Guest-20: I noticed the count of 27 experimentals, and the gaps we've seen in the current line-up. So are there any really zany experimentals you're waiting to reveal?
ChrisT-Square: Well, there are some crazy ones, but off the top of my head, I can't remember the ones that are out there, and the ones that are a secret (it's been a little insane around here the past month). Have you heard about the loyalty gun?
Guest-69: Will we be able to use more than 4GB of RAM when running Windows 7 64bit? JPSHRACER
ChrisT-Square: Wait till you hear this... we've optimized the game to use memory SO much more efficiently. The game loads faster than ever, and even exits quickly... I know, that's really crazy, but it's true, and it really makes playing a smooth experience. The more memory you have, however, will make it easier to keep other stuff running at the same time, and that's especially true for people with multi-cores. To all, you can also send me email to crackedout@gaspowered.com, and I can try to answer more questions later this week.
Guest-29: Chris many thanks for making yourself available to us and answering our questions. I have been a long time fan of SupCom and FA which I consider the best RTS game of all, ever! Really appreciate the amazing gameplay you bring to your games. Thanks again for doing this.
ChrisT-Square: It is my pleasure to spend time with you guys tonight. And I am sorry for being away for so long... the good news is, I'm back!! 
Guest-23: One of the things I loved most about Supreme Commander / Forged alliance was the fact that you could have massive armies them clash on the field and massive bases to support. From looking at the previews it seems like the number of units you'd control has been scaled back some. Do you tend to use fewer units or is it just a function of preivews?
ChrisT-Square: The engine will support a huge number of units, but we are sensitive to people with lower system specs. YOu can easily mod the game to increase that number, and I bet you could push it up into 2000-3000 units per player if you wanted to on the crazy fast computers out today.
Guest-22: Since the monkeylord is now gone in SC2, has anything even more awesome replaced it, and does it have a great big honking red LASER too?
ChrisT-Square: It's funny you should ask about the MonkeyLord... we've had a lot of requests for it. Little bit of trivia, the unit was named by the guys at PC Gamer... so it stuck, 'cause we thought it was cool. Anyhow... The Cybran have a lot of crazy units, one is the Soul Ripper II (lol, it's like the sequel). Our goal was to try and do more than just bring back the old units. So we mixed it up and brought back some while coming up withe some crazy new ideas. The Cybran also have a crazy flying brain, we call it the Proto-Brain Complex.
Guest-12: Another Steam question Chris, and oh thx for answering my other question. Do I have to be connected with the internet to start a LAN session over Steam or is it possible to do that in offline mode? Oh and by the way, I will drop another 4GB in my comp if you say so. ^^
ChrisT-Square: That's a good question! I believe you need to first log into Steam, however, I have also heard something about playing offline, but personally haven't seen that or tested it (so the jury is out on that one). You guys all know that Piracy is a tough nut to crack, so we hope everyone understands that the requirement helps in this area. Oh, and I just remembered something... You need to connect to Steam, because we use their system to match games. Therefore you need to connect to do that, but I believe you could disconnect from the outside world (if you were in fact on a lan) and the game will keep playing. So, in this case, it's really a function of using their service to swap IP Addresses.
Guest-59: Raizic/Calbrenar here -- I apologize if this has already been asked but what are the chances of us getting some full on naval maps like Roanoke or White Fire?
ChrisT-Square: We tried to balance the maps with the demand for each. IE, naval, although super cool (I personally love it), is not everyone's cup of tea. Therefore we only provide a small number, but like I mentioned earlier, we can add more maps, so if there is public demand, we can fill that need!! But I do think we ship a few good ones that will scratch the itch.
Guest-70: If normal units in supcom 2 were T2 in Forged Alliance how would mini experimentals compare to a brick or a percival?
ChrisT-Square: That's an interesting question...hmmm... I think the mini's would still be tougher.
Guest-72: What's your stance on balancing, multiple updates, or prolonged output to verify the validity of any balance changes?
ChrisT-Square: We think that it's almost impossible to balance the game. So, we depend on the feedback from the community, and we fully expect to tweak the balance in the months (and even years) ahead.
Guest-9: Hi Chris! Huge fan of both Total Annihilation(best rts eva) and Supcom here.. Have you thought about releasing some 5-10 mins gameplay videos for supcom2? I think it would be a great way to show off the game.
ChrisT-Square: Guest-9, have you seen all the different videos that we've released so far? I think we did put together some gameplay, but it might not be released just yet... But there is quite a bit out there... but hey, just you saying that tells me we've got some more work to do!!
Guest-48: Will the new pathfinding for units in SupCom2 change pathfinding for the RTS genre for years to come?
ChrisT-Square: The University of Washington's paper called Crowd Continuum was the basis for our Flow Field pathfinding tech... it's so great, and for so many reasons. We firmly believe it will change the RTS genre for years to come. It's not just the way the units move (we've got more work to do here), but it's the way the pathfinder impacts the CPU. It's what makes it possible to move hundreds, if not, thousands of units around at once. And we implemented crazy units like the Pulinsmash and Unit Magnet because of it.
