Search Unity

  1. Megacity Metro Demo now available. Download now.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Unity support for visionOS is now available. Learn more in our blog post.
    Dismiss Notice

List of RTS Features

Discussion in 'Game Design' started by DrDandilion, Oct 9, 2015.

  1. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    Hello all,

    I'm doing a Unity Project for my final degree project and been looking into RTS, specifically what they are and what would need to be implemented for a game to be classed as one.

    This is a list I made a few weeks ago, wondering what people thought about it and whether items should be moved up/down or others added in.

    These are the critical things that a RTS must have, I call them 1s for first priority:
    -Building / Unit Selection
    -Resource Gathering / Spending
    -Building / Unit Construction
    -Unit Combat / Movement
    -Building / Unit Heath / Damage
    -Building / Unit Targetting
    -Spawn Points

    These are the major things that a RTS should have, I call them 2s for second priority:
    -Camera Controls
    -Heads Up Display
    -Building Placement
    -Build Times
    -Building / Movement Queues
    -Shift Selection
    -Projectiles

    These are the minor things that a RTS could have, I call them 3s for third priority:
    -Minimap
    -Fog of war
    -Drag selection
    -Double click selection
    -Multi Builders
    -Minimap Camera Controls
    -Group hot keys
    -Population Limits
    -Mouse cursor changing
     
    Kiwasi and Gigiwoo like this.
  2. JoeStrout

    JoeStrout

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2011
    Posts:
    9,859
    Please check out this thread on minimal RTS game design. That thread was focused more on finding the core fun, whereas your interest seems to be more about presentation and mechanics, but you may still find it useful.

    Your list seems pretty good to me.
     
    Xavy_clay and Gigiwoo like this.
  3. Kiwasi

    Kiwasi

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2013
    Posts:
    16,860
    Random thoughts:

    There are some fundamental systems you will need to develop or integrate. This list isn't any different from yours, but it's another angle to look at it from.
    • Mouse based input. A system to select the object under the mouse, and give it context based orders
    • Pathfinding. Given a start and end point a unit needs to find it's way between them
    • Unit based AI. Units should be able to detect enemy units in range and respond appropriately. Units should remember their previous state when the attack is resolved
    To start with I wouldn't attempt to make it multiplayer or even have a real enemy AI. Not unless you are already intimately familiar with these concepts.

    From an overall design point of view RTS games often implement a paper-scissors-rock relationship. It's worth considering this when you design individual units.
     
  4. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    Thanks Joe I will look into the fun core features to give me something to look forward after I got more the fundamental RTS features out of the way.
     
  5. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    Thanks BoredMormon, I do like your list it is a lot simpler than my one, so far I have basic RTS functions in mind. I will look into the paper-scissors-rock relationship however for when it comes to implementing my units.
     
  6. Kiwasi

    Kiwasi

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2013
    Posts:
    16,860
    There is also the tach tree somewhere in there. Probably at the 3rd level.
     
  7. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    Upgrade were in the 2s list but I removed it, I agree it would be 3rd level along with the minimap.
     
  8. Kiwasi

    Kiwasi

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2013
    Posts:
    16,860
    Yup. I would probably build in a minimap through. Even though it's down on the 'nice to have' list, minimaps are trivially easy to implement.

    That said, beware of scope creep. A dozen trivial things quickly add up.
     
  9. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    Yeah Scope Creep is probably the biggest thing that I face currently in my project, hence why I got the Musts, Shoulds, and Coulds for features but I will try and cherry pick of some the Could features to add in such as a minimap, would be really nice to have.
     
  10. LMan

    LMan

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2013
    Posts:
    493
    I assume you are going for a traditional RTS in the vein of age of empires or warcaft then. Technically, the minimum requirements of an RTS are for all actions taken by the player(s) to occur in real time, and play involves making choices designed to accomplish an aim over time.

    As such, you could pare your list down significantly if you desired.
     
  11. El Maxo

    El Maxo

    Joined:
    May 23, 2013
    Posts:
    177
    I feel like you are really boxing in what an RTS can be.

    Take the game "offworld trading company". It is a RTS without the need for any combat. So a lot of what you class in the most important isn't even needed.

