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May 2005 |
| Moo's Mumblings 6: Stolen Technology Infantry | | - MooMan65 | May 20, 2005 | Wow! It sure has been some time since I last did a mumbling! This is way overdue too!
I have been thinking about the Stolen Technology aspect of the game for YR˛ since around the beginning of development, but I've never really gotten into it due to other sections of the mod having taken priority until now. I want Beta 2 to feature a greatly enhanced Stolen Technology system, and before I finish it I want to do this so I can get feedback from you people early.
Now... Stolen Tech Units. The theory behind this in Red Alert 2 was "combining the technology of the victim with our chosen infantry". Back then there were only two sides so only four result infantry were possible. Three of these were: Chrono Commando (Navy SEAL Infantry + Chrono Technology), Chrono Ivan (Crazy Ivan Infantry + Chrono Technology) and Yuri Prime (Yuri Infantry + Mind Control Technology). As the Soviet -> Soviet combination was the only illustration of the side's chosen infantry already having the technology that you can gain, they designed an overall improvement version of the infantry instead. You may be wondering why I left the Psi Commando out. Well, that was an infantry unit that didn't correspond to the theory above. If we went by the theory, as an Allied -> Soviet combo, it should be been the Navy SEAL Infantry + Mind Control Technology which meant the infantry unit should have been based on the Navy SEAL. However it was based on Yuri (in the form Yuri Infantry + C4 Technology) instead which technically made it a Soviet -> Allied combination. But of course that was already taken by the Chrono Ivan.
Then, along came Yuri's Revenge and turned the whole process to custard! Instead of having the nine possible infantry combinations you could receive with the addition of a third side, EA removed Yuri Prime (as that became the basis for Yuri's hero unit) and simply made it Everyone -> Allies/Soviet/Yuri gaining the Chrono Commando, Chrono Ivan and Psi Commando respectively. How, might I ask, can a Yuri -> Soviet combo net you a technology that neither side has (Chrono) and an infantry not even used by Yuri (Crazy Ivan) to form the Chrono Ivan? Even in the context of a rather unrealistic game that seems rediculous!
Well of course I will not let that stand for YR˛! As part of improving the flavour and fixing the hiccups and incomplete functionality of the original game, I have adopted the Red Alert 2 policy to give you the nine combinations that Yuri's Revenge should have done! To keep things simple and consistent I will allocate only a single infantry and a single technology to each side. Red Alert 2 did not do this as you can see with the Soviet's offering both Crazy Ivan and Yuri. Since Yuri moved to the Yuri side in Yuri's Revenge, this leaves each side with a single offering. An overview of all three infantry types follow:
Navy SEAL: Like before, the Allied base infantry remains as the SEAL. If you read up on the SEAL changes here though, you'll know that his role has changed a bit on the battlefield. Naturally, Stolen Tech infantry that uses the Navy SEAL as a base infantry will have the same modifications and improvements.
Crazy Ivan: The same thing applies here. The Crazy Ivan has also undergone quite a bit of change (as detailed here) so Stolen Tech versions of this unit will also be altered where possible.
Psi-Corps Trooper: I'm sure it was plainly obvious that I was going to rename the Yuri Clone to Psi-Corps Trooper (who doesn't these days?) so we'll just go by that name. You'll just have to wait for any further details. :p
And then the technologies:
Chrono Teleportation: This Allied technology will remain the same. One thing I must clarify with all of you is that this technology is not a weapon, but rather a new ability for the infantry. Consequently, this is considered an additional technology to the infantry it is combined with. This means that infantry gaining the Chrono technology keep all their existing abilities and also gain this new ability. Chrono infantry will therefore be generally more effective than infantry using the other two technology types, but they cost more as a result.
Mind Control: The staple technology for Soviets (and now Yuri's) force. Mind Control has always been a fun tool to play with on the battlefield so to merge it with other infantry gives you more possibilities to play around with. Unlike the Chrono tech, this one is considered a replacement technology due this technology being an actual weapon instead of an ability. The resultant infantry's weapon is replaced by the Mind Control, giving you a very different infantry from the original at minimal costs.
Tesla: I guess it was kind of predictable what new Soviet technology type I would pick eh? Sure they have plenty of unique things, but Tesla tech has always defined the Soviets since the Red Alert game, so developing the technology in this way allows new possibilities without them being so common that it loses its appeal. Tesla is a modification technology, in that it modifies the infantry's normal weapon to include the technology, generally increasing its effectiveness in battle. The costs of these units lie in between the two above.
Of course there are always exceptions (in this case, one) which lies in the Yuri -> Yuri combo. Like the Soviet -> Soviet combo previously, the technology gained was something that the infantry already had, so a special case has to be created. Just expect a beefed up Psi-Corps Trooper in this slot. ;)
One final note: The Psi Commando in YR˛ will be altered to suit the correct use of the theory. The infantry graphics and sounds will be based on the Navy SEAL gaining Mind Control technology as it should have been, but other than that change its abilities remain the same.
So you should be able to guess as to what the new infantry types there will be. I'll list them officially once I have finalised the details of what they can do and how they will look. :) This is why I want your feedback (which is why I created this forum topic for you to throw around your ideas in). You can give me ideas for what I can do! | |
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