Greetings, travelers. If you’re like me, you grew up playing games across a slew of systems, including on the computer. Some of my favorites were games like Monkey Island, Doom, and Warcraft. But one of the series with lasting appeal, which spawned countless games across many years, was Command & Conquer. I still remember the secret dinosaur and ant levels fondly.
Now, if you’re not like me, this might all sound like gibberish, but I will help find a way to loop it back into the book stuff we show off here on Tellest. We worked together recently with author OrangeNero, who enjoyed Command & Conquer so much that he brought a story to life as a fan fiction called Command & Conquer: Amen. Join us as we learn more about the project, and about how the author came to pursue it.
Tellest: Hello, OrangeNero! I’d like to thank you for allowing us to take some of your time to talk about your new fan fiction, Command & Conquer: Amen. I always find fan fictions to be one of the most passionate forms of storytelling, because the source material clearly resonated with the writer and felt important to them. Typically we see these things play out through hard work and an eagerness to share. So, with that, I’m excited to learn more about this project, and to see what gave you the writing bug enough to pursue it! Welcome!
OrangeNero: It is my pleasure to be here and to enlighten you all in this interview. Thank you, Michael, for the opportunity. Yes, C&C even got into the Guinness World Records book for most games sold. It used to be quite popular and well known.
T: One of the important, foundational questions that I ask all the storytellers I work with is what sparked an interest in creativity. For you, that might be a twofold question, since you obviously have a passion for video games, and for writing as well. Were there any storytellers—either someone famous or perhaps someone in your family or community who got you excited with the writing bug?
Also, what games really stuck with you and why?
ON: I am fond of my schoolteacher. She kept telling me that I had a thing for writing. So, in 2018, when I fell into a deep depression, I remembered that and started to write again. I made a video on Youtube about my favorite games, and it is close to a hundred. Games are the ultimate media. You read books, and listen to music, and watch movies… But you interact with games, kind of forging your own path. The type of games that really stuck with me are those which have great music or a captivating design. And C&C doesn’t disappoint in either of those. My fanfiction is and will be full of other IPs as well. The crew Stan starts out with is from World in Conflict for example.
T: Since you have brought these stories to life, have you thought about how your schoolteacher would appreciate what you’ve created? Have you thought of reaching out to share in your passion and show that you’ve taken that encouragement and moved forward with it?
ON: I did share some short stories with her, and she liked some a lot, while others were simply not her thing. I must accept that my style and my interest isn’t for everybody. In any case, she does encourage me to keep on going.
T: You are absolutely right about being in the driver’s seat when it comes to games, and it being a completely different kind of medium with that in mind. It seems that you also like games dealing with tactics and planning, and those skills are adjacent to writing. Did you feel that gave you a leg up when you wanted to work on stories that required a certain kind of perspective?
ON: Definitely, yes. Uhm, when it comes to varying perspectives, I must tell you about the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and its video game adaptations. Dynasty Warriors for example is such a marvel because you see the conflict from each and every perspective. I learned a lot by studying the Three Kingdoms and would argue that it is among the most important literature out there.
T: Dynasty Warriors is another one of those series that I count among my favorites. It kind of goes hand in hand with what you mentioned earlier about certain things not being to everyone’s liking. I know that Dynasty Warriors is such a particular genre, and that it doesn’t appeal to everyone, but I was blown away by the stories it told, and the expansive cast it let you experience things alongside. I also think that it does a lot with a little. Compared to the strategies and tactics employed in the books, the games barely scratch the surface, especially considering the hardware limitations.
When you’re writing these stories that tend to focus on strategy, do you like to layer in those sort of tactical ideas that show up in military games, literature, and other media?
ON: When I write these stories I tend to look at what I have at my disposal. The map for example, the time, the assets I can work with, the characters. I then think back to what I experienced in games and other media and if I can adapt something of it. But that is not always the case so in those situations my creativity is really called for.
