Blog 93 (06/08/08)

[OWA]

Welcome to this week's blog! Look below for the usuals.

 

Apocalypse Rising Alpha 6 (Patch 1)

So yeah, a new alpha build was released to the testers recently and they have been having fun testing it out and bug hunting. The new flak track has been added into the fray and I must say, it has now become my new favourite unit. It moves at a lighting pace and is perhaps too effective at gunning down rocketeers. We may reduce it's effectiveness to balance it out since it is pretty overpowered as it stands, but we'll see once the new rocketeer scripts are in place. I should have a video out for you guys to watch later on.

 

Here is the changelist for this latest build. (danpaul88 had a hotfix out within the hour).

 

Alpha 6 changelog

Game Changes

• Fixed right click crash while deploying in IFV (Had no secondary ammo type defined on the Weapon_IFV_None preset)
  
• Increased effectiveness of the LowCalibreBullet and HighCalibreBullet warheads against medium vehicle armour by 20% and against heavy vehicle armour by 40%
  
• Increased velocity of Pillbox bullets from 220 to 340
  
• Added hud icon for PPSH-41
  
• Reduced pillbox health/armour from 250/200 to 150/100
  
• Added new camera entry for Soviet Rhino Tank
  
• New Dune Patrol terrain from dtrngd
  
• Light Solved Iceland_AI
  
• Grizzly damage increased from 65 to 80 at rookie level (Compared to Rhino (90) and Apoc(100))
  
• Modified main battle tank veterancy reload times to 90% (veteran) and 75%(elite)
  
• Added weapon upgrades for Tesla Trooper veteran and elite weapons
  
• Added elite regeneration for Rhino and Grizzly tanks
  
• Reduced weight of Rhino Tank from 4200 to 3400 to increase it's speed and handling
  
• Set number of seats in IFV, Grizzly Tank and Mirage Tank to 1 (from 2)
  
• Adjusted position of purchase terminals in PP basement so they don't block the ramp above them.
  
• Decreased range of GI SMG to 80 (from 100), increased effective range to 30 (from 15), reduced spray angle to 0.9 (from 1.1)
  
• Setup correct promotion effects for GI SMG
  
• Decreased range of PPSh-41 to 90 (from 100), increased effective range to 30 (from 15), reduced spray angle to 1.4 (from 1.6)
  
• Setup correct promotion effects for PPSh-41
  
• Increased range of MP5 to 110 (from 100), increased effective range to 50 (from 15), reduced spray angle to 0.5 (from 1.0)
  
• Setup correct promotion effects for MP5
  
• Reduced camera shake intensity of IFV rockets from 0.1 to 0.050, shake radius from 16m (?!?) to 8m and duration from 2 seconds to 0.8 seconds
  
• Adjusted position of PPSh-41 in Level Edit to be lower down and slightly further forwards to prevent it clipping all the time when your running
  
• Toned down the firing animation for the PPSh-41 to make it less violent
  
• Setup correct promotion effects for War Miner
  
• Setup unit purchase, damaged and killed sounds for GI, SEAL, Conscript and Tesla Trooper
  
• Added new Flak Track
  
• Reduced Grizzly health/armour to 350/350 from 380/380
  
• Reduced Apoc health to 620/620 from 750/750
  
• Adjusted shell warhead damage against Heavy Vehicles from 0.5 to 0.55, medium and light vehicles remain at 0.6.
  
• Made flak warhead more effective against medium (0.6 from 0.5) and heavy (0.350 from 0.250) vehicles.
  
• Added gravity, spray and combined gravity and spray versions of the Grizzly and Rhino tanks, to test which combination, if any, works best.
  
• Misc. other changes I forgot to add to the list when I did them, such as IFV physics changes
  

Script Changes

• Updated scripts.dll to use Set_Animation instead of Set_Animation_Frame for IFV deployment animation, which seems to actually work on the FDS.
  
