Command & Conquer Generals puts your trigger finger on the pulse of modern warfare. Choose a General in control of massive armies of bleeding-edge military weaponry across a globe teetering on the brink of Armageddon. Command either the mighty U.S. Army, the Chinese war machine or the resourceful Global Liberation Army, each packed with high-tech arsenals ready to deliver unprecedented firepower on land or in the skies. Prepare your forces, Commander... it's time to engage in the next generation of 3D real-time strategy Command & Conquer Generals.
What is C&C?
If you have been residing under a rock or fighting for the Taleban for the past deacade you may not have heard about it, any other excuse, quite frankly, is unacceptable.
The C&C Universe first begun with the release of the first title in 1995, aptly named Command and Conquer. Seven games, including Generals, have followed and all have met with unparalleled success.
The basic premise of C&C is to create a captivating yet familiar background on which new titles may be based, thus providing gamers with a feeling of belonging and of knowing what they're doing, from the first moment they touch a new C&C game. As most of us can tell, the attempt has been successful and C&C has one of the biggest followings of any game series, with fan sites numbering in the hundreds.
In C&C games you always have the Global Defense Initiative Forces (GDI) and the bad guys, sometimes also known as the evil Brotherhood of NOD. So it is the basic warfare story od Axis and Allies or Coalition forces and rebels etc.
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EA always try to bring new features into each new C&C tile, in order to avoid repeating themselves. Generals is another example of how they have managed to succeed.
Some of the most important features of the upcoming title are:
Modern Military Warfare
Unleash your fury using modern and near-future military weaponry on the bleeding-edge of technology. Wage real-time war in more ways than ever before, with thrilling air-to-air duels, urban combat, and an enhanced veterancy model.
Three Ways to Dominate
Command one of three unique armies inspired by real-world ideologies: the high-tech US force, the swarming Chinese war machine, or the resourceful Global Liberation Army.
Advanced Player Vetrancy
As General, smart decisions and victories over your enemies will gain you experience points. These points can then be allocated to unlocking new units and weapons of mass destruction.
State-of-the-art 3D Engine
Experience Command & Conquer in unprecedented detail as you battle it out in full 3D on urban cityscapes, rugged deserts and frozen wastelands, using the SAGE engine. Real-time strategy never looked so sharp!
Battle Honors
It's not about wins anymore, it's about medals you earn. Players can now collect Battle Honors as the progress through the solo and multiplayer game. These medals are based on conquering parts of the game or employing a unique type of strategy to achieve an objective during a mission. All medals will be displayed next to a players name for bragging rights when they are logged in for online play.
Multiplayer Madness
Wreak havoc online, either cooperatively with 8 or your friends or go head-to-head in all-out global domination with a multitude of other players. New features include:
-Advanced filtering options
-Team Quick Matching
-Instant Video Replay
-Personal Ladders
-Observer mode
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The Combatants
US
Roused from its Isolationism by the GLA's bio-terrorist efforts, the U.S. quickly puts its traditional tools to work - Metal and Might. It's been more than 20 years since the U.S. was involved in substantial armed conflict abroad, and some wonder if the slumbering giant will fail in its attempt to root out this new enemy, the Global Liberation Army. But there is little choice. The U.S. is gearing up to police the globe once again and with the G.L.A. as its enemy, that policing effort will require just as much courage and might as it will lethal high-tech weaponry.
China
Hardly the rigid out-of-touch behemoth of yesteryear, the new China is as sleek as a bullet train, yet as brash and bustling as MTV. The ruling elite is no longer comprised of a bunch of suited greyhairs. The next generation of Chinese rulers and commanders is young decisive, nationalistic and have amassed hordes of manpower. Unfortunately the cultural versatility of the Chinese will not be enough for them in order to overcome their latest foe, The G.L.A.
If China is to maintain its position of global economic dominance, the G.L.A. must be dealt with once and for all.
Global Liberation Army
The G.L.A. is a tight-knit, cell-based political organization, held together by a shady agenda that calls for global disruption through constant military provocation. However, the G.L.A. is not above targeting innocent civilians and public structures, whether it be by blowing up dams or by performing acts of bio-terror sabotage at public events. It's the group's tactics, that make it an especially slippery foe to get a grip on.
With cells sprinkled across the globe, the G.L.A. boasts a frighteningly unified vision. Like traditional political terror groups, the G.L.A. fights the new war any way it can.
General GamePlay
Considering Generals is the first 3D Command & Conquer RTS game, any long time C&C fan is bound for a, pleasant, shock when first seeing the game. Once that has faded it will also surprise the player to find that Generals strays from the usual C&C scenario, since the game takes place 15 years in the future.
Campaigns
Each of the three factions will have its own campaign of around 8 missions, for a total of 24. The developers went to extreme lengths in order to ensure that each faction has a very different style of play.
The Americans are tech-heavy, focusing on sending machines before people. To this end, you'll see more tanks and planes using long range tactics than the other two groups.
China, knowing that it has people to spare, isn't really concerned with loss of life so long as it gets the job done. China tends to send hundreds of soldiers to confuse the enemy. Should those perish, there are just as many waiting to be sent in their place.
Finally, the G.L.A. will use tactics copied from every prominent, or not so prominent, terrorist or rebel organization that has ever existed.
Anything from chemical warfare, inaccurate but deadly scud missiles, suicide bombers and more will be thrown in order to terrify the enemy. The G.L.A. use guerilla tactics to get the edge on their enemies.
Plans for G.L.A. missions include :
- Sneaking a nuclear bomb into a city without the occupying US forces noticing. Or
- Having a G.L.A. operative kill 200 civilians with chemical warfare within a specified time limit.
To further differentiate the factions, each has three different Generals from which the player has to pick one at the beginning of a mission.
The General basically provides the focus to one specific branch of the military. This allows the player to use special attacks specific to the branch of military served by the General.
The Americans, for example, can choose the Air Force General and get access to carpet bombings every 10 minutes.
China's Red Army General allows the player to build and launch a nuclear warhead. Choosing the right General can win or lose a mission for the player, so it's important to choose wisely.
C&C Generals is expected to be released in Q1,2003.
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