A Special Announcement from EA

[Demigan]

Aside from Kane's story, I would like C&C to do the steps and evolve the RTS genre. Even in this thread people have lamented how RTS's are pretty static or even declining. And I have a theory on why that is.

Imagine if FPS's had remained stuck at the Arena games. Quake, UT and the like are games where accuracy and speed dominate over any other skill. This is a wonderful game type but it limits how many people can enjoy the genre. FPS games evolved, besides solid games like the UT series we also got games like Crisis, Planetside 2 etc where COF, recoil, bullet velocity, damage degradation and other weapon modifiers changed which skills are important, in some FPS games being fast and accurate means almost nothing if you dont control your COF and recoil or dont know at what distances your weapon remains effective. The best games combine it and people can become masters in different skills without being outperformed by a single skill, or even not become a master but just be able to combine skills well enough to perform at the top.

RTS's miss all that, RTS's got stuck in the FPS Arena gameplay and didnt evolve farther. It barely matters what RTS game you play, from the old and new C&C games to Starcraft to Men At Arms to the entirety of the Total War series, clickspeed dominates it all, in some games more than others but this remains a fact. A simple tactic done fast will almost always defeat an intricate tactic that takes time (or timing). Unfortunately this has become so ingrained that asking for an alternative gets you a lot of resistance and even people who dont understand the question. Because of this we are actually looking at maybe 25% of the amount of games we could have had if it had evolved and embraced games where other skills dominate and clickspeed is a secondary or even tertiary skill, and games that combine clickspeed and other skills all as primary skills for games that are far more accessible and draw in more people types.

C&C could start its babysteps in this direction by adding better UI and making positioning buildings more important for example. The early game of C&C you already have your strategy ready but are still forced into a clickspeed race as you are only allowed to place and build the next tech after its finished and placed. You could allow players to select buildings, place a blueprint and select a techbuilding or unit that is unlocked by it. You could even allow the player to build the building that's unlocked by that building and place it as well. This gives the player more time to work on other things like the exact placement of the buildings, which way they are facing or what features they might have. But also focus more on the commanding of units. Allowing this system to remain as-is will only enforce a clickspeed game for the sake of clickspeed which has been done (and better) too much already. You might as well create a game where units have to be ordered for every single attack to pad clickspeed even more (which could actually be a great game if done right but with the RTS market already boasting a 100% clickspeed based games its saturated). Starcraft already does the clickspeed best, RA3 and C&C4 tried to compete with that through super-symetry in the maps and a gross misunderstanding of what made Starcraft successful at it and they were massive flops. Try to do what C&C does best: a solid and engaging story with attempts at evolving the genre step by step.

[AuthenticM]

Hey,

whatever you guys do, I hope it's not just an "EA version" of OpenRA. Your work should not encroach on the OpenRA games. Do something different, but equally enjoyable.

Personally, I think you should make the games 3D. Like Red Alert 3, basically. Keep the same missions (like C&C64) or modify them a little, but remake the graphics from the ground up.

And if you really want to go the extra mile: reshoot the FMVs. Joe Kucan is the only actor you need to get back; everyone else can be recast.

Thank you

[Goztow]

https://www.reddit.com/r/commandandconq ... S7cFi8_wD8 update! Petroglyph is on board, Frank is on board. Excited!

[Bairok]

First, sorry for my maybe bad english, its not my main language.

I would love a remake of C&C1 and RA1. Im dreaming of that since years!

I would prefer the classic gameplay without changes. Just a modern graphic engine with bombastic effects, maybe with vulkan support. RA2 and 3 were a little but to crazy for me, i mean some units, which where to absurd.

Maybe there will be the possibility to use the original videos and please, not the "cyborg" version for germany again^^.


In short form:

Classic untouched gameplay and units,
UHD resolution with a modern vulkan or dx12 engine with great reflections and effects (i LOVED the "Tesla-Spule" [dk the english word for it, sry] and the snow maps),
5.1-7.1 Sound,
a renewed online plattform for some multiplayer skirmish battles,
an easy map editor like the orignial would also be awesome and would make it easier for EA to renew the following games in the future as well

and guys THANKS for a REMAKE. I will buy it, unless i should not live until then xD!


edit: and weather effects (optical)!!!

[SirCake]

Very nice article EA. The hope is up.

Now, Westwood was strong on stories and adventure before they made cnc. I suggest you create a really awesome story with engaging characters around a realistic and badass setting - that’s what creates universes and keeps me as a fan engaged long after playing a game.

And also maybe include a graphics mode for weaker pc’s. I’gladly pay a reasonable price for the remaster, but i’ll think it over if i have to buy a new machine for it..

[AlienWeaver]

Finally C&C Gold will be remastered!

