Preview by Rob Wright

Command & Conquer's alternate timeline series returns with Red Alert 3, which introduces new, outrageous weaponry as well as a third faction. Tom's Games goes behind the scenes at the Red Alert 3 Community Summit and takes the new sequel for a spin.

http://www.tomsgames.com/us/2008/0 [...] 3_preview/

Given the debacle around Kanes Wrath and the 1.01 patch i highly doubt that EA is able to deliver a working version of anything. I can't say that i'm eager to see RA3 after i saw EAs earlier work.

Never had a problem with kane's wrath, though I don't play multi (reading wiki, says 450 bugs lol).

Now I gotta get that RA3 beta, ARMORED BEARS! What will Stephen Colbert do?

I have one question. Was there an option in multiplayer and skirmish to turn off superweapons?

Superweapons were what broke C&C 3 for me. They were too super and not vulnerable enough to make up for it. If one of those went off it was the end of the game, not just a major setback but you were dead beyond recovery.

Superweapons in RA2 were fairly balanced and you had the option of shielding more vulnerable parts of your base. More importantly you could disable them if you wanted to play without them. They were good.

I don't feel I can trust EA to not screw up superweapons. They have been a bit hit or miss and kind of heavy on the miss. If I can at least turn them off for a fun skirmish, I will not have any further restraint on my enthusiasm for this game.

Hmmmm. That's a good question. I didn't see anything like that in the options/settings, but that doesn't it mean it isn't there or won't be added for the beta/final release. I'll ask APOC.

I totally agree with you, infornography...I'd be fine if they took out superweapons entirely. It was always gay how the last mission of seemingly every C&C game or even Emperor: Battle for Dune (another Westwood game that might as well have been C&C) involved you building your base with tons and tons of room between buildings because the opposition had access to superweapon usage once every # minutes...usually they could fire off AT LEAST 2 before you built your forces strong enough to attack. It really just isn't fun.

Is it more, or does this game look a bit crappy?

The visuals just don't seem impressive.

Maybe once I have seen it in person I will change my mind.

Regarding the superweapons question, the Red Alert 3 folks at E3 said the dev team is playing around with the idea of having the option to turn off superweapons. So it's still undecided, but they're apparently leaning toward not having the option in the final release. However, they did say that the superweapons have been "tempered" to a degree and that with the expanded ground available for players to build out their bases make the superweapons less devestating.

Thanks, Rob!

Thanks for the update... that is a bit disappointing though. I don't see what it harms to have it as an option, and it can't be even remotely difficult to implement. The option was there in RA2.

Oh well, I guess I will wait for reviews and demos before buying instead of outright preordering it.

Yep may have to give it a miss if there isn't a Superweapon off button, only reason CnC Tib wars didn't get my money ...that and the initial bugs/balancing issues.

Rob and I have been playing the Red Alert 3 beta over the last week or so and I haven't found the super weapons to be much of a factor.

True dat. I was rocking the house with the Soviets and repeatedly blasted Travis with the Iron Curtain, which was powerful but not devastating, and he still came back and beat me with the Allies. Not sure what that says about my RTS abilities...

I'm less concerned with the utility superweapons such as Iron Curtain and Chronosphere and more concerned with damage superweapons such as the Nuke and Weather machine.

Also, even with the balance that RA2 struck, sometimes I just wanted to play a game sans superweapons.

mmm Iron Curtain...

hopefully they will hit a balance i personally like the how balanced C&C Generals is and hope that RA3 hits the same kind of balance, if it does then ill be happy.

I totaly forgot about my free beta code I got with C&C 3 Kanes Wrath. I need to use that hehe.

I liked Generals Zero Hours because it was well ajusted but still when I played China there was no stopping me once I got my nuclear abilities. 20 nukes all at once on the enemies base = I win.

I just hope my beta code is still good.....