;
- Trading perspective.
Each development path will ultimately lead the player to victory. For example, if you choose the military path, then the focus of your development will be the army, which will subsequently try to crush your enemies. Scientific path will help to defeat opponents with technology, and trade will help to capture the best trade routes on the entire map, which will provide an advantage over opponents. Each development path includes unique units.
Critics highlight good artificial intelligence, but a weak storyline.
- Good artificial intelligence;
- Expanded urban planning capability;
- Equality of development paths (economics, military development and technology).
Friends, hello everyone. The Gamebizclub team is on air, and today we will continue to introduce you to the genres of the world computer games. At the end of May, we dove in and revealed the 12 best games in the genre. And in this article we will tell you in detail about the best strategies on PC over the past few years and compile our top best games in this genre.
It would seem that making ratings is a simple matter. It’s worth taking a list of the games you like, choosing the best ones and putting them in order. We would have done so, if not for one nuance - the Gamebizclub team included people who had experienced Warcraft 1 and Heroes of Might and Magic.
Since then, many games have been released, one way or another, we managed to play most of them and form our own opinion. Therefore, we made a plausible rating taking into account all opinions - we retested old games and new ones, refreshed our memory. And this is what happened.
From this article you will learn:
14. DEFCON
The last place in our ranking goes to DEFCON, a game about nuclear strike tactics released in 2006. The name translates as “defense readiness” - this is a real-life scale of the US Army’s readiness for possible combat operations.
DEFCON is based on the plot of the American film “War Games”, which shows the global nuclear conflict between the USA and the USSR. Not only the events of the game, but also its style echo the film, as evidenced by the motto “Everybody dies” (translated as “Everybody Dies”).
In DEFCON you will not be able to create combat units, collect resources and develop technologies. But you can choose the location of forces on the territory of North or South America, Europe, Russia, Africa or Asia. The game starts when the DEFCON scale shows alarm level 5. Then you move to the following levels sequentially. All this time, the conflict is developing, tension is growing. When the level reaches 1, a nuclear attack can be launched.
The main goal is to inflict damage on the enemy while avoiding your own losses. There are no moral restrictions, so you should follow only your thoughts, desires and emotions. Up to 6 people can participate in the game. Nuclear missiles of various types, fighters, bombers, submarines, aircraft carriers, cruisers, airfields, and radars are used as combat units.
DEFCON looks like real command post, where the president of the country sits and plans military operations. There is nothing superfluous - just a map, marks of friendly and enemy troops, the most important targets and cities. And you can do whatever comes to your mind: take on the role of the main villain, save peoples and countries, destroy cities and entire regions with one click.
The only negative that outweighs all the advantages is that DEFCON does not have a graphics engine. Despite the interesting gameplay, after a while the process of exchanging nuclear warheads gets boring - it becomes boring to move warheads and combat vehicles around the map, destroy secondary countries, and so on.
And all because there are no special effects or any accompaniment. Therefore, it is suitable instead of Minesweeper or any other game with low requirements - it takes up only 60 MB on your hard drive and will run on any PC.
13. Dune
In thirteenth place is the Dune series of games about the world of Arrakis, which became one of the first real-time strategies. Dune was released in 1992 on the Sega console, and after a while it became available on PC. At that time it was a breakthrough that could be repeated only three years later.
Interesting fact: on behalf of the publishing company Virgin Interactive, two independent developers worked simultaneously to create the game. The French company Cryo Interactive released the game first. American Westwood Studios - a little later. That's why the title of the game from Westwood Studios contains the number "2".
The plot is based on the science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. During the passage you will meet the main actors, take on the role of leader of one of the great houses and conquer the planet Arrakis.
The only negative is that the events of the book and the game are loosely connected; the gameplay is based on missions to clear the territory from the enemy and extract useful resources.
In the struggle for dominance on the planet, three great houses collided - the Atreides, the Harkonnens and the Ordos. Each home has its own pros and cons, unique technologies and powerful leaders.
You can choose any house, but you cannot change it later. After choosing, you will find yourself on the battlefield, command an army, build a base, extract resources and destroy the enemy. Important - to win, you need to destroy all enemies on the map.
