Command & Conquer: Red Alert

Command & Conquer: Red Alert
Red Alert box cover Red Alert box cover
Developer(s)	Westwood Studios
Publisher(s)	Virgin Interactive
Platform(s)	PC (MS-DOS & Windows 95), Sony PlayStation
Release	October 31, 1996
Genre(s)	Real-time strategy
Mode(s)	Single player multiplayer

Command & Conquer: Red Alert, is a landmark real-time strategy computer game in the Command & Conquer series, released in 1996 by Westwood Studios. It is a prequel to C&C: Tiberian Dawn. The events of the game take place in an alternate history, where Allied Forces defend Europe against an aggressive Soviet Union. It was initially available for PC (MS-DOS & Windows 95 versions included in one package) and was subsequently ported to PlayStation.

The Red Alert sub-series is also certified by the Guinness Book of Records as the best selling real-time strategy game in the world, with over 12 million units sold.

The name is a play on words: Red Alert indicates a high level of threat, but Red also alludes to the USSR.

Story

Red Alert begins in the mid to late 1950s, taking place in an alternate reality. Albert Einstein has recently developed (or has been supplied with, it is not specified aside from the fact that he has one and it is very new) a time machine called the "Chronosphere", which he uses to travel from New Mexico in 1946 to Landsberg, Germany, in 1924, where he meets Adolf Hitler being released from jail after his failed Munich Putsch. Einstein removes Hitler from our dimension in an attempt to prevent the Second World War and returns to 1946. As intended, the War never breaks out and Germany and Europe remain peaceful.

Einstein's scheme, however, backfires. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics under Joseph Stalin has grown increasingly powerful. Had Hitler risen to power, Germany would have emerged as the balancing power standing in the way of Stalin's ambitions. Instead, left unchecked, the Soviet Union proceeds by seizing lands from China and then invading Western Europe in order to achieve Stalin's dream of a Soviet Union stretching across the entire Eurasian landmass. The nations of Western Europe form into the Alliance, and over the course of the game, the Allies and the Soviets battle for control of Europe.

Counterstrike & Aftermath (1997)

In 1997, two expansion packs for Red Alert were released for the PC, Command & Conquer: Red Alert: Counterstrike, and Command & Conquer: Red Alert: The Aftermath. The expansion packs were mostly designed by Westwood Studios with the "apprenticeship" of Intelligent Games, London based game developer. IG built a good number of the multi player maps on both the Aftermath disk and also the Counterstrike disk. New units, missions, and music were included in the expansions. While the Counterstrike add-on adds many more multiplayer maps, it lacks originality as its single player missions appeared to have been scrapped from modified units (Red Alert units can be modified by editing the game's internal text files) and bundled together to give a feel of new and more powerful units than its predecessor. Of particular note is the addition of the secret Ant Missions to this add-on, where the player battles against giant red ants with super weapon capabilities.

The Aftermath add-on, however, added many new units available in single and multiplay modes. New Allied units include the Field Mechanic and the Chrono Tank. New Soviet units include the Missile Sub, the Shock Trooper, the M.A.D Tank and the Tesla Tank. Also, both sides receive the Demolition Truck. The add-on also includes hundreds of new maps as well as maps with huge map sizes.

Retaliation (1998)

On August 28, 1998, Westwood Studios released Red Alert Retaliation for the Sony PlayStation, this was a compilation of the two PC expansion packs. It even retained the secret Ant Missions.

It included 19 exclusive FMV full-motion video clips that were not in any of the PC expansion packs, which virtually had none as instead a text briefing was presented for the missions. The FMV's had a general (for both sides) telling you what your objectives were. The Allied General was General Carville who would later appear in Red Alert 2, the Soviet General known as General Topolov on the otherhand is not seen afterwards.

Gameplay

In-game screenshot.

Red Alert is a real-time strategy series in which the player commands an army and is responsible for gathering resources, building bases, training units, and fighting the enemy's army.

Red Alert was praised for its user interface, which was much more developed than other games at the time. For example, there are virtually no limitations on the number of units one can select. One also can give a unit many orders at once, which it can execute in sequence. The interface is also relatively uncluttered.

Red Alert battles have three domains of fighting: air, land and sea. Each side (Allies or Soviets) can train naval units, aircraft, and land forces. Each side also has its unique capabilities, although in Red Alert 2 they were balanced so that each unit's ability was countered by a similar variant on the opposing side. For example, in Red Alert 2, the ultimate Soviet Tesla coil defensive towers were matched by the Allies' "Prism towers."

Notable units for the Soviet side include the Heavy Tank (basically a twin-barrel T-80BV), the 'V-2 rocket' launcher (although called a V-2, it is actually similar to a FROG-7 missile system. It is not like the actual V-2 rockets used by Germany in real life. This is further complicated in the game files, as they refer to the vehicle as a Scud launcher), flamethrower equipped infantry, attack dogs, the Mi-24 Hind attack helichopper, Type 671 Shchuka (Victor) class submarines, the Mammoth Tank, Tu-16 Badger bomber as well as the MiG-23 Flogger attack jet (MiG-29 Fulcrum in cut scenes), and anti-infantry minelayer (uses the chassis of a M113).

