Command & Conquer.... FREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

[Bells]

http://www.commandandconquer.com/classic

Tiberiun Sun + Expansion = Free

Tiberiun Dawn = Free

Red Alert 1 = Free

What the hell are you still doing here? Think this is going to last for long?

GO GO GO GO GO GO!!

Also these games, if i'm not mistaken, have some very nice Online gameplay possibilities... we should look into it.

[Kerensky287]

This is pretty awesome for everybody who doesn't have First Decade already.

So I guess when I bought it for 10 bucks, I was really just getting Renegade, RA2 and Generals. DISAPPOINTING!

But hey, speaking of free CnC stuff, if you've got Red Alert 3 you should also check out the Achilles Minimod (http://www.moddb.com/mods/red-alert-3-paradox/downloads/achilles-minimod-v22).

So hey, online gameplay possibilities... if anybody is up for a round of any CnC game (even CnC4!) I'm down. Hell, we should create like, a tournament league or something! Assuming there's enough interest.

[Bells]

I don't recall properly, and i might be mixing it with Civilization... but can't you play C&C with up to 8 people?

Because 4 X 4 3X3 or 2x2x2x2 Mini-tournament would be awesome for the weekends

[P-Sleazy]

it is indeed 8 player multiplayer capable (atleast Tib sun is). And let me say, it is MUCH better than the 8 player AI controled multiplayer which has a habbit of turning on the human controlled player once any one single AI is defeated (which encourages the player to unofficially protect the AI until the player can systematically eliminate all the AIs at once).

Also, fun note: Tiberian Sun is the only game I've every gotten 3 copies of. 1: the original when it came out. 2: the polish version complete with Firestorm (which ironically works with my originals). 3: First Decade. This would be the 4th time I get this game if I didn't just install it from my Decade CD.

[Bells]

Predictable, but the downloads are super slow. I'll get them all, but if there is interest in putting up something for fun that would be great

[Geminex]

I've used up all my bandwidth for this month already. Goddammit nostalgia critic. Goddammit.

[Bob The Mercenary]

I'm up for some tourney fun once I get these things downloaded. But, usually when I play against human players I end up sucking hard. The only RTS I've ever been kinda good at was Rise of Nations. Other than that, I always get demolished at Starcraft and any of the C&C games.

[Ecks]

Red Alert 1 = Free

OH MY FUCKING GOD, BELLS, YOU ARE INSTANTLY MY FAVORITE PERSON FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

+ELEVENTY BAJILLION REP POINTS FOR YOU!

[Loyal]

Oh god yes. I bought The First Decade a couple of years ago, but back then my computer didn't have a DVD rom drive... when I got a computer that DID have it, tragically I had lost the booklet with CD key and I've never been able to find it to this day. matter of fact I was looking again just last night

You have made me an unquestionably happy man today, Bells.

[CABAL49]

Red Alert 1 was really hard against computers, considering they just all ganged up and attacked you. I think there was only one or two maps where I could ever beat 7v1. C&C3 was a major disappointment after Tiberian Sun. C&C 3 just felt like it was a step back.

[Token]

downloading these now. I don't even know if my laptop can run them, but hey. Free games.

[Loyal]

I suppose while we're here we could discuss CnC4?

I can't believe they're bringing back the walkers. It's awesome yet simultaneously frustrating.

[Kerensky287]

I will preface my submission to the CnC4 discussion the way I always preface any CnC4 discussion: the game is essentially TF2: the RTS. Which in my opinion is an awesome thing.

For those who don't know it's in open beta right now, but it's got some crazy desync issues occasionally that should hopefully be fixed up sooner or later. I tried to play a bunch of games with 01d55 tonight and got dropped from all of them within a minute of startup. This is an issue that I'm hoping is gone from the full game.

I really like the class system they've got going. I usually play support because if I go along with another player (offense or defense generally) I feel like I'm helping to shift the tide of battle just by being there. I kind of like defense as well though, mostly because the game revolves around control points. Capturing and holding them is very important.

I'm on the fence about the progression system. What they have now (already working in the beta) is a system where you unlock extra units by gaining experience. At first, you have access to around 4 or 5 units and 1 upgrade... but if you play in games with multiple people, you can still help your teammates a lot by building counters to enemy units. It feels a lot like the TF2 class updates, except you get new stuff by playing more often instead of by waiting around for a new update. I like the way it introduces you to your units gradually, rather than overwhelming you by sending them all at you at once, but at the same time it just feels odd playing GDI Offense without a Mammoth Tank of any kind until something like level 16.

