[align=center][font=Comic Sans MS]Current Version: 1.04 for OpenRA Version 30 June 2012 [/font][/align]
[align=center][font=Comic Sans MS]Much credit to BaronOfStuff for the new unit models![/font][/align]
Short Overview
The description above says that this is a "rebalance," and some may argue that this isn't really a rebalance. But it rebalances the game in my eyes. I decided to copy and create a rebalanced, realistic-ish version of the current OpenRA release (30 June 2012). I originally made this for a friend and I to play together, but then I decided why the hell not release it? So I am, here ya go
![Grin :D](./images/smilies/grin.gif)
The goal of this mod is to make the game more realistic, and then balance it!
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![Image](http://i.imgur.com/Q4kqK.png)
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![Image](http://i.imgur.com/Y7BSL.png)
New Units
There are some new units, which will be going through on this picture from top left to bottom right!
Comanche: This attack helicopter belongs to the allies, basically an upgraded combo of a hind and longbow. It will hammer through anything, but quickly needs a reload.
Spitfire: The allied alternative to the Yak attack plane, this unit is a yak with slightly better manueverability and higher cost.
B52 Bomber: A heavy bomber that belongs to the allies, this guy drops tons of bombs and has tons of armor. It also has some wing-mounted machine guns for anti-air defense, but they're rather terrible, so they're best only used in emergencies.
Badger Bomber: The soviet alternative to the B52 Bomber, this guy has less health but much more damaging bombs.
Falcon Jet Fighter: This unit is the allies' alternative to the enemy MiG fighter. It shoots rockets and travels at high speed.
Advanced MiG: This unit is a highly upgraded version of the soviet MiG. It drops bombs that are as devestating as an A10, but carries a few more. It also has the option to fire it's bombs as rockets, destroying almost any airborne unit in just one shot.
A10 Bomber: A simple jet-powered, fast-moving, low-armor airplane used for quickly bombing targets. Allies.
Shotgunner: That itty bitty guy all the way to the left is the Soviet's main ground infantry. He has a shotgun and is weaker than a rifleman, but he acts as wonderful cannon fodder.
Stormtrooper: Allies' elite light infantry unit, this guy is a rifleman armed with a better rifle and body armor.
Special Forces: This guy is essentially a Stormtrooper, but he can easily hide himself and go undetected easily, as long as he doesn't go right up against anything.
Commando: This is the soviet alternative to Tanya. He's much like he was in Tiberian Dawn.
MAAG: This mobile anti aircraft gun is much like the soviet's flak truck, however, this one can only shoot at air and only available to the allies. He also does much better at it. He also is armed with a small machine gun on the side of the turret for emergencies, but it's best just to run away.
Soviet Light Tank: Pretty simple, really. It's a light tank for the soviets. He has a heavier, slower-firing gun and better armor, but less speed, than the allied light tank.
Soviet Medium Tank: Unlike most other Soviet units, this tank has less health and anti-infantry damage than the allied counterpart.
BM30 Smerch: This is a heavy artillery unit. It launches 16 large rockets at a large field of enemies, doing massive amounts of damage. It has a long reload time, though.
MLRS: The allied counter to the BM30 smerch, this one is more accurate and fires faster, but the rockets are much less damaging.
Advanced Medium Tank: This is the allied main battle tank. It's a slightly heavier Allied Medium Tank, with a grenade launcher on top for anti-infantry and anti-light vehicle damage.
Tank Destroyer: The bane of the soviet's heavy armor, this allied unit is a very strong anti-tank cannon strapped on an armored chassis. It is, however, very susceptible to enemy infantry and aircraft.
Landcruiser: This is the allied version of the Mammoth Tank, however, it has a much less powerful anti-tank gun. It does, however, have much more health and anti-infantry damage. This guy bulldozes any kind of infantry.
Mammoth Tank MkII: No, it isn't that hideous excuse of an AT-AT from Tiberian Sun, this unit is a much more powerful version of the mammoth tank. It does devastating amount of anti-tank adn anti-infantry damage, but unlike the Mammoth Tank MkI, it sports no anti-aircraft capabilities. It's so slow, that even A10 bombers do significant damage to him.
Tech Centre: The basic tech center for both teams to provide a stepping stone between radar domes & repair bays and team-tech-centers.
Nuclear Power Plant: (Not shown), this building is available for both teams and produces gigantic amounts of power, but when it explodes, it unleashes nuclear wrath. It also produces plutonium for the Nuclear Silos, and is thus a prerequisite.
