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 Welcome
to the DEN Soldier!
Lion's
Weekend Blurb
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Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. On Saturday
morning when I measured the snow outside my home in
southern Pennsylvania, we had 21" of the white fluffy
stuff, and it was still coming down. The wind is
blowing, and the road that runs past my house has 4 foot
drifts. I'm completely snowed in. I actually had to
force the front door open because the wind blew a foot
of snow against the door. I have a big one ton dually
Dodge truck with a snow plow attached to it, but it's
been covered with snow drifts, and I'll have to dig the
puppy out. Predictions are for a snow total of 30" for
my neck of da woods. It will take several days to dig
out of this mess. Anyhoot, the Groundhog was right, and
old man winter ain't done yet...Lion |
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Sunday, February 7th, 2010 |
Fragland Sam Bass Interview
Sun - Feb 7, 2010, 9:35 am [EST] posted by Lion |
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Fragland recently conducted an interview with C&C4 lead designer Sam Bass, Here's a snip from that interview.Fragland: Seeing the re-introduction of the Mammoth MK2, will the story lean closer to the darker plot of C&C2 or will it still be more like C&C3?
Sam Bass: Tiberian Twilight is the final chapter in the Tiberium saga, and following the maxim that “it is always darkest before dawn” things get pretty unpleasant for all involved as we hurtle towards the conclusion. From the get go, we wanted to move the series away from “campy” elements - which work so much better in the Red Alert universe - in favor of a “dark and gritty” narrative thrust, especially in our FMV sequences, with an emphasis on a believable world and more complex character motivation, allowing our Players to get emotionally invested in the outcome of the story.
Fragland: What are some of the new graphic improvements in this game?
Sam Bass: Perhaps the biggest graphical improvement is our new “deferred lighting engine”, which allows pretty much every element on the battlefield - from explosions to power ups to Tiberium itself - to light up the environment in real time. This really brings the battles to life as never before.
Fragland: Will the game have a random map generator or a map editor?
Sam Bass: Sorry, can’t really comment there. Head HERE for the full interview with Sam Bass. |
Contest for the Ultimate PC!
Sun - Feb 7, 2010, 9:18 am [EST] posted by Lion |
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Up for grabs is a powerhouse of a PC, plus 9 other winners can take home a copy of C&C4. Here's the scoop.Commander, do you want to play Command & Conquer 4 on the ultimate bad-ass PC gaming rig? Yes, you do!
The fine folks at Idris (AHY-DRIS) Corporation want you to as well. In partnership with their elite technical partners, Idris Corporation has built a rare limited edition run of ultimate PC rigs to maximize your gameplay experience in C&C 4. And we've got our hands on one to giveaway! The contest starts now! Head HERE to enter.
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Friday, February 5th, 2010 |
Beta Uplink Series Part 7
Fri - Feb 5, 2010, 7:47 am [EST] posted by Lion |
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Continuing on with the Beta Uplink Series for C&C4, part 7 covers map designs and strategies. Four of the many 5v5 maps that will come with the game are shown along with strategies for those maps. There's also a dev Q&A session included with part 7. Here's a snip:Question: Keeping C&C4’s new gameplay mechanics in mind, what needed to be considered when designing new maps?
Answer: With C&C4’s new gameplay mechanics, it was no longer valid to design maps for 1v1 and follow the formula of placing natural expansion point 1, contested expansion point 2, and so on. The maps had to be bigger, better, and had to allow players freedom to choose how they want to play. We had to take a fresh approach and, unlike any other C&C title we’ve done before, the maps had to be heavily scrutinized for balance since the constant push-n-pull effect of the game can be determined by the smallest difference on the maps themselves.
Question: How do pre-placed base defenses and structures add a new mechanic to the maps?
Answer: Pre-placed defenses, especially in the early part of the game, provide safety to some key locations, whether guarding specific choke points, TCN Hub, Tiberium Crystal, etc. There are also pre-placed defenses at each starting location to prevent spawn camping by the opposing team. Each cluster of defenses can also be used as a fall-back location for when your units need to retreat to a semi-protected area. For the opposing team, not only do they these become a permanent way to make progress and gain a bit of map control, but, they also provide Victory Points for the enemy upon destruction. Check out the Beta Uplink Series Part 7 HERE. |
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Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010 |
C&C Motion Comic Teaser Trailer
Wed - Feb 3, 2010, 9:39 am [EST] posted by Lion |
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View video below or on the official C&C website HERE. This is of course the 'something new for 2010' that APOC said was coming our way. The video teaser is VERY short and doesn't tell much. But I guess that's what teasers are suppose to do. Dude is riding in a car and says one sentence. The video reminds me of an old movie I just saw recently called Eddie and the Cruisers, a movie about a rock n roll group that played back in the 1960s. The interior of the car in the video even resembles the 1957 Chevy that was in the movie. The dude in the video even looks like Eddie. Hmmm, very strange indeed. Eddie crashed his 1957 Chevy into a bridge and it plunged into the water. His body was NEVER found. I may be on to something here ya know. Is Eddie still alive and working for EA after all these years?