The Allied forces have the light tank (M2-F Bradley IFV with the 25mm autocannon turret replaced by a 75mm gun turret), an M1 Abrams medium tank, Tanya (a pistol-weilding commando) an unarmed, James Bond-like spy, an anti-tank minelayer (uses the chassis of a M113), M113 APC, the Ranger jeep, M110 artillery, Gunboats, Destroyers (unknown class, though it has a six-cell box missile launcher near the bow), Cruisers (shown as a Des Moines class cruiser or Iowa class battleship in cut-scenes) and the AH-64D Longbow attack chopper (although the helicopter depicted is actually the standard AH-64A Apache).

Game balancing

The game balance between the strengths of the Allied and Soviet armies was innovative in its time.

Whilst the Soviets can be matched to the GDI in the previous game Tiberian Dawn in the fact that they rely on heavy firepower and pure aggression to win, the Allies can be matched to the Brotherhood of Nod. Allies use covert ops troopers to commit acts of sabotage to render their enemies helpless. Different sides also gain more power over the other over time in a game. (Interestingly, the GDI are the successors to the Allies, while Nod that of the Soviets.)

Unlike the 'rock-paper-scissors' balancing of more recent games, Red Alert requires each player to make best use of their side's strengths to compensate for their weaknesses. Tacticians would prefer the Allies as they rely on stealth, speed, and their special ablilities to take down their enemies. Headstrong generals would side with the Soviets with their pure aggression, sheer firepower, and heavy armour.

This shows how Red Alert stood in contrast to games such as Total Annihilation or Warcraft 2, in which both sides had units with practically identical abilities.

Land

The Soviets are formidable in land-based combat because of their brute force: their weakest tank is still more powerful (slower, more firepower, same armour) than the best Allied equivalent, even though it is only marginally more expensive. This means that the Allies are at a significant disadvantage during a straight stand-up engagement.

Allied armour does have some advantages, as their light and medium tanks are quicker (they can avoid direct hits if they are on the move), have a faster rate of fire (so they will inflict more cumulative damage if they can survive long enough), and are cheaper (allowing them to be built faster, and thus, more of them can be built). Medium tanks are often used as meat shields, allowing the more mobile and faster-firing light tanks to pummel their opponents.

Furthermore, Allies also have anti-vehicle mines which can be used to cut off choke points and can severely damage enemy tanks. As the mines are hidden, this forces the Soviet commander into a dilemma; sweeping ahead with firepower to uncover potential mines will slow down the detachment and ruin the element of surprise, while the sacrifice of even one heavy tank is a costly endeavor.

Comparing defensive structures, Soviet players rely chiefly upon the lethal Tesla Coil, which is powerful and accurate against vehicles and infantry alike (often described as a bug zapper). However, the Tesla Coil is expensive, and particularly vulnerable to power shortages. Early in the game, Soviets must make do with Flame Towers, which are heavily armoured but are only moderately effective against troops at close range and have little impact on vehicles. Later on, Flame Throwers are mostly useful as cannon fodder in front of the more vulnerable Coils.

The Allies have the pillbox and an anti-tank gun turret. The pillbox is excellent for mowing down enemy troops, though it only offers token resistance to enemy armour. The turret, which is similar in appearance to a tank turret supported by a reinforced concrete base, is mediocre against its intended target of vehicles in small numbers, and it proves more useful as a meat shield to divert firepower away from pill boxes. Turrets also serve as bastions that reinforcing units can rally around.

Air

This is repeated in the field of aerial engagements where the Soviets have various specialized planes. For short and powerful strikes (hit-and-run), there is the inexpensive Yak WWII Attack Plane for dispatching infantry and light buildings, and the MiG-23 for use against armour, ships, and heavy buildings alike. Building an airfield also gives them access to the Spy Plane, Paratroopers, and Parabombs, which "recharge" after a certain period of time. The Soviets also have the Hind chopper whose chaingun makes it an all-purpose vehicle with staying power against both armour and infantry.

The Allies simply have one chopper, the Longbow, which is best suited to staying power against armour; its AGM-114 Hellfire missiles gives it more firepower than the Hind but make it ineffective against troops.

Like minelayers, air units are forced to return to base to reload after releasing their payload, with the Yak and MiG frequently using up their ordnance in their first attack run, which is a short but powerful (hit-and-run) strike. The Hind and Longbow helicopters can control their ammo expenditures, though they cannot discharge all of their firepower at once like the planes. The MiG deserves special mention because it has a quick reload rate compared to other air units (while the Yak is the slowest). Six MiGs will also destroy any structure or unit in the game, such as a Construction Yard, Cruiser, or Ore Truck which are cited as the toughest of their types.

In multiplayer, both sides have the CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter which can carry five infantry units.

However, the Allies have a variety of strong air defenses, including powerful anti-aircraft guns, destroyer-launched missiles, and missile-armed rocket infantry, which can provide a deterrent to Soviet air strikes, particularly fragile MiGs and Yaks. Furthermore, destroyers and rocket infantry are units and thus can be deployed throughout the map.

Though the Soviet SAM launchers are effective (greater range than Allied AA guns but less powerful), they generally lack mobile AA units aside from the limited capabilities of the Mammoth Tank which is also slow.

