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> C&C 4: Q & A
2kool4u526
post Sep 19 2009, 01:21 AM
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This was on the portal.commandandconquer.com its a C&C 4 Q&A.
It's like, you type a question onto a forum, then every friday the developers will chose a couple questions and they will answer them. Here are the questions:

QUOTE
When can you choose your class during a match?

Classes are chosen any time you deploy your crawler. When a match begins you'll find yourself placed over your team's deploy zone with nothing on the field. At this point you choose from any of the three classes on your faction, and then select a place to deploy anywhere in that deploy zone. If you want to change your class mid-match, you have two options. Sending your crawler to be killed by the enemy will present you with an opportunity to redeploy. If you want to change your class without tossing a bunch of experience at your opponent you can self-destruct your current crawler, which will allow you to redeploy as any class back in your deploy zone. Self-destruct takes a few seconds, so your enemy might still have a chance to kill your crawler for experience while it goes through the self-destruct sequence. The goal is to make switching classes very fluid, so that you can adapt to an ever-changing battlefield with limited downtime. Some upgrades, like tech levels, even persist across classes!


Can the support Crawler create any land units?

Yes, support has ground vehicles, including tanks. Their tanks tend to have special abilities which improve the quality of nearby allies. They can, of course, hold their own as well, but are that much more effective when supporting an ally.


Does the population cap change depending on how many players are in a match?

Depending on the mode, yes. There are several ways to play C&C4 which allow you to play with a large numbers of units, such as Custom Match and Campaign. Currently, in a 1v1 match, a player has access to 250 command points, which is equivalent to around 50 tanks, or 80+ light units, and 50 structures. As you can imagine, holding a battlefield with a force that large will test even the best micromanagers' abilities.


Do falling aircraft do damage to ground units?

Some do, yes. We're currently tweaking which aircraft apply crashing damage based on balance and what feels fun.


Are Crawlers and defense structures placed on a grid or free form location?

They're placed on a grid, similar to the grid we used in Red Alert 3. This has proven to make structure placement much easier and more satisfying. Compared to the RA3 grid, the grid sizes are 50% smaller, giving you much more freedom in placement. Revamping this system has also allowed us to fix some unit pathfinding problems, and who doesn't love that? You should find that units can much more easily and accurately see and shoot around structures in C&C4.


Are there any mechanisms to stop spawn camping?

Quite a few. My favorite is the ability to deploy on top of anyone in your deploy zone. Your crawler will land right on top of them as GDI, or burrow up from beneath them as Nod, totally destroying anything in the vicinity. Your deploy zone is also outfitted with defenses for those pesky folks who want to sit just out of range. There are a few other mechanics which also play into this, but they're still under wraps for the moment.

Discuss the Q&A here, and check back next Friday for more!

-2POC
This message was edited 11 times. Last update was at 9/19/09 12:33:28 AM

THE ABOVE QUOTE WAS POSTED ON 9/18/09

Today (9/25/09) they answered a few more questions in regards to the new TibTwi

QUOTE
Commanders…intelligence database updated…

Developer Q&A’s have returned with exclusive C&C4 information you won’t find anywhere else! Check back here every FRIDAY if you’d like to learn more about gameplay, units, structures, maps, fiction, UI, multiplayer, and every other aspect of the game! Each week we will be ready to face the firing squad, so stay tuned for more exclusive game info!

Have a question you’d like answered here? Then post in our Ask A Developer Thread!
http://forums.commandandconquer.com/jforum...list/21321.page


Lead Designer Jason Bender is at it again as he answers more community questions. Check out new C&C4 details below, and be sure to come back next week for more!

Will infantry be single units or squads?

Infantry appear as single entities in C&C4. This helps improve gameplay by way of better performance on low-end machines, better unit readability and easier unit control. We’ve moved all GDI infantry into hefty power armor, while Nod is making heavy use of cybernetic technology. Even the engineer has better equipment. (I like to imagine he’s still wearing that yellow hardhat under his power armor.)

Is there a cap to how many turrets the defense player can use?

