Red Alert 20XX - Version 1.0.4 is out! news

Hi fellow commanders,

Version 1.0.4 of Red Alert 20XX, the biggest yet, is finally ready. Head to the files page to grab it or click here.

This update focuses on expanding the Soviet arsenal and fleshing out its subfactions. There's a lot to covert, so let's get right into it, shall we?

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= Version 1.0.4 Highlights =
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1. New Tier 3 techtree

This update introduces a new tech building to choose from for the Soviets, while also reorganizing some of the existing technologies and making China much more adaptative based on which Tier 3 building is choosen by the player. It also changes the Eastern Republic arsenal quite a bit... again. Therefore, there's now three Bureau, each with their own perks.

The Bureau of Propaganda focuses on buffs and support, while also making use of napalm, a cheap yet efficient technology versus infantry and buildings. Consequently, it is designed to make your units more ferocious by using propaganda and allows you to swiftly strike the enemy base's building with napalm weaponry while your main forces attack at an other point. However, the drawback is that you'll have less options to eliminate vehicle columns.

The Bureau of Industry focuses on vehicle deployment and survivability. Choosing this tech building will allow you to make production outposts in strategic points on the battlefield, all while repairing your damaged vehicles. The unique Nuke Bombadier is also a very good units against enemy vehicle. The drawback of this tech building is that the unique units provided are a bit slow.

The Bureau of Technology is the new addition to the Soviets tech building. It focuses on high tech units which deals great damage. However, this heavier firepower comes at the cost of rapidly crippling your economy, since its unique units are rather expensives.

2. New content

This new update is full of goodies, from completely new units or major changes in some already existing one to new graphics.

New units, buildings and support power
-The Bombadier is a long range unit and its weapon will change depending on the kind of Bureau build by the player. It comes in three variant. The Napalm Bombardier is good versus buildings and light target, it is equipped with a napalm motar launcher which has a larger AoE, can easily damage buidings and can clear garrisonned building. The Nuke Bombardier is a heavy damage dealer, equipped with a portable nuke launcher. While devasteting, its death zone is smaller and has a very low reload time. Finally, the Iron Particle Bombardier uses weaponized Iron Curtain technology. Friendly units hit by this particle launcher will gain invulnerability for a few seconds, while foes will suffer moderate damages. However, the weapon will leave particles on the ground that will gradually damage any units or building for a few seconds. See it in action here.

-Once the Bureau of Technology is build, the Tesla Tank will be upgraded to the Nikola Tank, which is a more armored vehicle and does more damage in exchange of a higher price. See it in action here.

-Since China does not have access to the regular Tesla Tank, building the Bureau of Technology will upgrade the Komodo Tank into the Ifrit Tank. This unit is a mammoth-class flame tank with more range and an open topped slot for infantry. See it in action here.

-The Tesla Twin is a new defense building unique to Russia. This upgraded Tesla Coil uses more power and cost more to deploy, but it has the added benefit to use the prism logic from the original RA2, meaning that it can create network of Tesla energy that buffs an attacking tower. This tesla network can be up to ten Tesla Twin, each boosting the power of a zap by 20%. Plus, it retain its ability to be overpowered by Shock Trooper. See it in action here.

-The Overlord Tank, while existant prior to 1.0.4, has a new variant, depending on the Bureau build by the player. The Propaganda Overlord will buff surrounding friendly units. The other two variant (Battle Overlord and Tesla Overlord) are kept pretty much much the same and don't need an introduction. See it in action here.

-The Ling Ao is a new Chinese unit which replaces the Helix. It will give the propaganda buff so surrounding friendly units and debuff enemies vehicle's armor. Just like the Overlord Tank, it has three variants, depending on which Bureau was build : the Propaganda Ling Ao has a bigger range for its propaganda effect and is faster than its counterparts, The Armored Ling Ao has double the armor and the Tesla Ling Ao is equipped with two Tesla Coil that can attack on the ground.

-The Pyrocycle is a new Tier 1 unit for the Eastern Republic and replaces the pyroscript. It is a fast unit, with decent range and is especially good versus infantries and buildings. Just like the Pyroscript, it can kill garrisonned unit. Its main drawback is that it is paper weak and won't stand a change in direct confrontation. Therefore, it is a great flaking and hit and run unit.

-The Bureau of Propaganda will allow the player to call for a Naplam Strike at a designed location. It will call in two Napalm Mig to the designated target. The deployment is quite fast and effective against infantry, buildings and light vehicles.

Unit changes
-The Tesla Trooper is now renamed to the Shock Trooper. It has lighter armor, can garrison buildings and can be crushed by vehicle.

-The Flak Track has been replaced by the Proletarian Flak APC. It has a bit more armor, but also increased cost. See it in action here.

-The Katyusha is now renamed to the Hellion MLRS and has a new voxel.

-The Scavenger has a new voxel. Units destroyed by it gives 15% of their total value, instead of the 10% it was before. Also, the Scavenger slows down enemy vehicle close to it, making it easier to hit moving targets. Does not replace the Mine Layer anymore, and now only requires a Radar Dome instead of a Service Depot.

