C&C Labs News Wire

— Thursday, August 31, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 9:07:06 AM ET

August Podcast Available

The August C&C 3 Podcast is available for download from EA.  It is now listed on the official C&C 3 site, so you can download it from the official servers by clicking here or from Generals World here.  The podcast contains a special surprise announcement at the end, so go on and listen to it yourself now!

Within the podcast, community manager Aaron Kaufman and producers Amer Ajami and Jim Vassella discuss the Leipzig Games Convention and the experience of interacting directly with Command & Conquer fans.  They talk about a question and answer session held in front of hundreds of German fans, fans' reactions to the demos showed at the convention, and the myserious appearance of a Nod solider from the C&C Reborn team.  They also mention how Mike Verdu publicly apologized for the promised Generals Ladder Kit that never appeared.

Jim also discusses how the team is working to balance C&C 3 for multiplayer.  He says the team's goal is to fine tune the game such that competitive players can experience a full and complete strategic battle in 20 minutes or less.  He insists however that friends who wish to have an all-out hellfire match can bunker down, build up their defenses, and let the units pump out to have the long matches of 40 minutes or more that many fans love.

Oh, and for those of you keeping track at home: Amer is solidly GDI, while Jim is all about The Brootherhood.
Last edited by Mike on Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 2:05:50 PM.

— Wednesday, August 30, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 6:28:26 PM ET

Mike Verdu Interview

Over at our affiliate, GameReplays.org, they have posted a translated interview with Mike Verdu from Germany. Here's a snip:
Will there be a comeback of interesting missions?
”It's very important, that the missions sit well with the story of Command & Conquer. For that reason there will be various mission targets. We are thinking about 30 different missions in the single player modus, (10 for each faction). But that can still change, as the work on the missions is starting right now. “We want to create more then only such missions, where one starts somewhere, builds up his base and destroys the base of his opponent. In a few missions one will only start with some units without being able to build a base, just like the Commando missions on the first Command & Conquer. Many people love these missions. There will be very special tactically oriented missions in that one must think up the best way to attack the opponent at first to reach the mission target. Of course there will also be the typical base vs. base missions again.
HeXetic from PCNC has a nice summary of key points in the interview:
  • Mobile Bases aren't in - too hard to balance.
  • Naval units will only be available in singleplayer due to being underused in BFMEII.
  • A massive spectator mode is planned ("thousands" of watchers).
  • At this point, GDI and Nod can basically play each other, the AI basically works, and they are working on the third faction and the campaign.
  • There are 6 major actors involved in C&C3's FMVs.
  • They've given up on the red-zone/blue-zone economic differences.
  • For superweapons, Nod gets nukes, and GDI gets the Ion Cannon.
  • No Generals' powers - special abilities are tied to buildings.
  • There will be hero-like "commando" units

— Wednesday, August 30, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 8:03:38 AM ET

New C&C 3 Concept Art, Screenshot

Darkkai over on the Official C&C Forums has posted a few exclusive screenshots and concept art that came with his Battlefield 2142 flash drive.  Only one of the screenshots appears to be new, but a few of the concept art images are interesting.  I've uploaded the images to Generals World:
Yellow Zone Base GDI Orca  

In particular, notice the right-most Nod concept art image.  Initial speculation indicates that it may be our first clear look at Nod's Avatar Mech.  Lion however points out that it looks nothing like the Avatar Mech from the June issue of PCGamer, so the unit would have had to have been changed.  Other speculation however indicates that it could be the Cyborg Commando's C&C 3 successor, or a unit resembling Firestorm's Core Defender.
Last edited by Mike on Saturday, September 23, 2006 at 5:21:34 PM.

— Tuesday, August 29, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 7:19:12 PM ET

New Screens at IGN

IGN got their hands on some nice high resolution screenshots from C&C 3: Tiberium Wars.  Most of them aren't new, but are better quality versions of ones that have already been released.  I've put one below; you can view them all here.
 
A couple other updates from around the community:
Last edited by Mike on Wednesday, August 30, 2006 at 12:23:46 AM.

— Tuesday, August 29, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 7:32:14 AM ET

New Poll Question: Infantry Squads

With the recent release of numerous C&C 3 gameplay videos, it has become clear that EA has included the concept of infantry squads in Tiberium Wars, something that has never been included in a Command & Conquer game before.  Accordingly, I've updated the poll to ask: Should there be infantry squads in C&C 3?  Be sure to cast your vote on the right side of the page!

Here are the results from our last poll:

What do you think of the graphics we've seen in C&C 3 thus far?
87
Awesome! It's a great look!
 
35
They look pretty decent
 
15
I'm not impressed
 
24
Why is everything so brown?
 
Total Votes: 161
It seems most people are satisfied with Tiberium War's graphics -- however it's interesting to note that a sizeable minority do indeed wonder why everything is so brown.  For the record, EA has stated that the development team is intentionally going for this particular look.

