Sometimes the way you exit has just as much of an impact as the way you come in. Few would deny Command & Conquer is in many ways the seminal RTS series, and like most we've followed it faithfully from the beginning. From Command & Conquer’s defining of the modern RTS through to the battles in the alternate reality of Red Alert and back we’ve seen the C&C franchise evolve in myriad ways. But with C&C4, which EA says will put a final stamp on the fate of the Tiberium Wars, Kane, Nod and the GDI, we’ll see the most changes to the franchise's gameplay yet.

This is not just a reckoning within the C&C universe, but arguably one for the very genre itself, through the PC-exclusive C&C4. There's been a complete overhaul of the gameplay mechanics, doing away with the concept of static bases in favour of mobile class-based Crawlers and introducing a persistent experience for players across all modes. While we had the chance to see the game in action recently and had the new class system explained – based on Offensive, Defensive and Support Crawlers – this time around we sat down with producer Raj Joshi for some hands-on. Despite some success with the console versions, the development team acknowledge working solely for PC has enabled the creation of the strongest game, perhaps thanks to better controls and the additional graphical power the PC provides.

But many developers behind the console RTS push are current team members and lessons learned in attempting to broaden genre boundaries have not been lost. “Accessibility was at the top of our hit list when focusing on the console products,” explains Joshi, who worked on the console versions of C&C. “For C&C4, it’s no different in that we're introducing new mechanics and approaches to RTS gameplay and we want these features to be approachable for both new players as well as veterans.” The team believes that RTS gaming is divided into two camps – the hardcore legacy gamers and everybody else – and it’s their plan to make C&C4 as inviting as possible to all kinds of players.

Doing away with base building and resource gathering in favour of mobile bases that can respawn when destroyed are, Joshi tells us, the best ways to do that. “In freeing up the player’s focus on managing their base or resources, they can now concentrate on battles across the map and move to them easily. If the player wants his base on the frontlines supporting his offensive strategy, that’s exactly where he can put it. If a defensive player wants to hang back and keep the Crawler under wraps, then that is where it can stay. The player can now build while on the move and decide when to deploy newly created units. Everything you do in C&C4, be it kill enemies, capture structures or accomplish missions will net you experience points which will go towards your Crawler's progression. And you'll also earn ‘Battle Merits’ to purchase unlocked units. No matter what you play, be it campaign, multiplayer or skirmish, your profile earns EXP."

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