Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 announced

[Praxil]

http://www.ea.com/redalert/news-detail.jsp?id=13

Smartest move by EA in many years. I still don't get it how Jablonsky came out with such a "poor" soundtrack for Tiberium Wars, yet being able to make such a beautiful soundtrack for Transformers movie.

[Martok]

And a now we have a new unit: V-4 ROCKETS!

The way the first function goes is nothing special to me, the way those missile lands hasn't been used since... TA I think (Core Diplomat, the other one...) however the second anti-infantry one makes Is pretty neat with the missile launching cluster bombs in mid air.

Yep, I just got done checking out the V4. I too love their secondary multiple-warhead ability, and look forward to using it on hapless Allied infantry.


EDIT: Oops. Praxil beat me to it.

[Martok]

A few new screenshots have been posted by IGN.

I'm especially intrigued by the first screenie, which appears to show both Soviet aircraft and *two* different types of Allied aircraft. I believe the one Allied aircraft (on the right-hand side) is the previously-mentioned Century Bomber, but I have yet to see anything on those Soviet warplanes. The other Allied air unit looks like it may be more of a fast-attack craft (perhaps acting as escort for the bomber?), but it's hard to tell.

[Martok]

Strategy Informer has put up part 1 of a major preview. The majority of the article talks about James' impressions of and experience at EA's LA facility, but a large amount of info is divulged as well.



General Information:

* The new Apoc tank looks awesome, and you’ll be seeing its upgrades in the very near future. For now, know that it has a tractor beam and a giant generator (Magnetic Harpoon) on its back. Grinders go out side to side. The grinder eliminates any enemies that get in the Apoc’s way, chewing them up to nothing.

* Unit scale is highly unrealistic in gameplay, but it works. Dolphins may appear the size of submarines…but hey, you know it’s a dolphin.

* Ore does not deplete! Once “depleted” only 25% of the original resources can be attained.

* Heidleberg returns, and it looks great. Even has a park and beer gardens.

* Mcburger Kong returns.

* There are 12 different locales in the game, each one very different and very colorful.

* Weather effects are all present, but none of them actually take part in the gameplay. They are all purely aesthetic.

* Fog is now cleared downhill, but not uphill (meaning if units are on top of a hill, they can see far below, but units under a hill cannot see above it).

* Powers are introduced, and some are listed below. Powers are special abilities players can use over time to do a number of things, such as special attacks. They are illustrated by a number on the bottom left corner of the screen, where over time points are built up. Based on how well the game is going for the player, more points may be added over less time, meaning they have access to more power ups.

* Soviet Power ups include: Orbital Refuse, which drops satellites from the sky like bombs; Tractor Beam, which picks units off the battlefield and into space, to later drop them with Orbital Refuse; Time Bomb, which is just that.

* There is a third faction, which has been mentioned only as the “Empire of the Rising Sun.”


The Allies:

* Dolphins act just like real dolphins, meaning they can swim backwards if commanded, jump out of the water (out of the way of torpedoes or over electrical-based attacks).

* A support “Cryo Copter” aircraft shoots an ice beam, dubbed the “freeze beam” (ray would be better). This slows down enemies and, with enough time, freezes them in their tracks. They thaw out over time and no damage comes from this, but frozen enemies can be broken like ice. The Cryo Copter’s secondary ability is a shrink ray, which literally shrinks friendly or enemy units, making them function on cartoon physics, and of course prone to being run over by tanks.

* The Dog has been fixed. Instead of having the Dog and Bear be basically equal (and have horrid biting fights between them) the Dog has a secondary ability to bark loudly, stunning nearby enemies. It also can go in the IFE for an extended bark attack, having a larger radius of damage.

* Building walls are now included, meaning fortifications can be made for the Allies.


* Base hubs now share tech, meaning only one upgrade is needed for all buildings to produce higher level units or buildings. It also means that if the Command Center is destroyed, all buildings lose their upgrades.


The Soviets:

* The Czar Tank, otherwise known as the Hammer, can steal health and weapons from vehicles. Its rockets cannot be shot down anymore. The Hammer’s secondary weapon shoots smaller, scattered bombs.

* The Tesla tank is not returning to Multiplayer, but it will appear in specific missions for the Single Player campaign.

* The Dreadnaught’s secondary attack makes it shoot faster, but it takes damage while doing so.

* The Acula Submarine’s secondary weapon are dumbfire “super” missiles.

* The Bear is now amphibious, so it is equivalent to both the Dog and Dolphin (somewhat).

[lars573]

The more I hear about this game the more awesome it sounds. Armoured swimming, parachuting, bears= I always loved RA2 sillyness and this looks to have the same kind of silly and more of it.

