Revora News

Hey, the first topic in the 'Jobs' section this year. But hi, I'm Revora's Pasidon... you may remember me from such things like PR Department, Istari Productions, BFME Mapping, art shop dude and Minecraft guy... all things I failed miserably at. But unfortunately I'm horribly dedicated to Revora, so I have a few new projects you (yes, you) might want to get apart in. These are a bit more optimistic than my last, and I could use a few interested minds for my devious schemes, and such:

FIRSTLY

T-Shirt production

Rad and I are designing some epic T-Shirts. I'm behind the design process while he's leading the project, but we could use some design ideas. I implore all the games we host to get involved in this design process. We have some great projects / mods we can get some inspiration from. ALSO... if you have a good reputation at E-Bay... you can help us sell some shirts. If you help us sell shirts, you obviously get some money in the process.

SECONDLY

Rage Hammer

I have a very cool project under construction here at Revora at the moment: Rage Hammer. We have a great page design in mind and all, but I need some help from you guys. I need LOTS of PR to build the fan base. I know we can get Rage Hammer a successful chapter of the internet if we get the page up and get good PR. I can also use writers for the categories I have... but you have to be cynical and clever for that job. I'm also looking for an assistant if I do video reviews of stuff... interested? Well you better be cynical and clever for that job as well. Cynical AND clever... and a mic. But that's an ill hope. For now, I'll need PR after we get the page up.

THIRDLY

Minecraft

You may noticed I'm the only person doing crap in it. I could also use some more PR for my Minecraft page... I'm obviously no good at it.

This is the first update for 2012 and we're starting it off with updates from Lone Wolf and The Dwarf Holds both mods with upcoming releases.
So let's do this.

Battle for Middle Earth 1

• The Lone Wolf:First up are 2 beta announcements Beta 0.999 the final release of the old build due very soon.
  2nd is the announcement of the first beta for LWR Beta 0.1
  Third is some renders of the new Heather prop.
  4th is the new tech tree for the Deep.
  Below 2 videos for Lone Wolf will also be posted for the rest check out my Youtube channel
  
• The Dwarf Holds: TDH has 3 updates this time Heroes of the Mark, Rohan Spellbook part 1 and Rohan Spellbook part 2.

Radspakr
Lone Wolf map teasers - Hills of Rhudaur and Mountain Pass.

Update time!

This week we'll be revealing the last of the changes to Rohan's spellbook, which also makes this the last Rohan update!



Replacing the now-obsolete Anduril ability as one of Rohan's tier 2 powers is Aid from Lorien. A passive power, Aid from Lorien allows the player to recruit Haldir and the Galadhrim from the Rohan Archery Range.




With the ability to toggle between bow and sword, the Galadhrim are the same elves you know and love - with the exception of the trample immunity offered by their sword toggle, which has been removed. Your Galadhrim can still be upgraded with heavy armour, forged blades and fire arrows; can remain stealthed amongst trees; and can be combined into a double battalion.




Also joining Rohan's hero roster is Haldir, who is buildable from the archery range once Aid from Lorien has been purchased. A resourceful and versatile warrior, Haldir is able to remain hidden amongst trees; and his rank 1 Toggle allows him to switch between bow and sword. Whilst using his bow, Haldir is also able to use his rank 1, Pinpoint Strike ability, which damages an enemy unit and reduces their speed for a short duration.




At rank 4, Haldir gains his Elven Captain leadership ability, granting an attack and experience bonus to nearby Galadhrim. And lastly, at rank 7, is Haldir's Call Volley. When selected, Haldir fires a flaming signal arrow, which soon brings a flurry of arrows down on any unfortunate enemies within the targeted area.




And as many of you have guessed, replacing Army of the Dead as Rohan's final spellbook power are The Three Hunters. For 10pp, you can temporarily summon, Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli to the map, each with a range of unique abilities.

Firstly, each of the Three Hunters share the passive Hunter ability, which grants Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli a small boost to armour and speed whenever they are nearby either of the other hunters.




Aragorn gains his Knife Throw ability, which damages and reduces the armour of the targeted unit. Athelas allows Aragorn to heal his fellow hunters, as well as other friendly heroes; and Blademaster vastly increases his attack speed and damage for a short duration. A natural born leader, Aragorn's Leadership inspires surrounding troops, granting them a damage and experience bonus.




Legolas retains his Hawk Strike ability, allowing him to fire twin shots at a targeted enemy. Knife Fighter allows Legolas to temporarily switch to melee attacks, as well as granting him a boost to armour. Legolas' Train Archers grants experience to targeted units; and his Elf Eyes ability allows Legolas to reveal stealthed enemies within a targeted area.




Gimli keeps his Axe Throw ability, allowing him to take out multiple enemies at once. Donning the shield he was given by Theoden in Rohan's capital, the Buckler of Edoras grants Gimli an increase to defence, at a cost to speed. And lastly, Gimli's Dwarven Vengeance ability allows him to regain small amounts of health whilst attacking. A passive ability, it also inspires surrounding troops, providing them with a small boost.






