Command & Conquer 3 demo

[Kolzig]

EA's continuation to the C&C franchise is getting closer to release and yesterday the demo was released.

The demo contains one tutorial mission, two single-player missions featuring live action video sequences, one skirmish map with three different difficulty settings, and one trailer featuring Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Michael Ironside.

Is it hot or not, discuss.

http://www.fileshack.com/file.x/10239/Command+&+Conquer+3:+Tiberium+Wars+Demo

http://www.gamershell.com/news/36615.html

http://peliplaneetta.net/tiedostot/pelidemot/strategia-sotapelit/5721/

[Redwall]

I think it's great, but that's from a guy whose PC gaming started with C&C.

[Nick]

W00t! It's totally awesome!

Just played thruogh the Demo. That's the tutorial, campaign mission and a skirmish game. If you've played any RTS ever then the tutorial doesn't tell you much you don't already know, although there's a couple of UI things that it may be worth knowing.

The rest of it is amazing, the cut scenes, the gameplay, the UI. Love it all! Very nice feature is that you can cut individual buildings from the power grid, freeing up the power that it uses and preventing you from being out of power whilst you build a new power plant. Shame you can't play NOD in the Demo, although I'll go back and see if I can capture some NOD buildings with an engy

Definately getting this game on release.

[Wrestlevania]

Very nice feature is that you can cut individual buildings from the power grid, freeing up the power that it uses and preventing you from being out of power whilst you build a new power plant.

Genius.

I wasn't planning on downloading this but, having been raised on Red Alert 2 the original Red Alert game at numerous LAN parties years back, I probably should for posterity's sake.

How punishing are the system spec's in real life though? I've a hunch my creaking Radeon 9800-powered laptop might not be up to it...

[Nick]

Ok, so capturing the enemy construction yard allows you to build all the NOD stuff too and have a look at it

[miffy495]

Hmmm... I'll have to download this when I get home later. Didn't get into C&C (except for RA1) until they released the 10th anniversary pack and I played through the whole set. Damn that was a good month.

Honestly, I was hoping they'd have a demo available for 360 as well. My PC is getting a bit creaky now as I haven't really had a reason to upgrade for a while. Also, I really want to see how they're going to handle an RTS on a console. I have no interest in Battle for Middle Earth 2 (hate LoTR) so this is the first time a console RTS has even been a seriously considered option for me.

Oh well, I guess some C&C is better than no C&C at all.

[Redwall]

Very nice feature is that you can cut individual buildings from the power grid, freeing up the power that it uses and preventing you from being out of power whilst you build a new power plant.

This was actually in Tiberian Sun (and was awesome back then, too) but was for some reason cut from RA2 and Generals.

[Kolzig]

Hey the game felt really good. It's got the good old C&C feeling.

And the cutscenes are truly back, it's great to see Sam Fisher Michael Ironside and especially KANE in the FMV's.

This game might actually become a must buy game for me.

I don't remember if Tiberian Sun had also that configuration for the mouse that right click you move the troops and left click you deselect the troops. It felt really backwards and kind of annoying as I've always been really used to it being the other way around.

[Redwall]

Nope, that's new. But it's the way most strategy games work and was a concession made to appeal to the larger RTS audience or something... in the BFME games I think there was an option to switch between C&C-style (left click to move) and regular-style (I didn't actually play them, but I recall that being mentioned), but apparently no such option was implemented for C&C3. Which is unfortunate, because I keep trying to play it like the old C&Cs. And sometimes it doesn't work that way, e.g. the jumpjet move in the tutorial is left-click to move.

I know way too much about C&C for my own good.

[Coldkill]

I must say when I first played it I was dissappointed with the graphics. When I jacked up the graphics to High it looks so freakin good! And I'm quite shocked it doesn't lag my system to pieces.

When I tried to cap a NOD construction yard it was sold and the infantry which came out of it killed my engy. But then I did just bomb their entire base with Firehawks and Orcas.

I too like the ability to turn off certain buildings. Especially when you are trying to defend your base from attack by building defenses.

Is it just me or do the GDI cutscenes loose sync? On the prologue the video was still running a good 20 seconds after the sound had stopped. It only seems to happen with the GDI cuscenes. The news one was fine.

I also like the cranes and surveyors. Great way of expanding your base.

The Sonic towers are nasty. They kill pretty much any ground unit. It's great! No more suicide bomber rushes.

::EDIT::

The left/right mouse click thing is confusing. I prefer the old C&C style clicking.

The first C&C, if I remember correctly, was on the PS1, along with RA and RA: Retalliation. Tiberium Sun, RA2, Renegade and Generals wern't published for a console though. Although it will be interesting to see how they apply it to the Xbox 360.

[LOPcagney]

Oh my. I just played through a successful skirmish, and I am in awe. Graphics are beautiful, though I agree, I had to turn them up. My system did lag a bit, but that was only on maximum settings with 40+ units on the screen.

Firehawks are amazing. Saved me, in the end. I had them pinned down unitwise, but they kept popping up with construction yards, so in the end I barely even used ground units. I just flew 3 Firehawks back and forth alternating with suicidal airdrops and artillery to keep them pinned down.