• Updated IFV scripts to remove deploy delay timer
  
• Fixed some minor bugs in the Veterancy code that affected promotions to elite level on infantry
  
• Updated veterancy data keyhook to check the keyhook is being used by a valid player ID
  
• Updated veterancy data keyhook to use translated preset name instead of preset name
  
• Added BlackIntel's bluehell fix to the AR scripts.dll. All credit for this goes to Stealtheye and the BlackIntel team. Additional thanks to Stealtheye for the permission to use this.
  
• **FDS ONLY** Added BlackIntel's points fix to the AR FDS scripts.dll. All credit for this goes to Stealtheye and the BlackIntel team. Additional thanks to Stealtheye for the permission to use this.
  
• Added script dp88_unitSounds
  

Misc. Changes

• Added EA / BHP intro movie
  
• Renamed spawn character presets to CnC_Allied_SpawnChar and CnC_Soviet_SpawnChar and hex edited game.exe to use these as the team starting presets (For aesthetic purposes only)
  
• Updated bandtest.dll and binkw32.dll with equivalent files from APB (includes fix for disabling hud text and for using the BHP bink video format properly)
  
• Changed team icons to Allied and Soviet icons in hud_main.dds, hud_c&c_sovlogo.dds and hud_c&c_alllogo.dds
  
• Stripped lots of redundant strings out of strings.tbd, cutting its size by over 1.5mb
  

Alpha 6 Patch 1

Game Changes

• Changed IFV engine torque from 1150 to 6000 and adjusted gear ratios
  
• Changed Rhino Tank engine torque from 8000 to 8500
  
• Reduced Tesla Trooper health/armour from 180/120 to 140/100
  
• Increased aero drag on flak track from 60 to 100, reduced turn torque scale from 0.6 to 0.5, increased mass from 2200 to 2600 and increased engine speed from 11000 to 13000 (to compensate for higher mass)
  
• Adjusted pillbox health from 150 to 120. Armour remains at 100.
  

Script Changes

• Prevented ability to gain veterancy points by shooting yourself
  
• Modified unitSounds script to not play damaged sounds if you damage yourself, or are damaged by something other than another unit, such as falling damage.
  

Alpha 6 Images

Here are some pretty pictures taken by our testers during the playtest of AR Alpha 6. We have the new Flak Track in action as well as a few other changes as stated above. Enjoy!

 

 

MP5 has been completed!

TheBeerinator has completed the MP5 texture. This will be rigged up as soon as the new hands are completed! This should mark a major milestone in AR's development!

 

Check out the finished weapon below!

 

 

Team Messages

I'm not at home right now since I am at a friend's. But still the blog goes on because I am too dedicated. cfehunter is sitting to my left at this current time of writing, so yeah this is really a leaders blog!

 

I also found out that I'm good at Rock Band (singing ).

 

dtrngd has been working on his map, Freezing Straits! Here is a WIP image!

 

Chronojam and Venompawz both commented on the latest build of Apocalypse Rising with a high opinion of the overall direction of the mod. Thanks guys!

 

OWA's Random Section

 

GO GO PARODY RANGERS 3

 

Check out:

Episode 1

Episode 2

 

Finish!

Congratulations, you beat the lap record!

[BattleLaf]

This blarg makes me wish I weren't too busy this summer to test.

[Guest Major552]

Wow cant wait to try out the new MP5!

 

 

 

[Guest Red Ace]

That is one sick MP5 you guys got there.

[Guest Herr General]

That was an epic blogzorz.

 

Nice work.

[Wallywood]

nice lot of detail this blog ...very cool ...keep up the great work

[Guest killertomato]

The MP-5 is looking quite nice, as are the vehicles.

[drunkill]

That's a damn awesome MP5, great work Ric and Beerinator.

 

Alpha6 is pretty sweet looking as well. I need to re-install AR

[Guest theta123]

whwoho, and i may be getting a new PC next week, so when AR is finnaly released, i can play it in full glory

 

(please before april 2009 AR staff )

 

 

Nice blarg!I love the camo's and the MP5 ofcourse

Edited August 7, 2008 by theta123

[Guest Tesla066]

Added BlackIntel's bluehell fix to the AR scripts.dll. All credit for this goes to Stealtheye and the BlackIntel team. Additional thanks to Stealtheye for the permission to use this.

