DarkerCrusadeAlpha file

Take in account this is an ALPHA demo build. Many features are not implemented.

Although all factions are changed, This version is focused on Necron and Tau, later versions will bring more changes to other factions.

"A Darker Crusade"

Mod concept and goals:

- Bring ever freshness to the game by multiplying starting choices.
- Adopt early game options so you are playing as you want from the get-go.
- Choose strategies from the first second, not just do pre-planned "Build orders" which are ever the same.

- Endgame which is both balanced and satisfying.
- Bring to bear the greatest forces of your faction for an all-out showdown.

- Increase number of special-bonuses researches for all factions to cater to all playstyles.

- Bring new and exciting campaign options
- Better power implementation
- Variety of Honor Guard squads
- Provide increased level of challenge to Standard and Hard campaign modes.

- Reduce the reliance on ability spam by implementing costs to activated abilities.
- Take out the worst gimmick strategies with invincible units and uncounterable abilities
- Enchance strategical and tactical depth of Macro play

- Unlike other mods, keep graphical requirements low and compatibility with older computers, so everyone can play!

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Changes for now:

CAMPAIGN ALL:

- Now all factions campaign powers works better (between +50% and +100%) when you are the race. (also applies for AI)
-- For example, Tau cannon has 50% sucess rate for other races (normal for everyone on SS campaign default), but now has been increased to work 100% with Tau player
- AI gets even more increased effect of some things (like Necron resurrection and Tau cannon)
- Some bonuses don't work for this, such as Chaos and Dark Eldar bonuses
-- Dark Eldar instead take max effect from Eldar bonus
--- In any case, Dark Eldar bonus has been improved because of gates now giving Honor Guards (and thay having access to attack all gates from fortress)
-- Chaos instead gets extra power from all the other factions bonuses

- All factions get a ultimate unit as an "Honor Guard", which is extremely expensive to recruit.
-- When defeating their mortal enemies, they get these extra-powerful honor guard unit from their enemy's fortress.
- They also get a secondary one from a secondary enemy
- As only human players (non-AI) will be able to take these bonuses (because territorial honor guard doesn't actually work for AI), AIs are more powerful in higher tiers of defense


... Mortal Enemies List:
Eldar -> Necrons (Primary), Dark Eldar (Secondary)
Necrons -> Eldar (Primary), Imperial Guard (Secondary)
Chaos -> Space Marines (Primary), Sisters of Battle (Secondary)
Space Marines -> Orks (Primary), Chaos (Secondary)
Tau -> Imperial Guard (Primary), Orks (Secondary)
Imperial Guard -> Chaos (Primary), Tau (Secondary)
Dark Eldar -> Sisters of Battle (Primary) , Eldar (Secondary)
Sisters of Battle -> Dark Eldar (Primary), Necron (Secondary)
- THIS FEATURE IS STILL INCOMPLETE -


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Faction Changelist:

*ORKS

**GRAPHICAL

- Changed all Ork textures
- Ork skin is now teamcolourable. Infinite variety!
- Changes in buildings
- WAAAAAGH!

**CHANGES

- More max Gretchins per squad
- Reinforcing them costs 5 req
- Slower to reinforce in battle

- Squiggoths up to five.
- Each new one is more prohibitively expensive.
- +1 to support cap cost

* ELDAR *

**CHANGES
- Avatar of Khaine no longer takes any cap away
- Yet, he only increases both caps by +1, and not a massive +10 to steamroll everyone...
- Attack upgraded
- Will lose health if not in combat
- Regenerates somewhat faster when in combat
(encourage to use him instead of letting him sit on base)

- Wraithlord now has morale (He *IS* an Eldar consciousness after all)
- Health regen given to compensate for disadvantage
- Created a different Honor Guard wraithlord, which has more health and regens faster
- Only one Bonesinger can repair a Wraithlord at a time, though, instead of 3 as before

* CHAOS *

**GRAPHICAL**
- Made Khorne Berserkers team colorable.
- Made Horror Squads team colorable.
- Made Daemon Prince team colorable.
- Made Bloodthirster team colorable.

**CHANGES
- Being in combat will cause Bloodthirster to quickly regenerate instead of just "not losing health"
- Normal health loss from not-combat is now 50% faster though
- Hitpoints 13000 from 14000
- Can be "repaired" by Cultists, but doing so will severely drain your resources

* IMPERIAL GUARD *

**GRAPHICAL**
- Fixed Heavy Weapons team textures.
- Guardsmen no longer use camo.

* CHANGES:
- No limit for Basilisks
- No limit for Leman Russ (it costs 5 vehicle cap to begin with...)

