Kane's Wrath Q&A at GameSpot

[Sonic 293]

GameSpot have posted an interview with EALA executive producer and vice president Mike Verdu, discussing the recently revealed expansion for C&C 3, Kane's Wrath. Here is a sample.....

 

GameSpot: Why did the team decide to create an expansion pack for Command & Conquer 3, rather than go off in a different direction or even start work on a full-fledged sequel?

 

Mike Verdu: An expansion pack felt like the right next step for us. We have a great story to tell, one that builds on the foundation established in Command & Conquer 3 and in previous games. We also wanted to give players a new strategic layer for our classic fast, fluid, and fun Command & Conquer gameplay, add some cool features, and introduce a bunch of new units and structures. Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath is a natural extension of Command & Conquer 3 in many ways, but it also adds some things which are truly new.

 

GameSpot: Give us an overview of what we can expect to see from the expansion pack. New units for each faction? A new playable faction? What's the main focus of the expansion?

 

Mike Verdu: Command & Conquer 3: Kane's Wrath features a new single-player campaign with a fresh story, a new set of live-action sequences with a celebrity cast, a new way to play Command & Conquer, and a wealth of new units, structures, and powers.

 

I'm particularly excited about the story and the campaign, where we will bridge the gap between Tiberian Sun and Command & Conquer 3, expand on what actually happened during the Third Tiberium War, and then take players into the future--after the events of Command & Conquer 3's story. The arc of this story is epic in scope and the chapters set just after Tiberian Sun will give longtime fans of the series something special.

 

When it comes to gameplay, our new "global domination" mode is the big story. Imagine a strategic layer added to the classic RTS game play that lets you wage war across the entire planet. We're also introducing subfactions with new units and structures for each of the sides in Command & Conquer 3--the Global Defense Initiative, the Brotherhood of Nod, and the alien Scrin. Each subfaction favors unique strategies and styles of play. It's also worth noting that we've answered the call of many fans to bring back hover technology to GDI and cyborgs to Nod.

 

If that weren't enough, we've chosen to use the Xbox 360 version of Kane's Wrath as the platform for our next-generation console RTS controls. We will debut a new in-game interface and control scheme that makes playing Command & Conquer on [a] console even more fun.

 

There's a lot of cool stuff...and we can't wait for fans to get their hands on this expansion.

To go with this new interview the first ever Kane's Wrath in game screen shots were included, and we have them right here for you....

 

 

Click here to read the rest of the interview.

[TheRoadToDawn 0]

Verdu: "It's also worth noting that we've answered the call of many fans to bring back hover technology to GDI and cyborgs to Nod."

I PiN the Fool Who said Cyborgs werent comin back!!!

 

Verdu: "When it comes to gameplay, our new "global domination" mode is the big story. Imagine a strategic layer added to the classic RTS game play that lets you wage war across the entire planet."

Thank You EA!

 

Verdu: "We're also introducing subfactions with new units and structures for each of the sides in Command & Conquer 3"

Another thing I wanted and is now granted. Awesome.

 

So pretty much everything that i have wanted and bragged for C&C3 in the forums, except for the mechs (BUT wait there has to be mechs if their linking TS to C&C3), for the last year will pretty much be given to us in this expansion. I think im going to cry :wink: (Just kidding). Cant wait to conquer Texas and London. :wink:

 

Post Edited by Admin - Don't use ugly colours. This is covered in the forum rules.

[Sonic 293]

Well it proves one thing, EA do listen to you guys. We give them so much ****, we have been very hard on them. And now they turn around and produce (on paper) something we can truly look forward to. The fact it they say it will bridge gap between Firestorm and C&C 3 peaks my interest.

 

So far, Kane's Wrath is shaping up to be everything C&C 3 should have been from the start.

 

APOC, if your reading this the music in Kane's Wrath needs to be 100% better!!

 

As with all C&C games I'll look forward to it. Final judgement will be when I actually play it for myself.

[Saracen 16]

Well it proves one thing, EA do listen to you guys. We give them so much s***, we have been very hard on them. And now they turn around and produce (on paper) something we can truly look forward to. The fact it they say it will bridge gap between Firestorm and C&C 3 peaks my interest.

