OS X New Mac Gamer needs RTS game suggestions

Well... Before anyone tells you that Mac's are not for gaming, if you can't find anything that you want, you can always install Windows 7 via Bootcamp partition.

At the moment, the video game industry is just now transitioning to making games for both Mac and PC simultaneously. EA a few months ago set up a dedication design team to make new IP's and port existing games over to iOS, but they have yet to release anything. Unfortunately, there is not a large selection for Mac at the moment.

Try Portal 1 and 2. Based on your love for RTS, I think that is your best bet.

If you have a copy of Starcraft 2 for Windows, you should be able to download the OS X version at no charge from your Blizzard online account. Same for Diablo II.

Not sure if you'd enjoy the Total War games, but a few have been ported to OS X. Same goes for XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

Supreme Commander 2 for Mac -> http://deliver2mac.com/products/sc2

C&C Generals + Zero Hour -> It is no longer supported but you can probably find it on Amazon, UB patch required (and probably hunting for crack since it requires CD in disc-drive which MBA does not have)

C&C 3 -> Again, Amazon + crack or external optical drive
C&C: Red Alert 3 -> https://gametreemac.com/EA-Electronic-Arts/Buy-Command-and-Conquer-Red-Alert-3-Mac-Download

Black & White 2 -> https://store.feralinteractive.com/en/eu/mac-games/blackwhite2/ DVD version since is is not in digital distribution

Tropico 3 -> https://store.feralinteractive.com/en/eu/mac-games/tropico3/

SW: Empire at War -> http://www.gameagent.com/games/star-wars-empire-at-war

ImperialForces said:

Unfortunately, there is not a large selection for Mac at the moment.

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There isn't? I currently own 356 games that all run in OS X 10.8.4 on my mid-2011 iMac. Nearly all of these games are reviewed as at least "good" on Gamespot or elsewhere. They include everything from wonderful old classics available on GOG to some of the latest greatest games from Blizzard, Feral, Aspyr, EA, Paradox and many of the very best indie developers.

Not to pick on you but geeze I get tired of people saying there isn't much selection on OS X. Yes, there most certainly is and there is good coverage of every genre one could want to play.

In response to the OP, if you haven't played the classic RTS Total Annihilation or even if you'd just like to enjoy it again in OS X on your Mac, you can find it for cheap on GOG.com along with a lot of other cool classic games for Mac.

I'd recommend installing Steam too for a large selection of games to play on your Mac and there is always the Mac App Store for more. Origin has a Mac client and features a good number of excellent titles from Feral there as well as some of their own titles, primarily Sims this and that.

I believe I have seen Supreme Commander 2 on Macgamestore for OS X.

You can also find Star Wars: Empire at War on the Mac App Store.

I noticed Black and White 2 mentioned above. Edwin from Feral has recently mentioned this will be coming to the Mac App Store sometime soon but as mentioned is available direct on disc if you didn't want to wait.

I also notice Tropico 3 mentioned above. It is worthy of note that Feral just announced Tropico 4 is coming in July and I'm sure it'll be on The Mac App Store as well. Most of their titles are.

I mention the App Store frequently here because I like it personally and it certainly is convenient being right on your Dock by default.

Edit: I forgot two more games of note for you. Company of Heroes: Campaign Edition from Aspyr is on the Mac App Store and they recently upgraded it so it now includes skirmish play. Wargame: European Escalation is another good game which is available on Steam for OS X.

But wait! There's more! Total War: Rome and Empire Total War are available on the Mac App Store and Napoleon Total War is coming out in July on the Mac App Store as well.

I don't think you'll have any trouble finding fun stuff to play on your new Mac.

OP, if you like Supreme Commander then you will probably like Total Annihilation which is available on GOG.

saturnotaku said:

Not sure if you'd enjoy the Total War games, but a few have been ported to OS X. Same goes for XCOM: Enemy Unknown.

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This. XCOM: EU may be the reason PCs were invented in the first place. I'm playing it on Steam in Bootcamp (too impatient to wait for a port) but it may be worth getting it for OS X on the App Store to reward Feral's dedication to Mac games.

I really recommend Tropico. I had a lot of fun with that while I was on holidays, you can get it from the App Store and it's pretty cheap at the moment. Worth a play. Another good one is Starcraft 2, expansion for that just came out so that will give you hours of entertainment.

Download Steam. Plenty of free to play and paid games for OS X on it.

Dirtyharry50 said:

In response to the OP, if you haven't played the classic RTS Total Annihilation or even if you'd just like to enjoy it again in OS X on your Mac, you can find it for cheap on GOG.com along with a lot of other cool classic games for Mac.

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TA Kingdoms is also available on OS X from GOG (it actually is an entertaining RTS game, warts and all). If you want some tactics in your RTS, there's also Ground Control 2: Operation Exodus, also available for the Mac
from GOG.

And if you're willing to put in a little effort with Wineskin or CrossOver, a lot of GOG's other Windows RTS games work very well on OS X through WINE: Imperial Glory, Original War, Praetorians, and Battle Realms are all games that have worked well on my Mac. If you want to kick it a little old school, KKND2: Krossfire, Earth 2140, and Dark Reign work in the latest versions of WINE as well (for Earth 2140, use DOSBox/Boxer as the Windows version has apparently poorly coded AI). If you're up for a little turn-based action, nothing can beat Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire, for which GOG has also provided a modern OS X port.

Myth: The Fallen Lords

ImperialForces said:

Try Portal 1 and 2. Based on your love for RTS, I think that is your best bet.

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While I love both Portal games, I can't quite understand why you would recommend them to an RTS fan over, you know...RTS games. They're great, but not necessarily what the OP is looking for.

Just download the OS X client for StarCraft 2 from battlenet. SC2 is all you need.

MeatRocket said:

Hi all! I'm switching over to a 2012 i7/8GB MacBook Air (first Mac in forever) and am curious what seems to be the best RTS games on Mac?

On Windows my faves were Supreme Commander 1 & 2, Command & Conquer, Lords of the Realm, Starcraft 2 and a few non-RTS games like Demi-God and Diablo. I really don't like FPS & don't think anything I would like would be too demanding on my system.

Suggestions please?

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OMG you played Supcom too?
I thought i was alone....

If you're not grandmaster in SC2, you've not finished playing.

CJM said:

If you're not grandmaster in SC2, you've not finished playing.

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I am the infamous BobtomFred
who are you?

Man, you should play Starcraft Broodwar, it's the best RTS ever made, its quite old so not too demanding! It works on mac, go on the blizzard website for more info : http://eu.blizzard.com/en-gb/games/sc/

One for the future,

Planetary Annihilation

I loved Warhammer 40,000. I wish they made a mac port for it. But if you ever bootcamp then I suggest that

old-mac-man said:

One for the future,

Planetary Annihilation

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i've been following this game since day one... and i think the 90$ preview is ********, no one is going to pay that much for a video game, especially an alpha test...

most steam games charge LESS for previews.

nyteowl9 said:

i've been following this game since day one... and i think the 90$ preview is ********, no one is going to pay that much for a video game, especially an alpha test...

most steam games charge LESS for previews.

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Well, there is a reason, basically they are charging that much so that the people who bought into the Kickstarter won't feel screwed over.

It's a little unfair for them to pay $90 on KS, and then the game appears on steam early access for $20

Wargame: European escalation is a quite enjoyable RTS with a mac client

It's got to be StarCraft 2. I have heard tell of other RTS games, but I don't see the point

I play SC2 daily, and have done so for the last 2 years. When I don't play SC2, I watch the pro tournament videos online. I finally found a sport I enjoy watching!