RTS WARS: Which is the best real time strategy game developer?

After a thrilling poll for the mantle of the best RTS game seriesof all time, it's time for the second round of the RTS wars!

The question this time is, which single developer do you believe has the RTS genre on lok? Which developer do you think is the best developer of RTS games?

My personal favourite are, predictably enough, Ensemble. I have never played a game as compelling as Age of Empires II/Mythology, and I have high doubts I ever will. Ensemble took the RTS genre to a whole new level, and while recent developments- Microsoft shuttering the studio (for which I hate them forever)- have ensured that their games may not be as long lived as, say, Blizzard's games, especially on the online scene, I do know that on my part, I'll probably keep playing the Age of games- for as long as I can.

Your favourite developers? Please note that if your favourite developers didn't make it to the poll above, you can always click on Others. I would love to include as many developers as I possibly can- sadly enough, Gamespot does not currently allow more than five options per poll.

I voted blizzard.

Why do you make me choose :cry:

Why do you make me choose :cry:

clyde46

Age of Empire=best RTS, so Ensemble=Best RTS developer. Rise of nations was pretty great too.

[QUOTE="clyde46"]

Why do you make me choose :cry:

charizard1605

Age of Empire=best RTS, so Ensemble=Best RTS developer. Rise of nations was pretty great too.

magnax1

How is Relic not in the poll? RELIC!Guppy507

But 42 *IS* the meaning of life though.clyde46

[QUOTE="Guppy507"]How is Relic not in the poll? RELIC!charizard1605

But 42 *IS* the meaning of life though.clyde46

How do you expect me to know?!clyde46

[QUOTE="magnax1"]

Age of Empire=best RTS, so Ensemble=Best RTS developer. Rise of nations was pretty great too.

charizard1605

True, I wish they had put some of that talent into making some good console RTS since there aren't really any, or at least very few. Seems like they've kind of euthanized any of their good RTS developers though.

[QUOTE="Guppy507"]How is Relic not in the poll? RELIC!charizard1605

[QUOTE="magnax1"]

Age of Empire=best RTS, so Ensemble=Best RTS developer. Rise of nations was pretty great too.

charizard1605

Well we wouldn't have the awesome halo we have now if not for that.

[QUOTE="clyde46"]How do you expect me to know?!charizard1605

I demand a refund.Guppy507

True, I wish they had put some of that talent into making some good console RTS since there aren't really any, or at least very few. Seems like they've kind of euthanized any of their good RTS developers though.

magnax1

Well we wouldn't have the awesome halo we have now if not for that.

Espada12

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="clyde46"]How do you expect me to know?!clyde46

I have to say Blizzard, only because I love Warcraft III and I think I'm starting to grow addicted to Starcraft II. Stardock dominates the 4X RTS market though.

Sorry, I already spent your money. Hard luck.charizard1605

Westwood.

Their Command and Conquer games would probably become stuff of legends if that accursed EA didn't bought them out and **** all over their glorious series.

Relic^10.

They are moving the RTS industry forward single handedly.

They are one of the few companies that successfully innovate withing a genre.

[QUOTE="charizard1605"]Sorry, I already spent your money. Hard luck.Guppy507

I'm more of an emperor than a squad leader, so I like IronClad's Sins of a Solar Empire more than any other RTS ever, so I think IronClad is the best real-time strategy game ever.

[QUOTE="Guppy507"][QUOTE="charizard1605"]Sorry, I already spent your money. Hard luck.charizard1605

You got sth against relic OP? you didnt include any of their games in the last poll either. If you want to create a poll try to be a bit objective. SamiRDuran

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="Guppy507"] Well, you're going to have to work off your debt then. :twisted:Guppy507

I voted Ensemble.

I don't understand the love for Blizzard whats so great about warcraft/starcraft?

I don't understand the love for Blizzard whats so great about warcraft/starcraft?

magnax1

I don't understand the love for Blizzard whats so great about warcraft/starcraft?

magnax1

They always find a way to make an existing concept feel fresh.

[QUOTE="magnax1"]

I don't understand the love for Blizzard whats so great about warcraft/starcraft?

charizard1605

I thought Herzog Zwei was the first RTS. Its the first I remember at least. Its a really cool game too, if you'd play the multiplayer on it against a good player, it could last maybe 5 hours though, lol.

