Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 manual

The following article serves as a partial transcript† of the Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 manual. All material written in this article is of copyright ©2000 by Electronic Arts, Inc. The author of this article claims no right of the material written.

† The following sections were removed to preserve only or mostly the lore-related information:


 * Installing the Game
 * Introduction
 * Main Menu
 * Setting Up a Network or Skirmish Game
 * The Interface
 * Game Basics
 * Advance Gameplay
 * The Advanced Command Bar
 * Way Points
 * Keyboard Commands
 * Westwood Online
 * In-Game Chatting
 * Credits
 * Technical Support

Story
If you could go back in time, what would you change? Would it be possible to prevent wars from ever occurring? Or would tampering with the past have drastic effects on the present and the future?

Experiments in time travel have drastically altered the course of history. Assassinations altered the fates of nations, and thus the entire world. The Soviet Union found herself without enemies to check her expansion to the west. Under Josef Stalin, they began a march to the Atlantic, hoping to fulfil their manifest destiny of a continental Soviet Union.

Only the combined might of the Allied forces prevented complete domination by the Soviets. The huge army of Mother Russia was finally stopped by the superior technology of the Allies. A peaceful world finally became reality. Stalin perished in the conflict, leaving the fate of the world's largest nation undecided. After the war, the Allies placed Alexi Romanov [sic] in charge of the new Soviet Empire. He seemed to be the perfect choice. A career politician, he espoused the ideals of the Allied powers and set about making the Soviet Union a benevolent, peaceful country. The Allied leaders breathed a sigh of relief. The great menace was finally put to rest. Or was it? Secretly, Romanov burned with hatred of the Allied powers that had destroyed his beloved country. Once in power, he immediately began plotting his revenge. Because the Allies had won with superior technology, he vowed that the Soviets would create their own superior weapons. The armies of the old Soviet Union would march again, this time, they would not fail. This time, they would conquer the United States!

For years the Allies were complacent. Nobody knew of the secret Soviet experiments into mind control or the nuclear tests conducted by Romanov's scientists. The invasion takes the United States by surprise. Suddenly, there are Soviet troops rushing into California, Texas and New York. Civilians are succumbing to the Soviet mind control and leaving their country forsaken, taking up arms in favour of the invaders. Giant squids are appearing on American shores, crushing ships with their massive tentacles. The onslaught has begun! Fortunately, the current US leader, President Dugan, has not let the old Allied technology stand. Massing his forces and preparing technology that allow him to control both the nature of time and the forces of nature, President Dugan prepares to battle the Soviet Union once again. Romanov has incredible power, surprise, and massive forces. The Allies are fighting for their home and their way of life. Once again, the entire world is erupting into conflict.

Special Multiplayer Forces
In Multiplayer and Skirmish games, you will select not just a particular side (Allied or Soviet) but a specific army as well. Allied forces include the United States, France, Germany, Great Britain and the Republic of Korea. Soviet forces include the Soviet Union, Cuba, Libya and Iraq. Each of these armies gains a particular unit or ability they can use to help them achieve victory:

American Paratroopers
The American army in Multiplayer games gains the ability to produce and deploy Paratroopers throughout the battle once an Air Force Command Headquarters has been built. The Paratroopers can be deployed to any ground location on the map (they cannot be deployed in water). When selected, a transport plane will deliver a group of five Paratroopers to the selected location. Once on the ground, the Paratroopers are essentially normal GIs. If the transport plane is shot down, the Paratroopers are lost. The ability to deploy Paratroopers changes over time, so you cannot deploy them constantly.

French Grand Cannon
This special French weapon is not a vehicle, but a large structure called the Grand Cannon. Once created, the Grand Cannon provides extremely effective base defence against enemy attacks, particularly against armoured units.

German Tank Destroyer
German scientists have developed the Tank Destroyer, a unit designed specifically to give German forces an edge against enemy armour. While very weak against structures or infantry, Tank Destroyers are extremely powerful against enemy vehicles, and can be used either to clear the way for your own attacks or to blunt incoming columns of enemy armour.

British Sniper
This British infantry unit is equipped with a special long-range rifle useful in taking out enemy infantry units. Much better than regular GIs, the sniper gains tremendous range and power, killing off enemy infantry units with a single shot from well out of their range.

Korean Black Eagle
The special weapon in the Korean arsenal is the Black Eagle. Effectively, this aircraft is a stronger Harrier, offering increased ability to both take and dish out damage.

Russian Tesla Tank
The Soviet Tesla Tank is a large ground vehicle that fires a Tesla charge instead of a ballistic weapon. This charge is effective against both units and structures.

Cuban Terrorist
The Cubans have developed the Terrorist unit to attack enemy bases. The Terrorist carries C4 charges taped to his body and kamikazes enemies, blowing them up quickly and efficiently.

Libyan Demolition Truck
The Libyan Demolition Truck is a suicide vehicle designed to create maximum mayhem and carnage in the enemy base. This truck carries a small nuclear charge. When the truck is attacked, the charge detonates, destroying everything in a wide radius.

Iraqi Desolator
Iraqi scientists have created the Desolator, a soldier that creates large areas of scorched, impassable earth. When deployed, the Desolator uses a radiation cannon to irradiate the ground around him, making it completely impassable to both infantry and light vehicles. He wears a protective suit to keep him safe from the radiation. When the Desolator is killed or undeployed, the ground he has poisoned will slowly return to normal.