 

So far, Kane's Wrath is shaping up to be everything C&C 3 should have been from the start.

 

APOC, if your reading this the music in Kane's Wrath needs to be 100% better!!

 

As with all C&C games I'll look forward to it. Final judgement will be when I actually play it for myself.

 

I quote this for 100% truth. In all honesty I will buy this since it's bridging the gap between the 2 games. This expansion is a chance for ultimate redemption. I know Apoc thinks I'm a cold hearted, over critical sour piece of fruit, but this product could be the turnaround that's needed.

 

But it's the final game that matters. And I will unfortunately go into this expansion with the same opinion of how I hold C&C 3. How I come out of it however, we'll have to wait and see. Because the real question on my lips will be.... How well have they listened to the fans feedback. Cos I know Apoc would love nothing more than to change my stance on the C&C Franchise.

[splintercellguy 0]

Make it run like Windows 98 without the bugs and I'll be happy.

[Redmond Boyle 0]

I'm really expecting the Expansion pack now, and propably the next cnc(4). Those features are pretty cool, I hope all the new maps ain't symmetric tho...

[Sonic 293]

Read what Banshee posted here http://forums.cncnz.com/viewtopic.php?p=119053#119053, if all goes to plan Kane's Wrath should have some kick ass maps!

[-NickoheaD- 0]

Oh my.. I'm actually feeling more excited by this than I was for C&C3 prior to it's release. I cant wait.

 

Edit: Those new GDI vehicles look like a mobile variation of the Sonic Emitter base defence. A hover disruptor tank?

[sith_wampa 6]

~_~ I hate those sonic things...

 

I have to say, Sonic and King are right. Everything both you guys said really sums it up.

[PunWisp 0]

HAHAHAHA Mobile Sonic Emitters, NICE. Wont that piss off the apposing player when they egt overhwlemed by mobile emitters hahaha

 

also have fun getting them to play it on windows 98, it wouldnt be as good as on xp and above, besides you should get xp, good games nowdays want xp and above, late rin the future games will only work on vista and above, so sooner or later you guys have to switch to vista HAHAHAHA

 

 

anyways i saw a few other units, designs look a little cheesy but they arnt finished so im sure they will do better. I wonder if EA was actually planning this fromt he beggining, to show what happend before C&C 3, sense most of you were pissed saying (they changed so much, it fails storywise) i told you guys to think on what happend in between... that many things must have happend in between tiberian sun and C&C 3 but noo, and now they are going to show us what happend

 

anyways so far i like what im seeing besides the fact they put cyborgs as squads... atleast Nod has there own zone troopers, hahahaha

 

so much for nod sucking badly?

 

my bet is they will have a nod stealth subfaction, even though nod istelf mostly specializes in stealth

 

also give up your hopes on the MkIII or w/e the big freaking tank we saw in tiberian sun you could only have, it says in intel it costs too much for GDI to keep making them and having them getting destroyed by NOD, however my bet is the best one they had (read intel) will come in as a super unit for GDI

[-NickoheaD- 0]

also give up your hopes on the MkIII or w/e the big freaking tank we saw in tiberian sun you could only have, it says in intel it costs too much for GDI to keep making them and having them getting destroyed by NOD, however my bet is the best one they had (read intel) will come in as a super unit for GDI

Well, if it's set after Tiberian Sun, you never know. Besides, I doubt anyone would mind if they retcon some of that intel stuff, especially that bit about hover technology.

[PunWisp 0]

oh, now that i think about it, they actually might have MkIII in he prequal storymode but not able to build after C&C 3 took place

 

it might actually show why they were taken off the war thign(even though ti said on intel

[splintercellguy 0]

also have fun getting them to play it on windows 98, it wouldnt be as good as on xp and above, besides you should get xp, good games nowdays want xp and above, late rin the future games will only work on vista and above, so sooner or later you guys have to switch to vista HAHAHAHA

 

Apparently you are unschooled in the art of figurative expressions. I never said EA should port C&C 3 to an ancient DOS-based OS whose support has long since been discontinued. If you've ever run Windows 98 on modern hardware, you'll notice that the performance is quite good for its limitations and issues. And no, don't tell me I never ran Windows 98 the same way I "never ran" Windows Vista. Plus, if you even paid attention to the wonderful 20-page long thread in Tech section, perhaps you would have figured out that I run XP/Ubuntu. There's not all that much reason why a game cannot support Windows 9x OSes, however obsolete that would be. GetProcAddress anybody?

