Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 announced

[Martok]

Linky


Sweet! Sure, we don't anything about the game other than its existence, but I'm still excited anyway.

[Tratorix]

Cheesy FMV and bad Russian accents - a surefire winner.

[Tiberius of the Drake]

sweet because personally i was unimpressed by CnC 3

[Kekvit Irae]

About time.

[Mouzafphaerre]

.

.

[Kekvit Irae]

I was initiated into the C&C series with RA1, and I absolutely love Red Alert 2 and the expansion. Sadly, the original C&C series was a disappointment (Renegade, anyone?). Hopefully RA3 will keep with the tradition of campy cutscenes and great gameplay.
What I really want, however, is C&C Generals 2. I keep playing Zero Hour to death, but I still want more.

[Martok]

Planet Command & Conquer has posted some more screenshots.


I have to admit I'm not excited by the Japanese mech-type thingey. It looks super-cheesy, even given this game's naturally high "camp" saturation levels. Hopefully it's only an anomaly, and not indicative of what the Empire's units will generally look like.

Also, I'm glad the Khirov's are back. Definitely one of my favorite Soviet units.

[lars573]

Videos.

Battlecast prime time.

OMG Hell march in mah speakers!!

[Martok]

A couple more screenshots along with some artwork:

Link.

[Martok]

A couple sizable previews from IGN and Gamespy, as well as a 15-minute video showing gameplay footage.


Items of possible interest:

Units will (supposedly) be more specialized, and have both a primary and secondary ability.

The Empire of the Rising Sun will have a Japanese schoolgirl with psychic powers as their Tanya-type unit.

Units that are at a higher elevation will be "invisible" to enemy units and cannot be fired upon by them.

A new Soviet unit called the Bullfrog can shoot infantry and armored bears out of its "man-cannon" from a distance onto enemy units & structures.

Allied units will now be tougher yet less powerful (not sure what this means exactly).

Ore fields have been replaced by indestructible ore "nodes".

Around 70 units in the game total (divided amongst the 3 factions).


My thoughts on the gameplay video:

Pretty cool to watch, although I dislike the game's cartoonish, overly-colorful look. (Apparently this was a deliberate design choice by EALA, as they wanted to distinguish it from the "darker" Tiberium half of the C&C series.) Watching the Soviet engineer automatically deploy a raft to reach a neutral-party structure out in the water was pretty neat.

One thing that especially worried me: Units seemed to have trouble detecting and/or reacting to enemy units. I saw several instances where Allied tanks didn't seem to notice Soviet vehicles practically under their noses; and when they did finally notice them, they still seemed awfully slow to pursue and engage them.

[Abokasee]

The Empire of the Rising Sun will have a Japanese schoolgirl with psychic powers as their Tanya-type unit.

Typical of most anime cartoons then... however the RA2 soviet squid may have some to say... (Tentacles... )

Ore fields have been replaced by indestructible ore "nodes".

awww... at least we won't have our harvesters wandering into enemy bases anymore

Allied units will now be tougher yet less powerful (not sure what this means exactly).

Better Armour/HP less damage?

Pretty cool to watch, although I dislike the game's cartoonish, overly-colorful look.

After many years of playing RTW, MTW2, C&CTW (Tiberium Wars) and other fairly serious and heavy hearted stragety games, I'd like something to cheer me up

Around 70 units in the game total (divided amongst the 3 factions).

Maximum of 75 units and minimum of 69 as far as my MS-Calculator is concerned, meaing that if each faction has equal numbers of units, it will be either 25 maximum or 23 minimum.

Units that are at a higher elevation will be "invisible" to enemy units and cannot be fired upon by them.

Should be harder to hit, and have longer range, small unitst right under would have no chance to fire back, whilst those big Japanese Mecha will have no problem..., although the height at which that unit was in the video, yeah lets go with can't see it from the ground.

[Martok]

Better Armour/HP less damage?

That's about the only thing I could think of, yeah. Allied units will probably be harder to kill, but their weaponry will be less powerful compared to the Soviets and ERS.

After many years of playing RTW, MTW2, C&CTW (Tiberium Wars) and other fairly serious and heavy hearted stragety games, I'd like something to cheer me up

Oh, so do I, absolutely. Don't get me wrong. Given the campy nature of the Red Alert series, I fully expect the 3rd iteration to bright and cheery like the rest. Still, I think EALA might've gone a little overboard in that department.

Yes, it's only a minor complaint and not really that important in the grand scheme of things. I guess I'm just worried that looking at the game for very long will give me a migraine. (I wish I were kidding.)

