RA vs TD

[Hiro]

Which is your favourite and why?

Previously I'd only really ever seen the RA mod but the recent tournament really brought my attention to the TD mod. I'm still just learning the game so I'm more used to RA; getting infantry, tanks and artillery and making a good old starcraft style push. But some of the matches on TD looked quite fun with the rocket bikes and all.

[Pwn Call]

I have always liked TD better because it was my first game of the C&C series I played. I have really come to like RA though because it is much easier to find a multiplayer match to join. Just has more players because it is the mod already loaded with openRA. Both are awesome though

[BaronOfStuff]

I prefer RA both as a game, and as an OpenRA mod.

As much as I like TD's content, RA is just more versatile with naval play and the types of aircraft available. Another point for RA in this engine's case is the fact that aircraft don't mysteriously reload in mid-air -- something in TD that I really can't enjoy.

[AoAGeneral]

TD.

Enjoyed most of the sci-fi likeness to it. It was also the first game I played alot of in 1v1 and lan fights. 2v2 and 4v4 battles primarily at a computer lan store back in the day.

[Hiro]

Is it true that TD is faster paced? It seemed that the RA games in the tournament were longer but that could just be different play styles.

[Unit158]

TD, by far.

I never really liked the red alert series until YR. TD's not-quite-so futuristic sci-fi approach felt better to me than RA's history-fi approach. In terms of gameplay, I know the balance very well (thanks to balance testing with psydev). It feels much more rounded, allowing for different approaches on the same map. Almost every RA game that I've played has ended the same way – allies basecreep or soviets steamroll with mammoths.

The armies in TD are also much more massive because you can produce multiple units at a time. Not that size always matters, but beating your friend with a few hundred riflemen and some rocket troops thrown in feels pretty satisfying for you. Usually embarrasing for your friend.

The balance in TD certainly isn't perfect, but it honestly feels better than that of RA. Probably because infantry play a much larger role, and aircraft aren't god-like versus everything.

oh, and turtling is much easier because fences are op until tanks.

EDIT: @Hiro, TD games should be faster paced because you are receiving more resources and using them faster, especially for Nod. GDI vs GDI can sometimes turn into a stalemate-ish state where you get lines of mammoths and mlrs trying to push against eachother. This is usually resolved by basewalking.

[AgentAAA]

TD, by far.

I never really liked the red alert series until YR. TD's not-quite-so futuristic sci-fi approach felt better to me than RA's history-fi approach. In terms of gameplay, I know the balance very well (thanks to balance testing with psydev). It feels much more rounded, allowing for different approaches on the same map. Almost every RA game that I've played has ended the same way – allies basecreep or soviets steamroll with mammoths.

The armies in TD are also much more massive because you can produce multiple units at a time. Not that size always matters, but beating your friend with a few hundred riflemen and some rocket troops thrown in feels pretty satisfying for you. Usually embarrasing for your friend.

The balance in TD certainly isn't perfect, but it honestly feels better than that of RA. Probably because infantry play a much larger role, and aircraft aren't god-like versus everything.

oh, and turtling is much easier because fences are op until tanks.

EDIT: @Hiro, TD games should be faster paced because you are receiving more resources and using them faster, especially for Nod. GDI vs GDI can sometimes turn into a stalemate-ish state where you get lines of mammoths and mlrs trying to push against eachother. This is usually resolved by basewalking.

That or a sudden chinook drop with commandos/grenadiers.


I like TD better - in part the multiple production centers help with this. Not due to just larger units or anything mind you, but in RA matches there's a certain risk to large attacks even if you have money stored away just due to how hard it is to rebuild, which tends to encourage a more conservative play until you're sure your strike can do damage.
This isn't actually a problem with the game, mind you - it makes it very important to watch your attacks and allows an economically inferior opponent to come back with the short time window such a failed attack can give, especially with the 'bounty" system helping to punish attacks made too earnestly.

But I will also admit the fact that one can quickly and easily rebuild an army made for crushing causes a lot more constant and frantic action in TD. one push can be immediately reinforced by another push at the same location or somewhere entirely different.

I will say RA is definitely more balanced than TD, however.

[Hiro]

Wait, am I just bad at this? I always found my aircraft in RA get shot down pretty darn fast even by rocket troops. Are they really "god-like"?
I guess if you get a bunch and do a single fell swoop in the enemy base before the enemy realises you have much you can kill a whole ton of stuff but once there's even one AA it just seems too costly. :o

[AgentAAA]

Wait, am I just bad at this? I always found my aircraft in RA get shot down pretty darn fast even by rocket troops. Are they really "god-like"?
I guess if you get a bunch and do a single fell swoop in the enemy base before the enemy realises you have much you can kill a whole ton of stuff but once there's even one AA it just seems too costly. :o

If you're getting them shot down, you're either using them against rockets directly - which isn't a good idea - or not exercising good micro, as you can see the rocket soldiers before they can see the aircraft to my knowledge. Aircraft's sight range allows a person with good control to rarely be caught unprepared.
Besides that, send one yak to attack a clustered group of rocket soldiers. Make sure it's on the right course to splode them and you'll kill enough of them to make the attack worth it.

[Hiro]

My micro is definitely poor. So is my macro actually; I can' sorta do one or the other heheh. Usually I've been using my helis as scout eyes for my artillery, so their forward from my army. I guess that's not the best use of them though.. Rangers might do better.

[Matt]

TD has the better lore. The fast game-play works for me although the tech tree is a little too flat.