Defense players have a power limit in the same way that units have a Command Point limit. This means they can build a dozen or so structures at one time. The defense class certainly brings the most raw strength to the field, as their structures are very potent and they also have a good number of units to control. Their structures can’t chase you across the map, though, so it’s all about placement.


Does power play a role as a resource for any of the factions?

Both Nod and GDI use power on the Defense class. Each structure costs a set amount of power, with better structures costing more power.


How customizable is a player’s Crawler?

Crawlers are quite customizable. They have a set amount of cargo capacity, which improves over time. You can load up units, structures, upgrades, powers and crawler enhancements as you advance through the game. You will collect more goodies than you can fit in your crawler, so it is up to you to decide what you will take into each match. The best bet is to outfit each class for a certain strategy, then change classes mid-match to out-maneuver your enemy.


What kind of neutral tech structures will be in the game?

We have a variety of tech structures, such as long range cannons, structures for infantry to garrison, and many others still in production that we are not yet ready to reveal. One of my favorites grants your team a forward deploy zone, which can be strategically crucial.


Are there any map specific elements that promote the usage of certain units?

Each unit has its pros and cons in relation to map features. Several GDI units can jump up and down cliffs, while some Nod units can burrow, providing stealth and the ability to ignore cliffs. Speed is a big factor, too. With maps big enough to hold 10 players you can imagine that it takes an attack bike or an aircraft to get across the map quickly. If your friend needs help now, a Mammoth Tank might be too slow to get there. Both unit choice and teamwork are fundamental to victory in C&C4.

Discuss the Q&A here, and check back next Friday for more!


This was posted a few weeks ago.

QUOTE
Can defense structures level up, or be upgraded in any way?

Defenses can level up in several different ways. All defenses with weaponry gain veterancy levels as they destroy units over time, improving the resilience of the structure. In addition, all tier 1 and 2 defenses can be upgraded individually. For tier 1 structures, this reinforces their armor, causing any unit that doesn’t do anti-structure damage to do significantly less damage to them in the late-game. For tier 2 structures, new abilities and powers are unlocked on the structure via upgrading, e.g. a long-range rocket barrage or close-range flamethrowers. Some structures have additional global upgrades that can be purchased on the crawler as well, such as advanced shielding technology, which increases shield health and regeneration.

Are there any structures that can be built besides defense turrets?

Yes! In addition to turrets, the defense player can build an array of supportive structures, including tunnel networks, stealth generators, shield generators, outposts, bunkers, and superweapons. In addition, many of the defensive structures are more than just simple turrets, and the way that you build your defensive grid will have a significant impact on the battles. The GDI rocket turrets, for example, use a system similar to the Patriot Missile System from Generals, allowing them to fire on enemies that a nearby turret can see, making proper creation of your rocket grid a very important gameplay element.


CommandCOM guests stated that flame tanks can create a firestorm. How is this done?

All flame weapons in the game (and there are a lot of them) leave behind a flaming patch of ground when they fire on a unit or area. The flames in that area continue to do damage to any unit sitting in the flame over time, and an enemy unit that passes through the area will catch on fire, taking additional damage over time, even after they leave. If a set number of these fiery patches of ground overlap, all of them instantly ignite into a bright blue firestorm, consuming the damage over time and hitting anything caught in the firestorm for a significant amount of damage. In other words, don’t stand in the flames =)


Can subterranean and stealth units be detected when they are cloaked or underground?

Indeed they can, though we’ve made several advancements to the system. First, far fewer units will have stealth detection, making stealth and burrowing a much more important, even necessary, element in Nod’s arsenal. Second, even when a unit is detected, it retains a buff. Detected burrowed units, for example, have extra armor, while detected stealth units retain a level of “concealment,” causing enemy fire to periodically miss the target.


Will any units have secondary or tertiary abilities?

Yes! Many of the higher-tier units have both secondary and tertiary abilities, some of which can be upgraded.


This was posted 3 weeks ago

QUOTE
Can infantry units be crushed in C&C4?

