Command & Conquer

Command & Conquer is a real-time strategy series of computer games released by the game developer Westwood Studios (1985 – 2003), which was purchased by Electronic Arts in 1998. In 2003, EA closed Westwood and absorbed it into EA Los Angeles, where Command & Conquer titles are currently being made. Command & Conquer games were originally all in one series, however, EA has expanded the Command & Conquer franchise into three series. These series of games are officially the best selling real time strategy games, selling in excess of 35 million units.

Contents

1 Tiberian Series

1.1 Command & Conquer: Renegade
1.2 Games in the series

2 Red Alert Series

2.1 Games in the series

3 Generals Series

3.1 Games in the series

4 See also

5 External links

Tiberian Series

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Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun

The original Command & Conquer series features two warring factions called the United Nations Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the quasi-state terrorist group, the Brotherhood of Nod.

The conflict centres over control of a new resource called Tiberium, an exotic stubstance that extracts minerals from the land it sits upon and deposits them in above-ground crystals that are simple to process into useful materials. Tiberium was named after the Tiber River where it was first discovered. However, Tiberium is also extremely toxic and mutagenic. Almost certainly extraterrestrial in origin, it is thought to have come to Earth in a meteor impact. There is speculation that it may be an alien terraforming agent.

While the GDI focuses on research on making Tiberium into useful materials and mitigating the damage to Earth's people and ecosystem, Nod's position is to embrace Tiberium as the herald of a new age. Nod has done heavy research into Tiberium-based weaponry, and its leader, Kane, has designs to convert the entire planet to a Tiberium-based ecosystem. GDI was created by status quo nations to counter Kane's plans for a new world order. The Brotherhood of Nod excels at manipulating the media to turn world opinion against the GDI.

In Tiberian Sun, a race of Tiberium mutated humans calling themselves the "Forgotten" were discovered. The mutant Umagon told GDI General McNeil that Nod had captured their leader Tratos. Then a strike force was dispached to recover him. After Tratos was rescued he revealed that Nod had an artifact called the Tacitus. The artifact was found on a strange ship that was believed to have alien, or Scrin origin.

Command & Conquer: Renegade

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Command & Conquer: Renegade

Coming out shortly after the release of Red Alert 2, Renegade was the first and currently only first-person shooter. The units and structures resemble those as in Tiberian Dawn, yet the perspective of the game is altered in the sense that the user must work as part of a team rather than command an entire arsenal.

The storyline follows the traditional scene-by-scene routine followed by Westwood Studios in the past in the sense that the user plays a level, views a cut-scene, then continues the storyline. The teams consist of the weaker, but better hidden Nod, and the stronger, yet not as light-footed GDI.

No expansion packs were ever released for the game. However, a kit was release by Westwood Studios for users to create their own maps. Many fan-sites have been created to celebrate this game along with providing soures for new maps and innovative custom expansion packs.

Games in the series

See: Command & Conquer: Tiberian Series

Red Alert Series

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Command & Conquer: Red Alert

The Red Alert series is set in an alternate timeline, created when Albert Einstein travels back in time and assassinates Adolf Hitler, in an attempt to prevent World War II. This backfires and results in an unchecked Soviet invasion of Europe by Joseph Stalin. The games typically follow the release of a game in the Tiberian timeline; however EA is currently working on a new Red Alert game instead of the anticipated Tiberian Twilight.

The Red Alert series was originally an exploration of the alternate history leading to the Tiberian Series, even Kane made some appearances. With the release of Red Alert 2, the connection became somewhat unclear, with fans of the series split as to whether or not the time travel excursions of the series were forming a separate continuity or just another side adventure on the way to the Tiberian era.

Red Alert 2 is the sequel to Red Alert and has an expansion pack, Yuri's Revenge. In Red Alert 2, the Soviet Union invades the United States, using mind control technology to capture US forces and deactivate America's nuclear arsenal. In Yuri's Revenge, Soviet Premier Romanov's advisor Yuri attempts to overtake the world using his psychic dominator technology. A last second attempt to divert Yuri's plans sends the player back in the midst of the conflict occurring in Red Alert 2, but instead of fighting the Soviets/Allies, the player fights against Yuri. As mentioned above, the Red Alert 2 games do not make any explicit references to the Tiberian series, leading some to believe the Red Alert series is taking a different direction.

In December 2004, EA confirmed that work has begun on a third Game in the Red Alert series, however no screenshots or further information was revealed at this time. [1] (http://www.neowin.net/comments.php?id=26137&category=gamers) A handful of people have speculated that the this game may involve technology pilfered by the Soviet Union while it occupied Area 51, however that has not been confirmed. Other speculations are that the upcoming Red Alert title will officially reconnect the Red Alert and Tiberian series.

Westwood also released a music disc with the music from the Red Alert series. This disc was bundled with some later versions of the game.

Games in the series

Command & Conquer: Red Alert

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2

Generals Series

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Command & Conquer: Generals

Command & Conquer: Generals is the most recent game bearing the Command & Conquer brand, though its plotline is completely unrelated to the other games of the series. Also unlike previous C&C games, Generals and the Zero Hour expansion were developed by EA Los Angeles, where the remaining members of Westwood Studios were transferred to when EA shuttered Westwood's Las Vegas studios.

It uses a new engine called the "SAGE" engine and is the first fully three-dimensional Command & Conquer RTS game. Fans of the C&C universe were quick to note that it was the first C&C game ever that did not include cut scenes to tell the story, and it did not follow the story-driven genre in previous C&C titles.

In Generals, there are three different factions, which maintain a balance of power: the USA which adopts emergent technologies and support units; China, which swamps defences, and the Global Liberation Army, a terrorist network which uses low-tech ingenuity and guerrilla tactics. The Chinese and the USA are targets of the GLA.

This story is followed by the game's expansion pack: Command & Conquer: Generals: Zero Hour.