Is there any way to put a time limit on the matches?  I enjoy Halo wars, but if I don't win in the first 5-10 minutes, the game can go into stalemate mode that can take longer than I want to play.

I was stuck in a legitimate stalemate against some friends on a 3v3 map. They kept pumping out scarabs and hawks, and we would counter them with wolverines and tanks (and leader powers). By the time I would get to the other side of the map with my units, they would already have a large enough army to wipe out my army.

40 minutes later, I quit because I had other stuff that I needed to do (Real life can be such a pain). It should be like Boxing: A KO is the best way to win, but if you run out of time, it goes by points. 

What is the longest single match that you have played? Was it worth it?

RTS games are made to be long.  First side to make a mistake (and not recover fully) losses; basicly..  (second-off, re-frame your tactics would help shorten).  If you dont have the time, I suggest deathmatch; most deathmatch games in RTS games are usually half as long.

 The last thing any RTS game needs is a timer (though would be nice for custom games when versing friends for an intresting twist on tactics).

Longest match was a 4v4 in AoE: III.  It lasted about six and a half hours, very worth it seeing as it was the finals for a private league (and we lost =( lol) 

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All you need is one successful push to win.. If you push and the enemy is not dead; you made a mistake. If you push and the enemy is dead; your enemy made a mistake. All it takes is one mistake to lose..