And that's it! Hope you enjoyed this week's update, keep your eyes peeled for a release announcement which hopefully won't be too far away!

Project Phantom - 2012

Been quite a while, eh? Yeah, I thought the same. This newspost will bring you some media and other small things that'll hopefully show where the project is headed towards. The title does not only reflect the fact that this is first newspost of the year, it also means I am aiming for first public release during this year.

Website

Project Phantom website has been brought up-to-date, with new unit & structure profiles that come with in-game screenshots, some extra visual appeal to the layout of the site and new 'Media' section which currently mainly has few screenshots of the mod.


Media

Let's start from one of the more important aspects of this progress/media update. As you can see from the screenshot below, several Dominion structures have had a graphical makeover, replacing the recolored Westwood assets with all new artwork, and rest of them are to follow in future. This change has also altered the way some of the structures work, as well. In-depth detail on individual units & structures can be found on website. Another thing to note is currently work-in-progress Tundra theatre, a collaboration between me & m666 of Final War fame that will eventually replace Arctic theatre.


Click on the image to view it in a full size.

And no, I am not going to limit this graphical overhaul just to Dominion structures, other sides will also get makeover, in due a time. Phantom Power Core shown in image below.


Click on the image to view animation of the structure. It looks bit better in-game than in this, to be fair.

This of course means that mod is going to have some civilian/misc. eye candy as well, here's pictures of some doodads and those country flag things in-game, respectively.



Click on the images to view them in a full size.

And finally, 3 misc. screenshots from website Media section that were taken during beta testing online games of Project Phantom.




Click on the images to view them in a full size.


What's next?

In near future you could expect more media and showcases, in form of screenshots and possibly video footage as well. Mod content I am currently working on, aside from already mentioned structure graphic overlay & Tundra theatre along with other terrain improvements, involve technology branches, support powers and stolen technology. On top of that, I've been trying to do some map work, replacing some not-so-good or otherwise unfitting maps with more interesting ones. All of this will be showcased eventually too, in one form or another.


Final notes

Project Phantom is also currently looking for people capable of filling following roles in development.

- Infantry Artist.
- Mapper
- Concept/Promotional Art Creator.

More information available here.


Until next time.

Hey there!
In this weeks update, we'll be looking at the first lot of changes to Rohan's Spellbook.




Replacing Heal as one of Rohan's tier 1 powers is Ride Light and Swift. When activated, this global ability grants all your mounted units an increase in speed and a decrease in trample deceleration. Lasting for 30 seconds, Ride Light and Swift can be equally useful in cutting through enemy ranks, outmaneuvering foes, or for making hasty retreats.




At tier 2 is Muster of Rohan, replacing the now completely-removed Elven Wood. For 2pp, this ability provides a 60 second bonus to all stables when activated - decreasing the cost and build time of all mounted units. When combined with the cavalry discount provided by farms, the cost of mustering your rohirrim can be incredibly low!




Lastly, the Oath of Cirion replaces the Elven Allies power at tier 2. At a cost of 3pp, this ability summons 2 battalions of Gondor Archers and 2 battalions of Gondor Spearmen to Rohan's aid. Upgraded with heavy armour, your Gondorian allies can be extremely useful in raiding undefended settlements, outflanking enemy troops, or simply bolstering your existing forces.




And that's all for this update!

Next week: Rohan Spellbook Part II

Throughout the war the Germans had a technical advantage over the Allies with their Zoo of armoured vehicles, the Americans tried their hardest to close this gap but all of there efforts weren't ready before there superior numbers overwhelmed the German warmachine. You can now though put down the rabid German animals with the best the Americans had to offer.



The Pershing was originally designed to take on the Tiger tank, but by the time it was ready for combat Kingtigers where roaming Europe. To combat this new threat one of the prototype Pershings was upgunned with a more powerful 90mm cannon & rushed to France for field testing. Once there armour salvaged from a destroyed Panther tank was added, which brought it on par with the Kingtiger. The crew then went looking for prey but they only knocked out one Tiger tank before the war ended.


A post war upgrade of the M26 Pershing, most of the improvements are internal tho (engine, gun, armour thickness etc), so to differentiate it from the M26 in-game I gave it a tiger stripe paint scheme, which was used during the Korean War to "scare" the enemy.


The T28 (aka T95) is probably the most unique tank built during World War II. Originally designed to breakthrough the bunkers of the Siegfried Line. It's heavy armour, impervious to any know gun at the time meant it could drive right up to the enemy's defences & blast away. The Siegfried Line was breached before it was ready tho so thoughts turned to using it in the invasion of Japan but again the war ended before it could be put to use.
PS: This is the third time I've made a vxl of this tank & I'm still not happy with it XP


The first true heavy tank design since the M6 at the beginning of the war. It was used to test several types of engine & a experimental parallax rangefinder which in theory would have given it the ability to fire accurately at long ranges but it proved to be unreliable in anything other then perfect weather conditions.


