Tiberian Sun Rising - Got a present for ya! Discord Server and GDI Commando news

First I would like to sincerely apologise for our slowdown in public news/updates this year. We had an incredible year last year being voted the Players Choice for Best Upcoming Mod 2018 and before that The Top 5 in MOTY Upcoming Mods 2017. We are extremely grateful for your support, dedication and especially your patience which has truly been legendary. This year presented many challenges for myself and the team the first half of the year many real-life challenges and personal challenges and the latter half a lot of technical challenges with the project. But we have worked extremely hard this year to overcome these obstacles and challenges and we have persevered. This year we have hit a MAJOR milestone in our development of Tiberian Sun Rising. Now this update is the first of many in getting you up to speed with what we've been working. This is the first of more updates to come unveiling our progress which I hope you will all be very pleased with.

Official Tiberian Sun Rising Discord Server

First up! It is with great pleasure that I announce the opening of our Official Discord Server by popular demand from fans and the community. Come join us for LIVE discussion, news and updates on all things Tiberian Sun Rising. Join our Discord Server HERE. Shortly, we have special announcements coming so those of you that have been lying in wait for an alpha or beta version you especially will want to join our Discord so you can get the news first when it breaks! Also we are determined to do better at keeping you up to date and in-tune with what we are doing so having a Discord Server also gives us a direct connection with you so if we're late on an update I'm sure you'll let us know and we'd love to hear what you want to see more of! Its the perfect place to ask and we'll work on getting that for you :). I look forward to meeting you on the Tiberian Sun Rising Discord Server.

Remember to Like our Facebook page, follow our new YouTube channel and of course follow us on Twitter at @TibsunRising to stay on top of our latest updates

Special Thanks
I'd also like to thank Dominic Tarason and Rock Paper Shotgun for including us as a mention in the C&C3 Mod Coverage in their article Modder Superior - Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars. Thanks so much for the coverage and support we appreciate it!

Welcome Back, Commander!
EVA -- Establishing Connection to Philadelphia...... CONNECTED

Tiberium Ecosystem

The rampant pace of Tiberium continues to be a concern amongst the scientific community. New Tiberium mutated plants and lifeforms are emerging it's difficult to keep up with what Tiberium is doing to the planet now. Renowned Tiberium expert famously said years ago "The possibilities of Tiberium are limitless" and it certainly does seem to be the case as we see here.

General Nick Parker was the biggest supporter of the Havoc Armor project so much so he put his stamp of approval on it dubbing it "Havoc". For those unfamiliar with the General, Havoc his codename from his fieldwork back in the First Tiberium War as a frontline commando. It augments the wearer's strength and speed but most importantly offers protection from Tiberium to the wearer. This is the most cutting edge technology that GDI has used to develop this suit lightyears ahead of mechs like the Wolverine and Titan. It might take 20 years but eventually, we'll be able to mass-produce suits based on this technology for troops going into Tiberium danger zones. But for now, they are so expensive to produce and customised for the particular needs of the GDI Commando. Commando's take many years of rigorous training to produce viable troops for the kind of highly specialised missions Commando's go on. GDI can't afford to lose such troops to the effects of Tiberium or Tiberium creatures. General Parker did note his gratitude to the Forgotten providing the services of the man known only as "Ghost Stalker" to perform dangerous missions for the GDI particularly in Tiberium danger zones where shiners are immune. But Ghost is only one man, the Havoc Armor was created so I can send out my Commando's into the field anywhere in the world without it being a suicide mission.

Functionality

Primary Form
The Commando and the Havoc Armor combine to form one unit in its primary form. It augments the Commando's speed and strength while also benefiting from the mobility of the occupant. The massive rifle the Powersuit carries is a state of the art Railgun that can punch high-velocity slugs that damage most targets. Not quite as mobile as Ghost Stalkers variant of railgun only the Havoc Armor can carry the Railgun. It has a jump-jet pack which allows the Havoc Armor to perform short hops it's too heavy to stay in constant flight like GDIJumpjet Troopers can. But its jump jets have enough juice to jump over rivers, most destroyed bridges or other obstacles that impede the Commando's mission. On its shoulders, it has small rocket pods which can do a small amount of damage to air or ground targets.
Note: The Commando cannot place C4 charges while inside the suit.

Sentry Form
The GDI Commando inside the suit can exit the suit putting it into sentry mode but only while it's immobile and without a pilot does it stay in this mode. It can aim and fire the Railgun but firing rate drops due to the longer time it takes EVA to connect with the suit's sensors to aim and fire without a pilot particularly as without the occupants' muscles it is more difficult to move the railgun. It can provide covering fire for the Commando while he is on foot outside the suit.

Mobility Form
While the GDI Commando is outside the suit, the suit connects directly to EVA so it does the aiming for the railgun when in Sentry form. But if the Commander orders the Suit to move without a pilot it leaves Sentry form and goes into "Mobility" Form. In this form, it engages its jump jets constantly to hover above the ground as it is lighter without the pilot but loses the ability to do short hops from its jump jets. But it does mean it can hover over water to get to a stranded Commando to pick him up. The suits only weapons while hovering around is the rocket pods the only weapon that EVA can accurately aim and fire while the suit is moving around. Giving it limited defence against ground and air targets.

Commando - While Outside the Havoc Armor
The Commando is equipped with C4 explosive charges he can plant on buildings and carries around a rifle with his precise aim the Commando can take down most infantry with one shot. Due to the lethality of his aim. Cyborgs it depends on the model of the target.. the standard cyborgs he can aim for vital organic weak points such as the head. However other Cyborgs like the Cyborg Commando and if rumours of the "Reaper" class of Cyborg have any truth to them have armoured bodies which cannot be one-shot killed by the Commando. The Commando is completely vulnerable to the effects of Tiberium while outside the suit and cant jump jet anywhere on his own without the suit.

Tag Team
The Havoc Armor enables Commanders to get the best out of the Commando and the Suit they are a team. The suit can either watch the Commando's back or even be used on its own for separate tasks. But the Havoc Armor is the Commando's lifeline and its there to have his back or if necessary sacrifice itself to keep the Commando alive. But you can jump jet into a new area drop the Commando off to place C4 charges, while the suit hovers across the river to engage targets and create a distraction fo the Commando to do his work and then hover back over to pick him up and return to its Primary form where it can then jump jet away to safety.

Havoc Drop Pod Armor Replacement
In the extreme circumstance where the Commando's suit has been destroyed but the Commando is still alive in the field on his own. For a $ cost Commanders can order in a replacement Havoc Suit via a Heavy Drop Pod which has an RPG turret to provide covering fire where it lands. We recommend dropping it nearby the Commando so he can return to full strength.

It'll take practice and training for Commanders to fully master this new type of Commando but it offers more strategic and tactical options than ever before to the GDI.

Nod Auto gates, Walls and Tiberium Silo

Satellite imagery of a smaller Nod base looks like an auxiliary base no Stealth Generator deployed but they have set up a security grid of Nod Laser walls, Concrete Walls and their own Automatic Gates which only respond to the owning Nod Commanders forces. Here we can see Nod base defending against an attack while their harvesters automatically go through the gates to enter/exit the base. Passing through the laser beams safely due to Nods IFF tagging system. If an enemy stealth unit or enemy unit tries to pierce those beams they'll take damage revealing their presence if they had any stealth engaged.