Strategy Game Tropes

2 Following

A list of tropes related to Strategy Games.

• A Commander Is You
  Describing the different types of factions that appear in strategy games.
• After-Action Report
  A type of Fan Fiction for strategy games that involves a blow-by-blow description of a mission or campaign.
• A.I.-Generated Economy
  The computer controls the economy of the game's world.
• All Swords Are the Same
  All weapons of a specific type will look and play exactly the same.
• Amphibious Unit
  A strategy game unit that can both move on land and on/in the water.
• Anti-Air
  An attack, weapon, munition, ability, etc. that is really effective against flying enemies.
• Anti-Armor
  An attack, weapon, munition, ability, etc. that is really effective against armored enemies.
• Anti-Cavalry
  An attack, weapon, munition, ability, etc. that is really effective against mounted enemies.
• Anti-Infantry
  An attack, weapon, munition, ability, etc. that is really effective against enemies on foot.
• Anti-Structure
  An attack, weapon, munition, ability, etc. that is really effective against enemy structures.
• Anti-Vehicle
  An attack, weapon, munition, ability, etc. that is really effective against enemy vehicles.
• Arbitrary Headcount Limit
  Arbitrary requirement that stops you from having too many characters in a party or unit.
• Area of Effect
  Attacks that hit a wide area, rather than a specific target.
• Armor-Piercing Attack
  An attack, weapon, or munition that rips through the armor or special shield that your enemies wear.
• Baseless Mission
  A mission that does not provide you with a base in strategy games where bases are generally required.
• Building Location Restrictions
  Ridiculously Fast Construction can only happen here and for this reason.
• Civil WarCraft
  A contrived battle where you fight your own side.
• Colour Coded Armies
  Units are colour coded so the player can tell their units from the enemy's.
• Construct Additional Pylons
  In Real-Time Strategy games, having to build a base to churn out units right on the battlefield.
• Command & Conquer Economy
  Nothing ever gets built unless the player specifically orders it.
• Cosmetically Different Sides
  Although both sides in a battle may be from vastly different technologies, their statistics and attacks will be exactly the same.
• Crippling Overspecialization
  Units are so specialized that they are completely useless against units that fall outside their specialty.
• Damage Is Fire
  Whenever a structure is damaged, it's shown as being on fire.
• Defenseless Transports
  For game balance, units that carry other units have no weapons of their own.
• Defog of War
  Lessens the obscurity of Fog of War.
• Dual Mode Unit
  A unit that has two different functions that can be switched between.
• Easy Communication
  Once you issue an order, it will be carried out instantly without having to go through any channels.
• Easy Logistics
  You don't need to worry about feeding your troops or keeping up supplies - that all happens automatically.
• Enemy Exchange Program
  Capture an enemy base, and churn out your own enemy units!
• Faction Calculus
  Describing the different dynamics of a strategy game depending on the number of factions involved.
• Firewood Resources
  Resource icons/sprites are simplified at the cost of scale and accuracy.
• Fog of War
  You can only see the parts of the map where you have units.
• Garrisonable Structures
  Structures that allow units to take cover.
• Geo Effects
  Terrain affects tactics.
• Hard-Coded Hostility
  A faction which cannot be negotiated with and is perpetually at war with every other faction.
• Hero Must Survive
  One of your units is a NPC that must not be allowed to die.
• Hero Unit
  A (usually very powerful) unit that represents the Player Character or other important character in the game's storyline.
• Hold the Line
  A mission where you have to prevent the enemy completing their objective before time runs out.
• Instant Militia
  An option to convert your workers into basic fighters.
• Location Capture Boost
  Skills that make capturing or defending locations easier.
• Magic Tool
  A universal hand tool whose user can magically fix any machine or structure simply by waving it at the target from close range.
• Mercenary Units
  Special units that are "hired" instead of "trained" or "built".
• Neutrals, Critters, and Creeps
  These entities hinder both player armies and enemy factions.
• Non-Entity General
  The player is a general or commander in a strategy game who may not actually even exist.
• Projectile Punisher
  An attack, weapon, munition, ability, etc. that is really effective against long-ranged shooting enemies.
• Protection Mission
  Protect a stationary object from enemy attack.
• Reinventing the Wheel
  You need to purchase "upgrades" to capabilities in each campaign, even if your forces already had it in the last one.
• Resource-Gathering Mission
  The main focus is gathering a certain amount of resources instead of destroying the enemy.
• Ridiculously Fast Construction
  All buildings can be produced and military units trained in a ridiculously short amount of time.
• Ridiculously Fast Population Growth
  Populations grow faster than realistic birthrates could sustain.
• "Risk"-Style Map
  A map which shows you delineated areas so you can choose which campaigns to wage.
• Separate, but Identical
  Some sub-factions are said to be different in composition, outlook etc., but really only differ in their color palette.
• Some Dexterity Required
  In the real-time variety, being able to issue commands to your units more efficiently gives you an edge.
• Splash Damage Abuse
  Abusing an attack's Splash Damage or Area of Effect to get enhanced performance.
• Starting Units
  In strategy games, you sometimes have units at the start that you can't train or create more of.
• Stop Poking Me!
  Clicking too often on a unit will make them insult or nag you.
• Strategic Asset Capture Mechanic
  Simulating the capture of a strategic asset, either an abstract "Strategic Zone" or a tangible building with a specific bonus.
• Strong Flesh, Weak Steel
  It's easier to destroy something made of armored steel, like a tank, than to destroy an ostensibly flesh and blood character.
• Support Power
  The player receives support from things that are not included on the in-game map.
• Tactical Rock–Paper–Scissors
  Strategy games divide your units into three types, each of which is strong and weak against each of the other types.
• Tactical Superweapon Unit
  A unit that is overpowered, hard to deploy and limited in number. Built to break stalemates by virtue of being a Damage-Sponge Boss that can dish out as much dakka as it can take; requiring either a huge army, exploiting its weakness(es), or another unit of equal power to bring down.
• Tech Tree
  Strategy games let you research new abilities for your units.
• Turn-Based Strategy, Real Time Combat
  The strategic level gameplay is turn-based but tactical engagements play out in real time.
• Unblockable Attack
  An attack that always deals damage and can't be blocked or guarded (but in most cases may be dodged or interrupted instead).
• Units Not to Scale
  Infantrymen appear ridiculously large when compared to vehicles and buildings.
• Video Game Time
  Fake use of a time scale means that empires rise and fall in the time it takes to take the trash out.
• Weather of War
  Weather drastically affects units.
• Worker Unit
  A non-combatant unit dedicated to constructing buildings or gathering resources.
• You Have Researched Breathing
  Where you have to spend time researching things that should be patently obvious.
• You Require More Vespene Gas
  Strategy games make you gather resources.
  • No Recycling
    You can't scavenge debris for usable materials.
  • Not Playing Fair With Resources
    AI players in are able to acquire resources faster than the player or don't need any resources at all.
  • Refining Resources
    You need to use "basic" resources to create "advanced" ones.
  • Resource-Exempt Faction
    One faction ignores one of the resources used by the rest.
• Zerg Rush
  Sending waves upon waves of cheap, weak units in order to overwhelm a more tech-aware enemy with sheer numbers.