OpenRA

This topic reviews the balancing for Red Alert, anything that is disputed as being imbalanced, under powered or overpowered can be changed for a conceptual mod that can be found below:

Complete mod:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rgzzeav510eeys1/cra.zip?dl=0

Update package (does not contain audio or bits):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/6fxbm6hvkh0ff ... e.zip?dl=0

Changes:
Artillery costs the same as V2s (900)
Hijacker is faster and cloaks
Grenadier's grenades travel faster and is available to all factions
Depth charges travel faster
Migs can attack air units
Yaks have a larger spread applied to their attack
Longbows fire faster
Shock troopers have a longer delay between zaps

If you believe any changes should be made to Red Alert then post them below and i will respond within a day or so.

i am available to host a server most days from 6pm GMT until 9pm GMT.

I hate to say it, because I love them, but shock troopers are OP. Their firepower should be reduced 10-20%.

Edit: Maybe reduce number of units on chronoshift vs increasing the time. OR if they only use up to 5 units, make it a 2 minute charge, when using more than 5 units it will be the longer 3 minute charge.

raymundo wrote: ↑I hate to say it, because I love them, but shock troopers are OP. Their firepower should be reduced 10-20%.

Edit: Maybe reduce number of units on chronoshift vs increasing the time. OR if they only use up to 5 units, make it a 2 minute charge, when using more than 5 units it will be the longer 3 minute charge.

Shock trooper change will be implemented, chronoshift wont work too well; YAML doesnt have a great implementation of logic so its either not possible or im not good enough to do it. And the chrono area works with radii and the normal chronoshift is one size down from the advanced

Increasing the time to 3 minutes will turn Germany's special ability into a disadvantage.

Can't make it a 9 unit square?

I didn't really think the advanced chrono was OP (on paper it looks like it but in practice no). $100 increase in arty cost is fine, but that's about as far as I'd go. The rest looks good to me, main thing missing is a longbow buff.

newwe wrote: ↑I didn't really think the advanced chrono was OP (on paper it looks like it but in practice no).

I agree, in games it hasn't been game breaking.

i'd suggest to change the Longbow's rockets (Hellfire AG) to be fired in faster, short bursts. There's hardly ever a need for a longbow to fire just one rocket.

Burst should match with the number of ammo ticks so as to not confuse players.

That way, longbows can deal some damage faster and then retreat before being shot down.

Nice! Grenadiers to allies? Now what is left for Russia /Ukraine to get tactical? Grenadiers where a risky early rush. Now really the only thing left in the first 5mins is the 'cheap' flamethrowers trick.

Changes have been made

this game should be modular, so we just download extensions or patches instead of rei-nstalling the whole crap again and again.

YuriMolina wrote: ↑this game should be modular, so we just download extensions or patches instead of re-installing the whole crap again and again.

An "update package" has been added which excludes folders that are un-needed for updates thus cutting down the download size

Copying the whole ra mod and then editing the files in place isn't recommended, and in particular copying the RA dll causes a whole bunch of issues for people switching between mods.
The strongly recommended way to do this kind of mod is to inherit the base RA files (from within the ra directory) and then add your own changes on top similarly to how mod maps do it. The people in IRC should be happy to help explain how to set this up.

YuriMolina wrote: ↑this game should be modular, so we just download extensions or patches instead of rei-nstalling the whole crap again and again.

Let's rephrase that:
"What kind of delay in releasing new features/balancing would be required to make OpenRA into a modular application?"

Interesting. I made my own version without seeing this - although I took a different approach. Perhaps I will upload it with some pictures and let you guys give feedback.

Glad to see others are taking up the initiative too.