spooky! AR :: Halloween Update :: 31st October, 2013

[Apocalypse Rising Team]

Welcome to this long overdue update for Red Alert 2: Apocalypse Rising. The only project in the entire world that is dedicated to bringing you a Red Alert 2 shooter experience for the low, low price of free!

A Message from the Team

Hey everyone,

We'd like to apologise for the lack of updates this summer. When Tiberian Sun Reborn started to gain momentum earlier this year, our team decided to jump in and help out WallyWood to speed up the development process. Prominent AR developers such as dtrngd and danpaul88 were instrumental in preparing Reborn for release and are still very much involved with the project; but now that Reborn is released and you guys are playing it, the focus is shifting back to Apocalypse Rising again. Everyone who knows this community, knows that AR is the only BHP project that is yet to see a release. This is due to a number of factors such as staffing issues, high standards and bottlenecks in assets development (you guys can look at OWA and nod disapprovingly there).

We'd like to create a game that really resonates with our fans and fans of Red Alert 2. A game that you can load up and go "yes, this is Red Alert 2 as an FPS and it is visually (somewhat) and technically impressive." For many of this, this game is our baby and we're helping it to become something amazing. But we don't want to release anything that's unfinished or unpolished, since that would be a slap in the face to all of you that have supported us over the years.

However, we realise that you guys have been waiting a long time. So we'll be thinking of ways that we can accelerate the development of the game, whilst still retaining the quality that we pride ourselves on. Whether this be in the form of an open beta or a demo; we do not know yet. There's one thing that we can guarantee to you (the fans and followers) as a team; and that is that this game will definitely see the light of day and it will see a release that we can all be proud of as a community. We've all been disappointed by the news that C&C F2P has been canned, but because of that failure, it is our duty as members of the C&C modding community to pick up the torch and supply the demand for kick-ass C&C experiences.

Keep Commanding and Conquering guys!

- OWA and the Apocalypse Rising Dev team.

Red Alert 2: Ablogalpyse Writing

Alright comrades, now that the serious stuff is out of the way; grab your pickaxe and stock up on ammo because today's update is related to the Chrono Miner script and new weapons! We also have some pretty new content to show you! Also, happy Halloween everyone!

Chrono Miner Scripts

As you may know the Chrono Miner is fully working in game. The way a Chrono Miner works when driver by a player is really simple; you drive to the ore patch, harvest the ore, then once you are full of the precious metals, you press Q and boom! You are chronoshifting back to the refinery. Then you can unload the ore to process it into credits for your team and start the whole mining cycle again.

An interesting tactic that has become a bi-product of this vehicle's abilities, is the option to use it as a trojan horse of sorts. Chrono Miners can be used to draw the enemy fire, whilst Grizzly tanks hammer away at the base defences. Then, the miners can return to what they were doing previously; since they can simply chronoshift away from the battle and back to the safety of the Allied Ore Refinery.

To give you an example, here's a little video.

Fort Bradley

When we started developing Apocalypse Rising a few years ago, we asked around the community to see whether any of the similar (but dead) projects were able to give us their assets as a headstart. One of the projects we acquired was a Battlefield Vietnam mod called Verge of Armageddon; developed by DarkAngel (yes the very same) and Svensmokavich. A map that came with those assets was a reacreation of the opening mission of Red Alert 2; Lone Guardian. After acquiring a model of the Statue of Liberty from another dead project, dtrngd decided that it was time we had a map that could really sum up what Apocalypse Rising is trying to achieve; a Red Alert 2 FPS experience. What better way than to fill the skies of Manhattan with Kirov Airships and blow up the Statue of Liberty!

This map will feature a new game mode: Invasion. In this game mode, Allies will have a base, but Soviets will not. The Allies have to defend points around the city from an airborne Soviet invasion force.