I'll be buying it when it's released, and I'll probably join some kind of clan so I can have a reliable set of players to go through games with. This is the kind of game that really relies on everybody doing their part, and I just KNOW that there will be players who use stupid tactics, exploits and micspam. A team that communicates well will dominate, but this is something you probably won't get from random team members.

@Loyal: What's wrong with walkers? They defined the GDI art style pretty strongly, and the vastly different shapes made it easy to tell units apart on the battlefield.

[EVILNess]

I dunno, I'm kinda upset they are abandoning the resource gathering in favor of control points. It's not that I dislike the control points thing, its just that I don't think it will suit CnC. I mean the whole plot of the the Tiberium Wars games is based on a resource, so I find it odd that you just don't gather any.

[Kerensky287]

Tiberium's still there. If anything, it's more important than it was before. It's almost a capture-the-flag element where if you get the flag, your team gets points for research. Without tiberium, you can't go up tiers, you can't gain new upgrades, and you can't improve your units.

A lot of the reason why I'm excited about CnC4 though is that I'm just a sucker for anything that will improve - or at least innovate - the RTS formula that has stood basically unchanged since Dune 2. It's odd... people are bored, and yet at the same time they hate change. So some people (me) dislike CnC3 for being too similar to the previous games, and some people dislike CnC4 for being too different. I'm looking forward to the mobile bases and the objective points as a change from the whole "Build up your base and waste theirs" tactics of yore.

[Loyal]

@Loyal: What's wrong with walkers? They defined the GDI art style pretty strongly, and the vastly different shapes made it easy to tell units apart on the battlefield.Because bipedal (or quad, or however many) military machines, while awesome to behold... don't work. Putting the warmachine on legs instead of on wheels or tracks makes it ridiculously vulnerable where it matters most - its mobility. Just look at the AT mechs in Star Wars.

It's a minor gripe considering it won't matter in the game itself, but I'd still like to believe the GDI had more sense than that.

Either way, the only reason, and I mean the only reason, I'm not getting this game immediately is because my computer can't come close to handling it. :(

[01d55]

I will preface my submission to the CnC4 discussion the way I always preface any CnC4 discussion: the game is essentially TF2: the RTS. Which in my opinion is an awesome thing.

If TF2 was a game where new players had to unlock their primary weapons (i.e. no scattergun/minigun/ etc. until you unlocked one) then yeah, that metaphor would be apt.

Tiberium's still there. If anything, it's more important than it was before. It's almost a capture-the-flag element where if you get the flag, your team gets points for research. Without tiberium, you can't go up tiers, you can't gain new upgrades, and you can't improve your units.

Another thing you need to go up tiers, gain new upgrades, and improve your units: levels. At level 1 you have exactly 1 upgrade which costs 1 upgrade point. After that all further upgrade points your team gains are useless to you.

I'm on the fence about the progression system. What they have now (already working in the beta) is a system where you unlock extra units by gaining experience. At first, you have access to around 4 or 5 units and 1 upgrade... but if you play in games with multiple people, you can still help your teammates a lot by building counters to enemy units. It feels a lot like the TF2 class updates, except you get new stuff by playing more often instead of by waiting around for a new update. I like the way it introduces you to your units gradually, rather than overwhelming you by sending them all at you at once, but at the same time it just feels odd playing GDI Offense without a Mammoth Tank of any kind until something like level 16.

It feels terrible playing a defense class without any way to defend other than stuffing your entire pop cap into bunkers, and then staring at your totally unused power cap & upgrade points, and then watching a high level defense class walk around with a huge-ass shield built into their teir 3 crawler, dropping long-range super towers, artillery units, and shield generators next to key control points. A level one support class has one power: a recon power. I played GDI support once and I had like 73 power points that I had no use for because all I could do was make a recon drone and I'd already made a bunch of recon drones!

I appreciate that CnC4 brings a lot of new ideas to the table and probably most of them are worthwhile, but this leveling system is a week-long purgatory that a new player is required to endure before they are permitted to play the actual game.

[Kerensky287]

If TF2 was a game where new players had to unlock their primary weapons (i.e. no scattergun/minigun/ etc. until you unlocked one) then yeah, that metaphor would be apt.

I'll concede the point, but it's much better to have a Level 1 player on your team in 5v5 than have 5v4 and be outnumbered. MUCH better.

It feels terrible playing a defense class without any way to defend other than stuffing your entire pop cap into bunkers, and then staring at your totally unused power cap & upgrade points, and then watching a high level defense class walk around with a huge-ass shield built into their teir 3 crawler, dropping long-range super towers, artillery units, and shield generators next to key control points. A level one support class has one power: a recon power. I played GDI support once and I had like 73 power points that I had no use for because all I could do was make a recon drone and I'd already made a bunch of recon drones!

