Command and Conquer 4

[AzgalathQ]

Command and Conquer 4 is to come out sometime next year.

The teaser trailer can be found at the CnC website. Here: http://www.commandandconquer.com/cnc4/index.html

CnC4 is said to (FINALLY) end the story of Kane and GDI.

The game will be very strange for an RTS in that there will be no base creation. Instead you'll have a large walker which will act as your mobile base.

EA is also adding some "RP" elements to it. This will include the three "classes:" offense, defense, and support. Basically, offense is the typical tank-based gameplay CnC is known for. Defense will be based around infantry and base defenses (didn't see that one coming, huh?). And Support will use powers and abilities to help (aka "support") your allies. Don't worry, each class is supposed to be able to survive and win on its own.

Yes, I said, "allies." CnC4 will be like Red Alert 3 in that you will have co-op during the campaign and you will be encouraged to play in team pvp matches. But that's not all the strange changes. There will also be "character progression" in that you will earn XP for each kill while playing the game in any mode. (yes, ANY mode) Instead of starting out will the entire tech tree open to you, you will start with the basics. Over time, you will unlock units and upgrades.

I know, that sounds terrible. However, EA said they put more unique units and upgrades in this game than they have EVER put into a game. In this way, you will be able to make your own army with a unique tech tree. So, when you go into a pvp-match, you will go against a unique opponent with unique tactics almost every time. To tell you the truth, this has me excited.

So, there you go... what do you guys think?

[Kei]

The trailer looks interesting... all the green glow mixed with postapocalyptic wasteland reminded me of The Matrix.

As for as the gameplay... it sounds like it could be either pretty good or very bad, depending on how it's handled. They'll have to be careful and watch out for exploits, specifically unforeseen combinations of tactics that can break the game. If they can keep everyone from following a few core strategies and encourage actual creativity in gameplay styles (beyond simply copying the top players' tactics), then it will work out well.

[Kagami]

CnC 3 Tiberium Wars was pretty epic for me, because like other things I've caught on to the sequel before playing the original game (yay for me), and I was already a big fan of CnC Generals. However the expansion pack Kanes Wrath or whatever got pretty boring, so hopefully this game wraps it all up with a bang. Indeed Earth looks to be in a bad state, and for the GDI + Nod to go into allegiance (if you could call it that) means maybe something big is going down. Or the GDI are just plain desperate and Kane has a means to an end that benefits him somehow.

But, what the heck has happened to the Scrin? Big alien race that is behind the Tiberium outbreak and suddenly they no longer exist? Yay for EA and plot holes....

Another thing I like is the use of real actors, but only when the acting is reasonable.

[AzgalathQ]

But, what the heck has happened to the Scrin? Big alien race that is behind the Tiberium outbreak and suddenly they no longer exist? Yay for EA and plot holes....

At the end of the Scrin campaign in CnC3, your character is transported back to wherever the Scrin were going to send the Tiberium. In the end cut scene, you see the Scrin Overlord ordering a full scale invasion. So, don't worry, they'll be back. (This makes me happy because they're my favorite group to play in skirmishes and pvp.)

Here's a link to the Scrin end video on Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ri7_k3l7zE

[AzgalathQ]

Well, there's more info on CNC 4 now. Basically, there are two major things to report:

1. The Defense class will be able to build bases.
2. There will be some sort of population cap... however, they haven't told us more about this.

Here's a link to the Q and A posted on their forums.

[Taiga]

WOAH... don't remember Manchester looking like that last time I was there D:

[AzgalathQ]

CommandCom is under way and some people have had their first taste of CnC 4. Also, CnC 4 now has a subtitle: "Tiberian Twilight."

I'll post more this weekend as CommandCom continues.

*edit* (I wanted to add this)

Please note: The Scrin have NOT been assured to be playable. I think they'll be back, because the story requires it (at least I think so). However, there is nothing official to say that they will. I shouldn't have gone off and said they'd be back before I got the official scoop... so, I'm sorry about that.

[AzgalathQ]

Here's a link to what the players got to experience of CnC4 at CommandCom. Remember: this is a pre-alpha build and it subject to much change. However, this should give us some idea as to what the programing team is going for.

Here's the link.


