1. What is the basic storyline for Generals?
We've reinvented the Command & Conquer franchise with Generals, with a brand
new storyline, units and tactics that have all been inspired by the technologies
and ideologies of today's tumultuous world.
Generals spans between present day and 20 years into the future, and offers
up a metaphor for today’s version of global warfare. Three very different sides
are fighting for supremacy, the superpowers of the United States and China,
along with an underground political terror organization, the Global Liberation
Army. Each employs very different tactics in their war efforts. For example, the
United States places a great deal of importance on human life, and thus has a
small, but very capable, ground force among it's weaponry. The Chinese, on the
other hand, has a massive, swarming army that use their numbers to their
advantage. China also has an affinity for fire and uses it in much of its
weaponry. Finally, the Global Liberation Army relies on sneaky tactics and being
hard to find...thus hard to kill.
2. What are some of the new gameplay elements we haven’t seen before in
the C&C franchise?
I think the one of the most important, and certainly the most obvious, is the
transition to a 3D engine, which gives the player even more of an immersive
experience and also tense control over the battlefield. Aside from the beautiful
graphics, the engine allows us to add some really unique and innovative gameplay
elements. One of the big new features we’re adding to the C&C series is a "hero"
unit of sorts -- you'll have a choice of Generals that you'll be able to bring
into battle. Depending on the General you choose, you’ll use completely
different tactics and strategies to defeat your enemy. We’ve added a large
number of other game play elements like upgrades, air-to-air combat, different
resource collection methods and a new way to build your base. The engine also
allows us to add some really spectacular special effects that will impact
gameplay, including burning barricades, spectacular super weapon effects, and
fully destroyable buildings and landscapes.
3. How will the single player campaign play out?
We've designed a 27-mission single player campaign that will unfold in a
seamless, linear story, told in part by each of the three sides. The actual
levels haven't been set yet, so I hesitate to go into specifics, but expect to
see some things you’ve never seen in an RTS before.
4. Have you made any design changes to the basic RTS formula?
For C&C Generals, I think we’ve gone a step further in making improvements to
the basic RTS formula. We're having to find a balance though, because we want
people to be able to jump right into the game, but also at the same time, we
realize that players always want to be entertained in new and more innovative
ways. One of the big changes we’ve made is to move the interface from the side
of the screen to the bottom. We did this to open up the number of special
abilities we could assign to each unit. We’ve also added a unique resource
gathering mechanism to each side, and changed the way players build bases. Add
these elements to a whole new set of units and the ability to pick which General
you take into battle, and you can see the scope of change we’re introducing with
this game.
5. Will the game feature "hero" characters that continue through the
campaign?
We actually have a combination of features that are a bit different from the
standard “hero” characters of other RTS games. We still have “hero” units in the
game similar to Tanya/Yuri/Boris in Red Alert 2 and Yuri’s revenge, but we also
have the “General” that you pick to take into battle with you. The General will
be fighting on the battlefield, and will provide you with specialized weaponry
and units. With respect to either of these units continuing through the
campaign, we’ve got a lot of ideas in that area.
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