Should be harder to hit, and have longer range, small unitst right under would have no chance to fire back, whilst those big Japanese Mecha will have no problem..., although the height at which that unit was in the video, yeah lets go with can't see it from the ground.

I'm all for units with a height advantage having a longer firing range and better line of sight, and I don't even have a major problem with them being immune to weapons fire from below. But to be actually be invisible? I don't know about that.

Ah well, guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[Veho Nex]

I will have EA's un wanted love child if this game is as good as it looks. Please EA don't screw up IM COUNTING ON YOU!!

[Viking]

A couple more screenshots along with some artwork:

Link.

http://ve3d.ign.com/images/28806/PC/...er-Red-Alert-3

Wtf

[Martok]

I believe that's Natasha (or is it Natalia?), the Soviet's counterpart to Tanya.


Speaking of Tanya, I wonder if Kari Wuhrer is returning as our favorite ass-kicking, sexpot commando. I really hope so, but I don't see her yet listed among the new game's credits on IMDB.

[Martok]

I believe that's Natasha (or is it Natalia?), the Soviet's counterpart to Tanya.

Her name is in fact Natasha, and she's being played by Gina Carano of American Gladiator fame (not that I would know myself, as I can't stand those kinds of shows ). You can read more about it -- as well as watch a video of Carano posing in her new Natasha gear -- here.

While I'm not a fan of American Gladiators, I have to admit that she looks like she'll fit the role....at least physically, if nothing else. (We'll see how good a job she does affecting a Russian accent.)

[Marshal Murat]

I don't like Natasha. I'm afraid she might actually snipe me, rather than visa-versa.

[Martok]

Planet Command & Conquer received a batch of answered questions earlier today.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

RED ALERT 3 Q&A UPDATE #3 (5/28/08)


1. Will the aircraft have pilots like in C&C Generals, because that was one of the best features of Generals, to promote other units with downed pilots?

A. No, aircraft units are self-contained and don’t have individual pilots. Red Alert 3 pilots are brave, and don’t resort to cowardly acts like ejecting out of their burning aircraft.


2. Will the Soviets' new lightning-toting infantry, the Tesla Trooper, be able to charge Tesla coils like the Tesla Troopers in RA2?

A. Yes, Tesla Troopers will still be able to charge nearby Tesla Coils for a boost to their efficiency. Tesla Troopers will do this on their own to any nearby Coils, or you can manually order them to do so.


3. Will there be Ores and gems in red alert 3? and if so how will they be different this time, since from red alert 2?

A. Sort of. Ore will be making a return as the primary resource in Red Alert 3, thought gems probably won’t. More importantly, unlike ore in Red Alert 2, the ore in RA3 is localized entirely within ore nodes and not strewn about the map like Tiberium. This enables us to more tightly gate the economy and prevent a lot of runaway inflation that Command & Conquer 3 has.


4. Will epic units exist in RA3? – gen

A. No, there are no Kane’s Wrath-style epic units in Red Alert 3.


5. Like in Yuri's Revenge, will any of the Commandos (i.e. the Allies' Tanya unit) have any C4 charges that destroys tanks and other armoured units?

A. Yes, Tanya will automatically whip out her C4 whenever she’s given a contextual attack command on an enemy vehicle or structure. Natasha has a similar contextual attack, but she doesn’t use C4.


6. Will there be multiple build ques like having cranes like in cnc3?

A. Only the Soviets will have the ability to build from multiple queues. A new queue is granted whenever a player constructs a crane, similar to the way this mechanic worked in C& C3.


7. Will the Service Depots be in the game or will vehicles be repaired at the War Factory like in C&C3, if they do come back will they still be required to train an MCV?

A. The repair mechanic differs from faction to faction. Allied units, for example, have to be repaired back at their Armor Facility (War Factory), whereas Soviet units can only be repaired at a nearby Crusher Crane… assuming they don’t get too close to the Crusher end.


8. Will there be crates in RA 3??

A. Yes, there will be crates that grant units different bonuses such as health, a boost in veterancy, and shroud clearing, among other things.


9. Will prism tech make a return?

A. Sort of. Prism tech per se, as it was developed by Dr. Einstein, has changed somewhat in the Einstein-less world of Red Alert 3. Instead, the Allied depend on a similar weaponized technology called Spectrum Tech.

[Martok]

For anyone interested, Voodoo Extreme has a new profile for the Peacekeeper, an Allied anti-infantry unit. They're essentially riot police on steroids.


