Turn Based Strategy - Empire Building Games - Why we Like them so much!

5 Reasons Why we Like and Play them so much!

Hi All,
Today we are talking about Turn Based Strategy Empire Building Games and why You Like them. What is great about them and what are the main drive for playing them, making them so enjoyable but also addictive.

Let's start. 5 things you like:

No 5.  GAME PACE 

IN TBS GAMES THERE ARE NO TIME STRESS PRESSURE

That's right! You choose your playing speed. The game is progressing in Turns. Until you press NEXT TURN game is in kind of PAUSED state.

If you are a thinker, want to check everything twice, you need more time to make a decision, nothing stopping you to do so. When you are ready, you go for next turn. That is benefit and commodity that most other genres don't have. If we mix in that its also a strategy that demands thinking and planning that most of Strategy Players enjoy, then that is Win/Win combination. 

Playing Strategy while you are in control of game speed, no stress, no hurrying, no instinct and intuition moves, just plain good old strategy thinking, how to outsmart opponents or to manage your progress at you own pace is what players really enjoy. 

Did you know that Sid Meier's CIVILIZATION originally was built to be REAL TIME STRATEGY game, but later on they realized that it will be too overwhelming to a player to tackle with all manageable system in the game in real time, which will ruin the essence of the game.

No 4. FOCUS 
NO ACTIVE FOCUS DEMANDED IN TBS GAMES

Related to the previous point, you are not pressured to be fully focused on whats happening in the game. Your forces will not be defeated because something very interesting just appeared on TV or you got a new message on Facebook or a phone call.

Even if you can ignore some of those interruptions there are a certain number of interruptions that is best to not be ignored, like If you kid or Wife demanding Attention. You definitely don't want to ignore your wife even if you are able to :).

I am sure many of you remember situations when they were really enjoying their favourite game and then Parents come into the room and starts complaining about whatever is on their mind. After that Gaming moment and pleasure is completely destroyed. Good thing in Turn Based Strategies is that you can just wait, and continue later on when you get your focus and thinking back without losing your playing session, in which you invested hours if not days.

In today's world, we have more interruptions all the time,  more than ever before. Having that in mind I think TBS games have a bright future as more and more player will realize that they can benefit of playing this type of game, comparing to ones where you need to lock yourself in a room and play whole day long without disruptions, sacrificing other aspects of life. There is already a certain number of games where you play one turn a day or similar.

No 3. NEXT TURN  

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT - DOPAMINE AWARD

If you are a fan of Turn Based Strategy Games you know how it's hard to stop and resist to click NEXT TURN button. Have you ever think why? There is a scientific explanation about that related to chemicals that drive our brain. Yes, you heard me well, it's not your fault, it's your brain and chemicals that are tricking you. Actually, it is Dopamine.

What is Dopamine? Well, Scientists used to think Dopamine was a pleasure chemical in the brain, but now we know that what it actually creates is "WANT" feeling. Dopamine causes us to seek, to search and to desire more. Dopamine is stimulated by unpredictability, by small bits of information, and by reward cues. That's why these days they call it motivation chemical. 


Did you ever think why People are so addicted to Social media these days? We just can't wait for next message, next news, next info that can be something good, and we are constantly checking, as once in a while there is something nice and interesting that awards our brain.

Similarly TBS Games calls you for that NEXT TURN click, as you don't know what will happen, maybe something interesting, new unit is created or, somebody declaring war to you or your opponent, maybe you finally discovered new tech or you are just one turn close to winning a war...or few turns nothing happened and you just seek for something to happen to enhance your game experience and fun.

So, next time your girlfriend start to complain about you playing your TBS game non-stop hit her with scientific facts that she will understand as there is a big chance that she uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram more then she should :). Actually, The pull of dopamine is so strong that studies have shown tweeting is harder for people to resist than cigarettes and alcohol.

No 2. NEXT TURN

WANT TO FINISH THINGS - Zeigarnik Effect

Did you know that our brains recall things that we haven't completed much more than those we have? It's called Zeigarnik Effect. Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik asked subjects to finish a set of tasks. Then subjects were interrupted before they could finish some of the tasks. Later they recalled the tasks during which they were interrupted at a much higher rate than those they were able to finish. 

How it turns out our brain has a powerful need to finish what it starts. The Zeigarnik Effect may also explain why we regret things we didn't do even more than we regret things we did.

Anyway, lets now draw parallel to our TBS Game. You clicked NEXT TURN because of previous Dopamine thing :). And now you will save and close your game and continue tomorrow. NO F.. WAY. Messages starting to pop up about new units, buildings created, tech discovered, and you will leave that unfinished for later.  I don't think so :)! You will try to react and complete those things. And then when you did everything that you could in that turn, you are back to the previous point, when dopamine calls you for another one.

Those last 2 points explain so known phenomena called
"JUST ONE MORE TURN" 
that is so hard to resist.

No 1. BUILDING YOUR EMPIRE
PLAYING A GOD

And finally our last point. The main reason why we are playing them is not because of next turn button, not because of dopamine or urge to complete things, not because of game pace or focus flexibility. All that are benefits or reasons why they are so addictive, but that's not why we play those games in first place.

We play them because we want to build our own world, our own Empire where we are in charge. Empire building games give as a power of a deity. Playing a GOD kind of game...

At the end big part of playing of any type of Games except it is FUN, of course,  is also to run away from reality to some different world, maybe better, maybe easier or less boring, maybe more challenging, where we can do things on our own, or things that we can't i real life, things where we are in control.

In Empire Building Games you are in charge, you are in control of everything, from progress, expansion, what will be built, what will be discovered, With who you will be in a good or bad relationship. You are playing sort of real-life simulation from a position of God or a Ruler where you are responsible for everything and where from your actions your Empire and the little world depends. Your creation is a projection of what you are and what you want and can accomplish. We hardly can do this in real life, except we are in a very high position in society, like President or Premier.
The great benefit of Empire building games is that ordinary person can learn a lot about systems and dependencies of ruling and leading and life civilization compromises,  and how all those things works and looks from the perspective of one that is in charge and that drives everything.


There you have some of by my opinion crucial reasons for playing TBS Empire building games. I am sure there are a lot more but I think those are main ones behind many successfully Turn Based Strategy Empire building Titles today.

What is your opinion, which TBS Empire Building Games you like to play, let me know in comments, I would like to hear an opinion of real TBS Games fans and serious players of this genre that put a lot of hours in those games.

This is my first article on this topic, I plan to do more, please subscribe if you like it and you are interested to read next one.

Update: Chek post about bad sides of TBS Games:
Turn Based Strategy Games - Bad Sides

Thank You

BadHabit.