A few more years and they will reach Generals level of graphics again.

Jokes aside, sounds great. It's instantly more attractive to me than 8-Bit Armies (which I actually haven't played yet).

8-bit is a technical, cultural and artistic term, all mingled into one. The 'technical' bit is obviously basis for the latter two, nonetheless, the latter two are also the most influential and iconic ones - and they're the ones 8-bit multiverse is taking inspiration from, not technical limitations of 8-bit architecture. When it comes to cultural and artistic influences, 8-bit is synonymous to sprite-based graphics and chip-tunes, even tho it's in no way technically accurate (as many terms in artistic forms, in fact.)

That said, it would be 'just pandering' if aesthetic of the games didn't have any throwbacks to the era, yet blocky 'sprites' running about would very much be just that - and I for one find the artistic choice to take unit sprites and turn them into 3d models to be fairly unique and funny, which is nice for an RTS which quite simply doesn't take itself particularly seriously - it mixes modern with classical to make a nice, coherent and functional whole. Just like the soundtrack! (incidentally, Frank Klepacki did soundtracks for all three games)

A shame.

Game looks great, it may just entice me to try a RTS for the first time, based on what others are saying its more a light version. the learning scale of other RTS have scared me off

I wouldn't say the learning scale is very high in any RTS. You just shouldn't start playing it on normal level cause that level is for people who already played RTS (exception Grey Goo where even easy is hard). Always start on easy, or even easier settings. Example AI WAR gives you even more easier AI levels: sandbox, very trivial, trivial, very easy, easy, less easy, normal, etc.

Essentially every RTS is the same. You have hq, then you build refinery and then power plant. Send harvesters to harvest ressources. Build up your forces and base and defences. Then attack. Very important with that is the setting how hard the AI will be.

Still I think 8-bit Invaders is a good start since its a fast, short timed game. Aka 15-20 minutes per session with fast unit building speed. If you learn Invaders you will be able to play any of the older but ultimately harder RTS games like Ai WAR, Total Annihilation, Supreme Commander, Planetary Annihilation, Cossacks, Impossible Creatures, etc.

The Emperor's finest and green skins beg to differ.

8-bit invader is a good str.I love the Mode multiverse

It's the unfortunate effect of progamers in multiplayer scene, when the RTS skill ceiling is soooo high, if humanly reachable. But it's a ceiling, not entry! In basically every RTS the single player campaign (provided it has one) slowly and gradually eases you into game's mechanics. With RTSes there was always this huge part of the playerbase that was competitive multiplayer focused, and even in pre-internet era there were people skipping campaing and going straigh into custom game, but that always boggled me. For me RTSes stay first and foremost a single-player campaign experience. You can finish a campaign with skill waaaaaaaaay below what multiplayer requires.

No idea how it works in the "8 bit" series, since I haven't tried it yet.

That depends what "essentialy" means for you. You can say the same about basically any genre - essentially every shooter is the same, you point at things and shoot.

Beautiful read! Rated up!

Could you provide more details? never played Universe at War :(

Basically this is how metaverse works.

You have a strategic map like in Total War but everything you do on the strategic map is in real time. You play against one AI opponent that trys to take control of the strategic map. You can build production, tech buildings on every tile that you occupy and every tile gives you ressources with time - (picture one).

If you build a barrack in a tile you can build marines/crainoid infantry there and so on for other buildings. When you create enough units you move them from defense to attack stack and then you move the one unit army, that appears when you create stack, to the tile you wan't to attack (picture 2). When the stack reaches the attacking tile the game starts the countdown to attack and when its done it gives you an option to autoattack (it shows percentage of success) or play yourself. If you decide to play yourself then the tactical map from one of the games loads (Armies/Hordes/Invaders). It positions you on a starting position on the tactical map with the stack units you brought with you.

After that you can buildup your base and units depending on the tech you already unlocked on the strategic map. Every won tactical battle gives you tech points that you can use to unlock more buildings (picture 3). Endgoal is to capture enemies base or all of his territory - depending on what winning goal you choose at start.