C&C: RA3

Karma Police

He also did the Ordos tracks from EBFD. Failure is Not an Option, anyone?

WASHAKAFAMA!

Got my RA3 beta activated the other day, it's actually quite good, weird though after a few games I almost don't wanna play it. Will take getting used to it feels very different to C&C3 and closer to Red Alert 2 but in a weird way.
It feels heavy almost maybe it's the limited options or the extreme closeup camera but it just feels, heavy, industrial there's no other way to described it. I really wanna play some more, but I also wanna experience getting to grips with this game through the campaign, that's part of the fun. I'm so conflicted.

Level: 150

I had my first experience with RA3 tonight. I haven't played online yet*, so i'm sure i'm missing out on a lot of the fun.
My initial impressions are mixed. It looks nice, but the art style and units (especially the Japanese ones) are a bit too wacky for my tastes.
I don't really like how the Allied and Japanese build systems worked either.

Given that i play RTS games for the singleplayer, i don't know how much time i'll spend with the betas. I think I'll just wait until the full game comes out and if the reviews give it a good score for the singleplayer/storyline I'll give it another look.

([*] I found a variable inside one of the UI files - something along the lines of RA3PublicDemo = 1. Setting this to 0 enables the full menu UI with campaign, skirmish, and LAN play. There is no AI or campaign files, so you don't really gain anything except the ability to play by yourself without having to be online. This "bug" was apparently fixed in the first patch)

WASHAKAFAMA!

I found another work around that works with all versions, if you have windows firewall block Red Alert 3 it makes the game behave very strangely online, you can login and connect to gamespy. Then you start an auto-match and shortly after create a match and it seems to jump start into the game with no other players present. Choose your team using the team selection in the auto-match screen and there you go.

Level: 94

you know, if your firewall was doing its job, you wouldn't even be able to log in

Level: 137

Yeah, that is pretty worrying.

WASHAKAFAMA!

Yeah but windows firewall is crap.

Level: 92

Just got RA3 a few days ago.
I got it cuz of my RA2 nostalgia (2 no longer runs on my PC) and this modding forum.
Did anyone else think the story was a bit of a stretch?

1: If Einstein was killed before he invented his time machine and killed hitler... Why are Germany still allies?
2: If Einstein is dead... why do Allies still have chrono technology? My memory is fuzzy, but didn't he help invent the Chronosphere?
3: Why did nuclear weapons disappear? Einstein did not invent atom bombs. He was one of SEVERAL people who suggested splitting atoms would unleash energy. Atoms and atom-based weapons would still exist without him.
4: What's up with the game's tech? Soviets can make walking tanks and boats, but can't make the Apocalypse with AA missiles anymore? And Allies don't have walking machines, when their tech's always been higher?

Also... I know that fanservice sells games, but did anyone else find the amount of cleavage distasteful?

Blah Blah Blah

Level: 92

Don't get me wrong, RA3 is fun to play, so long as you ignore the plot holes and the fanservice, just like the first AvP movie.
But it's just for a game boasting to continue it on, it has one too many plot holes.
I've looked into it. My own thoughts are in bold, game story is in normal text.

In 1946, Albert Einstein invented the first Chronosphere device, which was actually a fully working TIME MACHINE. He uses this to travel back in time to 1924, when Hitler was released from prison. By interacting with Hitler, Einstein deletes him from time, and is himself thrown back to the year 1946. However, eradicating Hitler from time changed the past - as a result, Nazi Germany never rose up as a power to initiate World War II. Instead, the Soviet Union, under Joseph Stalin built up a large force, and themselves began Great World War II in the 1950's, with Germany joining the Allied Forces of Europe. I don't know if a specific date is ever given in here or in Red Alert II, but we know it was the 50's at least.
Red Alert 2 was a direct sequel. When Joseph Stalin was defeated, Premier Alexander Romanov was put in charge of Russia, hailed by the allied forces to be able to do the job. However, as we all know, Romanov decided he should launch a major attack against America and Europe, this was known as Great World War III.
However, in Red Alert 3, it's played that the Russians were beaten back, crushed and defeated.
Cherdenko had a soviet time machine created (Despite the fact that it's Allied domain?) and travels back to 1927, where they killed Einstein in the same way he killed Hitler.
Now, here's what you have to understand... Although Einstein killed Hitler in 1924, he didn't do that until 1946. If he was killed in 1927, he would not have invented the original Chronosphere which made him travel back in time to 1924. Because of this, they changed it so Einstein never killed Hitler. This is the key bit. They killed him in 1927. This means:
*Einstein never invented a chrono device
*Einstein never worked with the Allies
*Einstein never went back in time
*Hitler was not assassinated prematurely.

Because of this, we could assume that when they returned to whenever the hell it is now, World War II happened alot like it did in the real world.
Upon returning, we are told that Soviet forces are dominating the Allies because the Allies no longer have the superior weapons provided by Einstein. However, as they still use Mirage tanks, Chrono weapons, and Prism weapons, I don't know what exactly they're meant to have lost.
Suddenly, the Empire of the Rising Sun declares it's war. The Russians say "no problem, we'll launch nukes at them!" To which they get looks of confusion.
Now, let's pause a minute. If they had nukes that can eradicate an invanding force, why weren't they used on the allies, instead of the lengthy jaunt through time?
Apparently, Nuclear devices were never invented without Einstein. Remember, Einstein was not the sole creator of every nuclear technology today. He was one of MANY people who suggested splitting atoms would unleash a large amount of energy. So if he didn't do it, someone else would have.

So, you can delete someone from time, and inexpliccably you will be winning against an army who has lost technology they're still using which was invented directly from that person, but you don't have your superweapon that person was only indirectly involved with. WHAT?

So, as you can see, the whole time travel thing.. They didn't really think through.
If they want to play it that way, saying that Einstein was killed in 1927, then it'd be a realistic wargame based on World War II. Because none of the magical RA technology would exist for the allies.

But, willing suspension of disbelief, let's say here that Einstein's murder by a mysterious soviet assassin became known. Nuclear technology was delayed a little without his push and theories, but ultimately still came to be somewhere in the 1950's. However, prism (or any variant thereof) and mirage technology were never invented, and the allies have NO chronosphere technologies.
The Soviets have their full nuclear arsenal (including nuclear reactors and desolators like in RA2)
This predates the original wars, so we're talking being back to RA1 era.
The assassination is taken as a serious threat, forming the allied nations (including Germany), rallying them with no special weapons against the soviet army. As this is happening in the past, it predates the soviet time machine's invention, so there is NO chrono tech for either side.
Somehow, perhaps due to might and willpower, the soviets start to win the war against the soviets, but around this time, Hitler decides to go all nuts and exterminate anyone who isn't the superior gene, making him the third faction.
This is what RA3 SHOULD have been. An alternate timeline to the alternate timeline, done correctly.
I could even draft up unit lists, if anyone would like to see how I think the game should look.

Blah Blah Blah

I agree completely, and about that last part, I've recently considered the possibility of the RA universe making a complete loop and ending with a return to near-traditional WWII-era history.

Level: 92