Though usually victim to a player’s bout of frustration, simpleton AI, and a lack of visual charm, RTS games are unique in the sense that they offer an almost limitless number of gameplay options and outcomes, which is only slightly offset by their shortcomings. There’s just something extremely satisfying about using your brain (and a large number of peasants) instead of your brawn to defeat your virtual, mortal enemies, and in some cases it actually requires a certain amount of skill.
The Age of Empires series sucked up a good portion of my childhood sleep, and years later I still occasionally load it up and dominate a custom match. It would be hard to calculate just how many hours I’ve spent playing RTS-based games, and not just because I’m horrible with math.
