Supreme Commander

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Supreme Commander
"Strategy on a galactic scale"
Genre(s): Real Time Strategy, Sci Fi Platform(s): PC Release Date: Main game - 2007, Feb Forged Alliance - 2007 Nov Developer(s): Gas Powered Games Publisher(s): THQ Successor: Supreme Commander 2

Supreme commander is an real time strategy game created by Chris Taylor and Published by THQ in 2007. An expansion was later released in November 2007. The game is a spiritual successor to Chris Taylor's previous RTS game Total Annihilation.

The game is set in a distant future where humanity has colonised space with teleportation technology but years of separatist movements has caused a divide amongst all the planets within the galaxy, with 3 major factions UEF, Cybran and Aeon in a war that spans over a millennium. During this war, commanders pilot gigantic robot suits that are capable of constructing bases primarily designed to deploy unmanned war machines. Forged Alliance's story happens after the war in which an alien faction known as the Seraphim invade the galaxy along with rogue Aeon cultists, and a Cybran supercomputer being hacked to serve the invaders. Overwhelmed by this, the UEF forms an alliance with Aeon loyalists and Cybran to combat the threats.

The gameplay involves a commander known as the Armoured Command Unit which the player plays as they are used to construct buildings and command factories to build an army while at the same time managing an economy based on scrap mass and electricity. Units and buildings are separated by tech tiers corresponding to their tech rank.