*TAU

* BUGFIXES
- Added mark of Honor Guard to Honor Skyray Missile Carrier

**CHANGES:
- Tau given +2 starting vehicle cap (from 0)

- No barracudas

- Builder costs 80 requisition instead of 65
- Builder takes 12 seconds to build instead of 10
- Earth Caste builder drones can now jump
- Builder can now repair other Builders, as well as Drone Squads

- Both Mont'ka and Kauyon shrine are now buildable at the same time
- Building one makes the other cost double

- Up to five Ethereals, but each costs double from the previous one.

- Tau are given the starting choice if to make Stealth Suits or Kroot Carnivores buildable in the HQ
- Same in the Barracks
- Starting cap for Carnivores is just 4, "Allure of the Pack" from HQ increases it.

- Stealth Suit squads start with two members
- They cost 2 squad cap
- The cost of building is 120, time 14
(still, this will make Tau early expansion slower)
- +1 to maximum members in squad
- Reinforcing costs 60 from 65

- Kroot Carnivore Squads cost 150 req, come with 3
- Requires research to go up over 4 members
- Cannibalism has higher upper limit

- Crisis Battlesuits regenerate faster, but have less health (2400 from 2500)
- Power cost increased to 75 from 40
- They can be repaired by Earth Caste builders
- Missile Pod and Flamer weapon arm places reversed
(so Missile will make the Crisis Suit pure anti-vehicle, and flamer best anti-infantry)

- XV88 more expensive (260 req and 140 power, from 240/120)
- 36 time from 30
- Costs 2 infantry cap and 1 vehicle cap (from 3 infantry cap)
- XV88 missile attack more accurate
- XV88 can be repaired by drones
- XV88 has no auto-repair
- Hitpoints upgraded to 2600 (from 2250)

*NECRON

**BUGFIXES:
- Fixed a bug that would make AI not use fully restored monolith (a typo in their AI file)
- Upgrading Necron Lord extra health (and cost) in Campaign mode is possible. No more wimpy campaign Necron Lord.
(it's possible other heroes have such campaign oversights, but not likely, as they often have specifically labeled upgrades, unlike this one)

SEARCH - Bug that gives you Gauss Arc (non-functional?) when you first want the Mask in campaign

**CHANGES:

GRAPHICS:
- Included recolorable structure textures, which use primary and secondary teamcolors.
(new structures not yet done)
- Necron units will now use badges (mostly on the shoulders, although Necron Lord still doesn't have any)
- Added many necron custom badges (none of them canon. Sorry lore lovers, but new necron lore is weak... who wants to go back to being diseased flesh when you are cool immortal indestructible customizable machines?)

- Nightbringer texture and model now truly shows a unwordly construct made of unknown technological substances. Is not remappable to show eternity.
- Deceiver texture ditto, although the Godly appearance is enchanced, and is also remappable to show shifting allegiance.

CAMPAIGN:
- Canoptek Scarabs available as Honor Guard special squad units
- Added mark of Honor Guard and variation to honor vehicles like Destroyer and Spyder

AI:
- Changed AI stats to reflect current ones

GENERAL:
- Squad Cap for the necrons is zero starting (both squad and vehicle)
- Don't despair; structures provide you
- Starts with 450 instead of 300 power. Still, depleted much more quickly.

RESEARCH:
- Reassemble (and to a lesser degree, regeneration) on Necrontyr infantry (Necron Warriors, Flayed ones and Immortals) now depends on "Immortality Protocols" researchs (currently from Summoning Core). Four levels are available.

- Health and regeneration of Tomb Spiders, Builder Scarabs and Canoptek Scarabs goes in a dedicated research to that purpose.

- Health and morale of Command units (Necron Lord, Pariah Guard, and Lord Destroyer) depend on "Authority of the AEons" researches (that depend on Monolith level for availability)

NEW:
Necrons were the only race without a full structure rooster. Now they will have it.
- Enabled custom Thermoplasma Generator (Giant and powerful)
- Enabled Pillar of Darkness (support powers and wargear building)
X- Enabled Necron Tunnel.

UNITS AND STRUCTURES:
- Power plants are more expensive, slightly larger and take more time to build, but have +200 hp (1800 from 1600) and project a small control area around them.
- New Power upgrade, costs 175, gives +20% global power bonus. No requirements (available from start)

- Necrons have a Central Conduit power plant buildable over Strategic Points.
- Costs 160, gives +20 energy.
- Reduces cost of regular power plants.
- New ones are more and more expensive.
- Only building capable of reaching the advanced energy upgrades (350 and 750 power required.)