— Monday, August 28, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 8:19:20 AM ET

APOC Comments on Gameplay Videos

(Thanks CNCNZ) Community Manager Aaron "APOC" Kaufman has commented on the Official Forums about the gameplay videos that were shown at the Leipzig Games Convention.  He addresses some of the community's reactions and concerns below:
1: The Gamespeed
-our notion for this game is "fast, fluid, and fun". The speed of all the units is not set in stone right now and that will come with balance, but ultimately, it will be faster paced. Everyone who saw the game in person loved the speed, but certainly, we're very early, so the speed is definitely something we will be tweaking up until the last moment.

2: Building Speed
-impossible to judge this, was for demo purposes only. The buildings will build instantly, but it is their BUILD TIMERS which will determine when you can place it down. The main goal here is, we didn't want the opposing player's building to be attacked while it was building, takes away from the strategic and fast paced gameplay. Don't forget though, you may be building an Obelisk of Light, but if the timer isn't done and you loose your power, sionora. Point here is, building speed is all balance and we've barely just started touching balance, don't judge the demo on this balance aspect.

3: The Lifetime of the Buildings
-same as above, for demo purposes only we sped things up, this will definitely be balanced. The goal of a demo in a short amount of time, quite literally, show us the cool stuff. The lifetime of the buildings is definitely not realistic in the video but for the purpose of time and demo, we had to get thru everything quickly.

4: Walls, Gates, And Defence
-the answer here is simple, C&C 3 will have walls but they were not ready for this demo, so no worries, I think that answers your fears there.

Bottom line on these concerns, they are 100% fair based on the video, but let me reiterate:

1. The demo is not accurately balanced but its more about the visual presentation and showing the gameplay elements. So, yea, Stealth Tanks are good to destroy a power plant, Vertigo Bombers take out tanks, Mammoth Tanks are incredibly powerful and can level a base that isn't properly protected. We have barely touched balance, so no worries, we will be tuning balance and speed very intensely thru development.

2. You haven't seen all the GDI and Nod units, far from it, and that's all I'm going to comment there right now.

3. The intent of the demo was to showcase what a slice of C&C 3 action can look like, and remember guys, we're still very early, there is TONS that has yet to be revealed. Take the video for a visual representation of the gameplay, not a specific balance assessment.

Certainly though, comments on speed, what you want for balance based on what you saw, etc, thats all great and we're listening as usual.
So there you have it, folks.  The game is of course still early in its development cycle, and it makes perfect sense that it is as of yet unbalanced.  One other important piece of information that APOC revealed is that C&C 3 will have walls, which should please long-time C&C fans.
Last edited by Mike on Monday, August 28, 2006 at 12:21:27 PM.

— Sunday, August 27, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 4:41:03 PM ET

C&C 3 Preview, Video at 1UP

There's a new preview of C&C 3 up over at 1UP. Here's a snip:
At E3, EA's employees showed gameplay; at Leipzig Games Convention they just played the game. After interrupting the building of GDI power plants with stealth tank attacks, both the Nod forces and GDI army reached a moderate number of units and played out the skirmish. Considering Command & Conquer 3 won't ship until 2007 (but EALA says it is hoping to release a demo in January or February of next year), it's remarkable how polished the game looks this early. With Flame Tanks burping fire everywhere, Mammoth Tanks unleashing salvo after salvo and Orcas zooming overhead dumping missiles, the demo never hesitated, sputtered or burped.
It's a nice preview, but the best part of the piece is no doubt the huge (200mb) gameplay video included. It's well worth the download, though, and it gives a good feel for the game and the interface. While the game showed appears somewhat scripted, it features nice narration from APOC on the action and some of the features in C&C3, a great improvement on the myriad of previews attempting to do just that.

We recommend watching the video so much that we've uploaded it to our own servers: you can download the video from us here, which we recommend because GameVideos.com's servers seem to be running a tad on the slow side due to the demand.

Also, a collection of new and old C&C 3 screens is out. Here's two new ones:
Last edited by Mike on Monday, August 28, 2006 at 1:03:14 AM.

— Friday, August 25, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 7:10:46 AM ET

Another Preview, Videos from the Leipzig Convention

GameSpot has released yet another preview article, this time detailing their impressions of a GDI vs Nod multiplayer battle they witnessed.  There's not too much new information in the article -- it rehashes some of the same information about Nod -- except for some interesting details about how some Nod units (such as the Stealth Tank) operate.  So thus it's worth the read -- here's a piece from the article:
In practice, as we saw, Nod tends to be proficient at hit-and-run tactics, while the GDI remains a solid choice for continuously building up successively stronger forces and eventually steamrolling opponents. Nod can build up quickly with militants and fanatics, who can join up with attack bikes and raider buggies for quick raids along with the speedy scorpion tank. Many of Nod's lower-level units seem to have excellent speed--the midlevel stealth tank, which can turn mostly invisible if it hasn't fired on an enemy for several seconds, is alarmingly fast and seems like an almost-perfect raiding unit, except that it's very fragile and is easily destroyed by enemy fire.
You can read the article in its entirety here. It does have a link to what seems to be a new Mike Verdu video as well, though there's, again, not a lot of new info.

