OT: The Future of Computer Strategy Games

[Tnarg]

dogscoff said:
Firstly, you'll be looking at massively multiplayer. Purpose-built strategy MMOGs will happen, but the really interesting ones will be the ones where you are giving orders to real people, not computer agents. Of course, this means that for every person who wants to play the game as a general, there will have to be a couple hundred other players willing to take on the role of footsoldier/ pilot/ tank commander/ whatever and follow orders. That's just fine though, those numbers are probably fairly representative of the sales of strategy games vs FPS/ flight sims etc. This means that a game won't be classed as a MMOrole plyer or MMOshooter any more, it will just be a game world with different roles and different gaming experiences within it.
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I think that this would be an interesting approach to a Real Time Grand Strategy game. As you start out as your tiny insignificant planet empire in a realm of millions of planets and thousand of Empires it would pretty much be a single person game in the beggining, easy to control. As you expand, other players (if they do not want to start their own empire and wish to take on certain tasks) can opt to join your game and take charge of certain tasks, jurisdictions ie, Director of the Orange Sector of the Gorkon Federation on the outer fringes of the 10 system Federation. This person would then be in control of everything that takes place in those 3 outer fringe systems. This person could opt to have subordinates as well. Of course the overal director of the Gorkon Federation (Original player) has his/her say and guides this other player, or they get the boot. For the first person shooter aspect, players can logon and play as a mercenaries for your empire, if they are doing a smashing good job, they can be offered permant membership to your empire and gain rank and prestige, ask the player for specific research, more forces, ect. If one wants to logon into your empire and do the "Sim City" micromanage thing, kudos, perhaps they can be hired to clean up some mired and redundant cities, make them more efficient, turn them into gems that stand out and gain recognition in the galaxy.

Basically as you empire grows and grows and instead of having AI's to manage all of your various aspects you can post job openings for real people Within your empire one could even try to oust another person in charge, just like corrupt politics in the real world. Or if the original player finally decides to retire after a successful 4 year run at it, he/she could turn it over to the 2nd in charge.

One would not need to worry about not always being online, because you could possibly have dozens of other people assisting the running of your empire at any given time that could make command decisions in your absence and provide a sitrep when you return.