Supreme Commander preview

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2005-07-09 06:02pm

Shinova wrote:Previous RTSs have lots of focus on build orders and building placement. After a while, it gets tiring trying to get a certain set of build orders down to the second, especially in DoW. I'm hoping SupCom makes it so that build order becomes part of a strategy rather than an always necessary set of steps.

From what I understand you can 'buy' a unit whose function is organising your base, it'll repair stuff, build defenses etc.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2005-07-09 06:20pm

They mentioned it; a "base commander" unit. It'll use available construction units and build whatever building queues you have and repair any damage within its area of control.

What I meant was when you start out any game. DoW demanded that you have an almost uniform step-by-step building order early on, otherwise you got stomped within minutes.

I hope SupCom goes away from this. The map scale would certainly help.

InnocentBystander · Post by **InnocentBystander** » 2005-07-09 06:42pm

Well in theory rushs won't be as much of a problem, considering the map size random positions will mean we don't have to deal with the whole fixed base locations. Scouting part of the game? Woot!

BlkbrryTheGreat · Post by **BlkbrryTheGreat** » 2005-07-10 03:49am

Wow- the effect of those nukes seems quite impressive in that screenshot; even more so when you consider that in another screen shot a sub is shown launching multiple nukes.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2005-07-10 04:09am

The game is all about scale. tanks in their hundred clashing together, and you units firing across miles of land and see.

It also has a heap of excellent special units, and submersible aircraft carrier, underwater bases - everything. Looks like a lot of fun, but my computer won't run. I must have a new computer for next year.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2005-07-10 04:09am

If the SupCom commander's stronger this time around, it'll probably help prevent Dawn of Crack style rushfests.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2005-07-10 04:11am

Do they have the commander right off the bat though?

bilateralrope · Post by **bilateralrope** » 2005-07-10 04:24am

InnocentBystander wrote:Well in theory rushs won't be as much of a problem, considering the map size random positions will mean we don't have to deal with the whole fixed base locations. Scouting part of the game? Woot!

However if someone decided to just churn out the cheapest unit and swarm it at you, it sounds like they could really swarm them

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2005-07-10 04:26am

Ford Prefect wrote:Do they have the commander right off the bat though?

The Supreme Commander lands on a planet via a Quantum Tunnelling gate and biulds a big ass army to take over the planet.

So how is the player assulting the planet supposed todo that without a Supreme Commander?

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2005-07-10 04:28am

Nevermind then.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2005-07-10 04:31am

The commander is your starting unit (and supposed to represent you, in a way). So yes, you have him right off the bat.

The SupCom commander probably won't have a D-Gun; if he does, it'll probably be something different and named differently, to avoid any legal problems. And it'd be nice if all the different races' commanders had different unique traits that set each other apart.

Anyway, SupCom commanders will probably be harder to kill since he's got aircraft hangars with aircraft that act like his personal bodyguards, and short-range tacnukes to wipe out enemies that rush at him. Dunno what he'll do in close-range, though.

Ford Prefect · Post by **Ford Prefect** » 2005-07-10 04:40am

Oh good, it will be even more like Total, which is always good. But I hope he has the D-gun. That thing was so cool.

Arrow · Post by **Arrow** » 2005-07-10 08:12am

Ford Prefect wrote:Oh good, it will be even more like Total, which is always good. But I hope he has the D-gun. That thing was so cool.

Actually, the Gamespy interview with Taylor suggests that the SC gets tatical nukes.

Miles Teg · Post by **Miles Teg** » 2005-07-10 11:42am

So, reading this makes me seriously giddy. Anyone else giddy?

Oh, and this was really awesome: "Taylor: In addition to all of the standard multiplayer modes that are available in most RTS games today, we are introducing a new cooperative-style mode which allows at least two players to play through the single-player campaign as a team."

Co-op multi play.. sweet! Seems like a really awesome addition since the game will be so epic in scale (translated:possibly to much to handle for one person).

Miles Teg

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2005-07-10 02:47pm

well, the supreme commander's supposed to be big right? Well at short range, he should go on a stomp-fest, like that spider thingy. + aircraft and nukes, that the SupCom should be well-protected, but not good for rushes.

Vanas · Post by **Vanas** » 2005-07-10 03:24pm

Yeah, give the Supreme Commander melée attacks. Flinging tanks across the map like a giant mechanical, humanoid, non-gorilla robot.
But, looks like he's got gund for hand, so even a upraded EMG would do for me.

IRG CommandoJoe · Post by **IRG CommandoJoe** » 2005-07-10 11:24pm

Just think of the freaking size of the Supreme Commander if it has room for an aircraft hanger and tactical nuke silos. It must be a massive unit at least as large as the behemoth six-legged walker.

Hawkwings · Post by **Hawkwings** » 2005-07-10 11:34pm

well, for the nukes, maybe he just has them in a litle pouch or something. To fire them, the takes one out, arms it, and throws it at the enemy?

Nephtys · Post by **Nephtys** » 2005-07-11 02:09am

Hawkwings wrote:well, for the nukes, maybe he just has them in a litle pouch or something. To fire them, the takes one out, arms it, and throws it at the enemy?

Giant nuclear grenades. Hilarious.

At least he won't have to rely on the green spraypaint for defense.. right?

I always used to fly in my commander to enemy bases and start spraypainting their stuff... tres fun.

Shinova · Post by **Shinova** » 2005-07-28 01:50am

From the GPG forum:

Yes, the terrain is rendered completely in 3D. It's a very challenging problem to create sufficiently detailed terrain that also allows you to zoom all the way out on extremely large terrains. The terrain is dynamically tessellated as you move the camera around and all of the lighting and shadows are fully dynamic. Both the terrain and the units have normal maps to allow a large amount of detail.

And yes we do use LUA to script the units and the missions.

I’ll try to pop in here every once in a while to answer technical questions, but I’m not going to promise anything.

Jon Mavor
SupCom Lead Engineer

From one of the men themselves. I guess that solves the question of whether the terrain is 3D or not.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2005-07-28 02:07am

Kickass, but I wonder what system reqs it'll have? Cramming that much stuff onto a single screen can't be good for performance.

Alyeska · Post by **Alyeska** » 2005-07-28 02:26am

Taylor: The Supreme Commander is indeed a super unit. I don't want to give away too much here, but who said, "Short-range tactical nukes and a Supreme Commander don't mix?"

Supreme Commander is about true strategic scale, but also about being fun.

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