Strong real time strategy games

[TRPrecht]

I'm looking for some good RTS games on linux, something similar to CIV5. Is there a list of currently maintained games to check out? I had only found one game when I was search before, it was a cross between CIV 2 and another game, but it hadnt been in active development for a long time.

[oldrocker99]

Last time I checked, CIV 5 was still turn-based. The turn-based open-source program you may be thinking of is FreeCiv. There's also FreeCol, a remake of COLONIZATION.

As far as real-time strategy (RTS) goes, current pickings on Linux are slim. Warzone 2100 is a full-featured 1999 RTS, which was made open source some years ago and has only gotten better and better since. It's a must. Glob2 is certainly different and worth a look. The Spring engine is available on Linux as well. Personally, I get my RTS fix from running Total Annihilation (available from GOG.com) with PlayOnLinux. Starcraft runs great as well, and so do many other games written for That Other Operating System, using PlayOnLinux (which I heartily recommend--Google it; it isn't in the repositories).

The closest thing in gameplay to an RTS would be one of the tower defense games, and there are a lot. There are also a lot of games that run in the Chrome browser (or in Chromium) which are free, including Plants vs. Zombies and other stuff. Maybe even some serious strategy games.

Don't forget the Linux clients for Steam and Desura, also. Desura has a number of free games, and certainly some cheapish RTS-ish games. Steam has a lot of games, and is adding more all the time, and has the grand strategic commercial game Crusader Kings 2 available.

[ajbader]

Yeah, I am guessing you don't mean RTS (aka Starcraft II, Company of Heroes, etc) and probably something more turn based. I second Crusader Kings 2, it is a great game. Although complicated at the start, but really fun once you get into it. It's especially nice if you are into medieval history. Battle for Wesnoth is a free open source turn based strategy game, although nothing like Civ 5.

[cortman]

Freeciv can be dangerously addicting...