Ice

Just use the Iron Curtain! (But in all seriousness, I'm not sure how Cruiser fire would be balanced apart from a disarm-able flare. Maybe just give both sides the Badger strike initially?)

I suppose they wouldn't be disarm-able like nuke flares Instead the plane could potentially be shot down.

Airstrikes would be awesome on some maps. I would think that a Badger strike (parabombs?) would at least be feasible to add, considering that certain missions in Renegade (and even a couple of APB fan maps) had stuff being paradropped (weapons, people, etc.) on several occasions. On that same note, we could even add a paratroopers ability which drops 5 rifleman bots on the designated location. Of course, for balance reasons, the Allies would need access to these abilities too, or have some kind of equivalent ability (off-map cruiser/arty shelling in place of airstrike?) I like this idea.

Yeah, all those vehicles that both teams get access to. What a shame. Lol true eh

There was one other minor visual issue I forgot to mention yesterday; I'd recommend lowering the Service Depots (in the bases) so the slope/edge is flush with the ground, just so it doesn't look like vehicles have to climb over a curb to get on there.

The map is awesome! Although there is a slight visual issue with the Advanced Naval Yard; One of the stair-sets comes up through the upper floor slightly, resulting in a pair of 'spikes' at the top. Also I'd recommend capitalizing the map's name to bring it in-line with the other maps (plus it just looks nicer on the list IMO); RA_HostileWaters instead of ra_hostilewaters

Exactly. It's obvious that each country would have its own distinctive equipment (For example, France might use AMX-13 light tanks while Britain could use their Cromwell tanks in a similar role), but for all intents and purposes this can't be practically shown in-game, although the country bonuses in Skirmish Mode could very well be a hint at this (Germany having better firepower, Britain having better armour, Russia having lower costs, etc.). (Also I just noticed that I accidentally replied to the same quote twice in my last post lol. Oh well, guess that's what happens when you're multitasking )

While there is, ineed, no real clear answer to this question, I believe that the technology shown in the cutscenes and the game itself indicates that the world in RA was quite more advanced compared to our own at the time. Things that can be seen are: the usage of sattelites, ICM missiles, advanced ballistic targeting equipment (shown in many cruiser cutscenes), heat seeking missiles (migs, sams, rocket soldiers), colour television, graphical animations used in control rooms, and much more. Alongside plenty of old technologies commonly seen in the cutscenes, like piston-engine planes, grainy black-and-white photography, etc. While there is, ineed, no real clear answer to this question, I believe that the technology shown in the cutscenes and the game itself indicates that the world in RA was quite more advanced compared to our own at the time. Things that can be seen are: the usage of sattelites, ICM missiles, advanced ballistic targeting equipment (shown in many cruiser cutscenes), heat seeking missiles (migs, sams, rocket soldiers), colour television, graphical animations used in control rooms, and much more. This is, of Alongside plenty of old tech, including grainy black-and-white photography and piston-engine planes. If you meant to say that the Great World War II is Red Alert, then ehm.. Yeah. Let me put it this way, I myself prefer the RA > TD connection in terms of overal timeline. However, the official lore dictates that Red Alert and TD aren't connected. It was intended at first, then retconned, re-introduced again with lore for the canceled Renegade 2 and Tiberian Incursion and then, yet again, retconned from existence. This way, I think that we could say that TD tech followed our own timeline much, much, closer than the RA one did. Personally I follow the old lore of RA being the prequel to TD, with RA2 being a separate off-shoot resulting from a change in the series of events during or following RA. This being the case, we're naturally going to disagree on a lot of things. I don't think that the RA war and its development of tech can really be compared to that of World War 2. World War 2 was basically a race in firepower and interception, with that came the additional development of protection, and of course, the development of total war logistics. It was a war like World War I where the old ideas and strategies made way for new, modern, warfare.Red Alert's Great World War II already has most of its advanced tech right from the start, heat seeking missiles, jet planes, advanced ballistic targeting devices, potentially sattelites, etc. Even if a lot of advanced technologies appeared early in the conflict, it's logical to assume that these were early versions and/or prototypes, and that these would be further developed over the course of the war. Take heat-seeking missiles for example; In all likelihood, their capabilities were probably very limited at the start due to being an immature technology, but were steadily improved over time and were much more effective by the end of the war, but due to the simplicity of early C&C games (no upgrade system yet), this was too impractical to show in-game unless you want a cluttered sidebar. The same goes for all aspects of technology, like tanks (late-war heavy tanks being better-armed and armoured than their early-war versions, etc.), but again, this would have been impractical to show in-game due to simplistic gameplay. Also the only jet plane seen at the start is the Tu-16 Badger, which in our timeline first flew in 1952, a difference of only a couple years at most; easily achievable even if RA's tech was only slightly more advanced than ours at the time. MiG's on the other hand weren't seen in the Soviet campaign until later missions, implying that such technology was not available at the start.

