Alright guys, it's time to have a talk.
You may have noticed we haven't updated in nearly a year. I want to talk about why that is.
Paradox, the mod, is done.
We all kind of expected that, but let me explain why.
The overriding reason is simply out of our control. The RNA engine is unworkable. It fights us at every turn. It's not for lack of effort or assets or passion on are end, it's the fact that everything we did, every unit, every change, every feature we wanted to include would become a weeks-long battle where it ought to have been routine. Any innovation we wanted to do would be shut down by the limits of an engine not designed to handle it.
New protocols? Can't do it. New music? Nope. New UI? Impossible. Other mods managed to make big strides by just sticking closely to what the engine was easily capable of, but we wanted more.
We adapted, we changed things around, we got better at it, but fundamentally we simply couldn't do what we wanted to do, pretty much at any point. It would take forever and we would burn out on it just to do simple things. And that was a problem for us. We're game designers. We want to deliver interesting new experiences to you, and we were stymied in doing so by stuff out of our control.
The second part is connected to that, and it's time. Paradox took a lot of time. A lot of time. And it wasn't time spent making the game, most of the time, it was time wasted beating our heads against clumsy, unworkable tools. It came to be that the investment of time, energy and love into the project simply wasn't being returned.
I was willing to let this be a big project, one of those ones that would take years and years and at the end of it there would be big news stories about these people who stuck with this old game out of love for it and the fans that stood by them. We were willing to do that, but the engine we were working with simply wouldn't allow us, and was constraining us.
A little over a year ago, the team sat down on a skype call and we started taking about what we were going to do about this. We didn't want to be a in a box anymore, we wanted to do something special. We set out to make our own game, something we could own, so we wouldn't feel like we were spinning our wheels anymore.
We love C&C, we love Red Alert, and we love Paradox. But we couldn't keep beating our head against this wall.
So, in essence, Paradox the Mod is done. Over the next few days, I'm going to release all the art assets I've ever made for it. It'll be pretty haphazard; there are GIMP files, PSD files, models, animations, half-done bits, whatever. It's Creative Commons; credit us and use it however you wish
The wiki will stay up, and in all honestly without the pressure I'll probably be back and writing a lot more for it. The shared universe we've created is wonderful and I want to see it keep growing.
Through early releases and Apocalypses, through Paradoxcasts and bugfixes, comments and concept art, broken builds and broken hearts, it's been a blast. Five incredible years. I've learned so much and grown so much in that time; it's hard to believe where we started and where we ended up.
Thank you so much for all the fantastic times.
- Derek Chappell
Its sad to see you guys go i will miss you and the mod but this mod was truely something very unique god bless you all.
Best of luck with the new game! Paradox was good while it lasted.
Doesn't change the fact this is sad as ****.
Also here is William Shatner.
With how much it wanted to achieve, this mod was doomed to collapse. However, you would have added so much to the Red Alert 3 scene, at least for players who use mods, by releasing a fully fleshed out release with just the Confederates and extra stuff for the other three factions.
I've been tracking this since its first year, and I am not surprised it was coming from a mile away.
We hope to continue helping those modders by releasing all the art. Its creative commons as stated above, so please use it.
I meant people who use mods, not people who make them.
While I personally was never a big RTS player from the start, Paradox's universe caught my heart and imagination. What with the lack of pressure for a release, I hope we can see growth on the wiki and more concept art and stories, even if the mod is dead.
It's been a good run.
For the Order and the Eternal Crusade!
Don't cry...don't f***ing cry... :'(
Trust me, none of us were exactly dry eyed when the time to talk about this arrived.
Moddb.com
Were is next wave of models I need it!
:< I am sad.
But I do hope that in the future you might surprise us with an update about how you are making your own game engine...
aww another great proyect is dead , first tiberian eclipse now paradox QAQ
i hope i can see you guys make great stuff someday
Damn, I was really looking foreword for the order of the talon.
Well, at least the wiki isn't going down so the amazing universe that you made won't be lost.
Well, I'm depressed now.
Only the art will be released or sound/voicesets as well?
Not many sounds were able to be recorded, but we will likely release anything we still have.
Well, its been real guys. Five years, even for something that didn't get finished, is a major accomplishment. The lore written alone is a major accomplishment. Either way, I'm always on Steam if anybody wants to get in touch with me.
For dev team of Paradox, thanks for the five years of fun. This isn't a good-bye, but I will leave you with this. An old good-bye every EVE Online player (like myself!) knows... Can I have your stuff?
Damn.
First Mod I ever tracked, and it's sad to see it go. Not a week went by where I didn't check my updates in the hopes of some new unit, or piece of wonderful music, or screenshot, or something. It's been a blast playing with the fun toys you built for us, and for that, all I can say is Thank you.
Thanks to all of the people who worked on this for creating such a unique and expansive take on the RE universe.
It made for some good times between the Paradoxcasts, loretalk, and beta games.
I wish you luck in your current project, and I'll probably still be around talking about the lore and concepts with other fans.
Sad to see you guys go...
I was waiting very long for an update, but now...
Good luck on your new project then.
Excuse me my indelicacy, but you can change engine for Paradox mod?
Paradox, was amazing! It's sad to hear such a big project be shutdown.
You guys did an excellent job on Paradox.
Rest in peace Paradox.
