I’m sad to hear that Moonbase Commander didn’t click for you, but thanks very much for taking the time to try it. I am ever mindful that in this dawning of the age of ETEWAF, recommending content is increasingly a form of assault; I did not push it on you lightly. Moonbase Commander is one of only two games ever to keep me up until dawn, and I think I’ll remember particulars of one half-hour make-or-break knife-fight until the day I die.

For what it’s worth, though I have fond memories of Challenge mode (really a tutorial campaign) and skirmish/coop, I was spurred to talk about MBC because the post was about wanting systems that would still be fun with an opposing human mind behind them. I was intending it as a candidate for adversarial lunchtimes. Like many others who flock to our new coop overlords, in adversarial games I quite often feel for one reason or another like I’m wasting my opponent’s time; I have never felt that way in MBC.

While writing the first incarnation of this comment, I checked some fact that got cut and accidentally discovered that MBC is officially un-abandonwared! Infogrames/Atari is selling it digitally for USD10 (provided you remember to turn off their default ‘download insurance’ charge). In addition to my ! reaction, I stated my intent to buy it again on principle. Having done so and getting a second shot at this blather, I can report that it has the most hilariously protracted, makeshift installation process I’ve seen in years – nearly decades. Here’s what happens when you buy Moonbase Commander from Atari:
1. You get a link from the payment receipt page.
2. Download and run the small Atari downloader application.
3. Downloader downloads the game data in a literal .rar file or two.
4. Extractor dialog asks you where to extract temporary installation files from the .rars. Why?
5. Because they literally just packed up all the files from the original CD, including autorun.exe from which you could call the installer or play the game in situ without installing if you wished.
6. I think the extractor does automatically launch setup.exe, which asks you for a location to actually install and proceeds as standard for an installer wizard.

In closing, if any future reader is actually convinced to try this based on my ranting, one tip in addition to Zauron’s guide and utilities is important. Tucked away in the README (‘Back in my day…’) is the way – the only way – to change between windowed and fullscreen modes: Shift-F5. I mean, obviously, but still. Figured I should tack that on.

Might be able to dig it out if you know the date and time? Was it the same as the ‘last in this wave’ comment?

Good idea yes/no?

That said, that’s intentionally a significant part of RUSE, hence the name, and might not work as well in SupCom2

Convenient launcher and guide from main community guy. Not posting shady abandonware stuff on James by default, use your favourite venue.

I’ve found that the reduction in the battlefield size has had a significant impact on the level of strategy in the game. You lose some of the awesome sense of scale, but the maps are also too small to give you room outmaneuver your opponent. I find myself playing 2-4 player scraps on Seton’s Clutch to get some breathing space.

Haven’t played online, but currently the nuke thing does sounds a bit rubbish. I really like the Cybran walking nuke thing, it’s a real two-finger salute.

Mostly I’ve played the campaign mostly it’s traditional boring tutorial stuff, but there’re some nice ones in there. The stand-out for me is the second Cybran one, it’s a really unique encounter.