For example, if you have destroyed the enemy base, but one soldier is hidden in the corner of the map and is constantly moving, you will not win until you destroy him.
Dune pioneered the approach that would become the basis of the RTS genre. This is a global map economic model, command bar and mini-map in the user interface, “fog of war” and different capabilities of the warring parties.
In 1998, a remake called Dune 2000 was released, and in 2001, the developers continued the series by releasing Emperor: Battle for Dune. Unfortunately, after that, no more games about Dune appeared. 15 years have passed, but the series remains only in the memory of the most devoted fans - that’s why only the penultimate place.
12. Age of Empires
We give twelfth place to Age of Empires, which became the basis for many RTS that came out after it. The first part was released in 1997, and since then Microsoft Game Studios has released 8 games and 4 additions to them. The series also includes Age of Empires Online (MMORTS).
In Age of Empires, you will find yourself in the role of leader of one of 16 civilizations that reflect a specific architectural style: Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek, Asian and Roman. By completing missions and developing, you will move from era to era - from the Stone Age to the Iron Age.
Civilization develops through the construction of buildings, technology research and war, where would we be without it. Besides you, there will be several more civilizations on the map competing for resources. Therefore, you will constantly be at war - defending behind walls or attacking the enemy.
The game contains campaigns, including educational ones. The educational process is built on 12 scenarios that explain the gameplay. This will help you quickly master the basics of control, work effectively with units and fully use the camera. Other campaigns consist of different missions in which you will defend in a fortified fort, attack castle walls and much more.
Multiplayer is available for a maximum of eight people. To play online, you can choose who to fight with - bots or other people. If you choose a mode with other users, you will have the opportunity to form an alliance, declare war on the selected enemy, or take a neutral position.
Age of Empires doesn't require a powerful computer. Even with the most modest configuration, the game looks realistic, and the image is pleasing to the eye at maximum zoom.
For many people, Age of Empires has become a guide to the world of strategy. But the series gradually faded away and lost popularity - the third part was released back in 2005, and there is still no full-fledged fourth part, if you do not take into account AoE Online. Therefore, we recommend the game to those who want to see the beginning of the RTS era.
11. Star Wars: Empire at War
In eleventh place is Star Wars: Empire at War, a game released in 2006 based on the setting of the world-famous Star Wars saga. The plot is based on episodes 4, 5 and 6 Star Wars, namely the civil war between the rebels and the imperials.
You will find yourself in the role of a commander of one of the sides, you will control the fleet, command in battles with opponents, destroy bases and much more. The storyline consists of missions in which you will meet famous heroes - Darth Vader, Palpatine, Firmus Piett, Han Solo, Boba Fett, Chewbacca and other characters.
Each character provides certain bonuses, and if necessary, you can hire additional supporting characters - agents, smugglers and others.
Star Wars: Empire at War consists of two parts:
- Conquest of the Galaxy - a global strategy on the galaxy map. In this mode, you will manage controlled planets, study (or steal) technologies, seize strategic resources, attack and defend.
- Tactical mode - consists of space and ground operations. You will spend a lot of time in this mode, because a lot will depend on the outcome of the battle. It is here that you will see the main combat vehicles, infantry and ships of both sides, and you will be able to demonstrate your team skills and win.
The main thing is to choose the right side. The Imperials have more opportunities to master new technologies, improve weapons and ships. And the rebels cannot do science, but they know how to steal the technological achievements of the Empire.
Become the ruler of the galaxy with Darth Vader, or free the planets from the tyranny of the Empire with Luke and his friends. Choose a side and go into battle. You will definitely like it.
Star Wars is a super popular project by George Lucas. Therefore, it is not surprising that many films were published based on the film. interesting games, but we still haven’t seen the continuation of Empire at War, which is a pity. Only eleventh place in our ranking, let's move on.
10. World in Conflict: Soviet Assault
The top ten is rounded out by World in Conflict: Soviet Assault, a real-time strategy game released in 2009 that continued the events that happened in World in Conflict. In other words, the developers took World in Conflict and added 6 new missions - the game became one and a half times longer.
