► me beating off to RA3
I've gained appreciation for the level names in Red Alert 3. They're titles of old movies, or Zagor episodes. For example, a level in which you invade a Russian village on new year's is named ''The Death of Father Frost''. You stop the soviet premier from escaping to space, and it's called ''The Moon Shall Never Have Them''. You wield a giant samurai mech, and it's called ''Behold the Mighty Saint of Swords''. RA3 conveys its corny tone in many other ways, but I like this touch of extra commitment.
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It's my favourite example of a campy game, better than ra2 or resi 4, in no small part due to the unit voice lines. They help sell the tone better, and serve as good cooldown between the actors camping it up in the cutscenes without letting the tone dissipate. It makes a good case that RTS is better equipped to handle camp than any other genre.
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It's my favourite example of a campy game, better than ra2 or resi 4, in no small part due to the unit voice lines. They help sell the tone better, and serve as good cooldown between the actors camping it up in the cutscenes without letting the tone dissipate. It makes a good case that RTS is better equipped to handle camp than any other genre.
► me beating off to Supreme Commander
Every single unit un Supreme Commander having a cool nickname is a touch of creativity I really appreciate. As well as the consistency of the themes of each faction, the UEF being squarejawed jocks, Cybrans being edgy teens, the Aeon being hare krishna hippies. Look at this. https://supcom.fandom.com/wiki/Complete_unit_list
>Cybran T3 Armoured Assault Bot: The Brick
>Cybran T1 Light Gunship: Jester
>Cybran T2 Gunship: Renegade
>Cybran T3 Heavy Artillery Installation: Distruptor (might as well be called "middle finger")
>Cybran T3 Strategic Missile Submarine: Plan B
>Cybran T3 Battleship: Galaxy Class
>Cybran T2 Point Defense: Cerberus
>UEF T3 Battleship: Summit Class
>UEF T2 Shield Boat: Bulwark
>UEF T3 Heavy Gunship: Broadsword
>UEF T2 Missile Launcher: Flapjack
>UEF T3 Strategic Missile Launcher: Stonager (points deducted because it's not a real word, but it sounds just right)
>Aeon T3 Strategic Bomber: Shocker
>Aeon T2 Air Transport: Alumnar
>Aeon T3 Omni Sensor Array: Oculus
>Soul Ripper
>Fatboy
>Galactic Colossus
>Monkeylord
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Another cool detail of supreme coomer based on the fact that everything is simulated: all the turrets swivel independently. It is the most apparent on battleships, as they are the most heavily armed units, how one cannon can aim at one ship while the other two aim at another one that just happened to be closer, meanwhile the torpedoes are helping out at their own pace and the AA guns are busy with the torpedo bombers buzzing around.
It doesn't happen all the time, but it's cool that it can happen. The only practical application of this detail is in the direct combat-based experimentals: the Galactic Collossus, the Soul Ripper, and the Fatboy. I haven't had the pleasure of playing with the Megalith yet (I have to say that's the lamest name of all the experimentals).
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There are many details to appreciate in supcom. For example, how they were actually autistic enough to come up with an entire set of armaments which are used in multiple ways in the given faction, while keeping their gameplay properties.
For example, the UEF linked railgun is used on their T1 static AA, T1 interceptors, and on four turrets on their T3 battleship. The Aeon oblivion cannon is used as a T2 point defense turret, but also mounted on their T2 destroyer, thrice on their T3 battleship, and once (but giant) on their experimental battleship. Indeed, it's always the same weapon, but in a different calibre.
The heavy artillery is a case where all 3 main factions use the same payload for both the static and the mobile versions, including the experimentals (again, with a different calibre). The UEF use anti-matter, the Cybrans use proton shells, and the Aeon use sonesis shells, but the Cybrans also apply the same type of explosive for their strategic bomber. It's as if that's all their poor underpowered nation is able to manufacture for the given purpouse, so they have to use it whereever possible.
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Ok, one more Supreme Commander fap.
Many RTSes use factional differences with equivalent, but not identical, units to portray each faction's personal flavour. Supcom does this better than any RTS afaik, by the fact that its more complex unit designs allow for more variables, that it's close enough to reality that the units are self-evident as to what they are, but sci-fi enough that it can go for more exotic faction ideas than ''america vs russia''. Also bolstered by basic, but consistent shape theory and colour symbolism, as well as the aforementioned names.
Let me use the battleships as an example again, but what I'm about to say applies across the board.
The UEF's Summit Class - its strong square shape, vast blue colour, and gameplay properties of slow turning speed, high durability, long range, and armaments most closely resembling a traditional battleship portray the factions stubborn insistence on the old ways and desire for unshakeable, all-encompassing unity.
The Cybran's Galaxy Class - its jagged angular shape, blood-red colour, and gameplay properties of (relatively) quick production, high mobility, weak armour, and quick-firing, jack of all trades, master of none armaments portray the faction's squirrely paranoia and low fighting experience (their leader is a scientist who reluctantly took up leadership).
The Aeon's Omen Class - its clean rounded shape, healing green colour, and gameplay properties of high accuracy, high damage, and simple armaments unmarred by supplementary weapons like torpedoes or AA portray the faction's fanatical assuredness in their ways, which are new to humanity and as the results show, may just be superior to the status quo.
