I'm thinking of buying this game primarily for online co-op, but according to some of the Steam reviews, you have to unlock most of the features, even for multiplayer. I don't have a huge amount of time for games right now, so I was wondering how long it would take me to unlock all of the multiplayer features (and, ideally, the scenario-building features, too, since I'd like to be able to make custom maps to play on). Alternatively, are there any mods that unlock everything from the start? Thanks!
I think that the "co-op vs. AI" feature is being worked on and should be available very soon. This will allow you to add bots as opponents in multiplayer maps. However, there are already a number of co-op type campaigns that work right now. I was playing one with a friend last night and it's very fun.
you do have to unlock the features, but you can beat the campaign quickly by adjusting difficulty. Custom features are available from the get-go.