Gamebizclub's opinion: in our opinion, this is the best strategy about the beginning of the Third World War. Events begin with a fall Berlin Wall, which is being destroyed by Russian tanks. USSR troops begin an offensive along the entire front and create a meat grinder for NATO forces.
You will find yourself in the role of a Soviet paratrooper and unit commander, standing at the forefront of the attack, destroying enemy soldiers and equipment. Indescribable feelings!
Combat operations take place either in Berlin or in rural areas, where they have to fight with NATO troops. You will also be able to command an artillery battery and provide air escort for the convoy.
Each mission has a specific plot, but the main thing is that there is no need to build a base. You have a limited number of troops at your disposal, but you can request reinforcements.
The developers could not avoid stereotypes about Russians - the ideas of Americans, British, Germans and other peoples are very noticeable and often hurt the eyes. Therefore, in the dialogues there is sometimes a feeling of unreality of what is happening until the fighting begins.
You can also choose the side of NATO - in this case, the plot will begin on the territory of the United States, where you will defend cities and the coast. Gradually you will push back the USSR troops and move to Europe. Let us add that both storylines are inextricably linked, so whichever side you choose will win.
The game attracts with its sharp plot, large-scale battles that take place not only nearby, but all over the map - you get the feeling that you are participating in a large-scale military operation. It all looks very realistic, as if we were really in the center of a battle.
World in Conflict: Soviet Assault is in tenth place only because we did not see the continuation of this series. The game should be on the shelf of every fan of the genre - this is 100%.
9.Stronghold
In ninth place is the Stronghold series of games - a strategy about the Middle Ages, the Crusades, knights and kings. The first part of Stronghold was released in 2001, and the last Stronghold 3 in 2011. Let us add that in 2010 the developers released the first MMORTS - Stronghold Kingdoms, where online play against other people became available.
The action takes place during the early Middle Ages, so you will take on the role of a baron or count - you will build a castle, develop production, establish settlements and fight the enemy. Depending on the chosen part, you will find yourself in the territory of Europe or Palestine.
In Strongold Crusader the action takes place in the hot lands of Palestine. As a crusader, you will build and defend a castle, establish production, and attack the impregnable fortifications of desert warriors.
Stronghold 3 takes place in Europe. The plot begins seven years after the end of the events of the first part.
The series became successful due to the combination of economic strategy and medieval surroundings. You can build your own castle, besiege your neighbor’s castle, pour boiling oil and tar on the attackers - all the medieval romance is present. But before the start of hostilities, it will be necessary to provide the rear with food and develop production so that everything is enough for the duration of the war.
Computer opponents are controlled by artificial intelligence - just like you, they extract resources, build castles, form their own army and start a war. And in multiplayer you will be opposed by those people whom you invite to the game - friends, acquaintances or family members.
8. Heroes of Might and Magic III
In eighth place is one of the best turn-based strategies, Heroes of Might and Magic III. Despite the fact that the game was released back in 1999, it still remains the most revered in the turn-based strategy genre. And the following parts of “Heroes”, released after it, were never able to surpass the third part.
The game takes place in a fantasy world where there are dragons, elves, goblins, gnomes and many other mythical creatures. You will lead one of the factions, command a squad, capture and manage cities, and explore the world.
The adventure map is difficult to navigate in places. Movements in game world are not always predictable - there are territories where it is very difficult to get to and you have to follow an unobvious path.
One of the main objectives is to develop cities in such a way that they generate income, provide combat power and give strength to magic spells. If a city is well developed, it brings in enough gold and allows you to hire a strong army to capture adjacent territories and destroy the enemy.
As it should be in a turn-based strategy, time in the game flows discretely. The main unit of time is the move, which is also called a day. During a turn, you can perform a certain number of actions - make a move with heroes, plan the construction of a building, and so on.
And in battle, actions take place one by one and resemble a chess game. Each unit has a certain number of action points, attack type and amount of health. The stronger the unit, the harder it hits and the harder it is to kill. The troops are led by a hero who, upon victory, receives experience and artifacts from defeated enemies.