Naval

Naval warfare, however, is another matter and the Allies are the dominant side. The Allies have three ships: the Gunboat, which is armed with a 2-inch deck gun and depth charges; the Destroyer, which is armed with guided missiles and depth charges; and the Cruiser, which is armed with 8 inch (203 mm) guns in two twin turrets. The gunboat is a cheap but mediocre vessel; with limited surface-bombardment capabilities, it functions mainly as an inexpensive and expendable ASW platform. The Destroyer is a flexible vessel with the capability of engaging aircraft, submarines, and land targets. The Cruiser is slow, inaccurate, but heavily armored, and its (extremely) long-range guns can bombard an enemy base to rubble within minutes, but is unable to defend itself against aircraft and submarines, and must be escorted by other ships with that capability. However, by using force-fire (ctrl-click) on the water next to a submarine, the commander can turn the inaccuracy of the cruiser to his advantage and land a stray shot on a submarine. This tactic can prove deadly for Soviet wolf packs where subs tend to be clustered together.

The Soviet submarine exists mainly as a counter to Allied naval power. Its stealth enables it to move undetected (it does not surface until it attacks or get damaged) and its torpedoes have a long range compared to the Allied depth charge's point blank distance, allowing it to fire off the first shot; a Wolf pack of subs using surprise can sink an Allied warship or two before the latter can react. Indeed, the mere presence of Soviet submarines often forces the Allied commander to carefully deploy naval units and build escort vessels.

However, Allies do have others options for actively seeking out subs as opposed to passively reacting to them. They can use the AH-64 Apache chopper to take out attacking subs and even sweep suspect bodies of water with force-fire (damaging subs will force them to surface), since subs lack air defense and are often far from base AA defenses. Allies can also sneak a spy to the Soviets' sub pen to get a sonar pulse which will temporarily reveal the location of submarines. Furthermore, using the maneuverable gunboats and destroyers to draw the torpedoes fire while using the cruiser to force-fire on the submarines can be a very effective tactic, particularly if a player attacks with their submarines right next to each other.

The Soviets' air power is perhaps one of the most effective (powerful and quick) counters against Allied vessels, though air sorties can be costly if there are Destroyers. Soviet commanders nonetheless find this tradeoff appealing as they can replace MiGs faster than Allied warships of similar expense. That said, a MiG flying directly over or in between two destroyers stands a high chance of being shot down with just one salvo, assuming the player is trying to target the cruisers.

The Allies' naval advantage is often nullified by maps that lack bodies of water.

Subterfuge

The Allies' second strength is their ability to indulge in acts of subterfuge; Allied commanders can build units and structures to recreate the "fog of war", effectively blinding the enemy. They themselves can launch a GPS satellite into space to see the whole battlefield. Other Allied units can jam radar, steal money, spy on the enemy, and plant explosive charges on buildings (Tanya).

The main Soviet counter to such saboteurs is deploying anti-infantry mines around crucial buildings, and having attack dogs which can detect spies on sight. The Soviets also have reconnaissance abilities in the form of spy planes and paratroopers; the latter can deploy in remote areas to retrieve powerup crates or even sabotage vulnerable areas of an enemy base.

Music

All of the music in Red Alert was composed by Frank Klepacki. Among his most famous songs from the series is the theme of Red Alert, titled "Hell March", which accents the style of the game with adrenalized riffs of electric guitar, the sounds of marching feet and synthesizers to a dramatic chant. It alone has enlisted itself as a staple in the Red Alert series, and a second version of Hell March was specifically created for Red Alert 2.

When playing the single-player campaign, a limited number of tracks are initially available, and more are unlocked as the player progresses through missions. When playing in a multiplayer or 'skirmish' game, however, all tracks are available from the start. More tracks were included in the Red Alert expansion packs: Counterstrike, The Aftermath and Retaliation.

All music tracks can be heard on Frank Klepacki's website.

Characters

Allies

• Grand Marshal Gunther von Esling, German officer, Commander-in-Chief of European forces, and apparent leader of the military junta governing Europe. Played by Arthur Roberts.
• General Nikos Stavros, Greek officer, Second-in-Command to General von Esling. Played by Barry Kramer.
• Tanya Adams, a German special ops. commando. Played by Lynne Litteer.
• Professor Albert Einstein, German physicist. Played by John Milford.

Soviet

• Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Soviet Union. Played by Gene Dynarski.
• Nadia, Chief of the NKVD. Played by Andrea C. Robinson.
• General Gradenko, Russian commander. Played by Alan Terry.
• Marshal Georgi Kukov, commander of the Red Army. Played by Craig Cavanah.
• Kane, obscure advisor to Stalin. Played by Joseph D. Kucan.
• General Topolov. High ranked Soviet military mastermind and mentor to the player. (Retaliation only.) Played by Alan Charof.

Units and structures

See also: Technology of the Allies (Red Alert series) and Technology of the Soviet (Red Alert series)

Mutual Infantry:

• Rifle Infantry - These basic soldiers form the backbone of the Allied and Soviet army. Armed with an M-16 (Allies) or AK-47 (Soviets) they are good against infantry and buildings, but are no match for tanks and armor. They are functionally identical regardless of side. There is also a 50% potential that a destroyed aircraft's pilot can eject, becoming a standard Rifle Infantry. When a building is sold or destroyed, a number of Rifle Infantry will emerge from the wreckage. A destroyed building may yield injured infantry and/or engineers.

