Welcome
Hello everyone and welcome to the RA Upgrades Mod thread. Below you find a description of the concept which was tried to comply with during the development of this mod. Afterwards each modification of the standard RA mod (release-20180307) will be mentioned and each upgrade will be mentioned including of all details that are relevant for gameplay.
If you prefer to try the mod instead of reading about it, go to https://resource.openra.net/maps/?categ ... grades+Mod, download a map that you like and copy it to your custom map folder. You should then be able to select the map ingame and play it online.
Basic concept
The idea behind the RA Upgrades Mod is to emphasize the character of Allies and Soviets, their playstyle and their strengths and weaknesses. While the mod intends to highlight their nature, it is also designed to fill in the gaps that result from an originally unbalanced unit distribution in RA95 and tries to improve the game experience by adding upgrades that counter the superior strength of one faction or counter an otherwise superior unit upgrade of one faction. Given RA95's unit distribution and game design this results in Allies becoming the faction that excels with superior anti air capabilities and unique support units while Soviets stand out with raw firepower and an incomparable variety of available aircraft.
About Upgrades
All Upgrades are produced in the relevant production queues, just like structures or units. Once an upgrade is produced, it will affect all relevant units no matter if they have been build before or are build after the upgrade was produced. Produced upgrades will disappear from the production tab and in some cases of leveled upgrades will unlock the next upgrade level.
Feedback
Use this thread for any kind of feedback and criticism or ping me on the official Discord. There is a poll you are welcomed to participate in.
Credits
Thank you for your interest in RA Upgrades Mod. This mod would not exist without the extensive help of (in alphabetical order):
- abcdefg30
- Graion Dilach
- MustaphaTR
- Nolt
- Voidwalker
- Allies
- Aircraft
- HIND
General:- Stop the heresy
Returning the Hind to Soviets is one of the core elements of the RA Upgrades Mod and follows the concept element of restoration of the original unit distribution.
- Stop the heresy
- CHINOOK
Upgrades:
- Chinook Vehicle Carry Upgrade - Enables Chinook to carry a vehicle.
The chinook will work like a Carryall from C&C TS and can carry every vehicle except the Mammoth Tank due to an unfixed technical interference with the Mammoth Tank's Turret Speed Upgrade.- Cost: 2000 $
- Prerequisites: Allied Helipad
- Queue: Aircraft
- Chinook Vehicle Carry Upgrade - Enables Chinook to carry a vehicle.
- LONGBOW
General:- Prerequisites: Radar Dome
Making the Longbow available at Radar Tech fills in the gap the removal of the Hind caused. The prerequisites are thereby equal to RA95's Longbow too. - Default armament: Anti grounds rockets only
Taking away the Longbow's anti air armament from its default configuration is a balance decision that was taken to allow air to ground gameplay in the midgame. A fully armed longbow would easily shut down Soviet's air capabilities and removing anti air missiles from the default configuration facilitates an upgrade opportunity for the late game.
- Longbow Air-to-Air Missile Upgrade - Equips Longbows with Air-to-Air missiles.
- Cost: 2000 $
- Prerequisites: Allied Helipad, Allied Tech Center
- Queue: Aircraft
- Longbow Armament Upgrade - Effectively doubles ammunition capacity and fire rate.
This Upgrade turns the Longbow into an even scarier tool of air dominance than it has been before. Given Soviets variety of available tools and their availability of cloaked MiGs, it certainly is one of the most powerful upgrades but will not lock the airspace entirely for Soviets. If anti air rockets are upgraded, this upgrade will affect them too.- Cost: 3000 $
- Prerequisites: Allied Helipad, Allied Tech Center
- Queue: Aircraft
- Prerequisites: Radar Dome
- HIND
- Vehicles
- RANGER
General:- Passenger bound upgrades
The Ranger always was a support and not a combat vehicle. Other mods like SoScared's RAunplugged mod or MustaphaTR's RA2 mod already utilized passenger bound armaments. The RA Upgrades Mod takes a similar approach and replaces the Ranger's default machine gun with the Medic's/Mechanic's healing/repairing armament when both upgrade and passenger requirement is given.
- Jeep Medic Upgrade - Medics in Jeeps will heal infantry in nearby area.
