Summary
When fans hear the word RTS, they will likely remember classics such asStarCraft,Age of Empires,andCommand & Conquer- after all, it’s these games that shaped the genre today with iconic mechanics such as build orders and counters. However, back in the strategy game fever of the 00s and the early 2010s, many developers and publishers attempted to take the genre out for a spin with new mechanics and concepts.
While there are other takes on the RTS genre such as options to switch from FPS to RTS view, plugging in the RTS formula for smaller consoles, and even trying to hybridize the RTS with RPG concepts, a lot of these promising games ended up in production hell. However, while these titles might never see the light of day, it’s still interesting to check out just what they could have offered had they actually pushed through.
2010
Supposed Release Date
N/A
When players hear the term “use gadgets to coordinate attacks in real time,” theRainbow Sixfranchise immediately comes to mind - the FPS title practically perfected the “tactical” part of its formula. However, during the 2010s when introducing new FPS concepts was the craze,State of Crisistried upping the ante: handing full control over a squad to the player. This isn’t just about directing AI teammates to do things with simple commands, but rather allowing AI teammates to act independently until players themselves intervene.
InState of Crisis, players can switch to a tactical map where they can switch to their allies in real time. Not only that, they can use electronics in the area to do a plethora of things such as switching off lights or even calling laser strikes. Using gadgets and ammo cost resources, of which players are assigned a set amount during missions,incorporating the RTS element of resource managementinto the mix. Unfortunately,Darkworks wasn’t able to find a publisher forState of Crisisand had to cancel its development.
There hasn’t been a lot of real-time tactical games for the PlayStation Portable despite being quite the powerful handheld, makingGalaxy’s Enda promising RTSfor the small console. Basing on its short trailer,Galaxy’s Endinvolves settlers arriving on a planet and having to fight a present threat - complete with mecha soldiers with shields, bipedal laser bots, and tanks. Unlike other RTS titles,Galaxy’s Endseems to be a top-down side scroller, where conflicts with enemies generally happen along the middle to the right side of the map while players populate the left side with their units and structures.
Unfortunately, not much is known aboutGalaxy’s Endfull slate of features. According to Tiki Games, they didn’t have enough funding forGalaxy’s Endto finish its full development, especially when the studio at the time had no way of determining whether there’s a big-enough audience to purchase a downloadable title within the PlayStation Store. Inan archive of a forum post(of which the original domain was unfortunately scrubbed), Tiki Games explained that the lack of funding meant they cannot finish the game.
WhenTeam Buddiesgot released for the PlayStation, it had quite the odd premise: thinkWormsbut with shooter and RTS elements. Touted as an action strategy title,Team Buddieslets players control one pill-shaped “Buddy” as they take Crates to their base, which in itself is a platform. Stacking Crates in certain order can spawn different weapons, and even up to three Buddies that players can switch to at any given time but also act independently. The goal is to fight for supremacy, essentially eliminating the other team of Buddies elsewhere on the map.
The game supposedly had a sequel namedTeam Buddies 2, but got shelvedas Sony didn’t fund Psygnosis games at the time. This was a shame asTeam Buddies 2seems to build upon the original game’s rather unique premise. The addition of the action element meant players can get into the action as much as they can plan ahead, forcing them to think whether they should prioritize leading the charge themselves or supporting the team by gathering more crates to build better structures.
2009
Ever since the advent of RTS on the PC, fans have been clamoring for handhelds to pursue the concept - unfortunately, the resource-intensive nature of an RTS and its multiple elements became an immense hurdle for developers to handle. This was also the case forEmperor, but it seems Frame Studios actually cracked the code to get an RTSinto the Nintendo DSbefore its eventual cancellation due toa lack of a publisher.
In the trailer,Emperoris a simple RTS title with a three-faction approach: the Greeks, the Romans, and the Egyptians. The game’s story involves expanding one’s faction across the game map, with the bottom screen of the DS allocated for menu activities (resource tracking, building and production) with a real-time, isometric view above. Players can drag buildings around a screen to build them, and units could be pointed towards an area for movement and attack. Had it been released,Emperorwould be the first RTS for the Nintendo DS.
WithRomance of the Three Kingdomsbeing the closest franchise players had to aniconic title about the Three Kingdoms period(until 2019’sTotal War: Three Kingdoms), it’s no surprise that 2000’sThree Kingdoms: Fate of the Dragonwas a breath of fresh air for RTS fans. Set in the same period, the Overmax Studios title controlled factions controlled by Liu Bei (Shu Han), Sun Quan (Eastern Wu), and Cao Cao (Cao Wei) as they vied for dominance in a map in traditional RTS fashion.
