Game Design Deep Dive: Real-Time Strategy, focuses on what was once one of the most popular genres in the world and the one that truly kicked off the rise of esports. It has seen the most fundamental changes as a genre than anything else, and Game Design Critic Josh Bycer will talk about the history and where it stands today with regards to its relevancy in the market.
Key Features:
· Discusses balancing and design asymmetrical features and units
· Explores UI/UX design and building effective GUIs
· Examines the differences between multiplayer and single player balancing and how to appeal to both audiences.
· Provides predictions on the next big trend for the genre.
Preface
Acknowledgements
Social Media
Additional Books
Chapter 1 The Goal of This Book
Studying Strategy
The Different Shades of Strategy Design
Chapter 2 Early RTS Design
Herzog Zwei and Dune 2
The Rise of Command and Conquer
The Impact of Starcraft
The Age of Empires
The Golden Age of RTS
Chapter 3 The Basics of RTS Design
What is an RTS?
The Trinity of Strategies
A Study of Asymmetrical Design
Macro vs. Micro Play
Balancing Rock, Paper, and Scissors
Chapter 4 When Strategy Shrunk Down
The Fall of Command and Conquer
The War and Stars of Blizzard
Shrinking the Field with Relic Entertainment
The 2000’s era of RTS
Chapter 5 The 2010’s Strategy Transformation
Understanding MOBA and League of Legends
The Esport Evolution
Why did MOBAs overtake RTS?
When RTS Went Indie
Chapter 6 The Role of Asymmetrical Balance
How Far Can You Go?
Comparing Oranges to Apples
Keeping Consistency
Chapter 7 UIs and GUIs
Why The Focus Here
UI/UX Basics
The Main Screen GUI
UI/UX Practices for Micro and Macro
What Is a Bad UI?
Chapter 8 Advanced RTS Design
Macro vs. Micro Design
Creating Singleplayer Content
Raising Your Army
Multiplayer Matches
The Challenge of Long-Term Support
The Pros and Cons of Customization
Chapter 9 What is the Future of the Genre?
Can RTS Bounce Back?
New Influences for the Genre
Chapter 10 Conclusion
Making the Genre Work for Modern Audiences
Glossary
Biography
Joshua Bycer is a Game Design Critic with more than 7 years of experience critically analyzing game design and the industry itself. In that time through Game-Wisdom.com, he has interviewed hundreds of game developers and members of the industry about what it means to design video games.
