I think this should be a concept in the wiki and something more common in games. It's not particularly rare, I guess we can think of several games with this mechanic, but this should be the norm, IMHO. Let me explain:
Some actions may require some resources to be carried out during the game. In a usual construction queue it is not possible to add such actions until the resources are available. When queuing is planning the action can be added to the queue as "planned" and it will start when the resources are available.
The gameplay mechanics of a planning queue are completely different to a construction queue. Take for example Starcraft 2. Players keep pressing some button in an OCD way until the resources for it are available. In games like Homeworld this is unnecessary. The unit can be added to the queue at any time and when the resources are available it will be constructed. This is a fundamental difference that is often overlooked.
In short:
- Pressing repeatedly buttons until the construction of a new unit can be started: insane option.
- Queuing the construction of the unit until the resources to finish it are available: sane option.
I don't mean to bash Starcraft, I am definitively going to get the full Starcraft 2 trilogy as soon as I buy a new PC. I like the fact that it is so fast-paced (I would say it is an action-RTS) and definitively it is a great game. But I think this kind of mechanics are a limitation that should have been overcome already, as being able to select only 12 units in the original Starcraft.
There are more games where actions can be queued, for example the Sims, and some Final Fantasy if I am not mistaken. This mechanic is not necessarily tied to RTS games, but there is where it shines most, IMHO.
Please let me know your opinion.
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