What does this mean exactly? Well, it means that all Soviet forces are para-dropped into the battle and must then capture the points in the city in order to win the game. We envision this game mode to play out similarly to Battlefield's Conquest mode, but with a few unique Red Alert 2-esque twists!

Country Swing

BogdanV started making a new map. This map is based on the RA2 desert-based map, Country Swing. For those of you who don't know what the map looks like in RA2, here is an overview of it.

He has started on the map itself in 3ds max which is shaping up to be pretty good. The main point of contention will be the middle choke point of the map, but there will be also ways in which you can flank around to avoid it.

AWP Sniper Rifle

Romanov has been really cranking out the models lately and the AWP is no exception. This powerful Sniper Rifle is the British Sniper's best friend and it is highly effective against infantry units. Allies will get a 1 in 5 chance to wield this powerful weapon every round, as the country selection won't always land on Britain. However, if Britain is selected then Soviet infantry will definitely have to keep their eyes peeled for that guy who loves to camp; the British Sniper!

Javelin Launcher

When the Guardian G.I. deploys, he gets armed with this deadly rocket launcher weapon to turn Soviet armour battalions into scrap metal. Shiny!
There was a lot of debate over what the Guardian G.I.'s deployed weapon should be. First it was an AT-4, then it was an SMAW, but we've finally settled on the Javelin because of three key points.

-The Guardian G.I.'s deployed weapon is called "Javelin" in the RA2 ini files.
-In RA2, the weapon appears to be wire-guided, like the real-life Javelin.
-The weapon is able to take on both ground and air targets, just like the real-life Javelin.

Romanov has done another great job on this. I think we know who the team member of the month (or last few months even) is.

Robot Tank Artwork

Byamarro has whipped up some great concept for the Robot Tank. This picture gives a look into how the Robot Tank should appear once finished. This is complete with a little satellite on the back so it can communicate with the Robot Control Center.

Competition Time

So, we've been having a big think recently and have decided to deviate from Red Alert 2 just a tiny bit. Don't worry though! It's a move that is sure to make the game a lot more fun!

We want to add a new structure for each faction, but we need you (the community) to design it for us! If you can't make 3d models, then don't worry! You can still submit 2d drawings/images for your entry to the competition!

So what do we need you guys to design? Well, he's an explanation of what we're looking for.

One thing that we have observed through playing games of Renegade, APB and TSR is the fact that the gameplay slows down and becomes less enjoyable when ingame structures are lost. For example, losing your War Factory and Helipad on Ridgewar in APB after the first enemy rush can make it pretty hard to come back from; not to mention the fact that you have to walk everywhere due to the lack of vehicles.
Another example, although not as extreme, would be on TSR's Grand Canyon map. Losing a War Factory on that map can mean for some painfully long walks across the battlefield with little-to-no infantry cover.

So what do we intend to implement? The short answer is; a dedicated structure to provide reinforcement units that can be purchased at a higher price than normal once the War Factory or Barracks has been destroyed. It will function kind of like the Starport from the Dune RTS games. We call it the 'Reinforcement Bay'.

List of gameplay features:

• The reinforcement bay is an indestructible structure featured on all C&C-mode maps.
  
  
• Players can use it as a secondary War Factory queue at no extra cost whilst the War Factory is still functional.
  
  
• If the War Factory is destroyed, players will be able to continue buying basic vehicles from the Reinforcement Bay at an increased price.
  
  
• These vehicles will be air-dropped via parachute (a bit like the Nod Airstrip in Renegade).
  
  
• If the Barracks is destroyed, you can buy basic soldier kits from the Reinforcement Bay at an increased price.
  
  
• When the Refinery is destroyed, the Reinforcement Bay will begin producing credits every once in a while (Think of the USA Supply Drop Zone from Generals). The credits will be para-dropped in and give every member of the team a fixed amount; although it won't be as regular as a Refinery dump.
  
  
• The Reinforcement Bay will constantly spawn Supply Trucks (maximum of: 3), this will allow players access to transport even when they don't have any cash.