Also, PlanetCNC has posted some more videos from the Leipzig Gaming Convention.  The videos closely resemble the gameplay videos released on IGN a couple days ago, except these contain Verdu's narration.  So if you're interested in hearing more about what exactly you saw in those videos, they're definitely worth the download.

One final note: At the Leipzig show, according to PlanetCNC member Junker (who provided the videos described above), Mike Verdu publicly apologized for the Generals Ladder Kit that never materialized.  Long-time Generals fans may remember that EA had promised to provide a ladder kit for webmasters to employ in community-based ladder initiatives in lieu of an official ladder.  Indeed, there had been plans in the works for an official "community ladder" supported by all of the major Command & Conquer fansites, but these plans never saw the light of day due to the lack of the ladder kit itself.
Last edited by Mike on Sunday, August 27, 2006 at 10:56:11 PM.

— Thursday, August 24, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 9:30:44 AM ET

C&C 3 News and Previews

  • PlanetCNC has some pictures up from the show floor for C&C 3 at the Leipzig Convention. They also have some notes from a representative on the show floor:
    • Kane isn't in Leipzig; no word on whether he'll show or not (sorry, Euro-types who were hoping to meet him). Aaron "Apoc" Kaufman is there, of course, but Apoc isn't tall and bald and evil, so it's just not the same.
    • As in Red Alert 2, you can only build one superweapon (of each type?) - no building eighty particle cannons like in Generals or getting those five silos in Red Alert 1. Superweapons can also be disabled in multiplayer and skirmish games as you please.
    • The sidebar buttons (underneath the minimap) are 5 tabs: buildings, defense buildings, infantry, units, and planes, similar to how the sidebar worked in Red Alert 2.
    • Engineers capture enemy buildings
    • Infantry come in squads like in BFME/BFME2 - only some units like the engineer or sniper comes as singles.
    • The Carry-All is a "carry-most": all infantry but not every single tank or other unit
    Looks like they're bringing back elements of the RA2 interface and gameplay, which, after all, is the most recent C&C, and is probably closer to the fast-paced gameplay EA desires than Tiberian Sun.
  • There's a new preview of C&C 3 up over at Gamespy. Here's a snip:
    The demo we got to see included a multiplayer match on one of the smaller maps between two of the developers. The battle started with each side deploying their MCVs and getting their power stations and Tiberium plants operational. From there, the NOD side proceeded to do what it does best … quick surgical strikes at key spots to damage or impair the enemy. The stealth tanks were exceptionally good at this. The negative aspect to quick and mobile is lightly armored and easily destroyed.
  • Full preview.

— Thursday, August 24, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 8:02:55 AM ET

New, Updated Screenshots

The official Command & Conquer 3 website contains 22 high-resolution Tiberium Wars screenshots.  Many of them are duplicates of previous screens (but in better quality), while several of them are not exactly the same as - but closely resemble - previously released screenshots.  A few, however, are brand-new.  I've uploaded all of these to Generals World -- here are a few thumbnails of the screenshots that I'd consider new:



— Wednesday, August 23, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 11:14:51 AM ET

C&C 3 Gameplay Videos, Verdu Interview

IGN has posted three new videos showcasing Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars gameplay.  Multiple versions of the videos are available for download from Generals World (all require QuickTime to play).

Building and Infantry Video Stealth Tanks, Flame Tanks, and Orcas Video In Come The Mammoths Video
Download Large Size
Download Regular Size
Download Large Size
Download Regular Size
Download Large Size
Download Regular Size
Building and Infantry
Showcases the C&C 3 building system and various GDI units.
Stealth Tanks, Flame Tanks, and Orcas
Shows Nod Stealth Tanks attacking a GDI base, Flame Tanks incinerating GDI infantry, and a few GDI Orcas retaliating.
In Come The Mammoths
Showcases GDI units, including Mammoth Tanks, attacking a Nod base.

IGN also posted a 7-minute video interview with Mike Verdu.   In the video, Mike reveals Nod and provides insight into both Nod's ideology and how it functions. Verdu also discusses the return of Joe Kucan as Kane, the new game interface, and improved particle effects in C&C 3.  We have the low-quality version of the video (warning: 86.4 MB) available for download directly from our servers, or you can head on over to IGN to stream the high-quality version.
 
Last edited by Mike on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 at 4:20:15 PM.

— Wednesday, August 23, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 10:39:44 AM ET

Articles and Previews: For the Love of Tiberium!