Although it receivedDragon Throne: Battle of Red Cliffsas an expansion,Fate of the Dragon 2was poised as the “true” sequel. Unfortunately,not much is known about its developmentexcept its eventual cancellation. It seemed the game’s engine and graphics were used by aFate OnlineMMO, but the game hasn’t been localized outside of China. Based on the trailer,Fate of the Dragon 2seems to continue the first game’s setting of the Three Kingdoms Era, complete with Chinese locales, architecture, and military units.
2001
Such was the recognition ofDuneas a sci-fi franchise that it spawned one of the industry’s first forays into modern RTS (2001’sEmperor: Battle for Dune), which makes it just aspoetic forDuneto also have one of the first attempts for an MMORTS concept in the form ofDune Generations. According to Cryonetworks,Dune Generationsis set in a persistent and massively multiplayer “world” where players assume control of a dynasty in Arrakis they have to raise as the most powerful in the planet.
Had it pushed through, players could have been a trader, soldier, or mercenary-type dynasty, with the MMO offering a different experience depending on the player’s choice. While there was a video trailer released in 2001 and went in alpha in 2002,Cryo’s bankruptcy ultimately axed the game’s development. The most recentDunegames was the RTS-with-4XDune: Spice Warsand the upcomingDune: Awakeningsurvival MMO.
2004
When humanity discovers the Saturn 5 wormhole in 2090, it led them to many planets that can support life - including a benevolent race called the Ematrants. Unfortunately, when an unfortunate illness among the Ematrants had cause distrust among the two species, players have to playSpoils of Warto see a true end to their eventual conflict. The game itself is an interesting take on the sci-fi RTS genre, as itsStarCraft-esque approachto unique races with unique buildings is now blended with an option to switch to FPS to command soldiers into battle.
Spoils of Warfeatures over 50 unique units and structures, all of which players can interact with seamlessly, regardless of their chosen mode. Not only that, the multiplayer-only nature of the game means players can switch to different modes to affect the flow of combat - where one player could be taking the charge of the game’s RTS mode while their teammates are in FPS modes working their way to turn the tide of combat. Unfortunately, East Coast Games had to cancelSpoils of Warafter failing to meet its funding targets in 2014.
2013
When a game features the prehistoric era, it’s often just reserved at the “beginning” of matches - and even then, it often doesn’t last, such as inCivilizationgames where Settlers are easily drafted into their more advanced counterparts. InWildman, players take control ofhumans from 200,000 years agoin an alternate history where civilizations can evolve with both technology and magic. While players initially control a Wildman or Wildwoman, they’re tasked to conquer various enemy civilizations around them while exploring the world.
Its RPG elements involve the player’s commander exploring the world - fighting monsters, exploring dungeons, and acquiring items. However, special War Zones allow players to draft their own armies to fight other armies, with players being able to upgrade their units with technology, magic, and armor. When players defeat another civilization, their tech is theirs for the taking, allowing them to improve their own existing faction on the fly. Although initially revealed in 2013 with a Kickstarter,devs from Gas Powered Games had to be laid overdue to financial difficulties and the game ultimately had to be cancelled.
2012
Revealed by Starcave Entertainment in 2005,Terra: Formationwas poised as a multiplayer FPS/RTS hybrid where players are “free” to alternate between playstyles they prefer as they wage war in vast environments. Set in 2157 where factions of a ruined mankind wage war on Europa for resources, players can become a Soldier, Engineer, Researcher, or Commander - all of which have unique interactions with the game.
The game’s genre-switching mechanic is supported by its evolving environment, where terraforming progress can affect gameplay. Players can switch perspectives on the fly, wherein they can build units and move them around in anRTS-style isometric viewand zoom in to a selected unit to control their movement in the thick of battle. Aftera dismal Indiegogo crowdfunding campaignthat only resulted in $75 of its $175,000 goal being funded, it was rebranded asT.E.R.R.A.in 2014 with a projected 2016 release date. Unfortunately, the game never saw the light of day with no official explanation.
Many games had a different vision of what an MMORTS could look like, butEnd of Nationshad showed the closest thing to a reasonable concept with its trailer - where essentially 20+players engage with each other in a massive mapwith a persistent environment. Courtesy of folks from Petroglyph Games, the game apparently takes place in a near future where a global economic crisis has led to a worldwide collapse, with only three factions - two of which are player-controlled, the third being computer-controlled and the game’s antagonists - left.
It seemsEnd of Nationsis stylized as a battle arena type game, with multiple factions playing in the map at once. However, its concept has certainly created a buzz given how it wanted to include more than 20+ players in a single map at once, potentially creating rather chaotic but fun matches. Unfortunately, not much is known about the overall gameplay mechanics ofEnd of Nations. However, the title had received much-warranted attention as its team from Petroglyph Games were comprised of devs also known forCommand & Conquer, making the project somewhat feasible had it not been quietly shelved. There hasn’t been any official announcement for its cancelation, only thatany mentions of the game have been removed in the Trion Worlds websitein 2014.