Why It Rocks

1. Supreme Commander has a lot of things that deviate it from other real time strategy titles. It's a strategy game that truly delivers grand scale strategy with much focus on strategy and management over control of the game. Compared to other titles, Supreme Commander is not focused on fast reactions of the user, rather designed around player's decisive army compositions and economy management with many facilitating features, layers of counterplay and gameplay differences to emphasise this, while also simplifies on RTS aspects like tech trees or unit types and accommodates battles of large scale in all terrain: land, air and sea!
2. It is one of the few strategy games with virtually no limits to how much or quickly you can expand your army! Apart from a maximum unit cap (which is 500), there is no restriction on how much of a unit or building you can manufacture meaning that you can build a massive army of hundreds of smaller tanks or create groups of game ending experimentals!
3. The strategic depth in this game is very immersive and yet simple to control at the same time. More aspects like economy, stealth and intel are heavily focused as well. The core gameplay as well is easy to learn initially but hard to master.
4. As a successor to Total Annihilation, it improves many aspects from the predecessor including: Commanders being more sturdier and adaptable in late game, a defined 3rd tech layer and less complex tech transitions, simplified unit roster and the ability to directly upgrade certain buildings instead of building new structures from unreached tech level.
5. Play as 3 (Four in Forged Alliance) in the game, each with their own strengths and weaknesses along with unit selections:
   • United Earth Federation - An authoritarian and xenophobic empire, they want to restore order to the galaxy by using their planet destroying device Black Sun to obliterate any enemy planets. Their weaponry is based around heavily armoured vehicles with multiple armaments, slow firing weapons and projectiles which is especially problematic in their anti-air defences being prone to missing fast targets. Some of UEF's known units are: the Summit class battleships which are mighty warships equipped with 3 triple barrelled guns with long range and high impact but slow reload times, Titan a land assault bot with fast movement, quick firing plasma guns and equipped with personal shields, or the Stinger which is a gunship that can fire fast shredding bullets and can carry one Tech 1-2 unit.
   • Cybran - A faction consisting of cyborgs who want independence from UEF. Their army consist of robots with fast accurate lasers but weak armour and are focused on stealth. Notable units include Salem class destroyers which are warships that are able to swim and walk on land, Gemini an air fighter with stealth and tracking missiles that almost guarantee a kill on their target or the Mantis a T1 bot with weak firepower but the versatile ability to heal others or assist construction.
   • Aeon - Cultist faction that follows an alien religion which they use to restore peace to the galaxy. Aeon doctrine involves heavy damage units with singular weaponry, light armour and some mobility advantage with hovering units which can bypass water giving them early advantage on navy. Their units include: Shimmer a tech 1 bomber with a payload that paralyses targets, the Harbinger a tech 3 siege bot with great firepower and handy ability to reclaim wreckage and the Aurora which is a tier 1 tank that can hover and has additional sight range but weak armour.
6. Simplistic progression. There are no branches of technology trees that restrict access to high level weapons and the process to obtaining them is straightforward with only one step. Unlike most strategy games, the only thing limiting progress is a tier system that has higher level units of that tier in which a Factory can immediately access this level if the resources are stable enough. Compared to other games which have you complete a set of research walls or build side-structures to purchase that unit you need. All tech from that tier are essentially unlocked once the factory has reached the level.
7. Economy also functions differently and is more focused than other RTS games but to sum it up: you don't need the exact amount of resources to build the weapons you need. You can produce something regardless of your surplus but with overproduction comes at the cost of slowing all current construction if your storage hits negative.
   • Another huge advantage is that you are also able to reclaim wreckage of troops and buildings to transfer directly to storage which allows for more opportunities to boost your economy rather than waiting for the right amount of resources. Mass is also quite abundant in which most map environment objects like boulders or even small trees are worth reclaiming.
   • And another mechanic the game expands on is that the pace of your construction can be fully controlled for a faster build speed with the cost of outputting more resources. There's no limit to how many engineers can assist something in construction, all of it is judged by how well your economy can handle meaning that you can reach higher tech whenever you want and still overcome and acquire even if you have negative storage and slow production rate.
8. Lots of great details were put into the battles, vehicles and the controls. For example: Every unit's projectiles actually matter to hit their target in which terrain can be a factor in blocking it, or aircraft actually manoeuvring while in combat instead of just hovering. Air transports also accurately transport their cargo based on how many units fit into their claws and even their layout too (A T1 can fit 1 claw, T2 takes up twice amount and T3 three times the space) instead of an arbitrary inventory that can hold a number of units regardless of type or squad size. Another small but advantageous feature added is the ability to assign formations on mixed units which is significant as this solves the problem other RTS had: units bumping into each other while moving, forming into vulnerable clusters or going too far ahead from the group. This allows them to become spread out evenly and that certain unit types like anti air or shields will be placed automatically in optimal positions.
