Tiberium Secrets was a C&C3; mod that was developed from 2011-2020. Our vision was to create a future for the Command & Conquer universe. We had 3 new factions planned, and managed to release 1/3 of our planned content. We scoped too big, and unfortunately needed to cancel the other 2 new factions. These included novel mechanics, lore, and IP. etc. Development has been sign sealed, and delivered. All that is required to play the ASI is a working copy of C&C3;: Tiberiumn Wars. All of the content is FREE! Of Charge. Explore to your hearts content! Love it or hate it, all things must end, so new things can grow.
By Walter Vermeij (Pizza Atomica)
Role: Serves as both harvester and Refinery, replacing both.(Produced from MCV)
This is an all in one Rig that has a tiberium spike, which processes Tiberium directly.
This is the Latest form of GDI technology. SRRs' are deployed around fields, using a technique called Fringe Field Harvesting.
Sonic Fences can be deployed from each SRR to enclose and limit access to tiberium fields. Preventing their spread.
Regular Rigs are no longer available. SRRs do not have repair drones.
Special ability: "Pioneer mode"- grants ground control, replacing surveyors. (can only be activated once, once activated, SRR is permanently deployed, tiberium harvesting capabilities deactivated.
So this eliminates harvesters, refineries and rigs? Wouldn't it be better to replace Surveyors instead of rigs considering it's essentially a mobile base structure?
I agree with Jeffman...Especially as that will make campaign a lot harder...
I couldn't think of the words to articulate this point at the time, but I'll give it a shot now.
The point of a rig is to hold a chokepoint. The goal of any structure/unit design should be to simultaneously fulfill as many roles in the place it will be as possible. Since the Rig is largely a non-economic unit that can serve as a stand-in (but not a replacement for) a small foreward base, it is worthwhile to slap some down at some chokepoints that you don't want to have to go build a base at.
Instead, with this, you basically need to build a refinery to hold down a frontline point, even if there's no tiberium in its vicinity, making it a waste of resources if the cost of such a unit is anywhere near reasonably balanced.
The benefit of making this a replacement for the surveyor is far better when you consider that Surveyors aren't really a frontline defense in and of themselves, requiring field support to be deployed to a new location(Obviated a little by this one being armed) and are most often used to hold down a tiberium field rather than just any old choke point on the map, or as fire support outposts with no need for a harvesting mechanism.
Good point, I did neglect to say it was also replacing surveyors, so it would also have a button on it that would give ground control permanently.
I didn't mention it because I wanted to see how people would react to replacing 3 core things 1st, before rolling our a 4th replacement. In the Surveyor mode: named "Pioneer mode" it can't harvest tiberium. Should we add back repair drones, I think TE or some mod has repair drones on surveyors.
Also,we are not making a campaign. And will probably not mess with the CC3 campaigns. Most of our original faction changes tthat we have planed will be hard to balance in Campaign mode, not to mention re-coding the AIs to do what we want. Skrimish AI is something we are carefully considering.
For some comparison in CC3:
Surveyor cost 1,500, 15 sec build time
Refinery cost 2,000, 20 sec build time
Rig cost 2,000 build time 20 sec build time
Harvester cost 14,00, 14 sec build time
Having one unit that fills all four roles and costs around 2K, with likely a 20 sec build time is not only extremely efficient, but nnot a waste at all if there is no tiberium in the area. (if there is no tib in the imidiate area,we can have it get tib from far away, just like sending a harv far from the ref, the way it's coded, the harv is invisible, or something like that)
In the end, you are technically paying 600 more for a harv, but you are technically saving a full 2k on a ref. not to mention SRRs can redeploy like rigs, so u can move it to a new field. (not counting the pioneer mode, if you used it)
I'll add pioneer mode to description.
We will obscurely need to pay around with values for balance.
2,500-3,000, 20-30 sec build time or something...
Wait, it deploys into two different things?
One redeployable, the other not.
I thought it combines outpost with refinery and harvester with surveyor.
How it harvests tib. when it deploys into Rig?
So it cannot automatically refine harvested tib. when in mobile form?
