Real-time strategy games have a number of different game modes, here are a few common ones:
- Single-player campaign mode:
- Plot-driven: game developers design a series of plot missions with coherent storylines, in which players take on the role of a specific character or force and gradually complete the mission according to the plot. For example, in the single-player campaign of Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne, players can follow the perspectives of heroes such as Alsatian and Illidan, experience their stories and experiences, and feel the grand background and rich plot of the game world. Each mission has a specific objective, such as destroying enemy bases, protecting key characters or facilities, and exploring unknown areas. Upon completion of a mission, players can unlock new plot content and game rewards to advance the story.
- Teaching Levels: Usually the starting part of the single-player campaign mode, the main purpose is to help new players familiarise themselves with the game’s operations, rules and basic strategies. Teaching levels will gradually guide players to learn how to construct buildings, produce units, collect resources, launch attacks and other basic operations, allowing players to master the gameplay in practice. For example, the newbie teaching level of the StarCraft series will introduce the characteristics and basic operations of each race in detail to help players get started quickly.
- Multiplayer versus mode:
- Melee Mode: multiple players fight on their own, without fixed allies, with the goal of defeating all other players. In this mode, players need to pay attention to the movements of multiple opponents at the same time and formulate development strategies and attack plans that suit them. Players can choose to rapidly expand their territories, develop strong economic power, and then build a huge army to attack; they can also choose to take sneak attacks, harassment and other tactics to interfere with the development of other players. For example, in Red Alert’s multiplayer melee mode, players need to constantly explore the map to understand the location and development of other players and choose the right time to launch an attack.
- Team Versus Mode: Players are divided into different teams to fight against each other, and members of each team need to collaborate with each other to formulate strategies and execute tactics. Team Battle Mode emphasises the cooperation and communication between players, for example, some players are responsible for resource collection and base construction to provide economic support for the team; some players are responsible for production and training of military units to build a powerful army; and some players are responsible for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering to provide the team with information about the enemy. In the ‘League of Legends’ ‘Genting Game’ mode, players can form teams with other players to fight against other teams, and strive for victory through reasonable lineup matching and strategic choices.
- Competitive Match Mode: Usually with strict rules and competition process, players need to sign up for the match and compete with other players or teams. The balance and competitiveness of the game is very important in this mode, and the developers will constantly adjust the game parameters and rules to ensure the fairness and impartiality of the matches. The rewards of competitive tournament modes are usually generous, attracting many high-level players to participate. For example, in the professional tournaments of the StarCraft series, players need to go through a long period of training and preparation before they can achieve good results in the tournaments.
- Survival mode:
- DEFENSE SURVIVAL: Players need to protect their base or key facilities from being destroyed and stick to survive for a certain amount of time under constant enemy attacks. Enemy attacks may become stronger and stronger, and players need to keep upgrading their defence facilities and military units to improve their defensive capabilities. For example, in Billions of Zombies, players need to build fortifications and recruit soldiers to fend off zombie attacks and survive for a sufficient number of days under the siege of zombies.
- Resource Survival: Players need to survive as long as possible with limited resources. In this mode, the collection and management of resources is very important, players need to reasonably allocate resources to ensure that their base can operate normally. At the same time, players also need to face various random events and challenges, such as resource shortages, natural disasters, and sneak attacks by enemies. For example, in some survival real-time strategy games, players need to set up a base on a deserted island and collect resources such as food, water and wood to cope with various survival challenges.
- Cooperative Mode:
- Cooperative Battle: Multiple players work together to complete the tasks in the single-player campaign, and players need to cooperate with each other to deal with enemy attacks and challenges. Co-op campaign mode can increase the fun and challenge of the game, and players can communicate and collaborate with each other to develop better strategies and tactics. For example, in Red Alert 3’s Co-op Battle Mode, players can complete various missions with other players and experience different game storylines.
- Cooperative Against AI: Players form teams to fight against computer-controlled artificial intelligence enemies. In this mode, players need to divide up the work, play to their strengths and work together to defeat the powerful AI enemy. The Co-op against AI mode allows players to improve their gaming skills and teamwork as they battle against the computer.
- Custom Mode:
- Map Editor: Players can use the map editor that comes with the game to create their own game maps. The map editor provides a wealth of editing tools and functions, and players can freely design the map’s terrain, resource distribution, building locations, unit attributes, and so on. After creation, players can play on their edited maps or share them with other players. For example, in Warcraft 3, players have created many excellent custom maps, such as ‘DOTA’, ‘Chenghai 3C’, etc. These maps not only enrich the gameplay, but also form a unique game culture.
- Rule modification: Players can modify the rules and parameters of the game according to their own preferences, such as resource collection speed, unit attributes, building construction time, etc.. Through rule modification, players can create unique game play and challenges to increase the playability and fun of the game. For example, in some real-time strategy games, players can adjust the speed of resource collection to speed up the pace of the game, or increase the attack and defence power of units to increase the difficulty of the game.
(Some images and content are from the internet, please contact us to remove any infringement!)
