With StarCraft: Remastered launching today, we’re in a nostalgic mood here at GameRevolution, particularly for RTS games.
StarCraft played a huge role in the boon of online gaming, with Battle.net showcasing that online chat, gaming, and competition could come together to create a memorable experience. Building upon the foundations that Blizzard set with the Warcraft franchise, it would introduce RTS to the future where mankind would face the threat of Protoss advanced technology and overwhelming numbers of Zerg.
What I remember most vividly were custom games. StarCraft launched with a full map editor, allowing the average Joe to build unique creations. I spent far more time playing random maps, from tower defense to RPGs with stories and even paintball matches, than competing in traditional games. Consequently, I was awful at the game, but got hundreds of hours of value out of it.
While StarCraft was my first multiplayer love, WarCraft 2: Tides of Darkness was my first true RTS. I only ever had a chance to play on LAN with some classmates in middle school—I had a teacher who was hooked on it. I remember being drawn in by building an army and waging war.
Over time my interest in RTS has largely fallen off as quicker reward cycles have become standard in the industry, and MOBA has provided a more approachable angle on tactical play between units.
What was your first RTS? Let us know in the comments below.
