Mental Omega Act III now in development!
November 30, 2023 - 19:11
A decade has passed since the beginning of the Mental Omega storyline with the release of Act One, featuring 12 missions for Allies, Soviets, and Yuri's Epsilon each, on November 29, 2013. Over the years, we've rolled out numerous patches that expanded the narrative into Act Two and additional Special Operations, featuring missions that delved into new stories of the factions originating in Red Alert 2, but also introduced our original fully playable side - the Foehn Revolt - in version 3.3.0 in 2016.

The climax of the story of Allies, Soviets, and Yuri in version 3.3.6 released on October 30, 2021, marked the culmination of years of dedication from many talented individuals—ardent fans of Red Alert 2 and the works by Westwood Studios. As the authors of this campaign, we were more than happy to see the wide participation of players in it throughout the years. The combined Act One and Act Two storyline resulted in a massive 133-mission-long campaign, available for everyone to play for free.



Now, a new war looms on the horizon. The state of the world is dangerously unknown, and thus it falls upon the technologically advanced Foehn Revolt to navigate the uncertainties of the outside. Their mortal enemy, Yuri, has achieved the seemingly impossible, forcing the Revolt to employ warfare strategies and futuristic weapons developed in the isolated time-space in Alaska. The horrors that await them will be for you to discover in Act Three of the Mental Omega storyline - "New Horizon" - now in development.



After a much needed development break, the Mentalmeisters are now crafting the next chapter of the Mental Omega saga. The upcoming campaign - a sequel to "Red Dawn" and "Epsilon Era" - is an ambitious collaborative effort involving veteran mission designers from the community with extensive experience in Red Alert 2 map creation. This time, just like we did with Act One, we intend to release all missions of Act Three simultaneously when they are ready. The new story of the Foehn Revolt will arrive packed with gameplay changes, new additions and improvements, which we will be unveiling to you over time.



The most crucial addition, which should come as no surprise to those who follow the developments in our modding community, is the inclusion of Phobos — the Ares-compatible extension for the Red Alert 2 Yuri's Revenge engine created by Starkku, Kerbiter, Trsdy, Morton, Belonit, among others. This inclusion enables us to introduce a plethora of new advanced functionalities into the game, further information on which will be revealed in the upcoming dev logs. If you'd like to learn more about this revolutionary modding tool right now, head over to their GitHub.



We are also very happy to announce the formation of the Mental Omega Animated Cutscenes Project team, lead by Baozi and consisting of Brick, Alex, hhhh, Lobsan3 and Noah. This team will solely focus on crafting animated CGI cutscenes for the Mental Omega story, an example of which we present to you today.





Both the Mentalmeisters and the MOACP teams are now actively seeking new members. We, as the Mentalmeisters, are explicitly looking for INFANTRY ARTISTS and MISSION SCRIPTERS, while the MOACP team is recruiting those skilled with CGI to assist with the creation of new models and animating the cutscenes: STORYBOARD, 2D, 3D and RENDER ARTISTS. We are both also looking for MUSICIANS who'd like to contribute additional music for the projects.

## Contact Speeder / MMs: mental.omega.apyr@gmail.com
## Contact Baozi / MOACP: hanpibaozi@outlook.com

Make sure to follow mentalomega.com and our social channels for updates on the "New Horizon", soon(tm).
You can also join our Discord server, which has recently reached a milestone of 10000 members.
-- Discord: mentalomega.com/discord

Mental Omega is back. Stay tuned for much MOre.

Greetings, Comrade General! There is a new version of Chrono Divide released under the name Chrono Divide Version 0.53. For those unaware, Chrono Divide is a web browser recreation of Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 made by fans. It features Allies and Soviets, allowing you to play skirmish and multiplayer matches. Despite being a browser game, it can be modded. The changes from Chrono Divide Version 0.53 were announced with the following words:

Quote:
Version 0.53
18 November, 2023
               

Bug fixes
  • Unit movement speed corrections
    • Adjusted unit speed calculations to better match the reference vanilla RA2 client
    • Infantry should stop for one game tick after each traversed tile
    • Infantry should no longer be slowed down when moving over ore
    • Vehicles using the hover locomotor should no longer be affected by terrain speed modifiers
    • Adjusted movement speed multiplier for vehicles that accelerate when moving over a single tile

