Home Features Command & Conquer Remastered – Here’s 30 new things we learnt about the upcoming rebirth of the classic strategy game

Command & Conquer Remastered – Here’s 30 new things we learnt about the upcoming rebirth of the classic strategy game

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In a Reddit Ask Me Anything session last night, Lead Producer Jim Vessella took to the virtual stage to chat all things Command & Conquer with fans, answering a ton of questions regarding everything from gameplay improvements, multiplayer concerns and if there’d be mission-exclusive Orca units with laser beams attached to their frikken’ heads when the game launches on June 5.

Here’s the massive round-up of all the questions and the answers that came from that mammoth session!

Will multiplayer factions be available for both games, to create dream match-ups such as NOD versus the Soviets or GDI versus the Allies?

You’ll actually launch the two games separately. So multiplayer will be restricted to GDI / Nod and then Allies / Soviets within each of the games.

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Will there be LAN multiplayer?

We don’t have anything to announce about LAN today. But after our Mutiplayer Reddit post in February, we definitely heard that LAN was one the most requested features from the community.

Will the German version of Command & Conquer/Red Alert be based on the censored version?

The German version will use the new remastered art assets for gameplay (so soldiers instead of robots). However, we are using the original German VO, which does still have a few references to robots and androids.

How big are the Tesla Coil, Obelisk and Mammoth Tank from the 25th Anniversary Edition?

Our estimates are around 4 inches tall for the Tesla Coil and Obelisk. We’re then estimating around 3.5 inches long for the Mammoth Tank. I can’t wait to see them!

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Will there be a console version of Command & Conquer Remastered?

Right now the Remastered Collection is only on PC. But we know C&C has a rich history on console, which is why we’ve also brought some of the legacy console content (missions and cinematics) to the PC for this release.

Will there be subtitles for the cutscenes between missions?

Yes! We’ve added cinematic subtitles for the following languages – English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Polish, and Simplified and Traditional Chinese.

Will Tiberian Dawn have difficulty levels, something that was missing from the original game?

I’m glad you asked! We’ve actually added difficulty levels to the campaign for Tiberian Dawn, along with Skirmish mode with AI difficulty levels as well. We did keep many of the AI behaviors the same, but have fixed a few AI bugs along the way.

Will the ability to switch between remastered and classic graphics be available in multiplayer?

The graphics switching took some magical code work by the Petroglyph team. It works in solo modes, so Campaign and Skirmish, but not in Multiplayer. It’s one of my favourite features in the Remastered Collection.

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If I buy on Steam, do we need Origin installed to play the game on Steam or if we only need to link/sign in with an EA account?

Right now, Steam players will need to link to an EA Account upon first bootup. However, they will not need the Origin Client installed

How extensive is the Map Editor? Can you make single player missions with it?

The Map Editor can create both single-player and multiplayer maps. We’re excited to see what the community creates!

Is Command & Conquer Remastered playable offline? How does DRM work?

Both Campaign and Skirmish modes will be playable offline (Within the 30 day offline rules for Steam and Origin). The only DRM is the standard Origin and Steam authentication. (For example, no Denuvo).

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Was Joe Kucan ever contacted for anything related to the remaster? Besides his classic role as Kane, he also directed many of the FMVs. Is he aware of the remaster, and what was his reaction to/role in them?

The teams at both EA and Petroglyph are still in close contact with Joe. We did reach out to Joe and he provided his blessing to use several behind-the-scenes photos for the Bonus Gallery. We love Joe and he has always been supportive of the franchise.

Have any bugs been fixed from the original Command & Conquer for the remaster?

The Community Council has provided the team with lists of bugs from the legacy versions, which we’ve been prioritizing over the course of the project. We’ve fixed some good ones for sure.

What has been the most difficult part of the remaster process in your view?

The terrain was perhaps the most difficult part to remaster. It took months of iteration with the dev teams and bouncing versions off the Community Council to find a style that felt positive. You’ll all be able to play with all the tiles in the Map Editor.

Can the game speed be adjusted?

Yes you can adjust the game speed for yourself in both Campaign and Skirmish, and then the Host can choose it for everyone in Multiplayer.

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Will there be anything to show which skirmish maps you have won rounds on? Like in C&C Generals where a star indicated what difficulty you won it on?

We do show which Campaign missions you’ve completed and at what difficulty, but we don’t currently do it for Skirmish maps. That’s a great suggestion though!

Are there any units that have gotten a rework to make them more viable?

Our goal has been to maintain the authentic gameplay of the classic games, so we’ve kept the functionality of all the units the same.

Will there be closed/public beta test?

We are not planning on a closed or public beta test. But we are getting a ton of valuable feedback from the Community Council and feedback on Reddit right now.