-The Mine Layer is renamed to the Antlion Mine Layer. It has a new voxel and is equiped with a machine gun to defend itself. Plus, it has a bit more armor, will lay mines when killed and has a new nice deploy animation. It is best used at chokepoint on the map or in ore field. Can now be build by Russia, since it is no longer replaced by the Scavenger. See it in action here.

-The Mobile War Factory has a new voxel. Plus, it now has a machine gun.

-The Hammerhead has a new voxel. Both the unit and its missile have more health and it will now launch its missile at a faster pace. See it in action here.

-When the Soviets capture a Tech Airfield, troops are now delivered by Helix helicopter, instead of heavy cargo plane. Troop delivery is now a bit slower, but more infantries are deployed on the targeted zone to counter balance this weakness.

-The Legion Tank and the Legion Ace have a new voxel.

-The Iron Fist is now available with the Bureau of Technology and give the Iron Curtain effect when destroyed to friends and foes alike.
-The Fallout Cannon now replaces the Hellion MLRS for the Eastern Republic. Its stats were rearranged to be on part with Tier 2. Its projectile is a bit more precise and it is now immune to radiation. Its width was reduced by 10%.
-The Sickle has reduce range, its missiles causes radiation and has a higher ROF. It can undeploy now. When deployed, it has x1,5 health, can auto-repair and is now mass selectable.
-The Demo Truck was completely removed from the Eastern Republic arsenal... for now.

Graphic, SFX and sound
-Some Soviet buildings were updated to give them a more distinct style from their Red Alert 2 counterpart.

-The Iron Curtain has a new animation.

-Most vehicle will now have custom debris when destroyed.

-Made an universal palette for explosions, for better aesthetic uniformity. Sneak peek can be seen here.
-The Twinblade's tail was edited.
-The Desolator has a new graphic.
-Both Tank Hunter and Pyroscript have more defined sprites.
-Reworked all insignia on infantries that had one.
-Added new custom cursors.
-Most explosions now have a "dust ring" under them.
-Replace all civilian vehicle with custom ones and they now launch a voxel debris. They have some new destruction sound. You can see that in action here.
-Damaged vehicle (plus the Terror Drone infantry and the Berzerker) will now emit sparks.
-Plane crash are now in straight line and have a new crashing animation.
-New death animation for infantries killed by overpowered Tesla zap.
-New sound and animation for all missile spawning units (V3 Launcher, Hammerhead, Arthemis Launcher).
-Added a bunch of new cameos, by Kerbiter and SMxReaver.

Maps
-The mod now has a lot of new maps to play on. I added 152 new maps, and removed about 50 of WestWood's most bland maps.

Balance and bugfixes
-Massive balance change to how damages is done to buildings by weapon with area of effect (added CellSpread.MaxAffect=1 to almost all warheads). There are too many changes to note them all, but now, damages against buildings should be more uniformized.
-Boosted the cost of all Tier 3 Tech Building to 3000 and gave them a build limit of one.
-Adjustments to AI (reduced the number of Teams created for Hard and Medium AI, lowered the base size and slightly reduced Teams Delay).
-Increased the number of infantry paradroped from 8 to 10 for the Allied when capturing the Tech Airport.
-The price of the Advanced Armory was reduced from 3000 to 2000.
-Fixed a bug that crashed the game when the diplomacy screen was opened.
-Fixed a bug that caused certain WH to cause fire animation to building and instantly destroyed them.
-The Komissar and the Volkov will now receive experience from airstrike.
-Fixed the Propaganda support power's animation.
-Fixed a bug that caused some innaccurate projectiles to "slide" on the ground before detonating.

There is much more changes with this updates, so if you want to read them all, go to the download page and read the description or read the ReadMe file provided with the mod in the main directory.

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= Development roadmap 2.0 =
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With this update done, let me refresh the planned development roadmap that was teased last time. Again, note that all of this is subject to change if I feel like it.

-1.0.5 Subfaction update : As I said before, each subfaction will get a new unique unit, building or Superweapon with this update. It will also be an opportunnity to flesh out the Allied just like 1.0.4 did with the Soviet. Most of the USA's unit will be polished, the European Union's arsenal will change a bit and finally, I'll make that damn Robot Center useful. Expect new voxel and GUI upgrade. One of the biggest changes will of cours be the implementation of the Phobos Add-on, which expand the possibility of YR modding substantially. So expect those nice description boxes on units, missile intercepting weapon, active harvester counter and much more. Finally, t this point, I'd like to introduce challenge maps, similar to what is found in Generals Zero Hour. The first one uploaded will be China, Russia and USA challenge. It is quite possible that I will release those one by one, in small updates, after 1.0.5 is done. I'll see.
-1.0.6 Launcher update (aka 1.1) : This update will focus on having more options available in the launcher (those damn bigger infantries, for instance), as well as activating the Stolen Tech units. The rest of the challenge maps will be added (Eastern Republic, European Union, Pacific Shogunate), plus a few special ones. I'll look into reintegrating the original RA2 campaign, adjusted for the content of the mod. This will be the final update before 1.1! Exciting!

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= Youtube Media =
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For the spanish speaking people, Marrabi has done a few videos showing each subfactions in detail.

This is it! Enjoy 1.0.4 and feel free to contact me on C&C Mod Haven Discord channel if needed. Cheers!