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Three Main Strategies of All Real-Time Strategy Games
IGN.com writes that in most real-time strategy games, there are three main strategies. Players of all preferences and skill levels can apply one or more of these strategies to fit their unique play of the game. The three strategies are as follows:
* Rushing: This is when a player attacks very quickly and frequently. The goal of this strategy is to weaken either the opponent's military strength, their economy, their infrastructure or a combination of two or more of these choices.
* Booming: This is when a player spends all his time in the beginning building up a burgeoning economy, expanding it quickly to gather as many resources as he can. This serves two purposes: you get all the money, and your opponent gets very little. With no cash flow, your opponent won't be able to build up any sort of defense for your calculated attack.
* Turtling: This is when a player plays complete and total defense. Build up two or three times the defenses you might normally need. Build up a small counterattack force and hide it until your defense smashes the opponent's offense.
Play Ages 1 and 2 With Each Strategy
These three strategies are used in Age of Empires 3: Asian Dynasties as follows. These are all from the very beginning at Age 1:
* Rushing: With this strategy, you're at a disadvantage because you cannot build a Barracks until Age 2. That means you have to spend all your time progressing to Age 2, leaving yourself defenseless for the first bit of the game. Send 10 Settlers to go get food. At the same time, make five additional settlers and put them on wood. Then you can get yourself to Age 2. You must conserve your resources for the first part of the game, but it will pay off later because your opponents will be stifled in their progression from all of your attacks.
* Booming: The economy is the first and only thing on your mind. In Age 1, if a rush is coming, progress to Age 2 immediately. If you're on a big map, or you have some friends on your team, then you don't need to worry about it. Get 30 Settlers total and put 15 on food, 10 on coin and 5 on wood.
* Turtling: If you're really into defense and decide to start turtling, make 10 or 15 Settlers. Make fewer if you think your opponents are going to rush you. More if he won't. Now put an equal number of settlers on food and wood. Create a Barracks immediately and have it housed with 10 units. Now, it may not seem defensive, but use those units to hunt out and kill your opponent's Settlers. After building up a moderate supply of wood and food, build a wall around your camp and the Town Center.
Once you've completed these steps with whatever strategy you've chosen, the rest should be pretty simple. Just follow your intuition and keep it in the realm of whatever preference of attack versus defense you like.