• Engineer - Slow, unarmed and relatively weak, engineers are experts at building maintenance and building capture. Each engineer will damage the building greatly if it's in the green or yellow zones of damage, or capture it if it's in the red zone. He can also be used to quickly repair damaged friendly buildings including, strangely enough, civilian buildings if the player is playing on the Allied side. One or two Engineers will also emerge from a sold or destroyed Construction Yard.

Allied Infantry:

• Medic - Weak and unarmed, this soldier is trained in healing wounded soldiers on the battlefield. When accompanied by another medic, he can prolong the time an infantry squad can survive in combat.

• Rocket Soldier - Specially trained infantry units armed with Dragon TOW launchers, these soldiers are extremely deadly to enemy armor and aircraft. However, their slow speed is their main disadvantage.

• Spy - Master of disguise, the Spy can slip by enemy forces undetected. A versatile unit, the Spy can gather many kinds of information on the enemy player--what they're building, how much money they have, how many units they have, etc. depending on the building they enter. However, they are easily detected by Soviet attack dogs. They appear as rifle infantry to the enemy. Their effectiveness online is limited, as a human player will obviously be wary of a soldier he can't control

• Thief - These specialists are masters at sneaking, infiltration and a variety of thief skills. When entering any enemy structure containing processed ore, they steal half of the credits.

• Tanya Adams - An American volunteer, this female commando is extremely dangerous to enemy infantry and buildings. However, she is vulnerable to any vehicle, since her dual Colt M1911s are useless against their armor. Additionally, she can't be put in guard mode and she won't attack enemies in range on her own unless the player commands her or she is fired upon. In the single-player campaign she is an irreplaceable unit and her death results in mission failure.

• Field Mechanic (Command & Conquer Aftermath and Command & Conquer Counterstrike only) - A slow and weak specialist, capable of repairing any friendly vehicle in the heat of battle.

Soviet Infantry:

• Attack Dog - The only unit that can detect Spies trying to infiltrate the base, dogs make the perfect in-base guard unit against sneak attacks by engineers, Spies and Thieves. (C&C Book)

• Grenadier - With a longer range and more destructive power than regular infantry, Grenadiers are effective against heavily armored units and structures in groups. They explode violently when killed, often doing damage to nearby units whether they be friend or foe.

• Flame Infantry - Slower and more susceptible to damage than other infantry, the Flame Soldier can decimate structures and infantry in seconds with his flamethrower. They explode violently when killed, often doing damage to nearby units whether they be friend or foe.

• Shock Trooper* - (Command & Conquer Aftermath and Command & Conquer Counterstrike only) Sturdy (if somewhat slow) infantry units that carry a portable Tesla generator capable of delivering a large jolt of electricity to any unit or structure. Shock Troopers can not be run over by enemy vehicles.

• Soviet Soldier Volkov* - (Command & Conquer Counterstrike and Command & Conquer Aftermath only) A special character (perhaps Tanya's Soviet counterpart) only available on 2 missions. One of the missions also includes Volkov's cyborg dog (explaining its impressive resistance to damage) named Chitzkoi. In this mission gamers have complained that Volkov is nearly indestructible due to his heavy armour.

Mutual Ground Vehicles:

• Ore Truck - Rather slow, these unarmed trucks are equipped to harvest raw, unprocessed ore and transport it to refineries, where it's processed into material useful for the war effort. It has no defense of its own against attacks. However, it can run over enemy infantry.

• Demolition Truck* - (Command & Conquer Counterstrike and Aftermath only) These drone units carry an atomic bomb triggered to detonate on impact or destruction. Targeting a Demolition Truck on any unit or structure, or force firing on terrain makes the truck move to its destination and detonate. If the Chronosphere is attempted to be used on the Demolition Truck, it will explode. This unit would later return, as a special skirmish unit for the Libyan side, in Red Alert 2.

• MCV - Large, bulky and slow, the Mobile Construction Vehicle is an invaluable asset to each commander, allowing them to start building their bases from scratch. Multiple MCVs deployed into Construction Yards will speed up the building process greatly. Losing this unit before setting up a base would definitely mean losing the mission.

• Mine Layer - A vehicle capable of laying anti-personnel (Soviet) and anti-vehicle (Allied) mines. The laid mines are invisible to the enemy, although friendly units will avoid them. They can safely be detonated by force fire. Except for the payload, the minelayer for both sides is identical and utilises the M113 APC chassis.

Allied Ground Vehicles:

• Bradley M2 Light Tank - Lightly armored, but very fast with a high rate of fire and armed with a 75mm APDS cannon. The Light Tank cannot challenge Soviet Heavy Tanks in one-on-one situations, but is perfect for quick surprise raids, harassing armor columns and its low cost allows it to be produced in large numbers.

• M1 Abrams Medium Tank - The primary armor unit for the Allies is the medium tank. Larger, stronger and better armed (with a 105mm APDS cannon) than the light tank, but not as fast, the medium tank also carries a reasonably low price tag, allowing it to be built in large numbers.

• Chrono Tank* - The Allied chrono tank utilizes Albert Einstein's chronosphere technology, taking it mobile. Looking like a chronosphere on wheels, the chrono tank can instantly teleport anywhere on the map. It requires a brief charging period before it can teleport again, leaving it vulnerable after a jump. It is armed with missiles.

