Game design proposal – Zero Hour 2
Target Audience: existing C&C Zero Hour player base
Target Platform: PC
Genre: real-time strategy, single- and multiplayer
Target gamer types: achievers, killers
Number of players: 1-8
Context and competition
After the hit 2003 RTS game Command and Conquer: Generals, its rushed out
successor/expansion pack Command and Conquer: Generals Zero Hour and the canceled
2013 sequel Command & Conquer: Generals 2, this game would serve as a definitive
version of the series and its universe, combining the two existing games, revitalizing the now
20 year old assets and fully fleshing out the cut content that didn’t make it into the expansion
with the goal of unifying the still existing fanbase.
High Concept Statement
The world is dominated by three superpowers, whose powers constantly shift: USA, China
and the Global Liberation Army. Each faction depends on different tactics and strategies, like
the USA’s high-tech weaponry or air superiority, China’s brute force and sheer numbers or
the GLA’s guerrilla tactics and camouflage. Utilize your army’s strengths, know your
opponent’s weaknesses, destroy all their buildings to win!
Core mechanics
● fog of war – see only within range of your units and buildings
● base building – start with just your Command center, expand and build more
buildings with Construction dozers
● micro management – issue precise move orders to units, attack / guard with them,
put them into formation
● macro management – balance your economy and your spending on units and
buildings
● unit veterancy – individual units that survive and manage to kill other units level up
and gain health and damage bonuses
● player promotions – gain XP from killing enemy units and vehicles, spend points to
unlock special units or abilities
● faction generals – pick 1 of 4 generals (3 from ZH, 1 from cut content) of a given
faction to alter the gameplay: slightly different units, buildings, available promotions
Player experience goals
● quick decisions and tension – it’s an RTS after all
● destruction and mayhem – stuff blows up when you kill it
● modern design – looks and plays like a modern game while keeping legibility to a
maximum
● all of existing singleplayer campaigns – allows players to replay the tried and true
missions and challenges
● out of the box multiplayer – it’s easy to get into a game and just play