Dawn of the Tiberium Age (DTA) is a stand-alone mod that combines Tiberian Dawn (C&C 95) and Red Alert. While classic mode gets as close to the original game-play and balance as possible, Enhanced mode provides improved game balance and a lot of fun new stuff. DTA features many customization options for Skirmish and multiplayer (where you can play as GDI, Nod, Allies and Soviet on over 200 maps), challenging original singleplayer missions, as well as co-op missions. Since this is a stand-alone mod, you don't require anything but the mod itself to be able to play: the original game is not required.
Nod has developed a new late-game (T3) unit. The Heavy Raider will be available with the next patch and will replace the Microwave tank, which will serve as a crate goodie from now on.
The Heavy Raider is fast and has a thick layer of light armor (= light armor, but a lot of HP), allowing it to engage quickly and last on the battlefield, being able to take unsual amounts of punishment for its speed.
For damage-dealing capability, it is equipped with dual heavy incendiary MGs that can quickly shred buildings, infantry and light vehicles. While it can also damage heavy armor, it is not very effective against tanks, so make sure to bring in some bikes or light tanks to deal with those. Or just avoid them entirely with the speed and go for the opponent's critical buildings instead.
Graphics created by Flame!
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For some balancing background, the Buggy used to be overpowered early-game in older DTA versions. We fixed it with the Buggy nerfs of version 1.19 that we released a bit over a year ago. However, while the patch made the Buggy balanced for early-game, we started finding it unviable late-game. As the Bike + Buggy combo had been a popular tactic, we also started finding it less viable late-game than we wished.
Together with the slower SSM, Microwave tank and Harbinger that Nod had late-game, the weaker Buggy pushed Nod towards a much slower late-game play-style. Eventually we felt that our late-game Nod had lost its identity as a fast faction that focuses on surgical strikes and guerrilla tactics.
The next patch will solve this and hopefully be the last Nod revamp that we find necessary. This unit as a late-game Buggy alternative and replacement to the old, slow Microwave tank as a T3 unit is a part of the solution. The Buggy will still have its uses even late-game and has its own advantages (such as Q-Move / firing on the move), but the Heavy Raider will usually be a better option for direct assaults.
Is that the Batmobile?
lol
Nice
So it will act as turretless, slower buggy on steroids?
I hope it won't kick Flame Tank or Apache out of the business...
Does it come in black?
So far Black Hand put an embargo on black paint, so we won't get to control ones in black, but can hope to have a chance to demolish them.
If the Microwave Tank is being relegated to crate unit status, can it be restored to its original version, or an improved version of that? The laser weapon that replaced its original weapon never seemed fitting for the unit, given the unit's name and how WW originally envisioned the unit to function.
There is actually very little information on how WW originally planned the unit to function.
That being said, its weapon most likely won't be changed for release (due to time constraints alone), but we can consider giving it the EMP weapon later.
Fair enough, although I'll point out that there is a promotional render from Tiberian Dawn's development which describes the Microwave Tank's weapon, seemingly a kind of electrical-based weapon like a more potent version of the Soviet Tesla Tank.
This description is much more in-line with how the DTA version originally worked (although I figure this is probably where the function of the original DTA version came from in the first place lol):
Cdn.cnc-comm.com