See? I love it so much I just want to talk about it!

[Nick]

I didn't have the videos de-syncing at all

Also the Left/Right mouse click seemed fine to me. I think it's the standard for most RTS games lately. Maybe I'm wrong, it seemed right to me though.

[ysbreker]

This game is indeed loads of classic c&c fun I did needed some time to get used to the way c&c handles its base construction but otherwise I can see me buying this one sometime after it comes out

And why is it that for some wacky reason almost all RTS games I play let me move my mouse outside the game and onto my second monitor. So that when I try to move the view around I can't use one edge of the screen to pan around the playingfield?

It's as if all those RTS-games haven't been testen with a dual screen setup. Which is not that uncommon I believe?

[miffy495]

Well, I've got such a setup. Thanks for the heads up.

[Wrestlevania]

And why is it that for some wacky reason almost all RTS games I play let me move my mouse outside the game and onto my second monitor. So that when I try to move the view around I can't use one edge of the screen to pan around the playingfield?

Top RTS Tip: Use the keys for camera movement (panning, rotation, elevation). It makes a huge difference and the game is much faster and more enjoyable to play as a result.

You also stand something resembling a slim chance of actually fending off an enemy tank rush, too...

[Coldkill]

I didn't have the videos de-syncing at all

Also the Left/Right mouse click seemed fine to me. I think it's the standard for most RTS games lately. Maybe I'm wrong, it seemed right to me though.

Hmmm. My rig probably needs an upgrade. Ok so not probably, definatly needs an upgrade.

[ysbreker]

Top RTS Tip: Use the keys for camera movement (panning, rotation, elevation). It makes a huge difference and the game is much faster and more enjoyable to play as a result.

You also stand something resembling a slim chance of actually fending off an enemy tank rush, too...

I know. But I still find it odd that this bug isn't spotted by the beta testers. I know, for instance, that Dawn of War also suffers from this and there are quite a few other titles out there that have this same odd behavior.

[elmuerte]

And why is it that for some wacky reason almost all RTS games I play let me move my mouse outside the game and onto my second monitor. So that when I try to move the view around I can't use one edge of the screen to pan around the playingfield?

It's as if all those RTS-games haven't been testen with a dual screen setup. Which is not that uncommon I believe?

It's not just RTS games. I've encountered too many games that have that problem. However, often you can easily fix it by setting a video profile for that game. When you have an nVidia card you can find it somewhere in the control panel (with the newer drivers it's behind 3D settings -> Manage 3D settings -> Program Settings -> Hardware Acceleration).

[Redwall]

To play as Nod and/or against GDI in the demo, drop down the faction select box and hit 'N' and/or 'G'. (This apparently works for the AI types as well, but not the alien faction.)

[Erik]

Now seriously, disappointing.

First impression yesterday, the gameplay doesn't seem to have evolved since Tiberian Sun, which i already didn't even finish back then.

So-so graphics, which at least don't require a super-duper computer to render. Music : where are all those great tracks ? Oh well, turn it off.

The CGI in the cutscenes looks great of course, but there's a downside to the all-star cast : Grace Park's uniform doesn't make her look sexy at all.

It just feels like a massive graphic update to me, nothing more. If people discover C&C or RTS with this game, good for them as it's keeping it simple, fast and old-school.

But I guess I played this series too much to find any interest in this "new" episode. I understand C&C fans will be pleased as their game remains unchanged, but honestly I'd rather replay the old ones if I was looking for classic C&C as I prefer the older units design.

Still, I HAVE to try the Nod and the aliens with your tip, as the cooler units have always been on the Kane side.

Anyway I'm definitely not buying this game.

[Wrestlevania]

Now seriously, disappointing.

First impression yesterday, the gameplay doesn't seem to have evolved since Tiberian Sun, which i already didn't even finish back then. [...]

It just feels like a massive graphic update to me, nothing more. If people discover C&C or RTS with this game, good for them as it's keeping it simple, fast and old-school.

Sounds bloody great to me!

I didn't enjoy Generals all that much so C&C3 sounds like it redresses the balance--bring it on.

[MrChlorophyll]

I dunno. It just feels too blah after playing Company of Heroes, to me.

Also: Ugly. After playing Company of Heroes. To me.

So basically, the RTS genre has been ruined for me because CoH was too awesome.

But I suppose the demo was entertaining enough. I'll buy when it's cheap.

[Kolzig]

Oh yeah, I completely forgot that I miss the musics too.

It's the biggest disappointment about the new game, no Frank Klepacki soundtrack...

But maybe it's just that the demo doesn't have musics, the main game is supposed to have a soundtrack that "tries to capture the Klepacki style".

[Coldkill]

Klepacki made an awesome soundtrack for C&C RA (Hell March anyone?).

I must say the soundtrack I've heard so far has been dissapointing although there was one track in there which was ok but not that great.

[Roderick]

I need to know only one thing: are there cutscenes in the demo? That is all. Honestly. I'm sure the game's gonna be fun and a little conservative but perfectly playable and an 8 out of 10 in most magazines, but all I need is the cutscenes thank you.