Heroes of Might and Magic 3 is available in single and multiplayer. Although multi-user is a strong word. The first mode is called “Hot Seat” and is translated as a hot seat - two people at one computer take turns making moves and finding out who is stronger.
The second mode is network. You need to create a separate “room” and give the address of this room to friends and acquaintances. Then you don’t have to sit in one chair, but really surf the net.
In 2015, the version of Heroes of Might and Magic III HD was released - a remake of the popular game, made for a PC with average characteristics. We advise everyone - HoMM should be on the shelf of every turn-based strategy fan. And we move on.
7.Command & Conquer
In seventh place is the famous Command & Conquer - a real-time strategy about the confrontation between the NoD brotherhood and the World Defense Initiative (if translated into modern realities - Terrorists and the Security Service).
The first part was released back in 1995, and the last one was released in 2013. Note that the first part, along with Dune, became the basis for the RTS genre. But compared to the world of Arrakis, the Command and Conquer saga lasted much longer. The two games have the same developer - Westwood Studios, so it is quite possible that they decided to sacrifice Dune in favor of the more popular C&C.
The Command & Conquer universe includes 3 story subseries: Tiberium, Red Alert and Generals. This is a total of 15 games.
The plot of C&C is built on the conflict surrounding Tiberium, an alien substance sent by aliens to Earth in a meteorite shower. This substance extracts minerals, it can be used as an energy source, and in general Tiberium is a valuable element.
World governments consolidate and begin to mine Tiberium. At the same time, terrorists also begin to mine it, as a result they quickly gain strength and receive financial injections from countries where there is no Tiberium.
After some time, IVZ decides to put an end to NoD, but that was not the case - the Brotherhood strikes back and a long and exhausting confrontation begins.
You can become a member of the terrorist brotherhood NoD, which seeks to take over the world. But if high ideals are closer, you should choose IVZ. Although the main emphasis is not on the side of the conflict, but on how you will command in battle.
Each game has missions to complete and achieve goals. In principle, everything is simple - build a base, mine Tiberium, recruit troops and build military equipment. And then you send an army to attack and command how, where and who to destroy. Easy?
But the enemy does not sleep, so it is never easy. They will constantly attack you and try to destroy your base, attack from unexpected directions and deprive you of the opportunity to earn money. Therefore, you need to constantly be prepared for sudden attacks by the enemy, which suddenly appears in the most vulnerable places. The main factor of victory is not superiority in combat power, but the absence of mistakes.
It is unknown what will happen to the C&C series next. Four years have passed, but there is still no clear news or comments. Although there are still many fans of the game who continue to hone their skills in online battles. Therefore, so far only seventh place.
6. Civilization
We decided to give sixth place to Civilization, a step-by-step strategy about the development of humanity on Earth. The game, created by Sid Meier back in 1991, and its subsequent remakes were and remain the flagship of the turn-based strategy genre.
Now 6 parts with modifications and additions have already been released. Civilization has received a number of awards and has been inducted into the Video Game Hall of Fame. IN different countries ah sold more than 9 million copies - a great success, confirmed by numerous critics from all over the world.
The main task is to develop the chosen civilization, from primitive society to modernity. Become Stalin and rule Russia, or take the place of Napoleon, Ramses, George Washington and lead your people on the path to prosperity.
To achieve power and prosperity, you need to build cities, engage in economics and science, create technologies and wonders of the world, build up military power, establish diplomatic relations with other civilizations and fight with competitors.
In general, everything is as in real life– put yourself in the shoes of a president or dictator. Events take place on a given world map, chosen randomly or exactly replicating the Earth.
Settlers, soldiers, diplomats and other characters (units) participate in the development of civilization. You can change the political regime by choosing despotism, monarchy, democracy, communism, republic. The higher the selected difficulty level, the better you need to plan your actions.
The easiest way is to be a leader - opponents hardly interfere. And the hardest thing is to be a deity, in which case the whole world will take up arms against you and will constantly put a spoke in your wheels - declare war, suddenly attack, plunder and destroy cities, and so on.
