Supreme Commander (video game)

Because humans have discovered replication technology, making advanced use of rapid prototyping and nanotechnology, only two types of resources are required to wage war: Energy and Mass.[5] Energy is obtained by constructing power generators on any solid surface (except fuel generators, which can only be built on fuel deposits), while Mass is obtained either by placing mass extractors on limited mass deposit spots (the most efficient method, although it requires map control) or by building mass fabricators to convert energy into mass. Constructor units can gather energy by "reclaiming" it from organic debris such as trees and mass from rocks and wrecked units. Each player has a certain amount of resource storage, which can be expanded by the construction of storage structures. This gives the player reserves in times of shortage or allows them to stockpile resources. If the resource generation exceeds the player's capacity, the material is wasted. On the contrary, if the storages are depleted and the demand of one of the resources exceeds the production, then all the productions speed is reduced. In addition, if an energy deficit occurs, shields will stop working.

An adjacency system allows certain structures to benefit from being built directly adjacent to others.[6][7] Energy-consuming structures will use less energy when built adjacent to power generators and power generators will produce more energy when built adjacent to power storage structures. The same applies to their mass-producing equivalents. Likewise, factories will consume less energy and mass when built adjacent to power generators and mass fabricators/extractors, respectively. However, by placing structures in close proximity, they become more vulnerable to collateral damage if an adjacent structure is destroyed.[6] Furthermore, most resource generation structures can cause chain reactions when destroyed (especially Tier III structures, which produce large amounts of resources but often have large detonations that can wipe out a nearby army).

Supreme Commander allows the player to zoom out far enough to view the entire map on screen.

Supreme Commander uses a "strategic zoom" system that allows the player to seamlessly zoom from a detailed close up view of an individual unit all the way out to a view of the entire map, at which point it resembles a fullscreen version of the minimap denoting individual units with icons.[5] The camera also has a free movement mode and can be slaved to track a selected unit and there is a split screen mode which also supports multiple monitors. This system allows Supreme Commander to use vast maps up to 80 km x 80 km, with players potentially controlling a thousand units each.

Units in Supreme Commander are built to scale as they would be in the real world. For example, battleships dwarf submarines.[7] Late into the game, the larger "experimental" units, such as the Cybran Monkeylord, an enormous spider-shaped assault unit, can actually crush smaller enemy units by stepping on them.[7]

Because of the wide range of planets colonized by humanity in the setting, the theatres of war range from desert to arctic, and all battlespaces are employed.[8][9][10] Technologies emerging in modern warfare are frequently employed in Supreme Commander. For example, stealth technology and both tactical and strategic missile and missile defense systems can be used.

Supreme Commander introduced several innovations designed to reduce the amount of micromanagement inherent in many RTS games. Engineers units have the command "assist", that will help follow other engineers and help them finish their orders or improve production rate of factories. In addition, engineers with the order "patrol" will repair units, buildings and recycle wrecks in their along their partol route. Holding the shift key causes any orders given to a unit (or group of units) to be queued. In this manner a unit may be ordered to attack several targets in succession, or to make best speed to a given point on the map and then attack towards a specified location engaging any hostiles it encounters along the way. After orders have been issued, holding the shift key causes all issued orders to be displayed on the map where they can be subsequently modified to accommodate a change of plan. Further, when a unit is ordered to attack a target, the player can issue an order to perform a coordinated attack to another unit. This order coordinates the arrival time of the units at the target automatically by adjusting the speed of the units involved.

As in other RTS games, air transports[11] can be used to convey units to specified destinations, in Supreme Commander though by shift queuing orders a transport containing several units can be ordered to drop specific units at subsequent waypoints. An air transport can also be ordered to create a ferry route, an airbridge wherein any land units ordered to the start of the ferry route will be conveyed by the air transport to the specified destination. The output from a production factory can be routed to a ferry route causing all units constructed by that factory to be automatically ferried to the route's destination. Additional air transports can be ordered to assist an existing ferry route allowing many units to be efficiently transported.

Supreme Commander also supports unit formations. A selected group of units can be ordered to assume a formation the shape of which can be controlled by the player. Holding control while issuing a move order will cause a group of units to move in formation. Units in formation are intelligently arranged so that the tankiest units are at the front, ranged units at the rear and with shield and intel units spaced equally throughout.

