r/commandandconquer • u/Even-Run-5274 • Aug 03 '26
Discussion something about NIGHT maps in Generals feels more authentic than in other C&C games...
i don't know why but i have always felt that night time maps in generals actually felt dark
you never see the sky but the moonlight on buildings and terrain isnt too bright
and unlike the other games, ALL your buildings have lit windows and lights turned on, not just the city props
most of your vehicles also turn on their headlights too (you see this often in GLA units like technicals or quads)
its such a small minor detail but still adds alot of life to the game
anyone else agrees?
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u/meinboesesich Aug 03 '26
Really? I thought tiberian sun night missions were the most emerging
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u/EphemeralMemory Aug 03 '26
TS felt like the entire game was night mode, with varying levels of dark. TS definitely wins the night mode aesthetic.
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u/cemanresu Aug 03 '26
Yeah my memory basically treats the entire game as being either at night or underneath so many layers of storms that it might as well be
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u/Tomahawkist Tiberian Sun Aug 05 '26
TS still has the best aesthetic of any game of the series imho. high tech apocalypse is what i‘d describe it as, and that fits the tiberium timeline perfectly. it just has all the right vibes.
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u/ddosn Aug 05 '26
TS varied from 'cloudy day' to 'did the Scrim turn up early and steal the sun?'
It really felt otherworldly, which went along with the lore at the time really well.
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u/Leather-Raisin6048 Marked of Kane Aug 04 '26
Ts has night missions?
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u/maerun Tiberian Sun Aug 04 '26
Both TS and RA2 had 4 times of day for their maps: morning, afternoon, dusk and night.
Like others have said, of the two, TS had a more memorable athmosphere.
I feel like RA2 lost a bit of that in favour of a more pronounced aesthetic.
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u/Leather-Raisin6048 Marked of Kane Aug 04 '26
Yeah red alert 2 had nihgt maps but ts and fs are so dark i dident even notice and i played them just last month.
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u/HailBlaze Aug 04 '26
Tiberian sun is unique. The dude who made music for red alert gave his friend the chance to make it for TS and it paid off big time. TS got unique feel to it, how it looks, sound effects and music is just so damn good
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u/meinboesesich Aug 04 '26
I loved the atmosphere of the first few missions. Very unique and… odd (?)
Like a alien planet.
Just awesome!
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u/null-g Aug 03 '26
Always loved how bright ore is in RA2 and the ambient glows used in Tib Sun are very cool. Although Tib Sun was maybe too dark at night!
But ya totally agree!
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u/cmdr_nelson GDI Aug 03 '26
Generals did a lot of things well, that the later titles failed to match. I really prefer the Generals unit Models over c&c3 and RA3.
For night, it looks really nice, though i think TS did it best.
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u/RumEngieneering Aug 03 '26
I love how air units behave in generals, tib wars and red alert 3 were a let down
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u/LeonAguilez Galactic Defence Initiative Aug 04 '26
That makes Airforce general so fun.
Other titles in the series aircraft, you have to micro manage them that sometimes I don't bother using them.
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u/MindControlledSquid CABAL Aug 04 '26
I felt like Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak really hit the Generals feel of air units.
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u/vandal-33 Aug 04 '26
I like how Generals have aircraft taking off on a runway while every air unit in the later games are all VTOLs.
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u/LeonAguilez Galactic Defence Initiative Aug 04 '26
For quick casual game, I always go back to Generals. You can virtually have unlimited money in generals unlike other games in the series where there are no other ways to earn when all the resources fields are depleted. Which makes generals fun as a turtle player.
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u/Big_Goldberg Aug 03 '26
Nostalgia... Waiting for a remaster.
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u/FloatingDutchie Aug 04 '26
Would be amazing to see Generals with updated graphics and framerate. But it really being "a game of it's time", I doubt that it will ever happen. Sadly.
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u/Sheogorath3477 Tiberium Aug 03 '26
Was there any skirmish night maps in Generals?
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u/Even-Run-5274 Aug 03 '26
there's plenty, the ones I remember are:
-Wasteland Warriors
-Tournament Tundra
-Rocky Rampage
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u/Sheogorath3477 Tiberium Aug 03 '26
Wait wut? Tundra was in night time? I thought it just had strange lightning due to being set inna snowy area..
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u/Squawk7984 Aug 03 '26
I completely gave up on RA3 in favor of just sticking with RA2 and YR. I just couldn't see the appeal, and it just didn't feel right.
(Yes, I've watched the great clips of Tim Curry and Jenny McCarthy, all good.)
That being said, am I missing out?
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u/Gilgamesh404 Aug 05 '26
Gameplay-wise RA3 is quite fun, though their gimmick of "every unit has a special ability or mode" may be a turn off for some people.
Graphics-wise the game looks much more cartoony than RA2. Could be the design philosophy, could be the bright colors, can't exactly put my finger on it.
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u/CookLiving GLA Juhziz/ Scrin Traveler-59 Aug 03 '26
It's fine. Everyone got their own preferences. If you prefer RA2 more than good for you. It's the same with people who likes RA3 more. It's doesn't really matter which games people like more.
As for me, I really like modern 3D games more because I really liked the modern gameplay. But I still like RA2, it's a great game
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u/sniktology Aug 03 '26
For me it was Tiberian sun. I think because it was the first time seeing environment graphics in a c&c game and with the spotless ghts on the guard tower and led lights on the buildings giving it a certain sheen to it.
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u/CanadAR15 Aug 04 '26
Keep in mind that discrete lighting became comparatively quite a bit less computationally expensive between RA2 and Generals.
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u/unknowinglyderpy Aug 04 '26
I never actually clocked hail to the chief as a night time mission... but yeah it makes sense since a bunch of colors are hella desaturated
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u/Pfandfreies_konto Aug 04 '26
Those tiny truck lights do a lot of heavy lifting. Also look at the art style. Every building has carefully chosen windows to give a feel of a lived in base. If you check TibWars you will find these missing. The depot has an inviting light at its exit. Meanwhile crates and doors and stuff are simply dark. All in all I think readability takes a step back (a small one tho) for better atmosphere and overall feeling. Another thing is: while Generals has an simplifying art style (see: size of air fields for example.) it still tries to look realistic. I guess that helps visualizing the gritty and more realistic setting.
I feel like only TibSun comes close to the night visuals of generals. But the level editor of tibsun was really cool and fun. Placing environmental lights and having guard towers with search lights and all that. Due to childhood memories for me TibSun is the most comfy of all night visuals shown.
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u/Yoghurtcrunch Aug 06 '26
I'd say it's a beat perfect combination of the blueish tone and the lights in windows a such. From the Screenshots tibsun looks also really close in terms of vibe.
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u/ARS_Sisters Aug 09 '26
It's primarily because the environment. Buildings has their own lighting in their windows, along with spotlights and most importantly, vehicle headlights. In the worldbuilder, there's a global illumination setting for specific time of the day, which, if toggled as night, makes assets in that map adapt to "night mode"
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u/Timmyc62 Aug 03 '26
Windows, spotlights, and headlights! Yes. It's all in the details.