SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Multi-player diversity: When did it begin?

Posted: Aug 10 2014 02:25 pm

No one's posted anything over the weekend and I today I was wondering about this topic so I figured I'd bring to it the most expert community I know.

I wondering about when game developers started making radically different options for multi-player games. I'm not talking about things like kart games, where the best acceleration has the worst top speed and vice versa. Even something like Warcraft had different spells for orcs and humans, but the archers and axe throwers were essentially the same.

The game that really stands out for me is Starcraft. Terrans, Protoss, and Zerg are wildly different, but balanced. I also remember Command & Conquer having some diversity, and going back even farther, Dune.

I don't really have a single thesis here, just brain-vomit. Does anyone have any pre-Dune examples? Were Dune and C&C varied enough between factions? Anyone have any non-RTS examples? Speak brothers and sisters.

Joined: May 22 2008 Location: Goshen, VA Posts: 6544

I believe you mean Dune 2, right? Dune 1 was a point and click adventure game with very, very light strategy elements. The creator of that game actually coined the phrase "real time strategy" if I'm not mistaken.

Posted: Aug 11 2014 11:22 am

You are correct, Sir.

Posted: Aug 11 2014 12:15 pm

It goes back to Dune, the book.

Posted: Aug 11 2014 04:59 pm

Giants: Citizen Kabuto was a three-way RTS by the guys behind MDK, where each side was designed uniquely. You had the mechs, which had you controlling a squad of five to build up fortifications and improve units in the traditional sense; a single massive unit on another side that grew and evolved as it killed things; and the amphibious, spellcasting Sea Reapers on a third faction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giants:_Citizen_Kabuto