Red Alert: A Path Beyond

Red Alert: A Path Beyond (Also known as APB or just A Path Beyond) is a free game based on the Renegade Engine which aims to transform the first chapter in the Red Alert series into a First Person Shooter. It features most of the units from the original game and the two expansions, Counterstrike and The Aftermath. The current beta available to the public is 1.2.0. The game was named after A Path Beyond, one of the most popular multiplayer maps of Red Alert.

While it began production as a modification of a commercial single/multiplayer game, it is now available as a free, standalone download with no other requirements to play. However, it lacks a single player campaign, so an internet connection is required for satisfactory play. Additionally, its recommended system requirements are higher, although the graphics actually scale very well and several improvements made grant actual performance improvements over the original base engine. A Path Beyond has been widely promoted by Electronic Arts, being the only fan project of its kind that has received this sort of support.

Gameplay


Red Alert: A Path Beyond only features the multiplayer mode as there is no single player campaign (There are however a few coop maps). Similar to Renegade, players are divided into the two teams: Allies and Soviets. Each team starts with a base and must purchase vehicles and advanced character classes in order to destroy the enemy base and defend their own base. The game is won when one team destroys the other's base or the time limit expires and the team with the highest score is declared the winner. Damaging and destroying enemy units and structures earns points. Gameplay is a combination of FPS and RTS elements, since team members receive money from harvesting ore and must purchase their own individual equipment.

As there is no official master server for integration into the main game shell at this time, players typically join using a front-end launcher phased in with version 1.0.0, known as Beta. This provides a static server listing that requires manual updates. Xfire also supports Red Alert: A Path Beyond, which enables in-game instant messaging, logged gameplay hours, and spotting friends who are also playing. Gameservers are also typically managed via IRC, which allows for communication between players and out-of-game observers/moderators. Game-in-progress information for the official server, sponsored by MP Gaming, is also displayed live on the forums and gameserver websites. The official server site also provides ranking information, dating back to December 2006. This ranking information can be displayed both as a "rank medal" and "stats box" in one of two styles for signature use at other forums

Units
Almost all the units from the original game are present, with a few exceptions (The units that are not present are Dogs, Chitzkoi, Cruiser, Chrono tank, MiG, and Yak, but they are planned to be included in future releases). The units behave like their Red Alert counterparts and the factions also share the same strenghts and weaknesses: The allies have the weakest tanks but they're faster and cheaper to build than the Soviet ones. Naval warfare and helicopters are also present (Unlike in renegade the helicopters need to reload at the helipad like in Red Alert). There are also some RA campaign-only units (Volkov is the strongest soviet unit and the Allies have the Phase transport for hit&run tactics). The game also comes with some a few new units as well: Captain/Kapitan is a stronger version of the Rifleman, while Sergeants/Starshinas are armed with shotguns. Both sides also get snipers.

There are also Demo trucks, MAD tanks, Spies and Mammoth tanks. It is also possible to launch a nuclear strike by putting a Signal flare in the enemy base. The signal flare can however be disarmed by Engineers.

Multiplayer
Currently there is only one officially supported server and some unofficial servers (mainly used for clan-trainings but other people are welcome to join as well). The IP and Port for the main server are 208.43.29.154:9999. The server also runs a Teamspeak server, the address is TS.MP-Gaming.COM.

All players that join the main server will get a profile on the MP-gaming section of APB.

Sequel
The Sequel of A Path Beyond, Apocalypse Rising, was announced and work on it officially started. It will be a FPS based on the Red Alert 2 storyline.