 

The MP5 looks really great now!

[Guest GummiBear]

that MP5 is kick-ass can't wait to own some soviets with that

On that map Freezing Straits, is that two of each production structures I see? or is it just placeholder for something else?

[Guest Trevelian]

I can't wait to dive into the beutiful world of AR!

[OWA]

On that map Freezing Straits, is that two of each production structures I see? or is it just placeholder for something else?

Just a placeholder.

[Guest Rufrky]

I love it, The V3, The Rhino. All of it. It looks awesome.

I cant wait to see some more pics like this for the Allies.

 

I hope to see the Howitzer, hind, and some of the other vechs that where in the original too.

[Guest Cyberslas]

Everything looks amazing!

It makes me wish I could be a tester!

[TeamWolf]

The latest Alpha is just pure win.

 

I love that MP5!!!!

 

Another great blog guys!

[Guest Stradian]

I love that mp5!

Edited August 7, 2008 by Stradian

[Guest commander_crazy]

I watched all the parody rangers not long ago, brought back memory's of how fucked up power rangers was.

[Guest SARG]

How do you become a beta tester?

 

i'd love to do that!!!

 

 

WOW Speechless!!!!

[Guest m5mat]

It looks amazing! At this rate, your beta will be the final version, it won't need anymore testing!

[Guest kukiric]

Sounds like fun. But I bet that, with the player and teamwork we have on our APB community, and possibly AR's, V3 escorts will be rare...

Well, this is better each week, the MP5 is very good. Keep the smooth progress up, guys!

[Guest Zarconium]

That MP5s gonna take out those poor commies one conscript at at time

[Guest Stormweaver]

Sounds like fun. But I bet that, with the player and teamwork we have on our APB community, and possibly AR's, V3 escorts will be rare...

Well, this is better each week, the MP5 is very good. Keep the smooth progress up, guys!

that's probably true, but with the number of aerial units in the first release (rocketeer, nighthawk, V3 missile) bases are pretty much always going to have AA placements, so V3s will most likely only be rolled out once the Soviets have struck the base properly and V3s can get there safely.

 

can't wait for the rocketeers though...i can't see me using any other unit >.<

[moonsense715]

can't wait for the rocketeers though...i can't see me using any other unit >.<

Hehe, believe me, you will, since Flak Tracks will kill your Rocketeer quite quickly

[Guest Stormweaver]

Hehe, believe me, you will, since Flak Tracks will kill your Rocketeer quite quickly

 

You've seen me ingame in APB, since when is it unlike me to charge an enemy much in the same way lemmings jump off a cliff?

 

I would love to be part of the team that tests AR, RA2 was my favourite game of the seres (so far...a favourite between 2 things isn't exactly a big deal) as I'd know a little more of the details of the units and then could plan my hopes and dreams of this game in a more constructive way, but suffice to say I remember from the game rocketeers were as fast, if not faster than flak tracks. While the epic lol range of the flak track's AA fire can't be denied, I assume that the maps we're going to be having fun on will have terrain, yes?

 

Hill > Flak (unless they're not, but I think i'm correcting in thinking a natural behemoth of stone and dirt can block a few balls of explosives)

 

It will very much be a hide and seek unit, possibly a new opening for my many guises as that annoying twat who sneaks into your base and steals things

 

While on the subject (which I am) I'd like to ask a little about IFVs. For example, what are the full modesets these things will have? so far i think we all realise the:

 

empty - Anti infantry missiles of doom

Engi - repair crane thingy of doom

GI - Machine gun of doom

GGI - Anti tank missiles of doom

SEAL (?) - Epic machine gun of doom

Crazy Ivan - Giant knife Mini demotruck of doom

 

but as for the other untold combinations...

 

the rocketeer: Grenade launching chaingun of doom?

conscript: same as GI, or will it have something different? (sprayshot lol?)