[FactionHeir]

* The new Apoc tank

Looks like EA is naming things after their community manager

[Martok]

Heh. Yeah, I noticed that as well.

I still want to know what the Soviet aircraft and the second Allied aircraft is in this screenshot, though. Would love to see air-power have a more significant role.

[FactionHeir]

Haven't looked at the screens previously but now that I have I must say that they are ... odd.

For some reason many new games have the exact same grassland graphics that are bloomy and look comical. To be, that is rather disturbing especially in a war game (its bad enough in serious RPGs). And those units and buildings... looks like from some kid's gamebox... But that's just my own personal rant that nobody would agree with

I mean honestly, it looks exactly like the one from NWN2...

[Martok]

Well the developers did say (and I'm paraphrasing here) that they were deliberately making the graphics in RA3 more "cartoonish" in nature, so as to help emphasize the game's campy, over-the-top feel. I'm not sure I agree with that decision -- in fact, I'm more in agreement with you on this matter -- but I can sort of understand where they're coming from. Personally, I don't think it's necessary, but then I'm probably not EA's target demographic either.

[Praxil]

I think that RA1 and RA2 are in different universes. I'm not sure about the timeline and maybe I'm just assuming, but Red Alert and Red Alert 2 does not have anything in common. Other than name and some units, but there is no background for Red Alert 2 from first one. Where Red Alert is a what if scenario where Hitler never did his thing, but things evolved right in to a cold war (arms race). Yes, Red Alert had some interesting "inventions", but Red Alert 2 simply has some weird things in it like squids and dolphins as units. In general, Red Alert feels far more "serious" and realistic to me, where Red Alert 2 is in circus. I think I've read somewhere that the EA didn't allowed to go any other way with the theme and the story for RA2. The fact probably is that the story of Red Alert 2 happens in the same universe with Red Alert just later on with over the top comedy style approach.

[The_Doctor]

I think that RA1 and RA2 are in different universes. I'm not sure about the timeline and maybe I'm just assuming, but Red Alert and Red Alert 2 does not have anything in common.

They are in the same universe, When you are installing RA2 it gives you the backstory, it follows on from the Allied campaign in RA.

[Martok]

A fair amount of new info this past week. First off, a Q&A session:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1. Will the King oni able to crush t-1 and t-2 tanks?

Sort of. The King Oni's secondary ability is a powerful linebacker-style bullrush. Upon spotting an enemy unit or structure, he'll drop his shoulder and run directly at his target, running over almost anything in his path. The King Oni doesn't crush units just by walking over them normally, the way that an Apocalypse Tank would, however.

2. Will the flak trooper be back or another soviet rocket trooper?

The Flak Trooper is indeed back as the Soviet's primary anti-vehicle and anti- air infantryman. He lugs around a heavy flak cannon on his shoulder, and he's none too happy about it.

3. Will Allies be getting chronoshifting units or abilities?

The Allies still have a good deal of Chrono-based abilities, despite the fact that Dr. Einstein no longer exists in this timeline. While Tanya is the only unit who's been authorized to use Chrono technology on the battlefield, the Allies still employ Chrono weapons in a lot of their player powers. On a related note, it appears that Chrono Legionnaires never came into existence in this timeline either...


4. Will ingame taunting be back in multiplayer games like in Red Alert 2? for example in red alert 2 if u pressed F10 in a multiplayer game then each faction had a different laugh etc.

The taunting mechanic in Red Alert 2 was fun to use, and we're definitely planning on implementing something similar in RA3.


5. Will the waypoint system from ra2 and yr be making a return in ra3?

We'll have a waypoint system in Red Alert 3, yes, but it's more similar to the one used in Command & Conquer 3 than previous games. We're improving the feedback system for our waypoints too.

6. Will RA3 have a option where you can give money to your allies like in LOTR BFME 2?

No, you can't tribute money to your allies in a multiplayer game, but we're considering allowing players to transfer control of units. As with other balance-related questions, we reserve the right to nix this ability if it proves to be problematic.


7. Will scraps of destroyed units litter the battlefield?

Yes, the husks of units and structures that are destroyed in battle will litter the map... but only for a few seconds. We kept these scraps around for a long time originally, but they simply ended up cluttering the battlefield.

We've got the Prospector's unit profile, which is the Allies' mining vehicle. Their secondary ability to convert to a command center (and thereby expand your base) could prove very useful.


I believe I can now say with a reasonable degree of certainty that the Apollo Fighter was the other Allied aircraft in that earlier screenshot I posted a couple weeks back. It appears as if it will be *the* dominant air unit in the game, even if it possesses only moderate firepower.


