The ZOCOM is the next subfaction I'll be covering; like with the Steel Talons, this layout will be incomplete, as I still need to come up with 4 new vehicles for them to use. Despite that, I present my ideas for GDI's Tiberium reclamation taskforce, the Zone Operations Command - or ZOCOM, for short.
The Zone Operations Command are a specialized anti-Tiberium taskforce set up sometime right before the Third Tiberium War, a result of GDI's refocusing on reclaiming Earth from Tiberium instead of combating Nod terrorism. While TW3 resulted in that policy change scuttled, ZOCOM's formation was not hindered in the slightest; ZOCOM went even further with its stated purpose, developing new weaponry based on Sonic and Harvesting technology, and driving even harder into the uninhabitable Red Zones - the cumulation of their efforts resulting in the Mammoth Armed Reclamation Vehicle, aka the MARV.
While KW only gave ZOCOM three new units (not counting the MARV and Rocket Harvester), I seek to further expand upon them:
Part 1 - Infantry
1) The only major change I would make here so far would be to give the Sniper Team their TE cameo, as well as giving them the Tiberium Field Suits upgrade too. Aside from that, I can't think of any other changes I would make. Well, aside from a new unique Commando for ZOCOM, but I don't know where to start with that...
Part 2 - Vehicles
1) The first change would be to have the pre-release version of the Predator Tank be the main battle tank for ZOCOM, complete with the side-mounted rocket pod (ZOCOM seems to have a penchant for rockets & missiles). Call it the Zone Predator (in other words, think Kane's Wrath Reloaded... only better). Additional changes such as upgrades will be mentioned below.
2) The Rocket Harvester gets a new rocket launcher turret - because seriously, the current rocket turret looks ugly.
3) The Shatterer Hovercraft now becomes a ZOCOM exclusive unit, being their unique hover unit; additionally, they get a rename (I've chosen "Shatterpoint") and a redesign, courtesy of Falchion.
4) The Disruptor Tank makes a return, in the form of TE's incarnation of it, serving as the replacement for the Juggernaut as ZOCOM's long-range artillery unit.
Part 3 - Aircraft
1) The one major change I would make with the ZOCOM Aircraft would be for the ZOCOM Orca: instead of sonic grenades, it would have the standard missiles, but now with sonic crystal warheads - allows for the same sonic damage, but far better accuracy. Also, payload is boosted from 5 ammo to 6.
Additional Notes
1) New Tech Center upgrade for the Zone Predator and Mammoth Tank: Sonic Cannons. This fills the hole that the removed Railguns upgrade left open.
2) The Ceramic Armor upgrade is now expanded to act as an armor package for the Zone Predator and Mammoth Tanks as well. Ceramic Armor now has the effect of not only increasing unit armor (if by a smaller percentage compared to its ST/GDI counterparts) but also minimizing all Tiberium-based damage and providing partial immunity from Ion Storms. As a result of these changes, it is moved to the Tech Center.
3) All Sonic-based weaponry now truly has anti-Tiberium properties to it (seriously, this wasn't really present all that much in-game); as such, units that use Tiberium-based weaponry or are Tiberium-based themselves recieve extra damage as a result.
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That just about finishes the Zone Operations Command. More expansive than the Steel Talons post was, if only slightly.
Any thoughts, suggestions, or comments are welcome. Some of the things I referenced here, such as Tiberian Essence's Disruptor Tank design, are all property of their respective owners, and no attempts to use mentioned materials will be made unless permission is given.
One possibility that you may wish to consider is to develop ZOCOM as a "Nod-esque" "raiding subfaction." I.e., whereas most of GDI focuses on deploying heavy armor to take and hold positions, ZOCOM focuses far more on fast, pinpoint strikes before falling back to more fortified positions. In that way, the Disruptor might make for a better replacement for the Mammoth Tank (the role it filled in TS) rather than for the Juggernaut.
In that vein, one possibility would be for the Zone Raiders to move exclusively though their jump jets (something like Starcraft 2's Reapers), greatly increasing their speed and maneuverability at the cost of not being quite as well-armored as Zone Troopers are.
I've certainly had the thought of ZOCOM being the "speed and maneuver" subfaction: the ZOCOM Mammoths would be faster than than their vGDI and ST counterparts, in exhange for thinner armor.
The Disruptor Tank works well in this as well, as being a tank instead of a walker, it's much faster than the Juggernaut would be conventionally (while not having the same all-terrain mobility that a walker affords).
I'm not sure if it would be possible to make the Zone Raiders move like that, though; there's probably some sort of programming limitation that prevents such an idea from working. Though, the basic idea of the Zone Raiders being faster than Zone Troopers could still work: just say that since the Raiders' Zone Armor is the next-gen version, the Zone Raider Armor has much more maneuverability and mobility than before, while still retaining its protective functions.
Well, I think you're getting somewhere with this my friend. However, I was thinking that ZOCOM would be simply an emphasis on firepower and not much else.
-Aaron Fox