Summary
- Original RTS games were simple - modern ones mix genres for complexity.
- Timer can be too stressful for newcomers, some great RTS games don't need speed.
- Expansions like Rebellion & Kane's Wrath improved the base games in every way.
The very first real-time strategy games were quite simple titles. Even popular RTS games such as StarCraft were not particularly complex from a gameplay viewpoint. Modern games often mix genres, adding a turn-based strategic layer on top of real-time battles to overcome this. Others intertwine RPG aspects to flesh out the gameplay.
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Of course, one way to improve an already established game, is to publish an expansion for it. Strategy games of all kinds are commonly extended in this way, as it is fairly simple to add additional factions and extra units. However, some expansions went far beyond this, making the original games so much better in every way.
7 Sins Of A Solar Empire: Rebellion
Refined Enemy AI
- Platforms: GeForce Now, Microsoft Windows
- Released: June 12, 2012
- Developer: Ironclad Games, Stardock
- Genre: Real-time strategy, Simulation Video Game, Indie game, Action game, Strategy
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion, is an expansion for the original game, but in a standalone format, meaning that gamers do not need to own the original game to play the expansion. The Rebellion expansion extended the gameplay features, most notably adding two new factions, the rebels and the loyalists.
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Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion also revamped the enemy AI, and the way that large-scale battles unfold. This resulted in a galaxy that was more adaptive and seemed to be more alive than in the first game. Overall, Rebellion was well received, and many of the features formed the basis of Sins Of A Solar Empire 2.
6 Command & Conquer 3: Kane’s Wrath
Kane Is Back!
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
- Released: March 25, 2008
- Developer: Danger Close, BreakAway Games
- Genre: Real-time strategy, Strategy
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars was a fantastic RTS game in its own right. Kane’s Wrath added to the quality, resulting in a fully fleshed-out campaign mode. Kane is one of the most widely acclaimed villains in gaming history, so creating an expansion for an already great game that leveraged his popularity was pure genius.
Something that Kane’s Wrath added to the Command & Conquer franchise was sub-factions within the primary factions, and this added an additional level of gameplay. Furthermore, the new strategic, turn-based map mode entirely transformed the gameplay. The narrative was slick and well-produced, and Kane was his usual enigmatic self.
5 Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Dark Crusade
Introducing Two New Races
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Dark Crusade
- Released
- October 9, 2006
- Developer(s)
- Relic Entertainment
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy
Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War was a well-received game in its own right, that set the standards for the franchise that developed over the coming years. And then came the Dark Crusade expansion. It was released as a standalone product, with no need for gamers to own or buy the original game. Dark Crusade added two new races, the Tau, and the Necrons.
However, it wasn’t the new races that made Dark Crusade stand out. It was the addition of the new dynamic campaign mode, giving players the freedom to approach the main story in several ways. To this day, Dark Crusade is known as arguably the best expansion in the entire franchise.
4 Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
Epic Battles On A Large Scale
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance
The last days of man are at hand.. Two years after the Infinite War the once great warring nations now lie in ruins, and humanity’s hope for a brighter future is nothing but a bitter memory. A new, seemingly unstoppable enemy, supported by the zealots of The Order, now seeks to eradicate mankind: UEF, Aeon Loyalist, and Cybran alike. With their backs against the wall and staring into the abyss, the tattered remnants of Humanity’s forces must put aside old hatreds and band together as they prepare to make one last desperate stand. One last chance. An alliance forged in blood, steel and hope, they turn to face the dark.
Key Features:
New Playable Faction: A completely new playable faction will be available in multiplayer games and serve as the main threat during the new single-player campaign. This new threat is a cunning and devious race with advanced technology and are true masters of quantum technology. New weapons, new strategies, new conquests!
New Units: 110 new land, sea, air, base and experimental units evolve armies to address strategic weakness or become the ultimate expressions of factional military doctrine.
Warfare on an Epic Scale: Fully realized navies, orbital weaponry and advanced counter intelligence technologies give commanders unprecedented, deadly new capabilities in what is already the most strategic RTS on the market today.