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Have the campaign missions stayed the same gameplay-wise? Other than the graphical and QoL improvements from the remaster, of course.

Yes the campaign missions are effectively the same gameplay-wise. We have added campaign difficutly levels for Tiberian Dawn, and we hope everyone enjoys the graphical and QoL improvements.

How much of the AI was modernized in the game? Will harvesters still take agonisingly long routes following cliff faces or will they take smarter more direct routes?

I have to be honest, I think AI is going to be our white-whale for this project. We were able to bring Skirmish AI to Tiberian Dawn, but we found it challenging to improve certain AI mechanics. We instead decided to focus on other community requested features.

What unit was the most fun to recreate or redraw? Which was most challenging?

For me, I loved rebuilding the Nod Flame Tank. We were able to bring in a few elements from the cinematics which was super fun. One of the most challenging was the Orca, as the angles in game made it tough to match the legacy style.

Will Hell March to the Apocalypse by Tony Dickenson, Frank Klepacki and the Tiberian Sons be in the RA remaster?

We focused on the setlist performed at MAGFest, along with the community requested Just Do It Up. Hell March to the Apocalypse is not currently included, but we are also big fans of the track.

Will there be any new tracks to the remasters other than the covered tracks by The Tiberian Sons?

Yes! Frank has actually discovered several unreleased tracks from the original games which can be unlocked via the Bonus Gallery. We hope you enjoy them!

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With an ELO system in place, are there plans to make the C&C Remastered collection competitive? For example, EA-held tournaments? Or perhaps incentives for TOs to host tournaments?

We’re super excited to see what type of tournaments the community is able to host, and hoping some of the new QoL features help with this. We’ll start engaging with the community more on this front closer to launch.

In multiplayer can you form alliances with players while in game like RA2? (handy for people DC or leave). Does it support different match types 2v2 3v3 4v4 FFA etc.

Great question! In the new Custom Game Lobby, you can set teams ahead of time and have any combination you’d like. So 2v2, 3v2v3, 1v7, take your pick! (Up to four players for Tib Dawn, and eight players for RA)

Will the games have mod support?

We were excited to reveal the Map Editor yesterday, but we don’t have anything to announce about mods today. In speaking to the community, we know mods is one of the most important and requested items.

In terms of the animations, while the framerate was dramatically improved, why weren’t the animations and movement of units smoothed out more? They still operate like the original assets, just running at a higher framerate. Fidelity is important, but it could have looked better.

There were several creative factors here, but a key driver was keeping the animations frame-to-frame to properly enable the real-time switching of graphics. We have been able to increase the frames on a few cosmetic VFX based on community feedback from the fall.

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Will there be an online ladder system or just general online play?

We were able to add 1v1 Quickmatch for both games. This is based on Elo matchmaking system, and will also include an in-game 1v1 leaderboard. See you on the battlefield!

Will the unit balance in remaster remain same as in original games, and what about maximum map size in Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert?

We’ve decided to keep the balance and map sizes the same as the legacy titles. The Tib Dawn maps support four players, while certain Red Alert maps support up to eight players.

Do you have some of the lesser known units available, maybe just for single-player maps. Such as the apache, Nod SSM launcher and Orcas with frikken laser beams?

All of the playable unit content from the original games should have received their remastered treatment. I believe the Lazer Orcas you’re referring to were used in a unique console mission, which we have brought over the to the PC for the Remastered Collection.

Last Updated: March 12, 2020

5 Comments

  1. Will wait for the reviews to make sure it’s the remastered version and not a reforged one.

    Reply

  2. D@rCF0g

    March 12, 2020 at 11:39

    Looking at the screenshots, you tend to realise how primitive graphics were at the time. Here’s hoping the gameplay is still as addictive, and it’s not nostalgia that is making me excited for the game!

    Reply

  3. For the Emperor!

    March 12, 2020 at 12:38

    Hmmmmmmm….

    Reply

  4. Arturo Alán Baldenegro

    March 12, 2020 at 22:12

    i am just a bit disappointed about the answers on AI and Balance, they should definitely re-think that!

    Reply

    • tcchip

      May 19, 2020 at 16:45

      Me too actually. Tiberian Dawn had its fair share of balance issues which Red Alert managed to fix, and I was hoping they’d bring those changes back to Dawn. Things like the terribly slow speed of Nod artillery, the Nod light tank being worse than the GDI one in every way except price, or the very weak firepower of the minigunner, Humvee and Nod buggy. These were all balanced out in Red Alert and I’m disappointed Petroglyph isn’t offering a classic mode for purists, and a newly balanced mode.

      Reply

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