T: So, let’s jump right into it and talk more about Command & Conquer: Amen. How did this story come together in your head? What was it that made you know that you had to tell it?
ON: C&C Amen wants to finally solve the mysteries behind C&C while telling nothing short of the ultimate adventure story. It will fail, but I must try. I heard this calling to write this. C&C Amen is much more than just a fanfiction. It is an alternate universe, one where we do have Nod and GDI, yes, but also a chance to look back in history and handle things differently. For example, Libya and Gaddafi, they aren’t spared in my fanfiction either, but I hope to treat them better, and well, they deserved better.
T: A big component of the Command & Conquer games, at least those set in the modern era, is the discovery of this new material called Tiberium. What kind of presence does that have in your stories? It was used sort of sparingly in the game from a storyline perspective, but it did have a lot more to say within cutscenes and the like.
ON: In my story, Tiberium isn’t as important at first. It aids in making the world seem harsh by it poisoning the area and locals. There are even mutants making a brief appearance. Tiberium could and should have a more center point. I’ll take that hint to heart as I go deeper into C&C Amen storyline. Tiberium in the lore is an alien substance that slowly terraforms the planet to be habitable for the aliens called Scrin. My story takes places years prior to the Scrin invasion. Tiberium is important for stuff like the cyborgs or secret Nod technology. Just like Uranium-coated shells make M1 Abrams hit harder, Tiberium-coated shells hit even harder. There is going to be early stealth tech in the novel and it will of course require Tiberium. Tiberium should not be underestimated. At the same time it is not as key as Spice is to DUNE. I could write a sequel which takes place years later with the Scrin invasion. There it would become key as the earth would be far more ravaged by Tiberium infestation and the arriving Scrin and living zones would be all about it.
T: While we’re looping in discussions about the games, the Red Alert games didn’t quite follow the Tiberium aspect, but it did manage to loop in another part of the religious fanaticism of the Brotherhood of Nod, by showing Kane appearing during the alternate World War II timeline. Do you explore that at all? Or is the story mostly about dialing into the everyman’s perspective, and watching how their experience unfolds?
ON: One has to understand that Red Alert was C&C 0 or the prequel with Kane at the side of Stalin. The fracture happened after Tiberian Sun. I do enjoy RA2 and its story, but I do have to make a stand that it should not have existed. It is however a great “what if” scenario.
What I do is in my mod, Orange Alert, which is part of C&C Amen, I show what happened after the allied victory in RA and how the world shaped afterwards up to the 90s when Tiberian Dawn happens. After Tiberian Dawn comes the story of Stan Aeschliman and after his death we would be at Tiberian Sun. And after that perhaps I could make Amen 2 with the Scrin invading. But I don’t feel like doing Amen 2 because it would be me retelling Universe at War by Brett W. Sperry.
T: C&C Amen takes place in a world filled with struggle and strife, and you’ve got the added intensity of telling it from the perspective of an officer of the Brotherhood of Nod, essentially a terrorist group with a religious overlay. How was it putting yourself in the shoes of someone who lives surrounded by all that darkness?
ON: Darkness is the right word to describe it indeed. Because it is not evil. It is the dark path. Stan and the people serving Nod hope to make the world better. They are world improvers at heart. But they will go over bodies to do so—absolutely opportunistic. The true evil in C&C Amen lies on the “good” side, which isn’t good at all. Then there is Kane. As one can tell after reading the prequel, he follows his own selfish goal. But to which end? As for your question, it was hard and intriguing to put myself into his shoes. When I write the story of Stan I have to think like him, have to become him. As I am a well-balanced-out man, who enjoyed both the dark and the light ways of life, I can do that to a degree. I felt ready to write C&C Amen.
T: It feels to me like your time attached to this world doesn’t end with Amen. Instead, it feels like the genesis of something bigger and vaster. Do you plan on spending more time telling Command & Conquer stories, or was this a sort of one-and-done?