And finally, a unit from the Empire of the Rising Sun has been officially introduced for the first time: the mighty King Oni. From both the description and the battle footage, this monster is going to be absolutely devastating against both enemy buildings and land vehicles alike. Its only apparent weaknesses are its high cost and inability to engage air units. (Should still be fun to play with, though. )

[Syxx_Killer]

With every passing day I want RA3 more and more! The Red Alert franchise is my favorite RTS series. I still play RA2. Red Alert 3 is looking awesome and the new technologies fantastic. The water effects I have seen look great. I have heard RA3 will only be a Vista game. Is that true? I haven't found anything that suggests it yet, but I'm still curious.

[Kommodus]

Oh man, now I have this to look forward to in addition to TW: Empires, Starcraft II, AND Spore! I'm beginning to get excited about the games coming out later this year/early next year!

As for the game's look and feel, well, I like the darker/more realistic character of many other RTS games, but I also like the more campy/cartoonish stylings of RA2 and RA3. I wouldn't say either is better; they're just different, and make for a slightly different kind of fun. A game that doesn't take itself too seriously can be a refreshing change of pace if you let it.

If you guys like this game, I recommend checking out Starcraft II as well, which is beginning to look AMAZING.

[lars573]

Not me. It's developed by Blizzard. Stagnation is their watch word. I'll have none of it.

[Martok]

The unit profile for the Allied Aircraft Carrier is up. Expensive, but deadly.


Also, here's a screenshot of the game's box art, with -- no surprise -- Natasha front and center.

[Martok]

A new unit profile is up for the Soviet Twinblade, their premiere air-to-ground attack vehicle. The helicopter also boasts the ability to carry infantry platoons and ground vehicles (but not both at the same time).



Here's the big thing, though: The new trailer for the Empire of the Rising Sun!

It looks like the Empire will have some very interesting and versatile toys to play with, including the Tsunami Tank (a hybrid land/amphibious assault vehicle), the Mecha Tengu (which transforms from a land-based attack robot into a jet), and the Sea Wing/Sky Wing (which converts from an attack jet to an assault boat).

[lars573]

I think Bandai is gonna be pissed about that mecha/jet tengu. Also it's a mecha tengu so it's not a robot.

In anime terms;

mecha=vehicle with a pilot
robo=AI controlled machine

[PBI]

Surely the twinblade helicopter wouldn't need a tail rotor since it has two main rotors, like the Chinook?

Hmph, I'm starting to feel this game might not be entirely realistic. I mean, armoured bear cannons is one thing, but this is just silly.

[Martok]

PBI:


Gah! Gamespot has a preview out as well, although I didn't notice it until now (was posted July 12). It examines the Empire in more detail, discussing some of their units and abilities.


EDIT: Gamespy has a new preview up as well.

[Abokasee]

When a tank is rolling down the street... Who you gonna call? TANK BUSTAS!

[Martok]

Digital Chumps conducted an interview with 3 members of RA3's development team. It's fairly lengthy (3 pages), so you'll want to settle in while you read it! The interview includes a decent helping of new info, as well as examining the design philosophies that went into the game. A pretty interesting read overall.

[Martok]

Another Q&A session.

1. Will engineers be able to capture fallen mechs? -evilconker

Sort of. Natasha has the ability to shoot the pilots out of most vehicles by using her secondary ability. Her steady hand can essentially kill the driver of the vehicle, while leaving the vehicle itself intact and ripe for the picking. Any nearby infantry soldier can then run over to the disabled vehicle and gain control of it.


2. What are the squares/blocks around the buildings when u build them? -lee999

That's a simple feedback system that we've improved from Red Alert 2 that's used to indicate the state of buildable areas under and around the building. White squares around the building indicate areas that are OK to place the structure onto. If a grid appears red, that means you won't be able to place that structure down on that grid (it might be impassable terrain, occupied by a pre-existing structure, etc). If the grids appear green underneath your structure, you'll be able to construct that structure.


3. Does the Dolphin have the same primary weapon as it did in RA2? -LoDoubt

Yes, the Dolphins in Red Alert 3 employ a very similar weapon as their cousins in Red Alert 2 -- amplified echolocation. As for the Dolphins' secondary ability, they're able to leap out of the water for a short period of time, in the process avoiding any torpedoes or other enemies that may be targetting them.