Joined this website just to like this more, now, it's all gone....
no no no no no no, NO NO NO NOOOO!!!!! DAMMIT!!!
(sigh)
Its realy sad...
Red March and Rogue Republic went indie, and it seems to be working good for them. If we're lucky we might find a development team to hand this truckload of stuff to.
It's a shame that this Mod is now dead, but it was really fun while it lasted.
So I raise a glass to the Red Alert 3 Paradox Team and I wish them luck in the future
Sorry to hear this guys... I guess all good things must come to an end, although it is sad that this particular good thing never saw true fruition.
As someone who worked (tangentially at times) with/on the team this is a sad day. But I agree that this engine is too restrictive and the mod tools too hard to use.
To the people I worked with on this project, and those who did before and after I popped in and out, I wish you the best on all future endeavors. This was a monumental undertaking, but it was also at times fun and interesting.
Thank you to open_sketchbook Kerensky287, and r3ven in particular for the opportunity to help on something truly special.
All the best,
Greg
Thank you too, Greg
As sorry as I am to hear the news, I kind of anticipated it for a long time, but I must remark how generous it is for you guys to upload the assets as Creative Commons!
For my part, I remember rushing home to watch Paradox-casts, I remember submitting unit ideas, being so inspired by your effort that I tried to help on several occasions (although I simply didn't have the skills necessary).
Although I think most of all, I'm glad to have become aware of one of my favourite composers; Chris Ferres, who I was lucky enough to meet recently (Manifest Destiny is still my ringtone!!).
Although it might be cheesy to say it, while the Paradox mod may be halted, I believe that it will live on in our hearts! Thanks for the inspiration, the memories, and the laughs!
All the best to everyone on the Paradox team! Good luck on all your future endeavours!
(Sanguinius from the Wiki)
God. *******. Damnit.
*sigh* I think I've known for a while this was coming, I hoped to hell it wasn't true, but it seems to have been inevitable.
Although I wasn't a member of the team that worked on the mod, I've been following Paradox nearly since it's inception (first anonymously, then as a wiki member) and it pains me to see it end like this, the thought of it's potential never being fully realised.
I never worked on the game myself but I, like many other wiki members, contributed in what limited ways we could. Suggestions for units and protocols, ideas for new game modes, concept art, things like that, all little pieces of ourselves we wove into the grand tapestry that was Paradox. And that's what makes this really sting.
I don't blame you guys for giving up, I can only imagine what a herculean task it must have been to even get this far, let alone the time and effort it might have taken to reach completion. Everyone on the dev team should be proud of what they managed to achieve in Paradox, and rightfuly so, what they managed was far beyond the ken of most. I can only hope that someone else will pick up the project later on, or that one day the dev team will return with renewed vigor to finish what they started, or maybe just do something like finish the Confederates and end it there. Who knows?
Regardless, to everyone who was involved, I wish you all the best of luck in whatever endeavours you pursue next. I'll probably still hang around the wiki a little, but until we next meet;
See Ya Space Cowboy
Good luck on your future endeavors Paradox Team o7.
Are you guys gonna make your own rts now?
Maybe some time in the future, but making an RTS from scratch requires a large team that we don't possess at the moment.
Currently we are making a retro inspired first person shooter called BLOODCRUSHER II.
Bloodcrusher3d.com
It's something I've noticed over the years with C&C modding: from Generals and onwards, the newer the engine, the fancier it looks, but the more restrictive the modding becomes. Shame to see this mod dead. I liked the whole idea of having such different factions (especially the China faction).
You can try 《Eastern Dragon》，《龙霸天下》
Very sad :(
Damn. I hate seeing good RA3 mods die out.
Paradox was partially amazing, now it's good luck with Generals Evolution, Tiberium and The Red Alert as future best RA3 mods.
So sad to hear this.
As for art assets to be given away, will incomplete XML source codes be given away too?
...
Good night, sweet РДЯДАОЖ...
*shiff*
Good night...
Good luck, guys, with all your new intentions!
Could this be ported to the spring engine or is that a C&D waiting to happen?
why don't you guys just use a game with a better editor? like starcraft 2 or something?
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO... *few hours later* OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
MOD CANCELED!!!
Hey uhh, something happened to the Paradox wiki. I go there & all it shows me is ad choices. When I clicked on Renewel Instructions on the bottom, it says the domain name expired. Sketch, you gotta fix this.
I know this is very old, but will the concept art be released, like the Soviet Commissar and stuff? Also, the wiki is down, guys, at least keep it up and edit it to say it is no longer being worked on.
Either someone bombed the wiki or they ran out of money, though it may be the latter because of how big it was...
Paradox's most memorable contribution probably is the fake building logic.
I'm so terribly sad to hear this. I remember long hours of trawling through the wiki pages, laughing at the shout outs and jokes written in, and being chilled by the darker aspects of the lore. Now it can never happen. As you can tell, having only just noticed the shutdown, I didn't follow the mod religiously, but I was looking forward to it all the same. Any chance that the wiki could be brought back up?
With the amount of skill you guys have, I suspect you could make your own game engine from scratch. I understand what you mean by engine constraints, as I have suffered from it myself. I am working on my own engine, and it is easer. And like you say,it's a routine. Once you get that routine in place, it is is easy to innovate. So yeah, good luck guys.
God speed, you magnificent basterds