Ever since the phenomenal success of Command & Conquer and Warcraft, we've seen a virtually unchecked stream of real-time strategy games, each aiming to provide that little extra quality that would help elevate it above its competition. All too often, though, RTS developers have simply created more of the same rather than trying to bring true innovations to the table. More races, more weapons, more units, more technology types, and more buildings might add up to great fun for some gamers, but for commanders whose greatest interest is diving into combat, overseeing the tasks of production, research, and resource management frequently winds up being a tedious chore. Even more frustrating for would-be generals is the fact that success in many RTS games isn't dependent on tactical expertise but instead on how quickly units can be pumped out of production facilities.

Heavy artillery shells burst over an enemy base during a night assault, illuminating the snow-covered terrain with every explosion.

That lack of emphasis on combat tactics bothered Martin Walfisz, president and CEO of Swedish developer Massive Entertainment, the company behind Sierra's upcoming Ground Control - a game that, like Red Storm Entertainment's Force 21, focuses almost exclusively on the issues of tactical command and control. "The original inspiration for Ground Control came when I was playing a few of the good old RTS games like Dune 2, Warcraft II, and Command & Conquer," Walfisz says. "Those games are great fun, but their strategic focus lies in being smart about what you construct, when you construct it, and the resources you harvest. With Ground Control, on the other hand, we wanted to make a game that gives you the same amount of gameplay depth, but where the strategy lies in how you tactically command your units on the battlefield."

Small details, like the way these enemy marines have dug in for an attack, add an uncanny air of realism to even small firefights.

Don't get the wrong idea here: Walfisz isn't disparaging games where resource management and unit production are pivotal components of success. But the emphasis in Ground Control is on action - and there is plenty of it. "Harvesting resources and constructing buildings is still a lot of fun, but with Ground Control we have taken the more fast-paced and realistic route," he says. "Our design forces the player to be smart about how to command units in the field instead of how to build them. It also means you get to the action quicker!"

And that's a good thing, considering just how much action Massive plans to cram into Ground Control: This futuristic RTS features 30 single-player missions set on a broad spectrum of wonderfully rendered environments, from snowy steppes to scorched deserts. All you need now is a cause to champion and an enemy to annihilate.

Next: War of Wills