TS:R news coming up! More on scaling, new arms, introducing the new Mobile EMP prototype, and discussion of the GDI AAPC.
Scaling
In the previous update, we were showing you the coding and magic being worked on for scaling infantry. Yah-Nosh has put together a video for fun exhibiting his work in that.
"Even as famine ravages the planet, GDI continues to deny that its food shipments are being tampered with."
At the end of the day, the work that has gone into scaling now allows us to correct infantry sizes with respect to their build (i.e. Cyborgs are taller than humans) and without causing issues in worldbox collisions and getting stuck on certain doorways.
New Arms
CMDBob has completed new arms for our brothers of Nod. Kane has been loathed to attack America, but I feel it's time, and you're the one to do it is pleased with these changes.
Elite Cadre New Arms
Generic Nod Soldier New Arms
Generic Nod Soldier New Arms (Engineer)
Nod Flame Trooper New Arms
Nod Flame Trooper New Arms (Red Sleeves)
The New Mobile EMP
Preliminary testing of the Mobile EMP has shown that the vehicle poses two issues: 1) it was too boring to sit inside and simply fire off the EMP at the click of a mouse and 2) it was not fun to play against when the EMP cannot be feasibly defensed against before being hit.
Deliberation with the development team has led to the experimental rollout of the new Mobile EMP, or the MEMP-tillery as some soldiers have come to call it. Others also say MEMPY, but we don't talk about those soldiers.
GDI R&D, led by the Chief Wizards of Crazy Game Ideas, otherwise known as Raap and OWA, have completed their prototype and deployed it for field testing.
The new Mobile EMP offers a different gameplay approach to GDI forces. This MEMP lobs a ball of EMP energy, disabling enemy vehicles where the strike lands, replacing the too easy and too boring button-push gameplay of the previous iteration. In this method, GDI drivers will need to more carefully play this vehicle on the field, while faster Nod vehicles can move to outrace the lob and close the distance.
This change is going through extensive testing to ensure this variation of the MEMP delivers more fun gameplay for both sides in using it and fighting against it.
Weaponise the AAPC?
Discussion has surfaced in the development chat of possibly weaponising the GDI AAPC. Some team members argue the AAPC needs something to allow it to better support frontal infantry assaults, while conservative team members argue the AAPC functions in its role well enough as-is and needs no changes.
In support of the weaponisation, OWA has put together some variation concepts. Other ideas for changing the AAPC include allowing it to refill C4 and armour, provide smokescreen, and electronic countermeasures. It should be noted, and I cannot stress this enough: This is all completely conceptual.
If you have an opinion of the GDI AAPC, whether in favour of weapons or against changes, you are welcome to voice your suggestions and concerns.
That should be about it for this update. Have I missed anything? Anything you are curious of at this time regarding development progress and want it featured in the next update? Let us know!
I really like the APC idea. It will give an incentive for players to use it more on the battlefield. Great work guys!
The wolverine should still be the go-to anti-infantry vehicle! This cannot be allowed to make the Wolverine redundant
You know... If the Wolverine were just handled as a chonky infantry lad now that you've got scaling...
I dunno, I kinda feel like the design used in TS originally was a relic of its time, and it'd make perfect sense for it to be more agile. Think full range of movement like infantry, but obviously can't fit inside tight quarters so easily.
A good point, and rest assured the Wolverine will still retain its role of the main anti-infantry vehicle. The AAPC gun will be better used to finish off weakened infantry, but not powerful enough to replace the Wolverine in any scenario.
Great update! Thank you.
Would it be possible to have infantry mount the turret for the APC as it works in Battlefield? That why the driver can't use the turret and it requires some more collaboration to get offensive capabiliteis for the APC.
Pure GDI anti-infatry should still be the Wolverine.
It is possible to do so, though the minimal damage of the AAPC gun may not warrant that limitation. We use this feature on the APB Cruiser for the power it boasts, but for the AAPC this may not be necessary.
any news on BOT's AI?
Reborn 2.0 will 100% feature advanced bots. Improvements are always in the works. In APB, they work great so Reborn will without a doubt be able to take advantage of them.
It does however look very cool with the vulcan canon
Yeah I'm in for slapping some weapons on the APC would make it a true battle taxi. Sure it would go against what the APC actually was in the original TS. But let's be honest hardly anyone bothers with it because it's just a six wheeled tin can that's missing it's bulls eye. Putting on a chaingun, autocannon, or heavy machine gun on it would give it at least enough bite to support the disembarking troops.
Exactly the argument that those in favor of weaponising the AAPC state. Supporting the disembarking troops would offer better gameplay for all.
"A weapon to surpass metal gear."
I.imgur.com
Also, on the note of the AAPC there are 2 schools of thought:
1. you either want it to have a light and very weak attack to ward off would-be infantry trying to pick it off, or
2. You specifically DON'T want this so would-be infantry CAN do this, be annoying and peck away at it without the AAPC really being able to do anything about it. In this case though, the player driving the AAPC can still always get out and pull out their own gun as well.
A light and very weak attack is what is currently planned. Point 2 leaves the possibility of leaving a free AAPC to the enemy Nod team if the driver ends up dying while disembarked.
That second thing is also a potentially neat and cool, just kinda depends on what you want I guess.
They could also try to run over the infantry pecking away at it, too, without a weapon and without having to get out.
How about making it a vehicle based engineer? giving it a light vehicle repairgun and infantry refill/heal terminal.
(It would kind of make sense for a transport to also carry medical supplies for first aid treatment, and/or replacement parts for vehicles.)
This way the vehicle will always have some kind of weapon around it to defend it, as it is either being escorted or is escorting someone else.
That's not a bad idea. We may be able to explore that option in a test build and see if it works out.