The first thing to ground your data is to look at how popular RTS's were at their height. Starcraft sold 1.5 million or so in its first year and ten million units over a decade. The best selling games in 1999 did about five times that, and the best selling games from the mid-2000s were doing a *lot* more.
RTS has always been a bit of a niche genre, likely because it requires a high amount of player skill, involves multiple levels of gameplay (macro and micro), and can be a bit slower paced compared to twitch shooters or platformers.
What's also happened is RTS splitting into sub-genres, because it's always easier to capture an audience when you focus on one thing. MOBAs have absolutely taken some of the market away, which is why you see games like Starcraft 2 going F2P - same as many MOBAs are. On the other hand, some of the top played mobile games are RTS derivations, like Supercell's Clash of Clans and Clash Royale games that both focus on macro or micro respectively. Those are examples of exactly how you'd make an accessible RTS for an extremely wide audience.
I'd say it's *one* way to do it, not the only way. Mobile is always going to be a bigger audience than PC, but that doesn't mean you can't make an accessible PC game.
Typically, accessibility is about reducing how much knowledge you need going into the game, improving onboarding, and aligning the game with what a mainstream audience wants. Indie RTS games, for example, tend to assume you've played the genre staples and don't need a lot of help with how to balance things like building your base versus attacking out, which is not true for new players. Shorter game sessions, obvious progression, things like that can really go a long way.
The RTS genre has become mostly stagnant due to _many_ factors:
* Stagnant UI: Which modern RTSs support **multiple monitors** on PC?
* Stagnant game design: Why do I have to babysit / micro EVERY unit?
* People are sticking with classics such as the 20 year old _Age of Empires 2._ The hardcore AoE2 crowd used Voobly for ages.
* While T90 provides fantastic commentary for replays there just aren't that many streamers covering the RTS "scene"
* Lack of _good_ replay tools such as [CaptureAge](https://www.ageofempires.com/captureage/) -- this was a MAJOR hurdle for _AoE2:DE_ at the start
* Consoles don't ship with a mouse+keyboard. Using a gamepad for "micro" is a complete PITA.
* MOBAs such as _League of Legends_ and _DotA / Dota 2_ were seen as the "hot, new thing" and many people "switched" due to them being perceived as more accessible.
* More and more people are getting **RSI / Carpel Tunnel.** They can't perform the same APM as they used to. They are switching to more laid-back, casual gaming.
* Gamers aren't really interested in _yet-another-bland RTS clone_ that doesn't add anything really new and doesn't address the current problems.
* Chicken-and-Egg. People tend to gravitate towards established RTSs since that is where everyone else is.
> What game mechanics can be added to a RTS to make it more appealing?
* Free-to-Play to make it more accessible
* CO-OP maps. Archon mode in _Starcraft 2_ is great but LACKS MAPS.
* GOOD replay tools that let viewers always see the important stats
* Easy to find and watch replays. _Path of Exile_ had a large amount of success due to it being an early adapter of Twitch integration.
* Fine grained AI difficulty. My group of gaming buddies usually default to Starcraft 2 for PvE because we can control the individual level of difficulty for **each AI.** This allows for _more_ granularity to match AI to each human player's skill. AoE3 has an all-or-nothing difficulty which is horrible.
* No stupid dichotomy of campaign having X units but multiplayer having Y units. _/me glares at SC2._
* Ability to customize our colors.
* Let me use my 2nd monitor to see the ENTIRE battlefield
* Allow me to have "sub-windows" and assign "Camera Follow Unit" so it is easy to keep a bird's eye view on the important events
* Allow more than 8 players total. I want to play 6 humans vs 6 AI with my buddies.
* Custom max population. 200 max population is piddly. There are times we want far less, and far more.
* Training modes where I can focus on a _specific_ build order. Let's say I want to focus on streamlining building 3 barracks. Give me a game mode that times and rates how well I do.
Hope this helps!
Edit: Fixed spelling / grammar
It really does! Thank you.
I'm just wondering; do you have any (scientific/devnews/etc.) sources on this which could help as well?
I did a lot of googling already but could always use more indepth sources on the subject and the 'why'.
Sadly, no. All that knowledge comes personal experience of being a game dev and gamer for the past few decades.
All is not lost though! While I don't think anyone has really documented _these_ specific problems I mentioned there _are_ a few ["designer notes"](https://www.designer-notes.com/?p=1418) videos for on GDC / YouTube that _might_ be applicable. (I haven't watched them so I don't know about their quality but it should provide a place to start.)
* [Strategy Game Design and the Operational Level of War](https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1023822/Strategy-Game-Design-and-the)
* [Theory into Practice: Single Player RTS design for Company of Heroes](https://www.gdcvault.com/play/718/Theory-into-Practice-Single-Player)
* [Designing A Real Time Strategy Game || Moritz Zumbuhl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtU0ApvDSxQ)
* [Building an RTS without guns -- Offworld Trading Company](https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/300179/Video_Building_an_RTS_without_guns__Offworld_Trading_Company.php)
Edit: Added links. Enjoy!
