The debate over whether Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games can be effectively played with a controller has persisted for years, with many considering the genre the exclusive domain of mouse and keyboard. However, Creative Assembly, the developer behind the upcoming Total War: Warhammer 40,000, asserts that it is indeed possible to create a satisfying controller experience for RTS titles. Dave Petry, the studio's battle product owner, told TechRadar at Gamescom that the notion of controllers being incompatible with RTS is a "myth."
"Because yes, obviously, controllers are your primary method for using consoles, but it's just an input method," Petry explained. "It's an accessibility tool, right? It's how you want to play or how you would like to play, and so we've always wanted to be able to bring that experience to people who want to use a gamepad."
Creative Assembly has prior experience in adapting the genre for console play, having co-developed Halo Wars 2. Petry highlighted this title as an example of a "really strong implementation of controller and RTS," though he acknowledged that its relative simplicity contributed to its success. More complex RTS games, such as Age of Empires 2 when it was released on Xbox, required significant automation features, like automatically gathering resources and constructing buildings, to manage the intricate micromanagement demands that are cumbersome with twin-stick controls.
Total War: Warhammer 40,000 distinguishes itself by confining the more complex strategic elements, such as building and tech trees, to the turn-based campaign map. Only the battles themselves unfold in real-time. While intricate battlefield maneuvers like cycle-charging units or kiting enemy fire might present challenges with a controller, Petry expressed confidence in the studio's ability to adapt these mechanics. "I think we are learning that we can do this right, and yeah, it's definitely something that we're all keen to keep evolving as we ship and work on it," he stated. "I think we've landed in a really solid spot. I think we're quite proud of where we are when it comes to the technical side of things as well."