Comments on: Major Command & Conquer 3 patch released

By: Ryuken

Ryuken — Sat, 09 Jun 2007 09:05:02 +0000

“Don’t get me wrong, I think SupCom is great fun, but Homeworld had strategic zoom and it came out in 1999 and I don’t see what else is revolutionary about Supreme Commander. The collective UI bits, like a ferry system that works?

What does SupCom bring to the table that’s really fresh?”

Homeworld was in a league of its own and used the zoom because it couldn’t do anything else with such a full 3D playing field, the zoom was pretty much a necessity there (and it required the player to press a key every time if I am correct). SupCom applies it imo in a better way (zoom with the mouse scroll where the cursor is pointed at) and on a single flat plane like most RTS’s and that’s something nobody has ever seen before, it literally opens up the whole experience. Add all the big amount of units (land, sea, air) and the huge maps to it and it definitely feels bigger than anything else.

And make no mistake, SupCom is, just like TA, still a “range” RTS as well. Once you reach T2 and the defences are being put up the ranged killers really get into play. Things that are also neat: Ferry mode (and several other transport shortcuts) which has a real use here, moving commands around, connecting move commands into waypoints, being the ultimate queuing game, SCU’s automatically rebuilding your base if you make them assist certain buildings, superunits which actually feel like superunits and have the right splendour and presentation, etc.. There are still interface features missing from TA(:Spring) but really, this game is as refreshing in the UI-department as you can get right now. :)

By: Will (green)

Will (green) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:52:18 +0000

Well, really, SupCom isn’t a massive game. Look at the unit ranges, for example. They’re merely sensible. How far can a Mech Marine fire at? 600m?
Wanna take a guess at the max effective range of an M16? How about an Aurora? 1.2km, I think. That’s not even decent for a tank.
And TW’s artillery is much improved. GDI’s, for example, has unlimited range with a spotter. It still works fine as normal artillery, too. Don’t get me wrong, though. I think SupCom is, overall, a much better game than Tiberium Wars. I like the way SupCom deals with superweapons, for example. It’s one of the reasons I played TA and it’s one of the reasons that I like SupCom. Also, I like how many defensive options you have. TW gives you
– Sucky anti-infantry turret
– Sucky anti-armor turret
– Something magical
– An AA turret
And that’s all your defenses. We have four anti-ground turrets, an artillery, various levels of shields, radar jamming, and a variety of other fun things that are implemented without having to make use of “powers” or anything really silly.
“SupCom: At least it’s not Tiberium Wars.”

By: TheTomato

TheTomato — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:41:01 +0000

@will, what other game uses artillery on a massive scale? its the scale thats revolutionary. It opens up limitless strategies and only more to come with more units, etc.

By: Sub

Sub — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 18:37:36 +0000

@Rhysin: What are you talking about? Other games such as starcraft came with map editors out of the box, hell, it’s the norm that you automatically download a new map when connecting to a game.

By: Rhysin

Rhysin — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:37:34 +0000

@Will
I think the main revolution is one that is slowly being realized, that of the promise from GPG of the embrace of user created content, i.e., maps, units and other mods. That is something that other RTS games are yet to even touch on, sure there is user created content in other games, but it is all unsupported by the game creators. I think that is what 54pikachuswas getting at when he said CNC will fall to Starcraft 2 but SupCom will live on. At least thats how I see it.

By: Will (green)

Will (green) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:23:32 +0000

Show me how you pay someone 3.2 cents in cash.

Well, what does SupCom have that’s fresh, really? People are always like “Wooo, strategic zoom! SupCom, yay!” as if SupCom is the first game to use it. Don’t get me wrong, I think SupCom is great fun, but Homeworld had strategic zoom and it came out in 1999 and I don’t see what else is revolutionary about Supreme Commander. The collective UI bits, like a ferry system that works?

What does SupCom bring to the table that’s really fresh?

I don’t know, it’s just something I was thinking about a couple days ago.

By: Baddox

Baddox — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 13:19:59 +0000

http://www.commandandconquer.com/community/patches/default.aspx

Talk about professional, check out those typos!

By: Baddox

Baddox — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 13:16:05 +0000

I believe the C&C3 patch did a bit more than the SupCom patch. All standard infantry were buffed quite a lot in the newest C&C patch, probably to address the fact that after 5 minutes there’s no point in making them. The C&C balances seem to be less subtle than those in the latest Supreme Commander patch, but I don’t know which patch will ultimately affect gameplay more. I have both games, but I only play C&C3 with one of my friends who won’t get into Supreme Commander (still working on that), so I’ll probably never be able to compare the patches adequately. On a side note, it seems the C&C3 community is excited at how this new patch will change the single player campaign (which is really the only part of the game I find enjoyable). Oh, and just to throw in my 3 and 5/7 cents, I will say that I’ve been playing the same ole C&C for nearly 10 years (the newest is no exception, it’s the exact same game)–they’re great games but I’m glad I have found something fresh in SupCom.

By: 54pikachus

54pikachus — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 08:42:05 +0000

the thing is CNC3 is just another boring rts (A CRAP ONE) but supcom is original and fresh and oozing with juicy tactical and strategic options… also when starcraft2 comes out it will devastate CNC3 but supcom will live on because it will have thousands of new units, maps and mods and EVERYTHING… oh yes…soon supreme commander is going to be the ultimate rts and its players will be crowned its kings… or beter than kings…gods…

my 3.2 cents (ps sorry for spelling errors)

By: Will (green)

Will (green) — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 07:39:24 +0000

I’m just glancing through the list, but some of these seem like major changes.
– Classically, in C&C, tanks had a terrible time killing infantry. That wasn’t the case with TW. They fixed it so that infantry are much less vulnerable to tanks and much more vulnerable to other anti-infantry infantry, just like in other C&Cs.
– Many of the powers you could use (most of these are just support you call in from other areas) allowed you to put units anywhere on the map for less than you would pay to just *have* the units. Zone Troopers, for example.
– Allied players share control zones, meaning that I can build in my ally’s base. Pretty big change, if you ask me.
– All the support power have been made much more expensive (some by as much as 200%) and some are also made less effective (GDI Shockwave artillery, for example)
– Most buildings no longer project a control zone, so bases will be more compact and susceptible to superweapons and support powers.
– The base aircraft for GDI and Nod have been retuned so that they actually work. GDI’s got a 50% health boost and Nod’s got a new targeting priority.

These both seem fairly big to me, but I didn’t know about them:
“· The Nod nuclear missile can no longer be stopped after launch if players power down the Temple of Nod.
· Nod Avatars will no longer retain their veterancy level when they are destroyed and their husks are recovered.”

My 3 cents.