Townes

"Your weaknesses became obvious when I scanned your tactics."

- Townes

General "Pinpoint" Townes is a 4-Star US Army General around the time of the War against the GLA.

Background
An early champion of laser technology in the USA Armed Forces, "Pinpoint" Townes has developed comprehensive offensive and defensive strategies for the 21st century around laser-based weapons. However, Townes found academic life too slow and returned to a battlefield command in 2010. Relying on inexpensive, powerful laser technology throughout his forces and his unique knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses, General Townes has consistently received superior marks during war games and live-fire actions. This four-star general continues to push the technology envelope in harnessing energy and improving power efficiency, and the Army is counting heavily on him.

Based at Fort Union, Redwood Shores, California, USA, Townes' Class Number is 00010204-01KE0.

Units

 * Laser Tank instead of the Crusader tank
 * Avenger is cheaper to produce

Buildings

 * Laser Defense turret instead of Patriot (cheaper and more powerful than the standard Patriot).
 * Cold Fusion Reactors generate more power and costs less ($700).

Limitations

 * Cannot produce Paladin Tanks or the Tomahawk Launcher
 * Laser weapons cease to function when power is low.
 * Laser crusader costs 1 point of power per tank.

Quotes

 * I can't lose to you! You're... a bumbling buffoon!
 * I calculated every variable and yet you are winning! How is this possible?!
 * Lasers make superior weapons.
 * You're not in my class, general. Try an easier opponent.
 * General, Colonel Burton is a bumbling fool!
 * Would you like me to beam you up, general? (Star Trek reference)
 * Interesting choice of tactics. It didn't helped my last opponent either.
 * Easy come, easy go.
 * *Laugh* Maybe you're not cut out for this. Try painting.
 * Don't look directly at the laser, you could burn out... at the back of your head. *chuckles*
 * Looks like a big space battle, doesn't it?
 * Checkmate.
 * Your planes are not safe from my lasers. Especially without your Airfield.
 * There you go, general. I've drawn the line in the sand. Now I DARE you to cross it! Come and get me, general!
 * How do you like my new toys, general?
 * It's a whole new age of warfare, general. And it's coming to your doorstep.
 * Charging lasers. Please wait, general.
 * Get away from my barracks!
 * I see you approaching my base,General. I wouldn't advise coming any closer.
 * If you build a Particle Cannon and I destroy it with a particle beam, is that irony? (When the player builds a Particle Cannon)
 * Particle Cannon. I wonder what would happen if we cross the beams. (If the player builds a second Particle Cannon, Ghostbusters reference)
 * Enemies in our base! All forces return and deploy lasers!
 * You're hunting my men on purpose. Aren't you, general?
 * You've tripped our outer perimeter warning lasers, general. We know you're there now.
 * Your base is starting to look like a housing track, general. Maybe I should play some connect-the-dots with a Particle Cannon to thin your numbers a bit? (If player's base is too large)
 * That's quite a lot of planes, general. You're putting on an airshow? *laugh*
 * Dozers, build more reactors. Lasers take a lot of power.
 * Lasers charged. Tracking targets now!
 * Reap the reward from the Oil Derrick while you can! We'll be there to take it soon.
 * Ah, the Command Center. The queen of this chess board. This match is all, but over now.
 * Sell that Scud Storm, general, or I will destroy it.
 * Out of power? How could you let your base ran out of power?
 * Precision attack commencing!
 * I have you in my sights now, General.
 * I'm about to attack. I thought you could use the warning.
 * Maybe you should re-evaluate your strategies. They obviously don't work.
 * My lasers cut through your defenses like a hot knife through butter.
 * Originally all my weapons also had laser targeting, but my enemies got confused."laughs"
 * Can you match 50 million mega joules of lasing power, General?
 * Don't get distracted by the pretty lights, General!
 * Your weapons can't match my pinpoint accuracy. Why not just surrender?
 * My lasers have destroyed so many of your buildings, how do you keep fighting?"laughs"
 * General, these loses are unacceptable! I'll repay you for destroying my buildings.
 * General, if you bring down anymore of my planes, I'll use all my super weapons to destroy you!
 * General, those resources are for me! Stay away from them!
 * Yes! Come straight through my front door, General... If you dare!
 * These resources will not help you, General.
 * You're out of resources, General! You'll never recover before we overrun you!
 * That excessive amount of base defenses will only slow down my laser, General.(If player builds too many base defenses)
 * You're gonna need a lot of tanks to get to me, General. Good Luck! (if player builds a War Factory or an Arms Dealer)
 * Quite a few infantry you've trained, General! I can't wait to see this crazy plan.(if player builds many infantry)
 * This must be like a nightmare for you, General.
 * My planning and preparation is leading me to a clear victory!
 * Have you decided how are you going to accept this defeat, General?

Behind the scenes

 * Ironically, despite being dubbed the Laser General, Townes has access to only one real laser unit at his disposal; the Laser Crusader. Many unused audio files and cameo textures however, suggest that there were many more laser-based units planned to have been implemented.
 * Such units include the Laser Ranger, Laser Missile Defender, standard Humvee with an upgradable Laser Gun instead of a TOW launcher, the Laser Paladin, the Laser Stealth Fighter, the Laser Comanche, and even the hero unit Colonel Burton was supposed to have been armed with a laser rifle. Time constraints in Zero Hour's development cycle meant that much of this content could not have been implemented into the final game.
 * The Laser Cannon was Townes' custom variant of the Particle Cannon. While significantly weaker than the standard Particle Cannon, it had longer firing duration and is available much earlier in the game (after the Airfield instead of the Strategy Center). The actual building and its superpower ability is actually complete and can be placed in-game with the World Builder; it's not known why it was never implemented into the final game.
 * The name Townes probably comes from, or at least has a remarkable coincidence with, the real-life Charles Hard Townes, Nobel prize winner and inventor of the MASER, which was the predecessor of the laser.
 * When he wins or loses his challenge against an opponent, Townes doesn't wear his glasses in both of them and only in the mugshot at the start of his challenge if the player chooses another General to play.