- Storm - strategy game, core mechanics was developing your aircraft designs, test-flying them, building them, and defending your flying island with them. Big part of the game was trading in airships parts between factions. It also has arcade 3d-mode fighting system, where you controlled one of your ships, but it was unplayable).
- Net Storm - another game on flying islands - also strategy, but gamplay was very different - it was all about building towers, defensive structures and bridges to contain and defeat enemy flying island. It felt like real-time chess, positioning was the most important. It also had nice multiplayer mode.
- MAX - another strategy game - this time turn-based. It had nice system of resource extraction - you had to scan ground for resources, also your factories, defence systems, mines, etc had to be connected by pipelines for resources and power to be provided everywhere. So defending pipelines was important.
Net Storm only had internet multiplayer in a time when internet multiplayer was very unknown. It is, to me, hands down the most skill involved RTS ever created - requiring both clever maneuvering and fast, correct reactions.
It's a shame it didn't take off more than it did. A re-release with better graphics would likely do very well in current competitive RTS game circles, though. Well as long as it had sufficient marketing and very good tutorials. Free to play with in-game purchases for different tower skins would probably be the way to go...
There is a re-make underway and has been for about two years now [1]. They are making fair progress and I like the graphics. I think their main mistake may be not going for a brower-based version, then again, if the Net Storm legacy lives on, who am I to complain? Also, not sure about the licensing, there were indications of them being closed source a few years ago but I have been unable to find anything explicit, given what happened to the original Net Storm I hope the same mistake will not be repeated.
I was looking for MAX last week, but I couldn't remember the name. I finally found it and was thrilled when I discovered there's an open source clone called MAX Reloaded [1].
MAX was cool, but it tended to turn into a out-range/out-research battle. A lot of the games we played turned into a grind of turtling missile towers into enemy territory, while trying to buff their range faster than the other guy.
You could see the ranges of enemy units, and because it was turn based, you'd also spend a lot of time trying to come up with very conservative hit and run manoeuvres.
- Storm - strategy game, core mechanics was developing your aircraft designs, test-flying them, building them, and defending your flying island with them. Big part of the game was trading in airships parts between factions. It also has arcade 3d-mode fighting system, where you controlled one of your ships, but it was unplayable).
- Net Storm - another game on flying islands - also strategy, but gamplay was very different - it was all about building towers, defensive structures and bridges to contain and defeat enemy flying island. It felt like real-time chess, positioning was the most important. It also had nice multiplayer mode.
- MAX - another strategy game - this time turn-based. It had nice system of resource extraction - you had to scan ground for resources, also your factories, defence systems, mines, etc had to be connected by pipelines for resources and power to be provided everywhere. So defending pipelines was important.