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 a 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, Assault Troop Transport, Assault Helix and Battle Fortress.
3. Prince Kassad: Base 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, Tomahawk 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, Industrial Facility (a Chinese tech center that behaves like an Oil Refinery) and Siege Cannon (a modified Inferno Cannon).
As you can tell, 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 Chemical Suits are 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. Since Kassad can train Hijackers and Saboteurs, he can also mess with Tao's tanks and nuclear silos respectively.
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 beat demolitions 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. Demolitions beat 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 one of the weakest opponents in the Generals Challenge if you use a tank rush. Most factions have tanks, so most generals can humiliate Thrax.
My second idea is a class of "Legendary Units". They are similar to the superweapons of Generals Zero Hour because they are expensive and powerful weapons. Each Legendary Unit is a unique vehicle or air unit that is so overpowered that only another Legendary Unit can stop it. Each faction can build only one, and the kind of Legendary Unit reflects the commander's favorite strategy. There are sixteen Legendary Units: three for the base factions, twelve for the commanders and one for the X-Force. There is a catch. Legendary Units cost $5000 each and require a special tech building to create. You have to reach Rank 5 to create the tech buildings.
1. King Crusader: the USA's version of the Mammoth Tank, it has tougher armor than a Paladin, anti-air rockets and two cannons. It requires a USA War Factory and a Tech Lab (a Rank 5 building).
2. Sky Fortress: Malcolm Granger's large transport helicopter armed with a minigun, the Sky Fortress is based on the Combat Chinook. It can hold up to twelve soldiers, who can use the helicopter's fire ports to attack. It requires Granger's Airfield and Tech Lab.
3. Athena Orbital Cannon: a large truck with a laser designator, Alexis Alexander's Athena Cannon can highlight ground targets with its red laser turret and call a Particle Cannon to destroy them. It is named after and based on the Allied laser artillery from Red Alert 3. It requires Alexander's War Factory and Tech Lab.
4. Patriot Laser Tank: a Mammoth Tank based on "Pinpoint" Townes's Laser Crusader, the Patriot Tank carries three laser turrets. The turrets fire three laser beams, one for each US flag color (hence the tank's name). It requires Townes's War Factory and Tech Lab.
5. Colossus Tank: a Mammoth Tank prototype created by George D. Ironside's research team, the Colossus is America's version of the Chinese Overlord. It has super heavy armor, two cannons and two long range anti-armor rockets. It requires Ironside's War Factory and Tech Lab.
6. Siege Crawler: a giant transport vehicle based on the Troop Crawler for the main Chinese faction. The Siege Crawler can carry twelve soldiers and has multiple weapons installed; they include a Dragon Tank's flamethrower, a Gatling gun and an Inferno Cannon (it's a monster Troop Crawler). It requires a Chinese War Factory and Battle Lab (a Rank 5 building).
7. Uberlord Tank: The most powerful tank ever created by the Chinese, General Kwai's Uberlord is a giant Overlord tank with eight cannons instead of two (four cannons on each arm of the turret). I thought of making the cannons spin like Gatling guns, so I might do that. It also shares the Overlord's structure upgrades. It requires Kwai's War Factory and Battle Lab.
8. Nuke Carrier: a large vehicle that launches nuclear ICBMs at great distances, General Tao's Nuke Carrier is the ultimate Chinese artillery. It is a mobile nuclear missile silo and has a long reload time. It requires Tao's War Factory and Battle Lab.
9. Battle Fortress: a large armored transport inspired by the Allied vehicle in Command & Conquer Yuri's Revenge. General Fai's Battle Fortress is based on his Assault Transport and is a remodeled Overlord tank. Similar to Granger's Sky Fortress, the Battle Fortress carries up to twelve passengers who can shoot out of it and has a large Gatling gun (this gun is anti-ground only). It requires Fai's War Factory and Battle Lab.
10. Immolator Tank: since "Tigress" Leiong Leang is a napalm general in my mod, she remodeled an Overlord tank and gave it two flamethrower cannons. It is a cross between an Overlord and Nod's Flame Tank from the first C&C game. It shares the Dragon tank's fire wall weapon and can even clear out garrisons the same way. It requires Leang's War Factory and Battle Lab.
11. Warlord Tank: a fully upgraded Marauder tank with a machine gun Rebel, the Warlord is the GLA's Mammoth tank. It can not upgrade itself any further with salvage crates. It requires a GLA Arms Dealer and Secret Lab (a Rank 5 building).
12. Defiler Tank: Dr. Thrax's Mammoth tank that is as big as Ironside's Colossus, the Defiler has two anti-tank cannons and two toxin spray guns. Just like the Toxin Tractor, it can contaminate an area and clear out garrisons. It requires Thrax's Arms Dealer and Secret Lab.
13. Stalker Tank: the first true stealth tank in the Global Liberation Army, Prince Kassad's Stalker tank hides from enemy sight unless shooting, can fire anti-tank rockets and has a sniper cannon for infantry. The Stalker also comes with Radar Scan to see stealthed foes and traps. It requires Kassad's Arms Dealer and Secret Lab.
14. Katyusha Scud Truck: this artillery vehicle is a Scud Storm on wheels. Juhziz's Katyusha can fire a barrage of high-explosive Scud missiles at a great distance. It has three barrage modes: one rocket per clip, three rockets per clip and six rockets per clip. It requires Juhziz's Arms Dealer and Secret Lab.
15. Multirole Buggy: similar to China's Siege Crawler, this vehicle is an amalgam of many GLA units. Mohmar's Multirole Buggy is armed with the Rocket Buggy's missile pods, two Marauder tank cannons, and the Toxin Tractor's spray gun. It requires Mohmar's Arms Dealer and Secret Lab.
16. Xenith Tank: this tank is a remodeled Emperor tank used by my army, the X-Force. The name is a deliberate misspelling of zenith; it is called that because it represents the highest point of X-Force tank designs. Instead of a Gatling Cannon upgrade, the Xenith has an Avenger laser turret in addition to its Speaker Tower. It can also use Toxin Shells and the Overlord's nuclear engine upgrade. It requires an X-Force War Factory and a Tech Lab.
My third 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 napalm), and Mohmar "Deathstrike" (GLA boss and salvage). 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 boss and armor), Ta Hun Kwai (Chinese tanks) and Dr. Thrax (GLA toxins). 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 superweapons), Tsing Shi Tao (Chinese nukes) and Rodall Juhziz (GLA demolitions). 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.