EA is releasing these old games for free because of the upcoming final chapter of the C&C saga, for no monies or any strings attached at all. You can download the ISO's here and get started:

http://www.commandandconquer.com/classic

Basically, all you need is C&C if you want to have played the entire (canon) saga from beginning to end with C&C 4. Smooth move EA - I'm actually starting to appreciate you with your smoothish DRM policy and actions like these!!

The first two were released earlier for free by EA. Nice move. If I have to be picky, it's a shame the old install routine is not available, I remember that being one of the coolest things about the original.

Yeah! I remember that. The original C&C was one of the first games that really 'wowed' me...what it did was, at the time, pretty mindblowing.

Btw, in case you're interested, there's a high res mod for the first C&C and RA

http://nyerguds.arsaneus-design.com/cnc95upd/cc95p106/

Also, Arathorn, I know you played Mount & Blade and liked it, and not's on steam for 5 e so...I'm considering it. Is it more than just riding around and fighting on horseback though? Are there overarching political motivates, kingdoms, diplomacy?

Those things are present, but in a rudimentary state. It's certainly not what you buy the game for. You can however, own a castle or even a city. In short:
- Interesting combat system, and on horseback!
- You can fight in a war, along with your king in pretty big battles.
- Or you can fight in tournaments, a good way to raise money.
- You can also back a claimant to the throne (never tried that).
- You have a reputation with each lord, which can increase if you release them after capturing them, or if you do a quest for them (but there are only a handful of quests, which keep repeating and they're not always interesting).
- There are 5 factions with different types of soldiers, you can hire mercenaries in cities or peasants in villages that belong to your faction or that like you enough. If those soldiers get enough experience, you can upgrade them, but you'll also have to pay them more.
- You can level up your character rpg-style. There are combat and non-combat abilities to choose from.
- There are full conversion mods (I never tried any though).
- There's a stand-alone expansion coming, with multiplayer: http://www.taleworlds.com/main.aspx

You can off course, download a demo from their site to check for yourself.

I'll get the demo then, thanks for the info! Doesn't really sound like there's enough outside of the combat to keep me interested, but you never know. And apparently everyone with a serial for the original can get into the Warband MP beta now...just so you know.