Looking forward to see an enhanced stealth tank and/or mammoth tank.

[DSL_Aus]

Hi Jim,

Been a huge fan of C&C and Dune II, still have the original game cds (except they don't work anymore), such an amazing time for RTS games. But when EA took over, it just felt like RTS games died right then and there.
I'll try and look at the whole upcoming project from a top-level perspective and give you some advice on the development of the remasters.

Stick to the story:
• The original story should be kept the same as much as possible.
• If you're going to add more to the story, you need to make sure it's memorable, with a good balance of serious and comedic. Just don't go the Marvel or Destiny 2 route of cringe comedy.

No political or moral agendas:
• We don't need gender/race issues or political likeness to the current real world.
• We don't need any kind of sexual preference and/or orientation in any way part of the story.
• My reasoning is that these do not add to the "fun" of the game's experience, it just creates
controversy and problems for your game. Make the game's focus about entertaining the player,
you do not have to be "deep" to make your game memorable.

Keep it simple (game mechanics):
• Economy:
- Keep the whole ore mining converting to money system; we don't need multiple types of ore or multiple types of resources to build things.
- Electricity powering buildings and defenses should also be kept the same, we shouldn't need multiple ways to power certain buildings.
- In short, the economy needs to be as simple as possible so the player can focus on the battle (unit/object placement, scout, defense, attack etc.)
- Don't get me wrong, base building is still EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, but I just want to make sure after all the feedback from C&C 4 that you guys don't go in the complete opposite direction and make a Civilzation game.

• Combat:
- Don't go the Starcraft route and give us units with loads of different abilities.
- We don't need any kind of scissors, paper, rock mechanics; each unit should have it's purpose.
- The shoot and move tactic should still be a viable strategy to do damage and avoid damage.
- Attacking one enemy at a time to maximize damage output should still be a viable strategy.
- Don't have some system where my attack orders are overridden because a unit wants to attack the closest enemy instead. I want full control of my units.
- Ensure the maps/terrain and units available will enable players to pull off common tactics such as flanking, pincers and ambushes.
- Make sure unit limit is not too low, we want to be able to have large vast armies if we want to. Perhaps for performance reasons you can make that limit scale to how many players are in that particular map. When a player is defeated, that limit increases.
- Try to avoid making certain units extremely powerful where they have insanely long range (cruisers) or a lot of armor/HP (mammoth tanks).

• Difficulty (AI):
- Don't make it a kids game, make it difficult, push the boundaries of the AI so they don't seem so robotic and predictable.
- However do also try to keep the old mechanics of how the AI reacts to attacks, they're great tools for victory. For example attacking an ore mining truck is a great way of luring out enemy units when the AI is turtling.

• Game Modes:
- Would love to play the campaign with a friend, a co-op mode? I know it's a stretch but it would be great for less experienced players too.
- PvP multiplayer is great and all, but balancing can be a pain and I really don't want you guys spending all your time/resources focusing on it. Please focus more on the Campaign and AI.
- Balance the PvP after release based on player feedback and make it clear that's what you're doing for transparency.

Music:
• Keep the original songs in the game, but don't set them as the default music, have them as an option.
• Make remixes/remasters of the original songs, or just some of the more memorable ones.
• I know you have the great Frank Klepacki so I'm sure he'll come up with some great music, but please tell him to not focus on making anything too new age - try to stick to the old genre and style as much as possible.

Quality Assurance:
• Test test test test test! I can't say this enough. Players notice when you skip your QA testing or hire people who have no clue what they're doing.
• Optimization is a HUGE deal - if it's not running at peak performance at launch, you're sales are going to tank day one.

As a final note, try to remember, you are not marketing your game to the new generation. You're marketing it to the old. This may sound silly from a business perspective, but try to understand, if you appease the experienced older generation, they're going to give it a lot of attention and good reviews. That will give it all the marketing it needs to get the younger generations to buy it and give it a go. Don't do the opposite and market the game to a younger generation, the older generation won't touch it and that is a huge chunk of your C&C fan base you can't afford to lose.

Thanks for reading and good luck!

[draco]

Hi Jim,

Been a huge fan of C&C and Dune II, still have the original game cds (except they don't work anymore), such an amazing time for RTS games. But when EA took over, it just felt like RTS games died right then and there.
I'll try and look at the whole upcoming project from a top-level perspective and give you some advice on the development of the remasters.

Stick to the story:
• The original story should be kept the same as much as possible.
• If you're going to add more to the story, you need to make sure it's memorable, with a good balance of serious and comedic. Just don't go the Marvel or Destiny 2 route of cringe comedy.

