It's That Time Again

[EvilViking 0]

The ball is rolling here once again, An Act of War fans! Despite hectic schedules for all of the team members, work has continued throughout, and is now rapidly picking up speed. I'd like to officially welcome back An Act of War mapper "IronRaptor" to the team! After a brief stint mapping for Empire at war, he's back where he belongs, the sweatshops beneath Derelict Studio's secret island base.

 

For today's update, we've got several renders and some hot off the press screenshots as well! This first render is carlie-7's first unit texture on the team. Expect plenty more high quality work from him as well as weston in the future!

 

From the Iraqi Faction Manual:

 

MiG-21 Drone

Purpose:  Anti-Infantry, Anti-Tank, Support, Harassment.

Baghdad has allegedly conducted experiments in converting aircraft into UAVs capable of carrying 2,000-liter spray tanks.  A variety of intelligence sources report that Iraq has converted an unspecified number of MiG-21 fighters into UAVs designed to conduct long range chemical or biological spray attacks.

 

 

This is the cheapest Iraqi aircraft that will be available to Iraqi Generals. It's armed with a chemical sprayer that douses ground units in a lethal flyby of anthrax, nerve, or other toxic gas. These aircraft are cheap drones not meant for much combat action, but are very expendable. When destroyed, the MiG-21 drone will smash into the ground, rupturing it's gas tanks and spilling whatever remaining chemicals were on board.

 

Our next render actually displays three different Iraqi infantry units. Presenting the pride of the Army of the Phoenix, the Iraqi Republican Guard, the Iraqi Desolator (aka, Chemical Trooper), and the Iraqi Rocket Guard, created by medicdude:

 

 

Here's their descriptions from the Iraqi Faction Manual:

 

Republican Guard

Purpose:  Anti-Infantry, Urban Terrain Acquisition.

These are not the soldiers who surrendered to the Americans in the hundreds of thousands during the Gulf War.  The feared Republican Guard is Iraq's crack fighting force, an elite squad par excellence crammed full of the fittest, best-trained, best-equipped and most highly motivated men in the country's army. They are armed with automatic weapons. Through bringing in Chinese and other foreign advisers, Republican Guard units can be built as veterans with the "Infantry Training" upgrade.

 

Rocket Guard

Purpose:  Anti-Tank, Anti-Air, Urban Terrain Acquisition.

Iraq’s tank fighters are well armed for dealing with armored ground vehicles and flying vehicles alike.  They are good at defending convoys of armor against air attacks and are even better at defending against enemy armor.

 

Iraqi Desolator (Chemical Trooper)

Purpose:  Anti-Infantry, Clear Garrisoned Structures, Terrain Acquisition.

These soldiers have been trained to use chemical weapons as standard munitions. Their weapons inflict area effect damage and their toxins are highly lethal to anything that breaths and can even do slight corrosive damage to vehicles.

 

I also decided to throw this min-render in as a bonus! This is a very simply Iraqi "structure", the anti-tank mine.

 

 

The Anti-Tank Mine can be deployed very quickly onto the battlefield by Iraqi Dozers. They can be used for base defense, or offensively for blocking choke points. The Anri-Tank mine cannot be seen by the enemy, except by stealth detecting units. The mine explodes when an enemy gets near it, or if the player detonates it manually.

 

I've also got a nice round up of eight ingame screenshots for you, highlighting some of the units found in this update, as well as general battle scenes. All of these screenshots were taken in the past week in the 1.68 staff alpha.

 

 

Before I hit the submit button on this update, I have a few other quick notes. My MSN Messenger account (formally PCTeen1@cncgames.every1.net) has been deleted. I've also unfortunately lost my entire contact list. If you had me on your contact list, please add my new MSN Messenger address, which is also my current email address: EvilViking@gmail.com Please note that while I appreciate fans contacting me, I'd like to remind you that I'm usually very busy and may not be able to talk. Thanks!

 

Also, don't forget that we're still looking for help! If you have a talent for texturing, modeling, particle effects, mapping/scripting, 2D art, voice acting, or any other modding skill that you think might be useful, please email me at EvilViking@gmail.com!

 

Expect another update as soon as I can prepare it (these things take a lot of work! Whew!)

 

EvilViking

[Ranger_Logan 0]

The models are looking good, as well as the textures and love the screenshots.

 

Keep it up!

[usafirewarrior 0]

So will U.S. solders be stronger then the Guard infantry ?

