Recommend A Simple Strategy PC Game

Hi Everyone

I hope this is the right place to post - apologies if not.

I am wondering if anyone can help me find a game for the PC. I am looking for the sort of game where you start off with nothing then build a base, build various buildings or similar, collect resources, research things then go off and fight someone.

It doesn't have to be a new game but I am really rubbish at games so it has to be simple to get to grips with, with a good tutorial.

I recently bought Civilization IV but I really don't understand this "turn based" concept and cannot understand how to get into it.

It doesn't have to be a new game but just something that can ease me in to these types of games.

I hope this is clear!

Thanks in advance for any advice!

So are you looking for a empire building type? If so, look at the older version of Total War games like Rome:Total War, or Medieval 2

Otherwise, try Command and Conquer games or Starfact

Thanks for the quick response.

Yes empire building I guess but anything along the same lines. I have also got Medieval 2 but, again, the turn based idea just loses me. I did the two tutorials and it just lost me.

I used to play Armada II back a few years ago and that was relatively straight forward to understand.

I will check out the others you suggested - as long as they are easy for a complete newbie to get into!

Stronghold is a perfect serie for you. All games are easy to grasp and have lots and lots of options for reinforcing your castle. I enjoyed it immensely and that says something, as I generally suck at RTS games.

Try Dungeon Keeper and Dungeon Keeper 2.. A strategy sim city esque game where you play as the bad guy building a dungeon to attract minions (which you can't directly except for some spells) in which you go out to kill enemy dungeon keepers or the good guy heroes.. It has a story mode, skirmish mode and a sandbox mode called "My Pet Dungeon".. You can get it at gog.com for cheap.

If you really want RTS then go and try out Starcraft 2 Starter Edition. It allows you to play some of the single player campaign and then also allows you to play custom multiplayer games along with all the content in the Arcade. Its free and well worth it just for the arcade. Otherwise I really like the Rise of Nations Extended Edition and theres also Planetary Annihilation. PA is a pretty simple game from what Ive seen. Rise of Nations EE also has a pretty extensive tutorial and I still love the visuals.

If you want empire building in real time you could try Anno 2070 or Dawn of Discovery. Theres also Tropico 5 or its predecessors. If you want to go even more old school you could try Sim City 4 or Rollercoaster Tycoon 3.

Other good RTS games include Supreme Commander, Command and Conquer 3, Warcraft 3, Age of Empires 2 HD, Age of Mythology Extended Edition, Company of Heroes, Company of Heroes 2, and Dawn of War Dark Crusade and each game following it. Dawn of War is a great combat focused game and If you get Dark Crusade you get a pretty open format game that has tons of replay value. Additionally, Dark Crusade may be older but it allows for widescreen resolutions so thats pretty great.

Take your pick bro, theres plenty out there.

Real-time strategy (base-building, resources, etc):

Command and Conquer series
Warcraft 3
Starcraft 2
Supreme Commander

Real-time tactics (no base building, just units, often some resource management):

Wargame: Air Land Battle
Ground Control 2
World in Conflict

Real-time City Building:

Anno 2070 (my personal favorite)
Banished
Dawn of Discovery (same as Anno 2070, just set in feudal times, not the future)
Pharoh (of you can find it; one of the best city builders imo)

4X (real-time, but with the scope of turn-based, i.e. empire building)

Sins of a Solar Empire

I'd try an earlier game from the 90s

The bright artwork, coupled with the simpler mechanics, makes for some pretty easy games to get into I think.

Command and Conquer is good. You can get the ultimate collection on Newegg (and maybe buy them individually on Origin?). Other RTS games to perhaps try from that era would be Total Annihilation, Starcraft, or Warcraft 2 and 3 (Warcraft 2 is highly recommended, but you can't buy it, so you might have to "download" it).

For turn-based games maybe one of the earlier Heroes of Might and Magic games. I'm not actually sure if they'd be too complex, but I was a kid when I played it. You can buy 1-5 on GOG.com. It might even be worthwhile to try playing Civilization 3 (which can be bought on Steam) even though you're a little confused by 4.

And if you want a simulation/city builder type game, it's REALLY EASY to recommend Sim City 4 or Roller Coaster Tycoon.

