in the newest age of empires there was (maybe still is?) a way you could get ranged units to have a faster rate of fire by clicking on a unit and then clicking away to retreat for like half a second and then clicking again. Strategy lmao
There are also several units that are designed to only be used this way, and are literally worthless if you don't constantly do bullshit like that. Which are in turn countered by your opponent hitting the button even faster than you are.
This leads to the fun gameplay of constantly watching this one unit to make sure you are hitting the button fast enough, and if you blink or look away for the wrong three seconds you lose your entire formation of said unit. Said unit is also the only effective counter to infantry spam that doesn't lose you just as much resources as it took your enemy to build said infantry.
Why not? I agree if it's a round based game, but in a real time game your actions in real time determine the outcome. Of course you can put a limit to the complexity, but that will very quickly put a skill ceiling to what is possible in your game.
Also you don't need to be hitting those 300 APM to enjoy the game. There are people with one hand that reached decent ranks in StarCraft 2 with barely 70 apm. The limit for most RTS players is a mental one, getting disorganized and distracted like OP. Not a matter of finger speed.
The Starcraft Model deliberately bakes excessive complexity & hyper-specific unit functionality into the game rather than allowing complexity to evolve naturally out of otherwise simple to understand principles
StarCraft units are mostly, apart from the spellcasters, very basic. Fast weak ranged unit. Fast cheap melee unit. Flying unit that can hit ground. Flying unit that can hit air. Slow splash damage unit. I can explain every unit except maybe the Dark Archon and the Defiler in like 4 to 5 words and you would get it.
The reason people still play StarCraft isn't because it's complex unit design but precisely because of the insane emergent gameplay and strategy that is STILL developing after 23 years of being played to death in a million professional matches.
I'm not arguing this is going to be fun for most people. It's certainly not. The UI is unbearable if you played any game in the last 15 years. But it's probably the most beautiful competitive game ever made.
Because it's bad when the interface is the antagonist and not the other player. You shouldn't feel like you're fighting to make the units do what you want them to do. Your skill is just overcoming bad design.
I hate to do this, but Day9 (probably the only good gamer) has this covered extremely well in this video: Pathfinding and Micro in SC. I know it's rude to just link a 35 min vid, but it's well worth your time.
Long story short: Better UI/Pathfinding/Simplification doesn't equal a "better" game. Just because something feels easier, doesn't mean it's actually for the better of the game or your enjoyment.
If it's a strategy game you shouldn't be able to win because you can physically click faster than your opponent.
in the newest age of empires there was (maybe still is?) a way you could get ranged units to have a faster rate of fire by clicking on a unit and then clicking away to retreat for like half a second and then clicking again. Strategy lmao
There are also several units that are designed to only be used this way, and are literally worthless if you don't constantly do bullshit like that. Which are in turn countered by your opponent hitting the button even faster than you are.
This leads to the fun gameplay of constantly watching this one unit to make sure you are hitting the button fast enough, and if you blink or look away for the wrong three seconds you lose your entire formation of said unit. Said unit is also the only effective counter to infantry spam that doesn't lose you just as much resources as it took your enemy to build said infantry.
Why not? I agree if it's a round based game, but in a real time game your actions in real time determine the outcome. Of course you can put a limit to the complexity, but that will very quickly put a skill ceiling to what is possible in your game.
Also you don't need to be hitting those 300 APM to enjoy the game. There are people with one hand that reached decent ranks in StarCraft 2 with barely 70 apm. The limit for most RTS players is a mental one, getting disorganized and distracted like OP. Not a matter of finger speed.
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StarCraft units are mostly, apart from the spellcasters, very basic. Fast weak ranged unit. Fast cheap melee unit. Flying unit that can hit ground. Flying unit that can hit air. Slow splash damage unit. I can explain every unit except maybe the Dark Archon and the Defiler in like 4 to 5 words and you would get it.
The reason people still play StarCraft isn't because it's complex unit design but precisely because of the insane emergent gameplay and strategy that is STILL developing after 23 years of being played to death in a million professional matches.
I'm not arguing this is going to be fun for most people. It's certainly not. The UI is unbearable if you played any game in the last 15 years. But it's probably the most beautiful competitive game ever made.
Because it's bad when the interface is the antagonist and not the other player. You shouldn't feel like you're fighting to make the units do what you want them to do. Your skill is just overcoming bad design.
I hate to do this, but Day9 (probably the only good gamer) has this covered extremely well in this video: Pathfinding and Micro in SC. I know it's rude to just link a 35 min vid, but it's well worth your time.
Long story short: Better UI/Pathfinding/Simplification doesn't equal a "better" game. Just because something feels easier, doesn't mean it's actually for the better of the game or your enjoyment.
micro is important but Starcraft just has a shitty UI that makes basic shit take 40 extra clicks.