• M113 APC - The APC is able to carry up to five infantry units with relative safety and speed. It carries a single machine gun for defensive purposes, and though reasonably well armored, it is no match for Soviet tanks.

• Ranger - A Jeep-like vehicle that occupies the same function as the GDI Hummvee, the Ranger is the fastest ground vehicle. Like the APC, it mounts a single machine gun, but considerably less armor. It is excellent for scouting purposes. It cannot crush infantry.

• M110 Artillery - The artillery, fires a long-range, high-explosive 155mm shell that deals reasonable damage. It is excellent against structures and infantry, but does much less damage against armoured vehicles. It lacks the range to safely engage the Soviet Tesla Coil, however.

• Mobile Gap Generator* - A Gap Generator on wheels, the Mobile Gap Generator is capable of hiding an invading assault force from prying eyes. It requires no power. However, this may be ineffective against a CPU opponent.

• Mobile Radar Jammer* - Similar to the Mobile Gap Generator, the Mobile Radar Jammer is capable of completely jamming an enemy's radar. When an enemy unit reaches range, their radar screen is scrambled into white noise, rendering it useless. It is ineffective against the CPU.

Soviet Ground Vehicles:

• Heavy Tank - Superficially similar in appearance to the Allied medium tank, the Soviet heavy tank mounts two heavy cannons onto its turret instead of the medium tank's one. This gives it substantial firepower, almost equal to the Mammoth Tank, while keeping costs relatively low. However, it is much slower than the medium tank, has a slower rate of fire and only slightly more armored, making it vulnerable in pitched battle and unable to retreat.

• Mammoth Tank - The famous Mammoth Tank makes its appearance for the Soviet side in this game. Massive, powerful, and extremely slow, the Mammoth Tank mounts twin cannons and dual missile launchers on its double-bogeyed frame. It is capable of attacking air targets. It automatically heals to 50% when damaged.

• V2 Rocket - The Soviet's answer to the Allied artillery. Despite its appearance, the V-2 (as it is known) is a lightly-armored, slow vehicle armed with a massive, single-shot rocket. It is capable of dealing tremendous damage to both structures and units alike from a considerable range, though it is exceedingly vulnerable and must be protected at all times. Its slow rate of fire means sometimes multiple V-2's must be used in unison to be effective. It is the spiritual successor to the multiplayer-only SSM Launcher of Command & Conquer, and was followed by Red Alert 2's V-3 (unrelated to the actual V-3 cannon) and Command & Conquer: Generals' SCUD launcher.

• MAD Tank* - The MAD tank is a suicide unit utilizing the mammoth tank chassis and is capable of dealing damage across a wide area. It deals roughly 1/3rd damage to most buildings, and requires a brief countdown after being 'deployed' before it detonates. It only damages structures and vehicles, but it affects all units in range, enemy or friendly.

• Tesla Tank* - Similar in concept to the Shock Trooper, the Tesla Tank instead mounts a portable version of Tesla's weapon onto an armored, tracked chassis. Unlike the base defense version of its weapon, the tank's tesla coil has a short range, though it makes up for this disadvantage with damaging power. It is capable of killing infantry in one shot. It is not as heavily armored as main battle tanks.

Aircraft:

• Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter (Allied) - The Allied attack helicopter is outfitted with Hellfire missiles, allowing it to destroy armored targets with ease. Its high speed and relatively decent armor allow it to search and destroy enemy armor or buildings, especially when flying in packs.

• Chinook (Allied) - The Allies also have use of a double-rotor Chinook helicopter which performed the same duty as the APC ground troop carrier. It is an excellent tool for rapidly inserting saboteurs. It cannot be created by the player during a single-player campaign.

• Yak (Soviet) - sometimes referred to as "infantry eraser", this simple plane is outfitted with a pair of machine guns perfect for killing infantry, but lousy at damaging armor or buildings. Its low speed makes it vulnerable to enemy rocket soldiers.

• Hind (Soviet) - Large and armored, the Hind uses its high-velocity Vulcan chain-gun to tear apart enemy units and structure, being particularly effective against infantry. Equipped with a large ammo supply, the Hind follows its target while wearing away its defenses. (C&C Book)

• MIG (Soviet) - Very fast attack fighter equipped with a payload of highly destructive missiles. Its speed and firepower make it ideal for quick, surprise attacks against enemy armour and structures. They appear as MiG-23/27 Floggers in game, but as MiG-29 Fulcrums in cut scenes.

Naval Units:

• Transport (Soviet & Allied) - A strange-looking square hovercraft that is capable of carrying up to five infantry or vehicles. The transport is available to both sides, and unfolds like a box top upon deploying. Losing it before it can unload will also destroy the passengers on board.

• Gunboat (Allied) - Small, cheap, and fast, the Gunboat is the most basic Allied naval unit. It carries a small deck gun and a single depth charge launcher. It is best used in large numbers.

• Destroyer (Allied) - Medium sized with decent speed and good armor, the destroyer is the primary unit of the Allied navy. It carries dual depth charge launchers and a missile launcher, allowing it to damage both surface installations as well as Soviet aircraft.

