CommandCOM 09
Throughout this report, you’ll find a mix of light-hearted and serious content, whilst we gradually reveal details about CnC4 and the CnCSaga staff’s trip!
Thursday 20 August 2009, 7.30 am – Neuchâtel:
So, the day dedicated solely to travelling begins. I set off from my HQ (CnCSaga’s No. 2) in Neuchâtel for Germany with Leno at the wheel and his friend Joël, with whom I hit it off straight away and whom I’d like to thank for lending us the VCM. Yes, because, as the story goes, Leno is a bit of a preparation fanatic – a bit like all Swiss people, you might say – but he’d set up a proper Battle Base with 230V electricity, the option to set up a PC to convert the BCPTFR videos, a camera, several cameras and everything needed to be operational and productive – hence its name, VCM, coined by Kaiser-Scott, and also in honour of the VCMs that are no longer in CnC4.
A first stop was organised in Basel (Basel-Stadt), near the French-German-Swiss border, to relax before tackling the rest of the journey, and to top up the petrol; a few minutes later, we were back in the European Union.
The second stop was in Strasbourg, CnCSaga’s HQ No. 1, where Tchutch met us at the station along with Kaiser-Scott, who’d just arrived from Paris, and Unixorn, a regular on the CnCSaga forum. We left the VCM in the car park to go and eat a Flammenküche in Strasbourg’s main square, because I’d told Tchutch I wouldn’t come to his region without trying a local speciality! Before heading off again, we popped round to Tchutch’s place, where we had a look at his collection – which, I must say, is quite fun – and a sneak peek at the upcoming Battlecast Primetime France episode, which aired last week.
After leaving Strasbourg, we headed onto Germany’s unlimited-speed motorways to get to Cologne as quickly as possible and rest after the 750km journey. Once we arrived in Cologne, the adventure wasn’t over yet. This city is a real maze, and you can see the German mindset reflected in their roads (namely, that you have to drive 4 km, cross the Rhine, before being allowed to turn round at the next set of traffic lights [Editor’s note: obviously, we got it wrong – twice.]) And after taking some massive detours, we arrived at the hotel that EA had booked for us, and we let Leno, Kaiser, Joël and Unixorn head off to their accommodation. Shortly after dropping off my things, Tchutch and I were expected at a Community Team party, but I declined the invitation, having promised to go for a meal with Kaiser and Leno near the Dom (Cologne Cathedral) at a Chinese restaurant.
As I was due to attend a confidential focus group the following morning – at which I was representing the French-speaking community regarding the future of C&C – I headed off around 11.40 pm to get some sleep.
Friday 21 August, 7.30 am:
Mental preparation for the focus group, which is conducted entirely in English and chaired by Amer Ajami, producer of Red Alert 3. Nils Neumann, Community Manager at EA Germany, came to let me know that the taxi would be ready at 9.00 am so that the focus group could start at 9.30 am. So I enjoy a leisurely breakfast with Tchutch, Nathyel and Raphaël from Time of War, and off we go for 90 minutes of questions and answers from the community – a report on which I cannot share, as Amer emphasised the confidential nature of this morning’s session.
Friday 22 August, 11.00 am: The focus group ended, so I headed to the Cologne Convention Centre with 2POC, who had come to collect us. From then on, I joined CnCSaga and Time of War, who were already there, and the pre-CommandCom began. We took a few photos, chatted with EALA and then went for lunch. CommandCom began at 2.30 pm with a history of Command & Conquer presented by the father of C&C, Louis Castle, who shared a few anecdotes with us. At 3.00 pm, ‘Big Mike’, the producer of C&C 4, gave us a demonstration of his gaming skills (this is meant ironically) by showing us the C&C 4 beta to brief us on how to play the Campaign after his speech. How to deploy or select the crawler, how mission objectives work, etc., as well as how they came to choose these options for C&C 4.
So from 4 pm to 6 pm, we were able to try out C&C4 with many of the new units, features and tactics. The mission began as follows:
I deployed the crawler in offensive mode behind the GDI communications vessel known as the Global Stratospheric Transport (which bore a striking resemblance to the Kodiak but in a ‘super star destroyer’ version), which had crashed, we don’t know why or how, and the mission involves rescuing the Engineers who evacuated the TGS and are now scattered across the map. Once the Crawler was deployed, it began producing these units because it was spotted by Viceroys! And yes, but in an even more advanced form – they’ve evolved to the point of having three legs, and if a unit comes into contact with one, the Viceroyde explodes on impact. So I send my units out to retrieve the Engineers and, to my great surprise, Mutant Gorillas – machines that behave just like gorillas – start blowing up my tanks. Shortly after rescuing the first engineer, I find myself having to save the second engineer from a mutant base protected by school buses that fire bullets. After destroying the four mutant bases and retrieving all the Engineers, the next objective is to capture the Tiberium Network Control (TNC) units in order to have enough energy to repair the TGS. However, as Nod had detected GDI’s presence in the area via Signature Scans, Nod units began to pour in, and I’ll have to defend not only the TGS but the TNCs as well. After taking control of all the TNCs, the TGS begins to repair itself and the mission ends with a stunning cutscene: Nod units are firing at the TGS as it prepares to take off, and the units are positioned behind the Reactors, I’ll leave you to imagine the explosion caused by the units, and the TGS took off in a huge cloud of dust.