Try Mid-Cold war tech vs Gulfwar tech and you'll be a lot closer. Perhaps even late-cold war tech if the RA cutscenes are any indication. Considering that most things in RA were developed under completely different circumstances than they were in our timeline (and as such, would probably have many differences which might not be readily visible), there's really no clear answer to this question (Of course, the same could be said for TD tech, which would be greatly influenced by the aftermath of GWWII and could very well have followed a completely different path than the real-world counterparts). RA tech in general seems to be all over the place, with WWII-era piston-engine planes fighting on (or rather, above ) the same battlefields as third-generation jet aircraft (although these only appeared later in the war), never mind all the wacky prototypical technologies seen in-game. Then again, this could be seen as merely a more extreme version of what happened with real WWII tech, which was also all over the place and saw many rapid, revolutionary and often unprecedented changes in technology and tactics, such as the transition from WW1-era bolt-action rifles to the first assault rifles, or piston-engine biplanes to monoplanes and the first helicopters, and finally jets, or tanks going from relatively small machines with little more than machine guns and small-caliber cannons to 60-ton monsters with thick armour and large-caliber cannons, all in a relatively short period of time. In any case, nothing changes the fact that RA1 and TD are 40+ years apart, and that, like our own timeline, there would be an incredible amount of scientific and technological advancement over that period of time, a lot of which would hardly even be conceivable to people back in RA's time.

Indeed. Although it's likely that, realizing the threat of Stealth Tanks, GDI quickly prioritized the equipping of their base defenses with advanced sensors so that, by the end of the war, the majority of guard towers would have them installed in some form or another. That's fair. Probably later on. When Stealth Tanks were first deployed, I'd imagine someone walking past one would be thinking "What the hell was that?" rather than "Probably a Nod stealth tank. Imma shoot it to be sure!" Then again, I think most Stealth Tank drivers would be smart enough to avoid getting that close to infantry. Yeah. As shown in cutscenes, a stealth tank would appear to the naked eye as a barely-visible blob of distortion, similar to the wavy distortions seen on hot days. Of course, you'd need a keen eye to really notice these without knowledge of Stealth Tanks beforehand, but it still explains how infantry detected them in-game. Plus anyone who's a fan of science fiction would probably automatically be suspicious upon noticing a strange anomaly like that.

Indeed. Although it's likely that, realizing the threat of Stealth Tanks, GDI quickly prioritized the equipping of their base defenses with advanced sensors so that, by the end of the war, the majority of guard towers would have them installed in some form or another. Given GDI's initial budget and the sheer amount of resources they have access to (not to mention a supposedly far more efficient command structure than any present-day military), it's possible that such an initiative may have already been well underway.