Besides releasing a veritable bevy of screenshots, videos, and other media, the majoring gaming sites have all come out with new Command & Conquer 3 feature articles today.

GameSpot has posted its second Designer Diary written by Mike Verdu, executive producer of C&C 3. Here's a quote from the piece, entitled The Brotherhood of Nod and the Return of Kane:
GDI views Nod as a dangerous, virulent, and inexplicably self-sustaining terrorist group obsessed with accelerating the worst ecological catastrophe in history, led by a charismatic and brilliant sociopath named Kane. The Brotherhood sees itself quite differently. Nod believes that it is the agent of change for a world in the throes of transition to a new order, the representative of the poor and the oppressed, and a foil to the previously unchecked power of GDI.
The article provides some interesting glimpses into the inner workings of the Brotherhood, so be sure to click here to continue reading.

IGN however also has a new C&C 3 preview up, entitled For the Love of Tiberium. The article rehashes some of the same information found in the GameSpot article and then goes on to discuss a battle between GDI and Nod that was showcased:
The match we watched was set in a map called Nile Delta which is in the Yellow Zone. The color pallete is therefore blended over with plenty of yellow and brown tones to create a dustbowl meets the apocalypse type of feel. Mad Max would feel at home amongst destroyed civilian buildings and highways. The most colorful pieces of art on the screen were the Tiberium crystals and their sickly green glow. NOD was stark in their black and red attire while GDI donned their more militaristic standard beige and grey.
The article also includes new details about the game's user interface:
The user interface itself has been designed to hearken back to classic C&C while providing more information in a slicker presentation. The UI sits on the right side of the screen rather than the typical bottom bar. On a widescreen monitors like the lovely 24" displays in the EA LA offices, this is a wonderful way to see a large area of the playing field while still having access to the UI. The presentation is much more minimal than the strict bar found in Camp;&C games of the past.
It's definitely worth a read, so be sure to head on over to IGN as well -- but then come on back, because we'll be posting more updates throughout the day: you'll want to stay tuned.
Last edited by Mike on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 at 2:42:37 PM.

— Wednesday, August 23, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 10:14:06 AM ET

Nod Revealed: Media Blitzkrieg

EA has certainly hit us with a full-out C&C 3 media blitzkrieg today, so I've collected all of the new screenshots and concept art that have been released into this single newspost.  The screenshots are from both GameSpot and IGN.

     
   

A number of new concept art images were released as well:



Also, for those of you not signed up for the Command & Conquer newsleter, you can view the latest mailing, which discusses the unveiling of Nod, here.
Last edited by Mike on Saturday, September 23, 2006 at 5:24:02 PM.

— Wednesday, August 23, 2006 —

Posted By: Luckie at 9:22:29 AM ET

Kane Returns! (And Kucan) - In HiDef!

EA has released an exciting video revealing Kane to the masses. Before you continue, watch it here.

Kane RevealedFrom Gamespot:
Thankfully Electronics Arts knows the strength of the Dark Side is strong, and today announced that Kucan will reprise his role as the leader of the Brotherhood of Nod in the upcoming Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.
Kane will appear in high-definition live-action cutscenes throughout the game which will propel the game's sci-fi story forward.
Kucan is back to play Kane. If this isn't exciting to you, you probably haven't played the previous C&C games. Gamespot made a very good comparison when they said that "Kane not being played by actor Joe Kucan is like Vader without the baritone voice of James Earl Jones".

This is an exciting next generation advancement for video games. Not only is live action returning, but it will do so in High Definition. No word as to what format the video will be in. Certainly the minumum required machines would be more than powerful enough to handle 720p h.264 however Bink Video (From Rad Game Tools) is also a possibility given that it's already been used in Xbox360 games at 720p according to Bink Video's site.

Last edited by Luckie on Thursday, August 24, 2006 at 1:30:53 AM.

— Wednesday, August 23, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 9:17:03 AM ET

C&C 3 Official Site Live

The official Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars website has now gone live!  The site is a full and proper official site for the game, featuring news, videos and screenshots, downloads (including podcasts and wallpapers), and a developer's blog.  The blog features a first posting by Executive Producer Mike Verdu that discusses Nod:
Imagine a superpower that isn’t a country – a new form of political, military, and economic organization that has characteristics of a religious movement, multinational corporation, and nation-state but isn’t really any of them. Imagine that this stateless superpower has the raw military power necessary to wage war on a global scale and stand against the GDI – which is an alliance of every advanced nation on the planet.
The features page also provides some information, including this particularly insightful piece:
Observe, broadcast, and compete in thrilling online battles with innovations including all-new interactive spectator modes, VoIP communication, player commentary, and more.
New articles and media for C&C 3 are popping up over all of the major gaming websites, so stay tuned as we'll be posting more updates here at Generals World within minutes.

Last edited by Mike on Wednesday, August 23, 2006 at 1:17:38 PM.

