There once was a time when RTS games were archaic and simple, which was not that long ago to be quite frank, but things have changed quite dramatically in a very short time. Real time strategy video games for your PC are starting to move up in quality allowing the players to wage all out war on the web with large scale battlefields and impressive graphics. Of course, some games are better than others, but there is a new one called Supreme Commander that is a level above the rest.
When it was released on February 20th, 2007 by Gas Powered Games, Supreme Commander was received with great expectations. The long-awaited release has finally arrived and it has proven that this RTS video game is everything it was promised to be and more. Players can engage in multiple land, air and sea battles at the same time as they transport troops via large aircraft, send devastating air attacks with bombers, descend upon their enemies with tank divisions or even wipe out an enemy position with a nuclear weapon. Just a decade ago RTS games were still in their infancy.
The internet was something that could only be accessed via relatively slow telephone lines. Real time interaction was slow and primitive. Early games just did not have the benefit of advanced technology such as fast computers and broadband internet connections. Although early RTS video games were fun, they were not very impressive in terms of style.
Technology just could not keep up with the creative concepts of the designers of these games. The earnest players of these early games did not mind though, because they were just happy to step out of the pre-determined format of Playstation, Nintendo, and Xbox games. In the beginning RTS games offered a new format where you could actually be part of the game as well as the process of the outcome. Gamers were just glad to be doing something new, different and challenging. After all, these were games that you could access on the internet and do battle with people from all over the world! That alone was impressive for the time. Until recently, RTS video games were more about doing battle with economics and tactics than they were about using complex strategies to wage war on a large scale.
Supreme Commander is a whole different story for it gives PC game players a game with incredibly large scale battlefields. While it is set in the far-away future, Supreme Commander uses modern warfare tactics and strategies to wage war. There are three factions of humans left and they are all fighting for something different. The United Earth Federation believes in order and empire, the cybernetic Cybran group is fighting for independence and the alien-enlightened Aeon group is seeking to liberate the Universe.
In the past, bigger is better has not always been the idea in mind for the developers of RTS video games. But that has changed now that technology has improved greatly. Supreme Commander embraces the idea of vastness like a Park Ranger in Alaska.
There are large scale battlefields that average 20km x 20km in size, and some that are an incredibly large size of 81km x 81km! This game does offer somewhat complex strategy possibilities, but it is first and foremost about scale. Players can devise plans that involve creating large armies that can fight simultaneously across huge areas. While it is mostly about size, the challenging gameplay has a variety of victory scenarios along with exhilarating multi-player action that plays out like a Monopoly game with lethal weapons.
With all the recent publicity that Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 have received regarding their impressive new technological advances, it is good to see that real time strategy video games on the web are keeping pace with them. While some games are better than others Supreme Commander is at the top of the list. The large scale battlefields this game offers is quite impressive as it allows the players to wage all out war with multiple armies at the same time. Size is the most impressive aspect, but it also offers complex gameplay with multiple scenarios for victory. Also, the fast pace in which the action plays out will challenge even the most adept cyber warriors.
Michael P. Connelly is an Author, Artist and award-winning Filmmaker who writes on a variety of topics that effect people in their every day lives. CLICK HERE For More Information on the topic of this article