Editing Real-time strategy (section)

===Origins===
The genre recognized today as "real-time strategy" emerged from an extended period of evolution and refinement. Games sometimes perceived as ancestors of the real-time strategy genre were never marketed or designed as such. As a result, designating "early real-time strategy" titles is problematic because such games are being held up to modern standards. The genre initially evolved separately in the United Kingdom, Japan, and North America, afterward gradually merging into a unified worldwide tradition. {{Third-party inline|date=January 2024}}

Tim Barry in May 1981 described in ''[[InfoWorld]]'' a multiplayer, real-time strategy space game that ran ("and probably still is") on an [[IBM System/370 Model 168]] at a large [[San Francisco Bay Area]] company. He stated that it had "far better support than many of the application programs used in the business", with a published manual and regular schedule. Comparing its complexity to ''[[Dallas (TV series)|Dallas]]'', Barry recalled that "when the [[saved game|game was restored]] at 5 P.M., a lot of regular work stopped".<ref name="barry19810511">{{Cite magazine |last=Barry |first=Tim |date=1981-05-11 |title=In Search of the Ultimate Computer Game |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Cz4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA11 |magazine=InfoWorld |pages=11, 48 |access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref>

''[[Ars Technica]]'' traces the genre's roots back to ''[[Utopia (1981 video game)|Utopia]]'' (1981), citing it as the "birth of a genre", with a "real-time element" that was "virtually unheard of", thus making it "arguably the earliest ancestor of the real-time strategy genre".<ref name="arstechnica">{{cite web | last = Moss | first = Richard | website = [[Ars Technica]] | url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/09/build-gather-brawl-repeat-the-history-of-real-time-strategy-games/ | title=Build, gather, brawl, repeat: The history of real-time strategy games | date = September 15, 2017 | access-date=October 20, 2017 }}</ref> According to Ars Technica, ''Utopia'' was a [[turn-based strategy]] game with hybrid elements that ran "in real-time but events happened on a regular turn-based cycle."<ref>{{cite web|title=The evolution of gaming: computers, consoles, and arcade|url=https://arstechnica.com/features/2005/10/gaming-evolution/7/|website=[[Ars Technica]]|date=2005-10-11|language=en-us}}</ref> According to Brett Weiss, ''Utopia'' is often cited as "the first real-time strategy game."<ref name = "Weiss">{{cite book | first = Brett | last = Weiss | title = Classic Home Video Games, 1972–1984: A Complete Reference Guide | date=2011 | page = 291 | publisher = [[McFarland & Co.]] | isbn=9780786487554 }}</ref> According to Matt Barton and Bill Loguidice, ''Utopia'' "helped set the template" for the genre,<ref name="Loguidice">{{cite book|last1=Loguidice|first1=Bill|last2=Barton|first2=Matt|title=Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time|url=https://archive.org/details/vintagegamesinsi00logu_076|url-access=limited|date=2009|publisher=[[Focal Press]]|location=Boston|page=[https://archive.org/details/vintagegamesinsi00logu_076/page/n250 238]|isbn=978-0240811468}}</ref> but has "more in common with ''[[SimCity]]'' than it does with ''Dune II'' and later RTS games."<ref>{{cite book|last1=Loguidice|first1=Bill|last2=Barton|first2=Matt|title=Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time|date=2012|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9781136137587|page=73}}</ref> Allgame listed ''War of Nerves'' (1979) as the oldest "2D Real-Time Strategy".<ref name="allgames">{{cite web |url=http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17383 |title=War of Nerves! - Overview - allgame |website=www.allgame.com |access-date=15 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141114203712/http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=17383 |archive-date=14 November 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Barton also cites ''[[Cytron Masters]]'' (1982), saying it was "one of the first (if not ''the'' first) real-time strategy games [sic]."<ref name="gamasutra">{{cite web | last = Barton | first = Matt | website = [[Gamasutra]] | url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1706/the_history_of_computer_.php?page=3 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027134513/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1706/the_history_of_computer_.php?page=3 | url-status=dead | archive-date=October 27, 2007 | title=The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 2: The Golden Age (1985-1993) | access-date=October 16, 2017 | quote = "SSI's most famous non-CRPG game is probably Cytron Masters (1982), one of the first (if not ''the'' first) real-time strategy games." }}</ref> On the other hand, Scott Sharkey of ''1UP'' argues that, while ''Cytron Masters'' "attempted real time strategy", it was "much more tactical than strategic" due to "the inability to construct units or manage resources".<ref name=1UP-Duke/> ''[[Byte (magazine)|Byte]]'' in December 1982 published as an [[Apple II]] [[type-in program]] ''Cosmic Conquest''. The winner of the magazine's annual Game Contest, the author described it as a "single-player game of real-time action and strategic decision making". The magazine described it as "a real-time space strategy game". The game has elements of resource management and [[Wargame|wargaming]].<ref name="sartoriangus198212">{{cite news | url=https://archive.org/stream/byte-magazine-1982-12/1982_12_BYTE_07-12_Game_Plan_1982#page/n3/mode/2up | title=Cosmic Conquest | work=BYTE | date=December 1982 | access-date=19 October 2013 | author=Sartori-Angus, Alan | pages=3,124}}</ref>