The last of the war time heavy tank designs, the T34 used the same layout as the T29/T30 but equipped with a new 120mm cannon. The experience gained from working on the T34 was later used to help design the T43/M103 heavy tank.

Many discussions were about if super weapon general needs a super unit. And if yes then what should it look like? Super weapon general has her unique play style – to build defenses near enemy and attack by building defenses closer and closer to enemy base. At last, final decision was made. The thing you see on the render is walking fortress. Yes it is fortress because it can sustain direct hit of a nuclear missile and it is walking – with 2 legs. It is very complex to destroy it – it repairs itself and builds structures like a construction dozer. Its disadvantages are relatively weak firepower and very slow movement speed. It moves slower than infantry. Its usage is very similar to super weapon general play style – to move forward slowly and build defenses around itself.


Nemesis is new fighting vehicle for cyber general. It is not decided yet if it is a 3-rd rank or 5-th rank unit. But, in any case, it will be universal attack flyer with good armor, ability to attack both ground and air targets and slow movement speed.


Yet another cyber general unit is Harbinger cargo helicopter. It will replace Chinook. It will be absolutely equal to Chinook by its functions, but will be slightly faster.


New 3d model for laser general “Omega” cannon.


And at last, here are a couple of models for maps and missions. There units won't be buildable, but you will see them on some multiplayer maps and in single player missions. First model is China armored train. It has radar, ECM, antiaircraft turrets, dual nuke cannon and two Overlord turrets on board. In addition, it rams and crushes everything on its way. It will be strong enemy.


The second model is neutral bunker, which can be found on some maps. It is just a conventional building with good armor. In contrast to other buildings, you can't clear it by destroying garrisoned enemy infantry with fire, poisons and other antipersonnel weapons.

Here is a preview of the new desert terrain I've been working on. Most of the RA2 tile sets have been reskinned, but there are lots of new sets that I still want to add.


Part of a new map based on the Suez canal, it's the first new desert map & still very much a WIP.


One of the standard RA2 maps so ignore the buildings & trees, but shows the new cliffs well.

Hey everybody!

Before we dive into the second Rohan update, we thought it'd be nice to give you an update on the progress of the mod. Unfortunately, Nertea is going to be away for a couple of weeks, so the release of the next patch is going to be delayed until after he comes back. Rest assured though, that progress on the mod is going swimmingly, and that besides some bugfixing and polishing, there isn't a lot left to finish off. You've all been incredibly patient - just hang in there, it won't be much longer

Until then however, i'll be taking over the next few updates, which will cover the last changes included in the next version, 0.75!




In this update, we'll be looking at some exciting changes to the Rohan hero roster.





Firstly, in keeping with the changes made to his Gondorian counterpart Pippin, Merry will be receiving a new power - Esquire of Rohan. Available at rank 4, this passive power grants Merry a boost in armour and health. Merry otherwise remains unchanged, retaining his Elven Cloak and Toggle Sword/Rock abilities.





Newly added to Rohan's ranks is Gamling the Old. Although a capable warrior on foot, Gamling can also use his Mount ability at rank 1, allowing him to join the ranks of your rohirrim archers. A stout and loyal soldier, Gamling's Fealty ability is also available at rank 1, which grants Gamling a passive experience boost whenever near Theoden, Eomer or Erkenbrand. At rank 4, his Master of Archers leadership provides a passive attack buff to yeoman archers and rohirrim archers.





At rank 6, Gamling is able to summon The King's Standard, a banner that provides leadership and replenishes nearby battalions. It is only temporary however, and can also be destroyed by the enemy if not protected.





Also joining the Rohan hero roster is Erkenbrand. A great warrior and strong leader, Erkenbrand's rank 1 ability, Horn of the Westfold, inspires nearby troops and provides them with boosts to attack and speed. At rank 3, Erkenbrand displays the Red Shield of the Mark, which grants Erkenbrand additional health, as well as attack and armour bonuses to peasants, westfold miltia and yeoman archers. And like most of the Rohan heroes, Erkenbrand is equally skilled on horse and foot - his Mount ability available at rank 4 allows Erkenbrand to ride forth with the rest of your Rohirrim.





Erkenbrand receives his Rally the Westmark ability at rank 6 - a passive ability which decreses the cost of peasants, horsemen of the mark, and westfold militia. And finally, Erkenbrand becomes a truly fearsome warrior at rank 8, when he receives his Hammerhand Reborn ability. When activated, Erkenbrand's damage is greatly increased, and he may randomly deliver a devastating blow to knock back and damage his surrounding enemies!





Lastly, as many of you know, Aragorn and Gimli have assumed their roles amongst the heroes of Gondor and Erebor respectively. As such, Legolas has also been removed from Rohan's heroes. Don't worry though, more will be revealed on the fate of the Three Hunters in a future update




Next week: Rohan Spellbook Part I

I know I've missed Christmas this year, but I can still wish you all a


Happy New Year!
from Revora