Starting on RTS

It’s been quite a while since I posted. I will admit, that’s partly due to laziness but also because I felt I didn’t have anything to blog about. Personally I wanted to approach this, my only attempt at blogging that had an actual topic (gaming), with only posting quality subject content. I didn’t want to post for the sake of posting, otherwise it would end up like all my other attempts: a rambling account of my boring personal life.

However, it is apparent that even frequent postings of information, small as they may be, is more conducive to a successful blog. That’s what the pros say anyway.

So on 31 December 2008 I crossed off the final item on my list of goals for the year: to try RTS games. Azreal loves RTS games; particularly the ones set in space, but when he got Company of Heroes last year I knew I had to try it. The thought of managing a whole battlefield scares me a bit (there’s so much going on and it moves so quickly), which is why I’d been procrastinating on taking the leap however I’d put it on my 2008 list so I had to give it a try.

It was great! Because I play Battlefield 2 regularly (along with Call of Duty, Medal of Honour and all those games), I was familiar with the types of weapons and how the characters worked so that was one whole area I didn’t have to learn. Between tutorial modules and the first few missions Azreal and I watched through the collection of Band of Brothers which of course made me want to play it even more.

It’s still way too fast for me but it’s great to have that new feeling again, with all my senses on edge as I play – my mind racing, trying to keep one step ahead; my heart thumping in my chest; my hands grasping the mouse intensely; my eyes darting across the screen to take it all in; my mouth dry. And then that surge of adrenalin as I destroy the enemy!

Computers don’t give you a rush? Well you’re just not using them properly!