Tesla trooper: a mini tesla tank, or a huge tesla trooper?

Flak trooper: same again, flak track or large flack trooper?

 

And the one we all want to know

 

Techy: Giant blowtorch? pistol on wheels?

 

^ Now if i was a tester, I wouldn't spam with these questions >.<

 

ooh, forgot one: Will they have secondary fires of doom

 

 

 

I love the work going into this, It really does look like the corny but oh so lovable world of RA2 put into an FPS, just keep us updated with the funny nuances that it deserves

 

to get the ball rolling on that one like i already havn't said enough please say that you're keeping the idea of the tesla trooper's punch with teh electro glove? how cool would it be to see two or three of them mauling a MCT

 

Rawr. I could keep going with every thing going through my head right now, but for a full list you'll have to PM me.

 

Keep up the good work

[OWA]

Hill > Flak (unless they're not, but I think i'm correcting in thinking a natural behemoth of stone and dirt can block a few balls of explosives)

 

It will very much be a hide and seek unit, possibly a new opening for my many guises as that annoying twat who sneaks into your base and steals things

The Flak Track is as fast as, if not faster than the Rocketeer, so it's a fairly deadly piece of kit.

 

While on the subject (which I am) I'd like to ask a little about IFVs. For example, what are the full modesets these things will have? so far i think we all realise the:

 

empty - Anti infantry missiles of doom

Engi - repair crane thingy of doom

GI - Machine gun of doom

GGI - Anti tank missiles of doom

SEAL (?) - Epic machine gun of doom

Crazy Ivan - Giant knife Mini demotruck of doom

 

but as for the other untold combinations...

 

the rocketeer: Grenade launching chaingun of doom?

conscript: same as GI, or will it have something different? (sprayshot lol?)

Tesla trooper: a mini tesla tank, or a huge tesla trooper?

Flak trooper: same again, flak track or large flack trooper?

The Engineer's repair crane will also be able to repair buildings.

Instead of the classic Demo bomb for Ivan, we could give him a bomb throwing IFV, making him especially deadly.

 

In RA2, the rocketeer couldn't enter IFV's, but we'll see what we can do.

The Conscript will probably ge this own flavour of machine gun, yeah.

Whether we make new turret graphics for each infantry is a decision to be made in the future. The Tesla Trooper IFV will have a dome, hinting at the tesla tank from Red Alert.

 

And the one we all want to know

 

Techy: Giant blowtorch? pistol on wheels?

The techy won't have any transformation form since he is effectively the weakest infantry unit in the game.

 

ooh, forgot one: Will they have secondary fires of doom

I love the work going into this, It really does look like the corny but oh so lovable world of RA2 put into an FPS, just keep us updated with the funny nuances that it deserves

Secondary firing modes will feature on most of the weapons. The Seal's secondary fire will be pretty nice to use when we get it setup, since it's a semi auto shot that will be fired as fast as you can click.

 

to get the ball rolling on that one like i already havn't said enough please say that you're keeping the idea of the tesla trooper's punch with teh electro glove? how cool would it be to see two or three of them mauling a MCT

Yeah, that's staying. But you won;t see him hitting the MCT, because we don;t have MCT's in AR.

[Guest SARG]

So i can't tes i don't care but it's still cool!!!!!!!

 

 

OH YEA!!!!!!!!!!!! (Kramer)

[Guest Red Ace]

Yeah, that's staying. But you won;t see him hitting the MCT, because we don;t have MCT's in AR.

 

Mmmm I wonder what will be the replacement now....control room maybe?

[Guest Kakashi]

"Weakspots" are the replacements. Those are points scattered around the building where attacking is more effective, i.e. a generator or something like that.

[Guest Glaedr]

 

Mmmm I wonder what will be the replacement now....control room maybe?

Kakashi is correct. For example (refering to an earlier blog) the Airforce Command HQ will have two weakspots, a computer in the basement and lots of equipment in the tower. If the basement computer is destroyed, the building is disabled until an engineer repairs it. If the tower equipment is destroyed, the building is dead.