Over at The Red Alert, we have some great new art--12 screens worth--from Tsumetai to show you. I think, in this case, pictures speak louder than words. Hopefully this brings back memories of 1996.

I wanted to point you guys to the new CNCNZ Roundtable, an excellent community feature that lets varying viewpoints be heard each month. This month featured quite a bit of discussion on the news we broke two weeks ago about the floated description of C&C 4. I participated, as well as webmasters from around the community. You can read the full thing here.

Also, the mod Blitzkrieg II, recreating World War II in the Generals engine, has made it to a release point. The mod is quite large--more than 700mb with each side having more than 50 units--and you can learn more here.

Let There Be Fight

By Clone11b

It's been a while since Clone11b sent us a Red Alert 3 map, but he has made another Classic Red Alert 2 adaption. This highly detailed map is now available in our downloads section. For a preview, click on the thumbnails below.

Author's Description: This map is a partial remake of the Red Alert 2 map, Let There Be Fight. The reason it is a partial remake is that I decided to add more water and a middle island for more strategic options. There is only 1 entry point into each of the starting positions, with 2 Ore Nodes close by (1 on water and 1 on land) to expand to. There is also an Oil Derrick nearby for an extra income boost. The middle island holds 2 Ore Nodes and can be easily cut off from the enemy. The use of a Navy will prove very useful in taking out bases.

Enjoy

Download: Let There Be Fight

Cannon Fodder

By TiberianFiend

TiberianFiend has completed his latest Red Alert 3 map, another Classic Red Alert 2 re-make. This excellent fun map is already available in our downloads section. Click on the thumbnails and get a closer look.

A little background story to suit the map.

Small-tropical islands were used to hold strategic positions, only Havana and Hawaii held as direct access to America. This island was stumbled across by the Allies during the fall back of the Empire, finding that the main island and the surounding islands rich with resources, the Allies quickly occupied and populated to maintain a "resource fall-back plan" should the Empire spring more suprises such as the talented Yuriko Omega or the Shogun Ex. The island also contained a great array of transition metals which were suitable for Japan's mass robotic production, without it Japan wouldn't have been able to start such an ambitious and successful attack on Russia.

Many spring rain-falls in the local area have caused mass destruction and have left many shipwrecks along the coast. Flooding was a major issue with access to on-land oil. In an attempt to balance this out many companies built oil platforms on land, however the stresses of the aftermath from the floods proved too much for any machine installed there, so attempts to gain a steady flow of oil have since been abandoned due to construction costs.

Author's Description: After playing Red alert 2 again, I really wanted to get a map from it and recreate it for Red Alert 3. With all this in mind I needed a map which was unique and could appeal to both navy and ground forces. So I have now have completed the first version of Cannon Fodder so that everyone else can enjoy it as much as I have.

The layout from the original, has only changed on the water due to the Naval construction. I always remember that the starting areas were generally big enough for a small high tech base so I changed it a bit so that it remains the same. The base area is big enough for a small higher tier base and two of the cliff starting points have a small village to occupy. AA and other infantry help protect the base.

The other starting point has more area to build in, making it good for a large higher tier base without the natural AA village garrison area. There are 3 off-shore islands with an Ore Node on each side and 2 major Tech islands for Navy yards and a single Oil Pump. Each starting area will have a Radar Tech building located at the far back of the base, which is great to keep an eye on what the other player is sending out to hit you with.

Download: Cannon Fodder

EA recently released the newest patch for Red Alert 3. It includes a hefty change log with many balance fixes. This patch also includes two mapsm Spring Fever (2 Player) and Blitzen’s Back (4 Player). You can get it from our servers here.

Fort Morgan

By Gren

This 4 Player Red Alert 3 map, is at long last completed and is now ready for some fun play. Available from our downloads section. But first have a look at some of the detail by clicking on the thumbnails below.

Author's Description: Fort Morgan was originally put forward as a suggested Red Alert 3 map by Nocturnal, a forum member on the EA main forums. Having looked at some aerial shots of the historic site in Alabama, I also thought that it could be a good scenario for a game map. The Fort in the map has the main basic shape as the original structure, but the environment had to be changed to accommodate the game. With the additional scripting, the map is almost a mini-mission. In the centre of the Fort, there is an Academy, which when captured, hands control of the surrounding defences to the player who captures it. The Academy and Defences are indestructible, so players will have to find ways of re-taking the Academy. The Defences around the Academy are not accessible for garrison purposes, but need a lot of power (hint) so there is an extra neutral Allied power plant which is also handed to the capturing player. This is destructible, so it will be a loss from all player's assets once destroyed. To the left of the Academy, there is a 'Parade Ground' with the Fort's troops on parade. The troops are made up of three faction battalions: 48 Soviet, 48 Allied and 48 Empire. Each battalion is divided into 4 squads. These squads will help players when certain buildings on the map are garrisoned. The player will take control of the squads as if they were their own troops. Soviet player will take control of the Soviet battalion, Empire player will take control of the Empire battalion etc. The Armoured vehicles on parade are totally neutral and remain so. (Eye Candy only) There are some Hints and Tips included in the Readme file, which is included in the zip file, so don't forget to read it before you begin.