The Supreme Commander universe features three fictional factions. Each is represented as possessing great zeal and differing ideas on the future of humanity as a whole.

• The United Earth Federation (or UEF) is the faction representing the interests of a united, Earth-based government. The UEF developed from the ashes of the Earth Empire, and now seeks to reunite humanity and restore Earth's control over the galaxy.[13] Their society and military tactics resemble present-day society more than the Cybrans or Aeon do. Their acceptance of a variant of slavery and ideology of forced unity lends a darker side to the faction.[14] UEF units are blueish, and somewhat blocky in form, reflecting the UEF's primary drive to maintain peace and order throughout the galaxy, and bring all of humanity back under one government. Their tactics are primarily based around long range, heavy-hitting attacks, with speed and stealth often neglected in favor of artillery strikes and large, shielded forces.
• The Cybran Nation (originally called the Recyclers)[15] is composed of Symbionts, humans who have been enhanced with implantable technology, having entered into a form of mutualism with an AI (in addition to various other augmentations). They fight for the liberation of their fellow Symbionts throughout the galaxy.[16] The Cybran Nation is led by the brilliant-yet-eccentric Dr. Brackman, patriarch and chief designer of the Cybrans' cybernetic technology.[17] Cybran units are red and tend to be sharply angular and jagged in form, reflecting the Cybran's past of being hunted and attacked, and evolving into a stealthy, hit-and-run style. A Cybran commander generally gets into an area quickly, and extracts themselves quicker. Their forces often prioritize speed, stealth, and special abilities over armor, which can make them deadly for use in traps.
• The Aeon Illuminate draw their roots from the Golden Age of expansion of the old Earth Empire. The descendants of the first humans to encounter alien intelligent life, a peaceful, yet highly advanced, society known as the Seraphim, who first introduced colonists to their philosophy, known as "The Way". Due to escalating paranoia and xenophobia among the Old Earth Empire, conflict soon broke out, resulting in the Seraphim's apparent extinction. The colonists of the alien planet, claiming to be "disciples" of the Seraphim, soon founded a civilization supposedly based upon their teachings.[18] In a twist of irony, the Aeon Illuminate soon began a zealous assault on the galaxy, intending to "purge" all those who did not share in their beliefs.[19] Aeon units are green, aesthetic and flowing in appearance, reflecting their belief in "The Way", bringing peace and tranquility throughout the galaxy. Their forces are highly specialized and often able to traverse any terrain, as most Aeon units use hover technology, allowing for powerful strikes when and where they are needed.

At the start of the single player campaign, the Infinite War between the three factions has raged for over a millennium. Every faction has its own problems; the UEF is slowly losing to the advancing Aeon, the Cybrans are hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned, and the Aeon Commander in Chief (called the Avatar of War) is stirring unrest amongst the Illuminate, threatening a schism on the eve of their victory.

The campaign focuses on the UEF's weapon of last resort, a planet killer named Black Sun. With it, they intend to destroy the homeworlds of the factions that oppose them. The Cybrans plan to use it to destroy the quantum gate network and free their enslaved brethren, while the Aeon seek to use it to broadcast a message of peace to all people. The player decides which faction to play as and what course it will take.

Victory in the UEF campaign results in Black Sun destroying the critical planets of both the Aeon and the Cybrans, leading the galaxy into a new era of human superiority and ending the war.[20] In the Cybran campaign, QAI, an enormously intelligent and powerful AI, uses it to spread a quantum virus and free all the symbionts under the control of the UEF, while disabling every quantum gate in the galaxy, stopping superluminal travel for five years, thus allowing the Cybran Nation to flourish without being attacked by the others.[21] Finally, the Aeon campaign sees the Princess Rhianne (leader of the Aeon) become part of the quantum gate network. This allows the Princess to speak into the mind of every human, and urge all three sides to lay down arms. All three factions make peace with each other after this message.[22]

Upon finishing the game, each faction has a different teaser ending, hinting at a new enemy for the expansion. The Cybran ending shows QAI calling in unidentified enemies, to Dr. Brackman's horror, saying "They are coming." The Aeon ending simply depicts Princess Rhianne opening her eyes in shock and saying "...no!" Finally, the UEF ending shows a large rift opening near Earth, and many unidentified radar signatures appearing near the location of Black Sun on Earth. All three teasers are consistent with the arrival of the Seraphim from the sequel.