4. If an allied conyard packs up, does it carry its researched tech tier wherever it goes, or does it vanish when it redeploys? -dky

It depends. An Allied Conyard can pack up into an MCV and move around to a different location and still be able to grant production structures its researched Heightened and Max Clearance tiers, but only if those structures are within the build radius of that Conyard. If the MCV moves beyond this build radius, the production structures will lose those Clearance levels. Allied forces use a very powerful encryption method when transmitting those Clearance levels from the Conyard, but a noteably short range is a downside of that encryption technology.


5. Can allies use powers on each other? For example, using the Cryocopter shrink ray on your allies units, or using the iron curtain on your allies units. -chakakhan800

Absolutely. Units that are shrunken by the Cryocopter can get a significant speed boost, so you can do things like place an Engineer in a Riptide ACV and then shrink it, and then zip it across the map to capture neutral or enemy structures faster than would be otherwise possible.


6. Are we gonna see C&C3 style pics on the sidebar, or Generals/Red Alert 2 style pics? -uri

The unit and structure buttons on the sidebar in Red Alert 3 will be stylized to look like a graphic novel, so in that sense, they're closer to the look of the buttons in Commnand & Conquer 3 than those in Generals or Red Alert 2, which were more photorealistic.

[Syxx_Killer]

The Monsters of RA3 have been profiled! I think they look great (maybe a little too much color on the Apocalypse tank, though).

http://www.ea.com/redalert/factions-...pocalypse_Tank

http://www.ea.com/redalert/factions-...ault_Destroyer

[Martok]

Very cool. Nice to see the Apocalypse make a return.

The Allied Destroyer looks interesting. They'll definitely need mobile anti-air support, though.



Now for yet another new unit, we have the Imperial Shinobi. These guys are definitely somewhat deadlier than those found in Shogun Total War.

[Martok]

A double feature today!


First off, we have the latest unit profile: the Allied Dolphin. It looks to serve primarily as the Allies' naval scout unit, although it possesses a powerful offensive armament. Also, they can evade enemy fire from enemy water units by leaping great distances into the air (although I suspect this latter ability will be of limited use if you have to micromanage it instead of being automated).


Secondly, there is another short Q&A session available:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

1. Does the mirage tanks ability cloak friendly units or does it disguise them as trees/cars/etc? Also, does it work while the mirage tank is moving? -theroflcopter

The Mirage Tank’s Gap Generator cloaks friendly units, essentially making them invisible to enemies. It does not disguise them as part of the surroundings. The Mirage Tank’s innate ability is to disguise itself into the background, but this only works when it’s stationary.



2. What units will you not be able to "bribe"? -havok2100x

Among other units, the Spy cannot use his bribe ability on aircraft, MCVs, and Imperial Cores.



3. Will T1 Defenses such as Flak Cannon, Defender-VX, Sentry Gun, Multigunner Turret, be placed on both Land and Water? How will I place infantry inside the multigunner turret on water? - irelox

Yes, you will be able to place all tier- 1 base defenses either on land or on water. You cannot place non-amphibious infantry into any Multigunner Turret that’s on water, however.



4. When deciding upon a third side for Red Alert 3, what factions were suggested? And why in the end was Empire of the Rising Sun chosen? -Unknown_fan

We went through a wide variety of candidates for the third faction, including everything from an all-oceanic faction based on the Red Alert 2 Giant Squid to a more traditional sub-faction system composed of armies from around the world, and everything in between. Ultimately, we decided on the Empire of the Rising Sun mostly because 1) creating a timeline wherein Japan rises to be a militaristic world power post-WWII fit within the fiction of Red Alert very nicely; and 2) of the team’s devotion to Japanese pop culture, and the amount of reference that can be pulled from anime, manga, and videogames that we all watch and play.



5. Do apoc tanks have anti air missiles? - RoMaNoV_007

No Apocalypse Tanks cannot target air units – they are strictly anti-ground. Most units in Red Alert 3 are extremely specialized, and excel in only one or two areas.



6. What can you get from crates in Red Alert 3? -zrooper

Among other things, crates will give affected units health and veterancy.

[Abokasee]

*Loads AK47*
...ok... who did that... own up children...

[Martok]

Yeesh. Someone clearly had too much time on their hands.


In more pleasant news, IGN has reported that the Allies' Lt. Eva McKenna (who was also a character in Red Alert 2) will be played by Gemma Atkinson. The article shows Miss Atkinson wearing what I can only guess is *supposed* to be an Allied uniform, but it looks awfully non-regulation to me. (Not that I'm really complaining, mind you.)

[TB666]

The article shows Miss Atkinson wearing what I can only guess is *supposed* to be an Allied uniform,

I would salute that any day.

[Marshal Murat]

I hope I get her clearance for landing.