List of design requirements:

• A minimum of 1 room(s) is/are required to allow players to spawn at the Reinforcement Bay and purchase items.
  
  
• The Reinforcement Bay must have a Helipad/Drop Zone that is large enough for vehicles to land and drive off of.
  
  
• The Reinforcement Bay needs to have a garage that will allow Supply Trucks to spawn and drive out.
  
  

Basic Concept:

Here is a simple model that we threw together to show you guys the type of thing we are looking for (in case you wanted a visual idea). Notice the air pad, the supply truck garage and basic hut-type structure.

Competition Rules:

• You may enter as many times as you like! So if you want to do an Allied Reinforcement bay and a Soviet one, you can!
  
  
• Your entry must be emailed to bluehellproductions@gmail.com, PM'd to One Winged Angel or posted in the competition thread!
  
  
• This competition will close on the 1st of December! This gives you all one month to design your structure(s)!
  
  
• The winner will get their structure(s) modelled and put in-game as the official designs for the Reinforcement Bay!

A thread for this competition can be found here! Feel free to discuss your designs and ask any questions you may have about the competition in the thread!

Community Announcements!

So let's see what the team has been up to!

OWA has been meeting up with BHP community members (from left to right: TerrorTowers, TeamWolf, Kane000, OWA) at Comicon London!

dtrngd has been working on all manners of Level Edit, using all manners of SVN.

danpaul88 has been working on loads of new surprises for you all!

Romanov has been modelling and texturing like a boss!

TeamWolf has been working on Isle of War!

The rest of the team has been gearing back up to tackle some more AR work now that Reborn is out!


Also worth mentioning is the fact that we are running a RenAlert 9935 throwback event that kicks off on Monday next week! If you want to find out more, click on the picture below!

Finally, the community team extends their invitation to come and join a Halloween TeamSpeak and TinyChat event this evening at 10pm EST/2AM GMT! We'll all be dressing up and getting on camera in the name of Halloween (also so that Venom can add more pics to her collection of course )! So come join us on TeamSpeak at ts.bluehellproductions.com for frightening fun and spooky frolics!

The Random Corner!

Here's a few funny videos to laugh at before we sign off on this update! We like adding these to show you guys that we have a sense of humour.

Some Medieval Fun Times!

Some Space Marine Nerdiness

And finally! Don't forget to REMOVE GDI!

That's all folks!

We'll catch you next time for another Apocalypse Rising Update!

In the meantime, don't forget to enter our competition and attend the 9935 event next week! Lots of things to do next month, starting tomorrow!

If you guys have any questions about the competition or anything else mentioned in the blog, please don't hesitate to ask!

[madrox8]

such news

 

very read

 

quality high

 

wow

 

command and conquer

 

so BHP

 

wow

[Guest KevinLancaster]

such news

 

very read

 

quality high

 

wow

 

command and conquer

 

so BHP

 

wow

+1 Sums up my feelings.

 

Didn't Ransik want something like the Reinforcement Bay?

Edited October 31, 2013 by KevinLancaster

[Lavama]

Could we take a picture of a building made out of legos for the Reinforcement bay?

 

Because RA2 needs more Minecraft.

[OWA]

Could we take a picture of a building made out of legos for the Reinforcement bay?

 

Because RA2 needs more Minecraft.

 

Of course! Minecraft, Lego Digital Designer, pen drawings, claymation, 3d modelling. You may use anything you like!

[Lavama]

 

Could we take a picture of a building made out of legos for the Reinforcement bay?

 

Because RA2 needs more Minecraft.

 

Of course! Minecraft, Lego Digital Designer, pen drawings, claymation, 3d modelling. You may use anything you like!

 

Acorns, even?

 

I mean, seriously. I probably have enough stuff to do it out of games...

[OWA]

 

 

Could we take a picture of a building made out of legos for the Reinforcement bay?

 

Because RA2 needs more Minecraft.

