All Stars (video game)

All Stars (a.k.a. C&C All Stars) is an unofficial real-time strategy computer game modification for Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour, announced April 5, 2004, and released July 17th, 2007. Its setting involves a fictional conflict between three different parts of the Command & Conquer universe of games: the Command & Conquer: Tiberian series, the Command & Conquer: Red Alert series, and the Command & Conquer: Generals series. The mod aims to let C&C fans play out debates they've had in the past regarding the series history regarding the best units, structures, tactics, and other gameplay features.

Gameplay

C&C All Stars is noted for its unique premise and gameplay. In recreating old Command and Conquer units and structures, the mod aims to reintroduce tactics and gameplay that evoke a sense of nostalgia among C&C fans. In this sense, much of the basic gameplay elements are products of recreation, rather than original game design. The mod's appeal lies in the fact that it allows players to pit tactics from different universes against each other on the same battlefield.It is also one of the largest mods for the game out at this moment.

Publicity

During its three years in development and after its final release, C&C All Stars garnered much attention in the C&C modding world. The mod leader was interviewed by community sites Planet Command and Conquer, Command and Conquer Den, and gaming website Strategy Informer. In a community-wide email, Electronic Arts's C&C Community Manager Aaron Kaufman commended the mod and said the C&C development team enjoyed it. On the mod's release day, despite numerous mirrors being set up, demand was so great that the main mod website was knocked offline. In addition, the mod was the number one featured item on FilePlanet and was the C&C Download of the Week on FileFront, two major gaming websites. The premier episode of EA's BattleCast Primetime had a section featuring the mod. The mod had been downloaded at least 43,000 thousand times as of September 2007.

Criticism

The mod endured some early criticism for being somewhat outdated in its graphics, particularly in that it was modifying the SAGE engine. The team addressed this criticism in the Planet Command and Conquer interview, and redid much of the artwork for the mod before its eventual release on July 17th, 2007. In addition, the mod's initial release was criticized as being slightly buggy because of the difficulties of recreating old C&C elements in the SAGE engine. The team released a patch in October 2007 to address many of these bugs and add support for international versions.

See also

  • Computer game modifications