When comparing Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War vs Warcraft III, the Slant community recommends Warcraft III for most people. In the question“What are the best LAN party PC games?” Warcraft III is ranked 24th while Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War is ranked 50th. The most important reason people chose Warcraft III is:
In multiplayer and skirmish matches, you get to choose which race you would like to control: Humans, Orcs, Elves, and the Undead. Each faction have their own advantages and down-sides, as well as wholly unique play styles. For example, the Orcs have units that are tougher and can deal more damage, while Night Elves units are completely invisible while standing still during the game's night cycle. This makes for gameplay that can change dramatically depending on which race is chosen.
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Pros
Pro Easily practice the game when not playing over LAN
There is offline play available, meaning you can play single player in order to practice for LAN play. LAN as well is offline, as it uses a local connection. So overall, there is no need for an internet connection in order to play the game how and when you want.
Pro Easily accessible to any skill level
A smart AI allows for difficult games thanks to the natural reactions that the enemy can have in game, which keeps the player on their toes. Where it allows for any skill level is the fact that the player can change the difficulty level, which will make for an easier or even more difficult game, depending on what the player choose to set it on.
Pro Large hectically fun matches
Up to 8 players can play in a game, making for what can be hectic and large matches thanks to the possibility of the amount of each players forces.
Pro Expansions and mods
Dark Crusade and Soulstorm are just two of the beautiful expansions this game has(the best ones, in my opinion).
Also, a mod like Ultimate Apocalypse (for Soulstorm) brings the game to a totally new style
Recommended to play the original game first, to learn playstyle, and then play Ultimate Apocalypse so you can notice all the changes that this wonderful mod has made.
This mod is worth all the game+2 expansions by itself. Look for it on ModDB.com.
Pro Can run on older PCs
As this game is quite old (having been originally released in 2004), it runs well on older PCs.
Pro Four varied races give more play styles
In multiplayer and skirmish matches, you get to choose which race you would like to control: Humans, Orcs, Elves, and the Undead. Each faction have their own advantages and down-sides, as well as wholly unique play styles. For example, the Orcs have units that are tougher and can deal more damage, while Night Elves units are completely invisible while standing still during the game's night cycle. This makes for gameplay that can change dramatically depending on which race is chosen.
Pro Story-filled campaign gives players knowledge of the game world
Warcraft III has an excellent story that's told through the eyes of four separate races. As you progress through each race's story, you are presented with background knowledge of previous events in the world of Azeroth, while taking on new and challenging missions. Due to this, you are given a breadth of information about the races of the world, as well as key characters that make appearances in later missions and other Warcraft titles.
Pro Heroes that rank up and carry inventory adds a well done RPG icing
Pro Single Player campaign serves as a learning tool
The campaign acts as a tutorial for each of the game's four races. New units become available every mission, which feature their own unique abilities and skills. By giving you access to different units over time, the game allows you to acclimate yourself with each individual unit type as the campaign progresses. This gives you an understanding of how each race plays, thus helping you develop a desirable playstyle.
Pro Multiple build orders make each Multi-Player match feel different
Warcraft III gives players the freedom to build their bases in any order they choose, to fit any strategic purpose they need. This allows players to start each match with a certain strategy in mind, build toward it, then alter it if it's no longer viable. For instance, players can build toward a rush of low-cost units at the start of the match and abruptly switch their strategy, constructing buildings that will enable them to train flying units instead. This keeps matches interesting, requiring players to adapt their build order at a moment's notice if their strategies change.
Pro Wonderful design
Cons
Con Some LAN/Internet games don't start.
Some games just get stuck into a loading screen(transferring badges screen) and won't start. If you can see this screen for more than a couple of minutes, just let the host close the game and try again.
After this screen a Loading The Map screen should appear and it can take even 5 minutes if somebody is using an old PC, but the first screen is the "bugged" one.
Con Large and not optimized
Size of the game+expansions+mod is about 10 GB. Also the game is quite aged but it is not best optimized and in 8p LAN matches it could stutter.
Con Heavy focus on micromanagement makes Warcraft III too strenuous for casual play
The combat in Warcraft III relies heavily on the micromanagement of units in each encounter. The crux of each engagement is unit placement: Each individual unit has to be positioned properly, with their abilities activated the moment they are off cooldown. Due to this, every battle requires constant focus and the maneuvering of individual units, which can be quite difficult for casual players to maintain.
Con Macromanagement supplies casual players with a difficult learning curve
Warcraft III provides players with a difficult balancing act of maintaining armies, upgrades, and economy. Each unit takes a large amount of resources to complete, so it is imperative to keep as many of your units alive as possible with each fight. In order to do so, you must research technologies that increase their effectiveness and resilience in combat, making it imperative that you queue these upgrades once you have the money to do so. However, as your army grows in size, you will gain less resources due to an Upkeep Tax that is levied against you once you reach a certain population. This will make it harder to replace fallen units and purchase additional unit upgrades. Because of this intensive macromanagement of army, upgrades, and resources, casual players will find it difficult to master the balancing act required in order to win each match.