The score is determined based on the outcome of the game. When calculating points, the number of population, the number of created wonders of the world and other criteria are taken into account.
Editor's opinion: There were some funny moments in early versions of Civilization. If one nation was significantly ahead of others in development and began to fight, then its tanks and infantry clashed with knights, swordsmen, crossbowmen and other units of the Middle Ages, and sometimes even antiquity. And often tanks lost when several units attacked simultaneously for more than early eras. In Civilization VI, the developers have improved the balance, but problems still arise - with a coordinated attack, crossbowmen and catapults can destroy a tank.
The main feature of the game is the opportunity to see the development of civilization, participate in this process and rewrite history. Imagine the Aztecs launching the first satellite into space, the Egyptians building the Pentagon in Cairo, the Romans launching the Stealth bomber.
Within game mechanics everything is possible. The latest part of the game was released in 2016, and the continuation should be expected in 2019-2020.
5. Total War
We decided to give fifth place to Total War, a series of historical games where tactics and strategy are organically combined. The series itself contains 10 parts and 7 additions. The first part was created in 2000, and the last this moment was released in 2016 under the name Total War: WARHAMMER.
The main feature of Total War is the transfer in time to a specific era of human development. The plot takes you to Japan during the Warring States era, to Europe during the Napoleonic era, to the Middle Ages and earlier times. In the role of Attila you will conquer the European continent, in the role of Charlemagne you will create an invincible empire, in the role of Peter the Great you will bring Russia to the level of the leading world powers.
If we describe Total War in a nutshell, then the most suitable ones are large battles. In addition to capturing cities, establishing economic ties and production cycles, you will fight. War consists of many battles of different sizes, and you will command an army in each of them. Castle sieges, city defense, ambushes and wall-to-wall battles - there is everything that fans of the genre need.
In strategic mode, battles are fought on a global turn-based map, where cities, armies, territorial boundaries, valuable resources and roads are indicated. And in tactical mode, you are transported to the battlefield, to a real terrain with hills, trees, buildings and other landscape details.
If you get tired of constant battles, click “automatic calculation of results.” If your army is greatly superior, the enemy will be defeated without your participation.
But if the forces are equal or the enemy is superior in numbers, then you cannot do without your participation. In the “automatic calculation of the results” you will most likely lose, but in the manual mode there is a chance to win. Moreover, it often happens that a smaller army first defends itself, and then successfully advances and cuts out the fleeing enemy troops - but only if you command the army.
Defeats also happen, where would we be without them. But after each defeat, you will learn to think and make innovative decisions, manage your troops more effectively and skillfully use the features of the landscape.
Let's give an example - if you are defending a city, then you need to sit behind the walls and not make forays. But if the enemy let the army down too quickly, and the siege equipment is only on the way and is slowly moving along the walls, feel free to bring the commander and cavalry units into the attack, try to destroy the siege towers and ram first. Without them, the enemy will not fight much.
In major battles, armies of several thousand people clash. Considering that most armies have a maximum number of units (15-20 depending on the version of the game), the largest battles involve several units of the maximum size - this is enough to litter half the map with the bodies of fallen warriors.
We could write a lot about Total War, but we will say this - do you want to become King Leonidas and lead the Spartans? So do it. You can take more people into battle than 300 elite fighters. And in the end, kick Xerxes in one place, completely changing the course of history. That's why Total War is in the top five.
4. Halo Wars 2
Fourth place goes to Halo Wars 2, the continuation of the saga about the war between people and alien invaders. The series developed by Microsoft has been trending for more than 15 years. Several dozen books and one film have already been released based on the plot of the game, and this is not the end yet. The series is developing, and after a while we will see a continuation in the form of a shooter, and maybe another film.
And now the background: in the distant future, people populated many planets and controlled a large area of space until they encountered the Covenant empire. The collision took place on the outskirts of “human space” and ended with the destruction of several patrol corvettes and a planet with a population of ten million people.
From that moment on, events developed badly for the people - dozens of lost systems, hundreds of millions of lives lost and the loss of half the fleet. In this situation, K.K.O.N decides to send the colony ship "Spirit of Fire" into an unexplored sector of space for colonization.
