The strategy is key to victory when it comes to most video game genres. A well-thought-out plan can lead you to success, while poor decisions can result in the death of you and your comrades in real-time strategy games. What are the benefits that we get while we play RTS games? Real-Time Strategy games are among the shortlist of video game genres that are playgrounds to exercise our minds. There are other areas where RTS games can strengthen mental skills. Those aspects include critical thinking, planning, reinforcing a proactive approach, decision making, and more. Other than that, they can be a primary source of fun for people who like to overcome challenges.
Self-Analysis
One common misconception among amateur RTS game players is that the games are hard to play. This is just not the case; they are just challenging and require the use of logic and improve gameplay strategies. In the beginning, every new player goes on live streams, and watches experienced players to learn the so-called "how-to" s of the games. Amateur players memorize popular builds so that they can apply them later on. It is hard for inexperienced players to craft winning strategies without the supervision of experienced players. Those who share their knowledge of different common pools that are called the game's 'meta' among video game players.
While you play RTS games, your self-analysis skills can improve because you need to see why and how you lose or win the game so that next time, you would make adjustments. Self-analysis is the key to long term success in RTS games and generally life itself. Most of the Real-time strategy games allow players to save replays of the games and watch it later. Some of the RTS games even offer a function that helps players to share their game replays with other players so that they can see, analyze, and create their strategies.
Learn from Mistakes
In RTS games like StarCraft 2, it is common for players to analyze every game that they play and see both their own and opponents' tactics/strategies that led to the victory. It is better to rewatch the replays of real-time strategy games because it leads to the self-analysis of the player. They see the mistakes that they have made and think over to figure out the ways that can eventually make them a better player.
The same mistakes result in the same kind of loss. That applies to all of the games that people love to play. One of the ways to avoid them is to make critical self-analysis and remember those mistakes. Real-time strategy games help players to understand that defeats are not the setback; instead, they are a learning opportunity. If you are not learning, you are losing. That is the behavioral treat that players can train themselves while they play RTS games, and it is one of the things that makes these games so unique.
Critical Thinking
As we mentioned before, RTS games are not that easy to play, though they can help you to develop essential abilities of thinking and allow you to work under pressure for better results. With limited resources, you asked to build bases, upgrade units, brave the fog of war, and coordinate attacks and defenses. These aspects make players think critically and improve their time management and critical thinking abilities. Real-time strategy games intentionally put pressure on their players so that they can make effective decisions with limited information and while having less time. For example, in StarCraft 2, Zerg tends to fight better in straight lands, away from chokepoints and cliffs. Instead, Protoss prefers to fare Zerg in cliffs and away from open areas.
Improvement of Managerial Skills
Based on incomplete resources and shreds of evidence, players need to make accurate and quick decisions while they play RTS games. Critical thinking, as well as stress, time management character, treats gained through experience in these particular games. If you want to win the game, the only option is to think and plan ahead of your opponent. In both short and long term tactics, players asked to deliver exceptional results that can lead them to victories. In the short term, misplaced armies, lack of sorting ability regarding units, mismanage units, mistimed acts can result in a loss. In the long term, inefficient economy, passive growth rate, misreading your opponent's in-game strategy can result in defeats for players. Players, who focus on improving their skills and critical thinking ability, can learn from the mistakes and make significant decisions that can eventually help them to become winners.
Execution of a Plan
The pressure is the component of real strategy games. Unlike games like Grand Strategy and 4X, players cannot control the pace of RTS games; Thus, they tend to think and execute quickly. Video game companies create these types of games that can train players so that they feel immediately, create a plan, and run it during a short period. In practice, RTS games require players to maintain mental engagement and exercise planning. Both short term and long term planning strategies are challenged when you play RTS games, so they help you to improve yourself on that aspect.
Some Real-Time Strategy Games
Stronghold Crusader
In Stronghold Crusader, players need to build an army of warriors and go to the distant Arabian lands to conquer them like a crusader. The game is one of the best-selling combat RTS games of all time because of its video game design and essential features. Historical battles are the key to this game. As you move forward, you need to fight with brutal opponents, run four of the historical campaigns, and complete over a hundred skirmish missions. Players have two choices concerning character options in Stronghold Crusader. They need to choose either the Sultan of Syria- Saladin or Richard the Lion Heart. Large-scale battles wait for you in Stronghold Crusader, so do not miss the chance.
Impossible Creatures of Real-time Strategy Games
Have you ever seen a giant piranha that walks on giraffe legs? If not, this real-time strategy game can help you to experience that feeling. Before people were obsessed with Pokémon Fusions, there were Impossible creatures. This game allowed players to go deep into the monster world, see scary creatures, and add them to their army. Some evil villains want to kill you in this RTS game, so you need to make sure that your creature army is strong enough to handle those attacks. Players have freedom of choice in this game concerning mutant creation. For example, you can create Chorpion if you combine cheetah and scorpion. Chorpion can have leap attacks, barrier destroying abilities, and of course, the poison of the scorpion. You need to think critically and use logic-based solutions to the problems that you may face during this game.
Final Thoughts
RTS games can be a great source of fun with mind-boggling challenges and landmines along the way. The satisfaction that players get from outplaying, outdueling, out planning their opponents is not something that can't be ignored. Real-time strategy games make you feel superior. The reason for that is, making critical decisions, creating marginal plans, and defeating your so-called 'enemies' in the games. These games help players to observe things and act accordingly. Multitasking is another skill that you can improve when you play RTS games. There are numerous benefits that you can get while you play real-time strategy games. So, give it a try and compare pre/post changes.