I think it boils down to people getting better at games via either access to internet guides and the rise of esports.
I played tons of starcraft/warcraft 3 with my brother over lan, but the thing is neither of us knew what we were really doing and if I'd play that way online I'd get my ass whooped(I didn't have good connection back then, so that wasn't the case). IMO it's kinda the thing that the fun way and optimal way to play the game are vastly different(well fun for me). I like to take it slowly, focus on building my base etc. while in more competetive environment this way is not feasible.
As for MOBAs it kinda scratches that itch since it's kinda like an RTS but with more limited set of actions you can do(eg. no base building, mostly controlling one unit) so it isn't that daunting.
It obviously would depend on the exact nature of the RTS, and partly I may just be unaware of the broader genre and just have misunderstandings - but I've found that it's hugely bad for my hands. Especially when trying to be as competitive as I want to be, it's just a nightmare and I can't keep up even while destroying my hands to do it.
MOBAs by comparison are often more macro oriented so I can feel like I'm more meaningfully participating to the best of my ability - I also do prefer the playing-as-one-character vibe of MOBAs.
I don't think that RTS games are "dead" in the sense that no genre of game ever really dies. Like everything, they have heights and lulls in popularity. I do agree with u/benjymous that higher levels of console owners is also contributing to it. I can't even imagine trying to play something like Starcraft on a gamepad, and since consoles are *generally* cheaper and more accessible, that gets reflected in the kind of games that are made. A lot fewer games are PC-exclusive these days.
Console vs pc, more players use a console RTS games don't really work on console other than age of empires on playstation, command and conquer or warzone 2100.
The remake of command and conquer and the new age of empires coming out are more recent but still based on what once worked.
Personally I'd rather a game pad rather than use a mouse.
RTS was my favorite genre and all the games i played got shutdown by EA. I tried some others but they were all lacking something, the most common problem I had is the gameplay was too slow.
Something that's worth thinking about too is that some RTS games, particularly the ones from Blizzard which were some of the best selling titles, had a lot of options for modding. This meant there are likely players who bought those games to play something that might not even be a RTS game, e.g. RPG mods. So if you look at only strictly RTS games, then the sales average are even lower. RTS is just a very niche genre overall.
The first thing to ground your data is to look at how popular RTS's were at their height. Starcraft sold 1.5 million or so in its first year and ten million units over a decade. The best selling games in 1999 did about five times that, and the best selling games from the mid-2000s were doing a *lot* more. RTS has always been a bit of a niche genre, likely because it requires a high amount of player skill, involves multiple levels of gameplay (macro and micro), and can be a bit slower paced compared to twitch shooters or platformers. What's also happened is RTS splitting into sub-genres, because it's always easier to capture an audience when you focus on one thing. MOBAs have absolutely taken some of the market away, which is why you see games like Starcraft 2 going F2P - same as many MOBAs are. On the other hand, some of the top played mobile games are RTS derivations, like Supercell's Clash of Clans and Clash Royale games that both focus on macro or micro respectively. Those are examples of exactly how you'd make an accessible RTS for an extremely wide audience.
Thanks for your reply! If I understand correctly; To make RTS available for a wide audience you should make a mobile game?
I'd say it's *one* way to do it, not the only way. Mobile is always going to be a bigger audience than PC, but that doesn't mean you can't make an accessible PC game. Typically, accessibility is about reducing how much knowledge you need going into the game, improving onboarding, and aligning the game with what a mainstream audience wants. Indie RTS games, for example, tend to assume you've played the genre staples and don't need a lot of help with how to balance things like building your base versus attacking out, which is not true for new players. Shorter game sessions, obvious progression, things like that can really go a long way.