A very sturdy Surveyor/outpost or very vulnerable harvester/refinery?
Harvesters are wee bit faster than Rigs and mobile Outposts.
TFM harvesters and mobile outposts are particularly cute and interesting xD
Despite advantages(not requiring energy,power plant or command center, being mobile refinery which can be sold after deployed), it does decreases usefulness of Crane and somewhat negates the harvester spam.
Yup, it should not interfere with Albania mission.
Well, its a lesser evil than KW :D
It's not just the mechanical cost, though, it's also the lore aspect. You have this unit on the field that is essentially carrying around a fully functional tiberium spike, no matter the role you assign it to, and it's just not going to be used in one of those modes.
You're taking three distinct units/structures out of the game and instead giving the player a "shooty mobile refinery". Please note, I just want to define it in the simplest terms possible to get the features across. It's not exactly clear what or how the sonic fences help you, the commander in your harvesting, other than the stated blocking enemies, nor what mechanics are at play making this unit function other than that.
Don't get me wrong, I like the ideas at play here, but if you truly want something to replace the rig, instead of just removing the rig altogether, think about replacing the repair zone with another combat support mechanic. At least if you want this unit to play the combat support role, which seems to be your intent when you say things like "replaces the rig".
Taking the ideas I've seen scattered around this page so far, here's what I'm seeing:
*You build the unit from the Con Yard.
*It deploys into one of two stationary structures, a mobile refinery, or a mobile defense outpost. (Let's say you can't deploy the second option until you have radar or an existing refinery)
*Both options take time to deploy as the hardware is produced by the unit on site.
--This addresses the issue pointed out above.
--Refinery uses the tower structure as a spike
--Defense uses tower as cloak sensor and/or grants sight radius ignoring terrain blockages such as cliffs.
*As a refinery it deploys (or allows you to deploy) sonic fences around tiberium fields.
--Has inbuilt turrets
--Tiberium Spike (Does this suppress crystal spawns and grant passive resource generation?)
--Is this limited to the field it's deployed in, or does it unlock fences in your build menu?
--Do you deploy this mode over the tiberium source like a growth accelerator?
--If not, how many do you envision being used per field?
*Can deploy as a mobile defense structure.
--Harder hitting turrets than refinery
--Stealth detection? (Rig has this)
--Anything else?
*Both modes can be made permanent emplacements and benefit from distinct upgrades.
--Refinery has better resource output as the Spike is tapped deeper under ground.
--+Does this grant build radius?
--Defense mode
--+Requires tech center?
--+Weapons upgraded?
--+Combat support features? Repair zone or something new/different?
--+Build radius?
Other stuff:
Maybe once it's time for the unit to pack up, it leaves behind a spike or sensor with somewhat diminished capabilities(depending on what it deployed as)
Do you plan to change GDI's relationship with silos as well?
To be clear,
if you look at the concept, the left version (packed) is just a vehicle, it has no weapons and is the same as the original rig.
The right version is the unpacked version, in this state, it is put near a tiberium field in most cases, and it sits there, stationary. Gathering tiberium. You can activate a special ability while it is unpacked, that gives ground control, and takes the tiberium harvesting away/ (this is a one time permanent ability.)
The power cost has not yet been determined, but it likely will have some power cost while harvesting.
Once again, as a base vehicle on the left, it can't harvest, nor attack just like the normal rig and MCV.
Hope that clears things up.
There's another question, does it have an unpack time like the surveyor, if so are the weapons only operational after the full duration of the deploy anim?
We never thought of that.
I expect so, we will see how balance works.
i can imagine a 'permanent harvesting system' would work by transferring the harvested/refined tiberium along power line style structures. faster income with a downside of the 'lines' being destructible.
universe at war hasa similar mechanic exclusive to the novus faction, and it really gives them a much needed edge. the towers connect via power lines which units can travel on to go long distances fast. units can use any tower to get to any other connected tower relatively instantly. the balance for this is that the towers are very weak. cheap to mass produce but weak. maybe this mod could make the ai faction make use of this. the novus are also completely ai.