RA3: ASV - Features & Plans

General Overview
· Pre-Release Goals:
X - Polished, x -Complete, / - Partially Complete

o [X] Add Shroud
o [x] Camera Convenience Changes
o [x] Cost & Build-speed adjustments
o [] Tech-Structure Revolution
o [/] Armor-Set Revamps
o [] Infantry Scale - Scale Infantry Models to be a bit closer to proportionally correct.

· Post-Release Goals:
X - Polished, x -Complete, / - Partially Complete

o [] Player Powers - Replace player powers that damage buildings to be more economic. Basically promote better unit engagements and less easy tactics while assisting with the slow economy.
o [] EVA - Adjust EVA Priorities to watch things that you are not. Draw better attention to things you aren't aware of and things that are of extreme importance.
o [] AI Fix - Fix the AI to play properly with the given changes. This doesn't mean make them smarter but simply to build things in correct orders, make use of cheaper units, etc.
o [] AI Advancement - This is the goal of making the AI smarter, less cheating better playing, etc. Some possible ideas/changes below.
-Make AI take risks: e.g. Super-Weapons, Steamroll, rush, etc.
-Have larger variation in AI attack squads.

Ideas behind the mod:
First off, I just want to specify that this is NOT A BALANCE MOD. I am creating this mod for those looking for an alternative experience to the usual Command & Conquer Experiences. That being said, I'm going to try and not have any ridiculous units or anything like that. There will be some sort of balance, however, it may not be the balance you're expecting or used to.

• Scouting - Increase importance of scouting. The game will attempt to make it very challenging if you wish to win the game without scouting. At the same time, the game will also make it more rewarding to scout, via making build/play styles unique. For example, if you wanted to build a super-weapon, they now cost a ridiculous amount of money and power. So if you see your enemy building a significant number of power plants he/she may be trying to sneak a super-weapon in (More details int he Super-weapon section).
• Exploration - I don't know about you, but I miss Shroud. I enjoyed the days of loading up RA2, and starting up a skirmish match against the AI on a random map not knowing at the start which map it was or what features it contained. In a small attempt to bring part of that experience back to RA3, Shroud has been reintroduced. Shroud makes the map pure black not allowing for vision of anything, not even the terrain. To keep scouting an importance however, fog of war is still enabled as well. So exploring an area will make the terrain visible, but if you leave that area you will not be able to see units that pass through.
• Survival - Unit survival will be typically more important. There will be an emphasis on micromanagement and production of the correct counter-types. Vehicles will now take more damage from the sides and rear, vehicles cost and build-speeds make their survival a priority. On the other-hand, Infantry are now a more desirable choice as they are cheaper, quicker at recruitment, and just as useless as ever! Kidding, but on a more serious note, Armor-Sets have been adjusted in an attempt to stress the vulnerabilities of Infantry and Vehicles (with reason). Infantry take less damage from tanks (to simulate a tank's likely-hood to miss an infantry unit) but take more damage from machine guns and small-arms fire. Vehicles take a minuscule amount of damage from small-arms fire, but still take a significant amount from explosives and tank rounds.
• Tech Structures - Tech Structures are going to be invulnerable (or at least extremely durable haven't quite decided yet). This is to make Oil Derricks, Garages, Hospitals, Etc more of an importance to hold instead of just going and blowing one up when your enemy captures it. Income in the game will be slowed significantly but will be larger as more sustainable income will be available.
• Income - No longer will Ore & Oil Derricks be the only form of income. Construction Yards, Refineries, and Outposts themselves will now produce a very small constant income. Player Powers will be created to give each faction their own special boost in their economy, whether it be from Commercialized Power, Industrial Labor, or even Robotic Manufacturing, each faction will have a choice at a better economy depending on choices of Player Powers.
• Super-Weapons - Super-weapons, personally have always been an annoyance. RA2 there was the No-Super-weapon button, and even in my other mod (The significantly more spontaneous RA3: Undecided) I sought out a No Super-Weapons button. The solution I came up with for this mod was not to ban them, but to adjust them. Super-Weapons will be even more of a high-risk high-reward strategy. As a preface, Power Plants have been made to produce much more power (1 is enough for a whole base without defenses). That being said, Super-weapons will cost a ridiculous amount of power (3+ Power Plants) and a significant amount of money. With this increase comes a buff to them though, there will be a radius of effect increase, possibly a damage increase, and maybe even a removal of the super-weapon timers so that enemies won't know you've built one unless they've seen it (decision pending on this idea though).

Table Subject To Change!

Infantry

Unit-Type Cost Build-Speed Units Scout $40 1.8s Dog, Bear, Drone Anti-Infantry $50 2.0s Peacekeeper, Conscript, Imperial Warrior Anti-Vehicle $175 7.0s Javelin, Flak, Tank-Buster Engineer $250 10.0s Engineers Infiltrators $450 18.0s Spy, Shinobi Special $450 18.0s Tesla Trooper, Rocket Angel Commando $750 30.0s Tanya, Natasha, Yuriko

Vehicles

Unit-Type Cost Build-Speed Units Ore-Miner $1500 20.0s Ore-Miners, Sputnik Scout $750 10.0s Terror Drone, Sudden Transport Anti-Infantry (Tier 1) $2000 26.7s Riptide, Sickle, Mecha Tengu Anti-Air $2500 33.4s Multi-Gunner IFV, Bullfrog, Sriker VX Tier 2 $4000 53.4s Guardian Tank, Hammer Tank, Tsunami Tank Tier 3 $7250 96.7s Mirage Tank, Apocalypse Tank, King Oni Anti-Structure $5750 76.7s Athena, V4, Wave-Force MCV $6000 80.0s Mobile Construction Vehicles

Aircraft

Unit-Type Cost Build-Speed Units Anti-Ground $3000 30.0s Vindicator, Twin-Blade Anti-Air $2750 27.5s Apollo, MiG Support $2500 25.0s Cryocopter Heavy Bombers $7000 70.0s Century Bomber, Kirov

Naval

Unit-Type Cost Build-Speed Units Light/Scout $2250 22.5s Dolphin, Stingray, Yari Sub Anti-Air $2500 25.0s Hydrofoil, Bullfrog, Seawing Anti-Naval $3250 32.5s Assault Destroyer, Akula Sub, Naginata Anti-Structure $5750 57.5s Aircraft Carrier, Dreadnought, Shogun

Features In the Works

(As of 11/09/2014)

I'm working on the AI, it's proving to be a pain because I have no idea what I'm breaking or how I'm breaking it with each of these very minor changes, but I am. So it'll probably be a while considering that and the fact I'm about to start a new job tomorrow.