Halo Wars 2 begins with people awakening from cryosleep at The Ark, a space structure created by a mysterious ancient race. When landing on a space facility, the soldiers encounter an army of Covenants - the war overtakes the colonists.
Battles break out throughout the “Arch”, both sides lose fighters and equipment. The conflict is developing rapidly, and only you can defeat the enemy.
The gameplay in Halo Wars 2 is not much different from other strategies - building a base, collecting energy and supplies (they can be collected by ordinary soldiers), forming an army and fighting. That said, Halo Wars 2 is a story-driven game where you participate.
There are a lot of missions additional tasks that need to be carried out. For example, in one mission you will destroy the enemy with one Spartan with a machine gun, push through power shields and free prisoners - every mission is in this spirit.
Microsoft made not just an RTS, but a strategy with a high budget. The graphics and image quality look amazing - soldiers, equipment, buildings and other details are made to a very high standard. high level. And you will remember the local beauty for a long time. This is a proprietary Halo feature that Microsoft is actively developing.
Halo Wars 2 is a stunningly beautiful strategy game that you can play for hours without stopping. It will be available on Xbox One and PC. However, there is one small drawback. PC owners may feel that tasks end too quickly. I would like to put it in the top three, but in terms of “legendary” it is inferior to more successful strategies. Let's move on to them.
3. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III
We decided to give bronze to Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III, an epic strategy about the war between a human empire and other races in space. Since its release in 2004, 3 parts of the game have already appeared, and the last one was released on April 27, 2017.
The world of War Hammer is very large. Everything in it is tied to a fierce confrontation between several races - people, orcs, elves, chaosites, necromancers and other factions. Moreover, each faction has its own policies, troops, development path and other features that make it different from the rest.
The events of the plot unfold on the surface of planets, where representatives of different races collide in a bloody battle. As a result, only one winner remains, and the rest are mercilessly destroyed.
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 was included in the top three, and this is justified - the game is new, made at a very high level, and the plot continues the established traditions of the Warhammer series. The graphics and design of locations and nature, combat vehicles and infantry, buildings and heroes are pleasing to the eye - if you have a widescreen monitor, you will seem to be transported to the distant future. But little has changed in the gameplay - it is still a strategy made in the classic style.
On the battlefield, you will build a base, recruit infantry and build combat vehicles, form units and throw them into battle with the enemy. Try to take into account the vulnerabilities of each soldier or combat vehicle: light armored vehicles lose to heavy ones, anti-tank squads will quickly multiply the coolest tank by zero, but are vulnerable to infantry, and infantry are afraid of snipers and light equipment. Familiar scheme, right?
There is also an interesting feature - for the first time, unique super-heavy warriors have appeared, which turn the battle on its head. The Phantom Knight for the Eldar, the Imperial Knight for the Humans, and the Orc Stomp for the Orcs. But they appear closer to the end of the plot, so you won’t be able to control them for a long time.
Multiplayer - in the classic format 1 on 1, 2 on 2 and so on. It's simple - choose a race, build a base and try to quickly take out your opponents. Well, or they take you out, it all depends on the skill.
Overall, Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III is pure excitement. The plot and battles are captivating and literally do not allow you to tear yourself away from the monitor screen. In the heat of battle, you don’t even have time to pay attention to mistakes in the voice acting and phrases of the heroes. For example, imagine orcs speaking normal Russian - a fantastic sight. Bronze is well-deserved, let's move on.
2. StarCraft II
Second place goes to StarCraft II, a popular real-time strategy game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. The first part of the game, called Wings of Liberty, was released in 2010, and in 2013 and 2015 the second and third additions Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void were released.
StarCraft 2 is the main representative of strategy games in eSports. StarCraft championships are held regularly, and the winners receive valuable prizes. Note that the game is inferior in popularity to other representatives of e-sports - CS: GO, Dota 2, League of Legends.
But still, she has millions of fans from different countries, and the first day after the release of Legacy of the Void, sales amounted to more than 1 million. Simply put, StarCraft II remains very popular.
