Steve Tall
Q: How long have you been working on Red Alert, and how big is the development team?
A: A small team started work on Red Alert pretty much as soon as Command & Conquer shipped. More people were added to the team as time went on and we expanded our original idea of what Red Alert should be. Now, at the end of the project, there are 9 programmers, 7 artists and 4 designers. When you add in the audio and video guys it`s probably close to 30.
Q: Will the game be a Windows 95 only product, or are you working on a DOS version as well?
A: There will be a DOS version of Red Alert as well as a native Windows 95 version. The Windows 95 version will have SVGA graphics and internet play built in, but the DOS version will require a lower hardware platform to run.
You can mix and match versions in multiplayer modes and play DOS against Windows.
Q: Will Red Alert be shipped as an addon disk for C&C;, or is it a stand alone product?
A: Red Alert is a stand alone game and does not require C&C; to run. Like C&C;, it will ship on 2 CDs - one for the Allied side and one for the Soviets. This also allows 2 players to play a multiplayer game without buying two copies of the game.
Q: What can you tell us about Red Alert, and how will it be different/better than the original Command & Conquer?
A: Red Alert is the prequel to Command & Conquer. The basic scenario is that World War II never happened (it`s all explained in the movies!) and instead the Soviet Union, under Stalin, increased in power and aggression. Red Alert is about the conflict between the Soviets and the western European allies.
The game engine has improved considerably over C&C; with a larger play area, better computer intelligence and more multiplayer options.
Q: What made you choose a WW2-type setting?
A: Beats me guvnor, I'm only a programmer :-)
Q: How good will the enemy AI be in Red Alert, and have any improvements been made in this area?
A: The computers AI has had a lot of upgrades for Red Alert. It can build bases now and not just replace original buildings that get destroyed. It`s also somewhat smarter at defending its base. In fact, even a single AI player in a multiplayer game can give the human players some real problems. Well, it can beat me anyway....
Q: Does the game develop in the same as way C&C;, with more unit types becoming available as the game progresses?
A: Yes, pretty much. Red Alert has more unit types and more variety in the levels than C&C; had, so there is always something new and interesting to see. And, as with C&C;, you get different units depending on which side you play. The Soviet units tend to be slow and powerful, where as the Allies have units that are faster but less well endowed, and this gives significantly different challenges depending on which side you choose to play.
Q: Can you provide us with a list of some of the new unit types we can expect to see?
A: I can throw some names at you but you really need to see them in action to appreciate their role in the game.
We have new super weapons such as the "Chronosphere", the "Iron Curtain" and the "Tesla Coil".
There are more air power options in RA. You can build various different types of "Planes" and "Helicopters" and you have better control over them than in C&C.; Of course there are also more "Anti-Aircraft" defences to balance the Planes.
There are new infantry types too. The "Spy" lets you sneak into your opponenets base without him knowing, the "Medic" can heal your troops and the "Thief" can steal your enemies credits.
Red Alert also has new naval units including "Transports", "Cruisers" and Submarines.
Q: Will managing local recourses (Tiberium) be as important as it was in C&C;?
A: In Red Alert, Tiberium has been replaced by "Ore" and "Gems", and Harvesters by "Ore Trucks", but the principle remains the same. Keeping your trucks safe and your credits rolling in is vital to any winning strategy.
Q: Would you say the game is tougher than C&C; or just holds different challenges?
A: Well that`s kind of up to the player as Red Alert has a difficulty level setting which should prove useful for those players who found C&C; too easy or too difficult. There is certainly more variety in the missions, units and structures available, so it should provide a long term challenge to any level of player.
Getting to know all the new units and using them to best advantage should be a challenge in itself.
Q: Have you implemented any improvements that were suggested by players of the original?
A: Yes, feedback from players is very important to us. There were a few things that came to light after the release of C&C; that have been addressed in Red Alert. Things like building a sandbag wall right into your enemies base and then sticking an obelisk on the end of it. Not sporting at all.
Q: Will a level editor be included with the game?
A: Yes, there is a stand alone editor with the game that will allow you to create your own maps. These maps can be used in multiplayer games if you can find anyone brave enough to play against you on your own map!
Q: Can you tell us what the multi-players options will be?
A: Basically the same as C&C; but with the number of players in IPX games increased to eight. Its great fun playing four human players allied against 4 AI players on a large map. Complete mayhem :-). And, of course, up to 8 human players can play too. Red Alert also has the addition of head to head internet play built into the Windows 95 version. Internet games can be set up via Westwoods chat server and the chat software will be included on the Red Alert CDs. If you want to get a head start, you can download a version of our chat program from our web site at http://www.westwood.com/ and get chatting.
Q: What other improvements and new features can we look forward to?
A: Red Alert is improved over C&C; in pretty much all departments with better audio, graphics and movies than its predecessor. The Windows version looks particularly good because of the hi-res graphics and the larger viewing area.
For the masochistic among us, we have a new mode called 'skirmish' where you can play against up to 7 computer AI opponents, each with its own base building capability.
Q: Bearing in mind that Red Alert is based heavily on the original C&C;, did you have any major problems with the programming?
A: There is a lot of new technology in Red Alert - especially in the Windows 95 version - so that has given us plenty to do. There haven't really been any huge programming problems other than what you would expect in a project of this size. We have so much code now that it could easily get out of control if we aren't careful. Fortunately, the Red Alert programming team is very experienced and we have a solid code base to work from so things have gone pretty smoothly.
Q: What sort of PC system will we need to run Red Alert, and will it take advantage of any of the new 3D accelerator cards?
A: The DOS version requirement are the same as those for C&C.; 486/66, 8Mb RAM, 2x CD etc.
The Windows 95 version has higher requirements - Pentium, 16Mb recommended, 2x CD and local bus accellerated video. We dont use any 3D accellerator functionality at this time. The Windows 95 version makes use of DirectX.
Q: What is the anticipated release date?
A: November 96. You can check out our web site at http://www.westwood.com/ for the latest release date.
Q: Will you be releasing a MAC version of Red Alert, and if so what is the anticipated release date?
A: This will probably depend on how well the Mac version of C&C; sells.
Q: Are you planning another C&C; sequel in the future, and if so can you tell us anything about it?
A:C&C; II, Tiberian Sun will be the next game in the C&C; line. I'll say nothing about it just yet. Check out the trailer :-)
Q: We are beginning to see computer games containing detailed, hi res texture mapped, goroud shaded polygons and a wealth of features which demand more memory, fast display cards and faster processors. Do you think that this software is now dictating the minimum spec home PC?
A: Well, if it is, I don`t think anyone has told the major PC manufacturers. They seem to be quite content to sell 'off the shelf' systems that perform really badly. For example, certain PC manufacturers are selling high speed pentiums with only 8Mb of RAM and a slow, 1Mb video card. They seem to think that if they bung in a 28800 modem and a fastish CD drive, and put a big sticker on the machine extolling its virtues, that people won't notice its fundamentally crippled by a lack of RAM. Unfortunately, in the main, they seem to be right as the general public continues to buy these dogs.
So, no. I think that the minimum spec PC is dictated by the bloated operating systems and overly complex applications that we use. Perhaps that will change if Microsoft can take a large chunk of the games market, but that`s a scary thought in itself.
Many thanks to Steve Tall for answering my questions.
(If you would like to put any questions to Steve or the team at Westwood Studios, please email me at wip@game-over.co.uk and I will pass your comments on to them, and hopefully report back with an update in the next issue.)We look forward to the release of Command & Conquer: Red Alert which is scheduled for sometime at the end of November 1996.Gadget
(Copyright 1996 Westwood Studios, Game-Over!)
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