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![Image](http://i.imgur.com/kschJ.png)
Artillery
So, a major change has come to artillery. There are new artillery units, and they fire from gigantic distances. However, they're not nearly as powerful or accurate as before. It's mostly to cause the enemy to want to advance forward to avoid the artillery fire, and maybe even charge into their death.
They also act as an easy way to assault heavy base defenses without nuclear weapons.
Long Overview:
First thing I thought was really lame about Command and Conquer was that 1 dinky little bazooka could destroy a heavy tank. So, I rebalanced that and fixed it. Now, tanks have secondary weapons that they can use against infantry (they also use it against other vehicles, for little effect). Light tanks get a dinky light-machine gun that fires extremely often and does little more than just the main gun, medium tanks get a "heavy machine gun" equal to about that of a rifleman's gun, and heavy tanks get a modified flamethrower that's better than a rifle, but is definitely not a flamethrower. It's like 1/3rd of the flamethrower. It's mostly just for how cool it looks whenever it attacks ;]
Oh, and be assured, it's not that overpowered. 3 bazookas can still obliterate a heavy tank, they'll just lose one or two in the process.
Nuclear weapons are also harder to get. If you could make infinite number of nukes with only $2500, the US wouldn't be in debt ;]
Aircraft have more hitpoints, SAM does more damage, sea transports only carry one vehicle and are really cheap, and yaks and hinds have infinite ammo now. All of the said things here make realistic sense, and are indeed rather balanced.
Oh, and also, allies get grenadiers. Like they should have had ever since 1996 >_>. This makes it so the allies have an advanced infantry unit between riflemen and Tanya.
Oh, and all infantry are the same speed (except Tanya). This helps make sure that infantry march in step when moving.
Oh, and finally, I changed AI. Easy AI is really n00by, and I tried to minimize refinery growth and radar dome growth. See changelog for full details.
And finally, there are new units and artillery adjustments. See above!
Full Changelog / Readme: A full changelog and readme can be read here.
Short Changelog:
1.04: Added more new units, too many to list, and made artillery more long-range. Also changed prices of buildings to promote slower/more significant upgrading.
1.03: Added first batch of new units. Commando, MAAG, Soviet Light Tank, Main Battle Tank, Tank Destroyer, Mammoth Tank MkII, and MiG bomber.
1.02: Smaller filesize, improved gap generator, better MiGs/Longbows, heavy tanks no longer make it EXTREMELY difficult to see, and other minor changes.
1.01: Fixed Medics, balanced MiG/Longbow, balanced artllery (again), added "Brutal AI," balanced some buildings' power, and added tanks to paratrooper groups.
1.00: Overhauled original OpenRA Red Alert. View readme for more.
TL;DR Version: Tanks + Machine Guns + Flamethrowers = awesome mod. Don't bash it 'til ya try it. Oh, and more units. And better artillery.
Download:
Download either at the bottom of the post or at this link.
Install:
Windows Users:
1] Go to Start -> My computer
2] Go to the following location on your hard disk:
. C:/Program Files(x86)/OpenRA/mods/
. NOTE: If you do not have a "Program Files(x86)," then the folder's just "Program Files"
3] Open up the .zip file using 7-zip or other packaging tools
4] !!! IF YOU ALREADY HAVE A "tacora" FOLDER INSIDE OF /mods/, MOVE/DELETE THAT FOLDER!!!
5] Bring out the "tacora" folder into the mods folder
6] You should then have at least 3 folders in /mods/
. cnc, ra, and taco
Ubuntu and/or Linux Users:
- Same as above, but replace steps 1 and 2 with...
. Go to the following location: /usr/share/openra/mods/
- You may need to run "sudo nautilus" or "sudo thunar" to gain access to that folder.
Mac Users:
- I don't have a Mac, you're on your own! D= Sorry
Future!
I always plan to update for major releases of OpenRA, and release bug updates if needed.
The next plan we have is two new factions: Germany and Africa's People's Army or Arab's People's Army. After that, maybe a pre-GDI faction. Stay tuned!
Disclaimer: I'm deeply sorry if this violates any distribution thingies.
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/tongue.gif)
Legal: Don't distribute this modification or any extremely similar modifications of it without crediting me. I'd be very happy and wouldn't care if any of these ideas were incorporated into the actual OpenRA RA release without credit. Would be cool if this mod got some attention, too >_> . Thank you!
Credits: VERY MANY THANKS TO BaronOfStuff for many of the models.