Company of Heroes 3 propels real-time strategy past the real-time part

polygon.com:

In 2021, after an early hands-on demo with Company of Heroes 3, I spoke to executive producer David Littman about the ongoing development of the real-time strategy game. One of developer Relic’s governing principles, he told me, was “the rule of thirds,” which outlined a philosophy for designing sequels: one third familiar, one third improved, and one third completely new. Now, having played dozens of hours of Company of Heroes 3, the next game in one of the most lauded strategy series of all time, I can see how each of those three pillars manifested. The result is an imposing structure, albeit with a few visible cracks.

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I wasn’t surprised to learn that the aforementioned doctrine actually came from Sid Meier, the co-founder of Microprose and Firaxis Games, where he created Pirates!, Alpha Centauri, and Civilization, to name a few. These games’ influence is all over Company of Heroes 3, specifically in regard to the “completely new” third of its design tenets.

Whereas Company of Heroes set the series apart with its focus on squad tactics in World War II, and Company of Heroes 2 incorporated weather effects, Company of Heroes 3 introduces a turn-based overworld map in its Italian campaign. On this map, you maneuver individual companies, build defensive emplacements, send aircraft on scouting