• Cruiser (Allied) - Massive and extremely powerful, the Allied cruiser carries four potent 8 inch main guns in two turrets. Though its shots become erratic and inaccurate with increasing distance, they are strong enough to destroy some buildings in a single shot. However, it carries no defense against air attack or submarines, and must be escorted at all times. It is one of the most expensive and devastating units in the game.

• Submarine (Soviet) - The Soviet submarine is hidden from view when moving, allowing it to sneak up on enemy ships. It is vulnerable to depth charges, but its long torpedo range allows it to often deal considerable damage before being eliminated.

• Missile Submarine (Soviet)* - (Command & Conquer Counterstrike & Aftermath only) The only Soviet naval unit capable of attacking ground forces. The missile sub fires twin long-range missiles that do significant damage to shore installations. However, it has no torpedoes.

Mutual Structures:

• Construction Yard - The single most important structure in the game, the Construction Yard allows the construction of all buildings. Without it, bases cannot grow. This makes it the primary target for almost every game. It is the result of an MCV deploying. In some campaign missions, the CPU opponent has been known to spontaneously generate new Construction Yards when destroyed.

• Ore Refinery - The second most important structure, the Ore Refinery allows processing of ore into funds for the war effort. Without it, ore trucks are useless, and the only way a base can gain more money is by selling existing structures. It also stores up to 2000 credits of ore. A base will often have more than one of these structures. Upon its construction, it comes with a free ore truck. Unlike Command & Conquer, it takes ore trucks only a second or so to dump their ore, making it almost impossible to capture a refinery with an ore truck in it. It is possible to assign multiple ore trucks to a single refinery.

• Ore Silo - A small structure capable of storing up to 1000 credits of excess ore. Unlike its predecessor, Command & Conquer's Tiberium Silo, the Ore Silo only takes up a single tile, rather than four. If destroyed, the credits stored inside are lost, and if captured, they are transferred to the capturing player. The amount of ore in a silo is visible.

• Power Plant - Power Plants are necessary for constructing all other buildings, as well as for maintaining base power. Power Plants are crucial in this regard, as the loss of them will result in insufficient power, leading to defensive structure failure, the gradual damage of other structures, loss of radar, and slowed building and training speed.

• Advanced Power Plant - An upgraded version of the standard Power Plant, the Advanced Power Plant produces twice as much power in only 50% more space. A standard Power Plant is required to build it.

• Concrete Wall - A basic wall for protecting a base, the concrete wall cannot be run over by vehicles, preventing unexpected rushes from certain directions. It is also tall enough to stop all but the highest-firing weapons from shooting over it. It can only be damaged by explosive weapons, such as rockets and tank shells. However, like all walls, it must be built one tile at a time, a tedious project.

• Barracks - The production facility for infantry. All infantry units are trained at the Barracks, and constructing more than one increases their rate of production. Double-clicking on a Barracks sets it as the 'primary' producer, ensuring that infantry are produced at that location first. It is weakly armored, but inexpensive, and necessary for all base defenses to be built.

• War Factory - The ubiquitous War Factory is the production site of all ground vehicles. It is reasonably well armored, and required for the construction of the service depot.

• Radar Dome - The Radar Dome not only provides radar services, but also allows the construction of more elaborate buildings and units, such as the V-2, Tesla Coil, and Technology Center. The destruction of it will cripple radar service.

• Service Depot - The Service Depot is a one-stop repair shop for all vehicles, including aircraft (which land directly upon the pad). For a small fee, vehicles can be fully repaired, extending their service life for much less than the cost of an entirely new unit. It can also be used to sell vehicles. Unlike Command & Conquer, the Service Depot now only occupies five tiles in a cross formation, rather than the massive space required previously, allowing it to fit in many awkward positions. The Service Depot also fulfills a second crucial role: it is required to build an MCV.

• Helipad - The Helipad is functionally identical for both sides, filling the role of re-arming and producing helicopters. Unlike for aircraft, multiple helicopters can be built to a single pad.

• Technology Center - The source of the highest technologies available for both sides, the Technology Center is a must in drawn-out multiplayer games. Not only does it allow construction of the more elaborate units (such as the Mammoth Tank and Chrono Tank) but it also allows construction of the Nuclear Missile Silo. Upon its construction, the Allied Technology Center also begins charging a GPS satellite; when it is finished, it launches automatically, providing free and continuous radar service of the entire map when it reaches orbit.

• Nuclear Missile Silo - The ultimate superweapon, the Nuclear Missile Silo fires a single, massive ICBM at a distant target with no way to stop it. It will deal significant damage to all structures in range; however, its strength has been drastically curtailed from Command & Conquer. Objects lower to the ground such as vehicles do not take as much damage. Multiple Nuclear Missile Silos can be constructed, though the only benefit is that if one is destroyed, the timer will not be reset. It is the single most expensive venture in the game, and can only be normally constructed (by both sides) in skirmish or multiplayer. However, it does appear as a mission objective in one Allied campaign mission.

Allied Structures:

• Sandbags - An all-purpose light wall capable of preventing infantry incursions. It is vulnerable to vehicles, however, as they can drive over it without penalty.

• Naval Yard - Necessary for the construction of all Allied naval units, the Naval Yard is capable of also repairing them. It must be built in water.

