Rise of the Reds Update: The Huntsman Returns Options

[MARS]

Germany, April 2045
Von Kuerten Residence, Ulm

Wolfgang-Maximilian von Kuerten sat in the dark-green wing chair of his classically furnished living room, waiting patiently while listening to the perfect tact of the old wooden pendulum clock. He had received the life-changing letter about an hour ago and the core of the message was still resounding in his mind: "In the light of the deteriorating diplomatic situation and alarming intelligence reports of a massive Russian military build-up in Kaliningrad, the Inspector-General of the Federal Defence Force has cleared you of all charges, revoked your suspension and initiated your immediate return to service to defend the Fatherland in the event of an all-out escalation". It seemed as if high command had finally seen the error of its decision after von Kuerten's thwarted attempt to relief the beleaguered Russian forces in Africa.

The sound of the door bell was the cue for Wolfgang, now a General once again, to rise from his seat. He threw one final, pensive look at the portrait of his late wife Corinna, who had perished in the GLA insurrection, before heading downstairs to the front door. He was greeted by the sight of a familiar and noticeably nervous woman who wore the same stone-grey Bundeswehr officer uniform as he did. "Well, well, well...if that isn't Hauptmann Voss of all people. You're quite possibly the last person I would have expected them to send to pick me up". He could tell by the perpetual frown on her face that the encounter was very uncomfortable to her. "Good morning, Herr General. I do have to correct you however; it's Major Voss now. Could we just...skip this part and get on the way? The troops are already waiting for you."

The two remained silent during the 80 kilometre drive to Sigmaringen where Wolfgang's 10th Panzerdivision, commonly known as the 'Lions Division', was eagerly expecting his return. Despite the brewing crisis in eastern Europe, the traffic on the German motor ways was as busy as on every other day, but Major Voss put her military skills in 'evasive driving' to good use. "Look, Sir. I...", she stammered after a while. "I was just following orders from high command. I had to!" The General next to her let out a growl of contempt. "You pointed a gun at my face and detained me, Voss. We -had- to support the Russians that day, no matter what those complacent desk-jockeys insisted on. It would have been a necessary gesture of support but instead, we blew the opportunity and let these people get slaughtered like animals. If it had been for that one bit of foresight and solidarity, we could have avoided this entire escalation, joined forces with the Russians and finally eradicated the GLA for good." Wolfgang had already stated his case several times: During the trial, in the book that he wrote in his three years of forced retirement and on countless political talk shows. "But hey, at least you got yourself a nice little promotion out of this, 'Major' Voss. And I'm sure you would have also 'just followed orders' back during the Bavarian crisis. Truly a 'comforting' thought..."

The Major's retroactive comeuppance finally came to a close when the vehicle drove into the parade square of the Stauffenberg barracks, the 10th Panzers' staff headquarters near the southern town Sigmaringen, where an entire brigade worth of crack troops, all ready to man their vehicles and mobilise at a moment's notice, awaited the return of their famous, newly redeemed commander. Upon exiting the car and leaving Voss behind to wrestle with her conscience, Wolfgang was immediately greeted by Brigadegeneral Osman Atalay, who first rendered a sharp salute, then shook his hand with the familiarity of an old friend: "It's great to have you back, Herr General. I've called the troops for a final inspection...We are prepared to set off at your command!"

Wolfgang nodded his approval and stepped forth, quietly walking past the rows upon rows of four-man tank crews standing at attention in front of their mighty Leopard tanks before he raised his voice: "Kameraden! It is an unparalleled honour for me to be back in command of this excellent unit. Ever since our lauded victories in North Africa, the Lions Division has been the pride of the Bundeswehr. In addition to that, it is now the first and foremost line of defence for our people as well as our fellow European allies. You've always known me as a man of few, but straightforward words and I'm going to be honest with you. Within the next hour, we will mobilise and head to Bialystok, where we will join our brave Polish brothers and support them in their preparation of a primary defence in order to deter any hostile aggressions from Moscow. This is serious and I'm not going to sugar-coat anything. We are looking at the very possible prospect of a full-on war between the nations of Europe and the Russian Federation. As ever so often, the politicians have failed and it will soon be up to us to make up for their failures in blood. Most of us still remember the horrors of '28, but make no mistake: Unlike the wretched scum that is the GLA, the Russians are merely our adversaries, not our enemies. They're an honourable people who have been misguided by their own leader; down a path of imperialist aggression just like ourselves during the darker periods of our own history. Thus, I ask you: Are you ready to fight with gallantry and respect for both your comrades and your adversaries? Are you ready to suffer through hardships and pain? And God forbid, are you ready to make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty?"

