Supreme Commander 2
From Supreme Commander Wiki
| Box Art unavailable | |
| Developer: | Gas Powered Games |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Square Enix |
| Release Date: | 2010 |
| Game genre: | Real Time Strategy |
| Platform/Format: | PC, Xbox 360 |
| System Requirements: | TBA |
| Status: | "Pre pre pre Alpha" - Chris Taylor, June 2009 at the E3 2009[1][2] |
Supreme Commander 2 is the tentative title of a sequel to Supreme Commander that was announced in November 2008. It will be developed in a partnership between Gas Powered Games and Square Enix.
Contents |
[edit] Public Announcement
"London (12th November 2008) – Square Enix Ltd., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in Europe and other PAL territories (Square Enix), today announces that Square Enix, Inc., a U.S. sister company headquartered in Los Angeles, California, and development house Gas Powered Games Corp., a U.S. company headquartered in Redmond, Washington (Gas Powered Games) have formed a strategic partnership. With the commencement of this strategic partnership, development has begun on SUPREME COMMANDER® 2, a sequel to the award-winning real-time strategy series.
This strategic partnership represents one of the first steps Square Enix Co., Ltd., a sister company of Square Enix headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and its affiliates (collectively, Square Enix Group) are taking towards their goal of increasing western development efforts aimed for the global markets. Square Enix Group has previously worked exclusively with Japanese development companies, so the decision to form strategic partnerships with developers located outside of Japan serves as a new cornerstone of its strategy to create games targeted primarily at consumers in Europe and North America. Additionally, Square Enix Group’s foray into the real-time strategy genre is a significant expansion of its product lineup, largely known for its leadership role in the genre of role-playing games.
“We see great opportunities in European and North American markets, both of which are expected to be maintaining sustainable growth over these coming years,” said Yoichi Wada, president and representative director of Square Enix Co., Ltd. “Therefore, it is crucial we create alliances with proven developers such as Gas Powered Games in order to serve these significant markets better by providing products and services in tune with customer tastes.”
“Gas Powered Games is an accomplished development house that has demonstrated its ability to successfully create and develop intellectual properties,” said John Yamamoto, president and chief executive officer of Square Enix and Square Enix, Inc.. “We are extremely excited to begin working with Gas Powered Games’ talented personnel and see this strategic partnership as a significant step in our efforts to bring Square Enix titles to a broader global audience.”
Creator of hit titles such as Dungeon Siege®, and Supreme Commander, Gas Powered Games® was founded in 1998 by one of the game industry’s most imaginative and dynamic visionaries Chris Taylor, who serves as chief executive officer. "It is truly a great honour to join forces with as renowned a developer and publisher as Square Enix, Inc." said Taylor: "Everyone at Gas Powered Games is thrilled about this collaboration, and the results will surely delight video game fans around the world.”
Details on SUPREME COMMANDER 2 including gameplay features, platform(s) and release date will be available at a later time."[3] [4]
One trailer and a demo has been released for Supreme Commander 2. They were revealed at E3 2009.
Release Date: 2010 Platform: PC and XBOX360 Publisher: Square Enix Developer: Gas Powered Games Genre: Strategy
[edit] Background
The game is set 25 years after the events of Forged Alliance.
Since the defeat of the Seraphim the alliance forged by the UEF, Cybran Nation and Aeon Illuminate has held becoming the CDC (Colonial Defense Coalition) and resulting in 25 years of peace. During this time the three nations have intermixed and some of their military recruits are even trained together at the same institutions. This includes the campaign's 3 protagonists - one from each faction - who become friends at their academy.[5]
However, the peace is brought to an abrupt end by the assassination of the newly elected CDC President. Each faction denies involvement while blaming the others and war erupts yet again. The campaign follows the stories of the three friends and their relationships as they are forced to fight one another. [6][7]
(Since Square Enix's games have been largely associated with the role-playing game genre, their games tend to elaborate more on the character's feelings and aspects rather than the whole picture. The original Supreme Commander is quite indifferent towards the character aspects, pointing more towards the factions as a whole instead of outstanding 'heroes' within; especially since you don't really play as a character in the game, as you are the character. The story of this new game seems to be based on these three characters' experiences instead of the more nationalistic story that the original Supreme Commander used. Having this fresher, character-based storyline may prove to be a success, but inevitably someone will notice the obvious story difference. Whether this will turn out for the best nobody will really know until the release.)
[edit] Factions
The Cybran Nation and the UEF will return but the Aeon Illuminate has been replaced by or renamed as "The Order of the Illuminate."[5] The only mention of the Seraphim is that they have been "destroyed" and it seems that they will play no part in Supreme Commander 2.[7]
[edit] Experimentals
Supreme Commander 2 will feature approximately 25 "outrageous" experimentals in total. They are divided into "mini" and "major" experimentals with the latter likely more powerful and expensive.[8] Possibly, this division is intended to compensate for the loss of tech levels and/or to capture the feel of both the powerful experimentals of Vanilla Supcom and the more affordable experimentals of Forged Alliance in one game. The known experimentals are:
- The Fatboy II - a UEF mini[2] experimental. It appears to lack the shields and air platform capabilities of its predecessor being nothing more than a huge, mobile gun platform, although it's manufacturing capability appears to remain available.[8] It is unknown whether it's amphibious like its predecessor.