Supreme Commander was highly anticipated. Large videogame sites wrote many previews: GameSpot wrote eighteen,[49] IGN wrote eight,[50] and GameSpy five.[51] The Seton's Clutch map was frequently featured,[52][53] as early as September 2005.[54] This battle was between the UEF and the Cybran, showcasing a Monkeylord annihilating UEF tanks. At E3, it was revealed that the Aeon had a base to the southeast of this map, which was used to launch strategic nuclear missiles on the UEF base.[52] Supreme Commander won several notable awards before it was released, all of them connected to E3,[55][56] including the GameCritics Best Strategy Game award[57] and IGN's Best Upcoming PC Game award.[58] Other awards were received from GameSpy, GameSpot, GamesRadar, Voodoo Extreme and 1UP.[59]

Reviews of Supreme Commander were positive, with the game having a score of 86/100 on Metacritic.[4]

Dan Stapleton of PC Gamer praised the versatility of the strategic zoom, and expressed his loathing of the next game that wouldn't feature it. The dual-screen mode was highly regarded, the mission design was praised, and the emotional presence of the story was also recognized. However, a few points were docked due to the general lack of diverse unit types, and the game's system requirements. It received a PC Gamer Editor's Choice Award with a score of 91%.[70]

Alec Meer of Eurogamer praised the innovative new features such as the multi monitor support and the scale element. Meer remarked though, that Supreme Commander "feels like hard work", and that with the emphasis on epic scale, details are overlooked. Still, it garnered a rating of 9/10.[62]

IGN rated Supreme Commander with the rating of 9/10, with reviewer Charles Onyett giving the game the Editor's choice award.[67] Particularly the intuitive and helpful strategic zoom and base automation were praised, though the steep hardware requirements and naval pathfinding issues were found less appealing—while they would find their way to their designated target point, their routes were not always the most efficient. IGN UK, however, was less positive, while still awarding a rating of 8.9/10.[71] The issues addressed by its international counterpart were deemed more severe, and the reviewer was not impressed by the interface, finding the amount of control it gives over the game lacking.

Conversely, the review in the Australian version of GamePro voiced a negative opinion on the game, giving Supreme Commander a rating of five out of ten.[72] GamePro assessed Supreme Commander as an over-ambitious game, with performance (measured in frames per second), even on high end systems, as a major negative point. The reviewers observed that the game gradually slowed down while playing, and that this process accelerated when using the 'shift' key view. This review was subject to controversy, resulting in two rating compiling websites, Metacritic and GameRankings, removing it from their websites.[73]

German reviewer Heiko Klinge gave Supreme Commander a score of 82 out of 100. Especially the size and scope of the game were appreciated, while the steep learning curve was a less positive point for the German reviewer.[74] In France, Jeux PC (lit. "PC Games") gave Supreme Commander a score of 17 out of 20. Although they found that it was a good game overall, the poor performance on low-end systems was criticized.[75] At the Dutch website Gamer.nl, the two reviewers awarded the game with a score of 8 out of 10. Almost every aspect of the game was well received. However, the steep learning curve and the large amount of effort required to play meant, according to the reviewers, that Supreme Commander is not a "game that everyone can play".[76]

On November 6, 2007, THQ released a Supreme Commander standalone expansion, Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance. It contains many engine improvements that allow it to run faster as well as improve the graphics. In addition, a new faction (the Seraphim) is available. It was released as a standalone game.[77]

The possibility of a second expansion pack was expressed on November 20, 2007 in a Gas Powered Games official newsletter. Chris Taylor "hinted" at a second expansion for Supreme Commander.[78] This expansion pack was later mentioned in an interview by Chris Taylor on January 11, 2008. Chris Taylor noted that Gas Powered Games had been "talking" about a second expansion, and that this expansion would be called Supreme Commander: Experimentals.[79] The project has since been abandoned.

Supreme Commander 2 is the title of the sequel announced in November 2008 and released in March 2010. It was developed in a partnership between Gas Powered Games and Square Enix.[80][81][82]

Forged Alliance Forever (aka FAF) is a community created multiplayer client and server replacement (server emulator) for Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance.[83][84][85] It provides expanded mod and custom map support, with the core game itself undergoing changes to graphics, balance, and gameplay mechanics in the form of unofficial patches.[42][43][86]