9. Every unit is basic in function. What unit you pick to build is what you get, and that also means that no unit is particularly too well rounded against others. However apart from certain buildings like factories or radar systems, the only unit that is capable of upgrades are the Commander units which differ from faction.
   • There is a veterancy system that does change the units base health and gives a regeneration that increases with each level. Each time a unit kills a certain amount, they level up and that gets higher each time.
10. Another highlight of this game is the maps are absolutely massive! Apparently, the maps span for kilometres and the units are quite large than real life, they also provide quite openly large amount of space for your land or naval units to move around or establish multiple bases.
11. Strategic Zoom, the most prominent feature Supreme Commander has introduced to the genre, no longer you are restricted with a single nonadjustable viewpoint, this ingenious mechanic lets you zoom the camera seamlessly to the entire view of the map as if it were a minimap! Everything can be interacted with regardless of the zoom distance! Reduces the need to use hotkeys for camera binds, and instrumental in intercepting threats quicker, coordination of assaulting multiple fronts and defending your home base without the need to micro between hotkeys with these combinations further enhancing the experience of commanding a large scale battalion.
12. And to aid with the beneficial potency of strategic zoom, Supreme Commander sheds light onto the intel feature of many RTS tend to overlook in which it provides readability and accessibility. Instead of appearing as the same dots on the map, all units have their own unique symbols and ranks to denote their role, an intuitive design that identifies threats without needing to closely inspect them.
13. Incredible graphics that are still high quality for a 2007 game and still hold up well.
14. Very diverse range of units for all factions and all factions have their own unique ones. From aerial transports that carry land units, shield towers that cover bases, nuclear submarines, gigantic artillery cannons, to walking warships and tanks that are able to traverse to seafloor! The game provides an assortment of unique units to counter whatever threat you need. The variety is quite creative but balanced at the same time.
15. Create and command gigantic super-weapons, Experimentals are phenomenal and efficient game changers when played correctly. Each of them are strong on what they do but can be overwhelmed by proper countermeasures. They are a viable solution to destroying something without having to resort to spamming lesser armies. Expensive and powerful they may be but are worth building once completed and reminder that there is no maximum build limit to them:
    • Monkeylord - Cybran's most dangerous experimental that is one of the cheapest out all experimentals to manufacture. They are a spider-like mecha with a huge laser cannon that tears everything in second and even more terrifying is that it has stealth (normal radar cannot detect) so its a threat that's very game ending to commanders if not spotted, air units like gunships will shred this sneaky threat.
    • Fatboy - A gigantic tank from the UEF that functions as a mobile factory for land units. They include a large shield and four heavy cannons protecting the tank at all angles. The Fatboy cannons deter hordes of weaker units and snipes bases from afar but aren't as effective when engaging stronger enemies like experimentals and air units and that they are vulnerable without shields.
    • Galactic Colossus - Aeon titanic assault bot with high amounts of health equipped with an eye beam and hands that can grab and destroy small units but lacks air defence measures. The Colossus can walk underwater but cannot fire their weapons and has counter-stealth radar.
    • CZAR - A ring shaped flying aircraft carrier built by Aeon that is equipped with a laser in the centre. As the name implies, they can build aircraft and have anti-air weaponry and can counter naval enemies with depth charges.
    • Scathis - A rapid fire mobile artillery from Cybran that shoots inaccurate but large damaging shells at a fast pace.
16. The campaign is mostly challenging with levels and AI and can be played with all 3 factions in their own perspective.
17. Interesting storyline and lore. The game takes an approach that makes the goals of the factions feel more sensible but not very one dimensional. All factions have very understandable motivations and fleshed backstories with both good and bad reasons: the UEF using their militaristic powers to stabilize humankind and imprisoning enemies of the state especially Cybran, the Aeon want to take down an authoritarian empire while assimilating inhabitants to their religion and purging those who disagree with them, and the Cybran simply wanting freedom for their enslaved cyborgs but with using aggressive methods such as conducting raids in return.
18. Instead of static HQ buildings for each player, the Armoured Command Units take this role. They are gigantic mechas capable of constructing and fighting, they are much more versatile than regular engineers as they can construct structures or units faster themselves and decently defends against most small armies. Each faction's commander also has their own unique upgrades as well like the UEF getting engineering drones or a backpack ICBM launcher, the Cybran with a cloaking field or fast melting laser, or the Aeon having an EMP blasting gun, increased vision or advanced resource generator backpack.