No political or moral agendas:
• We don't need gender/race issues or political likeness to the current real world.
• We don't need any kind of sexual preference and/or orientation in any way part of the story.
• My reasoning is that these do not add to the "fun" of the game's experience, it just creates
controversy and problems for your game. Make the game's focus about entertaining the player,
you do not have to be "deep" to make your game memorable.

Keep it simple (game mechanics):
• Economy:
- Keep the whole ore mining converting to money system; we don't need multiple types of ore or multiple types of resources to build things.
- Electricity powering buildings and defenses should also be kept the same, we shouldn't need multiple ways to power certain buildings.
- In short, the economy needs to be as simple as possible so the player can focus on the battle (unit/object placement, scout, defense, attack etc.)
- Don't get me wrong, base building is still EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, but I just want to make sure after all the feedback from C&C 4 that you guys don't go in the complete opposite direction and make a Civilzation game.

• Combat:
- Don't go the Starcraft route and give us units with loads of different abilities.
- We don't need any kind of scissors, paper, rock mechanics; each unit should have it's purpose.
- The shoot and move tactic should still be a viable strategy to do damage and avoid damage.
- Attacking one enemy at a time to maximize damage output should still be a viable strategy.
- Don't have some system where my attack orders are overridden because a unit wants to attack the closest enemy instead. I want full control of my units.
- Ensure the maps/terrain and units available will enable players to pull off common tactics such as flanking, pincers and ambushes.
- Make sure unit limit is not too low, we want to be able to have large vast armies if we want to. Perhaps for performance reasons you can make that limit scale to how many players are in that particular map. When a player is defeated, that limit increases.
- Try to avoid making certain units extremely powerful where they have insanely long range (cruisers) or a lot of armor/HP (mammoth tanks).

• Difficulty (AI):
- Don't make it a kids game, make it difficult, push the boundaries of the AI so they don't seem so robotic and predictable.
- However do also try to keep the old mechanics of how the AI reacts to attacks, they're great tools for victory. For example attacking an ore mining truck is a great way of luring out enemy units when the AI is turtling.

• Game Modes:
- Would love to play the campaign with a friend, a co-op mode? I know it's a stretch but it would be great for less experienced players too.
- PvP multiplayer is great and all, but balancing can be a pain and I really don't want you guys spending all your time/resources focusing on it. Please focus more on the Campaign and AI.
- Balance the PvP after release based on player feedback and make it clear that's what you're doing for transparency.

Music:
• Keep the original songs in the game, but don't set them as the default music, have them as an option.
• Make remixes/remasters of the original songs, or just some of the more memorable ones.
• I know you have the great Frank Klepacki so I'm sure he'll come up with some great music, but please tell him to not focus on making anything too new age - try to stick to the old genre and style as much as possible.

Quality Assurance:
• Test test test test test! I can't say this enough. Players notice when you skip your QA testing or hire people who have no clue what they're doing.
• Optimization is a HUGE deal - if it's not running at peak performance at launch, you're sales are going to tank day one.

As a final note, try to remember, you are not marketing your game to the new generation. You're marketing it to the old. This may sound silly from a business perspective, but try to understand, if you appease the experienced older generation, they're going to give it a lot of attention and good reviews. That will give it all the marketing it needs to get the younger generations to buy it and give it a go. Don't do the opposite and market the game to a younger generation, the older generation won't touch it and that is a huge chunk of your C&C fan base you can't afford to lose.

Thanks for reading and good luck!

I would add one thing to the economy point an that is a building which generates money like C&C3 or the Generals series like the us supply drop. Sure ore regenerates over time but it regenerates slowly an sometimes stalemates occur particularly on 1v1 maps like the map Singles where both players are literally fighting over the last batch of ore relying on bounty kills (from Openra). There should be a building to help keep your economy chugging along and maybe put a limit on this building so expansion is still encouraged.

as for your unit statement I disagree I think cruisers are fine with their range since they are essentially sea side artillery an are virtually useless against air units an other sea units. Artillery should have long range an low sight. an scouts/air units should have high sight an decent range to accommodate. the rest of the units should have the same sight an range values. an as I previously stated give ground uniits the ability to look up an shoot low flying units (such as helicopters) that are in range. it makes no sense that a infantry with an ak-47 is just gonna sit underneath a helicopter and let it shoot them instead of trying to shoot it **cough** Hind **cough**. infantry an even tanks IRL have the ability to look up an to a limited degree engage low flying craft such as helicopters. an im perfectly fine if helicopters are given both a range an sight boost to help balance this out as long as the infantry an etc. aren't sitting there going "eh". An no this wont make AA useless as AA can be treated as well artillery since that is more or less what AA is; its artillery or heavy equipment to shoo away air units.

one of the reasons I don't like the starcraft games is because their pseudo artillery is too short ranged to be well artillery. An artillery is apart of common tactics just as bombing an air superiority is.

an I would also like to see an attack move command but better than the StarCraft attack move where units somehow track an rush units no longer in their sight. something I found annoying as the zerg.