  • Adjustments to build speed and unit training speed based on the reference client
  • Fixed blocking enemy factory and refinery ramps using "Force-Move"
  • Harvesters should prioritize adjacent tiles with the most ore, breaking ties using a predefined order
  • Harvesters should pause for a brief time in front of the refinery when returning ore unless micro-ed
  • Ore patches with a value of 1 should yield no ore
  • Long map names should no longer break the UI layout

               

               
Features and improvements
  • Chat system overhaul

    • In-game chat IME support
    • Improved whisper support (/w and /r commands)
    • Easily switch between general chat and whispers with the Tab key
    • Whisper or reply by clicking on [user] chat links
    • In-game chat is now also available in the diplomatic menu (mobile-friendly)
    • Show more game settings in the diplomatic menu (short game, crates, superweapons)

  • Show latency for each player in the diplomatic menu
  • "Fit Window" option now supports custom resolutions between 800x600 and 1024x768

               

Engine updates
  • Map triggers like "Entered by..." should not be sprung by air units
  • Added support for "Crosses horizontal/vertical line" and "Force end" map triggers
  • Gracefully handle several cases of buildings with missing image frames
  • Adjacency checks should be skipped when deploying vehicles into buildings that are not construction yards
  • Buildings with "UndeploysInto" can now be unpacked even when they have a rally point
  • Vehicles with "Image" overrides in a map file should no longer crash the game when directly referencing voxel art
  • "Image" overrides should not be allowed in art.ini for unit types


For further information about Chrono Divide, visit its Official Website, and Discord Channel. Download Chrono Divide Version 0.53. And that's all regarding Chrono Divide for now. Stay tuned at PPM for more news about Chrono Divide!

Hi everyone! deathreaperz, the leader of YR: New War, has published YR: New War Open Beta 0.95 Unstable moments ago. For those unfamiliar with it, YR: New War is a modification for Yuri's Revenge with Ares and Phobos set after the ending of Yuri's Revenge, where the Yuri eaten by a dinosaur was actually a clone. Here is the official announcement from YR: New War Open Beta 0.95 Unstable posted at its ModDB profile:

Quote:





Welcome back, Commander...

It's been a long time since the last update to ModDB. We have been working on the mod behind the scenes, and now here we are.

Before we get to the point, we want to thank everyone who still supports this mod! YRNW's progress has made the mod's version 0.95 Unstable; many thanks to our contributors! Don't miss an update from our mod by tracking it and joining our Discord server!


There are huge changes and additions in this release. The major significant changes in Version 0.95 Unstable are:
  • Playable Yuri's faction;
  • Auto-Update;
  • Rebalanced all original faction arsenals;
  • Reworked All Subfactions;
  • New gameplay features thanks to ARES, Phobos, and Dynamic Patcher;
  • Support multiplayer matches thanks to CnCNet; and
  • New and improved AI.



There have been lots of changes and additions since 0.78 unstable; see the full changelog and details here.



(installation guide included)

New gameplay videos and pictures from previous Closed Beta versions!







We also have new soundtracks thanks to Frank Klepacki and Tiberian Sons! Here are the lists of the new songs:
  • Armored Advance
  • Crushing the Limit
  • Cybertek
  • Dark Assault
  • Defunkt
  • Freaks from Within
  • Gunslinger
  • Meltdown
  • Mode One
  • Morphscape
  • Morphunk
  • Night Dive
  • Permafrost
  • Rapid Rotation
  • Rebellion
  • Virus



Version 0.95 Unstable also supports the Original Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge soundtracks! Read the mod installation instructions on how to add them in-game.

Special thanks to ARES, Phobos, and Dynamic Patcher for enhancing gameplay features; and Rampastring, Kerbiter, Starkku, and XxpeddyxX for CnCNet Client Configuration and coding assist!

If you want to ask a question regarding the mod's installation and support, help with the mod's progress, and follow the newest update from our mod, become one with us by joining our Discord server!


