Command & Conquer: Generals

From FSDB

Command & Conquer: Generals
Game Series	Command & Conquer series
Type	Real Time Strategy
Developer	Electronic Arts
Release date	10th February 2003

Command & Conquer: Generals is the sixth game in the Command & Conquer series. Commonly known as Generals or Vgens. Command & Conquer: Generals uses the SAGE engine. Command & Conquer: Generals was followed up with the expansion pack Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour.

Contents 1 Gameplay 1.1 United States of America 1.2 China 1.3 Global Liberation Army 2 Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour

Gameplay

Command and Conquer: Generals operates like a number of other real-time strategy games, in that the player must construct a base, acquire resources, build various combat and support units, and defeat their opponent(s). Various unit types can be constructed, ranging from infantry to light and heavy vehicles and air units. The player may control the United States of America, the People's Republic of China, or the Global Liberation Army, and each side has its unique characteristics and abilities. All sides share some similarities, such as training infantry at a barracks, building armoured vehicles at a factory, and possessing "high technology" buildings needed to build more advanced units. All sides possess a means to acquire additional resources and funding, and all sides possess a unique superweapon.

As with other real-time strategy games, the various units have advantages and disadvantages against other units, and the player is encouraged to mix unit types in order to succeed and fight tactically with various unit abilities in order to win.

As the game progresses and the player defeats enemy units in battle, the player will gain "experience" points, which are used to purchase "Generals Abilities," unique abilities that range from enhancing units and unlocking new unit types to powerful air strikes, one-shot enhancements to units, or targetable "spawn points" to drop or create groups of units anywhere on the map.

As individual units attack and defeat enemy units or capture buildings, they gain veterancy and become more powerful, much like the General commanding them. Higher-ranking units attack faster, have more health, and can self-repair.

United States of America

The United States is the most technologically-advanced faction, and fights with a combination of powerful ground units and a large, versatile fleet of aircraft. USA forces rely on skill, mobility, and high technology to defeat the raw firepower of China and the guerilla tactics of the GLA. USA ground vehicles can construct unmanned drones to support and repair them in combat, and American troops and vehicles make extensive use of laser technology to guide weapons and defend against attack. American infantry have a number of special abilities, and include stealthy long-ranged snipers and a powerful commando named Colonel Burton with a number of abilities revolving around demolition and stealth. The USA also fields the largest air fleet in the game, including attack and transport helicopters, fighter planes, high speed bombers and stealth bombers. American Generals' abilities revolve around air power, including air strikes by A-10 Thunderbolt II and fuel air bombs.

The USA has a major disadvantage, however, in that it has the slowest resource gathering in the game, in comparison to troop costs, it has a less stable supply of power than China, and its high-technology units are very expensive. This can be remedied by building a large amount of Supply Drop Zones. If not, this forces a USA player to construct a smaller, more specialized army than a Chinese or GLA player, and work to minimize losses. Chinese and GLA opponents can easily swarm a small American army and overwhelm it.

China

The People's Republic relies largely on brute force and sheer numbers, culminating in a variety of powerful and heavily armoured tanks, and has limited air power. China's playstyle emphasizes direct assaults and sheer power to defeat American technology and GLA stealth. Chinese troops and tanks gain special bonuses when in groups, and make extensive use of propaganda (passive healing) to support their troops. China has a wide range of vehicle types, including several specialized tanks and two artillery units. Chinese forces also make heavy use of gattling, nuclear, and napalm weaponry to destroy the enemy. China also utilizes advanced electronic warfare technology, including elite hackers, a spy called Black Lotus, and electromagnetic pulse weapons. The Chinese Nuke Cannon and Inferno Cannon are the only artillery units whose shells cannot be intercepted by any defences.

China has a major disadvantage in that its ground forces are generally slower than those of the other two factions. Due to having virtually no fast attack units, except for their MiGs, China is forced to make large, ponderous assaults with heavy units, a tactic that can be countered by the GLA's speed or the USA's air power. However, the Chinese forces are well-suited to winning drawn-out battles of attrition.

Global Liberation Army

Being at a technological disadvantage, the GLA has comparatively weak (though highly mobile) ground vehicles and no air force, prompting the use of guerilla tactics such as mining, suicide bombing, hijacking, and ambushing.

The GLA has a larger array of infantry types and vehicles to make up for this disadvantage, and has the widest range of stealth options. The GLA also has a very powerful economy, with various resource-gathering techniques such as salvaging wreckage, gaining cash bounties on destroyed enemy units, and building multiple Black Markets to bring in large amounts of money over time. Also, the GLA are unique in that they have no energy requirement for any of their structures or units. The GLA's upgrades make it more powerful when fully equipped, transforming a relatively weak group of units into a more respectable threat. The GLA is also unique in that its structures, particularly base defences, rebuild themselves over time unless completely destroyed; this makes it difficult to permanently damage the GLA with many single-shot weapons or units.

The GLA's toxic weapons, suicide units, and stealth and surprise abilities enable it to hit enemies from unexpected directions, and its powerful economy, combined with cheap, fast units, enables it to flood opponents with sheer numbers. The GLA's primary disadvantage is that, in terms of firepower, range, and durability, its units are outmatched by Chinese and American units, and it has a complete lack of air power. This forces a GLA player to outmanoeuvre or outnumber opponents, as in an even, direct confrontation the GLA will lose to superior Chinese firepower and American technology.

Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour

Main article: Command & Conquer: Generals - Zero Hour

In the expansion pack to Generals, dubbed Zero Hour, the USA campaign involves the continued deployment of United States' forces in areas such as Kazakhstan to combat the forces of the GLA. At the end of the USA campaign, the GLA is all but defeated and a majority of its forces either captured or fled. The GLA campaign picks up at the end of the USA campaign where the player must command the badly damaged GLA. Throughout this campaign, the GLA slowly begin to rebuild their forces to rise up again at the USA. Eventually, the GLA grows powerful enough for the player to command an assault on the West Coast of the United States. This damages the USA reputation and results in the USA recalling forces from Europe to strengthen Homeland Security.

In the final campaign of the game, the player commands forces of the People's Republic of China which have agreed to help Europe repel any GLA attack. Utilizing tactics such as Tank warfare, Tactical Nuclear Missiles and more, the player is able to successfully repel the GLA's assaults on European soil. As a result, China is thrust on to the world stage and the player is hailed as a hero by the Chinese people.