Also: EALA has suspended work on the PS3 version of RA3, and are currently focused on just the PC & 360 versions. No word on whether work on the PS3 version will resume at any point.

[FactionHeir]

Hopefully units in RA3 won't be as ridiculously powerful as in RA2 when they got their second upgrade. Anyone remember those elite GI squads that take out Apocalypse tanks handily?

Actually, I'd rather see a sequel for Generals than RA to be honest.

[Abokasee]

The Conscript!

Yes everyones faviourite RA2 spam unit has returned!, now with 100% more ethanol in their glass bottles and well over 15 match boxes to create molotov cocktails:

Though poorly trained, they are armed with high-caliber assault rifles, as well as satchels filled with a highly volatile, cheaply-produced concoction that's serviceable as a basic thrown explosive. Reports of conscripts drinking this substance for pleasure, and subsequently falling ill or dying, are described as patently false by the Soviet media.

[Martok]

Ah, cannon fodder. Gotta love it!

[Martok]

New unit profile: The Allied Century Bomber



In addition to being fast (for a large aircraft), heavily-armored, and carrying a satisfyingly large payload of bombs, it can also carry para-dropping infantry. (I like multi-use vehicles.)

[Abokasee]

New unit profile: The Allied Century Bomber



In addition to being fast (for a large aircraft), heavily-armored, and carrying a satisfyingly large payload of bombs, it can also carry para-dropping infantry. (I like multi-use vehicles.)

Yeah apparently ALL vehicles in RA3 will have multi-uses (For the example the Soviet Transport is Anti-Air craft vehicle and A all terrain APC

And a now we have a new unit: V-4 ROCKETS!

The way the first function goes is nothing special to me, the way those missile lands hasn't been used since... TA I think (Core Diplomat, the other one...) however the second anti-infantry one makes Is pretty neat with the missile launching cluster bombs in mid air.

[Praxil]

http://www.ea.com/redalert/news-detail.jsp?id=13

Smartest move by EA in many years. I still don't get it how Jablonsky came out with such a "poor" soundtrack for Tiberium Wars, yet being able to make such a beautiful soundtrack for Transformers movie.

[Martok]

A few new screenshots have been posted by IGN.

I'm especially intrigued by the first screenie, which appears to show both Soviet aircraft and *two* different types of Allied aircraft. I believe the one Allied aircraft (on the right-hand side) is the previously-mentioned Century Bomber, but I have yet to see anything on those Soviet warplanes. The other Allied air unit looks like it may be more of a fast-attack craft (perhaps acting as escort for the bomber?), but it's hard to tell.

[Martok]

Strategy Informer has put up part 1 of a major preview. The majority of the article talks about James' impressions of and experience at EA's LA facility, but a large amount of info is divulged as well.



General Information:

* The new Apoc tank looks awesome, and you’ll be seeing its upgrades in the very near future. For now, know that it has a tractor beam and a giant generator (Magnetic Harpoon) on its back. Grinders go out side to side. The grinder eliminates any enemies that get in the Apoc’s way, chewing them up to nothing.

* Unit scale is highly unrealistic in gameplay, but it works. Dolphins may appear the size of submarines…but hey, you know it’s a dolphin.

* Ore does not deplete! Once “depleted” only 25% of the original resources can be attained.

* Heidleberg returns, and it looks great. Even has a park and beer gardens.

* Mcburger Kong returns.

* There are 12 different locales in the game, each one very different and very colorful.

* Weather effects are all present, but none of them actually take part in the gameplay. They are all purely aesthetic.

* Fog is now cleared downhill, but not uphill (meaning if units are on top of a hill, they can see far below, but units under a hill cannot see above it).

* Powers are introduced, and some are listed below. Powers are special abilities players can use over time to do a number of things, such as special attacks. They are illustrated by a number on the bottom left corner of the screen, where over time points are built up. Based on how well the game is going for the player, more points may be added over less time, meaning they have access to more power ups.

* Soviet Power ups include: Orbital Refuse, which drops satellites from the sky like bombs; Tractor Beam, which picks units off the battlefield and into space, to later drop them with Orbital Refuse; Time Bomb, which is just that.

* There is a third faction, which has been mentioned only as the “Empire of the Rising Sun.”


The Allies:

* Dolphins act just like real dolphins, meaning they can swim backwards if commanded, jump out of the water (out of the way of torpedoes or over electrical-based attacks).

