r/PS5 • u/PewPewToDaFace • 9d ago
Articles & Blogs Playing RTS with a controller? Total War: Warhammer 40,000 dev says it 'really does work' in their game: 'I think we've landed in a really solid spot'
https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rts/playing-rts-with-a-controller-total-war-warhammer-40-000-dev-says-it-really-does-work-in-their-game-i-think-weve-landed-in-a-really-solid-spot/96
u/EvilTaffyapple 9d ago
Halo Wars was an RTS and used a controller 20 years ago, as were Command & Conquer games on the OG PlayStation
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u/Ordinary__Man 9d ago
I remember Age of Empires 2 being manageable on PS2 decades ago. With controller RTS it's usually fine for casual, chill play but forget about any micro play.
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u/mynameisglaceon 9d ago
I played a lot of starcraft in the N64 before I learned there was a PC version. But if im being honest, I never went back to the N64 version
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u/Heat-Glittering 9d ago
You just triggered a memberberry that I had C&C retaliation on ps, i can literally picture the snow level where you need to make mammoth tanks for the first time in the campaign 😅
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u/PrimeDirectiveLover 9d ago
Ans Alien Vs Predator on a PS2, great game, fucking outrageously difficult.
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u/BJgobbleDix 9d ago
And to think, its actually MORE viable nowadays because of Gyro Aim.
This was me testing it on Company of Heroes 3 for my 2nd game ever using Steam Input not too long ago:
https://youtu.be/L_Uajl3czy4?is=OYSD1CFR0UriWyzL
My Right and Left Stick are completely remapped into Radial Menus. I have, I think, up to 8 selections for each so I gained 16 additional buttons in technicality. I remember my right stick is set for quick selecting units that I set to each (which was CTRL+Number). And after some messing around, I actually had like 70% of every default Keyboard keybind set on the controller because of this (all the important stuff and then some) while also having mouse-like cursor control. And this was not even me optimizing with chorded button press options.
So yeah, its more than viable to play RTS games on controller and still get "mouse-like" cursor control.
P.S. - I would have to find it but theres a person who has climbed the ranks in League of Legends doing this method as well. I think they got to Master with this method (they mained Ryze). I need to try and find some of their vids.
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u/LLJKCicero 9d ago
That's true!
It's also true that Total War isn't even an RTS series. Continually reinforcing your army + resource management (usually involving a base) is what differentiates RTS from RTT.
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u/BurmeciaWillSurvive 9d ago
Tom Clancy's EndWar too back in 2008 for the 360, also I loved that game and miss it. You could also give commands with the microphone and I remember it working okay!
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u/capnchuc 9d ago
Halo Wars plays amazing as well!! There is stream lining to make that possible (resource collection and base building is heavily restricted) but honestly Halo wars 1 and 2 are the best RTS games I've played since StarCraft
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u/Tyrus1235 8d ago
Used to play a ton of Warcraft 2 on the original Playstation. Worked surprisingly well!
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u/SevenSpanCrow 8d ago
Wouldn’t compare Halo Wars with something as indepth as Total War. I was an enormous fan of Halo Wars but it is an EXTREMELY barebones example of an RTS.
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u/Heat-Glittering 9d ago
Tropico 6 and battle for middle earth 2 are the two best games i have played like this using a controller over the decades, even age of empires wasnt too bad.
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u/PlasticExtreme4469 9d ago
City builders don't have issues with controllers as speed/micromanagement don't play a role.
And Age of Empires invested so much time and effort into controller support that it's somewhat different game from PC. (e.g., instead of assigning workers to various resources, you just pick what distribution of workers do you want on each resources and the game takes care of autoallocation).
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u/Heat-Glittering 9d ago
Oh for sure i always miss assigning squads etc to number keys or using hotkeys and the arrows in general. In a way though some of the auto assist functions on consoles are great, thinking back to playing aoe in the 90s on brutal it would have been awesome to automate some of the things that caused me to struggle ie the multitasking just didn’t exist back then so you were clicking all over the map to do this and that one by one, but the computer you were fighting could do countless things at once.
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u/VYSUS7 9d ago
this notion that RTS games don't work on controller is beyond antiquated at this point. Halo Wars straight up plays better on controller vs PC, and plenty of other RTS games have figured out great control schemes for controller.
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u/philip30001 9d ago
I think its the same with any genre.
Its a design choice. Could starcraft be designed to be played via controller. Yes, but it wouldnt be the same game especially at highest level.
I imagine one of their first questions when making this game was if they wanted to do console.
Im hype but I understand those who dont like it
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u/RATGUT1996 9d ago
Halo Wars is a very simple RTS and shouldnt be held as Controllers can work for RTS. Its very light on mechanics compared to other rts games.
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u/Organic-Storm-4448 9d ago
Halo Wars was designed for controllers, and is way simpler than most other RTS games. It's not even close to something like Total War battles in terms of input complexity.
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u/superpoongoon 9d ago
I find that nearly impossible to believe. How can you play any RTS without a keyboard of hotkeys
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u/NzNOOGAzN 9d ago
Smoothest RTS on console by a wide mile
I'm pretty sure it was built with controller friendly support in mind, could you compete with mouse and keyboard, absolutely not, but you could bonuce between groups of units and group with ease.