Recon drones increase the damage of allied units in the area btw. It's good to send them into every single conflict if you can. But I agree that defense class kinda sucks until you can get some towers.

I appreciate that CnC4 brings a lot of new ideas to the table and probably most of them are worthwhile, but this leveling system is a week-long purgatory that a new player is required to endure before they are permitted to play the actual game.

The full game will include a campaign (co-op, I think) and skirmish modes where you also gain experience to contribute to your online level. It's a persistent profile, and I'm pretty sure the idea is that once you've beaten the campaign you'll have enough units available to you that you can be competent online.

[synkr0nized]

Sheesh. Can I get my money back for First Decade?


Red Alert still owns.

[Loyal]

Playing through Tiberian Dawn, I don't remember having this much trouble with those Grenadiers. My god.

Also, fuck the 'extra' missions. The first commando mission in the main game was painful enough, but I swear at least 80% of the extras involve him in some way and I am goddamn tired of it.

[Kerensky287]

Playing through Tiberian Dawn, I don't remember having this much trouble with those Grenadiers. My god.

Oh man Grenadiers are SO FUCKING BROKEN. They should be like, a museum piece. From before the invention of "balance".

I mean, it's fine that they show up again in CnC3 because they're vulnerable to air units and easy enough to run over. But TibDawn doesn't really USE air units, and in the NOD campaign it seems like half the time you don't even have a base.

[EVILNess]

Too bad there aren't any internet servers for any of these games, cause I'd totally throw down with some of you in a game.

[Kerensky287]

There's always Hamachi.

Or the newer games, which are still fun even though people hate them.

(Is my fanboyishness obvious enough?)

[EVILNess]

Or the newer games, which are still fun even though people hate them.

I loved Red Alert 3, and CnC 3 was passable. Generals was a decent RTS, if you don't lump it into the same category as the rest of the games.

Also, I have no clue hoe Hamachiworks.

[Kerensky287]

I love RA3, but I might defend it a little overzealously sometimes having spent over a year of my life working on a mod for it with still no end in sight.

Hamachi is a program that creates a little online room where anyone who joins counts as being connected over LAN, regardless of their actual location. It basically means you can go online with friends without actually going online.

[synkr0nized]

Hamachi 2 sucks, though. Hamachi 1, before these new people bought it, was so much smoother.

[Toastburner B]

Man...I just got Red Alert working...dude, the memories.

The memories.

Me and my friends spent an entire summer vacation in one of their basements, with 2 Playstations set-up, and played RA against each for hours on end. I forgot how much nostalgia that I have attached to that game.

Tiberium Dawn...meh. Not so much.

But Red Alert...man...I have got to play this again.

[Corel]

Thanks a bunch for linking this, I too booted up Red Alert to give it a play. I'm suprised how well it's aged.

But yes, I too would also be up to playing this on the Internet (Red Alert, that is).

[synkr0nized]

ha ha ha oh my God
There was some kind of mod a friend and I had for Red Alert that made hover cruisers with tesla coils, hover artillery, and all kinds of ridiculousness like that. The sad part is that it was so ridiculous for each faction that it somehow was still kind of balanced.

HOVER CRUISERS
what the shit



Also I like that you can still edit the ini to make things different if you want for each faction or everyone. I hate the resource gathering speed in RA sometimes and usually up that.

[01d55]

So the day after I hit level 20 NOD, and am ready to test what I cannot help but think of as the actual game, this happens (http://us.battle.net/sc2beta/en-us/).

[Toastburner B]

ha ha ha oh my God
There was some kind of mod a friend and I had for Red Alert that made hover cruisers with tesla coils, hover artillery, and all kinds of ridiculousness like that. The sad part is that it was so ridiculous for each faction that it somehow was still kind of balanced.

I cannot think of any way how anything that involves mobile telsa coils in RA1 can be anything even remotely considered "balanced". Those things are death to anything less than 3/4 of the screen away.

[Loyal]

Tesla Coils are easily enough overrun by superior numbers. I think you might be able to down one with 20 infantrymen or so (if it weren't for flame towers), but I may be thinking of the Tiberium series' Obelisks (same principle).

IIRC, it takes a coil 2 seconds to charge up enough power for a single shot, and they can store up to 8 seconds of charge at a time. Once those four shots are exhausted it's a bit of a sitting duck.

I'm just going to assume Synk's mod also had infantry that could shoot the length of an Artillery.