Forged Alliance is a stand-alone addon for Supreme Commander, developed by Gas Powered Games and released by Square Enix on 29.9.2011. The game mechanics follows the Total Annihilation Mechanics. Basically it is an independent game, but it continues the story line of Supreme Commander: Black Sun has been activated. This activation also made it possible for the Seraphim, who had long been considered extinct, to open a quantum fissure through which they completely bombed Earth in a devastating first strike. Out of necessity, the three factions of the predecessor, Aeon, Cybran and UEF, work together in a joint alliance against the Seraphim.

For the multiplayer this means on the one hand another faction that you can play. On the other hand there are a few new units. FA is therefore to be preferred for the multiplayer.

The game is still distributed via Steam and GOG. However the GOG version is only LAN/VPN play capable.

There are two major version types, the Steam version (2019-02-09: current version 1.6.6) and the DVD version (latest version is 1.5.3599). According to several internet sources, you can also download the game with the CD key of the DVD version from Steam, but then with the newer version 1.6.6. Both versions are savegame compatible with one another (you can load and play the Steam version with the DVD version and the other way around), but they do not allow a shared network game (connection fails). Likewise, they are not replay-compatible (in either direction).

Essentially the usual way: Install from DVD, patch, if necessary copy a crack over it. Alternatively, run the Steam installation. The DVD game can also be started from a copied folder if you have already backed it up or from a previous Windows installation. The patch 1.5.3596 to 1.5.3599 cannot be applied anymore, even if you specify the directory where FA is located. The patch also doesn't work with the cracked version 1.5.3596. Version 1.5.3599 doesn't seem to contain a DVD query anymore. A crack is therefore no longer necessary with this version. Therefore, the recommended procedure for the DVD version is to install the game including the patch and to save it if you don't want to install it again later.

Both versions are playable up to and including Win 10.

The game is known to cause problems with Nvidia drivers of version 460.79 or later. Game stutters and frames are dropping. There are three different approaches you can try, that might help you with that problem:

1. Install Nvidia drivers older than version 460.79,
2. enter d3d_WindowsCursor into the console (on German keyboards, use ö to open it, you can use the Nvidia Fix mod from the FAF client, too) or
3. open your services menu via services.msc and stop & disable the NVDisplay.ContainerLocalSystem service.

(Source)

Compared to Supreme Commander the economy is somewhat faster. The units themselves are just as fast, only the construction is faster. Some units are new (e.g. automated construction buildings). However, not much has changed in the core gameplay.

The game works kind of well via LAN, provided, everyone uses the same version. Still, sometimes you simply cannot find an open match. Another problem can be the inability to join an open match, where already two players are connected. It manifests itself in form of a message, that certain players cannot connect to each other, while the hosting computer could obviously be reached.

Via internet is a whole different story. In short, you cannot play the DVD version via Internet without any VPN tools, and even then the above mentioned problems for LAN play may occur. You certainly cannot use the official lobby servers with the DVD version any more, as the GPG net was shut down a while ago. However, this goes not for the Steam version (they run their own lobby servers). For a while those were down. At the moment (January 2022) the Steam version works very well without any additional tools or tweaks. Simply click on Matchmaking in the main menu, and go from there.

There is also an alternative in form of https://www.faforever.com/. The set up a new lobby server. But there are the following requirements to be met first:

1. You need the Steam version,
2. you need an account with FAF,
3. you need to link that account to your Steam account. Remember requirement 1…
4. You need to use their client software as well.

Once you start and configure the client software, you are good to go. The FAF client has some features, that make it worth the effort:

• An in-lobby map deposit,
• co-op mode,
• game mods,
• Elo score like ratings and of course
• lobby server via internet.

Some might have the impression, that the AI never uses nukes. That is not true! They actually do, but usually not earlier than one hour into the game. They are then thrown at the commander. But not all of the AIs do. Current situation looks like this:

As written above, the AI needs some time to get to the point, where it throws strategic missiles at you. In one match this was as early as 46 Minutes (game time).

The game can be played in several ways over the network. The Steam version has an extra Internet multiplayer lobby that replaces the GPGNet lobby. (See section Multiplayer, GPGNet is offline now.) Via LAN you can connect with direct IP and port input. The game allows you to either choose the port randomly when opening a server, or to set it yourself. What doesn't work is players using the steam version and DVD version in one game. Both sides can't see each other or connect to each other. The game doesn't give an error message, but the connection just doesn't work. Similarly, a connection via the Internet (without VPN) does not work, despite port forwarding.

For a network game, FA requires the specified port and 15000 (UDP) to be allowed in a possible firewall.

• Build Micro Management for FA
• Simple Starting Build Order

• Supreme Commander: Forged Alliance Wiki
• https://www.faforever.com/
• Forged Alliance Forever Discord
• The LOUD Project Discord
• Very basic economy how-to for FA(F)
• List of guides for personal improvement of the player

• Maps and map packs for download

• Games with TA mechanics

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