Need recommendation for Strategy game for beginner

Strategy is my least favourite genre as I 'm bad at multi-tasking. But after I watched Cam's "Reality Check - 4 reasons game make you more smarterer", I thought I need to try strategy game again as I really want to improve my multi-tasking skill.

I've planned to play the Starcraft series, start from the first game. Is Starcraft a good choice or should I play other games first? Maybe games that less complex or easier?

Any recommendation?

Starcraft 2 probably has most active players right now and it makes it easier to find players of the same skill. Command and Conquer has similar gameplay, you can buy this ultimate collection for $15 or Origin. It includes every game in the series.

Command and Conquer Tiberian Sun was made a free download by EA some time ago. Download it and give it a whirl.

If you want a real challenge look at Paradox. Crusader Kings 2 or Europa Universalis have steep learning curves but tons of content. Something easier would be Civilization 5 or the Total War series.

This is an excellent strategy game and it's on sale now at GoG.

http://www.gog.com/game/jagged_alliance_2

It's turn based, which is great, cause you can take your time with it and not have to rush.

When you get a feel for it, there's also the awesome 1.13 mod for it.

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Yeah starcraft 2 is a great game to get.

It's funny but it really does improve your multi tasking in real life as well.

Unfortunately I don't have a decent internet connection to play games online. Thanks for pointing the Command & Conquer series, now I remember I have C&C: Generals (hope it still works. lol). The Ultimate collection is tempting, but I think I'm gonna overwhelmed with all those games. I think I'm gonna stick with general first (if it works) before deciding to buy the collection.

Thanks!

In terms of gameplay, which is better between TIberian sun and General? Though I'm surely gonna download free games, I need to make sure which game should I play first.

Steep learning curve sounds scary. LOL. I'll keep it mind for future reference. Thanks!

For Civilization and Total War series, which is recommended for beginner?

I had played the games once on my friend's PC. It's so difficult, I stopped playing in the middle of the first level. Now I like challenging games, I might try this sometimes. But currently I'm looking for RTS for improving my multi-tasking skill (as I mentioned above). Still, thanks for the recommendation.

lol, yeah. Multi tasking is necessary for everything. So, playing stategy game is a must (LOL!)

Between Total War and Civilization, the latter is definitely easier, but being pure turn-based it's a rather relaxed experience, so not exactly the kind of "brain gym" you're looking for. Shogun 2 is the one to pick from the Total War series, it's a beatiful game and it's on sale right now.

That's fine. You wouldn't want to jump into multiplayer as a complete beginner anyway. You'd get destroyed so fast and so often it wouldn't be fun and you'd get sick of it and give it up very quickly.

That said, Starcraft is still a great place to start. Just play the campaigns, and maybe some custom games against the computer. That'll be more than enough to get you used to the concept of strategy games and how they work.

I'd recommend trying out Rise of Nations (it was the first strategy game I played) I still play it.
Also try Warcraft III.

My laptop spec: Processor i5 2.4Ghz, 4G RAM, ATI Mobility Radeon 5650.

Would my laptop run Shogun 2 smoothly on medium setting, especially when things get chaotic? Although graphic is not my main concern, I always felt a bit disappointed when I have to lower the setting so to make the game run smooth. But I don't mind play old games even the graphic not comparable with today standard.

You're right. As multiplayer always about being competitive, it'll be awkward to ask someone to go easy on me. Most likely they're gonna do the opposite.

Looks like I'm gonna stick with starcraft first. I often heard that starcraft is the best series for strategy games, so I assume it have all what I need to enjoy strategy game (just like you said). Thanks!

btw, what about warcraft 3? Are the gameplay similar to starcraft? Can anyone explain the main difference between those games? I'm not familiar with RTS, so I can't judge the difference (if there's any) just by looking it at youtube.

I haven't played Starcraft but really enjoyed Warcraft III. It seems like a good game to start with (strategy games).

Considering your pc specs and that you are a beginner start off with civilization V. Its quite easy to get into but hard to master at higher difficulties ( king difficulty and above ). Great game easy to get into good graphics and as you learn more about game mechanics you will start playing on harder difficulties which are quite challenging ( there are alot of difficulty levels )

Just make sure you get both Gods and Kings and Brave new world expansion packs since they add alot of depth that was missing from the base game

I'd also recommend Civ 5. You can easily turn difficulty to the lowest and learn the game then play a bit hard as u learn the game better.