Guest-41: I have seen a keyboard and mouse adapter to use a with the xbox. I am wondering if thats possible?
ChrisT-Square: I imagine that every console has had that rigged up for it. However, we fully embraced the controller, and feel that we have a great interface, and after you have played for an hour, it's very natural and you don't hardly think about the interface anymore. So, it doesn't look like we need a keyboard on the console afterall. And I know you don't believe me, but it's true!!
Guest-77: Hey Chris! What type of video card would you reccomend for Supreme Commander 2? I have a feeling my GeForce 9500gt may not give me the performance I desire on high settings.
ChrisT-Square: 256MB, Direct X 9 Pixel Shader 3.0 card. For ATI, it's X-series cards or higher. We've worked hard to get the game performing on a wider range of hardware, so I suspect you'll be pleasantly suprised how well it runs on your existing machine.
Guest-88: I have been checking out the SCA website and it looks like you guys only have 3 or so four-player multiplayer maps. Will there be more for the 360 since the 360 is limited to only 4 players? If not can we expect some in fure DLC. PS: A world domination map would be awesome!!
ChrisT-Square: I don't have the exact numbers for maps with player counts... ie, how many for 2, 3 or 4 players...
Guest-68: HI Chris, long time fan since TA (yes w are getting old!) What's the biggest map size for PC?
ChrisT-Square: We are shipping with several 2K maps (and if you remember, these are still huge), but there's good news for PC players with tons of memory, as we'll be able to ship 4K maps down the road if there's a big demand for them. You see, on SC1, those maps were real **bleep**ers for people with low-spec machines, so we have to be careful how we deliver these kinds of crazy, over-the-top maps.
ChrisT-Square: Oh, forgot to say, we ship 20 MP maps...
Guest-54: Can you tell us a bit more about how you've changed the economy system in SupCom2 versus what we saw in SC1 and FA? I know I usually felt as though I was building a house of cards with my econ, until very late game, and I was wondering how different SC2 will be.
ChrisT-Square: We call the new system, "buy and build". You can't start construction on a unit or building until you have the resources. Believe it or not, after you play the game for about 30 minutes, you stop thinking about this different model. We tested this over a year ago in development, and were shocked at the results. What it ultimately means, however, is that new players can get up to speed and enjoy the game... it's just easier for them to wrap their heads around. You can still do some crazy stuff and queue up units and start giving orders to a factory before it is even completed, so we have some of the best features alive and well from the original.
Guest-73: Are you pleased with the direction SC2 has taken? For instance, if you were given unlimited resources (ahh, the ideal world), would you have taken the game in a different direction?
ChrisT-Square: Absolutlely yes. It's a nice thought, but as a designer I have learned something very valuable this time around. For example, I think the design is much smarter and resouceful, on so many levels, as a result of the limitations of reality.
Guest-126: Will any structures require energy to run in SupCom2?
ChrisT-Square: No, and neither does repairing. Our goal was to have the player focus on the fun, which is the strategy and tactics, and not get too caughty up in the fiddly economics.
Guest-2: Hey Chris. Buddy here, Is the PC version of the game still going to make the March 2nd release date in NA? and have you guys gone gold yet? also congrats on the American citizenship today!!
ChrisT-Square: We sure hope it does!!! IE, Yes. Oh, and thanks, I took my test today, and got all my answers right!! So, I'll be sworn in on Wednesday. Cool huh!!
Guest-33: is in SupCom2 the option to give all your base, or your engineer IE tech or even steal the tech from the enemy?
ChrisT-Square: Good one, because if you can capture your opponents engineer, you can get access to all of their technology... which is fun.
Guest-109: Chris do you feel that SC2 will have as much impact on the RTS genre as TA did when it was released and are you as excited about SC2 as you were when TA first hit the shelves?
ChrisT-Square: More than ever, I feel like SupCom2 is a spiritual successor of TA. We tried hard on SupCom but we were being a little ridiculous and ambitious, and we lost some of that soul that made TA great. I think we're so much closer this time around, and for me, it just "feels" like it did back in the Cavdog days... thanks for asking.
Guest-42: Since you brought it up, can you give us some insight into the loyalty gun? With as much excitement as when you showed the Noah Unit Cannon on the videos, thanks!
ChrisT-Square: Well, the NUC (Noah Unit Cannon) is totally awesome. There's nothing better than getting about 4 of these all firing at once... wait till you do it... you'll squeal with delight. No, I'm not kidding. lol... The loyalty gun is a riot for different reasons... imagine your opponent rushing your base, and in the mix is a King Kriptor or Universal Colossus. And you capture it from range and turn it on your opponents units... that will have you on the floor lyao.
Guest-28: Hi, I wonder if there huge units like the Universal Colossus can crush other units under thier feet? (ie: the 'Massive' ability in SupCom 1)
Guest-89: Hello GPG(or Chris) I just wanted to draw some attention on the King kriptor experimental unit.We have been told numerous times that it resembles krogoth in sup com 2 but in fact from the livecasts french videos we saw that it is actually the cheapest experimental -1k mass 4k energy and 47k hp while the Universal colossus and cybranzilla were more expensive and with far more health.(57 and 60k)Does this mean that this unit will be the weakest of all 3 or this is due to the fact that the game wa...