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Monday, February 1st, 2010 |
CNCNZ Jan. 2010 Roundtable
Mon - Feb 1, 2010, 12:00 pm [EST] posted by Lion |
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CNCNZ has posted up their first roundtable discussion for the year 2010. I was invited to participate in this roundtable, but got sidetracked with life off the net. Completley slipped my mind. Anyhoot, this month's topics include C&C 4 Tiberium collection system, C&C 4 public beta, no C&C 4 collectors edition, most impressive mods, Twitter/Facebook and social networking in the community. Very good read. When ya get some time, do check out January's Roundtable Discussion right HERE.
Something to note about the discussion of the Tiberium collection system for C&C4. Of the 8 community leaders that participated in the roundtable discussion, half aren't sold on the current system, and had a few choice words to say about that.Nmenth: Having played the beta, I can say from personal experience that it is tedious, boring, and a mockery of harvesting at best. I think EA knows this all too, but realizes it is too late now to "fix" the game. They apparently didn't plan on any tiberium harvesting in the beginning, so I guess what we've got is more of an after thought when they saw the fan demand for tiberium was high (how they could have not predicted that escapes me).
Banshee: The new way to harvest tiberium is not a bad thing, but replacing the credits with a pop cap is a federal crime which seriously reduces the strategy depth of the game.
Mighty BOB!: I'm not buying it in the slightest. It feels very tacked on and saying it's what fans want (harvesting) is an insult (it's not even remotely similar to harvesting). The entire mechanic is ridiculous.
NODSOLDIERGIRL: I think the way Tiberium Harvesting now is it adds a twist to the series, but at the same time hurts it. They should not have messed with the way we harvested Tiberium, it was fine in my opinion just the way it was.
Nathancnc: I think that the new system is much better that the old point system in the previous betas of C&C4. But, I do not prefer it over traditional harvesting. I believe that they should have put in Tiberium fields, and have harvesters come back to your crawler or outpost. I don't think I will ever get used to this new system. Had I participated in January's discussion, I would have echoed some of what was said above. I really wish they hadn't messed with the old formula of harvesting. Anyhoot, too late now. What's done is done.
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New C&C4 Screenshots
Mon - Feb 1, 2010, 11:48 am [EST] posted by Lion |
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Some new C&C4 screenshot goodies for ya to drool over...example below, showing the Obelisk in action. You can head right HERE for more eYe candy.
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Saturday, January 30th, 2010 |
C&C4 Open Beta
Sat - Jan 30, 2010, 10:35 am [EST] posted by Lion |
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It's game on as C&C4 goes public with an open beta. Anyone and everyone around the world who wants to play can. The ONLY catch is you have to become a Gamespot member. But it's free, and a simple sign-up will have you on your way. Head HERE for more details.
Also want to mention that the 'gloves are off'. If you have played in the beta, the NDA is now lifted, and you are allowed to discuss the C&C4 beta on any forums. Previously those of us in the beta were restricted to the official C&C4 beta forums.
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C&C4 Updates at Official Website
Sat - Jan 30, 2010, 10:23 am [EST] posted by Lion |
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On the official C&C4 website there have been numerous updates this week. Below is a summary of what was posted.
-GDI Refractor Unit Profile: Includes pictures and an in-game video of this heavy tank armed with an Ion Beam. Check out the details HERE.
-Beta Uplionk Series Part 6: Tier 3 Units...this article covers both the GDI and Nod tier 3 units. More details and eye candy HERE.
-Nod Obelisk of Light Profile: Comes complete with in-game video and concept art. Check HERE for the goodies. |
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Monday, January 25th, 2010 |
C&C4 Developer Q&A #14
Mon - Jan 25, 2010, 12:55 pm [EST] posted by Lion |
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A new C&C4 developer question & answer session has been posted on the official C&C4 forums. Here's a snip...Can Tiberium crystals be used offensively, or strictly for upgrade points?
