History Main / RealTimeStrategy

* ''VideoGame/{{Pikmin}}'': Lead a group of coloured carrots to save yourself.
* ''VideoGame/PlagueInc'': Similar to 'Pandemic' above, make your disease spead worldwide.

** ''VideoGame/{{Age of Empires|I}}''

As its name implies, in comparison to its big brother TurnBasedStrategy, the Real Time Strategy genre has players taking action whenever they wish (within the constraints of how often any particular action can be taken). Playtime will continue for other players and entities in the game even if one player sits back and does nothing, rather than breaking up the sequence of play into discrete turns for each player, which brings multiplayer matches down from hours or days to minutes. While this leaves less time for strategizing and encourages fast-paced playstyles, it makes commanders less omniscient, allowing ambushes and distractions to be viable strategies. As for unit pathfinding, unlike other genres such as the FirstPersonShooter[[note]]Where the player is usually too busy running along a linear path thwarting pre-scripted ambushes to notice[[/note]], in the RTS genre[[note]]where battles take place in [[SpaceFillingPath enormous, twisty campaigns]] and the player is constantly shepherding large numbers of units with a perfect view of their incompetence[[/note]] the tendency of unit AI to [[ArtificialStupidity unnecessarily bumble around the map in response to choke points and clump together when attacking]] becomes very obvious; therefore pathfinding is given a high amount of importance, as a game with a weak AI becomes frustrating to play in the "my units are dumb" sense.

Almost all games of this type are based on ground combat on a 2D map, with various terrain and obstacles adding interest to the battlefield. Airborne and seaborne units are sometimes incorporated, but they are seldom realistic in terms of speed and performance[[note]]Almost all aircraft in RTS games can hover, cannot change altitude, and have unlimited fuel and ammo; naval units are subjected to CriticalExistenceFailure: the only way even heavily weaponized galleons sink is by having all of their HP depleted, even 1 HP is enough to keep them afloat[[/note]]. As for the GUI itself, it always displays the available resources, enemy factions, the minimap with the revealed terrain and the units/buildings the player can see, and if an unit or building is selected, it also displays the commands/orders it can perform. Several games also have different minimap options allowing players to see resources, enemy units, allied/own units, WildCard units, and many/all of the above at the same time.

[[folder:Basic unit archetypes]]

* ''VideoGame/RomanceOfTheThreeKingdoms''

Debate rages as to what the first originating RTS actually was, the results largely dependent on the age and nationality of the participants, and the definition of RTS (which can overlap with real-time tactics or TurnBasedStrategy). The UsefulNotes/ZXSpectrum had [[UrExample early claimaints]] many many moons ago (1984 saw ''VideoGame/{{Stonkers}}'' and 1987 -- ''VideoGame/NetherEarth''); the MSX saw ''Herzog'' in the late 80s -- but only in Japan; and 1989 saw its sequel ''VideoGame/HerzogZwei'' on the UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis (Mega Drive) which introduced many of the genre conventions. ''Herzog Zwei'' was the TropeMaker that spawned the genre, being the common ancestor of every modern RTS. It inspired 1992's ''VideoGame/DuneII'' by Creator/WestwoodStudios (later of ''VideoGame/CommandAndConquer'' fame), which established the form and the tropes of the RTS which are known to the masses today, making it the TropeCodifier.

Almost all games of this type are based on ground combat on a 2D map, with various terrain and obstacles adding interest to the battlefield. Airborne and seaborne units are sometimes incorporated, but they are seldom realistic in terms of speed and performance[[note]]Almost all aircraft in RTS games can hover, cannot change altitude, and have unlimited fuel and ammo; naval units are subjected to CriticalExistenceFailure: even the heavily weaponized galleons at lower HP levels ''don't'' sink[[/note]]. As for the GUI itself, it always displays the available resources, enemy factions, the minimap with the revealed terrain and the units/buildings the player can see, and if an unit or building is selected, it also displays the commands/orders it can perform.

[[folder:Basic archetypes of units]]

* '''The [[TacticalSuperweaponUnit Super/Epic Unit]]:''' A large superpowered unit almost capable of taking out an army or base all by itself. These are usually expensive as hell to build (and usually slow, too), so if you allow your opponent to build several of these, you probably deserve what's about to happen (some games limit the player to only building one at a time). usually AwesomeButImpractical, bringing one of these into a fight often gets a satisfying OhCrap from your opponent. Losing one of these returns the favor.

** '''The Resource Controller:''' A Resource Building that is specifically built on top of a gather-able resource itself, allowing only your peon/harvester units to use it.

* '''TheMercenary:''' An unit that typically becomes available immediately and is purchased using the "gold" resource. May only be available for a limited time, or its cost be too high.

* '''The Super[=/=]Epic Unit:''' A large superpowered unit almost capable of taking out an army or base all by itself. These are usually expensive as hell to build (and usually slow, too), so if you allow your opponent to build several of these, you probably deserve what's about to happen (some games limit the player to only building one at a time). usually AwesomeButImpractical, bringing one of these into a fight often gets a satisfying OhCrap from your opponent. Losing one of these returns the favor.

* '''The Basic Melee Unit:''' In medieval fantasy games this is the first and most basic combat unit available, and most often has a sword and light armor. In more futuristic scenarios, melee units are much rarer.

* ''VideoGame/TotalWar'': [[/index]]An interesting hybrid, with a continent-scale strategic turn-based game that jumps to PausableRealtime battles for resolving conflicts between opposing armies. Wiki/TheOtherWiki calls it [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real-time_tactics Real-time Tactics]], distinct from Real-time Strategy.[[index]]

* '''The Anti-Infantry Unit:''' Usually used in modern/futuristic games. About the same stats as basic units, but usually armed with a flamethrower, rocket launcher or other specialized weapon. Their usefulness tends to wane after the early or middle game, usually right after the enemy's anti-infantry vehicles come into play.
* '''The Anti-Vehicular Unit:''' Like the infantry equivalent, only bigger, tougher, and can usually dish out more damage. These usually come in Anti-Infantry or [[AntiAir Anti-Air]]. Occasionally both.
* '''[[AntiStructure The Anti-Building Unit]]:''' The building equivalent to the Anti-Infantry and Anti-Vehicular units. Comes in two variants:

** ''VideoGame/TotalWarWarhammerIII''

* ''VideoGame/{{Outpost 2}}''