Recs.
Updated
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Massive battles with plenty of outcomes
Battles can involve hundreds of units. This allows for even experimental units that can single-handedly take out entire armies due to their sheer size. This way there is room for experimentation in what can works, or just to see what outcomes they have.
Pro Forged Alliance Forever Multiplay service
This community operated is actually better than the original server that hosted multiplayer games and missions. https://www.faforever.com/
Pro Strategic zoom gives players better battlefield awareness
The Strategic Zoom in Supreme Commander allows players to see the entire map in their view screen. By simply scrolling the mouse wheel, you can see the entire battlefield in an instant, or get an up-close view of an area, giving you better situational awareness. This benefits players, as it allows you to see how far away enemy units are that have been detected by long-range radar, giving you time to move units to a desired location to counter the attack. In addition, it enables you to send your units anywhere on the map without needing to pan the camera or click on a mini-map. Because of this feature, you are given more sight and more control over the field of battle, letting you adjust plans accordingly.
Pro Tried, tested and true
An amazing game with a hardcore fan base. Often imitated, but nothing as genuine and as appealing as the original.
Pro Quickly alter patrol patterns with use of an advanced command system
As Supreme Command features large maps, it is imperative for fighting units to be patrolling the edges of your base. By holding Shift and Right-Clicking to positions on screen, you can set up patrol routes for any highlighted unit to take. This creates a patrol pattern that these units will follow, engaging any enemy unit that comes into close proximity of the monitored area, keeping your base safe.
Holding the Shift key will also show you every patrol area that has been created, with small, square nodes that represent a point on the map where you performed a Shift/Right-Click action. By Left-Clicking and dragging these nodes, you can alter the patrol paths of your units. This will modify the guarded boundary, allowing you to shrink or enlarge the areas at any time. With this system, you no longer have to constantly create new patrols, but simply change the paths of the current ones.
Cons
Con Developers abandoned the game
However there is great community support in which they have released patches in order to fix outstanding bugs as well as support hosting a map vault where players can download community made maps to use in the game. There is also a matchmaking lobby tool available here, which makes finding online matches to play pretty easy.
Con Standalone add-on Forged Alliance needed for stability
Vanilla game has balance issues, which is why it is recommended to install the add-on, Forged Alliance. You do not need the original game to play Forged Alliance.
Con Game lag
This is a great game but it does suffer badly from its intense CPU requirements. Its technical design also means that the game speed is capped to the slowest computer present in the game - including any observers.
Playing games with fewer units at once, and with fewer AI players help speed up the game. Playing through the Forged Alliance Forever system is on average 10% faster on the same system, and contains other optimizations. Regular saves as you are playing can also really help.