New Multiplayer Maps: New multiplayer battlefields provide new grounds for players to prove their supremacy.
New Single Player Campaign: Play through a brand new single player campaign as you gather your forces to save mankind from extinction.
Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance is a standalone expansion for the original game. It took the already successful recipe, and extended it to add more tactical options. A new alien race was added, the Seraphim, and existing factions were given new units and ability upgrades.
The game graphics were improved, and performance was increased, adding to smoother gameplay during the massive battles that take place. Enemy AI was improved, to make battles on the huge maps much more challenging. Overall, Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance was a huge improvement over an already great game.
3 Homeworld: Cataclysm
Introducing Kiith Somtaaw
- Platforms: Windows
- Released: September, 2000
- Developer: Barking Dog Studios
- Genre: Real-time strategy
Considering how the campaign ended in the original Homeworld game, the community speculated that there could never be an expansion. They were proven wrong when Homeworld: Cataclysm was released. Rather than try and find a way to extend the original storyline, the expansion simply introduced a new faction, the Kiith Somtaaw, with their own campaign.
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The expansion added new ships, and also new abilities such as being able to capture enemy ships. One of the best features of the expansion was the improvements to the UI. The original game was criticized as being overly complex to play, and the expansion addressed this with UI improvements.
2 Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 – Yuri’s Revenge
A Humorous Expansion To Red Alert 2
Command & Conquer: Yuri's Revenge
EXPANSION IS THE PATHI TO ID DIVIINIATIOINI
A NEW THIRD SIDE TO THE WAR
Take command of Yuri's Army and wield devastating weapons built on
forbidden technologies. Enslave minds, create genetically mutated Brutes,
spread biological viruses, and inflict a variety of exotic punishments on your enemies.
DEFEAT YURI WITH YOUR NEW ARSENAL
Both the Allied and Soviet armies get new, powerful weapons including the Allies' Robot Control Center and the Guardian Gl. The new Soviet weaponry includes the Siege Chopper and Boris, a machine-gun toting commando who can call down MiG bombing strikes.
NEW MULTIPLAYER FEATURES
With 10 new cooperative missions and enhanced matchmaking through Westwood Online' gamers have more interesting options than just fighting head-to-head.
NEW STORYLINE
New in-name movies tell the story of Yuri and his insidious plot, bringing back popular characters from Red Alert 2, including Tanya, Eva. Romanoy and Uugan.
FIGHT IN EXOTIC LOCALES
Wage war throughout time as you fight from the Jurassic Era to the Space Age. Battles take place variety of terrain such as deserts, jungles, Icebergs and even the moon.
- Released
- October 10, 2001
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Developer
- Westwood Pacific
- Genre(s)
- Real-Time Strategy, Tactical
Red Alert and Red Alert 2 took the Command & Conquer franchise in a new direction. Both titles were less serious than other C&C games, and both games used much more compact battle maps. The result was a pair of RTS games that were incredibly fun to play whilst still being challenging.
Yuri’s Revenge was more of the same, but better. The expansion added completely new campaigns for both the Soviets and the Allies. With an overarching story arc related to Yuri’s endeavors to control the entire world through mind control. Overall, Yuri’s Revenge did an excellent job of giving RA fans many hours of more gameplay.
1 StarCraft: Brood War
Well Balanced And Challenging
- Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 64, Classic Mac OS
- Released: December 18, 1998
- Developer: Blizzard Entertainment, Saffire
- Genre: Real-time strategy
StarCraft was a massive hit for Blizzard. A game that did much to define the RTS genre that players still enjoy today. Blizzard decided to shake things up with the StarCraft: Brood War expansion. Part of the attraction of the original title was its simplicity. However, due to this simplicity, players very quickly found certain tactics that worked far better than others. The Brood War expansion changed this.
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StarCraft: Brood War added new units to all three factions. This resulted in a completely new tactical situation, with older battle tactics no longer being effective. Players had to take the time to learn the new game mechanics, to overcome the additional challenges that StarCraft: Brood War offers. The result is one of the most popular expansions for a video game ever made.