The entire brigade replied in unison: "Jawohl, Herr General!"

"Then let us move out and do what needs to be done, with bravery in our hearts and our marching song on our lips: Let us man our vehicles and sing the Panzerlied!"

"Whether storm or snow, whether the sun smiles upon us.
The days blazing hot, or the nights as cold as ice.
There's dust on our faces, but joy is on our minds - yes, our minds.
Our Panzer's charging forward through the raging of the storm!"

Rather unsuspicious on the outside, the true potential of the European Vehicle Depot lies underground, where the vital machinery is well-protected from the brutal shelling that devastates the surface. Once a vehicle is fully assembled, it will be brought up by a heavy-duty cargo elevator. The upper structure also houses a fully automated repair bay that gets even the most heavily beat-up vehicle back into action. Unfortunately, the Russian invasion has led to a very unstable supply situation in many sectors, making it difficult to provide the necessary spare parts. As a result, European vehicles require more time to be assembled than their foreign counterparts. Do not throw them away carelessly, as you'll never know whether the replacements will arrive in time.

While the official armed forces of most European countries still operate a lot of their own domestically produced weapons and vehicles, the European Continental Army placed its faith in the latest generation of German armour engineering. Despite the shared name, the new Leopard 3 continues the tradition of its previous iterations from the 1960s and 80s and bears very few similarities with its famous predecessors. One of the core principles of the ECA was its strict decision to limit its offensive deployability to Europe's immediate sphere of influence - which at the same time was conveniently extended to include the strategically important region of North Africa. As such, the task force's tank divisions were organised and equipped under a classic defensive mindset reminiscent of the Cold War with the new Leopard being the most iconic product of this shift in priorities: Wrapped in several layers of highly advanced armour, the tank mounts a powerful 125mm smoothbore cannon that makes it ideal for duel situations against other tanks, especially thanks to its superior range - a trait that is shared by many ECA vehicles and can be further improved via the installation of a new gun that allows the use of a more efficient gas-based propellant. This emphasis on anti-tank capabilities does not mean that the Leopard falls short in urban combat where infantry is regarded as a greater threat though: As with many other ECA vehicles, the machine gun mounted next to the top hatch can be manned and the main cannon is compatible with a feared anti-personnel canister round dubbed the 'Shredder' by ECA tank crews. In addition, both the Leopard and the Gepard Flakpanzer are equipped with automatic close area defence systems that unleash a deadly hail of shrapnel towards enemy assailants that get too close for comfort.

[teamnicke]

VERY NICE!!!!!!!

[Serialkillerwhal...]

so let's see now

This means we know the abilties of all the MBTs

China: Battlmaster, Horde bonus, Cheap, Upgrades to improntu suicide bomber with improved speed and damage
ECA: Leopard, Garrsion-gun, Anti-infantry ability Long range, Upgrades for improved range
GLA: Scorpion, Salvage, Fast, Upgrades with missile and poison shells and self-repair.
USA: Crusader, Hover-mode, Drones, Pilot Ejection Upgrades durability and veterancy rate.
Russia Kodiak, Machine gun, Husk, Highest power, Upgrades durability.

Did i miss anything?

[MARS]

Seems about right. For the Leopard, I'd summarise it as:
Long range, slow production, crewed MG, targeted 'canister shot', automatic 'proximity grenades' and upgrades. Noe that most factions seem to have some upgrades that improve their MBTs so the Leopard isn't really special in that regard.

You did forget the Smoke Grenades of the Kodiak though.