It also fits the general culture of each faction, i.e. the shape of things to come if they win. If the UEF wins, you'll be munching space apple pie and selling anti-matter and anti-matter accessories. If the Aeon wins, you'll live a simple and healthy, but obedient and mindless life. If the Cybrans win, you won't live at all. They just want you off of their territory, your choices are **** off or die. (It is implied that cybran civillians live in cramped ***** hives, but considering their biology that may work for them more than it'd work for us).
Again, you can tell that these are battleships, you know what a battleship is supposed to do, but the specifics of each one get you to think that it's a battleship of such and such origin.
>Cybran T3 Armoured Assault Bot: The Brick
>Cybran T1 Light Gunship: Jester
>Cybran T2 Gunship: Renegade
>Cybran T3 Heavy Artillery Installation: Distruptor (might as well be called "middle finger")
>Cybran T3 Strategic Missile Submarine: Plan B
>Cybran T3 Battleship: Galaxy Class
>Cybran T2 Point Defense: Cerberus
>UEF T3 Battleship: Summit Class
>UEF T2 Shield Boat: Bulwark
>UEF T3 Heavy Gunship: Broadsword
>UEF T2 Missile Launcher: Flapjack
>UEF T3 Strategic Missile Launcher: Stonager (points deducted because it's not a real word, but it sounds just right)
>Aeon T3 Strategic Bomber: Shocker
>Aeon T2 Air Transport: Alumnar
>Aeon T3 Omni Sensor Array: Oculus
>Soul Ripper
>Fatboy
>Galactic Colossus
>Monkeylord
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Another cool detail of supreme coomer based on the fact that everything is simulated: all the turrets swivel independently. It is the most apparent on battleships, as they are the most heavily armed units, how one cannon can aim at one ship while the other two aim at another one that just happened to be closer, meanwhile the torpedoes are helping out at their own pace and the AA guns are busy with the torpedo bombers buzzing around.
It doesn't happen all the time, but it's cool that it can happen. The only practical application of this detail is in the direct combat-based experimentals: the Galactic Collossus, the Soul Ripper, and the Fatboy. I haven't had the pleasure of playing with the Megalith yet (I have to say that's the lamest name of all the experimentals).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
There are many details to appreciate in supcom. For example, how they were actually autistic enough to come up with an entire set of armaments which are used in multiple ways in the given faction, while keeping their gameplay properties.
For example, the UEF linked railgun is used on their T1 static AA, T1 interceptors, and on four turrets on their T3 battleship. The Aeon oblivion cannon is used as a T2 point defense turret, but also mounted on their T2 destroyer, thrice on their T3 battleship, and once (but giant) on their experimental battleship. Indeed, it's always the same weapon, but in a different calibre.
The heavy artillery is a case where all 3 main factions use the same payload for both the static and the mobile versions, including the experimentals (again, with a different calibre). The UEF use anti-matter, the Cybrans use proton shells, and the Aeon use sonesis shells, but the Cybrans also apply the same type of explosive for their strategic bomber. It's as if that's all their poor underpowered nation is able to manufacture for the given purpouse, so they have to use it whereever possible.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, one more Supreme Commander fap.
Many RTSes use factional differences with equivalent, but not identical, units to portray each faction's personal flavour. Supcom does this better than any RTS afaik, by the fact that its more complex unit designs allow for more variables, that it's close enough to reality that the units are self-evident as to what they are, but sci-fi enough that it can go for more exotic faction ideas than ''america vs russia''. Also bolstered by basic, but consistent shape theory and colour symbolism, as well as the aforementioned names.
Let me use the battleships as an example again, but what I'm about to say applies across the board.
The UEF's Summit Class - its strong square shape, vast blue colour, and gameplay properties of slow turning speed, high durability, long range, and armaments most closely resembling a traditional battleship portray the factions stubborn insistence on the old ways and desire for unshakeable, all-encompassing unity.
The Cybran's Galaxy Class - its jagged angular shape, blood-red colour, and gameplay properties of (relatively) quick production, high mobility, weak armour, and quick-firing, jack of all trades, master of none armaments portray the faction's squirrely paranoia and low fighting experience (their leader is a scientist who reluctantly took up leadership).
The Aeon's Omen Class - its clean rounded shape, healing green colour, and gameplay properties of high accuracy, high damage, and simple armaments unmarred by supplementary weapons like torpedoes or AA portray the faction's fanatical assuredness in their ways, which are new to humanity and as the results show, may just be superior to the status quo.
It also fits the general culture of each faction, i.e. the shape of things to come if they win. If the UEF wins, you'll be munching space apple pie and selling anti-matter and anti-matter accessories. If the Aeon wins, you'll live a simple and healthy, but obedient and mindless life. If the Cybrans win, you won't live at all. They just want you off of their territory, your choices are **** off or die. (It is implied that cybran civillians live in cramped ***** hives, but considering their biology that may work for them more than it'd work for us).
Again, you can tell that these are battleships, you know what a battleship is supposed to do, but the specifics of each one get you to think that it's a battleship of such and such origin.
