What are you looking forward to?

[Spriggan]

Well there are probaly several things

1) the cost.  The video game industry is in a rut right now, games have become so expensive to make, some cost as much as movies (ie 20-30 million), and no company wants to finiance any game that is to risky or strays away from the norm.

2) Time.  There are massive deadlines and pressure on companies now, due to #1, most games only have a year or so to get finished, and the more things like that you've added the longer it takes.

3) Complexity.  There have been several RTS games that try and make terrain matter and units react to them, but they've all sucked.  AI controls aren't easy either, if you do see anything like that the best you'd get is: If unit a meets unit c have unit a do x.   Designers learned that people don't like to know how to program to beable to take advantage or game features (which the AI controls would have to be).  Also the more AI features you include the higher the min requirements for the game, which would mean less people could play it and thus buy it.

4) Demand. RTS games just aren't as popular right now as they were a few years ago, they'll come back.  Anything that got green lit right now wouldn't have the funds or time to make a good, complex RTS game like you want.

[Skar]

Well, that was a good answer.  I say curses.

[Skar]

I actually think what I'm looking for could be accomplished fairly easily now that I've thought about it.    Now, I've never programmed a game before or even done any really difficult programming but it seems to me that a lot of the variables that would provide the if parts of most of the then statements are things that most RTSs I've played already keep track of as a matter of course, like how far away is any given unit from another unit or is the unit stepping onto grass or onto a tree, the unit's health, etc...

Of course this would, like you said, require a bit of simple programming to take full advantage of but if the default settings made for pretty normal gameplay, like Starcraft say, then the programming is not a barrier to entry but just an added bonus for the hardcore.

This doesn't really answer any of your objections it just demonstrates that  I really want a game like this to come out.  

[Spriggan]

Well if there is demand for that type of game it'll get made.

Also a not on what you just said, the more things you have the computer check every second (actualy most check several times a second) the more prossessor power it requires, you may not think it takes a lot but they all add up.  Add graphics, music and all the other things and you could have a massive memory eating game there.  Of course the better the programmer the less memory it would take.

[Mr_Pleasington]

So has anyone picked up Dawn of War yet?

It's on my list once I get back stateside...if my comp can run it (I think it can).

[Entsuropi]

Well, yeah. Could you imagine me NOT pre-ordering it? Only problem is the 1.1 patch destroyed my ability to play online, so if you want games we will have to do direct connect with unpatched copies

It's pretty damn sweet though. I should review it.

[Spriggan]

Lord of the Rings; the Third age looks good.  I completly forgot about this game until Gabe mentioned it the other day.  I've got too much on my plate right now for how little I play video games right now, but maybe I'll use christmass money (if I get any) to pick it up in January.

[MoreDew]

Is this game only on GameCube?  It looks so dang cool.  I hope it will come out on xbox.

I was really bummed to hear that GTA San Andreas is only going to be on PS2... oh well, at least I'll be able to get Halo2 when that comes out.

[Spriggan]

Na, it'll be on all 3 consoles and PC Moredew.

And the new GTA will come out on the XBox, but just like all the others it'll be on the PS2 first, expect it by June at the lastest.

[MoreDew]

Sweeeeeet!  Now I have two more games to look forward to playing.  The hard thing will be to convince the wife to let me buy them, play them, and enjoy them

[Nicadymus]

Amen Brother MoreDew!  You are preaching to the choir here.

[Rican]

At least your siblings didn’t tell you that you aren’t allowed to by that game due to that the fact that my birthday and X-mass are coming up.  They want to be able to buy me gifts so I am not allow anymore to buy my toy.  It really sucks cause the new GTA game rock.  

[Archon]

Halo 2 tomorrow!

[Spriggan]

See I'm lucky, my parents and siblings (with the exception of EUOL) won't buy me video games, they buy me clothes and things that "normal people" would want, like a bed, mini fridge, ect.  So I do my clothes shopping at christmass and six months later at my B-day, then spend all my money that I would buying things like that on games.  It's actualy a pretty good deal, since I'd rather be spending my money on good off stuff anyway.

[Mr_Pleasington]

Halo 2 tommrow???  Tonight, brother

I'm picking it up at midnight.

Yes, I know I'm a huge dork for it, but I have tommorow morning off so I took that as a sign.

My XBOX Live gamertag is "Eye Tyrant" if you're on, btw.

I'm starting a clan for RPG.net.  You're welcome to join.