In the United Kingdom, the earliest real-time strategy games are ''[[Stonkers]]'' by John Gibson, published in 1983 by [[Imagine Software]] for the [[ZX Spectrum]], and ''[[Nether Earth]]'' for ZX Spectrum in 1987. In North America, the oldest game retrospectively classified as real-time strategy by several sources<ref name = ignstate/><ref name=rakrent>{{cite web | url=http://www.rakrent.com/rtsc/html/glist-hist.htm | title=RTSC Historical RTS List | access-date=August 5, 2006 | archive-date=August 23, 2006 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823113637/http://www.rakrent.com/rtsc/html/glist-hist.htm | url-status=dead }}</ref> is ''[[The Ancient Art of War]]'' (1984), designed by Dave and Barry Murry of Evryware, followed by ''[[The Ancient Art of War at Sea]]'' in 1987.

In Japan, the earliest is ''[[Bokosuka Wars]]'' (1983), an early [[Tactical role-playing game|strategy RPG]] (or "simulation RPG");<ref name=Nintendo>[https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_bw/index.html Bokosuka Wars] ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendo.co.jp%2Fwii%2Fvc%2Fvc_bw%2Findex.html translation]), [[Nintendo]]</ref> the game revolves around the player leading an army across a battlefield against enemy forces in real-time while recruiting/spawning soldiers along the way, for which it is considered by Ray Barnholt of [[1UP.com|''1UP'']] to be an early prototype real-time strategy game.<ref name=1UP>[http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3135870 Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20050119105913/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3135870 |date=2005-01-19 }}, [[1UP.com|1UP]]</ref> Another early title with real-time strategy elements is [[Sega]]'s ''[[Gain Ground]]'' (1988), a strategy-[[action game]] that involved directing a set of troops across various enemy-filled levels.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110513042004/http://uk.ps2.ign.com/articles/531/531748p1.html Sega Ages: Gain Ground], [[IGN]], July 20, 2004</ref><ref>[http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/882/882363p1.html Top 10 Renovation Games], IGN, June 17, 2008</ref> [[TechnoSoft]]'s ''[[Herzog (video game)|Herzog]]'' (1988) is regarded as a precursor to the real-time strategy genre, being the predecessor to ''Herzog Zwei'' and somewhat similar in nature, though primitive in comparison.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071123002558/http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=242 Herzog Zwei], GameSpy</ref>