    When it comes to design of games I personally don't like to pigeon hole what genre it is or what it really needs to fit into that genre. I like I to make the game, then depending on what the game feels like is usually the genre.
     
    AndrewGrayGames likes this.
  12. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    I did look at Warcraft 3 a bit when making this list. I know my list is pretty long but it is for my Degree Project and a short list wouldn't do very well. I am planning on changing the list around as at the moment it does feel a bit too much system analysis.
     
  13. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    I am hoping with the game to add in other genre elements such as RPG like elements where you can customize units to a degree and maybe even a First Person View for special "hero" units to better control them.

    I will look at offworld trading company as a friend said to me he is a bit tired in RTSs where you killing your enemy seems like the only way to go. I would like to try added in something along side combat.
     
  14. RockoDyne

    RockoDyne

    Joined:
    Apr 10, 2014
    Posts:
    2,234
    Don't get too ahead of yourself. Triage it down to every feature you NEED and realize most of those will still not be done particularly well. Final projects are looked at like they are actually about technical skill, but are really a crash course on project management.
     
  15. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    Project Management is definitely something I'm bringing on track in the next month, the proposals are going in a week or two. Soon as my project day(Thursday) arrives I'm cracking on with the management side of things. Posting on the forums was a step in my project to get some feedback and research on the topic.
     
  16. Xavy_clay

    Xavy_clay

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2015
    Posts:
    20
    May I ask, this game is just a "generic" RTS or you would like to try to implement something different/new in it? Is this trainning or researching?
     
  17. BornGodsGame

    BornGodsGame

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2014
    Posts:
    587
    Probably a 3s, but I think exploration to uncover the ´next´ resource node is important concept that almost all RTS share. In other words, you know your current resource node is limited, so at some point you must have someone explore outside your known area.
     
  18. imaginaryhuman

    imaginaryhuman

    Joined:
    Mar 21, 2010
    Posts:
    5,834
    Have you ever asked yourself WHY an RTS should have all of these things? WHY resource gathering? WHY upgrades? Are you just making yet another clone?
     
    Martin_H and Kiwasi like this.
  19. Kiwasi

    Kiwasi

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2013
    Posts:
    16,860
    This is true. One of the more interesting RTS games I've played was Dawn of War. And it abandoned resource collection entirely. Not did it have a traditional tech tree.
     
    Martin_H and LMan like this.
  20. AndreasU

    AndreasU

    Joined:
    Apr 23, 2015
    Posts:
    98
  21. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    Sorry for my late reply, I am trying to double my effects to stay active while working.

    What I am trying to do is make to start with a generic RTS as the first part of my project, if I get time before I need to write up my report then I plan to add in some RPG elements to the game. This would consist of special units having to them a level of customization in what they can do. I plan to implement a special unit that can: gather, build, combat, research, and preform special abilities. The more RPG elements I want is the player getting to level into those skills to become better.
     
  22. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    I will consider this into the Game World design, making the resource nodes limited and spread out, but not random. Random is just too random. Exploration is something that I will note down and I have a few ideas but currently for the project it is not the biggest concern.
     
  23. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    Currently I would say yes, I am making a clone with a slice of originality to it. Honestly with the time available to me I can't create something completely original, given the course of two years I would be able to create something original. At the moment I want to create something that I have put thought into how to do it and added a few of my own touches to it.

    In terms of questioning the norms of a RTS game I do agree, it is thought provoking to think of other ways of doing things. A friend asked me about making more diplomatic encounters with NPC than combat encounters.
     
  24. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    Great game Dawn of War, very fun to play. The lack of resource collection is interesting as well not as much as the game being based of a entire functional universe.

    With some limitations I have faced I've decided to solution to features I can't have. I was considering fog of war for example but felt it would take too long for me and as I want to go down a RPG route with the RTS decided to have the camera pinned on certain special units that you can toggle from. The high of the camera will reveal what you can see. I may include special buildings which are look out posts also.
     
  25. DrDandilion

    DrDandilion

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
    Posts:
    32
    Thank you, the trailer looks pretty cool I am going to have a look at some lets plays to see what it is like :)