A New Map, Help Wanted, and More!

[Monique]

If you're anticipating MidEast Crisis 2, then you're bound to love this post. I've got two new screenshots to share, information on what the team has been up to, and a couple opportunities to work with us on this awesome mod.


Screenshots
The good stuff first.

This is the GOI base in the flesh. You're looking at the command center, warfactory, airfield, internet center, guerilla warfare center, and production building. The latter is a new building, which decreases build time of any factory its placed near by 10%.

The IDF base relies heavily on skycranes. Almost everything can be moved at a moment's notice. The helipad shown can also be upgraded into an airfield, and functions as a warfactory.

The MEC2 News

We just released our latest internal build, this time including the IDF as a playable faction as well as including a brand new map called Temple Mount. Temple Mount  is a 4 player map, with the Dome of the Rock in the center.


Need New Recruits for Beta

Beta applications? Yeah, we have them. We are looking to add more testers in order to help complete testing the IDF. Click the banner below to head over to our application.




Help Wanted!

Lastly, MEC2 could use your help! If you have a beautiful voice, head to the forums for more information. We currently need voices for the IDF and GOI, plus a French Peacekeeper. If you're native to the area in question or can do a good impersonation, we want to hear from you--literally!

[Tea Man]

I love the designs of the buildings; GOI's genuinely blends in with the terrain, and then you've got the IDF's high-tech stuff really standing out. The ideas behined the IDF's skycranes and war factory is cool too (Am i right in thinking skycrane's come along to drop off new vheicles. My only worry would be that if a GOI player spammed SAM and surrounded an IDF base, he could stop the player from doing anything since all his unit construction and base moving relies on air.

I noticed the nuclear reactor in the IDF base. I assume that's their power plant. I would've suggested having solar power instead (less dangerous, and they are in a desert...), but maybe it wouldn't provide enough power for the base to run.

Guerilla warfare centre? Sounds cool?

btw, bit off topic, but will the Merkava have transport ability? I noticed that you have an IDF APC too, so thought you might say in the canon that the Merk V doesen't have it.

[KniveZ]

Actually, the skycranes are just 'eye candy' they arent like the other aircraft units, I guess they just come in from top down the map and on to the helipad (meaning it wont come in from the map's edge) Im not sure about this either, but that's how MEC1 functioned

[abra]

Awesome work guys! 
Btw, I've noticed that you did change the Merkava's skin a bit...
Keep it up! It looks very promising.

@ KniveZ, stop changing your avatar every now and then - I almost didn't recognize you...

[KniveZ]

It's a Lebanese T-55 in the civil war (isnt it adorable )

[onbeperkt]

looks great, is the zoom lvl in game going to be different then c&c3. When i look a the pictures the view is pretty close on the buildings. So whats going to happen with zoom in mec2?. i hope not the same in c&c3 because i think its too close.

onbeperkt.

[KniveZ]

I actually thought it was the opposit in CnC3, I prefer the game to be upclose somewhat, since I wanna feel like im in the war

[onbeperkt]

I would like to have a zoom in and out feature. I think the zoom lvl should be like generals and the players should be able to zoom further in or out like they want it to. But i dont know if the sage engine supports on the fly zooming, i think the zoom lvl is fixed when building a map.

[KniveZ]

not really, you can zoom as you like when building a map, but the zoom option is flexible (when coding) during gameplay

[smurfbizkit]

@Tea Man,

Yes, the Skycranes fly in, and drop off the vehicles. This isn't a graphical thing either...like MEC1 was, you can shoot down the incoming Skycranes. However...these fly in from the nearest side of the map, so its only an issue if you move your base to more exposed, center areas.

There is a LOT of balance testing to be done, however right now...the issue isn't of the GOI easily being able to take out the IDF's incoming air-units...its more, how to prevent the IDF from completely obliterating the GOI (which they do in the current build...).

----

We don't have "power plants" like in typical C&C's. All units in MEC2 require fuel, which normally is captured from gas stations, derricks on the map...the IDF however, can build 1 nuclear power plant which generates a sizable amount of fuel. The catch is that the IDF isn't great at defending stationary bases, and when it explodes...bad things happen.