 

Of course! Minecraft, Lego Digital Designer, pen drawings, claymation, 3d modelling. You may use anything you like!

 

Acorns, even?

 

I mean, seriously. I probably have enough stuff to do it out of games...

 

 

Sure why not!

[Lavama]

Right. I'll do the planning in Acorns, take pictures, post them, and then follow the blue prints for them with Legos, and post those here.

 

This'll be fun, if my ADD doesn't kick in and I remember the incredible popping sound acorns make when you twist your shoe on them.

Edited November 1, 2013 by Lavama

[Guest Airking]

WOOOOOOO! AR is slowy gaining momentum again it seems

[Guest namechanged]

The AWP? Snipe-whores soon in test?

[Guest SiminaI]

How to look video? Now I can't see on my iPad.

[danpaul88]

Get a proper tablet that lets you install a decent web browser with a flash plugin. Video works fine in Firefox for Android

[moonsense715]

Get a proper tablet that lets you install a decent web browser with a flash plugin. Video works fine in Firefox for Android

They don't work for me on PC Chrome, Warrior theme. Just a white window.

[danpaul88]

Also works on my PC in firefox and chrome Maybe youtube is down for your area?

[moonsense715]

Also works on my PC in firefox and chrome Maybe youtube is down for your area?

Your post fixed them all right now

[Wallywood]

Good stuff guys

[Guest Airking]

about the reinforcement bay, for the allies, would it double as AF command if any harriers are alive?

[OWA]

about the reinforcement bay, for the allies, would it double as AF command if any harriers are alive?

 

No it wouldn't. Any vehicles that are on the Reinforcement Bay's pad when a new unit is dropped will be destroyed to make way for the new unit.

 

However, Harriers will be able to use Tech Airports to refill their missiles.

[Guest Airking]

darn it, though it would be nice to use the pad as a refill then gives the player a warning a vehicle is incoming? in case the tech airport is destroyed/under soviet control

[moonsense715]

darn it, though it would be nice to use the pad as a refill then gives the player a warning a vehicle is incoming? in case the tech airport is destroyed/under soviet control

Any more than 4 Harriers on the allied team is overkill

[Guest Airking]

nuuuuu! flack D:

[Guest frostwyrm333]

I'm not an expert but Javelin is fire & forget, not wire guided, also I have never heard that it can't be used on aircraft. Doesnt't matter.

[Guest Airking]

what are the current planes, erm, plans, for transport aircraft (other than Nighthawk)

[OWA]

I'm not an expert but Javelin is fire & forget, not wire guided, also I have never heard that it can't be used on aircraft. Doesnt't matter.

You're actually right. I don't know how wire-guided got into that list. Maybe because the GGI missile has a long, wire-like trail that appears from the back of the rocket. The Javelin in real life can fire a missile 500ft into the air, which should be enough to hit a Kirov Airship.

 

what are the current planes, erm, plans, for transport aircraft (other than Nighthawk)

We're going to have C-130 cargo planes that the ai will use to drop things, but other than that the only air transport that is currently planned is the Nighthawk.

[Guest Airking]

aww, people cant fly it? D:

 

would be nice to be able to paradrop a squad of players flying the plane X3

Edited November 7, 2013 by Airking

[OWA]

aww, people cant fly it? D:

 

would be nice to be able to paradrop a squad of players flying the plane X3

 

Flying the plane wouldn't really add anything useful to the gameplay to be honest.

[Guest Airking]

it would be fun

[Guest Iraq]

I must ask, will the War Miner be able to solo tanks?

[Eternity 6]

I must ask, will the War Miner be able to solo tanks?

Can it get vetrancy ?

[danpaul88]

Yes and yes... with a bit of skill. Generally a Grizzly will > a rookie war miner, but an elite war miner is a far more potent threat. And yes, the AI miners also get promotions if too many enemy infantry throw themselves to their deaths on its machine gun...