— Tuesday, August 22, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 9:16:33 AM ET

Apoc Comments as Leipzig Begins

The Leipzig Gaming Convention kicks off today in Leipzig, Germany. Command and Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars and particularly its Nod units and structures, will be prominently featured there over the next three days. Generals World will bring you coverage of the convention as it unfolds, so stay tuned.

Also, Aaron 'Apoc' Kaufman, community manager for C&C 3, also commented again on the trailer, and on the large airtime a Mammoth Tank got as it came down a hill:
Hey guys, couple things about the trailer... First, about the Mammoth Tanks. We have a feature in the game called Tank Articulation which basically means the Tanks conform to the terrains hills, mounds, etc, and move realistically over them as you saw in the trailer. Its funny you guys caught a minor hiccup in the trailer, because our Art Director said something similar after the trailer was finished. Yes, we have definitely tweaked a lot of things, that being one of them, so no worries. The gameplay footage is primarily an updated version of what we showed at E3 behind closed doors.
More news will be posted as soon as we get it.

— Sunday, August 20, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 8:13:16 AM ET

C&C 3 Trailer

The most recent C&C 3: Tiberium Wars trailer debuted last night on Spike TV. You can view it now on GameTrailers.com in medium and HD versions.  Alternatively, you can download it directly from the Generals World servers by clicking here.

Also, there's some comments from Apoc in PCNC's forum topic
Hey guys, couple things about the trailer...

-SpikeTV cut out the 1st half of the trailer for some reason, so make sure you see the full cut online and when it goes live everywhere this week, including our official site (go there for the best resolution :o).

-The 1st half of the trailer is a cool GDI intro with graphics and flash and really sets the tone for the 2nd half...the gameplay footage. I don't know why they cut out the 1st half, maybe because of TV time.

-The trailer is meant to be our 1st gameplay trailer, and we purposely did not showcase Nod because we are debuting Nod at the Leipzig Games Convention. The gameplay footage was mainly taken from an updated version of what we showed at E3, really just meant to set the tone, some of the effects, and give you a sneak peek into what you can expect visually and impacting.

-Make sure to hit up our official site Monday to see the trailer in full HD res, and yes it will be online starting tomorrow on MTV and GameTrailers.com, so check those guys out.

Lastly, everyone is begging to see Nod, well rest assured, this will be a huge for C&C 3, so don't sleep.
Should be a fun week.
Last edited by Mike on Friday, August 25, 2006 at 1:10:46 PM.

— Saturday, August 19, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 9:10:28 AM ET

More C&C 3 Screenshots

Three more Command & Conquer 3 screenshots were released on EA's Brazilian website.  There's not exactly high-resolution, but you can see them below:



— Saturday, August 19, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 5:24:47 AM ET

C&C3 Gameplay Trailer Debut

EA community manager Aaron "APOC" Kaufman sends word that the first Command & Conquer 3 gameplay trailer will debut tonight on Spike TV.
It’s hot, its high-impact, and it will make you want to get on a plane to Leipzig, Germany to see the game in action next week.
The trailer will premiere on Spike TV's Game Head tonight at midnight (check your local listings as times may vary).  Tomorrow, the trailer will be featured online on MTV's Overdrive channel and GameTrailers.com.

— Friday, August 18, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 4:40:37 PM ET

New GDI Harvester Concept Art

(Thanks CNCNZ) New concept art of the GDI Harvester has been released on EA's Brazilian website.  It was created by Feng Zhu Design, who has apparently created some concept art for LOTR: Battle For Middle Earth II as well.

— Friday, August 18, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 5:29:42 AM ET

Blue Tiberium In

Apoc posted the following message in the official C&C 3 forums:
Victory has been claimed...Blue Tiberium is officially in Command & Conquer 3. I am not privy yet to disclose the exact details on how exactly it will affect your gameplay experience (because that hasn't been fully fleshed out), but, I can tell you a couple of things.

-it will be Blue
-it will play a role in your strategy and defeating your opponent
-it will likely be involved in the resource system in some capacity
-i'll give you more specifics later

And yes, we took your feedback very seriously.

We're getting ready for Leipzig to showcase the first major multiplayer battle between GDI and Nod, its going to be explosive, and yes, there will be a fully featured video of it shortly after the show for those who don't make it to Germany.

With regards to Blue Tiberium, I'd like to say this was a collective decision between our designers and producers and the community feedback was a major critical factor in that decision.

Like I keep saying, you guys do have a voice. Keep it constructive and you never know, we're always listening, especially myself.

Its been a hectic crazy week getting ready for next week.

Our official site will be re-launching this weekend, the next newsletter is hitting next week Wednesday/Thursday and YOU ABSOLUTELY must sign-up for it, like every newsletter, if you want to be on the inside first, then sign up, and tell your friends to sign up to. I'm putting the final touches on the newsletter right now, so you heard it from the creator himself, you don't want to miss this.