 

anyways i saw a few other units, designs look a little cheesy but they arnt finished so im sure they will do better. I wonder if EA was actually planning this fromt he beggining, to show what happend before C&C 3, sense most of you were pissed saying (they changed so much, it fails storywise) i told you guys to think on what happend in between... that many things must have happend in between tiberian sun and C&C 3 but noo, and now they are going to show us what happend

 

Well, if you paid a smidgen of attention, EA kinda confessed to bungling the continuity of the C&C universe.

 

anyways so far i like what im seeing besides the fact they put cyborgs as squads... atleast Nod has there own zone troopers, hahahaha

 

GDI is the only faction that has Zone Troopers.

 

so much for nod sucking badly?

 

my bet is they will have a nod stealth subfaction, even though nod istelf mostly specializes in stealth

 

By your reasoning, next GDI will have its own Transformers subfaction, and the Scrin will have its own cheesy B-rated movie invasion subfaction.

[sith_wampa 6]

lawlz punwisp pwnt

[PunWisp 0]

omg.... pleas re-read my post and actually "think" about what is aid about zone troopers... i was talking about how GDI has there own advanced infatry squads, which was zone troopers, and the cyborgs were nods... i wasnt talking about nod literaly havong zone troopers...

 

the last quote you made was rather stupid... wasnt much of a point... i was saying ndo will most likely have a faction that mainly circles around stealth.. apprently you didnt catch this... instead you were being a smartass, acting like im talking nonsense when Nod prob will have this faction

 

crdgohan, you need to stop with your crap, its annoying enough seeing you send pms harrassing me then in random topics saying "pwned" all your doing is being a spammer

[sith_wampa 6]

Umm.. Spamming? Your bitching and complaining is so much more appropriate than my "spam."

 

Once again you said something (that Nod had Zone Troopers) as if it were truth. Cyborgs and Zone Troopers are different. If you knew anything about C&C you would know that.

[Gben 20]

anyways so far i like what im seeing besides the fact they put cyborgs as squads... atleast Nod has there own zone troopers, hahahaha

GDI is the only faction that has Zone Troopers.

 

No it's a good analagy. Cyborg squads, become the equivalent of Zone Troopes.

 

so much for nod sucking badly?

 

my bet is they will have a nod stealth subfaction, even though nod istelf mostly specializes in stealth

 

By your reasoning, next GDI will have its own Transformers subfaction, and the Scrin will have its own cheesy B-rated movie invasion subfaction.

 

Hey I like the *idea* of a Mech GDI subfaction... that would certainly appease a "VOCAL MINORITY" - you know who you are!

 

And the SCRIN invasion subfaction would have to be... drum roll please... RA Ants!!!

 

.

.

.

Anyway what's the nod carrier though? Is it an underground apc?

 

-gben

[TheRoadToDawn 0]

Listen, with the gap between TS and TW being filled, I believe all the old TS units (or at least the good ones) will be making a comeback including the walker.

 

I wonder if the subterranian units and the amphibious tech will make a return...nah or at least as units you cannot control.

 

Anyway, I was thinking and here is what subsides I could think of that could be included in Kane's Wrath.

 

GDI :g: :

*Old GDI (with original TS tech)-sounds a bit too much, I know, but still is a possibility.

*Hover GDI

*Mech GDI ( featuring all the mechs, retired or not! It would be my side )

*Trooper GDI (featuring the old medic and maybe a return of the RA: Aftermath mechanic)

*ORCA GDI (The return of the orcas)

 

NOD :n: :

*Cyborg NOD (Another possible favorite)

*Tiberium NOD (Bio-Tib weapons like the Bio General from ZH)

*Laser Nod (all the laser tech)

*Old Nod (the original TS Nod)

*Stealth Nod

 

Scrin , Since the faction is new and small, all i could think of is the following:

*Mutant Allied Scrin-Forgotten making a return and being absorbed into the Scrin. They r both Tib-Freaks.

