[360] Halo Wars (RTS)

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Originally Posted by Isthmus

It's just that every single true RTS for the console has suffered from bad controls, mainly due to the fact that RTSes are suited to mouse/keyboard play, because of the accuracy of the mouse, and the fact that the keyboard has a large amount of buttons. The Xbox 360 controller, though it is one of the best console controllers in existence, unlike the unergonomic Dual Shock or Gamecube controller, does not have enough buttons, and it's thumbsticks are not as accurate as the mouse, because they control speed of movement, rather than actual movement itself, like the mouse does. Also, Ensemble Studios has never made a console game before, but has plenty of experience in PC RTSes.

Now, if Microsoft released even just a mouse by itself for the 360 (and no keyboard), I'd instantly go out and buy it.

If you'd have played LOTR:BFME2 for the Xbox 360, you'll see that there is hope for RTS games on the consoles. It's no argument that RTS games have had the most success with the mouse and keyboard combo, but this is not an excuse to immediately declare that Halo Wars is going to suck.

I personally am pretty excited about this game. Bungie is definitely going to analyze what worked and didn't work from LOTR:BFME2, and if ever there was a chance for an RTS on consoles to sell it's by having the HALO-brand stamped on top of it.

My only worry is whether or not we'll be seeing consistant patches and updates for the game. No RTS has perfect balance from the get-go, and LOTR:BFME2 has yet to receive a much-needed balance patch (typical EA).

I honestly have to agree w/ Isthmus due to the fact that I have played some RTS on the consoles and they usually don't live up to the PC counter parts.

I played LOTR-BFME2 and honeslty didn't like it compared to the PC version of it(I played the 1st BFME on pc).

Newbie> I don't think Bungie is doing much work on this game b/c if you look at the trailer for it, their name is no where to be found on the list.

Originally Posted by Furby

I honestly have to agree w/ Isthmus due to the fact that I have played some RTS on the consoles and they usually don't live up to the PC counter parts.

I played LOTR-BFME2 and honeslty didn't like it compared to the PC version of it(I played the 1st BFME on pc).

Furb, that's a pretty pointless comment though because very few games are as good on consoles as they are on PC. The difference is that you can generally get everything you need to play the console version for a couple of hundred quid whereas you need thousands to get a top spec pc and keep it current. PCs tend to lend themselves to RTS games better because a keyboard and mouse are pretty essential as a rule and nobody to date has put together a really effective joypad control system.

That said, I played Warhammer:Shadow of the Horned Rat on PS1 using a Playstation mouse (Controller gimics, lol) and I loved it. The game was pretty slow paced though with not too many units in your army so didn't suffer from lack of a keyboard. I can't imagine ever playing something like Homeworld with a joypad for example.

At the end of the day though, this is the MW forum and we're here to talk about Xbox games, not PC games. Lets keep the "MY £2,000 PC HAS BETTAR GRAFICS THAN UR 360, NUB" comments to a minimum please (This is a warning to anyone thinking of posting commetns like that, not having a go at Furbs).

Originally Posted by Furby

I honestly have to agree w/ Isthmus due to the fact that I have played some RTS on the consoles and they usually don't live up to the PC counter parts.

I played LOTR-BFME2 and honeslty didn't like it compared to the PC version of it(I played the 1st BFME on pc).

Newbie> I don't think Bungie is doing much work on this game b/c if you look at the trailer for it, their name is no where to be found on the list.

My bad, I meant Ensemble Studios.

The game certainly plays better on PC, but it's still pretty much the first time an RTS has actually been half-decent on consoles. All the essentials are there and I've had a number of fun skirmishes on Xbox Live. The control scheme actually allows players to micro armies and still have decent macro at their base. Sure, a guy on PC will beat a guy on a controller any day, but that's only because the game was built with the PC in mind from the beginning. Pinpointing tiny heroes to focus fire on a tv screen should simply never be in a console RTS. The tiny minimap in the corner also doesn't work that well, and a tactical map ala Company of Heroes would almost certainly work better.

I remember shooters being usually pretty bad on consoles. After playing Doom on PC, then playing it on an SNES was a joke. Until Goldeneye007, most of them were junk. Even afterwards, the ports of Unreal Tournaments or Quakes are hardly comparable to their original versions. It was still only until Halo that all the pieces were finally brought together. LOTR is no Goldeneye or Halo, but it's still a step in the right direction.

Similarly, action RPGS were awful on consoles (just look at Diablo for PS1) until Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance showed the way that they should be done.

True, the console port of Diablo was shit compared to the pc version and Dark Alliance was an awesome game to play...

Personally, I'm still going to have to see it to believe it. . But Ensemble Studio.. I know they made some other RTS' but I can't remember.. Didn they make Rise of Nations?

Apparently during the Games Conventions in Leipzig 2007, Harter Ryan, Ensemble’s executive producer, said a demo of Halo Wars will be hitting Xbox Live within the next few days, which would mean it'd appear sometime this week or next. From the videos and stuff being released it's definitely looking interesting and I'll certainly be checking out a demo if it hits.