Welcome back Blue Tiberium...you are welcome to post thoughts and ideas

- APOC
Well, that's one more confirmed element, though it's clearly not a major component of the game.
Last edited by Mike on Friday, August 18, 2006 at 12:00:59 PM.

— Thursday, August 17, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 5:20:37 PM ET

C&C 3 in PCGamer

Lion from CNCDen has posted a nice summary of a piece on C&C 3 in the upcoming issue of PC Gamer magazine. Here goes: 
-Amazing effects on the screen with the new particle system. Vastly improved smoke, fire, explosions, tracers, haze, and weather effects.
-The 'user interface' is a side-bar that will allow you to build units quickly from different production structures, build structures in multiple production queues, select and control grouped units with ease, and activate upgrades and abilities for single units or groups of units.
-New 'information warfare' dynamic. Allows you to spoof the enemy's radar, confuse their sensors, and alter what they see on the screen.
-Upgrades include mine laying, rail guns, track enemy units by tagging them with sensor pods, jump jets, mortars, stealth tech, etc.
-Infantry units behave more realistic; they will take cover, can dig in and create fortifications, and become surpressed when coming under fire.
-New AI and new spectator modes for multiplayer.
Some of those sure sound interesting. We'll see what new info is revealed later next week in Germany.

— Wednesday, August 16, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 12:40:01 PM ET

Apoc's Post

Over at the official BFME forums, Community Manager Aaron 'Apoc' Kaufman posted an update on what he's been working on. Here's a snip:
Here are some current tasks I am working on:
-getting ready to go to Leipzig Germany next week to showcase C&C 3
-making sure marketing has all the assets they need while I am gone, I have deadlines
-getting our official site ready to launch for CC3
- getting patch 1.05 for BFME 2 done - getting patch 1.01 for BFME 2 360 done
- means making sure the team has all the information they need to address issues such as disconnecting
-updating BFME and C&C sites this week -just produced/edited a trailer for C&C 3 that you will see soon
-starting to monitor community feedback on ROTWK for BFME 2 -planning upcoming community summits
-finalizing deal sheets with contractors
 Full post here.
Last edited by Blbpaws on Wednesday, August 16, 2006 at 7:04:32 PM.

— Monday, August 14, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 10:07:25 AM ET

New Poll: C&C 3 Graphics

After running active for a week, the Generals World poll has been updated.  The latest question asks: What do you think of the graphics we've seen in C&C 3 thus far?  Be sure to cast your vote on the right side of the page!

As always, here are the results of the previous poll!

Would it be better if Westwood was developing C&C 3 and not EA?
97
Hell yes!
 
13
Hell no!
 
37
Heaven only knows...
 
Total Votes: 147
Last edited by Mike on Monday, August 14, 2006 at 2:11:28 PM.

— Friday, August 11, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 7:52:51 AM ET

New C&C 3 Screenshot

(Thanks CNCNZ) German Command & Conquer fansite CNC Inside recently posted a new C&C 3 screenshot released by EA showcasing a number of GDI buildings.  Check it out below:

— Thursday, August 10, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 7:00:48 AM ET

CnC All Stars Interviewed

Our in-house mod for Zero Hour, Command & Conquer All Stars, has been interviewed by gaming website Strategy Informer.  Here's a snip from the article:

Strategy Informer: Are there any upcoming units that we don't currently know about that you'd like to share with us?

Blbpaws: Well, we’ve discussed a lot of what’s going to be in the mod in the past, but one thing I haven’t talked about a lot is what we’re calling the ‘subarmy’ system. In All Stars, as soon as the game starts, the player chooses out of the three subarmies for the faction they are playing as. You can see an example of this in one of our screens released today. For example, if a Tiberian Coalition, as in the screen, player chooses GDI, Nod, or the Mutants. This choice gives the player an additional unit, upgrade, and 3-star Generals Power from that side. This has allowed us to introduce a lot of fun units and upgrades into the mod, such as the Reaper, Disruptor, Floating Disc, Tesla Tank, and Battle Fortress. It’s been a nice way to expand the mod and add another dimension of gameplay, and something I’m really very happy with.

You can read the full and complete article here.  Also, the All Stars mod has released 5 new in-game screenshots of the lastest build of the mod.  Be sure to check them out below:




— Wednesday, August 9, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 12:19:21 PM ET

New C&C 3 Designer Diary

Gamespot has a new designer diary up. By Mike Verdu, it delves into the GDI faction a little bit. Here's a snip:
GDI's focus on tiberium eradication in 2047 is a luxury. In the past, GDI has been locked in an epic struggle with a terrifying enemy--a secret society-turned-global superpower that has united most of the Third World against GDI. Led by a charismatic sociopath called Kane, the Brotherhood of Nod preaches that tiberium is the catalyst for the next stage of human evolution. Nod fanatics are doing everything they can to accelerate tiberium infestation on all continents.