- Cost: 1000 $
- Prerequisites: Warfactory
- Queue: Vehicle
- Jeep Mechanic Upgrade - Jeep Mechanic Upgrade
- Cost: 1000 $
- Prerequisites: Warfactory
- Queue: Vehicle
- Passenger bound upgrades
- MOBILE RADAR JAMMER
General:- Utilizing a forgotten unit
The MRJ's mobile cloak detection ability becomes more important due to Soviet's availability of cloaked MiGs. While it can detect cloaked MiGs in its default configuration, its upgrade will increase its detection range but only against the special cloak type cloaked air units use.
- Radar Jammer Air Detection Upgrade - Increases detection range vs cloaked air units.
The MRJ will detect cloaked air units in a range of 13c0, which equals the vision range of Longbow helicopters.- Cost: 1500 $
- Prerequisites: Warfactory, Allied Tech Center
- Queue: Vehicle
- Utilizing a forgotten unit
- RANGER
- Infantry
- ROCKET SOLDIER
General:- The allied anti air rocket soldier
Although Allies have superior static air defences, they lack mobile air defence which leads to a static and sometimes boring playstyle. With Soviets having their Hind back, Allies are in desperate need of enhanced mobile anti air capabilities. The rocket soldiers anti air upgrades counter Soviets air abilities and are intended to allow Allies a more dynamic playstyle beyond the range of their AA Gun, even without Longbow's anti air capabilities. Funfact: The primary weapon of RA's rocket soldier is its anti air rocket launcher and not its anti ground rocket launcher.
- Anti-Air Missile Range Upgrade Level 1 - Increases attack range of Anti-Air missiles by 1 cell.
- Cost: 1500 $
- Prerequisites: Barracks, Radar Dome
- Queue: Infantry
- Anti-Air Missile Range Upgrade Level 2 - Increases tracking range of Anti-Air missiles by 2 cells.
- Cost: 2000 $
- Prerequisites: Barracks, Allied Tech Center
- Queue: Infantry
- The allied anti air rocket soldier
- ROCKET SOLDIER
- Structures
- AA GUN
General:- Added cloak detection versus cloaked aircraft.
AA Guns will detect cloaked aircraft within a range of 6c0 which equals their range of vision. This only affects the special cloak type cloaked air units use and won't affect cloaked ground units. It was due to Soviets ability to get cloaked MiGs a necessary addition.
- Added cloak detection versus cloaked aircraft.
- AA GUN
- Aircraft
- Soviets
- Aircraft
- HIND
General:- The RA Upgrades Mod returns the Hind to Soviets, making it available for both Russia and Ukraine. If this mod evolves further, this might be changed in order to make factions more distinguishable in which case it would become an exclusive Russian asset. Upgrades for Hinds are branched, only one of two Upgrades can be produced. Once a Hind upgrade was produced, both upgrades will disappear from the production queue.
- Hind Armor Upgrade - Increases damage reduction by adding another layer of light armor.
Damage reduction is effectively increased by the percentage value of damage reduction versus light armor defined for each weapon.- Cost: 2000 $
- Prerequisites: Soviet Helipad, Soviet Tech Center
- Queue: Aircraft
- Hind Speed Upgrade - Increases Hind speed by 30%.
Longbows will still be faster than Hinds with upgraded speed.- Cost: 2000 $
- Prerequisites: Soviet Helipad, Soviet Tech Center
- Queue: Aircraft
- YAK
Upgrades:
- Yak Fire Rate Upgrade - Decreases reload delay of Yak machine guns.
This Upgrade will turn the Yak into a scary strafing attack plane and enable it to fire all ammunition in one strafing attack. Currently both Russia and Ukraine have access to Yaks and its upgrade but in case that this mod evolves further, this might be changed in order to make factions more distinguishable in which case it would become an exclusive Ukrainian asset.- Cost: 2500 $
- Prerequisites: Airfield, Soviet Tech Center
- Queue: Aircraft
- Yak Fire Rate Upgrade - Decreases reload delay of Yak machine guns.
- MiG
Upgrades:
- MiG Cloak Upgrade - Gives MiGs cloak ability.