In the future of war, both GDI and Nod have adopted more stringent requirements for infantry deployment, with casualty minimization being top priority amongst all of the involved nations. GDI has invested significant resources into a series of heavy infantry armorsets based on the original Zone Trooper designs used in the Third Tiberium War. Meanwhile, Kane has continued to evolve the cybernetic research first bestowed upon the chosen Marked of Kane. These powerful forces are physically more fragile than their vehicular counterparts, though no less dangerous to collide with. With Tiberium-Core powered armor and larger physical size and heft, a head-on collision with any of these infantry forces would be just as dangerous to the driver as to the infantry itself.

Will the Commando return in C&C4?

Both GDI and Nod Offense players will have access to a unique Commando unit. Infantry assigned to the GDI Commando section are the most elite of the GDI combat infantry divisions, capable of dual-wielding weaponry with astounding accuracy, and trained to pilot any GDI ground vehicle with expert precision. In parallel, years of advanced cybernetics research has produced the powerful Nod Cybernetic Commando, a hulking, laser-armed monstrosity that will continue to do battle even after loss of life and limb.

How can units be repaired?

The Tacitus opened a gateway to the world of Scrin technology, which has been utilized significantly in the years following the Third War. Both sides make liberal use of nanotech repair mechanisms, allowing engineers, repair craft, mobile repair stations, and even the Crawler itself to repair friendly units.


Is there directional armor in the game?

Given the 5v5 nature of the gameplay of C&C4, we found during testing that battles in any one given area could get very large and complex. With unit abilities and powers going off fairly regularly, and solidly affecting gameplay when they did, we found that some more nuanced elements, such as directional armor, became very difficult to distinguish for the player. This becomes even more difficult with omnidirectional and very long-range units, of which we have several. Ultimately, we decided to remove this gameplay element in favor of more significant focus on the more visual elements of gameplay, such as ability casting and overall unit positioning. This does not mean that directional gameplay is completely out, though! For example, the Nod Centurion, when stationary, has a shield that reflects attacks from the front only, and can be flanked for maximum damage. This kind of inherent special ability is highly visual and we have found that it works well in 5v5 combat.


Is there any method to free up CP if you are at your population cap?

Oh my yes. In fact, we have just implemented two complimentary systems that involve this feature. At any time, units can be "dismantled," immediately freeing up the command points for the unit and allowing you to quickly change tactics. When a unit is marked for dismantle, the unit is disabled for some amount of time and at the end of the time is removed from gameplay. Note that the unit can still be attacked by enemies during this disable time, and destroying enemy forces gains points for your team. It is thus pivotal to disable your units when they are not in immediate danger, and retreat damaged units to disable them, effectively denying the enemy the points that would have been gained from killing the units.


This was posted 2 weeks ago

QUOTE
How does veterancy work, and what advantages does a unit or defense structure gain from it?

In CnC4, veterancy is gained both from picking up green tiberium cores that are created when units die or are dismantled, or by killing enemy units and structures. In both cases, the unit gains damage reduction for every point of veterancy. A high-veterancy unit can withstand quite a bit of punishment! We have moved weapon damage bonuses off of veterancy and onto blue tiberium cores (a mechanic unique to the Offense class), structure upgrades, and global upgrades, to provide for a wider variety of potential upgrade mechanics and unit customization. Veterancy is still being tuned through balance play-tests.


Are all types of rockets and projectiles 100% accurate, or is there a chance of a missed shot?

It depends on the unit and weapon type. For the most part, cannon weapons have a chance to miss when the tank is moving, while rockets have a chance to miss against moving targets. This makes for a very different micromanagement priority system when using one type of unit versus another. Upgrades can be purchased to mitigate the chance to miss, and some units, like the GDI Commando, are so elite that they never miss their targets.


How do the Mastodon and Mammoth tank differ in terms of roles on the battlefield?

The Mastodon is a slow-building, high CP, long-range artillery unit (especially good against structures) that can be upgraded to do AOE damage around itself. It is susceptible to fast-moving units, and especially those armed with laser weaponry. The Mammoth is slightly faster and does additional damage to medium-sized targets, such as your average tank, and also has a special weapon known as the “taunt laser.” Any unit that the Mammoth is firing on is forced to fire on the Mammoth, and with an upgrade that gives the Mammoth reflective armor, this can be deadly for enemy forces.


Do air units need to reload like Orcas did in C&C3?

