Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 announced

[Sardo]

So, like most everyone else I'm very happy with this announcement, so much so that in anticipation of what will undoubtedly be another classic game (better make it so, EA!), I decided to fire up the good old RA2 once more. This is where I'm turning ever so slightly off-topic with a technical support question, so my apologies for that.
I tried the game on three different computers, and on each of them it will get all choppy and even hang up completely, apparently whenever a video is being played. The readme suggests that

if you find that the movie performance is choppy or jerky, try reducing the Windows 95/98 CD caching by going to the Start/Settings/Control Panel and double-clicking the System applet. In the System Properties dialog, click the Performance tab and then click the File System button. From the File System Properties dialog, click the CD-ROM tab and note the Supplemental Cache Size setting (so that you can reset the cache size if need be). Now set the Supplemental Cache Size to Small. This should have a marked effect on movie performance.

Of course, being on Windows XP, this advice is of no use whatsoever to me. Anyone know what to do here?

[naut]

Try playing in 98 compatibility mode.

[Martok]

[Martok casts resurrection spell on thread]


First of all, the new trailer is out now. It's pretty frakkin' sweet, if I do say so myself.


In addition, Gamespot has posted their first impressions of the game. I won't give everything away here, but one thing mentioned in the article that I particularly welcome is that the gamespeed is going to be slowed down a bit (so as to allow players time to research their top units and superweapons).

Also: Soviets have a mobile cannon that can shoot armored, parachuting bears onto enemy bases. Talk about awesomely campy.

[Sarathos]

Red Alert has always been a great series, and now witrh number 3 on the way it is only going to get better.

A question to all who do play Red Alert, do you like the the standard Red Alert or the expansions better?

Expansions being Yuri's revenge, Kane's Wrath and many others.

[Praxil]

A question to all who do play Red Alert, do you like the the standard Red Alert or the expansions better?

Expansions being Yuri's revenge, Kane's Wrath and many others.

Counterstrike and The Aftermath are both nice expansions, with them Red Alert is complete masterpiece. I prefer Red Alert universe over Red Alert 2 universe and Tiberium universe. Still play Red Alert, ants are taking over the world!

One of the nicest things about the C&C strategy games is that all of them are good enough, and there are no poor editions in the franchise. That goes for Generals and I would include Emperor: Battle for Dune in there too.

[Sarathos]

I bet starcraft2 will be 100x better

Starcraft 2 will be good, better than starcraft 1. It may have the possiblity to equal RA but to be better I think its going a little too far.

blizzard is the best at making RTS games...

I too would disagree, Blizzard may have the most balanced/varied RTS but enjoyable is a whole other thing. To make a game which is good to look at and good to play isn't as easy as it sounds, and something Blizzard just can't do. Stick to the MMO's Bilzzard.

One word: Tanya.

Yes indeed, Tanya is one badass woman but don't forget Einstein's time abuse. See the Russians are actually from the future and never really existed in real time...

[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!!

[Boyar Son]

I bet starcraft2 will be 100x better

ForTehWin.

but C&C should be good too.

[GeneralHankerchief]

Looks like the Apocalypse Tanks are back for another spin too... excellent.

Honestly, they should just recycle the Soviet voiceovers from RA2 and Yuri's Revenge. I don't think anybody would complain. "Bombadiers to your stations!"

[Veho Nex]

So whos in the restricted beta testing. I know i am ;)

[LittleGrizzly]

One of the things that sticks in my mind at the intro to RA 2, you here that guy shouting some words then the mammoth tank goes boom and the music kicks in, amazing!

Can't wait for a new RA hopefully my pc will be able to handle it

[Nobunaga]

the SP will be a blast. CC always had gr8 SP...hope the MP would be improved this time...

[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.

[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!!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[lars573]

This game just shot to the top of my gotta buy list.

[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.