* A support “Cryo Copter” aircraft shoots an ice beam, dubbed the “freeze beam” (ray would be better). This slows down enemies and, with enough time, freezes them in their tracks. They thaw out over time and no damage comes from this, but frozen enemies can be broken like ice. The Cryo Copter’s secondary ability is a shrink ray, which literally shrinks friendly or enemy units, making them function on cartoon physics, and of course prone to being run over by tanks.

* The Dog has been fixed. Instead of having the Dog and Bear be basically equal (and have horrid biting fights between them) the Dog has a secondary ability to bark loudly, stunning nearby enemies. It also can go in the IFE for an extended bark attack, having a larger radius of damage.

* Building walls are now included, meaning fortifications can be made for the Allies.


* Base hubs now share tech, meaning only one upgrade is needed for all buildings to produce higher level units or buildings. It also means that if the Command Center is destroyed, all buildings lose their upgrades.


The Soviets:

* The Czar Tank, otherwise known as the Hammer, can steal health and weapons from vehicles. Its rockets cannot be shot down anymore. The Hammer’s secondary weapon shoots smaller, scattered bombs.

* The Tesla tank is not returning to Multiplayer, but it will appear in specific missions for the Single Player campaign.

* The Dreadnaught’s secondary attack makes it shoot faster, but it takes damage while doing so.

* The Acula Submarine’s secondary weapon are dumbfire “super” missiles.

* The Bear is now amphibious, so it is equivalent to both the Dog and Dolphin (somewhat).

[lars573]

The more I hear about this game the more awesome it sounds. Armoured swimming, parachuting, bears= I always loved RA2 sillyness and this looks to have the same kind of silly and more of it.

[FactionHeir]

* The new Apoc tank

Looks like EA is naming things after their community manager

[Martok]

A fair amount of new info this past week. First off, a Q&A session:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1. Will the King oni able to crush t-1 and t-2 tanks?

Sort of. The King Oni's secondary ability is a powerful linebacker-style bullrush. Upon spotting an enemy unit or structure, he'll drop his shoulder and run directly at his target, running over almost anything in his path. The King Oni doesn't crush units just by walking over them normally, the way that an Apocalypse Tank would, however.

2. Will the flak trooper be back or another soviet rocket trooper?

The Flak Trooper is indeed back as the Soviet's primary anti-vehicle and anti- air infantryman. He lugs around a heavy flak cannon on his shoulder, and he's none too happy about it.

3. Will Allies be getting chronoshifting units or abilities?

The Allies still have a good deal of Chrono-based abilities, despite the fact that Dr. Einstein no longer exists in this timeline. While Tanya is the only unit who's been authorized to use Chrono technology on the battlefield, the Allies still employ Chrono weapons in a lot of their player powers. On a related note, it appears that Chrono Legionnaires never came into existence in this timeline either...


4. Will ingame taunting be back in multiplayer games like in Red Alert 2? for example in red alert 2 if u pressed F10 in a multiplayer game then each faction had a different laugh etc.

The taunting mechanic in Red Alert 2 was fun to use, and we're definitely planning on implementing something similar in RA3.


5. Will the waypoint system from ra2 and yr be making a return in ra3?

We'll have a waypoint system in Red Alert 3, yes, but it's more similar to the one used in Command & Conquer 3 than previous games. We're improving the feedback system for our waypoints too.

6. Will RA3 have a option where you can give money to your allies like in LOTR BFME 2?

No, you can't tribute money to your allies in a multiplayer game, but we're considering allowing players to transfer control of units. As with other balance-related questions, we reserve the right to nix this ability if it proves to be problematic.


7. Will scraps of destroyed units litter the battlefield?

Yes, the husks of units and structures that are destroyed in battle will litter the map... but only for a few seconds. We kept these scraps around for a long time originally, but they simply ended up cluttering the battlefield.

We've got the Prospector's unit profile, which is the Allies' mining vehicle. Their secondary ability to convert to a command center (and thereby expand your base) could prove very useful.


I believe I can now say with a reasonable degree of certainty that the Apollo Fighter was the other Allied aircraft in that earlier screenshot I posted a couple weeks back. It appears as if it will be *the* dominant air unit in the game, even if it possesses only moderate firepower.


And finally, a unit from the Empire of the Rising Sun has been officially introduced for the first time: the mighty King Oni. From both the description and the battle footage, this monster is going to be absolutely devastating against both enemy buildings and land vehicles alike. Its only apparent weaknesses are its high cost and inability to engage air units. (Should still be fun to play with, though. )