Command & Conquer 4 Developer Q&A #6

[Sonic 296]

The very latest round of questions and answers from the Command & Conquer 4 development team have been posted on the Official C&C Forums. Covered in this update are burrowing units, garrisonable infantry, APC’s, Engineers, Firehawks, and Hammerheads. Check them out below.

 

Can burrowed units move around underground, or do they sit in one spot waiting to ambush?

Burrowed units can move about underground and even traverse some map elements, such as cliffs. While most units move more slowly while burrowed, they also gain a bonus to their armor and can only be seen when detection is available in the area, allowing users to use burrowing as an effective means of getting into position.

 

Can teammates garrison a defense player’s bunker with their own defense class infantry?

Players cannot garrison the structures or units of other players. When we investigated this feature, we found several issues, including general player and UI confusion, units becoming “lost” when the garrisoned unit was sent to a remote location, and griefing potential, which ultimately resulted in the current system. Some structures, such as the tunnel and many neutral structures, are usable by all players on a team.

 

Is there an APC unit that can transport infantry, or a vehicle that allows them to shoot from inside?

Both Nod and GDI have APC-type vehicles. The GDI APC, called the Armadillo, is a heavily-armored, slower-moving vehicle with a powerful gun mounted on the roof. The Armadillo is best used to drive directly into enemy territory, especially when upgraded with a reflective dozer blade, allowing it to carve out a swath of damage. The Reckoner returns as the Nod APC, a rapid-transport system that units can only fire out of when the transport is deployed. The Reckoner gains both a range advantage and additional armor when deployed, and can burrow, allowing it to get into position with minimal difficulty or pop up unexpectedly behind enemy lines.

 

What abilities does an engineer have?

The engineer has received much more focus in C&C4, becoming a multi-functional unit that can fill several roles. Though fragile, the engineer can heal any nearby units, even from inside of transports and garrisons. Both engineers use a low-damage, fast-firing, area of effect weapon especially good at destroying enemy mine fields. Engineers can detect stealthed and burrowed units, traverse cliffs, and capture the husks of large units as well.

 

Are the GDI fan favorite Firehawk and Hammerhead returning from C&C3?

Indeed they are! The Firehawk is one of the fastest and most fragile units in the game and can quickly drop a payload of anti-aircraft rockets and anti-ground bombs before needing to re-arm (which occurs more rapidly in the presence of the Crawler). In addition, a max-tier support power calls in an elite squadron of Firehawks capable of doing a large amount of damage to all units in an area. The Hammerhead returns in a much beefier form as a heavy assault gunboat for GDI. Armed with dual rocket packs and a nose-mounted Gatling gun, the Hammerhead can dish out a large amount of damage to light and medium targets, and can be upgraded with Berzerk, a timed ability which massively increases the rate of fire of the unit, but decreases its movement speed and chance to hit.

Have a question of your own that you would like answered in the future. Then post in the Ask A Developer thread on the Official C&C Forums.

[ORCaLoVeR 0]

i hope they make a visual update of the firehawk....

[Inferno 22]

I hate to see the firehawk return

[Gben 20]

Woot - movement underground! I thought it was just going to be burrow in one spot.

I guess GDI will get some sort of detection, as stated, to combat this. I wonder if it will be unit or crawler specific?

But if they get an armour bonus while underground - does this mean you can target burrowed units???

[PurpleGaga27 40]

I hate to see the firehawk return

 

What's wrong with Firehawks? I love those air units which are way better than the combination of those RA3 fast aircraft.

 

The Reckoner on the other hand should have been renamed to a Subterranean Reckoner since it can dug underground to another place.

Edited October 24, 2009 by purplescrin

[Nmenth 291]

The Reckoner on the other hand should have been renamed to a Subterranean Reckoner since it can dug underground to another place.

The Devil's Tongue and Montauk didn't have the Subterranean label, I really don't think it is necessary. Should all aircraft get an Aircraft label?

[Inferno 22]

What's wrong with Firehawks? I love those air units which are way better than the combination of those RA3 fast aircraft.

 

The Reckoner on the other hand should have been renamed to a Subterranean Reckoner since it can dug underground to another place.

The fact that it doubles as fighter and bomber annoys me

[Nmenth 291]

The fact that it doubles as fighter and bomber annoys me

Those do exist, you know. They used to be called fighter bombers, but now are referred to as strike fighters (although a lot of games still go by the old title).

[Inferno 22]

I don't care about realism, I just hate the fact that they dual role. Kinda makes orcas redundant :/

[Nmenth 291]

Kinda makes orcas redundant :/

Orcas are useless. Firehawks and Hammerheads are all you need.

 

They could keep Firehawks in a dual role, but up the potency of the Orca to make it a heavy attack VTOL rather than the weakling. The Hammerhead gets overpowered in my opinion, when it has the ability to garrison troops.

 

Kind of started talking about C&C3 there... but this is C&C4 now... so I doubt it is the same scenario as C&C3, even if the same units.

[Inferno 22]

They could keep Firehawks in a dual role, but up the potency of the Orca to make it a heavy attack VTOL rather than the weakling. The Hammerhead gets overpowered in my opinion, when it has the ability to garrison troops.

Well it'd be a lot better if the dual role would be without having to switch weapons. And I'd like the Orca as the heavy hitting aircraft As for the Hammerhead, I'm sure they'll find a way to balance it, maybe through price/high tier.

[Mighty BOB! 5]

But if they get an armour bonus while underground - does this mean you can target burrowed units???

That's what it sounds like. Which would be really lame, but what else is new from EA these days?

[Gben 20]

Well it would be cool if GDI developed "land torpedoes" as a specific defence against burrowed units... that would be cool!

[BioBen 3]

Underground battles anyone?

[Renamon 0]

Well it would be cool if GDI developed "land torpedoes" as a specific defence against burrowed units... that would be cool!

 

I think they'll just modify an sonic emitter to create very small earthquakes.,, that would sound and look even cooler!![/i\!

[Inferno 22]

Or mole bombs/mole strikes

[Malevolence 6]

I am absolutely skeptical on the aircraft mechanic on crawlers.