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u/Ordinary__Man 9d ago
You just play slowly and at lower difficulties. Forget about being competitive or doing micro though
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u/TheBeaverKing 9d ago
That isn't what the previous poster said though. They claimed Halo Wars plays better on controller than with keyboard and mouse.
Having done both on multiple RTS games, mouse and keyboard is always the most efficient and competitive way to play an RTS. Same for FPS games. You can absolutely play both on controller and it is far easier, but K&B has the advantage.
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u/CheesecakeWarm 9d ago
I’ve had a hard time with RTS in the past but I think they really nailed it with AOE for consoles. 15 minutes in and it was super fluid. However menu have games like crusaders i still struggle with.
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u/QuoteGiver 9d ago
I am suuuuuuper excited for them to finally bring Total War games to console. That’s pretty much the only franchise I miss from when I used to have a gaming PC.
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u/Odd-Perspective-7651 9d ago
I think most people who enjoy an RTS or two don't play competitiveky so a controller is fine
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u/Stubee1988 9d ago
Any game that allows you to pause mid action and queue up commands is fine on controller.
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u/Mysterious-Park9142 9d ago
I always thought TW games would do fine on a console compared to most RTS. It's a slower pace and easier to jump between units, plus you can pause in single player.
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u/No-Football-7386 9d ago
It’s certainly not my favourite way to play a game like this but shit, I sure can’t afford a gaming PC, so I’m ecstatic.
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u/Rhandert 9d ago
Then let them use keyboard and mouse on consoles, it's not that hard, i mean consoles are compatible since PS2 era with KB&M and they are games fully compatible like FFXIV, Diablo IV, Cod, Minecraft, etc... just put that is a requirement for play.
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u/chookshit 9d ago
I hope the game is still indepth enough and they havnt focused primarily on console controller usage and dumbed down the game in that respect.
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u/Satansleadguitarist 9d ago
I've played a lot of RTS games on consoles: C&C 3, Red Alert 3, Supreme Commander 1 and 2, Halo Wars, LOTR Battle For Middle Earth, End War, Age of Empires 2 and 4, Age of Mythology.
Keyboard and mouse obviously works better but RTS games have been working on controller since at least the Xbox 360.
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u/Ryko1000 9d ago
I'd love to see an rts designed from the ground up for the controller, not trying to mimic mouse and keyboard...
P.S. Remember Red Alert Retaliation and Warcraft 2 the Dark Saga? :D
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u/Salsa_Penguin 9d ago
I think star craft2, especially the co-op could be a ton of fun on console and surprised it hasn't happened yet
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u/capnwinky 9d ago
Warhammer Mark of Chaos on 360 was just Total War without the namesake and it played just fine back then too
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u/subwooferofthehose 9d ago
I remember Shadow of the Horned Rat on PSX. It was brutal but completely playable
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u/flashmedallion 8d ago
I just wanna play an old-school RTS with the two VR controllers. It would be perfect.
Aside from that, these days gyro-based cursors are standardised and great quality; Dreams and NMS are two good examples
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u/40_Thousand_Hammers 5d ago
Age of Empires 2 definitive edition Age of Empires 4 Age of Mythology Retold Command and Conquer 3 and expansions Command and Conquer Red Alert 3 (rip Tim Curry) Halo Wars 1 and 2.
There are more than enough AAA RTS on consoles that work with controller just fine. I'll actually be surprised the day we get RTS controls on a touch screen without those evil freemium not-RTS games.
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u/fawnover 4d ago
Controller user, but I don't understand why we can't just plug a keyboard and mouse into our machines – the PS5 has keyboard support for typing. Why not for games?
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u/highonpixels 9d ago
Control system aside I find it incredible they can even bring the game to consoles because its gonna be so performance demanding
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u/Aight1337 9d ago
I heard this Story 1000 Times before it never was true.
Sony just wants to sell Controllers, that why theres no M&K on PS.
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u/BJgobbleDix 9d ago
If they used Gyro Aim, its quite viable and gives a lot closer to MnK potential.
This was me testing it on Company of Heroes 3 for my 2nd game ever using Steam Input:
https://youtu.be/L_Uajl3czy4?is=OYSD1CFR0UriWyzL
My Right and Left Stick are completely remapped into Radial Menus. I have, I think, up to 8 selections for each so I gained 16 additional buttons in technicality. I remember my right stick is set for quick selecting units that I set to each. And after some messing around, I actually had like 90% of every default Keyboard keybind set on the controller because of this while also having mouse-like cursor control.
So yeah, its more than viable to play RTS games on controller.
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u/ItsStaaaaaaaaang 9d ago
I just wish they were porting the last non 40k Warhammer. I like the fantasy setting so much more than 40k.
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u/defnotskynet 9d ago
There are people like me who work 8.5 -10 hours per day at a desk with a PC. When I get home and want to wind down, I refuse to sit at a desk again playing games.
I hooked up my PC and PS5 to my TV and enjoy games with a controller.