[Richter_Alexander]

Thank u.

i have waiting for a serious Number 2 of TD and RA beacuse of the Comics and very old gfx... some of relism and littl Software for modding will be nice

[KazutoSensei]

Hello,

I also want to say my thoughts to this topic. Also I'm a big fan of C&C and after playing Tibirum Sun, AR1/2, Generals and even Renegade, is it hard to find anything similar to play. I love to play the free-building C&C: Generals, but also the wonderful gameplay/music of C&C: Tibrium Sun and AR2 (Hell March 2) is awesome. Nevertheless I share my opinion with @draco and @DSL_aus for the reworks.

Greetings from Germany

[AlcyonaHaramix]

,

its probably already too late to post this stuff... but here goes...

,

introduce an OFF map gameplay (starting point is OFF map)
with no sign of buildings and structures on radar (BuildingOrStructureIsPlaceableOffMap: True | False)
only an ON map buildings and structures should be visible on radar

,

an OFF map gameplay (starting point is OFF map)
with no sign of buildings and structures on radar (BuildingOrStructureIsPlaceableOffMap: True | False)
only buildings and structures like (FACT:ATEK:STEK:POWR:APWR:) should be placeable OFF map
-- which are not >>> (FACT:ATEK:STEK:POWR:APWR:) , with starting moving units and vehicles >>> (PROC:+++HARV:) , (WEAP:+++[__ANY_UNIT__]) , (BARR:+++[__ANY_UNIT__]) , (TENT:+++[__ANY_UNIT__]) , (AFLD:+++[__ANY_UNIT__]) , (HPAD:+++[__ANY_UNIT__])
and
-- which are not >>> (FACT:ATEK:STEK:POWR:APWR:) , producing moving units and vehicles >>> (WEAP:BARR:TENT:AFLD:HPAD:PROC:)
or
should all moving units and vehicles
-- be able to move to OFF map ??? (we have no freaking ideas)
and
-- be able to move from OFF map ??? (we have no freaking ideas)
and currently
-- we have no freaking idea how da heck to go about this

,

introduce an gameplay with REAL TIME maps (RealTimeMap: True | False)
so that
-- when an ON map buildings and structures get destroyed (OPEN RA - LUA API in an skirmish game with bots ??? or ???)
or
-- when an ON map special mission object get destroyed (yes OPEN RA - LUA API !!!)
and then
-- an special REAL TIME map (RealTimeMap: True | False)
-- will reveal itself by amount of cells 44 to [ Y = -44 ] (starting from cell [ X = 11 ] and ending in cell [ X = 77 ] and reveal to [ Y = -44 ])
the total size of a map is something like 244 x 244
and currently
-- we have no freaking idea how da heck this complex stuff should freaking be implemented

,

[Materianer]

-- will reveal itself by amount of cells 44 to [ Y = -44 ] (starting from cell [ X = 11 ] and ending in cell [ X = 77 ] and reveal to [ Y = -44 ])
the total size of a map is something like 244 x 244

You should be able to just place buildings outside of the map but i think the unitprocution will be difficult to make then
maybe

Code: Select all

	Exit@1:
		RequiresCondition: !being-captured
		ExitCell: 10,2

could help then

or
should all moving units and vehicles
-- be able to move to OFF map ??? (we have no freaking ideas)
and
-- be able to move from OFF map ??? (we have no freaking ideas)
and currently
-- we have no freaking idea how da heck to go about this

Make a dark area around your map = easy
But wich conditions would be there?

-- we have no freaking idea how da heck this complex stuff should freaking be implemented

This stuff should be doable learn some LUA API !!!
+ YAML on this 128MB HDD drive needed

-- be able to move to OFF map ??? (we have no freaking ideas)

Code: Select all

SetTeleporter = function()
	Trigger.OnEnteredFootprint({CPos.New(1,5)}, function(a, id)
			if not a.IsDead and a.IsInWorld then
				a.Stop()
				a.Teleport(CPos.New(153, 1) + CVec.New(Utils.RandomInteger(0, 5), 0))
			end
		end
	end)
end

[Ambre45]

While C&C RA3 was fun I feel like it missed the mark with the multiplayer. We loved how many countries we were able to choose from in RA2 even if they only had minor differences. Only getting 3 options in RA3 just felt like StarCraft to us.

[Jau-Al]

Neeed ! But EA, please remember : we need it on ALL platforms : Linux, Mac, Winsh*t, whatever you want and cross-platform if possible *plzplzplz*
Thanks a lot and happy holidays everyone !