I hate control points in strategy games

[CrysisMcGee]

I've always been a fan of strategy games. When I played Warhammer 40,000awn of War, it was my first experience with control points. To be honest, I liked it, and it was a nice change. But when I picked up the expansion pack Winter Assault, I grew tired of it and wanted my resource collecting back.

Then I picked up Company of Heroes, and the inclusion of control points almost made me quit playing before I finished the first mission. I eventually made it through about two thirds of the game before I quit. I really should beat the game.

But it's gotten to the point where I yearn for resource gathering again. I absolutely loved Command and Conquer 3. I tried playing World in Conflict, but the control points keep me from going back to it.

To be honest, it has a lot to do with the game. but I'm more inclined to keep playing a game that has traditional resource gathering.

So how do you feel about control points?

EDIT: A little back-history. I've played ever Blizzard game, and Warcraft 2 was my first strategy game. Later I picked up C&C and Red Alert. Then Starcraft. and so on.

 

[Wicky_42]

To be honest, I'm just looking forward to SC2 - I want my oldschool back, without the CnC/RA3 silliness :/

Resources n all that malarkey just make for a fun game - or at least my nostalgia says so. I guess I'll have to wait and see...

 

[Darktau]

Control points are ok, if not overused, and used correctly (Eg main single player campaigns, control points? why do I have to capture this flag in the middle of nowhere?)

 

[Slaanax]

I like Control Points more than resource gathering, then I have never been a big fan of RTS. I don't work like that I prefer my turn based strategy games.

 

[CrysisMcGee]

To be honest, I'm just looking forward to SC2 - I want my oldschool back, without the CnC/RA3 silliness :/

Resources n all that malarkey just make for a fun game - or at least my nostalgia says so. I guess I'll have to wait and see...

Well, yeah. I like being able to build anywhere as well. It took me a little while to get used to the Command and Conquer/Red Alert series way of building things.

 

[chstens]

I like how they did it in Dwan of War 2 in the SP, they're not really control points, they're fallback positions where you can reinforce your squads, and you don't HAVE to capture them.

 

[AfroTree]

I like how they did it in Dwan of War 2 in the SP, they're not really control points, they're fallback positions where you can reinforce your squads, and you don't HAVE to capture them.

this, and i just keep playing the demo's over again, YAY for cheapness!

Spoiler

 

[Zacharine]

I actually like both. The control points are like overarching objectives: you get rewarded for having achieved a tactically important victory and improved your position and control on the battlefield.

And yet, there are times when strandard resource gathering is far better. Really, it depends on the game and personally I like them both as long as the gameplay mechanics of it are executed well.

 

[Obrien Xp]

In campaigns yes. In a standard game, no.

I could elaborate if you want.

 

[tsb247]

I too despise control point gameplay. I nearly vomited all over my keyboard when I saw that CnC 4 will have ZERO base building, ZERO harvesting, and ZERO single player campaign.

I don't understand whose brilliant idea it was to strip the CnC franchise of everything that made it great!

 

[Cody211282]

I rather like control points, I makes you have to go out and hold an area rather then just huddle up in your base and gather resources, also I hate the fact that I'm basically a General/Prospector

 

[Zer_]

To be honest, I'm just looking forward to SC2 - I want my oldschool back, without the CnC/RA3 silliness :/

Resources n all that malarkey just make for a fun game - or at least my nostalgia says so. I guess I'll have to wait and see...

This is a testament to simplicity. StarCraft is so simple, yet has so many possibilities. I love Quake III for the same reason.

 

[Wicky_42]

I too despise control point gameplay. I nearly vomited all over my keyboard when I saw that CnC 4 will have ZERO base building, ZERO harvesting, and ZERO single player campaign.

I don't understand whose brilliant idea it was to strip the CnC franchise of everything that made it great!

Wuh buh who?! Seriously?! I mean, I was ignoring it anyway, since I didn't want anything to do with the mess that I saw CnC3 as being, but seriously? are they taking all that used to make RTS game great, going even further than DoW2?!

Gah... Need a new genre for these sort of games, really - esp. if people persist in making more of them.

 

[bookboy]

I don't think that your argument against company of heroes has any relevance, I mean, what resources would you collect from the battlefield? and besides, the control point are there so that you can secure territories and build new defensive emplacements in them.

 

[Autumnflame]

Control points arnt my favorite i can understand them but my game play in rts is generally to turtle till i have a huge force then attack. controlling those points is hard when you play as i do. i prefer minerals in the base to mine myself

 

[Vault boy Eddie]

I love control points, it makes the game more fastpaced, with resource gathering you just secure your resources, build up an army worthy of Kratos himself and just destroy the enemy in one strike. Control points make it so you have to protect your resources otherwise you are very limited in what you can do, unit wise which means you have to think of the best unit combo to get the job done. But then again, I think all the relic RTT games are just wonderful. BTW, do finish Company of Heroes, that game and its expansions are one of the best games i've ever played. So think hard about getting tales of valor tho, it's a bit lacking in the content department.

 

[SilverUchiha]

I don't know much about Control points, but I can say I dislike RTS games MOSTLY because of that annoying Resource-Gathering-Grinding bullshit that gets the game started. I feel like RTS games take too long to play and if (from what I read) control points can speed the process up a bit and get things moving, then I don't see that as being a problem, but being a huge step forward. Again, never played a game under the control point style, so I'm only speculating.

 

[Circus O]

I rather like control points, I makes you have to go out and hold an area rather then just huddle up in your base and gather resources, also I hate the fact that I'm basically a General/Prospector

I sometimes tend to get into the mindset of this, holding up in the base until I have enough troops, aliens, warriors etc to win the map, i personally liked the control points in DoW and CoH

 

[AlphaOmega]

I love chopping wood and mine and stuff, control points reek to catering to lesser players to me honestly.

Nothing like raiding the gatherers of your opponent while he is busy on the front so he cant build no more.

 

[Wicky_42]

I rather like control points, I makes you have to go out and hold an area rather then just huddle up in your base and gather resources, also I hate the fact that I'm basically a General/Prospector

I can understand the sentiment whole-heartedly - I eagerly awaited DoW to see what this next evolution of RTS gameplay would bring. Turns out, it just means the enemy harasses your control points rather than harassing your bases and mining outposts/units.

I guess I'm really just missing the old way of doing things, and havn't liked any of the recent releases that would have otherwise scratched that itch for me :/