Face Off: FPS vs. RTS

The Twitch Factor

Thresh's comments in BLACK

Kenn's comments in BLUE

Those meddling kids

Kenn
Moving on past the hard stuff, let's talk about the skills involved and required in playing the actual games. You might think it's obvious that FPS games are more action-oriented, and that quick reflexes matter a great deal more. I think that's definitely a misconception. At the highest levels of play, most RTS games require an enormous level of quick thinking, quick movements, and even those coveted "mouse flicks," and speed is certainly key.

Being a few seconds slower on your build can conceivably cost you the game (and that's not under extraordinary circumstances either). Just look at the best players for games like Total Annihilation and Starcraft - almost all are under 25 years old, although the target demographic for these games spans well past that age. It's no coincidence that younger kids have quicker reflexes and thinking.

Thresh
Now that's a crock of bull if I've ever heard one. Sure you're going to have young players dominating the top spots, they're the ones with the time and energy to devote to mastering the game. If you look at Ensemble's Age Of Empires, you'll see that there are plenty of top-caliber players over the dreaded age of 25.

The fact is that almost all "real-time" games, both action and strategy are heavily-dependant on accuracy and split-second reflexes. Don't forget how important brains are, however. While I'm sure a faster player has a huge advantage, one that can play smart, regardless of genre, can easily be a match for any "young'n."

Kenn
I can't disagree more. Watching the top RTS players in-game, it's clear that they're just as fast and intense as FPS superstars, even more so on many occasions. Just take a look at Quake II for an example of a slowed-down, reflex-de-emphasized ride.

Watching some of the top RTS players at high-level events such as LAN parties and competitions on the other hand, you can see how the top players react - their hands are always in a flurry of motion as their eyes dart from one end of the map to another. When victory is dependant on making more units faster, being fast enough to out-resource your opponents is huge.