The Cloak Upgrade fir MiGs will turn them once produced into ultimate map control units, providing Soviets with an answer to Allied GPS. Still fragile, it loses cloak while attacking or when severely damaged. Due to their very small cloak delay of 125 ticks, they are able to attack high value targets like artillery and evade unseen unless they are detected earlier by a mobile detection unit or static detection structures like AA guns or Samsites.- Cost: 3000 $
- Prerequisites: Airfield, Soviet Tech Center
- Queue: Aircraft
- MiG Detection Upgrade - Gives MiGs cloak detection ability.
MiGs with detection upgrade will detect cloaked units in an area of 7c512 cellsc and reveal generated shroud within their vision range. The upgrade is a viable counter to cloaked MiGs in the Soviet mirror match up as well as it is effective against Allied opponents that use Gapgenerators to hide their forces.- Cost: 2500 $
- Prerequisites: Airfield, Soviet Tech Center
- Queue: Aircraft
- MiG Cloak Upgrade - Gives MiGs cloak ability.
- HIND
- Vehicles
- FLAK TRUCK
General:- The alien gets removed.
The addition of the Flaktruck to the game was done to give Soviets a counter against Allied Hinds. Now that the Hind got returned where it belongs, the Flaktruck can retire - it has served us very well. The removal of Flaktrucks was necessary to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of both main factions. Considering how strong the Soviet airforce becomes in this mod, they are not allowed to have a mobile anti air cannon in their arsenal.
- The alien gets removed.
- MAMMOTH TANK
Upgrades:
- Due to the removal of Flaktrucks, Soviets lack a late game anti air unit that can provide some anti air support. Upgraded turret speed will make mammoth tanks a greater deterrent against the opponents airforce while it helps to make this actually strong unit a viable late game asset.
- Cost: 2000 $
- Prerequisites: Warfactory, Service Depot, Soviet Tech Center
- Queue: Vehicle
- Due to the removal of Flaktrucks, Soviets lack a late game anti air unit that can provide some anti air support. Upgraded turret speed will make mammoth tanks a greater deterrent against the opponents airforce while it helps to make this actually strong unit a viable late game asset.
- FLAK TRUCK
- Structures
- SAM SITE
General:- Added cloak detection versus cloaked aircraft.
AA Guns will detect cloaked aircraft within a range of 6c0 which equals their range of vision. This only affects the special cloak type cloaked air units use and won't affect cloaked ground units. It was due to Soviets ability to get cloaked MiGs a necessary addition.
- Added cloak detection versus cloaked aircraft.
- SAM SITE
- Aircraft
- All factions
- Infantry
- All Infantry
General:- Stimpacked Infantry without harmful secondary effects
To make the game even more dynamic both Allies and Soviets were given two leveled speed upgrades. These upgrades will definitely be very important and thus players have to decide at which point in the game they opt for a break in infantry production to produce these upgrades. It is intended that due to this decision the early and midgame becomes multifaceted while it also becomes easier to move blobs around the map which benefits a more dynamic playstyle.
- Infantry Speed Upgrade Level 1 - Increases infantry speed by 15%.
- Cost: 1500 $
- Prerequisites: Barracks
- Queue: Infantry
- Infantry Speed Upgrade Level 2 - Increases infantry speed by 30%.
At level 2, infantry is about as fast as a medium tank.- Cost: 2000 $
- Prerequisites: Barracks, Radar Dome
- Queue: Infantry
- Stimpacked Infantry without harmful secondary effects
- All Infantry
- Structures
- REFINERY
General:- Turning refineries into oil derricks
Many maps show the phenomena that in the end game, when assets become really expensive, players lack sufficient income. Although unit preservation becomes more important due to that, utilizing high tier tech units is very difficult. In conjunction with the expensive upgrades of this mod and its focus on specialized units, it seemed that there had to be a late game economy upgrade. Although it is only rarely tested, the refinery cash trickle upgrade with the given values seemed not to overperform but helped to keep up a steady income in late game. If this mod will evolve further this is definitely a subject that would get more attention as binding it to refineries is somewhat flawed. It could get bound to a new structure that only serves the purpose of providing a small amount of steady income.
- Refinery Cash Trickle Upgrade - Refineries provide income regardless of harvester dumps. Produces 10$ every 50 ticks.
- Cost: 2500 $
- Prerequisites: Refinery, Tech Center
- Queue: Building
- Turning refineries into oil derricks
- REFINERY
- Infantry