*edit* Here's my opinion after reading the info:

I really really don't like the "resource" management. I most decidedly don't like the unit cap (looking at each player using only so many units)... having large armies is what I found best about CnC and this idea ruins it for me. However, I think that, if done right, this game can be fun. We'll just have to wait and see.

[AzgalathQ]

Well, we now have a worldwide release date: March 16th 2010.

We also have another video, showing "gameplay" though it really doesn't. But it does show what battles and such will look like. We also have some unit profiles.

Also, anyone who is interested can pre-order the game and get into the "closed" beta. (it's not really closed if anyone can get into it)

Here's a link to the main website where all of this can be found.


---EDIT---

Note the following:
*the Scrin will appear in the game but will NOT be playable
*the developers are focusing on making the game playable as a 5v5 multiplayer RTS game
*upgraded units (upgraded through the earned experience) will not be more powerful than the units you get at the beginning of the game. Instead, they will have more special abilities and, therefore, be more specialized and unique.

[AzgalathQ]

Here's a link to a ton of information on how the 5v5 will work. It looks interesting.

[Ryu]

Thanks for the linkage AzgalathQ!

I am quite intrigued by the new approach that the C&C team are taking in regards to this game. My only gripes at the moment are the fact that it appears that there is little to fall back on once your crawler has been destroyed and you aren't playing defense, the population limit and I am a little skeptical of the claim that victory is reasonably achievable with the bare minimum of units. But then again this is coming from the guy whose main end-game strategy was to spam mammoth tanks until the enemy broke down...

Anyway it looks interesting enough and is definitely worth a try.

(Also, is it just me or does the 5v5 set-up look a lot like Dawn Of War with all the control points?)

[AzgalathQ]

Yes, it looks like they wanted to try making a game like Dawn of War but with movable bases.

Also, I'd like to extend a warning to all of you who are looking into this game: I've heard from two people who are in the beta that there are MAJOR balance issues. For instance:

1. There is a nod unit which looks like a scorpion and has a mini obelisk of light for a tail. I've been told people have taken to spamming this unit.

2. I've also been told that there's another NOD unit which can move underground, pop up, fire, and quickly get underground again. I'm sure I don't have to tell you the problems with that.

I hope they fix these issues and others BEFORE trying to sell the product. But, at least you guys are aware of it.

*EDIT*
I forgot to add that NOD's support powers are supposed to be more powerful that GDI's... much like they were in CnC3 and KW.

[AzgalathQ]

The "open" beta is up. You need to make an account with GameSpot (who is distributing the beta keys) to get into the beta, but that's ok with me. Here's a link to the page with info on the beta.

I've gotten into the Beta, loaded it and played it. All I'm really allowed to say is: it's fun. They seem to be taking the criticisms from beta testers to heart and are improving the game pretty fast. I will definitely buy the game when it comes out and suggest any RTS fan who's looking for something inventive and new to do the same.

[AzgalathQ]

Well, I've played the game for a while and I have my final decision on it.

I will still buy the game... because I want to see/play the single player. However, I think it's a very good idea with very bad execution. What it's turned into is this: whichever team techs up faster than the other team wins. End of story. The tier 1 units are absolutely pathetic when compared to tier 3 units. For instance, a group of only three Mastodons can decimate two players' entire ground forces. This is because they damage several units in a row... and destroy most (if not all) tier 1 units in one hit.

Another problem: the sides are not equal in their abilities. Nod has better tier 2 units than GDI, but GDI has better tier 3 units.

In the end, I think the meta-game will turn into a race/fight over who gets more tiberium so they can upgrade their units/production capabilities faster than the other team. The dominant team, then, uses their tech superiority to steamroll the other team... even to the point of camping their spawning point.

[Kagami]

Darn.

I was hoping for some sort of gameplay that kept the core of CnC, but removed some of the tedious repetitiveness of building units, bases and then moving to the other side of the map.

Doesn't really matter anyway as I have ME2, Empire Napoleon, Bad Company 2 and others to buy. Wallet is going to take a hit this year...

[AzgalathQ]

SPOILER ALEART!!


Here's a link to the NOD ending to CnC 4... my response:

Spoiler:

WTF?? That explains and ends nothing!! The GDI ending is apparently very similar with Kane just walking through in the end. All we know now is Kane was an alien... and nothing else...

[Ryu]

Wow, that was certainly... something.