Grey Goo

Here's something interesting... a new RTS called Grey Goo

http://greygoo.greybox.com/info/overview/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMRsic7dYAY

It's from Petroglyph. If you don't know they formed out of ex Westwood staff after it was closed by EA. Their games have been pretty hit or miss overall, but that mostly applies for their non-strategy titles. Their next big game was supposed to have been End of Nations, but that was stuck in development hell since publisher Trion didn't know what the hell they wanted to do with it (seems to be a recurring theme with modern RTS titles... just look at EA's last ill-fated Command & Conquer), so they gave it to another developer who turned it into a full on MOBA, and then it was scrapped completely.

I have a lot more confidence in Grey Goo since it's going to be a classic basebuilding RTS and that's within their comfort zone. There's also this interesting snippet from the page:

Grey Goo is a real-time strategy game (RTS for short) with roots in classic strategy mechanics. Utilizing traditional base building as its core, the game aims to reinvent the modern standard of RTS gaming by placing emphasis on tactics over micro-management. By freeing players from having to issue hundreds of orders in a match, each decision is made more valuable and can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Those words mean a lot to me. I really despise when RTS gameplay centers more around tedious micromanagement, which basically transforms it into a different game altogether. It is not why I got into the genre in the first place. Yet game design started to center more and more around this since it was highly popular in competitive circles. Games like DOTA and LoL feel like the inevitable end destination of this style of gameplay. I'd rather they keep the micro confined to those types of games and return to the strategy part of real time strategy.

GeckoYamori said:

I really despise when RTS gameplay centers more around tedious micromanagement, which basically transforms it into a different game altogether.

I've heard "micromanagement" thrown around a lot, but I don't get the difference between RTS games that focus on it and ones that don't. Probably because, though I love the genre, the only RTS games I play anymore are the older C&C games and Dawn of War: Soulstorm. Any examples you can throw out of micromanagement-oriented RTS games and ones that aren't?

Blizzard's games were usually more micro-focused than others because many units had special abilities, sometimes more than 1, that you're expected to use manually. Personally babysitting a unit's precise movements also became more crucial in high level play. Warcraft 3 was the real turning point with its focus on hero units. I got really turned off from that game, since it felt torn between being a strategy game and Diablo game, and it didn't excel in either. That's where the whole MOBA thing has its roots

I just want revived and polished C&C in all its former glory without any tricky, forced and completely useless stuff

Waffenak said:

I just want revived and polished C&C in all its former glory without any tricky, forced and completely useless stuff

Then play C&C again. The RTS genre has had to change fundamentally to sell (which it still can't, because MOBAs and their god-awful spawn are topping the revenue charts), and it's obvious from your post that any additions to the core gameplay are going to be dismissed as "tricky forced and completely useless stuff". No point in setting yourself up for disappointment.

I thought C&C3 was really great. The added formation commands (in addition to directional armor) made it a joy to play.

It was Ground Control that suddenly made the gaming press go "this is the future of RTS" and fed this notion that every new RTS from now on had to conform to this formula. Rather ironic considering it was a lot like Bitmap Brothers' Z from 1995, which many slammed at the time for not being enough like C&C or Warcraft.

Dumb name, but if it's true they're phasing out micromanagement it might be the RTS that gets me to like RTS games again.

Who is in charge of inventing these names? The proper nouns are supposed to inspire secondary designers to flesh out the main campaign.

I thought GreyGhost melted for a second.

GeckoYamori said:

I thought C&C3 was really great. The added formation commands (in addition to directional armor) made it a joy to play.

It was Ground Control that suddenly made the gaming press go "this is the future of RTS" and fed this notion that every new RTS from now on had to conform to this formula. Rather ironic considering it was a lot like Bitmap Brothers' Z from 1995, which many slammed at the time for not being enough like C&C or Warcraft.

C&C 3 was still enjoyable but C&C 4 was god-awful squad moving limited unit shit which dont match well with C&C universe. There wasnt even possibility to build a base which I always enjoy maybe the most

Mr. Freeze said:

Then play C&C again. The RTS genre has had to change fundamentally to sell (which it still can't, because MOBAs and their god-awful spawn are topping the revenue charts), and it's obvious from your post that any additions to the core gameplay are going to be dismissed as "tricky forced and completely useless stuff". No point in setting yourself up for disappointment.

You know what they say: if ain't broke, don't fix it. They dont have to reinvent the wheel. Pleasing wide audience and casuals is bullshit because its impossible with most of the games. Stick with the core and you cant lose, try to hoard loads of money with an attempt to catch everyones attention= you crash and burn

Petroglyph were involved with Empire at War and possibly the expansion Forces of Corruption also, that fortunately wasn't a miss of a game.

It has Klepacki, I want it.

Clonehunter said:

I thought GreyGhost melted for a second.

Nope. Ghosts don't melt, we dissipate.

The game sounds interesting.

GeckoYamori said:

Warcraft 3 was the real turning point with its focus on hero units.

That focus started with the expansion pack for Warcraft II (Beyond the Dark Portal), really.