RTS, love the idea of them, terrible at playing them

I've been playing RTS games for a long time, from Cannon Fodder and Megalomania on the megadrive, Warcraft 1 & 2 on the playstation to Starcraft, Company of Heroes and Dawn of War 1 & 2 on the PC and I've consistently enjoyed playing them but for some reason this is the only genre of game that no matter how much I play I never seem to get any good at.

I always felt that the best way to get good at games is to jump straight into the online rather than get into bad habits by playing AI, especially if you're playing on an easier setting. The problem I have is that I get intimidated playing anything online if I feel that my gameplay is not average at best and this creates a bit of a catch 22 for me.

The biggest problem I find with the RTS genre online is that you're either in a small team or 1v1, this either gives or one or two players who are counting on you to pull your own weight or putting you in a head to head situation which, again, is very intimidating when you have no online experience.

I've probably already  dug myself into a pit of bad habits, turtling, not learning effective counters or build orders, knowing when fights are lost when to retreat or how to control large groups of units other than selecting all and telling them to attack 1 target.

Other genres, FPS for example, are much easier to get into, you can blend in with a large group of other players where your failings can go largely unnoticed while you learn the ropes, or take Turn based games such as Civilisation, there you have time to plan out strategies, levelling the playing field somewhat.

Maybe it's just not meant to be, I've always been a one track mind person, in an FPS I only have to worry about what I can see, not what my 50 units who are scattered across the map can see. I can put my twitch reactions to better use in an FPS and have a lot less to worry about at any one time.

I have a huge amount of respect to anyone that can play RTS games at a high level of skill, you have so much to think about and very little time to react to situations. For now I'll resign my self to playing medium skill AI alone or with some friends and leave the online to others.

I've been playing RTS games for a long time, from Cannon Fodder and Megalomania on the megadrive, Warcraft 1 & 2 on the playstation to Starcraft, Company of Heroes and Dawn of War 1 & 2 on the PC and I've consistently enjoyed playing them but for some reason this is the only genre of game that no matter how much I play I never seem to get any good at.

I always felt that the best way to get good at games is to jump straight into the online rather than get into bad habits by playing AI, especially if you're playing on an easier setting. The problem I have is that I get intimidated playing anything online if I feel that my gameplay is not average at best and this creates a bit of a catch 22 for me.

The biggest problem I find with the RTS genre online is that you're either in a small team or 1v1, this either gives or one or two players who are counting on you to pull your own weight or putting you in a head to head situation which, again, is very intimidating when you have no online experience.

I've probably already  dug myself into a pit of bad habits, turtling, not learning effective counters or build orders, knowing when fights are lost when to retreat or how to control large groups of units other than selecting all and telling them to attack 1 target.

Other genres, FPS for example, are much easier to get into, you can blend in with a large group of other players where your failings can go largely unnoticed while you learn the ropes, or take Turn based games such as Civilisation, there you have time to plan out strategies, levelling the playing field somewhat.

Maybe it's just not meant to be, I've always been a one track mind person, in an FPS I only have to worry about what I can see, not what my 50 units who are scattered across the map can see. I can put my twitch reactions to better use in an FPS and have a lot less to worry about at any one time.

I have a huge amount of respect to anyone that can play RTS games at a high level of skill, you have so much to think about and very little time to react to situations. For now I'll resign my self to playing medium skill AI alone or with some friends and leave the online to others.

Yeah same here, I enjoy RTS games single player campaigns just fine, but MP is a no go for me.
 
That's why I always loved TBS games, like the HOMM series, lords of magic, age of wonders series etc, the only downside to these types of games is that while playing online you obviously have to wait for the opponents to finish their turns, so it demands patience, also they don't make these games anymore which is a shame.

I feel the same way. My friends in high school were a big fan of the Red Alert series and C&C in general. Occasionally we'd have a LAN party. I liked playing those games, but I was always dead weight on whatever team I got put on, basically just trying to hold my own while my teammate(s) did all the heavy lifting.
 
I tend to stick with TBS games, these days. I play Civ V or Sword of the Stars to get my strategy fix. SotS is a good intermediate game where the empire building is all turn based, but the battles take place in real time 4 minute bouts. It's about the only combat I can actually keep up with.

I love C&C and SC, but can only really play against the computer.  I have no problem attacking and learning build orders and counters, for me, I never developed the skill to maintain the high multitasking. 
 
Having said that, I do watch a lot of pro-Starcraft matches...

Yup. I can manage just fine in RTS single player, but fuck multiplayer.

Same here. I love the idea of RTS games, but have never been very good at multiplayer. I don't mind multitasking a bit in a game, but RTS games are a bit too demanding for me on that front. It feels a little too much like work. I generally prefer a slower pace where I have time to think and plan and don't have to worry about constantly getting build orders out. I wind up playing turn-based games like Civ as a result. Seems like a lot of others are in the same boat.

I haven't played an RTS in years and I bought Starcraft II a few days ago. Online I've won 2 matches and lost 2. Should be noted that the two won are by the other player disconnecting and not a triumph of my own awesome skill. My problem, like yours, is that of multitasking. Keeping track of units, buildings, what buildings are building and keeping enough resources flowing in while spending them wisely. And suddenly my enemy comes walking into my base with units I can't even make yet and there I stand in futile defensive position because I've spent so much time trying to bunker myself in before I venture out into the open that I'm already doomed. But while this all is a testament to how mediocre I am at those games I can still see areas of improving and I can adapt my strategies based off of what just beat me, or so I tell myself at least. Online for me has always been where I eventually make or break it. In FPS games I was initially shocked at how good people were back when I first jumped online in one of the first CoD games. But sticking with it I eventually got better and when I one day played against a group of friends who rarely if ever played the game online, I dominated everyone because they had only become good enough to beat each other. 
  
Still, it's a realization we all face sometimes though; the idea that some games are just theoretically fun and not made for us.

I pretty much agree with the notion that singleplayer RTS is fun, and multiplayer is not. The only exception to this rule is if you're playing with/against friends in the same room (LAN) that are about as crappy as you are.

There's just a high learning curve, if you're willing to put the effort in - i.e. lose a bunch of games and make a genuine attempt to understand what you're doing wrong, it's not too hard to become ok at an RTS.  Certainly good enough to 50/50 win and lose in say silver teir Starcraft 2.

I love RTS games, and I am pretty good at SP. I don't even care about playing MP, so that is not a factor for me. I really want Starcraft 2 for instance, but I will never even try the MP component.

When learning to play an RTS it is difficult to actually know what to focus on. New players get pumped up about having great armies, etc., when the game actually requires patience and training basics first. 
 
You usually have to be pointed in the right direction; it's just practice after that.
 
RTS games are more difficult to get into, but are definetely approachable. I've never played an RTS in my life and now - with a few good hints, tips, training videos, replays etc. - I'm incredibly enjoying StarCraft II and I'm pumped about being better and better.