While the containment system used to transport processed Tiberium crystals renders them safe, channeling an electrical charge through the crystal will cause the proton lattice to collapse and the crystal to explode, resulting in a powerful ion storm. All processed crystals have been outfitted with a self destruct system derived from this, in order to prevent outside elements from hijacking crystal convoys – utilizing this system will destroy the crystal, the unit carrying it and anything in the surrounding area. The ion storm created will randomly damage units in the area, whether friendly or enemy.
Can aircraft pick up Crystals?
No, aircraft are not fitted with any mechanism to allow them to retrieve crystals.
How many crystals are required to level up to higher tech tiers?
Currently it requires 5 crystals to reach Tier 2, and an additional 7 crystals to reach Tier 3. Read the full Q&A HERE. |
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Friday, January 22nd, 2010 |
Joe Kucan Interview
Fri - Jan 22, 2010, 9:26 am [EST] posted by Lion |
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Joe Kucan...aka Nod bad boy Kane was interviewed recently by IncGamers. As always, Joe's interviews are both interesting and amusing. Here's a snip.IncGamers: So how do you feel about the game? There've been a lot of changes since the very early games, and you've been there right the whole way through, so what do you think about the way it's changed?
Joe Kucan: I think everything, in order to survive, has to adapt and evolve, and I think that it's a good idea to finally stop teasing with the storyline and to put a final end to it. I think they're very smart and understanding that the future of gaming, probably, is in internet play and online play and that this is just the first step in watching the game evolve in that direction. I think it's a pretty smart idea.
IncGamers: Are you happy with the direction that Kane's taken and the way they're finishing off Kane's story?
Joe Kucan: Well... *pauses* The problem that I had, to tell you the truth, was all the prosthetics that I had to wear for the last - I don't know know if you're familiar with the story, but it's revealed that Kane was a woman in this last game. So there were a lot of prosthetics involved, I had the wig, the hair was glued directly to my head, I had a giant bosom with a lot of cleavage, and it was just uncomfortable. A lot of uncomfortable make-up. I kinda question the direction as well - I think a lot of players are going to be surprised that he was a woman the whole time. Was it a good idea? I'm not so sure. We'll find out when fans react, as they certainly will. More of this interview HERE. |
APOC Interview
Fri - Jan 22, 2010, 9:17 am [EST] posted by Lion |
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German C&C website CNC-Welton.de conducted and interview with our community leader APOC recently. Here's a snip.Question: Do you enjoy your work? Tell us something about what you are doing at EA.
APOC: I have one of the most unique jobs in the world, without a doubt. Right now, today, what am I doing? Responding to comments on the message boards, making up for posting a mistaken tropical Polynesia C&C 4 screenshot I snapped and posted, explaining why we can't fix the outlines on our C&C 4 units (which I personally like), prepping the strategic community plan to launch for C&C 4, determining what will go on our website next week, taking 6 C&C 4 screenshots, working on the next unit profile (I make all the videos in world-builder BTW), giving 2POC some orders, haha, just had a chat with our volunteer team, sending out some over-due prizes, and gathering some historical data on BFME and C&C online user metrics.yes, all in a day's work.
Regarding the future of C&C and C&C support:
APOC: As I mentioned about JVC and the C&C Gods, right now, I can't comment deeply about the future of C&C as we are laser focused on Command & Conquer 4, but as JVC mentioned in his interview with GamaSutra recently, there absolutely is a future, and I think our development team will really be taking some time to develop that deeply, especially, and I mean this considerably, with our community and hardcore fans at the forefront.
For C&C 4 support, our dev team has improved considerably since the days of BFME 1, and for C&C 4, we will be addressing the most critical issues in as much as we humanly can, as always. I've made the mistake in the past of making unfulfilled promises (every Community Manager has his/her moments), so for this interview, I'm staying in cold water, and will just say, reinforcements will be circling the battlefield. Head HERE for the full interview. |
APOC Comments on the Future of the C&C Franchise
Fri - Jan 22, 2010, 9:07 am [EST] posted by Lion |
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On the official C&C forums, our community leader APOC posted a brief comment on the future of Command & Conquer.C&C 4 is the end of the current Tiberium storyline, but there is a future for the Command & Conquer franchise as our new RTS leader, Jon Van Caneghem has alluded to in his interview at GamaSutra not that long ago. I will say, many of the preconceived notions from that interview are very far fetched.
I can tell you with 100% certainty, involving you, the community, in the future of the C&C franchise, will be critical and important to us.
For now, our dev team is focused on completing a great game that will be C&C 4. Just IMO, I think it may surprise.
-APOC The original post is HERE. |
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