ON: I hope this to be a one-and-done kind of thing. I already have a prequel called KOSMOS -1, and Amen is the main thing. This story is going to be large and while I could always expand it further, I think there are other universes and other stories that are more worthwhile to explore rather than milking the cow of Amen with side stories and sequels. I promise you this however, this is the story of Stan Aeschlimann, and it will end with him, his death. And you will have closure. No cliffhanger is planned. I would hate that.
T: You mentioned earlier that you have sort of crossovers between certain games. Could you see yourself crossing over to your own content? Stan’s story might be done once you wrap up Amen, but could breadcrumbs from his story end up elsewhere?
ON: I am working on a game modification called “Orange Alert” for Command & Conquer Red Alert 2: Yuri’s Revenge. It features the backstory of Denero, the Libyan commander. It is also part of the same universe as C&C Amen and takes place shortly before it. It is unfinished and in early stages. I did write the whole story and backstory of it down and published it. You can find it on ModDB.
Apart from this I would love it if EA would find my story to their liking and make it canon. As long as it isn’t, I doubt that it will show up elsewhere. I do not plan to. But never say never?!
T: Even if it were not your stories coming to life in the Command & Conquer universe, it feels like we should have something, right? It’s been 16 years since the last mainline release, and six years since the remastered collection. What’s your dream for where the game series would go next?
ON: I strongly doubt that the industry and the audience today is ready for a new Command & Conquer. C&C used to push boundaries and what is acceptable. It is also not constraint to the RTS genre. Renegade was a FPS and C&C4 a RTT. I must say that Call of Duty Infinite Warfare came very close to feeling like a Tiberian Sun FPS. The cancelled FPS game Tiberium would be neat. Or Petroglyph’s cancelled End of Nations, a 200 player RTT with massive units. Or something like a Jagged Alliance or a Company of Heroes sort of game.
T: Now, Command & Conquer isn’t the only story that you’ve found yourself adapting from a video game, right? You’ve also tweaked Pokémon to tell a different kind of story. What can you tell us about your project there?
ON: Oh wow you know about my Pokémon short stories? I am blushing. Pokémon in the original form used to be quite dark. Especially the first movie with Mewtwo. It also shared similarities to C&C. Like everything used to share similarities. Because we all knew where we were heading. I wish that Pokémon would embrace the old fans more who are now adults and give us content that is made for adults. Take the story of charmander for example. It has a tail that is naturally on fire and when that fire is extinguished, it dies. Ash finds it collapsed and crying in the rain with a bunch of evil bird pokémon in pursuit who are hellbent on killing the charmander off, including Ash. It is a dark and worthy story. We used to have more of them. Digimon for example, too, or many stories for children used to be serious at times.
T: Hey, I try to do my research and figure out what I can.
So, what you’re saying is that a Pokémon that’s sort of akin to Pooh: Blood and Honey would be up your alley?
ON: Hahaha wow ok I am not much into slasher movies, I did enjoy EVIL DEAD series on Netflix but that is also a lot of comedy. No what I mean is… hard to describe. I would love a more serious tone in Pokémon with the intention of it being for the whole family, young and old. Right now it is just for toddlers and it is becoming worse by the minute. Take the story of Tragosso for example, the traumatized dino Pokémon that wears a skull as a mask and uses a bone as its weapon. Those are the skull and bone of its mother who was killed mercilessly by Team Rocket. Team Rocket and its leader Giovanni used to be real sinister. With Giovanni being almost on par with Kane. Or in the Gold Silver edition Team Rocket is cutting off the tails of Flegmons and selling it. That is so cruel. In later editions there is no more Team Rocket but Team Aqua I believe, they do nothing of the sorts. Not to the same scale.
T: Again, I want to reiterate that I absolutely feel as though fan fiction has its place. But you also seem like someone with a lot of ideas. Have you thought about writing anything that is original, where you could configure the world to be exactly as you needed it?
