OutGrowth
..a multiplayer map for Red Alert 2
Contents
1. Map Information
2. Map Description
3. Requirements
4. Install & Run
5. Modifications
6. Known Bugs
7. Other RA2 Maps by the Author
8. MapEditing Notes
9. Credits
10. Legal
===1. Map Information===
*Author: Cannis
*Map Name: OutGrowth
*Players: 2-8
*Size: 130x136
*Theater: Temperate
*Resources: Ample but not readily accessible
*Format: .MPR
*File Size: 428Kb
*Online Transfer: Enabled
*Editor Used: Final Alert 2 v1.00
*Map Release Date: 8/20/01
===2. Map Description===
OutGrowth is a large 8-player map that strongly emphasizes strategy and resource management. The detailed, rugged terrain influences these 2 factors very heavily. The terrain will also influence how bases will grow (hence the name, 'OutGrowth'). In the early game you will be able to easily defend your base, but as the game progresses the newer buildings will tend to be placed in vulnerable positions. Only one airport is available, however it has an added ability to help its owner keep it. Tech Outposts can be used by all players without the need to capture them first. Near each base area is a Communications Center, a unique-to-this-map Tech Building which you capture for free radar, and as a bonus makes SpySat Uplinks and Psychic Sensors buildable for all countries.
Tips: Garrison your 2 bunkers and move your starting units to the mouth of your core base area to easily repel early rushes. Miners will spend a lot of time in transit, so build a lot of them and be prepared to defend them. Capture your nearby Communications Center. Bridges *cannot* be destroyed so don't waste your time. If you need more secure building space and/or additional resources, consider evicting a neighbor.
===3. Requirements===
You need to have Red Alert 2 installed. For online play, broadband connections for all concerned is highly recommended due to the large file size. Online map transfer is enabled, but manual transfer will likely be required for more than 2 players.
===4. Install & Run===
*Included files:
outgrowth.mpr (the map)
outgrowth.gif (preview image)
outgrowth.txt (this very long-winded file)
Place outgrowth.mpr in your \RA2\ directory. Start RA2, and the map should appear on the map list. This map supports standard, meatgrinder, nukewar, airwar, duel, and cooperative game modes.
===5. Modifications===
-Communication Centers are unique-to-this-map Tech Buildings. They are capturable with engineers, they appear on the radar screen, they can be repaired with the wrench icon, and they can be built off of (although you will find the surrounding terrain to be rather limiting in this regard). Capturing one gives its owner free radar, and the ability to build SpySat Uplinks and Psychic Sensors.
-The sole Tech Airport not only provides its owner with paradrops, it also acts as a Psychic Sensor, which can be very useful.
-The Tech Outposts are *not* capturable, and are instead ready to be used by any player. Very handy for mobile tank columns. If damaged, the Outposts will slowly regenerate back to full health automatically.
-Mirage Tanks imitate more and different trees.
-Paradrop planes are twice as durable, making success at reaching even southern targets very likely.
-Naval Yards are not buildable, since there's no place to put them.
-Map cells which are totally concealed behind cliffs are flagged as no-build/no-move zones. Human players cannot build on these cells anyway, so this modification should be absolutely transparent to the player. What this *does* accomplish is it prevents AI players from building hidden sentry guns and pillboxes, avoids graphical anomalies when AI-built prism towers and tesla coils are placed on these cells, and eliminates trying to find units hidden behind cliffs at the endgame.
===6. Known Bugs===
-None.
===7. Other RA2 Maps by the Author===
[Multiplayer/Skirmish]
City Fights Back
City Under Siege
Switchback Ravine
Switchback Ridge
Collision Course
ROCK YOU!
Freeze-Out
OverExtended
Gem Pit
Jungle Warfare
Inversion
Moonlit Bay
===8. MapEditing Notes===
After going a little nuts with triggers and teams in my last map, 'City Fights Back', I decided to return to the basics of what this game is about: strategy and resource management. No Civilian units anywhere, and only 3 sound triggers, that's it. Also I wanted to apply some of the terrain style I used in OverExtended, and the interlocking cliffwork I used in Inversion, to a b-i-i-g 8-player map... the result is what you see here.
The cliffs and the irregular terrain was made almost exclusively in framework mode. What a boon that feature is! Bridges are bridge ends butted together, using no overlay at all. The observant will notice that some of the bridges are narrower than others :)
INI changes affect the Mirage Tank, Paradrop Plane, Tech Airport, Tech Outpost, Communications Center, SpySat Uplink, Naval Yards, and a Drum overlay. All INI changes are documented below.
[CAAIRP] ; Tech Airport - adds properties of Psychic Sensor
Sight=10
SensorArray=yes
SensorsSight=15
DetectDisguise=yes
HasRadialIndicator=true
DetectDisguiseRange=15
PsychicDetectionRadius=15
ConcentricRadialIndicator=true
[CAOUTP] ; Tech Outpost
Capturable=no ; can't capture with an engineer, probably not needed
SelfHealing=yes ; regenerates from damage
NeedsEngineer=no ; animations will work without needing an engineer first
RadarInvisible=yes; doesn't work, still appears on radar screen. Maybe YR will fix this
BaseNormal=no ; can't build off it, probably not needed
[CATECH01] ; Communications Center
Radar=yes ; gives radar
Primary=none ; disables GI occupy weapon
Secondary=none ; disables Conscript occupy weapon
BaseNormal=yes ; can build adjacent
Capturable=yes ; can capture with engineer
Unsellable=yes ; can't sell it, probably not needed
LegalTarget=yes ; AI enemies can attack it
CanBeOccupied=no ; disables garrison property
NeedsEngineer=yes ; needs engineer to function, probably not needed
RadarInvisible=no ; appears on radar screen
ClickRepairable=yes; can repair with wrench icon
[DRUM02] ; drum overlay - a hack to flag cells as no-build/no-move zones
Image=null ; uses invisible image so you can't see it
Immune=yes ; can't be destroyed, probably not needed
[GASPYSAT] ; SpySat Uplink
PrerequisiteOverride=CATECH01 ; if you own a comm center, you can build this
[GAYARD] ; Allied Shipyard
TechLevel=-1 ; make unbuildable
[General]
DefaultMirageDisguises=TREE02,TREE04,TREE05,TREE06,TREE08,TREE12 ; mimic new trees
[NAPSIS] ; Psychic Sensor
PrerequisiteOverride=CATECH01 ; if you own a comm center, you can build this
[NAYARD] ; Soviet Shipyard
TechLevel=-1 ; make unbuildable
[PDPLANE] ; Paradrop Plane
Strength=800 ; make stronger, was 400
===9. Credits===
-My playtesters from the WW FA2 board, in no particular order:
lakerfan
Wildefire
McSpivey
Volrath__Lord_of_Rath
Concolor1
duffsca
-Silverfox for a quick and dirty way to get red dots marking the player start positions on the map preview.
-Westwood for a great game.
-Matze for a great editor - Final Alert 2.
-RADEN (http://www.cncgames.com) for hosting my maps.
===10. Legal===
This Red Alert 2 map 'OutGrowth' is (c) 2001 by Tony Ferrara.
You MAY NOT include this map as part of any sort of commercial or promotional product without my permission.
You MAY distribute this map through any other means, provided it is offered free of charge.
If offered from a WWW or FTP site or similar, this .txt file (unaltered) must be included.
Please do not use this map as a base for other maps.
I hope you like the map!
-Cannis Rabidus 8/20/2001
http://www.cannis.net/cannis/
This readme file altered 1/7/2002 to update the above website URL.
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