At 6.15 pm, the ‘surprise’ guest – even though we all knew who it was already – was Kane’s actor, Joe Kucan, a real showman who is a world away from the role he usually plays in C&C. He joked about his ‘hairstyle’, about the fact that when he’s out on the street, people spot him and say ‘Kane!’, whereas he’d rather be recognised for his main job as a bodyguard, and to round things off, there was an autograph session.
At 7.30 pm, CommandCom was over for the first day. EA invited us to the evening event they’d organised, which took place on a boat sailing along the River Rhine as it flows through Cologne. It was at this point that Nathyel and I decided to interview Sam Bass – who had agreed earlier in the day to be interviewed – as well as Raj Joshi, who is our patron, for Battlecast Primetime France. I can confidently predict that the next episode of BCPTFR will be ‘epic’ because we’ve got a big surprise in store for you!
The evening continued with drinking, eating, socialising and chatting amongst French speakers. Raj Joshi and Louis Castle showed us how to drink a glass of German beer as quickly as possible… and what’s amusing to see is that Americans really can’t hold their drink at all!
Anyway, as the evening drew to a close, I decided to join Kaiser and Leno at their hotel to continue the night and explore Cologne until 3 am, before going to bed, as the following morning was going to be a big one – after all, Saturday accounts for 50 per cent of the visitors.
Saturday 22 August, 8.00 am:
Breakfast at Kaiser’s hotel, before setting off at 9.00 am for CommandCom Day 2.
Arriving at the venue was a bit of a shock, as the crowds had really turned out… As you can imagine, it was becoming difficult to get about.
At 10.00 am, Sam Bass, scriptwriter for CnC4, took the floor and explained that Tiberium Twilight is the epic conclusion to the Tiberium Saga featuring Kane, the GDI and Nod. His personal goals for the campaign, which he has been developing since mid-2008, are to achieve better elements such as a much more serious tone; we’re using a moving point of view; the environment is contiguous (that is to say, it feels close without actually being so); close-quarters combat is possible; there are no more monologues; you are an integral part of the story, the actors have been chosen for their abilities rather than their looks, and the actors are convincing in their roles.
The story unfolds as follows: in 2062, humanity is on the brink of extinction; Tiberium is set to render the planet barren by 2068. Kane, presumed dead yet again by the GDI, approaches the GDI Council with a proposal: to join forces with the Tacitus to control Tiberium. Fifteen years later, the Tiberium Network Control is complete. And despite the unrest caused by extremists from both the GDI and Nod, the alliance holds. Tiberium is strictly controlled at this point. And it is time to rebuild the planet in a new Golden Age. But what are Kane’s true objectives?
The GDI campaign has been renamed from ‘The Man Who Killed Kane’ to ‘Kane Must Die’; the GDI campaign is like a good sci-fi film and you quickly get drawn into it. The GDI is so obsessed with its objectives that it borders on fanaticism. The GDI’s conclusion is truly epic and really evokes a specific emotion at the end (Sam Bass admitted he shed a tear at the end of the game).
The Nod campaign is ‘All Things Must Come to an End’, where we learn the truth about Kane; it’s the darkest of all the C&C campaigns, and we finally see Kane’s past – we see him without his mask of demagoguery – and the campaign was written with a clear purpose in mind; according to Sam, the conclusion is satisfying.
Sam Bass wants to rethink the RTS genre graphically with CnC4; in other words, the old ways are a thing of the past – all missions are meticulously scripted and players must have several strategic alternatives. The concept of a first-person perspective (FPP) is being incorporated, meaning that the environment is entirely designed to be viewed from multiple angles.
At 11.00, Jason Bender, the unit designer, began his presentation on the new units he was introducing to us (the names in brackets are the equivalents in CnC3): Bulldog (Pitbull), Striker (Anti-Aircraft Gun), Wolf (Tank), Avenger, Hunter (VBT fitted with a Beam Cannon), Raider (Buggy), Titan Mk. II, Centurion (replacing the Avatar Warmech), Scorpion Tank, Mastodon (which lives up to its name, as the Mammoth Mk. II next to it gets blown up), Mammoth Tank. He also showed us a few units from AR3, as the graphics engine is the same, though much more advanced; only the explosions of units or parts of units would resemble those in AR3, but it’s still different.
