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As one of the pioneers of this genre on the computer game Dune II (1992 views), because it was the first successful and widespread game of this sort, and indirectly represented a model for a major boom in the genre. The first elements of real-time strategy games can be found, however, even in games like Stonkers (1984), a game for the ZX Spectrum, and The Ancient Art of War from the same year. One of the first representatives in the genre today's understanding of the game Duke is two, which was published in 1989 for the Sega Mega Drive. Already in 1990, later appeared Powermonger of Bullfrog, which was then already offered a fully rotated, swiveled and zoomable 3D perspective as only a decade back in those games should keep feeding. Really popular form of this game but it was only through the first part of the Command & Conquer series (1995), a year after it was strongly leaning Warcraft II appeared on Dune (1994). To a further rise of the genre helped especially Age of Empires (1997) and StarCraft (1998).

The Association of Entertainment Software Germany (VUD) announced in 2003 for the strategy game genre to a market share of around 20%, the real games here should keep the lion's share. This is also the fact that real-time strategy games were awarded a total of 14 gold and 10 silver awards of VUD (based on sales), while turn-based games show up here often. According to the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) is the strategy game genre, even the best-selling video game genre [1] with a market share of 27% (2004). The Age of Empires series has been bought about 15 million times [2] and StarCraft since its release in 1998 about 17 million times.

On major international LAN parties, the real-time strategy games are with the sports games, the only serious competitor to the FPS games, though clearly secondary in place.
Developments and trends

The rigid 2-D perspective of the old strategy has changed in modern games often turned into a real three-dimensional landscape that is zoomable and rotatable. Worth mentioning in this context is the publication of the game Homeworld, the first time leads the action space of the genre in the three-dimensional space, which enables completely new tactics and playing styles.

With the increasing technical possibilities, which led to a substantial improvement of the graphic first-person shooter and the increase in Internet speed and lower costs, which paved the way for MMORPGs increased, the competitive pressure on the real-time strategy games. These take advantage of the increasing technical possibilities less, with the classic gameplay appears to be exhausted in many games. Therefore, developers increasingly opened the other genres and associated elements of the real-time strategy with those of other genres (see below).
Typical elements and concepts of real-time strategy games

The equality of the real-time strategy games place the player under greater time pressure and demands in addition to strategic vision and quick reaction in chaotic situations and reviews, maps, or fighting. Moreover, the structure of the economy and the control of the units is schematized and simplified. Thus, this type of strategy in its borders of play as much on economic simulation 1602 AD that have also happened in the same time, and strategic elements.

The following identified elements of RTS games must necessarily happen in any game, yet can find themselves much of this inventory feature in almost all modern RTS games.

Schematic sketch of the line of sight and fog of war

Almost all real-time strategy games have a limited, rectangular maps, which are through different altitudes and substrates (water, land, ice) and are designed by the player in a perspective view from above.

Map view means in particular, which view options of the players on the card has.

Basically, every building and each unit of the player a Line of Sight (LOS) (German: line of sight), within which this unity can sift enemy units and their environment. The line of sight is not identical to the combat range of units.

Once through the line of sight of a unit of the player (or an allied player) visible sections of the map is visible and persistent. The decisive factor is whether within this area called the Fog of War (FOW) (in German as a fog of war) shows up, if the area gets back from the line of sight of the unit. The perimeter of an area in the fog of war is still visible by the player, but not the action (on, for example, movements of troops) this.

Games without fog of war allow the player to an (unrealistic) good knowledge of the events on the map to develop when the bulk of the map explored.

Another difference in the map view indicates whether the card is fully exposed from the outset or not. In the former the entire map from the start is covered with the fog of war, in the latter version is not explored areas filled with full black, which means the player has no knowledge of neither the location nor the events in these areas.

The Fog of War was first implemented in Warcraft II. The Fog of War or war fog hid it slowly discovered the area when no unit was more within reach. In Warcraft, and also in Dune (video game) from the year 1992, once uncovered areas remained visible, even if the discovering entity or weitergerückt died long ago.
Economic resources and schematic

Real-time strategy games often work with a small selection of raw materials (including: resources, "Res" in abbreviated form), which serve as the basis for the construction of all buildings and units and the development of all technologies.

Raw materials can usually be removed or obtained in various forms. Typical and often-to-find raw materials as gold, money or "credits" that are sometimes the only raw material, as well as food, wood, stone or other building materials, iron, metal, crystal or other (fantasy) Raw materials and chemicals (eg . Tiberium in Command and Conquer).

The processing of raw materials falls off or goes mostly highly automated. The raw materials collected on an imaginary commodity account.

The raw materials are limited in number and distributed in small deposits over the entire game map, a key feature is thus backing up and the struggle for raw materials, trade or transport routes. Main basis of a successful strategy in all (real time) strategy games is to secure the supply of resources, which usually struggles to connect potential "resource-thieves."

In some games, in addition, the variant chosen so that the military control to natural resources or land sufficient to obtain such, and the resource growth increases, the more natural resources or territory are in the control of the player, that is, the player loses a number of sources, is also to be weaker growth in resources. Known examples are Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War and the Earth 2150 series