> ...deep strategy games like Starcraft tend to have multiple levels on which to do battle...
That's exactly the point; the "other levels" are macro, micro, and multi-tasking--the "realtime" components of an RTS game. (I consider positioning and scouting a factor of micro and multi-tasking respectively.) Those are the facets of the game that let you take two equally matched strategies, execute slightly better than the opponent, and thereby eke out a gradually compounding advantage.
If you remove those, the "deep strategy" of starcraft is basically just doing the one or two counterplays that you obviously need to do to survive. "He built too many early game marines so now I build banelings or I die." The strategic "if he does this, I'll do this, but then he'll do that" decision tree is very shallow in a game like brood war or sc2.
> What about tanks on high ground and out of reach? What if the roaches have to funnel through a walled choke guarded by some MMLib as well?
Then I'll be forced into one of a small handful of tictactoe-like responses: brood lords, vipers, doom drop on top of your army, or pull you apart with muta/nydus multi-taski... no wait. Just the first three options I guess.
That's exactly the point; the "other levels" are macro, micro, and multi-tasking--the "realtime" components of an RTS game. (I consider positioning and scouting a factor of micro and multi-tasking respectively.) Those are the facets of the game that let you take two equally matched strategies, execute slightly better than the opponent, and thereby eke out a gradually compounding advantage.
If you remove those, the "deep strategy" of starcraft is basically just doing the one or two counterplays that you obviously need to do to survive. "He built too many early game marines so now I build banelings or I die." The strategic "if he does this, I'll do this, but then he'll do that" decision tree is very shallow in a game like brood war or sc2.
> What about tanks on high ground and out of reach? What if the roaches have to funnel through a walled choke guarded by some MMLib as well?
Then I'll be forced into one of a small handful of tictactoe-like responses: brood lords, vipers, doom drop on top of your army, or pull you apart with muta/nydus multi-taski... no wait. Just the first three options I guess.