Command & Conquer, the good old days

For many PC gamers of a certain age, the words "Command & Conquer" evoke a wave of nostalgia. It wasn't just a game; it was a gateway to a world of real-time strategy (RTS) where base building, resource management, and epic unit clashes defined our afternoons.

Released in 1995, Command & Conquer, developed by Westwood Studios, was a revolution. Here's why it captured the hearts (and competitive spirit) of so many:

Innovation in every click
Command & Conquer streamlined the RTS formula, making it accessible for newcomers. The now-iconic click-and-drag interface for unit selection and base building was a revelation.

Gone were the days of clunky menus and confusing hotkeys. C&C offered a smooth, intuitive experience that allowed you to jump right into the action-packed world of Tiberium.

Factions with flavor
The game pitted two distinct factions against each other: the high-tech, laser-wielding Global Defense Initiative (GDI) and the brutal, cyborg-enhanced Brotherhood of Nod.

Each faction had its unique units, structures, and playstyle, encouraging strategic diversity.

Did you favor the GDI's Mammoth Tank, a slow-moving but devastating siege weapon, or did you prefer Nod's stealthy Spider Tanks, perfect for hit-and-run tactics?

Full motion video (FMV) storytelling
Command & Conquer didn't just offer gameplay; it weaved a surprisingly compelling narrative through campy but entertaining FMV cutscenes.

Live-action actors like the ever-charismatic Joseph D. Kucan as Kane, the enigmatic leader of Nod, added a layer of personality to the conflict.

These cheesy, over-the-top cutscenes became part of the game's charm.

The rise of Tiberian Sun
In 1998, Westwood Studios followed up with the sequel, Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun. Building upon the foundation of the first game, Tiberian Sun introduced a darker, more atmospheric setting.

The Tiberium conflict had escalated, and both GDI and Nod had developed futuristic weaponry and cyborg units. New features like stealth mechanics and unit veterancy (units gaining experience and becoming more powerful) added depth to the gameplay.

A legacy of innovation
The impact of Command & Conquer and Tiberian Sun cannot be overstated. They popularized the RTS genre, inspiring countless titles that followed.

The series continued with further entries like Red Alert and Generals, but many argue that the golden age peaked with these first two games.

A longing for a new dawn
The lack of new Command & Conquer games in recent years leaves a void for many fans. While remasters of the original games have been released, they can't quite recapture the magic of experiencing these titles for the first time.

Command & Conquer holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers. It was a game that defined an era, offering a perfect blend of strategy, action, and cheesy storytelling.

Here's to hoping that someday, a new C&C title can recapture the spirit of innovation and epic conflict that made the originals so beloved.

How do you remember this game?
 
It's good, I like it a lot.

I have fond memories of ignoring lectures in Science class and instead drawing maps I was going to build in Red Alert when I got home.

I played the hell out of the remastered version and would love to see a remaster of both second games in either series, as I didn't play them when they released, being deep into Half-Life mods at the time.
 
Command and Conquer set of 12 games on Steam. If you are familiar with it, which game should I start with?

It's actually 17 games all told—all the expansions are the real deal, at least half a game or more. You got a sweet deal for $10. So you have:

Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer: The Covert Operations
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Command & Conquer: Red Alert: Counterstrike
Command & Conquer: Red Alert: The Aftermath
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun Firestorm
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge
Command & Conquer: Renegade
Command & Conquer: Generals
Command & Conquer: Generals: Zero Hour
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars: Kane's Wrath
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3: Uprising
Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight

CnCNet
First up, any problems getting a game to work, try the download from here, usually fixes it. They also have multi going if that's of interest—never tried it.

Command & Conquer: Renegade
This is a FPS so set that aside for later—it wasn't bad at the time, maybe 7/10, and great for C&C fans who also liked shooters.

Command & Conquer: Generals
Command & Conquer: Generals: Zero Hour

These are completely unrelated to the rest of the franchise, just abusing the name. But they're great games, and still quite playable today. GZH is my favorite of all 17 above, for its 'Generals Challenge' mode which took me a summer to beat on brutal difficulty—it's a round-robin where you play as each of the 9 Generals and take on most of the others, so there's in theory 9x8=72 missions, but I think it's less, say over 50.

So play these 2 either before or after the main block, I guess.

Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer: The Covert Operations
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Command & Conquer: Red Alert: Counterstrike
Command & Conquer: Red Alert: The Aftermath

For these, I recommend you get the remastered collection. Lots of QoL improvements plus extras while maintaining original gameplay.

If the lore or history of the franchise is of interest, it's best to start with these and do C&C first before RA.

Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge

Popular acclaim says RA2 is the best of all the franchise, and I agree—it's my #2 behind GZH. You may have noticed the goofy tone in the first games, they ramp that up in round 2 :)

So if you just want to dip your toe in and see if the whole thing is for you, or not, this is the one to go with.

Evolution
If it all grabs you and you want to see the origin of Westwood's masterpiece, then Dune II may be available at abandonware sites.
The UI and mechanics evolve thru the series, so don't expect the full-blown experience in the earlier games.
 
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Moved 2 earlier posts #7 & #8 to here from gen strat thread.

I only got 13 games

Might you already have 4 in your library? Guess not, but…

Full Games = 9
Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars
Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight
Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Command & Conquer: Generals
Command & Conquer: Renegade

Major Expansions = 8
Command & Conquer: The Covert Operations
Command & Conquer: Red Alert: Counterstrike
Command & Conquer: Red Alert: The Aftermath
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun Firestorm
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge
Command & Conquer: Generals: Zero Hour
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars: Kane's Wrath
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3: Uprising

Hmm, so 4 is a strange number. Oh, there's an inconsistency on the Steam page.
'ABOUT THIS BUNDLE' lists the 17 I listed above.

However, farther down 'ITEMS INCLUDED IN THIS BUNDLE' lists only 12 titles, which are presumably what you got.

5 Missing Titles
Ah, good news! There are none missing, you have all 17 :)
Here's the list of 12:
Command & Conquer 3 Kane's Wrath
Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars
Command & Conquer 4 Tiberian Twilight
Command & Conquer and The Covert Operatio
Command & Conquer Generals
Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour
Command & Conquer Red Alert , Counterstrike
Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Re
Command & Conquer Red Alert 3
Command & Conquer Red Alert 3 - Uprising
Command & Conquer Renegade
Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun and Fires
…some text cut off in browser window, if you mouseover on site you can see the full shebang.

+1 Command & Conquer and The Covert Operatio = 2, incl the expansion;
+2 Command & Conquer Red Alert , Counterstrike = 3, incl 2 expansions;
+1 Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Re = 2, incl the expansion;
+1 Command & Conquer Tiberian Sun and Fires = 2, incl the expansion.
= +5.
QED :)
 
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