@Abra,

Nice catch! yea..the Merkava is only slightly tweaked, the version shown is it in its default state. Right now the upgraded medical version uses the serpent symbol, instead of the red cross. Everyone complained far too much about it before which contributed to the change, although the main reason is that I'd like to keep any cross images on UN units.

---------------------------

Regarding Zoom level...

Its been under some debate, yes we are perfectly able to allow players to zoom out as far as they'd like. The problem is that it'll hurt performance with those on low-end PC's...although that isn't the major issue for us.

The real reason is the graphics, if we pulled the zoom out, we'd need to also pull the minimum zoom out...so that we'd have it so the most you'd be zoomed in, would be similar to as shown in those screens. The reason for this is that you need an easy way to snap back to the default zoom level (which would never change). In C&C3 the default zoom is the highest zoom you're at...and tthen you can zoom in to look at things. If we changed it, the default would be normal viewing, then you'd pop the zoom out to get a better tactical view of the map.

From my understanding, I don't think we could keep the current zoom-in amount, and just add in more zoom-out...since you wouldn't have that easy zoom level to snap to. You'd just have to manually kinda hover around somewhere in the middle of it. (which is a shame)

Now the issue it comes with is the art...textures will become blurry, things won't look as good (and at teh same time, again..hurting performance) when zoomed out. And additionally....you couldn't zoom all the way in, and see the enourmous amount of time we've spent on the art in the mod (which is a shame).

If you guys have ideas here...please post them, this is definitely an important issue!

[KniveZ]

does Israel have any artillery to counter katyushas?

and as for Israel being able to obliterate the GOI too easily, wouldnt the Mig make up for all the other weaker ground units? or when it comes to the THEL its basically useless?

[onbeperkt]

@smurfbizkit

Uhm i guess i understand a bit of the problems you guys are facing. But can't you bind a button to the default zoom lvl so players won't have to manually go to the middle zoom.

Theirs a zoom mod available for c&c3 and it actually looks quit good, i dont see any blurry objects on the screenshots.
http://www.moddb.com/mods/10206/zoommapmod/images/73167/zoommapmod-screenshot-001#imagebox

Is it possible to make the max zoom like the image on the url i just gave.
bind a button to default zoom
and still be able to zoom in so we can all enjoy the art.

forgive me for asking things you allready answerd in your previous message, im not so good in english.
I think the game expierience would be much better when theirs a decent zoom lvl as seen on the image. Right now with c&c it just too close and i believe the c&c community didn't like it either but quicky got over it because their were are alot of others things to worry about.

[smurfbizkit]

@KniveZ,

Yes the IDF has arty...just havn't shown it yet (needs its own particlefx).

@onbeperkt,

We'll need to look into it, a good point there.

[Galorian]

@smurfbizkit

Uhm i guess i understand a bit of the problems you guys are facing. But can't you bind a button to the default zoom lvl so players won't have to manually go to the middle zoom.

Theirs a zoom mod available for c&c3 and it actually looks quit good, i dont see any blurry objects on the screenshots.
http://www.moddb.com/mods/10206/zoommapmod/images/73167/zoommapmod-screenshot-001#imagebox

Is it possible to make the max zoom like the image on the url i just gave.
bind a button to default zoom
and still be able to zoom in so we can all enjoy the art.

forgive me for asking things you allready answerd in your previous message, im not so good in english.
I think the game expierience would be much better when theirs a decent zoom lvl as seen on the image. Right now with c&c it just too close and i believe the c&c community didn't like it either but quicky got over it because their were are alot of others things to worry about.

sounds good.

[the.oddest]

The screenshots do look brilliant!!!

Yes it would be great to have the possibillaty to zoom out more!
C&C3 has a bad overfiew,well thats my opinion. Is it possible to put 1368x768 into the resolution options?
that would help me out allot. To make c&c3 look nice on my screen I have to select 1024x768 in the option menu.
But because of that it all looks way to big..So if it's possible I'm realy grateful.

Greetings odd