User blog:Ranger-X/New Mod Idea: Battle Types

Rock-Paper-Scissors System in Project-X2
Rock-Paper-Scissors System in Project-X2

During one of my yard working periods, I came up with some creative ideas for my Project-X mod series for Generals and Zero Hour. I usually get good ideas when I work for couple of hours. Anyway, this is a long list of ideas, but I like them so far.

My first good idea is to include a unique campaign mode for the X-Force called Domination mode. It is based on the Red Alert 3 Commander's Challenge where I defeat enemy commanders, steal their best technologies and then use them against the next opponent.

Here is a list of the enemy commanders I will fight and their technologies.

1) Dr. Thrax: Toxin Tunnel Network, Anthrax Gamma, Toxin Rebel, Toxin Demo Trap and Armored Scorpion Tank.

2) "Anvil" Shin Fai: Fortified Bunker, Mini-Gunner, Super Hacker, Assault Troop Transport and Battle Fortress.

3) Prince Kassad: Camo Netting, GPS Scrambler, Sniper Quad Cannon, Stealth Battle Bus (uses Bomb Truck's disguise as vehicle ability) and Radar Jammer upgrade (Radar Vans act like Allied Gap Generators).

4) Tsing Shi Tao: Isotope Stability, Fusion Reactors, Weapons Grade Uranium Shells, Nuclear Tank Hunter and Nuclear MiG. I will combine both the MiG's napalm missiles and nukes to create the Burning Nuke weapon (it creates a nuclear blast followed by a firestorm).

5) "Pinpoint" Townes: Laser Defense Turret, Laser Crusader Tank, Laser Comanche, Laser Paladin Tank, and Advanced Cold Fusion Reactor. I will combine both the Advanced C.F.R. and Advanced Control Rods upgrade to form the best power plant: Fusion Reactor X.

6) Malcolm "Ace" Granger: King Raptor, Stealth Comanche, Sky Crane, Combat Chinook and Designator Fire Base (it's an air control tower combined with a Fire Base that can summon A10 airstrikes).

7) Rodall "Demo" Juhziz: Demolitions upgrade, Demo Scud Storm (with only high-explosive Scud missiles), Terrorist Combat Cycle, Super H.E. Bomb upgrade for Bomb Trucks and Black Market Nuke.

8) Alexis Alexander: Advanced Control Rods, EMP Patriot Battery, Aurora Alpha, Fortified Fire Base and Advanced Particle Cannon (greater DPS and longer firing time than Particle Cannon).

9) Ta Hun Kwai: Emperor Tank, A.T. Gatling Cannon (great vs. vehicles, bad vs. infantry), Autoloader upgrade, Transport Helix and Siege Cannon (a modified Inferno Cannon).

As you might have noticed, I arranged them in order of types to make the weakness chain simple. It will be like rock-paper-scissors. Unfortunately, I could not include the boss generals because they technically don't have weaknesses.

1) Toxins beat infantry because they have little to no armor (unless Chem Suits is purchased). Dr. Thrax's Toxin Networks are nasty anti-infantry defenses.

2) Infantry beats stealth because Shin Fai has the best stealth detecting vehicles: both the Assault Transport and Attack Outpost can scout and attack at the same time. I will also introduce a unique Chinese sniper called the Marksman in Project-X2. Fai will have early access to Marksmen (no science required).

3) Stealth beats nuclear because Kassad's units (being fast) can easily avoid Tao's Nuke Cannons. Fast vehicles can overwhelm artillery.

4) Nuclear beats laser because Tao's cannon artillery are the best weapons to use on Townes's laser turrets (they can not destroy shells). Once you launch nukes at the laser general's power plants, his tanks and turrets become useless.

5) Laser beats aircraft because Laser Turrets and Avengers are great anti-air weapons (with 100% accuracy versus aircraft).

6) Aircraft beats demolition because Granger's aircraft can destroy suicide bombers and Demo Traps with ease (also, the blasts can't even touch them). For the Stinger rockets, he has point-defense lasers. Only the Quad Cannon is a threat to his aircraft, but I will give him a Light Crusader tank to deal with them.

7) Demolition beats superweapons because of the Rebel Ambush and Demolitions combo I like to use. If you spawn Demo Rebels near Alexander's power plants and detonate enough of them, her Particle Cannons and EMP Patriots will shut down. Also, his Terrorists are great against Patriot batteries.

8) Superweapons beat tanks because Alexander has EMP Patriots. Even though Kwai will get the Siege Cannon, a modified Inferno Cannon that can use Autoloader (and the only artillery unit he has), his tanks and aircraft are still no match for EMP shockwaves.

9) Tanks beat toxins because of their heavy armor. This makes Dr. Thrax once of the weakest opponents in the Generals Challenge if you use a tank rush. Most factions have tanks, so most generals can humiliate Thrax.

Another idea is to classify each general by one of four battle types. The types are Power, Armor, Speed and Ballistics. So I grouped the fifteen factions of Zero Hour into those four categories.

1) The Power type is about units that have the greatest DPS (damage per second). The Power generals are "Pinpoint" Townes (USA laser), "Tigress" Leiong Leang (Chinese boss), and Mohmar "Deathstrike" (GLA boss). The Omega-X battle plan of the X-Force (which uses only the best of each unit type) is a Power plan. Power factions are effective against Speed factions but are weak against Armor factions.

2) The Armor type is about units that can last the longest (the Overlord is a great example). The Armor generals are George D. Ironside (USA armor), Ta Hun Kwai (Chinese tank), and Dr. Thrax (GLA toxin). The Assault-X battle plan of the X-Force (which relies on tanks) is an Armor plan. Armor factions are effective against Power factions but are weak against Ballistics factions.

3. The Speed type is about fast units that can flee quickly or dodge slower units quickly (like the Combat Cycle). The Speed generals are Malcolm Granger (USA airforce), "Anvil" Shin Fai (Chinese infantry), and Prince Kassad (GLA stealth). The SpecialOps-X battle plan of the X-Force (which relies on aircraft and stealth) is a Speed plan. Speed factions are effective against Ballistics factions but are weak against Power factions.

4) The Ballistics type is about long-ranged artillery (like Nuke Cannons). The Ballistics generals are Alexis Alexander (USA superweapon), Tsing Shi Tao (Chinese nukes), and Rodall Juhziz (GLA demolition). The Fortress-X battle plan of the X-Force (which relies on base defenses and super weapons) is a Ballistics plan. Ballistics factions are effective against Armor factions but are weak against Speed factions.