Dorothy-BBY: ohhh Long question there from 89
ChrisT-Square: You can't crush units, but what is even more awesome is when units explode and fall onto other units... it's a strategy!
ChrisT-Square: wa...
Dorothy-BBY: ya wa....
ChrisT-Square: Well, it's a super powerful unit, but what we try to do is balance them in different ways. So, unlike the Krogoth, whcih was crazy expensive, this until is more moderaetly priced... but it's very poweful.... so to give it balance, we reduce the armor. As cool as it is to completely destroy your opponent, it's not quite as fun to *be* destroyed, so we have to strick a balance in that regard.
Guest-35: Hi Chris, Will the demo be MP or SP? Thanks
ChrisT-Square: SP only in the demo... but here's what we did... we are including some maps that occur later in the campaign so you aren't playing the simple opening map, which is pretty short... we wanted to give players a taste of something way cooler. We're breaking the rules! lol.
Guest-76: Hi there Chris! Since GPG is new to all the Steam Tools, Is GPG working with Valve in order to take advantage of all the tools available on Steam? Valve made a huge success with constant updates and patches and content for Team Fortress 2 especially thanks to the Steam Tools. Is GPG thinking about following the same idea of supporting the game for a long time with regular patches? (which would lead to an ever increasing player base even after a couple years of release.)
ChrisT-Square: Yes, you are right, we are still getting to know the Steam suite of tools, and will do more each month. It's hard to try and do it all right out of the gate, and still make the dates! But I assure you, we are very commited to supporting the game.
Guest-68: Will there be support for modding in the near future? Map maker utility? I know one thing that keeps the game alive is mod support after the initial release....
ChrisT-Square: We have always been big supporters of the mod community. Our challenge is making tools and creating documention, as it's so time consuming and can get quite costly. However, we still build highly modable engines and will do whatever we can to support it.
WayMaker: Will all the promotional maps be available for everyone later on? I know most games that have released promotional maps in the past have done that eventually or else no one will play them in Multiplayer matches.
ChrisT-Square: That is a very good question, and one for the publisher, who is ultimately in control of that. I think what we've seen here today is that people really want these maps, and I will pass that along. I'm sorry I don't have a better answer for you today. 
Guest-127: Hello Chris! First off I would like to say I love your work, and I support you the best I can. I am an aspiring programmer and had I the opportunity, I'd work for you for a pittance just to take part in what you have created (totally not a hint). I understand it takes a lot of manpower to make a game, but what do you do to actually break into the environment as a programmer? Game related question: is there any possibility of post release content or the ability to bring in user content?
ChrisT-Square: If i was you, I would be thinking about making an iPhone game, or perhaps one for the upcoming iPad (whcih I am one of those people who think they are cool and will buy one right away!). To break into the business, you really need a game as a resume. Back when I started 22 years ago, I had a ton of examples and games and code written in 8088 assembly. That really made an impression, because it showed how excited and serious I was about making games. And yes, lots of potential for more content down the road.
Guest-69: How fast will we be able to upgrade the tech tree to minor experimentals? How will minor experimentals affect the tide of battle? How long will they take to build compared to their major counterparts? JPSHRACER
ChrisT-Square: Our design goal (compliments of our Producer David Hoffman) was to allow people to create Experimentals early on. David told me he thought they were so cool he didn't want to wait!! So I said, hey, let's create mini-X units so you can get the part started early. lol. So far, it's turned out great, and yes, they are cheaper in cost, and they aren't as powerful as the Major's, but they still kick a lot of butt.
Guest-28: After seeing the video of Pullensmash (wierd name for an Illuminate unit by the way), it seems to be pretty weak as it suck units one by one at an awfully slow rate. Is how the unit will be in the final game? Also I think the unit could change its name to something sounded more religiously like how it was in SupCom1. Something like "devotion" or maybe "soma" ect?
ChrisT-Square: The name is weird, I admit. That's because I came up with it at 2am!!! lol... and sometimes the weirder they are, the easier they are to remember. I bet most people can't remember half the names from the original Aeon faction. Oh, and we are still tuning it, because I agree with you, it really sucked!! lol... okay, pun intended. It's a little better now.
Matthew-BBY: Thank you all for joining us and a special thanks to Chris Taylor for taking the time to answer all of these great questions.
ChrisT-Square: Thanks to everyone for coming tonight, it's been a lot of fun! Send other questions to crackedout@gaspowered.com and follow me on twitter at DeathBot9 awesome!
Matthew-BBY: If you are interested in learning more about Supreme Commander 2 please visit http://bit.ly/cHtwCr.
Matthew-BBY: If you want to see all of the questions that were asked tonight we will be posting the transcript for this chat later in our gaming board. http://bit.ly/BBYGaming
 | Josh|Community Connector | Best Buy® Corporate | | |
... Would SupCom 2 be as modifiable as SupCom FA ?