A particular subtype of strategy games where things like production and logistics get a lot of attention.
Instead of usual Acceptable Breaks from Reality
like resources magically teleporting into factories and factories building tanks from raw ore, the player must pave roads, find peons to haul stuff and to make different stuff out of that stuff, and so on.
Typical elements found:
Command And Conquer Economy
- Roads. Peasants can't get from point A to point B if you don't show them how. Alternatively roads are just faster.
- Large and very convoluted resource / production system. There are basic resources gathered in different places, usually by specialized buildings, which are then processed in other specialzed buildings. Typical resources include: wood and stone needed for construction (logs may require being cut into planks), wheat which is then turned into flour, then bread; grape and wine; pigs turned into both leather and ham; iron ore smelted into instruments and war stuff (some war stuff requires wood instead though).
- Resource hauling typically done by peons manually, one measure at a time.
- Building something is achieved by peons hauling the needed resources while the construction is progressing.
- Actual peons walking around, waiting to be taught different professions. That is instead of Arbitrary Headcount Limit.
- No direct control over units. At least over non-military units.
- Happiness meter.
is very jarring here since, come on, no war factories until the warlord says so is okay, but not a single farm? Although since most of those games are in Medieval, can be justified by feudalism.
See You Require More Vespene Gas
. Contrast Easy Logistics