Spring, Fall, Winter
TruYuri worked his ass off preparing innumerable w3d files to account for multiple sized versions of the various plants and trees we have, in multiple season's colors. There is still a little bit more to do. These are not too polygon intensive, but they're going to have LOD versions that dumb down the models while they are far away or if there is simply too much action on the screen. Evergreens obviously don't change in the fall, but the orange one was grouped there on account of colors alone. Here are a couple placed into pretty scenes, then a quick (and entirely unlit) lineup.
Fabian made the original models and springtime colors, plus the dead grass and dead trees like you saw in RA_Killfields the other week. The other looks were done by Chronojam.
RA_CTT_Luna & Capture The Token
In a prior update we mentioned "intermission maps," 10 or 15 minute rounds designed to fit well between the traditional Red Alert base-versus-base scenarios which might take a full half hour to complete. Luna is one of these, and the first CTT map. A derivative of CTF gameplay, instead of sneaking off with an enemy flag you are searching the land high and low for a set of tokens.
In RA_CTT_Luna you find yourself inexplicably on the moon (oddly enough an old Red Alert setting first in the expansion pack Counterstrike), tasked with retrieving several space agency crates in a low-gravity setting. You must recover ten boxes scattered on the hills and in the craters to achieve victory, and in addition to mission-required ones you will find regular weaponry/armor upgrade crates. Future CTT maps will require you to find a set of unique components to win, instead of just a certain number of similar items as is the case for Luna. The testers love both the setting and the gameplay so far, so both will make an appearance in future maps.
RA_Pipeline
ChopBam's map has come quite a long way since we first began talking about it. Pipeline is, to remind you, a map that takes place near Turkish oil fields, particularly at a coastal site where tankers carrying the precious resource are loaded up. Land-based oil pumps abound, and an offshore platform is visible in the distance. Here are some updated shots. This map is currently in playtesting for inclusion in Gamma.
New Hands Base
Eggman and Beerinator worked pretty hard to bring you the new hands and arms that will serve as a base for the various infantry first person representations that we need. Right now you've got sleeveless arms, but of course in the future you will likely see uniformed or gloved hands depending on who you are playing as. Right now, shader use is not in our internal build, but proper bumpmapping has already been done for the hands/arms.
Of course, with new arms and hands, come new animations. We're getting around to doing silly things like reload animations for all the newer weaponry. It is a priority to do this for newer work over older stuff which might just be replaced. As a fun fact, the old arms were just a tube forearm with 2-segmented fingers. These ones have all the right parts and go up towards the shoulder.
IN RA1,Turks posed as the Allies
Which means? Is there anything wrong with a map playing at the turkish coast because of this?
I kind of took it as a "Did you know..." rather than pointing out something was wrong.
Yes, Turkey was an an allied nation, not directly (that we know of) but supported them. This map takes place near turkey (would be todays georgia) on the border of the USSR. which would explain why there are bases there, why they are fighting (border control+oil and supplies) etc. :p
Very nice update!
Can't say I noticed the arms much. The games too kickass to be looking for things like that XD
how are units abel to breathe on the moon
Magic. And if you don't belive in magic, merlin will kill you. :(
This game has some pretty crazy things so no breathing apparatus for infantry isn't too bad :p
Just a bit of fun to mix things up and introduce a new game mode.
LOL
Still as awsome as ever. I hope one day you move onto a new engine. Feels weird buying a 4k computer and playing this all the time :P
Crank up the 16x antialiasing and whatnot then =P The next version has widescreen support, if part of your $4k is the screen itself.
Looking good!
hmmm... on counterstrike the weapons, game speed and build trees on the map "lunar battlefield" are messed up. You gonna add the same adjustments to luna here?
For Luna directly, no. But possibly later in an alternate version or future moon setting. The problem is, it's hard to balance things out.