*Bio Scrin- Scrin armed with even more Tib-Bio that turn everything into tiberium faster.

[Aaron Kaufman 0]

We've got a ways to go with the expansion pack, but we've known for a while this is the storied route we'd like to pursue. I'm not out on any personal mission to convince any single person. We have an opportunity to fill a missing gap in the C&C fiction and answer some burning questions, I love the challenge and look forward to unraveling it with you guys.

 

As for listening to the fans, I think the overall theme of the expansion pack speaks for itself right there, its truly an expansion and story that caters to our hardcore. Of course, many other C&C 3 players will pick it up, but I agree this one is really gunning for you guys. Post your feedback and i'll take it back to the team.

 

As for the music Sonic, we definitely hear that and its a key learning we take from C&C 3. You know one thing i'd like to say is our Audio team is extremely talented. The sound effects for the game and FMV's in C&C 3 are top notch.

 

I agree the music didn't have a real hook or style to it and we'll make every effort to change that in the future. You pick your composers and you win some, and you sort of win some others )

 

I have a soft spot for Frank Klapecki just as the rest of you do....

 

-APOC

[Gben 20]

You can't please ALL the people ALL the time...

 

Well speaking from someone who enjoyed C&C3, I'm looking forward to the 'fleshing out' of missing chapters. It seems a tough ask to satisfy all the HATERS with just a few missions set in the past. Although this does seem to be more of a token effort on your part.

 

(I worry how you balance old tech v new tech) in skirmish games unless this is balanced somehow by being locked to specific factions.

 

I can see the old-school gdi mechs v the new school in a mod coming to your screens in the short term.

 

Anyway, APOC, can you hint at what proportion of the missions take place in what time periods (compared to C&C3 as the present)?

 

-gben

[Mario 0]

APOC, if your reading this the music in Kane's Wrath needs to be 100% better!!

YES BRING BACK FRANK KLEPACKI

[sith_wampa 6]

As for the music Sonic, we definitely hear that and its a key learning we take from C&C 3. You know one thing i'd like to say is our Audio team is extremely talented.

 

I hate to say it, but I do think someone said this during the making of C&C3 as well.. :?

[Sonic 293]

As for the music Sonic, we definitely hear that and its a key learning we take from C&C 3. You know one thing i'd like to say is our Audio team is extremely talented. The sound effects for the game and FMV's in C&C 3 are top notch.

 

I agree the music didn't have a real hook or style to it and we'll make every effort to change that in the future. You pick your composers and you win some, and you sort of win some others )

The thing that really bothers me is after C&C 3 was officially announced and it was confirmed that Frank Klepacki wouldn't be doing the music, it was then stated that EA were aware of the fans concerns about the music and the audio team at EALA were studying Frank Klapecki's work and the fans wouldn't be disappointed.

 

Once we found out that Steve Jablonsky was brought in we all expected something special, but we didn't get that. Just some uninspiring, unmemorable musical samples. If Steve Jablonsky was responsible for all the music he did a crap job.

 

It would be better if some of the music from C&C and Tiberian Sun was used in place instead.

 

I will agree though, yes the in game sound effects and FMV's sounds were great.

 

As for getting Frank Klepacki to do the music for Kane's Wrath..... a real long shot I'd say. He does work for a rival company.

[TheRoadToDawn 0]

Once we found out that Steve Jablonsky was brought in we all expected something special, but we didn't get that. Just some uninspiring, unmemorable musical samples. If Steve Jablonsky was responsible for all the music he did a crap job.

 

Now I dont like harpin on EA, since they did a great job on C&C3, but yes the amount of music on TW is lacking to say the least. Five songs does not amount to the total soundtracks the old C&C games had, no matter how good the music in TW was.

[sith_wampa 6]

The thing that really bothers me is after C&C 3 was officially announced and it was confirmed that Frank Klepacki wouldn't be doing the music, it was then stated that EA were aware of the fans concerns about the music and the audio team at EALA were studying Frank Klapecki's work and the fans wouldn't be disappointed.

 

There's what I'm talking about. Ty Sonic.