[aeroth]

Sweet update !
Le questions
Is that a smoke launcher on the turret or just cosmetics ?
The gun upgrade gives only range or also damage ?
If Wolfgang is sent into poland this means that he will be defeated by the Russian army ? From what I remember the russians capture poland in the first instances of the war

Will 2.0 gonna have general challanges ? I would love to hear some taunts from wolfgang :X
He is definitly my favorite general


Oh and 10'th panzer divizion going to defend Poland ?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/10th_Panzer_D...%28Wehrmacht%29

This post has been edited by aeroth: 4 Nov 2012, 8:36

[MARS]

Those launchers don't fire smoke. Every once in a while, they automatically fire a shrapnel grenade that wipes out an enemy infantry unit in -very- close proximity. It's basically a defence system against terrorists and hijackers, although obviously not fast enough to repel a second one following immediately after the first has triggered the system. The gun upgrade primarily affects the range, but the plans say that it also improves their firepower although I'm not sure if that's still up-to-date. As for the story, the ECA basically fights a 'retreating battle', meaning that they avoid clinging onto lost ground, but inflict as much damage as possible while they defend. The ECA will fight the Russians across the entire continent whereas the national armies primarily cling to their countries until the end, go underground once the country falls or get absorbed by the ECA to continue fighting conventionally. As such, Wolfgang obviously won't stop the Russians in Poland, but he'll keep moving with the front line and continue to be a total pain in the arse throughout the whole war.

PS: Him representing the 10th BW Panzerdivision was actually decided years ago, when his location was pinpointed in Sigmaringen. This is merely the logical consequence.
It's also worth keeping in mind that Bundeswehr units do -not- regard themselves as direct continuations of old Wehrmacht units, even if they share the same name.

[Admiral FCS]

Brought a single tear to my eyes. So beautiful. And Wolfgang is just so... respectable, his backstory so rich.

[Anubis]

DAT LEO. Nice to see that old RoE concept modeled. For some reason the factory looks alot more like a supply depot, but meh.

[Dangerman]

Great depot and Leopard, BTW why isn't the Mobile Array not avaliable in this update considering that it was pratically revealed in yesterday's video? Will it be shown in a future update and will the non-Combat Lynx be shown in a future or are they stuff we know but they're pretty self-explanatory. Regardless I hope defenses are next .

This post has been edited by dangerman1337: 4 Nov 2012, 9:23

[aeroth]

Will Wolfgang get some ability's like the old frenzy or some blitzkrieg were his units move and shoot faster ?

What about Manticore ? Or Gepard Flakpanzer ? Why are they not included in this update about the warfactory ?

This post has been edited by aeroth: 4 Nov 2012, 9:40

[wb21]

Nicely done.

[Jester]

That leopard is awesome! Please gives us harrier and tigre next

[MARS]

Great depot and Leopard, BTW why isn't the Mobile Array not avaliable in this update considering that it was pratically revealed in yesterday's video? Will it be shown in a future update and will the non-Combat Lynx be shown in a future or are they stuff we know but they're pretty self-explanatory. Regardless I hope defenses are next .

Even though it was shown a long time ago, the Lynx APC is regarded as 'done', so there won't be an additional update about it. As for the Mobile Sensor Array, we are going to present it properly in an update later on.

Will Wolfgang get some ability's like the old frenzy or some blitzkrieg were his units move and shoot faster ?

What about Manticore ? Or Gepard Flakpanzer ? Why are they not included in this update about the warfactory ?

Frenzy is a China thing, so that's a no for the first question. As for the other units, they will be presented in a bunch of other updates soon enough. We like to spread these out, you know.

[aeroth]

How mobile is the leopard compared to other mbt's ?

[MARS]

Not as agile as the Crusader, Battlemaster and Scorpion, but more so than the Kodiak IIRC.

[SpiralSpectre]

Leopard sounds like a really fun MBT to play with. It's well rounded, and the feigned retreat style of the tanks sound really interesting. The sharpnel spray is a great addition for a MBT.

BTW is the range upgrade going to become exclusive to Wolfgang later?

