Random thoughts on resource management in RTS

Wayward Strategy

Strategy games, especially those in the Real Time Strategy genre, tend to follow a common formula. In each match, the players start with limited resources: typically, a single “command center” structure and a handful of scouting or economy-focused units, depending on the systems the game uses for resource gathering. From there, players will typically mine, build, research and produce resources, structures, upgrades and units respectively, making choices that influence the growth of their economy, the raw power and abilities of individual entities within their force, and the size of their force. This, in concert with information about their opponent’s relative economy and troop strength, will inform the decisions they make to attack, defend, produce, posture, harass, etc.

The ‘average’ RTS, if there is such a thing, is designed with the intent of forcing the player to prioritize the allocation of scarce resources. These resources can be explicit or implicit. Explicit resources…

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