

Red Alert 3 also features the series' bread and butter: A competitive multiplayer mode in which players square off. While the game provides plenty of auditory and visual cues, a good partner will make all the difference. Toss in some air units, and units that can only attack ground or air units but not both, and that means you've got three theaters of war to keep an eye on at all times. You can build bases on the open sea, in addition to land, and you'll encounter many amphibious units that will cross both with ease. The problem seems to lie with the game's scale. But when you have no direct control over what your computer-controlled partner is doing, or how they're balancing their forces, your best bet is often letting them head the assault, and sending in your own calculated attack once they've charged in. When playing with another person, for example, I could choose to focus on constructing ranged support units, while my partner swarmed with tanks and infantry. And when you're playing with an AI partner, you lose a lot of flexibility. Combat often consists of swarming your enemy with the right mix of troops. These functions work well, but the Red Alert series isn't exactly renowned for its strategic depth.

My personal favorite is the Plan Attack option: Pick a spot, and your teammate will begin constructing troops to clear out any opposition along the way, before finally plowing through and taking over the targeted location. Tell him to take a particular position, and he'll send some forces, clear out any opposition and stand guard till the area is clear, or you cancel the command.

Issue a command to attack a particular target, and he'll send forces until the enemy unit or building has fallen. What you can do is assign commands that will guide his behavior. There is no way to directly control how your computerized co-commander governs his army or builds his base.