- Monolith only can be built on control area.
- 10% cheaper. Control area extended 5%.
- Up to four monoliths from three (matches campaign)
- Only resists 4000 and doesn't regenerate in combat (from 5000)
- Awakening levels give +1000 HP each
- Awakening Monolith is now cheaper and a bit quicker since it doesn't actually upgrade the Necron Lord or the Flayed Ones (that is done separately)

x- Fully restored monolith goes back with 33% health (from 25%)
- You can have more than one active, although it's hard enough
- Monolith attacks don't lose much accuracy when moving, since it's so slow anyways
(and I got defeated in the Imperial Guard fortress in Hard while using up to four, so even getting them is not OP against a fully functional adversary)

- Necron Warriors cost 60 power per squad. Have only 6 max members on squad.
- 2 squad cap use from 3
- Necron Warriors reinforce 5 sec faster than before when not in combat, but 15 seconds slower than before if they are fighting.

- Scarab Builder buying and reinforcement costs power, but is faster (15 and 10 respectively)
- Scarabs don't normally regenerate in combat, so they have to be repaired if they sustain damage
- They can repair themselves.
- Hitpoints to 200 from 260, but get upgraded with Canoptek Systems research improvement.
- Scarabs can repair Necron Warriors, Immortals, as well as other Scarabs. It will not be free though.
- Repairing Necron Warriors is limited. Only one scarab per warrior. If there are more scrabs than damaged warriors in the squad, they won't be able to repair them at all.
(this encourages you to field them as auxiliares in battle, and also to retreat Necron Warriors via Summoning if they are going wrong, instead of letting them to dia)
- Scarab repair cost down to 50% from 75% (they are Necron after all, repairing stuff without great expense is their thing. Also, if not, repairing infantry would not be worth the pricetag)
- Repair speed down from 30 to 22, though (it stacks per scarab with most things)
- Scarabs have chances to get back up after destroyed (but, like all this mechanic, only if there's members on their squad)
- They capture points faster, but structures on them are built slower. (necron gains no bonuses from simply captured point)

- You can now create Attack Scarabs from the start
- Attack Scarabs no longer fly (but still have aircraft type armor, since they are so small and hover)
- They cost 100 power; start being five and can reinforce from 5 to 10 depending on Canoptek Systems upgrades.
- Cost 1 vehicle cap
- Reinforce time to 6 from 3.5 seconds
- Attack scarabs renamed Canoptek Scarabs (as in updated canon)
(Good initially only to "bug" the enemy, as he will have no vehicles yet)
(be careful, they can drain your resources though)

- Obelisks cost 20
- But they give a 50 power gift, encouraging Necron early expansion
- Obelisks take more time to build
- Upgrading obelisks is more expensive, increases time factor bonus
- Obelisks give you just +3/+1 cap starting (from +3/+3)
- Obelisk upgrades give extra Support and Vehicle Cap (+1 both for first upgrade, and +1 squad/+3 vehicle for second upgrade)
- Reduced slightly per-Obelisk time bonus provided.
- Obelisk time factor bonus now also increases speed of weapon upgrades (not much for necrons... yet)
- Obelisks provide 1/10 of the power that Plasma Generators do

- Necron Lord can now capture and uncapture points.
- Necron Lord now costs 160 from 150.
- Health and Morale adjusted.

- Gauss Turrets only on control area. Stats adjusted.
- Gauss Turret upgrade now costs 120 from 50, but gives a significant boost to turret's health (also matches graphics)

- Forbidden Archive can build Necron Lord too
- Forbidden archive cost 175 (from 150)
- Only one Forbidden Archive per Monolith.
- Forbidden Archive artifacts take a little of time to finish (10 sec)
- Most Forbidden Archive powers on the Necron Lord now cost energy, but recharge faster
- Chronometron costs 20 power to activate, but has wider area effect and last 25% more

- There is a special Pillar of Darkness new building
- It uses the Necron Lord artifacts researched on the Forbidden Archive as support powers
- These powers have increased range and cost
- Can also grant Wargear to Necron commander units.
- It can be built anywhere and slightly increases time factor bonus.
- Gives a small control area around itself.