GDI and Nod have been fighting each other for nearly half a century. The conflict has escalated into a full world war twice--the First Tiberium War (TWI) erupted in the second decade of the twenty-first century, and that terrible war was followed by another worldwide firestorm a few years later.
There's also a host of new screens, three of which are seen below:

You can view all the others in our C&C 3 section. You can read the full article here.

— Tuesday, August 8, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 7:16:13 AM ET

Homepage Changes

A few changes to the Generals World homepage that have been under development went live today.  The underlying HTML code has been rewritten for the first time in about 3 years, reducing the average page size from 90KB to 60KB.

The server will now also cache page requests internally, improving loading times.  Also, the homepage now uses a few less images, which should also help the page load a bit faster as well.

There are however a few visible changes that should be addressed: the logo chooser and the login box have been removed due to technical reasons.  To my knowledge the logo chooser wasn't all that popular, but if you used it frequently and disagree, feel free to email me and let me know.

The login box has been removed temporarily as a result of upgrading the technology that powers Generals World.  The login box was never associated with the Generals World Forums, so essentially its sole use was in conjunction with posting news comments - however, the news comments pages already have a login box present on them, so this shouldn't be a problem.

If anyone has any comments or questions about these changes, or if anyone sees any new error messages as a result of them, please let me know.

8/9/06 Update: A problem with the poll voting system has been identified and fixed.
Last edited by Mike on Wednesday, August 9, 2006 at 11:32:48 AM.

— Monday, August 7, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 6:40:38 PM ET

You Wanted Maps...

... so we're giving you maps.  Over the past week, three new Zero Hour maps were added to our downloads section.

Omaha Assault v1.0
Max. Players: 3
Type of Map: Multiplayer
From the Author: This is a 2 vs. 1 Multiplayer only map. Skirmish is available sometimes and not at other times. Not recommended for skirmish use, as the AI on one side cannot reach the other side of the map. Full Details available in the .txt file included.


Four Circles

Max. Players: 4
Type of Map: Skirmish
From the Author: Nice basic map with lots of stuff to play with. 1 Oil Tech in each base; another 6 in the middle. Each base has a bottleneck entrypoint, but it is possible to attack from behind with certain units. Great fun with a few friends. Also my first map.

Face to Face
Max. Players: 2
Type of Map: Skirmish
From the Author: Face to Face was designed to get the action started right away. There is only one way to the opposing base, so you can focus all your funds into an attack force, instead of defence. Each player has two oil derricks to capture and one supply crate (marked on radar). there is more than enough room to build and the AI attacks fast.



We also added one map for the original Generals:

de_dust

Max. Players: 2
Type of Map: Multiplayer
From the Author: This is a remake of de_dust the most famous Counter-Strike map. It's not a serious gameplay map. more like a fun map ^^ the starting positions are at the T and CT spawnpoints and the extra supplies are at the bombspot.

You can download the Zero Hour maps above from our Zero Hour Maps section and the Generals map from our Generals Maps section.  If you're a map author and would like to submit your map to Generals World, head on over to our Submit a Map page!  (Note that an error on the Submit a Map page has recently been fixed.)
Last edited by Mike on Monday, August 7, 2006 at 10:49:23 PM.

— Monday, August 7, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 9:41:33 AM ET

New Poll and Poll Results

I updated the poll the other day. Now it asks how you feel about EA developing C&C 3, as opposed to the developers of previous the Tiberian universe games: Tiberian Dawn and Tiberian Sun. The results of the last one are also below:
Where can Generals World improve the most?
5
News Coverage
 
39
Maps and Mods for Download
 
4
Site Design and Layout
 
6
Contests and Prizes
 
2
Forums
 
1
Other (feel free to comment in the forums)
 
Total Votes: 57
It's interesting to see that many of you want mostly more maps and mods for download. Hopefully the coming release of All-Stars will give you a mod worth playing. If you want to play a mod now, I recommend one of our other in house mods, the Advanced AI mod by Lion, or Real Threat, by the Generals World team. As far as maps goes, we already have quite a collection, but we're also interested in adding more from you guys. In addition, we're working on a little project that will hopefully get some high quality maps submitted, and will fulfill one of the other poll options as well. ;)
Last edited by Mike on Monday, August 7, 2006 at 11:04:46 PM.

— Sunday, August 6, 2006 —

Posted By: Luckie at 4:54:10 PM ET

A C&C Challenge Press Release by Luckie

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CNC Generals World’s Chief of General Site Operations Challenges C&C Community

New viral website launch to cover CNC Generals World administrator’s car with ads and messages

MASSACHUSETTS, Aug 06, 2006 - - With the slow news in the C&C Community, CNC Generals World’s Chief of General Site Operations had lots of time to ponder the future of all things internet. Starting today, the internet will form a near direct link with his car. With the launch of http://www.writeonmycar.com he hopes to rejuvenate a bit of the Command and Conquer community as well as other users on the internet. Luckie, named Nick Allain in the non-digital world, challenges the fans of such games as Red Alert, C&C, and Generals to fill his car with their favorite phrases and messages from the respective games as well as their own personal phrases.

