So guys i noticed that many RTS use locked camera/ perspective view ( Company of Heroes -CoH2 / LoL etc etc ) even though they are 3d they dont have any camera rotation which would enable them to "use" the fact that they are 3d ,

As i am researching to create my own RTS along the lines of CoH/CoH2 and seeing members here always suggesting beginners to start with 2d my question is will a 2D game be able to have a similar effect in the terms of league of legends aesthetics with company of heroes /mechanics/ physics ?

I am planning my models to be more cartoonish but will i have physics such as

-terrain applies modifiers ( reduced movement- cover etc etc )

-capture points after time

-use abilities

do you guys have an example of 2d rts ( not tower defense ) where i can see the limitations of 2d

Hi there.

many RTS use locked camera, one reason is RTS games tend to have 1000's of units at a time this fixed camera controls the viewing of units you cant really fit a 1000 units on screen at one time, so it helps with frame rate.

Having a fixed camera angle also helps players keep track of action and gameplay elements on screen. It may seem like rotating cameras would add to immersion and the overall gameplay experience but often times it just complicates the experience. It is only a matter of opinion and personal taste however.

The COH series does have camera rotation. You can hold alt and drag the mouse to rotate the camera. Generally people don't use this because COH is so fast-paced.

The only difference between 2D and 3D RTS is that a 3D RTS like COH can have a very precise modifier to hit based not just on the size of the object presented but the angle in relation to the shooter as well. I don't know if they really do this however. Just to be absolutely clear, hitting the broad side of a barn is easier than hitting the narrower side. You could model this to some extent but making specific 2D sprites with movement animations for more than eight directions of movement could be very time-consuming.

- Total Annihilation used real-time 3D units with pre-rendered backgrounds. The camera was locked, but the 3D units could fly and smoothly turn to any direction, so this helped against any feelings of "staticness."

- KKnD (Krush Kill 'n' Destroy) was 2D only, though featuring pre-rendered graphics.