- The AC-1000 Terror - This UEF mini experimental is a massive gunship inspired by the real-life Lockheed AC-130 Spectre/Spooky gunships.
- The Knowwit (Is this correct?) Unit Cannon[1] - a UEF major experimental. It's a combined factory and artillery installation which launches the units it constructs across the map.[7]
- The Cybranzilla - a Cybran major experimental unit shown prominently in the trailer. It's a giant, fire-breathing[2] cyborg created by Dr. Brackman using "a little trace of incredible, dinosaur, fantastic, alien DNA."[6][8][7]
- The Megalith - A cybran (probably mini) experimental. This unit appears and moves like a large beetle and has a weapons system mounted on the top. It is presumably a mini experimental as another mini (a Fatboy II) single handedly took out several Megaliths, though this was from outside the Megalith's weapons range. Whether it has any naval abilities like its predecessor is currently unknown.[2]
- The Urchinow - An Illuminate mini experimental.[8] Little is known about this experimental or its capabilities but it's apparently the Illuminate counterpart to the Fatboy II and Megalith. It resembles a snail or a cochlea with weapons mounted on the side.
- The Universal Colossus - An Illuminate (probably major) experimental and likely the successor to the Galactic Colossus. It has yet to be seen but judging from its brief description it's probably a major and it is highly reminiscent of its predecessor. The Universal Colossus has been described as a "bot with a giant eye" and can shoot a "beam of death and eradicate everything in sight."[7] It is also has a weapon similar to the Tractor Claw capable of sucking opposing units and firing them at other opposing units.[9]
[edit] Units
The units shows look relatively standard, with identifiable AA, Ground, Air, and Gunships.
Units mentioned are:
- ACUs
- UEF Assault Tank: Rockhead
- UEF Point Defence Cannon
- Illuminate Gunship
- Illuminate Tank
- Cybran Long range cannon
- Cybran Assault Bot
[edit] Upgrade System
The "clumsy" tech system of the original Supreme Commander has been abandoned in favour of a more traditional tech tree with boosts, upgrades and unlocks to allow early units to remain useful and competitive even in the late game. There are separate tech trees for land, air, naval, structures and the ACU. Boosts are increases in basic stats (e.g. speed, armor, firepower). Upgrades adds new weapons and functionality to units. Unlocks allow you to build certain units. You require points to unlock units which are earned by doing damage in game. The following have been mentioned:[8]
- UEF Land [1]
- Unlock Mobile Anti-Missile
- Damage: Increase Damage
- Health: Increase Health
- Unlock Fatboy II
- UEF Assault Tank: Rockhead (Presumably upgraded via the Land Tech Tree)
- Increase Barrel Length: Increases range, accuracy[1] and Muzzle velocity[8]
- Increase Number of Barrels: Adds an extra barrel
- Add Anti-Air Weapon:
- UEF Air [1]
- Unlock Gunship
- Cluster Bombs
- Unlock AC-1000 Terror
- UEF ACU[8][1]
- Regeneration: Increase Regeneration
- Anti-Air: adds Anti-Air Weapon
- Energy Income: Increases Energy Income
- Tactical Missile Launcher: Adds a Tactical Missile Launcher
- Range: Increases Range
- Torpedo: Adds Torpedo
- Vision: Increases Vision
- Hunker: Adds Hunker (Allows the ACU to "Hunker down" to defend)
- Hunker Effectiveness: Increases Hunker Effectiveness
- Jump Jets: Adds Jump Jets
- Chest Mounted Artillery
- Core Dump Technology - Used to prevent your ACU from going nuclear.
- Escape Pods - "Pops" the head of the ACU which will fly back to base and allow the player to survive the ACU's destruction. The body can be rebuilt from the head at an Experimental Gantry.[9]
[edit] Maps
So far only two maps have been seen. The First appears to be a city, obviously Aeon or Illuminate in origin from the heraldic flags, perched on a cliff edge. It's dominated by a huge, semi-circular platform with an unknown structure in the middle (likely an objective) and four elongated platforms extending from it. Most of the battle takes place on this platform. There are also several mesas surrounding the platform which can also support bases and units. The Map has a greater sense of verticality than most RTS maps.
The second is what appears to be a UEF stronghold or factory [10]
[edit] Engine
Supreme Commander 2 features a new game engine with new graphics, global illumination and state of the art pathfinding. The maps apprear significantly improved over the original's heightmapped maps. It is also stated that the game has more modest system requirements allowing more computers to run the game.
[edit] Trailer
[edit] Demo and Interview
[edit] References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 E3 09: Developer Walkthrough Pt. 1
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 E3 09: Developer Walkthrough Pt. 2
- ↑ http://www.bluesnews.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?show=859
- ↑ http://ve3d.ign.com/articles/news/42912/Supreme-Commander-2-Announced
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Supreme Commander 2 on square-enix.com
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 E3 2009 Trailer
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 E3 2009 Supreme Commander 2 Demo and Interview
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 E3 2009: Supreme Commander 2 Demo
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 http://pc.gamezone.com/gzreviews/p36932.htm
- ↑ 1Up review of Supcom 2
