swsoboleski89: i'd like to try the genre but i'm kind of an idiot
scientiae: All the games begin quite simply. The pace of the game will vary, due to the developers' talents and goals, but the whole
modus ludendi is a slow boil, meaning the initial skills (building units, foraging resources, fighting skirmishes, etc) are slowly introduced and then the frequency is incremented.
So, it is fairly simple to play the early stages of any RTS (or TBS, for that matter), with the difficulty gradually increasing as you advance. (Some games are better at ramping up the action than others, obviously.)
Give it a try. You might surprise yourself. Even games without a pause must start out reasonably simply. :)
This. Also, don't forget that they are games. "You know, for the kids". No videogame is rocket science (shut up, Kerbal, not even you). They're designed to be mainstram, accessible, and fun, for all sorts of people of all ages.
Okay, there's some oddities (brutal learning curve in some overly detailled grand strategy games), but for most games, it applies. Don't let yourself intimidated by schoolyard material.