• Pillbox - A small, hexagonal installation mounting a single rapid-fire chaingun, the pillbox is extremely useful against infantry. It is, however, only moderately armored, and poor against vehicles.

• Camo Pillbox - The Camouflaged Pillbox is not simply a Pillbox with camouflage; it is also partially sunk into the ground. These features make it extremely difficult to spot in the heat of battle, though it still uses the same weapon as the standard Pillbox. Because of its recessed construction, it can take more damage than a standard Pillbox. Camo Pillboxes change their appearance depending on map: green for grassy areas, and white for snowy areas.

• Turret - Identical to the NOD turret from Command & Conquer, the Allied Turret is a fixed installation, a 105mm cannon on a rotating axis. It is effective against stationary vehicles and at long ranges, but is only marginally effective against infantry. It is almost essential to use Turrets in groups and in conjunction with Pillboxes. However, they are rather inexpensive when compared to the Soviet Tesla Coils. The turret is not affected by power failures.

• AA Gun - The Allies defensive against Soviet aircraft is the Anti-Aircraft Gun. Its range is much shorter than the Soviet SAM Site, but its rate of fire is much greater. It also does not miss fast-moving targets like the Soviet Spy Plane. Its only vulnerability is power.

• Gap Generator - The Gap Generator generates a rotating magnetic field (occasionally nicknamed the Stealth Wrench due to its appearance). It blocks a circular area from sight, only visible when units are directly within its field of vision. Gap Generators require much power, but are significantly worth it, able to hide an entire base with enough Generators.

• Chronosphere - The Allies special weapon, the Chronosphere is capable of moving a single unit from one point of the map to any other, instantly. It does have three critical drawbacks, however: after some time, the chronoshifted unit will return to its original location and any infantry that may be inside the vehicle will be killed (preventing an APC full of engineers from being chronoshifted into the middle of a base). Every time the Chronoshpere was used in Red Alert, there was a 20% chance of a 'Chrono Vortex' appearing that will wander the map, destroying five units before disappearing. Players learned to sacrifice cheap units, such as rifle infantry to the vortex to make it go away. The Chronosphere cannot be used on Demolition Trucks. It would reappear in Red Alert 2, in a much improved form, capable of transporting a 3x3 square of vehicles permanently to a new location.

• Fake Structures - The Allies are also capable of building 'fake' versions of the Construction Yard, War Factory, Barracks, Naval Yard, and Radar Dome, for the purposes of subterfuge. These structures are lightly-constructed copies of their compatriots, costing only 50 credits each, with almost non-existent armor. Their purpose is to provide distraction/false targets to the enemy.

Soviet Structures:

• Barbed Wire - The Soviet version of the Allied Sandbags, the Barbed Wire merely prevents infantry from crossing into a base with impunity. It features the same limitations and drawbacks as its Allied counterpart, but is only half the cost.

• Sub Pen - The site of production for both Soviet types of submarine, as well as the Transport. It can be infiltrated by an Allied Spy, allowing the Allied player a Sonar Ping, which will instantly reveal the location of all Soviet submarines for a limited time.

• Airfield - Soviet aeroplanes are constructed, rearmed, and parked at the Airfield. Unlike with helicopters, each aircraft requires its own Airfield to land at; this means that if an airfield is destroyed while its attached plane is in transit, it will crash. The Airfield also grants access to various aerial special powers. The Parabomb drops a series of parachute-retarded bombs from a Tu-16 bomber wherever the Soviet commander wishes, doing substantial damage. The Paratroop command is similar, though instead, the Tu-16 operates as a transport, paradropping five rifle infantry at any point on the map. The Spy Plane activates a high-speed aircraft which overflies the designated target area, instantly revealing its contents. There is no penalty if any of these special aircraft are shot down, though if they are destroyed before their mission is accomplished, it will be lost until it recharges again.

• Kennel - A tiny, one-tile adjunct to the barracks, the kennel is simply the production facility for Soviet attack dogs. It serves no other purpose, but has an extremely small price tag.

• Flame Tower - The basic base defense building for the Soviets, the Flame Tower fires a single, massive ball of fire at its target, exploding upon impact. It is devastating against infantry, but almost useless against vehicles. Also its projectile travels slowly, making it highly inaccurate against fast moving targets.

• Tesla Coil - Perhaps the single most well-known structure in all of Command & Conquer, the iconic Tesla Coil is the most devastating base defense emplacement available to any side. It fires a single, huge lightning bolt at a target, dealing extreme damage at long range. It is capable of destroying or nearly destroying vehicles in a single shot, as well as killing infantry instantly. When attacking infantry, it will often double or triple attack, instantly recharging and killing several infantry in short order. It is expensive, but when constructed in groups, it is almost invincible to ground attack. Its major vulnerability is its high power requirement. It is the spiritual successor to the Nod Obelisk Of Light, and would reappear in Red Alert 2.

• SAM Site - The Soviet anti-air base defense, the SAM Site is superficially similar to the Nod SAM in Command & Conquer. However, the Soviet version does not retract when not firing. This means it takes much more damage to ground attack, but also boosts its rate of fire. SAMs are relatively rapid-firing, long range, and powerful, and are capable of tracking aircraft some distance.