- Summoning Core slowly regenerates
- Only one per Monolith

- Lord Destroyer cheaper
X- Lord Destroyer Stasis ability now costs 45 power to use
- Only one Lord Destroyer at each time
- Lord Destroyer possession now returns with 50% of own health, not 25%
- Lord Destroyer can be built from almost the start of the game, but has less health and takes more time.
- Lord Destroyer uses 2 Vehicle Cap instead of three.
- Defaults to melee attack (deals more damage that way anyways)
- Lord Destroyer can be built from the Forbidden Archive
- Lord Destroyer has a Phylactery research on the Greater Summoning Core
- Lord Destroyer gains +150 health for each phase of the Monolith
- Lord Destroyer Stasis has now 70 cooldown, from 60
- Lord Destroyer Stasis now lasts 20 seconds, from 30

- There is a special "Pariah Guard" from the Forbidden Archive
- Requires Summoning Core
- Necron Lord can be attached to them
- Not as strong as regular Pariahs, but are upgraded in Monolith

- Flayed Ones squad now costs 240, comes with 6 members
- Flayed Ones now cost 40 to reinforce, but is faster
- Max Flayed Ones in squad is 7 from 8
- Flayed One morale damage per sec in area increased from 1.5 to 1.8 (since this is per individual Flayed One, and they have been decreased in number, not much change)

- Implemented Wraith squads. Second squad member costs the same as another wraith. Wraithflight is now more expensive.
- Wraiths now have morale.
- Wraiths now no longer able to uncapture strategic points.

- Immortals cost 45 to reinforce. 10% faster.

- Restored Monolith costs 1300 from 1000
- Can teleport a bit farther
- Can teleport to down 66% health (from 80%)

- Spider more expensive, has health regen, can be built from Greater Summoning Core in addition to Monolith
- Needs more bodies to respawn troops
- Spider particle cannon upgrade costs now 90 power (from 50) but is nearly instant (so you can also change stance after buying it)
- Spider costs 3 vehicle cap (from 2)

- Destroyer and Heavy Destroyer no longer buildable from Monolith. They are built from Greater Summoning Core.
- Destroyer and Heavy Destroyer have Morale
- They have a single Jump ability (useful to get in and out of combat/melee)
- Cheaper and weaker, but can be upgraded with researches to be more powerful.
- Take 2 vehicle cap and 1 infantry cap (from 3 vehicle cap)

- Greater Summoning Core now costs 300 power from 250. Resists a bit more.
- Enabled Destroyer Maul research from Greater Summoning Core (upgrades Destroyers)
- Enabled Resurrection Orb from Greater Summoning Core
- Cost 180 power, but activating it costs 120 more

- Pariahs are only built from the Energy Core (and the Fully Restored Monolith)
- They cost 300 instead of 200
- Reinforce costs 60 instead of 50
- They have some extra HP and regenerate even faster in combat
- They now have morale and can be broken, although it's difficult

- Nightbringer and Deceiver are no longer invincible
- Nightbringer now deals massive passive morale damage in a large area of effect (like Flayed Ones but much stronger)
- Nightbringer's Scythe can now even attack air units in melee
- Nightbringer's ranged attack is now always perfectly accurate
x- Nightbringer regenerates 50% of damage dealt instead of 40% (even in campaign)


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CREDITS:

- LM Tau army texture set.
- NeonNecrons.
- Team colorable vespid stingwing by Radulykan.
- Hiveworld Terra textures to their respective authors.
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Future plans:

GENERAL:
- Make more abilities have activation costs (but better effects), so it's not just clicky APM win, there's actually a decision on how to use and when.
- Disable all aircraft in campaign mode, but enable some limited use on skrimish.

*ORKS:
- When playing Ork, you can go the way of the Gretchin Revolutionary Comitee sub-faction
- Takes off access to all normal orks
- Creates a specialized structure with Gretchin upgrades
- Has a Gretchin hero, "The Red Grot"
- Can create Combat Gretchins (they are better in battle and can capture points, but not repair or infiltrate; are better against enemy vehicles)
- Can place explosive traps
- Cheaper vehicles with more upgrades

*Tau
- "Vehicle Thrusters" will be a Killing Blow research that unlocks the Jump capabilities for vehicles (including Drone Squads).
- Unlimited (but ever more expensive) Greater Knarlocs.
- Unlimited (but support cap-intensive) Hammerhead Gunships.
- Unlimited (but also cost infantry cap) Kroot Beast Guys (?).

*NECRONS:
- Optional pack to give honor guard units the "TRON" look.
-- Further development to make the TRON look fully team colorable.

- "Pyramid"/"Ancient Summoning Core" is last structure.
- Provides access to permanent C'tan shards to use as units.
- Requires choosing a exclusive addon to do so.
- Elect the new Nightbringer for 3 squad and vehicle cap, or the new Deceiver for 2.
- Not invulnerable, but have no time limit and have powerful extra abilities.
- Can create a single Barge.

- Add Deathmarks and Lynchguards