RTT stands for Real Time Tactics. RTT is a direct offshoot of the RTS genre and can sometimes be mixed in/confused with it. There are important differences and a reason why an entirely different category exists. One fundamental difference that absolutely defines the RTT genre from RTS is base building(Macro). If you haven’t read my previous blog post on what an RTS game is, now would be a good time to get caught up. Read it here. Essentially RTS games consist of a game with an overhead camera and three fundamental characteristics. Those being, Economy, Macro and Micro. What RTT does is immediately strip away the Macro(Base Building) aspect of RTS. This will be the unifying aspect of every RTT game. They focus on the Tactical(Action) side of the game. RTT games can and on average do have some sort of economy tied in with it. Typically the Economy will come in a different form(points, selection points etc). In this article I’d like to discuss some characteristics of an RTT that are usually expected and are common deviations from the RTS genre. Those being Camera, Base Building and Objectives.
The Core Difference: Tactics Over Macro (Base Building)
As discussed in the opening of this blog, the main difference between an RTT and an RTS game is the absence of base building. This aspect is also called Macro (Macro Manage). This is typically where you use resources to build buildings, upgrade buildings, advance tech trees and upgrade units(using buildings). RTT will remove this completely and will typically have it so the units you start with are what you have throughout the remainder of the game. Myth 2 and ROBA for that matter actually implement a unit selection screen utilizing the economy aspect of the genre to select what units you’d like to have in that round. This fundamental characteristic of RTS games being removed is what gives way to the intense unit control (micro) and tactical focus that RTT games can deliver. This is also the expectation of every game classifying itself as an RTT.
Full 3D Cameras: Why RTT Games Value Verticality
Nearly every RTS game out there has a camera whose angle is stationary(isometric). Essentially you can pan left and right but pitching up and down or in some cases zooming in while pitching doesn’t happen. RTT games will almost always break this mold and give you a full (mostly full) 3d, multi-metric camera. I’d say this change is a natural part of progression seeing as how you’re focused on the tactics aspect of the gameplay. This change in camera is because typically RTT games use elevation or foliage as a gameplay factor/tactic, so naturally you would want better visual positioning to determine elevation change or obstructions. ROBA for example utilizes full physics objects and interactions, so elevation and line of sight is a fundamental aspect of the gameplay, this makes being able to change positions and pitch integral to the experience. Myth 2 is one of the first games I can think of that makes this declaration and can be consider the father of RTT games.
Dynamic Objectives: Moving Beyond Base Destruction
The objective characteristic is a bit of a looser declaration as some RTS games will definitely implement objective based gameplay. By objective, I mean something else other than just eliminating your enemy. Typically in RTS games (Multiplayer at least) the sole objective is to destroy your enemies base and units. There are exceptions to this, but the general expectation for an RTS game is to feature an elimination game type. In an RTT there are almost always several different win conditions (In Multiplayer). The names and conditions may change but due to the elimination of having a base there’s now opportunities to focus on different areas of the map or different focuses. Some examples would be Capture and Hold, Extraction/Evacuation, Assassination/VIP Elimination, Last Stand/Survival, Escort, Sabotage, Reconnaissance, King of the Hill. ROBA for example has 6 game types already and there will be more added. Without base building as an anchor for unit production other game types will take a center stage, perhaps it’s because even if other game modes are presented in an RTS if you ultimately destroy their base you win anyways so why not make that the focus?
In Conclusion: Same Same but different
In conclusion these characteristics that I listed: Camera, Macro and Objectives are generally loose guidelines with the exception of the Macro. RTT is a firm and clear separation in RTS games solely because of the lack of base building but make no mistake RTT is a subgenre of the RTS scene and will often times get mixed in with it. The other characteristics are what I’d consider typical and may be expected but are not solid guidelines for classifying an RTT game. RTT’s sole purpose is to focus on tactics and the other characteristics are a direct evolution of that focus. Thanks for reading!
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