Online strategy games refer to the genre of games that can be played online, and where players are placed in a position where their decision-making skills are put to the test. The outcome of the game is ideally influenced by the decisions the player will make along the way. In fact, some of the more sophisticated ones have multiple side stories and endings, requiring players to go back to previous levels if they want to explore and finish all the quests.
Today, however, it has become difficult to differentiate RTS games from other game genres, as most other game genres also contain strategic elements. But the distinguishing feature of these games is that there is only a small amount of luck or chance involved. Special skills or knowledge are also not relevant. All strategy game players have the same skill sets and knowledge. They just need to be sharper than the next player to make the right decisions in their interactions with the other players and win the game at the end.
By contrast, chance-based games rely on statistics and probabilities for their outcome. But if you look at the mechanics of the games, they do strike a balance between chance and skill, although such games lean more towards skill than chance. They involve complex planning and anticipation skills.
Online strategy games are also called massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs) because they serve as an online platform where a large number of players can log in to play from anywhere in the world. This allows for real-time interaction between players through their avatars or in-game characters.
There are several subgenres of real-time games. One of them is the abstract strategy game, which usually has no connection to reality, hence the name. The object of abstract games is usually to solve the puzzle using logic and strategy. Examples of these are Backgammon, Sequence, Mentalis, Stratego, and Octiles.
Another subgenre is the simulation strategy game. This type covers games that are based to some extent on reality and attempt to imitate real-life conflicts, problems, activities, and situations. The objective of the game is to take on a character, explore the world within the game, discover the consequences of every decision and action you take as you work to complete your task. Examples of these games are Abalone and the classic Lemonade Tycoon.
Finally, another popular strategy subgenre involves those military and tactical war games. These games mimic military conflicts, battles, ambushes, or entire campaigns. They are also efficiently based on simulation, but there is a lot of strategic thinking involved. Early versions of strategy war games were limited to models that the player controlled through terrain models and against other models of their allies or enemies. But the latest games now give players the opportunity to play using the first person perspective. Some of the most popular free online strategy games in this sub-genre are Territory War, Age of War, and Fall of Rome.