I'm not the best judge of complexity though. Many of these games I played between the age of 5-10. And maybe it was just because I was a kid, and didn't have responsibilities, or distractions all around me, but I could just sit down at my computer and play these games for hours and hours and hours. They shouldn't be too difficult to get into. They just might have a slight learning curve.

Check out the Age of Empires games, they are exactly as you described.

Age of Empires II HD, Age of Empires III and Age of Mythology can be found on Steam.

I also suggest you look into Company of Heroes 1&2, they are a bit different, but still some of the best RTS around.

Thanks for all the suggestions - I have loads to check out now!

i'm sure something will be suitable!

BLACK & WHITE

Simple strategy game - C&C Generals + Zero Hour expansion ... you have one currency to look after only and the amount of units is not that great. It comes down to your own creativity on how you use them to win. Sometimes zerging with an army is efficient, sometimes it's not worth it ...

On the same WW2 wavelength as CoH, I can recommend Men of War: Assault Squad 1 and 2. The general idea in both games is the same - you get points as time goes by which you use to purchase units. Use tactics to outsmart oponents (or the AI if SP etc.). Problem with the game is that it's too in-depth. You can even take direct control over a unit such as marines or tanks and artillery units, which is where the game really shines. If you think that the previously mentioned games are complex you're gonna get stomped here. In my opinion this is the king of complexity in RTS games.

World in Conflict was a good game some years ago, but the community died our slowly ... you can still to some extent enjoy it as a more modern day version of CoH / MoW.

Red Alert series

Age of Empires series

I don't think I've played any RTS games simpler than then Starcraft and Warcraft series. Very easy games to learn, but also very competitive which makes it take awhile to "master".

I found Civilisation 5 pretty easy to grasp, if you play all the tutorial levels, takes about an hour you know more than enough about the game to have a good time.

C&C red alert 2 great great great game

And StarCraft

These two are relay vely simple to jump in ad understand. But off high complex games if you work up to playing competitevly

Starcraft 2 is awesome!

Of Total War I've only tried Shogun 2 but based on your OP I will try to help by recommending that you do NOT try the Total War games. I am not a dumb buy. I enjoyed a little Civ 5 later on here and there. Total War: Shogun 2, however...? I found it a little too complex to play comfortably or regularly. Maybe one day I will give it yet another try but I can confidently say that Total War is not the best for EASING into RTS imho.

SECONDED
THIRDED
FOURTHED
FIFTHED
THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TC! DON'T LOOK ANY FURTHER!!

Planetary Annihilation is good

StarCraft 2 and Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars.

I would not recommend Starcraft 2 for the OP.. It's a fast paced RTS with tons of micro needed..

sounds like u dont like turn based so try maybe some Red Alert 2, C&C 2 and 3. Starcraft 1 and 2 are very good single player games also, you can easily handle Starcraft 2 on easy im sure. Starcraft 1 though is a very hard game, well it was for me anyways, i thought SC2 was so much easier and more balanced in the single player mode.

Also Warcraft 2 or 3 might be good also but the missions are varied also and not always simple like collect resources, build up and attack.... but many missions are.

These are some of my favourites from over the years. I'd suggest starting with Age of empires, Command and Conquer, Starcraft and the Settlers. All simple to get to grips with and exactly what you described. They are some of the best known games in the genre.

Ancient civilization - 19th Century and Fantasy RTS games

Age of Empires series

The Settlers series

Populous: The Beginning

Three Kingdoms: Fate Of The Dragon

Empire Earth series

Warcraft 1/2/3

Total War series (no base building and turn based sections between battles)

Rise of Nations and Rise of Legends

Dungeon Keeper Series

Sacrifice (no base building)

Majesty series

20th century and futuristic RTS games

Homeworld series (no base building)

Dawn of War series

Earth 2150/2160

Command and Conquer/Red Alert

Warzone 2100

Starcraft series

Company of Heroes

Dark Reign 1/2

City Builders

Anno Series (1404 and 2070 especially).

Pharaoh

Caesar III

Tropico series

Startopia (build a space station rather than a city)

I think RUSE is great to, it is a simple concept to grasp and you can get it cheap...