C&C3: New screen attack wave, new info

New Command & Conquer 3 screenshots hitting the DZ this morning in glorious style are giving us an eyeful of GDI action from the newest instalment in the veteran RTS series. While a little on the, ah, brown side, we have to say that these latest images deployed are still impressive beasts, revealing not only GDI base structures but also GDI combat operations in the field. Pass mince pies over the goods, uploaded to this here page.

The new screenshots have been accompanied by an EA in-house feature on the GDI which, similar to the recent feature on Tiberium, has been penned by C&C3's executive producer Mike Verdu. We've posted Verdu's words as received, below...

THE GLOBAL DEFENSE INITIATIVE (GDI)

By Mike Verdu, Executive Producer

"The Third Tiberium War in the Command & Conquer (C&C) series is upon us, and over the next few months we'll be taking the wraps off of the three factions, the world, and the story in Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. The fiction and universe development have been key for this game given our emphasis on delivering a great single player campaign and an epic story that is worthy of C&C. I'm excited that we can start sharing the details of what we've been working on all this time.

"With this feature we begin to explore the three factions of Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. We start with the Global Defense Initiative (GDI).

"GDI started as a secret military alliance of G8 nations - a treaty organization formed to contain Tiberium, reverse its spread, and fight the sinister Brotherhood of Nod, a terrorist organization that believed the otherworldly substance to be beneficial to mankind. Over time, power and sovereignty have been gradually ceded to GDI and the national identities of the participating countries have faded. In 2047 that process has reached its final stages: While there are still technically individual Member Nations, the reality is that GDI has become a unified political and military super-state. GDI is what might result if the G8 countries, the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, and the member-states of NATO became a single nation state.

"GDI controls the only areas of the Earth that have not been significantly compromised by Tiberium infestation. The crystalline alien substance is slowly consuming the rest of the planet, causing an environmental cataclysm that has made 30% of the Earth uninhabitable and another 50% of the Earth's surface exceedingly unfriendly to civilization. GDI's home territories are known as "Blue Zones" since they are mostly clear of Tiberium and have been relatively untouched by war (in contrast to the ecologically ravaged and war-torn "Yellow Zones" and the Tiberium infested hellscapes designated as "Red Zones").


"In 2047, GDI keeps the Blue Zones peaceful while making periodic forays into the Yellow Zones to contain the spread of Tiberium, repair the environment, and improve the quality of life for the inhabitants there. For all its good intentions, GDI still struggles with the complexity of its own bureaucracy, as well as conflicting viewpoints on Tiberium. Some within GDI see the benefits of more aggressive exploitation of Tiberium, but most view it as an environmental plague and source of ultimate destruction.

"GDI's focus on Tiberium eradication in 2047 is a luxury. In the past, GDI has been locked in an epic struggle with a terrifying enemy - a secret society turned global superpower that has united most of the third world against GDI. Led by a charismatic sociopath called Kane, the Brotherhood of Nod preaches that Tiberium is the catalyst for the next stage of human evolution. Nod fanatics are doing everything they can to accelerate Tiberium infestation on all continents.

"GDI and Nod have been fighting each other for nearly half a century. The conflict has escalated into a full world war twice - the First Tiberium War (TWI) erupted in the second decade of the twenty-first century and that terrible war was followed by another worldwide firestorm a few years later.

"The Brotherhood of Nod has been very quiet for the last several years, and their leader hasn't been seen in a long time. This is highly atypical for Nod.

"Just as GDI is split over the uses of Tiberium, there are two points of view on Nod's current state: Some GDI intelligence analysts believe Nod is suffering from internal factional strife and is in the process of internal collapse. Others believe Nod is planning their biggest operation yet. If that is true, the preparations are happening very quietly.


"If Nod is indeed up to something, they will be facing a formidable adversary. GDI leaders have a state-of-the-art military machine at their command like nothing ever seen before. GDI is truly a military superpower.

"GDI forces are organized to allow decentralized operations in multiple theaters of war. GDI rapid deployment forces are able to move quickly, establish forward operating bases in all types of terrain, and project power using advanced all-weather weapon systems and highly trained troops.

"GDI's land forces include versatile armored vehicles like the Predator Main Battle Tank, the Mammoth heavy tank, the Guardian APC, and the fearsome Juggernaught mobile artillery unit. Their infantry is made up of fast-moving, lightly armored combat soldiers and the slower, but heavily armored Zone Troopers. Specialized units include the Special Forces Commando and the elite Sniper Teams.

"Aircraft deployed at GDI forward operating bases include the rocket-equipped VTOL Orca, the Firehawk fast attack jet, and the V-35 Ox VTOL transport.

"Support units for GDI operations provide unprecedented flexibility to its field commanders. The MCV serves as the mobile hub for a forward operating base. A versatile vehicle called the "Rig" can deploy into a repair base and aircraft landing pad, providing forward logistics to aircraft and armored units.

"GDI believes that it is the last, best hope for the future of humanity and deploys military force in the name of freedom, progress, and containment of the worst environmental disaster the world has ever seen. Their enemies don't see them quite in the same light... but that is the topic of another feature."

Awesome Screens HERE