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="magnax1"]

I don't understand the love for Blizzard whats so great about warcraft/starcraft?

I thought Herzog Zwei was the first RTS. Its the first I remember at least. Its a really cool game too, if you'd play the multiplayer on it against a good player, it could last maybe 5 hours though, lol.

I'm more of an emperor than a squad leader, so I like IronClad's Sins of a Solar Empire more than any other RTS ever, so I think IronClad is the best real-time strategy game ever.

MetroidPrimePwn

There's a fun little RTS I used to play back then.

http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/hegemonialegionsofiron/index.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssimilargames&tag=similargames;title;2

You should give that a go if you like spaceship RTS.. I know sins isn't one but :P

My picks are the old Westwood, then Ensemble Studios, and then Relic.

I think in my opinion its Creative Assembly, simply because i never got into RTS games untill i played the original Shogun Total War game. After that i fell i love with the RTS games. And sorry guys i really dont like Blizzard their games are not my cup of tea, only game i like from them is Starcraft 1 and 2.

52% for Blizzard so far, eh?

I'm not really up-to-date on my RTSs, but they were my favorite genre in the 90s. I think Westwood deserves some credit for pretty much creating the modern genre (not to take anything away from Harzog Zwei). Dune 2 was much more innovative than WarCraft 1. The only thing WarCraft 1 improved was selecting multiple units, but you could only select 4 and you had to press the "Control" key first. Other than that it was a blatant copy albeit with more diverse mission designs.

WarCraft 2... it was a great game with beautiful graphics, but Command & Conquer's campaign was more epic. And then Red Alert came a year; why on earth are there not more games where I can play as Stalin's underling? The terrible acting was great, each side had unique units and abilities. They even introduced the idea of "heroes" with Commandos and Tanya.

So props to Westwood for creating the genre, too bad you couldn't keep up with Blizzard in the end.

You can't actually have this debate because none of the companies make comparable games. Relic makes RTT games, Blizzard makes RTS games, Stardock makes 4X games, etc... when you start trying to compare them, you're really trying to argue that one type of strategy game is superior to another... and that's simply a personal preference. In each of their respective sub-genres though, Blizzard, Relic and Stardock are pretty unbeatable.subrosian

I agree, since those are some of the very best developers out there today! And if Ensemble were still around, I'd include them in that mix, too. I still play AOE2 fairly regularly.

[QUOTE="charizard1605"][QUOTE="magnax1"]

I don't understand the love for Blizzard whats so great about warcraft/starcraft?

magnax1

I thought Herzog Zwei was the first RTS. Its the first I remember at least. Its a really cool game too, if you'd play the multiplayer on it against a good player, it could last maybe 5 hours though, lol.

It's more like the precursor to the first RTS, kinda like Ultima Underworld was more or less the precursor to the first FPS

total war>>>>all

mad doc software which made empire earth 1 and 2.

*laughs at the poll cause blizzard is at the top. people overhype them when their main product isn't even an rts its an mmo*

[QUOTE="magnax1"]

[QUOTE="charizard1605"] They're wonderful, and in many ways, the pioneers of the genre. However, my allegiances li with Ensemble, so I'm with you on this one :Psvetzenlether

I thought Herzog Zwei was the first RTS. Its the first I remember at least. Its a really cool game too, if you'd play the multiplayer on it against a good player, it could last maybe 5 hours though, lol.

It's more like the precursor to the first RTS, kinda like Ultima Underworld was more or less the precursor to the first FPS

Well it was an RTS, though its not exactly like the majority of modern RTS. Its still very much and RTS though, and one that plays well today, I actually just played it with a friend a week or so ago.... I need to get a genesis and get that game though.

The only real difference between Herzog zwei and modern RTS is that you actually control an individual unit, you can still give out orders to others, and still have to fight for resources, and still have to produce units. It is an RTS.

Blizzard.

mad doc software which made empire earth 1 and 2.

*laughs at the poll cause blizzard is at the top. people overhype them when their main product isn't even an rts its an mmo*

WilliamRLBaker

Mad Doc didn't make Empire Earth 1. they made it's expansion, EE2, EE2's expansion and EE3. Stainless Steel made EE1. (Oh crap, I should have voted other, but oh well)

Relic or Massive Entertainment

Westwood