Except for the mechs. Literally all you'd have to do would be to run into them. Also, I'd like to point out that many of the weapons in RA were just "downgraded" variants of TD stuff (most of the time). Nod used the M16A2 and the M2 Bradley, which wouldn't really be able to do much damage to the RA era light tank (which could be a number of things, my bet is the M24). The M2 would have the armor advantage, sure, but the M24 has a 75mm cannon, compared to the Bradley's 25mm autocannon (Tbh, the M2 always felt the wrong choice for Nod, something more like the FV101 would have been a better choice for the role). The Heavy Tank would have been able to stand against GDI's Medium Tank, and the Phase Tank has the firepower advantage over the Ezekiel's Wheel. The M110 artillery was used by both the Allies and Nod. The hind is a flying tank with an arsenal big enough to take down an orca and an apache. Not only that, but the only naval asset we ever see GDI use is the Gunboat and the Carrier, both of which would be easy prey for subs. Now, the M270 MRLS would be able to ruin multiple V2's at a time (8x230mm Rockets vs 1xTactical Ballistic Missile). There's only 40ish years between Red Alert and Tiberian Dawn, and while a lot can change, it's also been 40 years since vietnam, and the US is just now trying to get rid of it's M113's and is finally getting around to replacing the M4 (orginally the CAR15). The M110 howitzer is still in use, and even the M14 see's limited use as a marksman/sniper rifle. Please see the M16, which has been the same basic weapon since it's inception during the vietnam war. Nod uses a custom variant of the Bradley with a 75mm cannon (and the real-life Bradley has TOW missiles to fight tanks), while the real-life M16 has gone through many changes to improve its reliability and user-friendliness. Now, as for RA vs TD stuff, there would be a huge number of differences and technological advances in the time between RA and TD. The closest comparison in our timeline would probably be the weapon systems of the Korean War vs. those of the Gulf War or perhaps the Iraq War. The technological advances during 45-ish years between RA and TD would be immense. Let's do some comparisons: Infantry: Apart from the exploitation of new technologies (and perhaps a few updates to the 'rules of war'), the basic tactics of infantry would probably not have changed much. That being said, advances in technology (particularly communications/navigation equipment) would theoretically allow GDI and Nod forces to be better-coordinated and conduct operations more efficiently. Advances in personal body armour would afford Kevlar-equipped TD infantry better protection than their RA counterparts, who were typically just wearing WWII-era steel helmets. At best a few specialized troops might have armour similar to the heavy steel chest-pieces used during WWI and WWII. Improved camouflage patterns could give TD infantry an edge over their RA counterparts who were largely clad in solid-colour uniforms (olive drab, field grey, khaki, etc.), although the extent of the advantage provided is debatable. Tanks: RA tanks were most likely using rolled homogeneous armour, while TD tanks would have composite armour. Tanks rounds would vary considerably between the two wars, since RA tanks would almost certainly be loaded with AP and HE rounds not unlike those used during our WWII. At best they might have HEAT rounds or maybe early versions of HESH in small quantities, while TD tanks would be equipped with a variety of specialized tank-killing rounds like APFSDS. The high-tech fire-control systems of TD-era tanks would be far superior to anything available in RA, which would be mostly if not entirely analog/manual. This would enable TD tanks to get their first shots off before the RA tanks have even laid onto their targets. Aircraft: Aside from the fact that the propeller planes (Yak) used during RA would have no chance against a modern jet fighter, the massive advances in aircraft design, avionics and weapon systems over 4 decades would mean that even the Soviet MiG's would be utterly inadequate against the high-tech aircraft of GDI and Nod. Given the right conditions, even an Orca or Apache equipped with modern countermeasures and AA missiles could probably take down a MiG-23 with ease. Allied and Soviet helicopters of the period would stand very little chance against Nod's modernized Apache, and the sheer maneuverability of GDI's Orca would enable it to literally run circles around the old Longbows and Hinds before promptly shooting them out of the sky. Space Assets: Even without their Ion Cannon, GDI would still have an overwhelming advantage in communications and reconnaissance capabilities thanks to their large network of high-tech satellites, compared to the limited capabilities of the very few prototype satellites that were launched in RA (those that didn't suffer failures during launch/orbit, that is). Stealth Technology: Nod's developments in stealth technology would give them a tremendous advantage, allowing them to ambush enemy forces with ease and hide their forces from Allied/Soviet reconnaissance efforts. Since the Stealth Tank is high-undetectable to all but GDI's most advanced sensors, it's pretty safe to assume that it would be totally undetectable to the relatively primitive sensory equipment available during GWWII. Even the Phase Transport/Tank, which only reached the prototype stages during the war, would be totally outclassed by the Stealth Tank. Ironically, the Stealth Tank, being a very advanced weapon system, is itself probably equipped with advanced sensors and could very well be employed to hunt Phase Tanks.