There are several different reload mechanics in CnC4. Some units fire in a burst and then reload single shells or missiles over time, allowing a player to get in, fire off a burst, and get out to fully restock. Many machinegun-using units have a “fast reload” ability, that reloads their gun clip at an accelerated pace, exceptionally effective when used near the end of the clip. The fastest units in the game are the speedy Vertigo and Firehawk bombers, which have a very long reload time but reload more quickly in the presence of the Crawler. These fixed-wing aircraft will always return to the crawler after dropping their payload, but do not have to dock to re-arm.


Is reverse move still in the game? What advantages does reverse moving have?

Indeed it is! Reverse-move no longer slows down most units, with the exception of hover units and most aircraft, meaning that it is now an effective way to keep the enemy units spaced apart as they attempt to follow your mass of backing-up tanks, and allowing the player to funnel the enemy more effectively into a cone of damage. Units with slower-than-fullspeed reverse move generally have other advantages, such as cliff jumping, to make up for the lower in-combat maneuverability. In addition, many units can only fire in front of themselves or have a turret that takes time to turn around. When using these units, you will always do more damage using reverse move. Finally, after extended testing, directional armor might be making a comeback; expect to hear more as gameplay develops.


This was posted last week

QUOTE
Can burrowed units move around underground, or do they sit in one spot waiting to ambush?

Burrowed units can move about underground and even traverse some map elements, such as cliffs. While most units move more slowly while burrowed, they also gain a bonus to their armor and can only be seen when detection is available in the area, allowing users to use burrowing as an effective means of getting into position.


Can teammates garrison a defense player’s bunker with their own defense class infantry?

Players cannot garrison the structures or units of other players. When we investigated this feature, we found several issues, including general player and UI confusion, units becoming “lost” when the garrisoned unit was sent to a remote location, and griefing potential, which ultimately resulted in the current system. Some structures, such as the tunnel and many neutral structures, are usable by all players on a team.


Is there an APC unit that can transport infantry, or a vehicle that allows them to shoot from inside?

Both Nod and GDI have APC-type vehicles. The GDI APC, called the Armadillo, is a heavily-armored, slower-moving vehicle with a powerful gun mounted on the roof. The Armadillo is best used to drive directly into enemy territory, especially when upgraded with a reflective dozer blade, allowing it to carve out a swath of damage. The Reckoner returns as the Nod APC, a rapid-transport system that units can only fire out of when the transport is deployed. The Reckoner gains both a range advantage and additional armor when deployed, and can burrow, allowing it to get into position with minimal difficulty or pop up unexpectedly behind enemy lines.


What abilities does an engineer have?

The engineer has received much more focus in C&C4, becoming a multi-functional unit that can fill several roles. Though fragile, the engineer can heal any nearby units, even from inside of transports and garrisons. Both engineers use a low-damage, fast-firing, area of effect weapon especially good at destroying enemy mine fields. Engineers can detect stealthed and burrowed units, traverse cliffs, and capture the husks of large units as well.


Are the GDI fan favorite Firehawk and Hammerhead returning from C&C3?

Indeed they are! The Firehawk is one of the fastest and most fragile units in the game and can quickly drop a payload of anti-aircraft rockets and anti-ground bombs before needing to re-arm (which occurs more rapidly in the presence of the Crawler). In addition, a max-tier support power calls in an elite squadron of Firehawks capable of doing a large amount of damage to all units in an area. The Hammerhead returns in a much beefier form as a heavy assault gunboat for GDI. Armed with dual rocket packs and a nose-mounted gattling gun, the Hammerhead can dish out a large amount of damage to light and medium targets, and can be upgraded with Berzerk, a timed ability which massively increases the rate of fire of the unit, but decreases its movement speed and chance to hit.


Okay.
Let's get some discussion.

This post has been edited by 2kool4u526: Oct 25 2009, 05:23 AM


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KingByng
post Sep 19 2009, 02:03 PM
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I really hope they let us do away with the pop cap through modding.


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2kool4u526
post Oct 25 2009, 05:02 AM
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Attack Buggy
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There have been multiple Q&A topics and I havn'y posted theme here, sorry bout that.


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