• Iron Curtain - The Soviet special weapon (and a clever pun), the Iron Curtain Device makes a single vehicle completely invulnerable to enemy attack for approximately one minute. It is best used on the massive Mammoth Tank, allowing it to wreak havoc on an enemy base before its effect wears off. Like the Chronosphere, it would also return in Red Alert 2, in improved 3x3 form.

* Units only available via the "Aftermath" expansion pack.

Connections to the Tiberian Series

File:Rapic.jpg

Kane advising Stalin.

Template:Spoiler Command & Conquer: Red Alert was initially designed to be the canonical prequel to Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn by Westwood Studios. During the Soviet campaign, Kane makes infrequent appearances as an advisor to Stalin, and the storyline subtly implies that he may have actually instigated the battles between the Soviet Union and the Allied nations to somehow secure a future power base for the Brotherhood of Nod. Indeed, Nadia, one of Stalin's closest advisors and evidently a member of the Brotherhood in the 1950ies, asks the player to "keep the peace" until Nod would separate itself from the Soviet Union upon the campaign's succesful conclusion. Kane then shoots her without warning however, and informs the player that he "is" "the future". Moreover, during the Allied campaign a news announcer reporting on the Allies' loss of Greece is heard stating that the United Nations are in the process of creating a special military task force to deal with future global conflicts. This task force is commonly assumed to be Operations Group Echo: Black Ops 9, the precursor of the Global Defense Initiative (GDI), which is one of the two main fighting forces in the Tiberian series along with the Brotherhood of Nod.

A flawed and much debated theory to resolve the apparent timeline error is to consider Red Alert as the genesis of two parallel stories. If the Soviet campaign is played in Red Alert, Russia emerges as the dominant power and Kane and the Brotherhood of Nod take control of this new empire. On the other hand, if the Allied campaign is played in Red Alert, the Allies emerge victorious and the timeline leads into Red Alert 2. It should be noted, however, that this theory directly contradicts information given by the Tiberian Dawn manual, which states that Nod is an African group and makes no mention of Russia whatsoever, and a GDI mission FMV sequence even shows a map with all of the GDI member states, with one of them being Russia. Also, as mentioned above, during the Allied campaign in Greece, a newscast refers to the formation of an "Initiative of Global Defense" to combat Soviet militarism in any form, a clear reference to the military alliance of the same name in Tiberian Dawn. Another flaw is that if the Allies were defeated they would never have been able to set up the GDI.

Another theory is that the GDI hadn't been properly set up until after the Allies had defeated the Russians in both Red Alert (in the 1950s) and Red Alert 2 (in the early 1970s). Tiberium then crashed to Earth in the 1990s and Kane emerged from the wastes of Africa with his third-world army. However, when considered this theory does not explain the seeming loss of technology between Red Alert 2 and Tiberian Dawn. The story lines were apparently further complicated by the writing of Red Alert 2 which introduced characters such as Yuri and this new villain's attempts to conquer the world, thwarted by a pact between the Soviets and the Allies. This storyline was supported by Command & Conquer: Renegade 2, which was in early development when Westwood was liquidated by EA. According to early reports, the loss of technology is explained by a worldwide economic crash caused by the depletion of natural resources (notably "ore") in Red Alert and Red Alert 2. With no money to maintain high-end weapons systems such as chronosphere, weather control, and iron curtain technology, such devices fell into disrepair. When Tiberium arrived in the 1990s, the world leaped at the new opportunities the alien plant possessed and old technology was quickly forgotten . It seems unlikely, however, that technology of this level could be lost completely in such a short space of time; surely designs would still remain that could be acessed.

Template:Endspoiler Former Westwood employees have claimed that they were working on a timeline which seamlessly linked the entire series together.

When the Command & Conquer: The First Decade pack was released, EA divided the games into three different universes, violating the storyline connections between Red Alert and Tiberian Dawn established by Westwood Studios.

Soundtrack

The game's original score was composed by Frank Klepacki, who won multiple awards for his work on Red Alert. An official soundtrack was released containing all 15 songs plus a hidden bonus track:

1. Hell March
2. Radio
3. Crush
4. Roll Out
5. Mud
6. Twin Cannon
7. Face the Enemy
8. Run
9. Terminate
10. Big Foot
11. Workmen
12. Militant Force
13. Dense
14. Vector
15. Smash

Half a minute after the end of track 15 plays a unnamed bonus track. Its melodramatic opening was used the secret campaign, and the track itself is a tribute to Misirlou.

See also

• Command & Conquer: Generals
• Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2
• Command & Conquer: Tiberian series
• Command & Conquer: The First Decade
• Kane

External links

• The XWIS server - an alternative server to Westwood Online (WOL) created by Olaf van der Spek and sponsored by the EA Germany Community Team.

SEE ALSO: Homepage of Strike Team. Strike Team now handles all Westwood Online (WOL) servers. In other words: WOL is officially dead, and XWIS now runs the servers to play online.

• A comprehensive resource outlining the complete story line
• Red Alert Mods - At the Mod DB
• RA Techcenter² - An active Red Alert community
• Red Alert Archive - Archive of Red Alert files and information
• forever red alert 1 - A place to download internet versions of Red Alert 1.
• Black Magic's Red Alert Page - Black Magic's Red Alert Page
• Intelligent Games' Strategy Page
• Command & Conquer: Red Alert at MobyGames