Theater of War

Stage is a pretty fitting description of Supreme Commander's game world. In the multiplayer and skirmish modes, battles unfold in a fairly set manner. Every game starts in a state of equilibrium, which does not last long: soon players will have built sprawling bases and numerous units, which form sometimes chaotic, sometimes geometric shapes on the strategic map. Despite TA's legacy as the first truly 3D real-time strategy game including 3D terrain, in Supreme Commander the map is really only a backdrop. Although terrain can be used for tactical advantage, it is more like a canvas for the players' creations. The game is reshaped continuously, as structures are built and destroyed, bases set up and abandoned. Just as in theater, the actors are crucial for the play, not the stage. This makes the game intricate, as new situations and possibilities emerge dynamically. In fact, if compared to board games, Supreme Commander resembles Go with its ever-changing shapes and formations much more than chess, where piece setup and movement rules are the keys to playing and winning.

The four-leafed clover, still fairly pristine

But not for long. The cancer or war is spreading

Making the game as balanced and dynamic as possible is obviously a major design choice, and it has its downsides as well as benefits. You can sum up Supreme Commander's multiplayer map design in one word: symmetrical. Forests, canyons, archipelagos and desert-covered moonscapes all have one thing in common - they are split into as many identical parts as there are potential players. This creates equal opportunities for all, but takes some excitement out of two player maps: you know exactly where your opponent starts and what the area around their base is like. The maps have descriptions that allude to fictional locations (but real in the game world) on unnamed planets, and they are totally unfitting for these unnatural shapes. Quite frankly, symmetric maps are uninviting, as there is very little variety or feeling of discovery.

More symmetry. Isn't that nice?

Luckily the single player campaigns have less predictable maps, and you only get access to part of the map at first. An impenetrable fog of war leaves you guessing how the mission is set up, clearing only when certain objectives are met. This gives a sense of exploration and suspense that the multiplayer mode often lacks. Each of the three factions has its own campaign, and each of them is designed to help you slowly learn the intricacies of each faction's armies and the game. So slowly, in fact, that after playing your first one, playing the other two campaigns can be quite frustrating in the beginning. The campaigns develop the game's back story in a satisfying manner, even though they are strictly linear. No moral dilemmas here - you have no choice but to obey when you Aeon superior orders you to "cleanse" an area of Cybran civilians.