ON: I am more fascinated by modding rather than creating. I want to take stories that others have written and see what I can do with it. Because I see the potential and the wanting. It is also easier. That said, yes, if I wanted to, I probably could create something completely of my own, and I attempted that, but even then, inspiration comes from things I have seen or heard in other media.
T: You mentioned being fascinated by modding. I know in some of the C&C content you can make your own custom maps and the like. Once it gets into modding, are you able to completely reconstruct the game to allow for new campaigns and things like that? I’m familiar with the games, but not with the modding community.
ON: The possibilities are endless and you can make pretty much everything. And it is being done. I had the pleasure to create a mod called Orange Sun. Not the most advanced mod out there but still serious stuff. Comes with its own missions, its own units, its own game mechanics even. The community has spent decades working on tools and dissecting and improving the source code and engine to allow for more stuff. I believe that all C&C games are moddable to the highest degree except for number 4, Tiberium Twilight, but that is due to its online structure. Even there you can create new units I believe. But that game is terrible and hated by all. And for many good reasons. I do defend the idea of mobile bases and the RTT formula, but the execution was bad and pretty much everything about the game was bad so…
The craziest mod I have seen has got the be the tennis-like sports game mod for Tiberium Wars. Both sides had a grenadier and the grenade was a ball that had to hit the other side to score. I hardly remember it. But hey somebody actually sat down for like 50 to 100 hours or so and created that.
Others made WW2 mods or recreated the first game including its missions in a later game. RA is in RA3 or TD in Generals.
But many mods forget about the most important lessons. Readability. Some downsize the infantry to realistic levels, but then you can’t tell how many assault rifles or bazookas are coming at you. Or they lack remap or have too much detail so that there are no clean shapes anymore. Game/Mod making truly is an art that is hard to master.
My mod or my story or my work intends to do the most important thing to C&C. Finally resolve the story, fix the rupture between Red Alert and Tiberium universe, include Generals to a degree, just making C&C whole again. Healing it in a sense.
T: Fan fiction and games tend to bring people together. When it comes to bringing people over to you and your work, where could folks look to find out more? Do you have a website or any social media that you would direct people to?
ON: There are a very few popular fanfiction sites both in English and in German and I advise you to go to the most popular place because you will find more resonance and more interaction there. Or you do what I do here and buy it. ModDB used to be such a marvelous place, but it needs revitalization. I hope to revitalize it a bit with this. Once I am finished with C&C Amen, I will share my Mechwarrior and my STALKER stories also on ModDB, I think, and hire your services for each. By the way, that reminds me, I am not a believer of copyrights. You too could take my story and share it or modify it. Let me know if you do. I’d love to read what readers create out of my fanfiction, lol.
C&C lives as long as we don’t let it die!
T: OrangeNero, I wanted to thank you for sharing some of your time with us as we discussed your projects, how you came to want to begin writing, and to let us into the process. It’s clear that you’ve got a lot of passion for what you work on and believe in, and I appreciate you letting me and your readers be a part of it!
ON: Likewise. Making this interview with you was a pleasure and a joy. I learned more about my work in the process. I also fed the copilot AI the interview and it gives me very interesting analysis and options. I’d like to remind readers that the first C&C featured an AI called EVA and Tiberian Sun featured Cabal. That was in 1999. To think that these games back when I was 9 years old showed me something that I can do today is amazing. It is why I wear the Nod scorpion as a tattoo on my left shoulder. Dear Michael and readers, I love to chat about my work or chat in general. Hit me up on ModDB and I’ll gladly answer. Michael, I look forward to the next interview about my next project in the foreseeable future.
“He who controls the past commands the future. He who commands the future conquers the past.” – Kane
T: I’d like to once again thank OrangeNero for being generous with their time and letting us see the most vulnerable parts of their storytelling persona. It’s always a fantastic opportunity when you get to see behind the curtain and understand why a story had to be told.
If you’re interested in seeing the story that OrangeNero has been working on, be sure to check out Command & Conquer: Amen on ModDB today!
Michael DeAngelo
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