The story was really inspirational. Gets the blood pumping and makes you excited about what's gonn ahappen next. We already knew quite a bit about Wolfgang's rich past already but an organised recap is always welcomed. BTW did he always have those glasses in his MTG pic?

so let's see now

This means we know the abilties of all the MBTs

China: Battlmaster, Horde bonus, Cheap, Upgrades to improntu suicide bomber with improved speed and damage
ECA: Leopard, Garrsion-gun, Anti-infantry ability Long range, Upgrades for improved range
GLA: Scorpion, Salvage, Fast, Upgrades with missile and poison shells and self-repair.
USA: Crusader, Hover-mode, Drones, Pilot Ejection Upgrades durability and veterancy rate.
Russia Kodiak, Machine gun, Husk, Highest power, Upgrades durability.

Did i miss anything?

Battlemasters "suicide bomber" explosion can be prevented now.

[MARS]

^ The old MTG is still on our ModDB page. You can vaguely see the glasses now that you know they're -there- but I can't fault you for not having noticed them back then. As for the upgrade, it'll be available to Wolfgang and Willem in this form.

[SpiralSpectre]

^ The old MTG is still on our ModDB page. You can vaguely see the glasses now that you know they're -there- but I can't fault you for not having noticed them back then. As for the upgrade, it'll be available to Wolfgang and Willem in this form.

So they were there before? Yeah missed them the last time. But I guess that shows that there is no need to say anything more about the improvement in quality between the older MTGs and the new MTGs. The quality speaks for itself.

BTW we never heard who does/do the works on the MTGs. Or maybe we did and I forgot.

[Kireto01]

Will the Lynx APC have its armored skirts upgrade and machinegun in 1.8 ?

[Lobo Solitario]

Seems about right. For the Leopard, I'd summarise it as:
Long range, slow production, crewed MG, targeted 'canister shot', automatic 'proximity grenades' and upgrades. Noe that most factions seem to have some upgrades that improve their MBTs so the Leopard isn't really special in that regard.

You did forget the Smoke Grenades of the Kodiak though.

Is the canister shot a targeted tiny AoE then?

This post has been edited by Lobo Solitario: 4 Nov 2012, 11:58

[aeroth]

So both the canister shot and the machinegun are anti-infantery. Lessons that they learn vs gla sounds excelent.

But the canister shot is used automated vs infantery or vs everything ? Will the machinegun shoot in other tanks/buildings too ? Will it be be able to shoot in helicopters?



What happens if I mount an engineer in a tank ? What happens if i mount an MG will it have different effects ?

This post has been edited by aeroth: 4 Nov 2012, 12:28

[MARS]

BTW we never heard who does/do the works on the MTGs. Or maybe we did and I forgot.

The revised ones were all written by myself - in the same way that I write the usual story parts of an update - and The_Hunter/Comr4de put them in the new format. The original MTGs where written by some former team members back when we were still hosted on the old forum IIRC.

Will the Lynx APC have its armored skirts upgrade and machinegun in 1.8 ?

The Lynx will always have a machine gun that needs to be manned in order to fire and the skirts will be available via an upgrade.

Is the canister shot a targeted tiny AoE then?

Targeted ability with a cooldown and some AoE that makes it effective against infantry but worthless against everything else.

But the canister shot is used automated vs infantery or vs everything ? Will the machinegun shoot in other tanks/buildings too ? Will it be be able to shoot in helicopters?
What happens if I mount an engineer in a tank ? What happens if i mount an MG will it have different effects ?

See above for the canister shot. The MG will fire at all ground targets when manned and is more than just a mere visual peashooter. You can operate it with all ECA infantry units that have an attack and require only one transport slots. Engineers can ride in that transport slot, but they cannot operate the weapon.

[aeroth]

Engineers can ride in that transport slot, but they cannot operate the weapon.

Too bad the slow building time. With this peark an leopard with engineers rush would have winned some games.

[flyingpancake]

^ The old MTG is still on our ModDB page. You can vaguely see the glasses now that you know they're -there- but I can't fault you for not having noticed them back then. As for the upgrade, it'll be available to Wolfgang and Willem in this form.

Why does the British general not get it? since he is focust on long range weapons and artillery right?

[MARS]

As for the upgrade, it'll be available to Wolfgang and Willem in this form.