1) Is this game worth it for single player only? I have no interest in online play.
2) Is the skirmish mode available offline vs AI?
3) is this the classic build base and army then destroy type of RTS?

Can't really answer the other two questions, but yes, the game offers skirmish vs AI.

1. Yes the game is definitely worth for singleplayer only. Every campaign mission gives you three objectives to complete. Each objective gives you a reward and a bronze, silver or gold star. Check the picture of example mission screen HERE. This is mission 2. In that mission you get a building and harverster unlocked at bronze/beginner level. If you build only one refinery in the game you get a silver star and -50 power usage for refineries from then on. If you complete objective 3 on normal or hard level you get a gold star and +500 startup cash in every mission. There are 25 campaign missions and every missino you can definitely play at least twice if you wan't to get every reward unlocked. Plus you can restart the campaign and delete your progress whenever you wan't. The devs also wan't to add up to 6 new factions with more campaign missions and maps but that depends on how good the game will sell. Factions might be addes for free but its not yet been decided.

2. Skirmish mode vs AI is offline like in the old C&C games.

3. Yes this is the classic build base and army then destroy RTS but its faster paced then C&C. Normal game takes about 10-20 minutes but that is for multiplayer. You can take time if you wan't to complete beginner objectives in campaign mission as much as you like but finishing objective 2-3 demands faster playstyle. The AI is quite competent so if you tend to play very slow it can take you unaware.

WTF is.... this ? Looks so cool, but... what it is ?

C&C in voxel form :)

Kryten: I've never seen one before - no one has - but I'm guessing it's a white hole.

Rimmer: A *white* hole?

Kryten: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. A black hole sucks time and matter out of the Universe; a white hole returns it.

Lister: So, that thing's spewing time...

Lister: [donning his fur-lined hat] ... back into the Universe?

Kryten: Precisely. That's why we're experiencing these curious time phenomena on board.

The Cat: So, what is it?

Kryten: I've never seen one before - no one has - but I'm guessing it's a white hole.

Rimmer: A *white* hole?

Kryten: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. A black hole sucks time and matter out of the Universe; a white hole returns it.

Lister: [minus the hat] So, that thing's spewing time...

Lister: [donning his fur-lined hat, again] ... back into the Universe?

Kryten: Precisely. That's why we're experiencing these curious time phenomena on board.

Lister: What time phenomena?

Kryten: Like just then, when time repeated itself.

The Cat: So, what is it?

Ahaa.... Thank you. :)

Thank you.
Thank you, very helpful.

That's old news about Galaxy not being optional for online multiplayer, but it is up to the devs how they implement multiplayer, not GOG. You and others who don't like this might do better to "consolidate" your frustrations into a single thread.

I'd suggest messaging Thiev to see if he can help you out for a refund, if you did buy the game before the gamecard mentioned Galaxy as a requirement.

I did, the proof is earlier in this thread. And the money isn't a big deal to me, it's the principle. I shouldn't be fighting GOG on principle on something like this. Principle is supposed to be their strong point.

Since gogs review length on the game page is severally limited here is my review for 8-bit armies:

Return to C&C? Yes, but to its core from 1990s. Base building, expansion and tones of armies. The graphical view fits the game perfectly and Franck Klepackis soundtrack gives you the fast paced background for the games playstyle. Also addition of crates with money/units adds additonal flavor to the game which hasn't been seen in newer rts games.

But this game also isn't C&C. Why ? Its a lot more fast paced. The game mechanic allows you to amass an army of tanks/helicopters very early in the game if you are very good at economic development (optimal building queue) and micro. The game has a peculiar system were each barrack/motor pool/air control/nuclear silo building increases the building speed for units/nuclear missiles but there is no cap for the building speed increase. Which means that the building time for units, if you have enough credits and buildings of the same type, can be instantanious. This is where the problem of very fast unit spam can happen (but that is more and issue for multiplayer then singleplayer). Also there is no unit cap. There is only one faction (looks like allied faction from Red Alert) in the game and up to 6 factions with campaigns and maps upcoming depending on how the game will sell. At least one crazy like faction is already available as a screenshot preview in the game menu. The game attempts to tie a connection to previous C&C games with AI names from those games and things like the victory screen: [url=http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/502525219774746479/9D9A9AA8F037331F8F797E8C469596929C5C1EC3/]Victory – A winner is You! Or the loosing screen with All your base are belong to us. Welcome commander entry greeting. It really gives you the nostalgia for C&C.

Campaign consists of 25 more or less skirmish missions with map descriptions. Every mission gives you 3 objectives. First objective is for beginner level and unlocks buildings/units in early missions. Later on it unlocks rewards like more starting cash, less power usage, etc and gives you a bronze star. Second and third mission objectives can be completed at normal or hard level and give you rewards like less power usage/units/cash, etc. and give you silver (for second objective) and gold star (third objective). The campaign allows you to return to previous missions with new units and rewards from following missions which makes it easier for beginners. The campaign can be hard for beginners but seasoned rts players shouldn't have a problem. Usually objective for gold star have to be finished very fast and will be extremely hard or impossible for beginners. 2 player co-op campaign is at the moment hard as hell and even old time rts players will have issues with completing it but a patch to make it easier is already being prepared.

Length of the game: Campaign missions on beginner level – no limit you can take your time as much as you wan't. Normal/Hard – depending on objectives up to 20 minutes in early mission 5-10 minutes. This time limit really presses you to play proactively and not defensively which is also not advisable since AI is quite competent and will erase you from the face of the earth if you go very slow. Also Insane AI in skirmish will defeat you instantly if you aren't a very good rts player.

Multiplayer has been patched and works almost flawlessly with occasional lobby sync issues which happens with most multiplayer games today that don't have the budget of AAA games for server infrastructure and even those have issues.

So to summarize: Fast paced, minimalized to the rts basics, graphically interesting lego like C&C game. You will either like it or hate it to death. Its not a perfect game but for the fun it gives me – five stars.

Thanks a lot for the review. So as far as I understand it's not a tactical RTS (a hero + a limited number of units) but rather mass army one? How many units are there on a battlefield?

As many units as you can fund. There is no unit limit. Its a classic build base, expand and attack game. C&C but more fast paced variant.

OK, but when you play single player how many units are usually (an average) on a battlefield when you send your final attack? 100? 200? More? I would like to know an average number, not when you try to spend a lot of time and build huuuuge army ;)