''[[IGN]]'' cites ''[[Herzog Zwei]]'', released for the [[Mega Drive|Sega Mega Drive/Genesis]] in 1989 as "arguably the first RTS game ever",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://top100.ign.com/2003/61-70.html#62 |title=IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time |publisher=Top100.ign.com |access-date=2011-06-01 |archive-date=July 13, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713005135/http://top100.ign.com/2003/61-70.html#62 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and it is often cited as "the first real-time strategy game" according to ''Ars Technica''.<ref name="arstechnica"/> It combines traditional strategy gameplay with fully real-time, fast-paced, [[Arcade game|arcade]]-style [[action game]]play,<ref name="cvg_zwei">{{cite journal|last=Glancey|first=Paul|title=Mean Machines: Herzog Zwei|journal=[[Computer and Video Games]]|date=April 1990|issue=101|url=http://amr.abime.net/review_27759|access-date=4 February 2012|page=103}}</ref> featuring a [[Split screen (computer graphics)|split-screen]] [[Multiplayer video game|two-player]] mode where both players are in action simultaneously and there are no pauses while decisions are taken, forcing players to think quickly while on the move.<ref name="cvg_zwei"/> In ''Herzog Zwei'', though the player only controls one unit, the manner of control foreshadowed the point-and-click mechanic of later games. Scott Sharkey of ''1UP'' argues that it introduced much of the genre conventions, including unit construction and resource management, with the control and destruction of bases being an important aspect of the game, as were the economic/production aspects of those bases.<ref name=1UP-Duke>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3134179|title=Hail to the Duke|author=Scott Sharkey|website=1UP.com|access-date=March 1, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040913063641/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3134179|archive-date=September 13, 2004|df=mdy-all}}</ref> ''[[Herzog Zwei]]'' is credited by [[1UP.com|''1UP'']] as a landmark that defined the genre and as "the progenitor of all modern real-time strategy games."<ref name=1UP-Duke/> Chuck Sperry cited ''Herzog Zwei'' as an influence on ''[[Dune II]]''.<ref name="Edge 2008">{{cite magazine|title=The Making of... Dune II|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/the-making-of-dune-ii/|magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]|publisher=Next-Gen.biz|access-date=July 27, 2011|date=December 9, 2008|quote=The inspiration for Dune II was partly from Populous, partly from my work on Eye Of The Beholder and the final and perhaps most crucial part came from an argument I once had with Chuck Kroegel, then vice president of Strategic Simulations Inc ... The crux of my argument with Chuck was that wargames sucked because of a lack of innovation and poor design. Chuck felt the category was in a long, slow decline, because the players were moving to more exciting genres ... I felt that the genre had a lot of potential – the surface was barely scratched as far as I as [sic] concerned, especially from a design standpoint. So I took it as a personal challenge and figured how to harness realtime dynamics with great game controls into a fast-paced wargame . . . Herzog Zwei was a lot of fun, but I have to say the other inspiration for Dune II was the Mac software interface. The whole design/interface dynamics of mouse clicking and selecting desktop items got me thinking, ‘Why not allow the same inside the game environment? Why not a context-sensitive playfield? To hell with all these hotkeys, to hell with keyboard as the primary means of manipulating the game!}}</ref>

Notable as well are early games like ''[[Mega-Lo-Mania]]'' by [[Sensible Software]] (1991) and ''[[Supremacy: Your Will Be Done|Supremacy]]'' (also called ''Overlord'' – 1990). Although these two lacked direct control of military units, they both offered considerable control of resource management and economic systems. In addition, ''Mega Lo Mania'' has advanced [[technology tree]]s that determine offensive and defensive prowess. Another early game, ''[[Carrier Command]]'' (1988) by [[Realtime Games Software|Realtime Games]], involved real-time responses to events in the game, requiring management of resources and control of vehicles. Another early game, ''[[SimAnt]]'' (1991) by [[Maxis]], had resource gathering, and controlling an attacking army by having them follow a lead unit. However, it was with the release of ''Dune II'' (1992) from [[Westwood Studios]] that real-time strategy became recognized as a distinct genre of video games.<ref name="bgeryk_gspot"/>