[IconOfEvi 0]

Excellent as per usual Viking ;)

[Jackseno 0]

Awseome, glad to see the ball is rolling again

[maskawaih 0]

ZOMG! Drone!

[Goblin 0]

Very neat, i'm gonna have to buy Zero Hour again.

[Manik 0]

Mig-21 Drone as it being not piloted? Doesn’t seem likely to me for Iraq to have, for the simple fact that it would be more expensive to retrofit and older Mig-21 Fishbed to be flown remotely them it would be to strap a pilot in. It's just not cost effective. IMO it would actually make them pretty expensive. Although they are in service still, they definitely wouldn't be produced that way, as they haven’t been manufactured since the mid 80's. I just don’t see the Iraqis having the budget or the sophistication to be running a full sized UAV built off an existing airframe. To be honest any explanation for that vehicle in a game of modern times would be very thin.

Edited October 21, 2006 by Manik

[Lenin1917 0]

Over 16,000 MiG-21s were built so it wouldnt be that hard to get them cheaply from Russian surplus or something along those lines.

Edited October 21, 2006 by Lenin1917

[Sasquatch 0]

russian, turkish, chinese, iranian.....

[someone 0]

Mig-21 Drone as it being not piloted? Doesn’t seem likely to me for Iraq to have, for the simple fact that it would be more expensive to retrofit and older Mig-21 Fishbed to be flown remotely them it would be to strap a pilot in. It's just not cost effective. IMO it would actually make them pretty expensive. Although they are in service still, they definitely wouldn't be produced that way, as they haven’t been manufactured since the mid 80's. I just don’t see the Iraqis having the budget or the sophistication to be running a full sized UAV built off an existing airframe. To be honest any explanation for that vehicle in a game of modern times would be very thin.

 

See this link for explination:

 

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iraq/l-29.htm

Edited October 23, 2006 by someone

[someone 0]

russian, turkish, chinese, iranian.....

Not Iranian, Iraq and Iran have issues with one another.

[Kaiser_Smeghead 0]

Its nice to see you guys making progress again. Those Iraqi infantry look great. :)

[Aprastnov 0]

Hi guys... I'm a newbie in this forum, but followed AAOW progress in months.

 

Since it's been so long since v1.1 released, why don't you guys publish the newer beta version? maybe v1.5 or 1.6 is okay, so we can see all progress that your team had done (ssst... but for me... I can play newer AAOW :D ).

 

Only suggestion guys... but so far, I think this mod is worth to waited

[HailStorm 0]

Nice Work.

 

but uh, what happens if the mig 21 gets blown up when it's sitting in it's base? is this going to affect it's own troops?

 

and how is this going to be an anti-tank craft if is has spray tanks?

[Jackseno 0]

well imagine a flying demo truck with bio bomb installed?

[someone 0]

Would the MiG Drone be able to clear-out garrisoned buildings by spraying them with toxins? If not, which Iraqi unit is supposed to clear garrisoned structures (other than the Desolator, since it is a “campaign only” unit) ?

[Commander Flea 0]

this mod looks awsome!!! i folowed it a wee bit but nvr dled it... i have now givin up hope on IA its dead... so im givin this a go... looking and sounding gr8! keep up the good work guys :)

[Jackseno 0]

dyou know where we could find the old news threads?

[EvilViking 0]

Go to the main news forums ( http://www.derelictstudios.net/forums/index.php?showforum=92 ), and below the topics, where the box says "from the last 90 days", click there and select "from the beginning". That should show you all the news posts.

[someone 0]

I do not want to seem rude or demanding, but could anyone (preferably somebody from the AAOW team :) ) please answer my previous question ?

 

Would the MiG Drone be able to clear-out garrisoned buildings by spraying them with toxins? If not, which Iraqi unit is supposed to clear garrisoned structures (other than the Desolator, since it is a “campaign only” unit) ?

[EvilViking 0]

Sure! As of right now, we are planning on allowing the player to clear buildings with the MiG-21 Drone.

[someone 0]

Sure! As of right now, we are planning on allowing the player to clear buildings with the MiG-21 Drone.

:) Sweet! Wait … :huh: that is not a sarcastic retort, is it? :huh:

[tmapm 0]

I don't think it was. :)

[EvilViking 0]

:) Sweet! Wait … :huh: that is not a sarcastic retort, is it? :huh:

No, it wasn't sarcasm. :lol: