First time RTS gamer

[Aleksandr2291]

I have just got a new computer (a HP Pavilion HPE h8m series) and I was wondering what kind of RTS games I would be able to play on it, and if you had any recommendations for those who are just getting into RTS games.

Here are some of the specs:
AMD Phenom II X4 processor
Windows 7 Home Premium
Nvidia or ATI discrete graphics
Powerful 64-bit performance with optional 12GB DDR3 system memory, fast data transfer, and reduced power consumption
It also has 6GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive.
I will provide more information anyone asks.

Also, I would prefer that the games have full 3D camera and graphics, not a fixed camera and 2D graphics.

 

[DazZ.]

I take it you just copy and pasted that from a prebuilt computer sales pitch.
Knowing the graphics card is important, although I'm sure it's being sold with something that won't bottleneck.

Why not try a few demos to RTS games you might like? Not only do you see what your computer can run but you get to try a load out for free before committing to something you think you'd like but don't really know as you're new to the genre.

I recommend Company of Heroes though. Not the fasted paced RTS so I guess it's fairly nice on newcomers, but I played a fair few before CoH.
http://store.steampowered.com/app/4560/

 

[Worgen]

company of heroes is a really good one, so is the dawn of war series and world in conflict, give those a shot, world in conflict is a bit old so it should have no trouble running and it still looks really good

 

[StBishop]

Get the original command and conquer games. They're freeware now.

Then play the newer ones.

Then play a bunch of Civilisation and Age of Empires then Sins of a Solar Empire then Dawn of War.

After that you'll need advice from a proper RTS fan.

 

[FllippinIDIOT]

i recommend playing some older RTS games, like Age of Empires or Stronghold. they're old but good. But because you're looking for newer games i recommend men of war, it's alot of fun and very challenging.

 

[Catchy Slogan]

I recommend Age of Empires 3. It has a pretty good campaign mode, and is pretty easy to get into. But most importantly, it's fun!

 

[Spandexpanda]

Try supreme commander. It's complex and fast paced, with some excellent A.I.s to suit any level of skill. The campaign is quite fun, and the four factions are all different enough to have individual playstyles. Overall, fantastic game. Other than that, Company of Heroes, Command and Conquer, and Homeworld 2

 

[Jerubbaal]

To start off, I'm happy to see someone who appears not only to be getting into RTS games, but into PC gaming in general. I'm also curious, what is your exact graphics card? Your tech specs simply list that it is a dedicated card from either ATI (and their Radeon line) or Nvidia (with their Geforce line).

Now, to answer your actual question, I'll list a few good starting places and why I think they're good places to start:

Warcraft III - The game is starting to show it's age, but it is 3d with camera angles. I recommend this because it is a lot more forgiving and has a much easier initial learning curve than the Starcraft series. Also, the story for the single-player campaign is solid, even if it's nothing groundbreaking.

League of Legends - This doesn't prefectly fit into the RTS genre, it's really a bit of an RTS/RPG hybrid. That being said, it's FREE, it has a much easier learning curve because you only have to worry about one unit instead of several dozens, and assuming your graphics card is even halfway decent you can run it at max graphics with no problem.

Heores of Newerth - I'm not really recommending this one, just offering it up as an alternative to League of Legends. The community isn't nearly as newbie friendly as that of League of Legends.

Starcraft 2 - This one will be a bit frustrating if you are absolutely new to RTS games. You'll likely be stuck in the bronze and silver leagues for quite a while until you get much better at the game (or learn some effective cheesing strategies). Also, the single-player storyline is rather lackluster. In spite of all that, it is a very solid game overall that offers a very reqarding experience for those willing to practice.

I would recommend the Command and Conquer series, but unfortunately I feel that the series has gotten rather stagnant since Red Alert 2 and Generals.

EDIT: Some people have mentioned the Age of Empires series, and I can second their quality. Also, if you like turn-based strategy at all, check out the Total War series.

 

[BoTTeNBReKeR]

Starcraft 2. It runs basically on any computer.

Hell, it even ran on my old Pentium IV with 1 gb RAM.

 

[Dalek Caan]

Sins of a Solar Empire is pretty good. Just watch your logistic buildings.

 

[s0m3th1ng]

Sins of a Solar Empire is pretty good. Just watch your logistic buildings.

/Spam frigates and trading ports, lose to Capital rush. The only games I do decent on our the huge ones...but those can take half a day to complete.
Seconded on Supreme Commander. It has huge replayability with all the mods and such. Massive battles with thousands of units are the norm.

 

[loc978]

On that rig, you can play anything... it'll probably be good enough for full detail for another four years or so.

I'd recommend Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance if you want to test its limits... and if you want a fairly slow-paced (on large maps, anyway) resource-driven strategy game where small tactics generally won't win or lose you a battle.
Sins of a Solar Empire is another good one for that.

 

[jamez525]

If you are interested in history as well as RTS' the Total war series is a must have.
My personal favourite is Rome: Total War. It isn't the most advanced but the setting and units are (to me) the most interesting.

 

[Life_Is_A_Mess]

Depends on what type of strategy you'd like:
Turn-Based Strategy? Total War series
Real Time Strategy? Supreme Commander 1 and expansion(probably best strategy I ever played, this game hates some computers though, unfortunately mine is in it's blacklist ), Starcraft 1.
RPG Style? Dawn of War series.
Defend the Castle? Plants vs Zombies

 

[mynameisphil]

You should try Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth. One of the few RTS' I've played but I really liked it.

 

[renegade7]

Sins of a Solar Empire, Starcraft 2, Warcraft 3 (an old but really good one), and Warhammer 40k Dawn of War (both 1 and 2) are all really good.

side note though, you should think about custom building a PC rather than going for a premade, you'll save a few hundred dollars.

 

[JustCallMeAlex]

I cannot recommend WC3 more highly then any other RTS out there to date. Yes there may be ones with more innovative controls, butter looking graphics, or a more complex base/resource/unit management system but the game is damn near endless.
The reason I say it is endless is because WC3 has a fiercely devoted modding community that has created a vast amount of content in WC3's life time. I played WC3 for a solid 10 years of my life and I always found another custom game to get into. Though the community may be smaller now since the release of SC2, LoL, and other games that bit into its fanbase there is still 1000's of people playing daily. Even if you don't touch the multiplayer I still recommend WC3 highly because of its insanely good singleplayer.

 

[Nouw]

Your first RTS should be Starcraft. It will set the foundations of many RTS games.

Snip

Proper? Those are all fantastic RTS games you mentioned.

 

[The Virgo]

If you're a first timer, check out Red Alert 2 and the Yuri's Revenge expansion pack. One of the best RTS games made in my opinion.

It still stands the test of time.