Part two of the summit breakdown will continue on with more gameplay information. This portion is most important and is being released by me in segments to fully digest it all. I'm going to talk more in depth this time around specifically about the GUI, construction, and map navigation. All three are related, so I will be jumping around allot.

I will start by declaring you have the traditional build que as in previous CNC games. We all know the one drawback was you could only que one item at a time. This is now solved by the construction of a faction crane unit. A generic structure that enables a second build que.

This/these build que(s) are directly accessible from your GUI anywhere you happen to be on the map. They are divided into structures, defenses, infantry, vehicles, and aircraft. Each part becomes available as the basic requirements are met.

So you can essentially build multiple structures, defenses, vehicles, and aircraft simultaneously from each of the build ques. I can take my first que, choose multiple construction choices, than swap over to my second que and build differant build choices.

So it's very efficient. I can do this no matter where I am on the map. Base defenses come in a triangulated series of structures that you get to define. They are run by a center hub. So you build an anti-air sector so to speak.

When you are placing them, the other defense structures coverage area shows also so you know if you are overlaying defenses or not. This actually becomes confusing with multiple defense structures being present in close proximity. I hope that this has been corrected or simplified to some degree since I saw it. You basically see a whole bunch of circles on the map all overlaying each other. Very confusing to the eye.

When micro navigating the map, it's the old style, fly to the left side of the screen and the screen updates and moves you across the map. But something cumbersome happens when you fly to the right. You encounter the right navbar. This navbar will then send out "text tools" based on things in your navbar.

While this is helpful in getting more information on a particular unit, it is a large distraction when trying to move right on the map, and instead a big fly out description comes out instead of moving the map to the right. It may have been updated since I played, we'll have to see.

Let's talk about Nod for a second. If we all remember back to the old style games, we all know that Nod had some great scouting advantages. You could send out bikes and buggies to scout out the terrain and act as border skirmish units.

Well from my experience, the maps are more graphically detailed now and result in allot smaller maps. This puts Nod at a disadvantage. There are no more epic scale scouting missions done by Nod, the maps are more Generals sized than older CNC styles.

But again this is only based on the test maps I played on, this may be corrected in the final version. We all remember transversing great stretches of tundra to locate far away tiberium for further expansion.

But also unique, is now you have a vehicle that you can send out that allows you to build within the area of that unit. So you can expand your base farther on the map. Except it only took some clever people at the summit to find it's exploits. Like sending this close to the enemy base and expanding into your enemies territory on a rush.

Another game play item is veterency. Units now gain great benefits by sticking around. So like BFME, you attack, become wounded, and retreat like a more realistic gameplay. So your units can heal and so on. It makes for a "run away and fight another day" ideology.

Except one major flaw I found. Only GDI can heal their units through medics. I was told Nod views their infantry as expendable. This means there is no forward healing when you retreat from the battlefield as Nod. I'm not even sure you can heal them from their own barracks.

This makes veterency useless for Nod. By the time they level up, they are only one or two people left in the squad. We'll see if that gets fixed or not. Or better clarified I should say. Having a medic on the field to heal troops seems like a fundamental use for humans in general, not just GDI.

Let's move on to the AI. They are broken down into AI types. They are broken up into types based on the style of AI you enjoy playing against. This was a good idea. It made for much more interesting play. And in the Alpha, they did behave as they were intended to.

Each style had their own method of attacking you and responding to your attacks. Each method also had differ ant variations of dealing with you. So don't think you memorized the AI's ability to play on the same map every time. They also play differently based on which faction you are. For example, if you are the aliens playing the aggressive style AI, you got infantry rushed heavily, and it was very effective.

Alittle bit more about the aliens, some units were definitely more useful than others right from the beginning. I'm sure it was a balance issue that I know will be solved. But they are very fun to play. If you let the aliens level up and establish themselves, you're in big trouble.

Their late game units are extremely powerful. This includes large tripods with powerful lasers, immense craft with massive interceptor support, and of course the infamous Mothership. I saw what it does to a base first hand. It's truly like Independence Day.

GDI on the other hand was what you'd expect. Fully armored, heavily mobile, and shock and awe. But would I want them any other way? I found them to be very powerful in the urban environment. I used them to occupy many small buildings and defended them with armor support to knock out anti-garrison units. While you take some losses, it's more of a loss for your enemy.

GDI is most adept in the urban environments of the blue zones. Nod is most adept in the open spaces and tundras of the red zones. Aliens are most adept in the tiberium toxic red zones. Just as anticipated, fighting the home team on their own turf has it's challenges.

~Eric Edwards (Hostile) CNC3.net

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