It Came From Red Alert! Beta Release 2.5 A mod by Daz -----------------------------------------What's this ICFRA Beta Release 2.5 thing all about then? This is a ‘half-release’ of my Red Alert mod. The mod aims to bring Red Alert into the Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge engine. I intend to replace all units and structures, bring in the RA sounds and other key elements like the infantry remains. It's likely that I will make a campaign map or two for each side at some stage too. THE MOD REQUIRES ROCK PATCH 1.08SE. This release has been made to fix some serious errors that were present in Release 2, namely the internal error that occurred when a building was attacked by flame weapons and the inability of helicopters to fire. I’ve basically cut R3 short to get the fixes out faster, so there’s a few other smaller fixes in there too. It’s also added an infantry only mode for those who like low tech battles. Implementing an actual tech slider is possible with the Rock Patch, but using the genuine RA tech level values makes things appear in a weird order on the sidebar so I am choosing to use game modes instead. -----------------------------------------You say this is a "Beta Release"? Yes, I have spent a good few days testing this myself as I went along adding and changing things and have squashed all the bugs I can find. It’s now the publics turn to test, different people think in different ways and whilst my style of play might not show any bugs someone else’s style might find some new ones. I'd like all feedback posted in the bug topic on the Revora Forum. If you want to post at Revora (guest posting is allowed, so you don’t even have to register) you can send feedback to this e-mail address (icfra@dazw.co.uk) Note: There is a known issues section at the end of the Release 2.5 contents section below. -----------------------------------------So what's actually in there? Release 2.5 · GPS Satellite is delayed as in RA. · Mines are hidden to enemy. · Mines are legal targets. · Bigger spread on M.A.D. Tank’s weapon. · Skirmish menu colour list reflects actual remap colours. · AA Gun turns faster. · Turret turns faster. · Chronosphere has the correct cameo. · Radar Jammer turretoffset fix. · Hind rotors spin. · Radar Jammer jamming doesn’t protect against damage. · Destroyer depth charge has the correct range. · AA Missiles are a bit less effective (or at least they should be). · Nuke has been adjusted. · Flame weapon internal error has been fixed. · Start location numbers on skirmish menu have been fixed. · Infantry only mode has been added. · Shock trooper no longer crushable. · Kennel added. · Technician sequence fix. · Cruiser damage reduced. · Helipad cost reduced (no free unit so cheaper Helipad). · Units come from the front of the war factory again, though still not glitch free. Known issues: · Soviet Sidebar graphics glitches. This will be fixed in R3, possibly with scratch built sidebars for both sides. · Unit drives over front of war factory on exit (at least it comes out of the front now) · Torpedoes don’t work on the new terrain (no naval units on ICFRA – Them! So you won’t notice this). · New terrain beaches and trees don’t match, as only the standard tile has been changed. To see the notes from Release 2 and Release 1 please visit http://icfra.cncguild.net/ and head to the Downloads page, where you will see a link for each version’s release notes. -----------------------------------------Well how do I play? You should have a .exe file called "It Came From Red Alert! - Beta R2.5", run the program and click play. It's worth mentioning the mod requires Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge version 1.001, though why anyone would be using anything else is beyond me. If you don’t have Yuri’s Revenge you can pick it up for not a lot these days, I got RA2 and YR bundled together for £10. You can probably get YR for around £5 on eBay. I don’t know what the going rate for The First Decade is but I imagine it’s £20 or so by now, and that gets you the original Red Alert too (people who have never played it really, really should as it’s easily the best in the series). The mod now requires Rock Patch. I didn’t want to have to use it, but standard Yuri’s Revenge was severely limiting what I could do. Mine’s having to be visible was the final swinging point, as it completely defied the point of them. -----------------------------------------Who made this stuff? Any new voxels or shps are made by me (Daz). The sounds are ported from Red Alert and as such are © Westwood Studios/EA Games, as is any unmodified Red Alert 2 content and the wallpaper graphics distributed as part of the Red Alert Themes Pack. -----------------------------------------Thanks Section Thanks to Gamemate and Merophage for their work on light setups for shps, and to Gamemate for sharing it with me and helping make it work (not to mention cutting the amount of time it takes me to make buildings by half). Thanks to Banshee for the various tools he is sharing over at Project Perfect Mod. Thanks to Olaf for the XCC tools, mainly Mixer and Mod Creator. Thanks to meselfs for his Downsizer tool. Thanks to ViPr for 3ds2xl. A big thanks to everyone who has contributed to the testing and fixing of the mod, Release 1 wasn’t all pretty but people still played it and helped improve it, and Release 2 obviously had some big holes in it that people have helped patch up. You’re doing a very important job, so keep it up! And of course thanks to Westwood/EA for the excellent Red Alert series.