You will enjoy playing this map.Download: Fort Morgan

Rampant Wilderness

By TiberianFiend

Here's a wonderfully detailed Red Alert 3 map made by TiberianFiend. Great fun to play and an enjoyable challenge on all skill levels. Rampant Wilderness reflects a Canadian raw forest scenario and is available in our downloads section. Use the thumbnails below to see more of the detail in this excellent 4 player map.

Author's Description: This map was designed around the Mount Rushmore theme, as I thought most of the props in this scenario have little or no appearance in the game on Multiplayer maps, but I also wanted to include a feeling of the Canadian Forest woodland environment. Water splits up the flat map with small camp sites placed through-out, with lots of choke-points. You will be able to cross some rivers by walking over them, some have bridges. Units which can travel on both land and sea will have a real advantage. With the AI on set hard, it really provides an extreme challenge. Resources are limited so make sure you secure your expansion before the other players do.

We are hoping to see more from this talented map-maker soon, but in the meantime: Download: Rampant Wilderness

Iraqhistan (AoD)
By Kampy*

We want to welcome our latest map contributor, Kampy* to CNC Generals World and CNC Labs. Made for Zero Hour this nicely detailed 2 vs 1 AOD map Iraqhistan (AoD) is a great challenge.

We are pleased to see quality scripting utilizing the new player room style and found this GLA only game full of great intros, ending movies and briefing messages to guide the players through the game.

Author's Description:
Art of Defense version of the popular desert type map "Iraqhistan". Protect the village in the middle. Very detailed map with advanced scripting, sounds, intro and "outro" sequences and three different difficulty levels.

Download: Iraqhistan (AoD)

Since we first posted about C&C 4 being confirmed in a survey three days ago, news has spread quickly. Here's what you should know:

• Many more people are now getting the survey, confirming its legitimacy.
• GameStar, a German site, has listed a release date for C&C of 2010.
• According to C&C Inside, a German magazine is hinting that they will unveil the next C&C in their next issue. If you read German, you can see it in the (very low quality) picture below. There's no guarantee it will in fact be the next C&C, but the evidence points to it. Remember that C&C 3 was unveiled in PC Gamer. The translated text reads: "Behind the mysterious mosaic hides the continuation of a (mostly here) highly popular game series, the GameStar next month exclusively revealed. We are on the ground in the U.S., as the first magazine to take a look at a playable version, and the state of development throw. Look forward with us on our cover story of GameStar Edition 09/2008, which will unveil the secret! "
  
• Apoc emailed me back to say that he cannot confirm anything in our reporting (but we still stand by it). But he did bring the first public news of a C&C event in Germany this August: "CommandCOM is a top-secret event I've been working on for the last 3 months with our team here and it will be held in Cologne, Germany in conjunction with the GamesCOM convention." Community sites will be sending representatives (we were previously contacted about this) and there are spots open to regular fans. See more details here.

Yesterday Mike and I reported that C&C 4, according to a survey, was to be an RPG-like conclusion to the C&C series. I want to clarify a couple points in response to questions from the community:

• This survey was not sent to everyone on the EA's list. Initially, I did not receive it, and I have spent a lot of time in the community, etc. Mike, obviously the webmaster at C&C Labs and Generals World and another longtime community member, did however receive it. He subsequently forwarded it to me for my own verification. Had I not seen the survey myself, I would not have made the post. A survey exists, and we believe it is made by EA or someone working closely with them. The survey is hosted by 2CV, a 20 year-old UK-based research group, but the invitation sent from an EA email address in the EA style. I saw no indication in the survey that there was something lost in translation or that this was intended for a foreign group, as some have suggested.
• When writing on something as critical as news on the next C&C game, I am by nature very cautious. Therefore, I wanted to be sure that I emphasized that this report was unconfirmed and only strongly suggestive. I don't look at those parts of my post as weaknesses, but rather careful writing. That said, I believe quite firmly that Mike and I have this story right, yet it is unconfirmed and--this far out from official announcements, much less release--very much subject to change. Realize that games change quite a bit after announcements (and even community summits). Remember the Red Alert Button from RA3 or the Seismic Tank from Generals? Treat this as some informed community guesswork based on a couple facts; the same sort of guessing happens in every lull between C&C games.
• I suspect--and this is only my opinion--that this survey indicates what C&C 4 will be and that all of those features listed are at least tentatively planned for C&C 4. I suspect EA is strongly considering making C&C 4 the conclusion to the C&C series (though of course there are gaps in the story which can be filled in).
• EA has not responded to my request for confirmation.

For those who say this survey doesn't exist, note that other community members on other sites have also said that they have taken it. Here are two images from it.

• Official C&C Website
• Official C&C Forums

• CNC3.NET
• CNCDEN
• Cncmaps
• CNCNZ
• CNC Source
• CNC World
• GameReplays.org
• GamesModding.com
• Generalsmaps.net
• Planet CNC

• The Red Alert

• The Forgotten
• Mideast Crisis 2
• Only War 2
• Tiberium Dawn Mod

• CNC: All Stars
• An Act of War
• Blitzkreig 2
• Call to Arms
• Cold War Crisis
• Rise of the Reds
• Shockwave

• CnC Saga (French)
• CNCczech.com (Czech)
• CNCHQ (German)
• C&C Series (Russian)
• Thundermods.net (German)
• Time of War (French)