^ Indeed. It's pretty safe to say that anything from RA1 would generally fare very poorly against its equivalent from Tib Dawn, and would be little more than practice targets for the weapon systems of Tib Sun.

^ Realistically, a fight between a Soviet Mammoth and a GDI Mammoth might as well be this, since it'd be like putting an old Pershing tank against an M1A2 Abrams

I don't favour it either, hence the 'maybe'. Although naval transports would have no problem carrying one (as demonstrated in the cutscene showing the LST carrying multiple tanks at once). Still, ideally they'd simply drive in from off-map, but if that somehow proves to be impractical or not doable on certain maps, then Chinooks and Naval Transports could be a backup method of implementation. In any case though, even being airdropped would make more sense than somehow being able to build them without the necessary heavy equipment of a working factory.

If Supply Trucks and Ore Trucks were purchasable after factory destruction, they should drive in from off-map or maybe be brought in by Chinook or Naval Transport (on maps where appropriate); The factory itself, being destroyed, should be totally non-functional.

Although I kinda disagree with a few design aspects of the new MCT's texture, I've actually come to prefer many aspects of it over my own version. I particularly like the glass being added over the tape banks, which is something I wanted to do originally but wasn't able to at the time.

That seriously looks amazing Awesome work!

While this is plausible, personally I'd do some minor modifications to the model to make it resemble early versions of the MP5, such as straightening the magazine and texturing some vents onto the handguard: These modifications are easily done and would distinguish it from AR's MP5, as well as making it more appropriate for the time period and showing visible developments in the years between RA/APB and RA2/AR.

Rangers and arty could definitely use a nice weathered-looking whitewash scheme for snow maps, although their current ambiguously brown paint-jobs kinda make dedicated forest/desert camo a little redundant for them.

I like it too, but if the Redeye/Strela actually has longer range than a Destroyer or Missile Sub, then this could be a problem. All that should be needed though is giving them the same range, just so a $300 weapon doesn't render a $1500 warship essentially useless.

Already on my to-do list

Fair point. Still, if I could pick any SMG for the medic, it'd probably be the Walther MPL; A rather unique and little-known weapon which is slightly older than the MP5, yet not an overused WWII weapon either, and still being quite fitting for RA/APB. Plus IMO it looks pretty cool.

The point of allowing basic infantry after destruction of the barracks was to alleviate the issue of a team becoming completely helpless and open to killwhoring once their barracks and war factory go down. It gives the team something to fight back with while still punishing them for letting the building die (no more engies or commandos or advanced infantry). If the Soviet team in that case was camping their sub pen and killing all the Allied ships, the Allies could have switched tactics and attacked with tanks or other means.

Giving the medic a submachine gun is an interesting choice, we'll have to see how it plays out. However, an MP5 doesn't really seem like the best choice for APB, especially since it already will feature prominently in AR. IMO it would be better to have a Sterling or something similarly vintage (if someone were to model it, that is). Personally, I think that the MP5 is a good choice, but I'd prefer the MP5A2 or the MP5F...maybe even the original HK54. Also, due to the ROF on the silenced baretta, I feel like that could be changed to an MP5SD with a shortened clip. Essentially, the medic needs a fixed buttstock. Personally I'd much rather see a Sterling or MAT-49, or an MP34 or MP40, but that's just me.