Time and place of action: a distant part of the Milky Way, 26th century. The plot is based on a war between three races - protoss, zerg, terrans. Terrans are the descendants of exiled criminals who have severed all ties with their home planet. Zerg are mutated creatures from various planets controlled by the Overmind and the Queen of Blades. Protoss are representatives of a high-tech civilization with psionic abilities.
StarCraft 2 is a classic strategy game. By choosing one of the races, you will build a base and combat units, extract resources, develop technologies, form armies and participate in battles. To win, you must destroy buildings, the main base and destroy all enemies.
For example, if at least one builder survives, then after five or ten minutes of the game you risk running into the second base of the enemy, who will have time to prepare for defense.
In single-player mode, you will follow the storyline, go through 26 missions, meet the main characters and get used to the gameplay. In addition to the plot, you can pass tests that require special ingenuity. If you pass successfully, you will receive a medal. After everything has been completed, you can move on to multiplayer.
Players from the CIS, USA, Asia and Europe can take part in the network game. Here you can make friends, organize a clan (online community), take part in tournaments and get to the big championship. The better your skill, the greater your chances of winning something. If you want to achieve good results, train on different maps, communicate with people and see what professional players are doing.
Starcraft II should be on every fan's list of games. It will remain trendy for a few more years, and then Blizzard will outdo themselves and release the third part. The neighbors have already done this - the example of Diablo is before our eyes. Now let's move on to the winner of our rating.
1. Warcraft III
Gold goes to the legendary game Warcraft III - a real-time strategy and RPG made in the fantasy genre. Blizzard Entertainment developed and released the game in 2002, with sales exceeding 2 million copies in its first month. We put Warcraft III in first place for just one reason, the name of which is: Best game in all senses.
Let's be clear: Warcraft established for a long time those principles of RTS and RPG that remain relevant 15 years later. All modern open-world RPGs and MMORPGs use the progression system established by Warcraft 3 in one way or another.
Fantasy races, an interesting plot, combat and magic mechanics - all this is organically combined and makes you return to the game again and again. And it’s no coincidence that World of Warcraft and Dota 2 remain at the top - they continue the genre established in the third Warcraft.
Let us add that the plot of the game was filmed, released in 2016. Box office receipts for several months of release worldwide collected more than $300 million - this is a great success that few can repeat.
We've sorted out the popularity, now let's talk about the gameplay and fundamental differences from other strategies.
Warcraft III is a classic strategy game with RPG elements. Everything is here from strategy: from building a base and recruiting an army, to tactics of battles on the map. You have a small army at your disposal, limited by the number of farms that produce food for it.
Workers mine gold in mines, cut down forests and build structures - barracks, farms, workshops and other buildings. And the RPG component is about leveling up the heroes.
According to the plot, in each task you control a hero who increases the level by destroying the enemy, uses artifacts, and applies powerful abilities and spells. The higher the hero's level, the stronger he is and the more powerful the damage from his abilities.
The plot is based on a bloody confrontation between two races - humans and orcs. There are also night elves, gnomes, undead and other races that influence the balance of power in battle. Someone will be your ally, someone will put up fierce resistance and will be destroyed - it all depends on the chosen side.
Combat actions take place on maps - in locations with forests, rivers, lakes, mines and neutral characters. Image quality may seem a little dated, but it's 2002, when PC requirements were much different. But W3 will work on any computer, plus you can chat online with other people from different countries. There are still enough fans of the game.
Warcraft 3 should be in every strategy fan's favorites. Best of the Best – just like that and no other way. And we are waiting for news about Warcraft 4, rumors have been circulating for two years, but the Bliz remain silent.
Let's sum it up
Despite the fact that the strategy genre is gradually losing ground, worthy strategies like Halo Wars 2 or Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War 3 still appear. And we see a new trend - developers are trying to make games interesting. The new games feature an exciting plot, well-developed unit models and beautiful location design.
Let's see what happens in two or three years - perhaps we will see a really interesting and exciting strategy and we will definitely write about it. Good luck everyone, bye bye.