Luckie, as he is called online, is joyful to launch his new website. It has been in the works for over one month. When asked what kind of phrases and ads he hopes will be placed on his 1994 Chevy Cavalier, he states: “it’s open to all phrases, URL’s, and messages that are appropriate. I specifically challenge members of the C&C community as well as the users of Digg.com to fill my car with their messages.

“WriteOnMyCar.com isn’t a scam or a joke. I really drive this car every day. This is a great opportunity for sites and users to get in on something fun and get their name on something that really moves,” says Mr. Allain.

To write on Nick Allain’s car, visit http://www.writeonmycar.com. Take the C&C Challenge and put your favorite C&C phrase or URL on his car. Prices are low and start at $0.34 per character.

###

Last edited by Mike on Monday, August 14, 2006 at 3:29:59 PM.

— Sunday, August 6, 2006 —

Posted By: Luckie at 2:44:01 PM ET

Tiberium Is Very Bad For Your Health!

This week Computer and Video Games posted an article titled "Tiberium Is Very Bad For Your Health!". There's not a whole lot of new information in the article. However, there was this grizzly picture of a man infected by Tiberium:



Click here to read the article.
Last edited by MicScoTho on Monday, August 7, 2006 at 2:16:20 PM.

— Friday, August 4, 2006 —

Posted By: Blbpaws at 5:10:19 PM ET

C&C's Most Useless Units

Over at Planet CNC, HeXetic has released a video segment of the most useless C&C units. While it doesn't quite meet his past efforts, it's a nice piece. As he said:
Yes, that's right. After garnering suggestions several months ago in a forum thread, I went and put together a 19-minute video featuring some of my favourite picks from the list. All you need to do is saddle up, make sure you have the DivX codec installed, and then grab either the 90MB high-quality or 50MB low-quality version of the movie, and you're good to go!
More details and the download here.
Last edited by Mike on Monday, August 14, 2006 at 3:31:55 PM.

— Wednesday, August 2, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 6:26:03 AM ET

IGN: Tiberium as a Game Resource

IGN today released a new feature article on Tiberium Wars, in which they discuss Tiberium's use as a game resource with executive producer Mike Verdu.  Here's a quote from the article:
From a game design standpoint Tiberium is a simple and elegant resource that is easy to understand and use - but it has properties that designers can take advantage of to create fun game play with many layers of strategy. Tiberium fields are natural conflict points on the battlefield and control over the fields is an important part of game strategy. Direct use of the resource by some units allows for the introduction of new ways to play. The amount and distribution of Tiberium has a huge influence on the pace of the gameplay and the natural progression from early to middle and then late game in a multiplayer or skirmish match. The inherent properties of Tiberium prevent a runaway economy while ensuring that players never completely run out of resources - Tiberium fields will slowly regenerate over time.
The article contains some new information about GDI and NOD's technologies to keep Tiberium at bay -- it appears that GDI has developed "sonic resonator technology," which is the only thing truly effective at stopping Tiberium's spread.  This technology has not yet been adapted for infantry and vehicle use, however.  For more details, you can read the rest of the article here.

— Tuesday, August 1, 2006 —

Posted By: Mike at 7:41:10 PM ET

Wanted: Tiberium Wars Content Manager

I recently updated added two new information pages about Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars.  We now have a page that discusses Tiberium's role in the next C&C, and a page that describes each of the 3 planetary zones.  The factions and previews pages have seen minor updates as well.


With news about Tiberium Wars continuing to flow in, however, we find ourselves in need of a new Content Manager to update and manage our C&C 3 content.  This new staff member needs to have a strong interest in Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, and the time and dedication to update our content pages with the latest information.  This includes the latest details about the three factions in C&C 3, their units and structures, related gameplay, and -- of course -- all the latest screenshots and concept art.

Updating our content pages requires little to no HTML knowledge (though knowledge thereof is a plus).  The ability to write proper sentences in describing the game is, however, a necessity.

If you feel as though you're capable of keeping Generals World up to date with all of the latest Command & Conquer 3 info and news, or if you have any questions about the position, please email me!
Last edited by Mike on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at 11:41:49 PM.

— Tuesday, August 1, 2006 —

Posted By: Phe0n1x at 11:14:50 AM ET

New C&C 3 Screenshots

Four new Tiberium Wars screenshots have appeared! All of the images seem to depict the Red Zone for Tiberium contamination in hi-res images.
#1#2#3#4

(Thanks to GameSpot's C&C Section.)
Last edited by Mike on Tuesday, August 1, 2006 at 6:19:02 PM.

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