Forged Alliance

1. This expansion significantly overhauls much more of the gameplay over the original and improves on things more such as more accurate AI targeting, overhauled user interface, adjusted economy and speeding up projectiles and units.
2. Introduces a brand new faction, the Seraphim. The Seraphim are an alien faction that is somewhat of fuse of Aeon and UEF, armoured units and high damaging weaponry. Their units include: Othuum a T3 siege tank with heavy weapons of rapid firing rates and amphibious capabilities, Uashavoh a warship has accurate beam cannons that tear easily and can submerge, and the Ilshovah which is a tech 2 bot that is well armoured and packs a punch with rapidly strong bolter rounds. Seraphim commanders are more combat oriented with upgrades including a powerful gun upgrade, major health upgrades or a healing field that increases base health of troops. Their experimentals include:
   • Ythotha - A gargantuan robot that rivals the Galactic Collusus in height and strength. They have more powerful weapons than the collusus but with slower DPS. However, the mecha's true power comes when it dies as it will release an energy storm that damages around the area. They are well rounded against most land experimentals but have weak anti-air capabilities.
   • Ahwassa - Superhuge bomber that is fast but its size makes it vulnerable to anti-air, but the load it drops is highly damaging.
   • Yolona Oss - Seraphim's experimental missile launcher. Essentially a game ender once built but its missiles require massive resource to produce. These nukes have gigantic range and withstand a few anti-nukes. However even if the nukes are destroyed, the silo can produce them faster than the target can produce more countermeasures.
3. A new campaign involving factions, it is a single campaign you can play as any faction (except Seraphim). What makes this campaign much more enjoyable is that not only the missions are much grander scale but you have most tech unlocked leading to some more experimentation on how you complete your objectives.
4. New units were introduced which not only expanded more unit types but also gave the factions some changes that balanced them or unique weapons for them such as:
   • Fighter Bombers (Cybran and UEF) - Although they were added in a patch, these planes bridged the gap of T2 interceptors and bombers. The UEF's Janus fighter has a napalm doing more damage but with a weak railgun for anti air, the Cybran's Corsair has a missile that can switch between land or air targets and can track their air targets. However, Aeon do not have a Fighter bomber but instead have T2 interceptors which are focused more on dogfighting. Previously before patches, to gain air superiority, you either had to spam T1 interceptors or unlock Tech 3 air factory for T3 interceptors. Now this addition helps to have least more cost effecient for dealing with air forces or bombing sturdier targets at Tech 2.
   • Continental (UEF) - A T3 Air transport that is capable of carrying over 28 units! They come with air to air missiles and a shield to protect against airbourne threats or their cargo from anti-air.
   • Novax Satellite Centre (UEF) - A new experimental weapon for the UEF. It is a building that deploys a satellite that can travel any point in the map slowly and assassinate targets with its low damaging laser. The satellite cannot be targeted by anything in which the control centre must be destroyed to kill the satellite.
   • Megalith - Another new experimental for the Cybran. They are an amphibious gigantic crab-like mecha with the ability to create limited selection of land units and has powerful weaponry which is especially more geared towards navy with strong torpedoes and battleship cannons.
   • Paragon - A factory that generates infinite resources for the commander. It is beneficial to the player's economy as it can help build units without disruptions of lack of resources. However it is easy to destroy if left unguarded in which it leaves a nuclear explosion upon destruction.
   • Ravager (UEF) - A T3 defence turret that is a chaingun that can shred anything in seconds. This building is useful for compensanting the UEF'S T2 defences being slow to react to multiple land targets.
   • HARMS (Cybran) - T3 torpedo defence system. Unlike most other torpedo defence, HARMS is completely submerged meaning that most surface units cannot target them and only torpedo bombers, submarines or engineers (Only Aeon or Seraphim as they hover, immune to torpedoes) can dismantle them. HARMS shoots a volley of torpedoes to targets that overwhelm countermeasures.
   • Engineering Stations - New additions for the Cybran and UEF. These special buildings deploy construction drones that have significantly higher build power than regular engineers and intended to boost construction, allowing the factions to outproduce opponents or quickly set up experimental without dedicating to building additional engineers or automate repairs.

Bad qualities

1. Because of how large battles can be, it can require a decently powered specs to run smoothly.
2. AI of units can be sometimes dumb in which they can fire through terrain that blocks projectiles.
3. Prior to the Forged Alliance expansion, the original felt slower paced which can be detrimental to the gameplay: one example being units having slow projectile speeds that made targeting inaccurate especially on moving targets or killing units not very efficient enough.
4. You cannot reclaim ships once they are destroyed, this is somewhat problematic as naval units tend to be more expensive than land or air and that they have long build times especially on battleships. Its not restricted to ships, amphibious or air units remains also cannot be claimed underwater.
5. Content on single player campaigns (including the expansion) are comparatively low to other Real Time Strategy games as there are only 6 missions on each faction although these do make up for being large in scale and objectives.

Reception

At the 2006 E3, Supreme Commander gained a lot of positive reception from critics and won multiple awards with some of them including, E3 awarding the game for being the first RTS with strategic zoom and best strategy game of E3 2006. After the release, the game was widely acclaimed by the audiences and critics with reviews praising the gigantic scale of the game and immersive gameplay.

Trivia

• The game is still popular and supported by the community who have kept it alive and made mods that balanced a few things. This later became moulded into the Forged Alliance Forever Mod.

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