Quote Originally Posted by d000hg
Thanks Boog.

Lots of that is general stuff applciable to all games; a couple of things I think especially important/relevant are:

2) Simple BUT effective controls
This is a difficult one - you want to make tha game different from other RTS games by adding new functionality, but players expect to be able to play a pretty complex game without the manual.
What are your feelings on hot-keys, and on in-game tutorials?

8) Skinning, map add-ons, builders etc
Yes, I must remember to make a decent level editor available - even a campaign editor possibly. These certainly can extend the longevity of a game.

As for the controls, Hot Keys RULE!!! In fact, making a simple set of hotkeys to do the most common things is nearly a necessity..

In game tutorials should be aimed at three levels:

Newbs -- RTS what?
Experienced -- let's start a war
Pro -- How can I invoke the third ranks in multipronged attack on the neighboring village across the map...

That way you are not boring pros with newb stuff, and you're not skipping ahead info that someone new to RTS would find useful.

I do think in-game tuts and a separate tut are very valuable. I think having an in-game with the ability to skip it, skip ahead to the next tutorial etc... are very good for an RTS system.

I also think copying or at least partially copying an existing system with modifications is the best way... because if a user is already familiar with say, Warcraft, then modeling after warcraft will make it much easier for users to come to terms with your game.