What could have worked: The "+RPG" Thread (RTS + RPG, RTS + FPS + RPG, and the rest)

[rusty_shackleford]

I'd perhaps agree with the card game as it's meant to be abstract, and it's a good summary of why I strongly dislike direct computer adaptations of non-computer games. Computers can do much better than the previous abstractions.

[Analogue Dreams]

RPG + RTS kind of did take off. Warcraft 3 was absolutely huge back in the day. Tons of people played it and its campaign, as well as ladder and custom games. WoW did not kill it, but it did kill Blizzard and any chance of them paying attention to WC3 again, which was promptly ignored almost completely and left to die, then finally put out to pasture for good with the horrible remake, and worse really, the preceding patches that destroyed the gameplay and balance.

The problem is nobody makes RTS in general anymore, let alone RTS RPGs. Devs aren't interested. Other than the Spellforce games, I can't think of any off the top of my head that came after WC3, and none of them approached it in quality. It had not only a good single player experience for casual players, but fun, competitive multiplayer, and a plethora of custom games made with its map editor on top of it; something for everyone.

RTS are hard to make, you need them to be balanced, except for it to be interesting you can't have balance be your only priority, because then you will make a boring game where everything feels the same. Asymmetrical balance is key, and this takes skilled designers to make who have some basic skills in things like math. Graphics must also be clear and convey information well so you can tell everything apart, which should be true for all games, but is essential in RTS. Altogether, it's much for most indie teams to do, but not of interest to an AAA team of today, which are not made up of the wargaming strategy nerds of yesteryear.

Because there was never a sequel to it, the enormous playerbase of Warcraft 3 split into other genres, with casuals mostly moving to mobas and MMOs. The people who were most into the RTS RPG part and played ladder had no replacement, and mostly hated other popular RTS like Starcraft 2 due to lack of RPG elements, only quitting Warcraft 3 once forced from Blizzard destroying it, although some went to private servers. These people are mostly old by now, while the younger generations can't remember just how popular RTS was at one point (Starcraft 1 as well).

Many genres of games have died not from lack of interest, but due to nobody making them.

[rusty_shackleford]

AFAIK The Endless games are turn-based strategy with RPG. I couldn't get into them but from what I know they're quite popular.

I'm referring to Endless Space/Endless Legend, not the gay pixelshit games they did that were hated

[rusty_shackleford]

Do you guys consider any other genre to be as fundamental to video games as RPG?
Most other 'foundational' genres just feel like you're taking parts of RPG and removing the rest.

[Oyster Sauce]

Do you guys consider any other genre to be as fundamental to video games as RPG?
Most other 'foundational' genres just feel like you're taking parts of RPG and removing the rest.

Platforming probably. Almost every game was about jumping to the right.

[WhiteShark]

Do you guys consider any other genre to be as fundamental to video games as RPG?
Most other 'foundational' genres just feel like you're taking parts of RPG and removing the rest.

Shooters, both of the 2d scrolling variety and the 3d first person variety.

[NotAI]

RPG + RTS kind of did take off. Warcraft 3 was absolutely huge back in the day. Tons of people played it and its campaign, as well as ladder and custom games....

Truth.

WoW did not kill it, but it did kill Blizzard and any chance of them paying attention to WC3 again....

Truth.

[Statesman]

Do you guys consider any other genre to be as fundamental to video games as RPG?
Most other 'foundational' genres just feel like you're taking parts of RPG and removing the rest.

Only if you consider Action Games as an actual genre.