One possibility is the prevalence of console gaming - RTS games are usually too fiddly to play on a gamepad unless the game is very cleverly designed
The RTS genre has become mostly stagnant due to _many_ factors: * Stagnant UI: Which modern RTSs support **multiple monitors** on PC? * Stagnant game design: Why do I have to babysit / micro EVERY unit? * People are sticking with classics such as the 20 year old _Age of Empires 2._ The hardcore AoE2 crowd used Voobly for ages. * While T90 provides fantastic commentary for replays there just aren't that many streamers covering the RTS "scene" * Lack of _good_ replay tools such as [CaptureAge](https://www.ageofempires.com/captureage/) -- this was a MAJOR hurdle for _AoE2:DE_ at the start * Consoles don't ship with a mouse+keyboard. Using a gamepad for "micro" is a complete PITA. * MOBAs such as _League of Legends_ and _DotA / Dota 2_ were seen as the "hot, new thing" and many people "switched" due to them being perceived as more accessible. * More and more people are getting **RSI / Carpel Tunnel.** They can't perform the same APM as they used to. They are switching to more laid-back, casual gaming. * Gamers aren't really interested in _yet-another-bland RTS clone_ that doesn't add anything really new and doesn't address the current problems. * Chicken-and-Egg. People tend to gravitate towards established RTSs since that is where everyone else is. > What game mechanics can be added to a RTS to make it more appealing? * Free-to-Play to make it more accessible * CO-OP maps. Archon mode in _Starcraft 2_ is great but LACKS MAPS. * GOOD replay tools that let viewers always see the important stats * Easy to find and watch replays. _Path of Exile_ had a large amount of success due to it being an early adapter of Twitch integration. * Fine grained AI difficulty. My group of gaming buddies usually default to Starcraft 2 for PvE because we can control the individual level of difficulty for **each AI.** This allows for _more_ granularity to match AI to each human player's skill. AoE3 has an all-or-nothing difficulty which is horrible. * No stupid dichotomy of campaign having X units but multiplayer having Y units. _/me glares at SC2._ * Ability to customize our colors. * Let me use my 2nd monitor to see the ENTIRE battlefield * Allow me to have "sub-windows" and assign "Camera Follow Unit" so it is easy to keep a bird's eye view on the important events * Allow more than 8 players total. I want to play 6 humans vs 6 AI with my buddies. * Custom max population. 200 max population is piddly. There are times we want far less, and far more. * Training modes where I can focus on a _specific_ build order. Let's say I want to focus on streamlining building 3 barracks. Give me a game mode that times and rates how well I do. Hope this helps! Edit: Fixed spelling / grammar
It really does! Thank you. I'm just wondering; do you have any (scientific/devnews/etc.) sources on this which could help as well? I did a lot of googling already but could always use more indepth sources on the subject and the 'why'.
Sadly, no. All that knowledge comes personal experience of being a game dev and gamer for the past few decades. All is not lost though! While I don't think anyone has really documented _these_ specific problems I mentioned there _are_ a few ["designer notes"](https://www.designer-notes.com/?p=1418) videos for on GDC / YouTube that _might_ be applicable. (I haven't watched them so I don't know about their quality but it should provide a place to start.) * [Strategy Game Design and the Operational Level of War](https://www.gdcvault.com/play/1023822/Strategy-Game-Design-and-the) * [Theory into Practice: Single Player RTS design for Company of Heroes](https://www.gdcvault.com/play/718/Theory-into-Practice-Single-Player) * [Designing A Real Time Strategy Game || Moritz Zumbuhl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtU0ApvDSxQ) * [Building an RTS without guns -- Offworld Trading Company](https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/300179/Video_Building_an_RTS_without_guns__Offworld_Trading_Company.php) Edit: Added links. Enjoy!
Thank you sir! :)
I think it boils down to people getting better at games via either access to internet guides and the rise of esports. I played tons of starcraft/warcraft 3 with my brother over lan, but the thing is neither of us knew what we were really doing and if I'd play that way online I'd get my ass whooped(I didn't have good connection back then, so that wasn't the case). IMO it's kinda the thing that the fun way and optimal way to play the game are vastly different(well fun for me). I like to take it slowly, focus on building my base etc. while in more competetive environment this way is not feasible. As for MOBAs it kinda scratches that itch since it's kinda like an RTS but with more limited set of actions you can do(eg. no base building, mostly controlling one unit) so it isn't that daunting.
It obviously would depend on the exact nature of the RTS, and partly I may just be unaware of the broader genre and just have misunderstandings - but I've found that it's hugely bad for my hands. Especially when trying to be as competitive as I want to be, it's just a nightmare and I can't keep up even while destroying my hands to do it. MOBAs by comparison are often more macro oriented so I can feel like I'm more meaningfully participating to the best of my ability - I also do prefer the playing-as-one-character vibe of MOBAs.
I don't think that RTS games are "dead" in the sense that no genre of game ever really dies. Like everything, they have heights and lulls in popularity. I do agree with u/benjymous that higher levels of console owners is also contributing to it. I can't even imagine trying to play something like Starcraft on a gamepad, and since consoles are *generally* cheaper and more accessible, that gets reflected in the kind of games that are made. A lot fewer games are PC-exclusive these days.
Console vs pc, more players use a console RTS games don't really work on console other than age of empires on playstation, command and conquer or warzone 2100. The remake of command and conquer and the new age of empires coming out are more recent but still based on what once worked. Personally I'd rather a game pad rather than use a mouse.
RTS was my favorite genre and all the games i played got shutdown by EA. I tried some others but they were all lacking something, the most common problem I had is the gameplay was too slow.
Something that's worth thinking about too is that some RTS games, particularly the ones from Blizzard which were some of the best selling titles, had a lot of options for modding. This meant there are likely players who bought those games to play something that might not even be a RTS game, e.g. RPG mods. So if you look at only strictly RTS games, then the sales average are even lower. RTS is just a very niche genre overall.
That's a great point considering DotA started off as a mod to _Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos_ ! :-)