He rounded off his presentation by discussing Player Progression, which is a new philosophy, namely that your class includes a path to Tech 3, and that your choice of upgrades is reflected in the design (your units evolve in tangible ways as their design changes), and everything you do in the game is a choice. The AI is smarter and assesses the available space to manoeuvre its troops. The objectives during the campaign are simple and clearly defined (well, simple… when you play against the AI, you’ll realise that Zephyr had one less square when he played! because, frankly, the AI is more sophisticated), and the environment is open and allows for strategic planning as there are different routes to reach your objectives. Each level is populated by a specific number of enemies and features mission-related requirements. The objectives during a mission become increasingly difficult. The units have a new combat mode, capable of circling round an enemy unit whilst firing, provided that the unit under fire is stationary. In terms of weapons: machine guns, cannons, rockets and lasers; and in terms of armour: light, medium, heavy and reinforced. The Crawler MCV is essentially an MCV coupled with a Weapons Factory, and the Crawler represents the player in the game. There are three technology trees, each with dozens of unit and building upgrades. The offensive class is ‘hyper-micromanaged’, specialises in tank rushes and is highly aggressive. The Defence class is a Builder; it holds the ground and has Infantry (the Commando). The Support class deals less damage but is a formidable ally when trouble arises and responds quickly. The game is fairly straightforward but presents plenty of pitfalls during your missions. When playing online for the first time, it won’t be your last, as many players quit the game after being utterly destroyed by an experienced player’s well-timed rush. As you play, you’ll explore the Tiberian world, customise your new weapons and bring your friends into the game. Whether it’s Co-Op, Player vs Player (PvP) or Player vs Environment (PvE), you’ll be able to team up with your friends! And finally, he’s saved the best for last: he’s confirmed the return of the Scrin in CnC4 to exact their revenge through what he calls ‘Scrin’s Justice’, but he can’t reveal any further details.
As for career progression, all weapon combos will be accessible very early on in your career. The new units will have specialisations and tactical options. When you choose a faction (GDI/Nod) at the start of the game, you’ll have a progression system (experience) that allows you to unlock permanent upgrades using points, and if you ever wish to change factions, you’ll have that option; however, you’ll start from scratch with your new faction (the progress you made with your original faction is retained). As for Classes (Offensive/Defensive/Support), you’ll have experience points to allocate in order to gain upgrades and permanent units; if you change class during a game – which you can do – you’ll use the abilities you’ve unlocked. At the end of every game you complete, you’ll be able to level up your units.
After the lunch break, we finally started playing online – well, almost, as the server was having a few issues; we all had to click at the same time to join an automatic match, and even then it didn’t work, so they had to restart the internet connections… which makes you wonder whether the ‘all-online’ system is quite there yet. As for me, I started with a defeat (3 against 2 – that’s to be expected) and in the second game, a victory in a 3-on-3 match to make up for it. The aim online was to control the Tiberium Network Controls (5 points on the map, 4 at the edges and 1 in the centre), and if you controlled more TNCs, the number of tickets (1,000 per team) would decrease; if the number of TNCs was equal, it would remain stable. The first team to reach 0 tickets, or the team whose opponents controlled all the TNCs, would lose. A bit like in the game Battlefield. Domination Mode is 5v5; you can play with friends in PvP, against AI, in Skirmish, or in a Random Match with players of a similar skill level. And the ‘slogan’ for 5v5 is ‘Everyone gets to play the entire time’.
Then came the debriefing, during which Mike Glosecki (producer), Sam Bass (scriptwriter), Jason Bender (designer) and Jim Vessella (producer) were on hand to listen to feedback from the fan sites in attendance – feedback that was largely negative, such as: ‘This isn’t Command and Conquer as I know it’ or ‘The unit cap and the removal of resources are a complete absurdity’, ‘1v1 will be unplayable and we’ll just be circling the points as if we were circling a chair ”. These were rather strong reactions, met with applause from the audience, which left the EA team looking a bit glum; but the aim of this meeting was to receive constructive criticism, and that’s exactly what they got. Personally, I argued that “the game is completely different from what we’re used to, and if we want to play the old C&C games, well, we’ll just pop C&C3 or Tiberian Sun into the CD drive and play; always doing the same things over and over isn’t progress, I fully agree that graphically, it’s a huge leap forward, but yes, there’s no base, yes, it’s different, but CnC4 is a really cool game in the end”. Tchutch also defended this view, saying that “with the flood of criticism and the game due for release in March 2010, if the criticism continued like this, the game would either be delayed or cancelled, as they can’t change everything from A to Z.”
Apoc brought the meeting to a close at around 6.30 pm so that we could head to the Community Team party, which was being held at EA Germany’s headquarters, where the atmosphere would be less tense than during the meeting that had just taken place. The evening unfolded as follows: the Season 3 Ladder final match for Red Alert 3, whilst eating and drinking to our hearts’ content; a screening of JohnWE’s video from CnCFiles; various discussions; and a ‘tournament’ on Rock Band with Apoc, Jim Vessella, other EALA staff members present, as well as our Community Manager, Grégory Queste, who’s quite the guitarist! Then the CnCSaga staff and a few members joined the party, and I spent some time with them. Then, around midnight, people started to leave, and I set off with Kaiser to explore the western part of Cologne by night before heading back to the hotel at around 3.30 am, after taking some photos.
Sunday 23 August, 10.00 am: Time to set off! We travelled back the opposite way to the previous journey, but it wasn’t the most interesting day, so I’ll use it to wrap up my report on GamesCom-CommandCom, which, as Carville would say: ‘It’s good to be home.’