If you are curious about YR: New War, visit the Topic at PPM Forums, ModDB Profile, and Discord Channel to obtain further information about it. Grab the latest version of YR: New War by clicking Here. That's all, folks! Stay tuned at PPM for more news coverage on YR: New War!

Blender 4.0 is ready to rock!
November 16, 2023 - 04:51
Hello everyone! A new version of Blender has been released as we speak. For those who are not acquainted with it, Blender is the most complete free 3D modeling tool, a must-have for anyone who is into game development or modding. Here is the official announcement from Blender's staff about Blender 4.0:

Quote:
Blender Foundation and the online developers community are proud to present Blender 4.0!





Blender 4.0 splash artwork by Gaku Tada. Download this file.



What’s New

Blender 4.0 is the first step towards a new iteration of Blender and delivers a number of new features and workflow improvements across all areas.

To highlight a few:

  • New Principled BSDF shader
  • AgX view transform for improved color handling
  • Light lighting in Cycles
  • Node Tools, powered by Geometry Nodes
  • Repeat zones in Geometry Nodes
  • New Snap Base for improved placement and transform workflows
  • “Type to search” and various UI improvements, including a new default font
  • New animation curve editing operators
  • Bone collections
  • and so, so much more


The Human Base Meshes bundle got an update with new models and improved topology.

Explore the release notes for an in-depth look at what’s new.

Happy Blending! 


The Blender Team
November 14th, 2023


The Blender team always creates a video spotlighting the new features. And here is the video:






If you are curious about Blender, visit the Official Website to obtain further information about it. Download Blender 4.0. That's all, folks! Stay tuned at PPM for more news coverage on Blender!

RA2YR reMIXer V2.0.0.0 has been released!
November 16, 2023 - 04:43
Brotherhood, unity, and peace, ladies and gentlemen! RA2YR reMIXer V2.0.0.0 has been released by aldrinjohnom a while ago. I know this news is polemic for our brotherhood since RA2YR reMIXer is a tool that can be used to recover protected MIX files from modifications for Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2. You should use it in your own mod files only. Here are the changes from RA2YR reMIXer V2.0.0.0 that were posted by aldrinjohnom in our community:

Quote:
V2.0.0.0 is now released! RA2YR MIX Unprotector is now replaced by RA2YR reMIXer. The source code was rewritten from scratch with outstanding application revisions in AHKv2.  Offering:
- optimized application speed.
- improved Mix Recovery techniques
- new feature: reconstruct mix file to reduce/shrink file size of the mix file. Read the first post for more info.


If you are curious about RA2YR reMIXer, visit the Topic at PPM Forums, and Official Website to obtain further information about it. Download RA2YR reMIXer Here. That's all, folks! Stay tuned at PPM for more news coverage on RA2YR reMIXer!

RA2YR:BruteForce 0.6.46 has been released!
November 10, 2023 - 01:45
Greetings, Comrade General! mbnqpl has posted a new version of RA2YR:BruteForce called RA2YR:BruteForce 0.6.46. For your information, RA2YR:BruteForce is a modification for Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge with Ares that transforms the game into a Tower Defense. Build infantry and walls to defend yourself from hordes of brutes, dinosaurs, and other Yuri creatures. If you need any advanced units, you need to hunt crates. Here are the official words about RA2YR:BruteForce 0.6.46:

Quote:
RA2:YR:Brute Force Mod

Latest 0.6.46 FULL version: ->>> Github

You don't need to download base version of the mod, patch is the mod itself, already patched.









**Description:**

Generally, this version should be released as the main one. I've spent dozens of hours working mainly on AI and fixing bugs. The AI is now a real challenge, and I recommend starting by playing against Yuri on a low difficulty level and on easy maps.

Added to the release is a program that will help adapt each map to the mod by adding a loop that spawns supplies at given intervals. There is a dedicated readme included in the archive with it.









Testing and fixing things that come out after 2-3 hours of gameplay takes a lot of time. Generally, the current version is stable and everything works as it should, but there will probably be some minor bugs and glitches.

Now I will mainly focus on creating maps dedicated to the mod, including tutorials.
I have to fulfill the documentation, add authors of assets.

Big thanks to ARES!









That's a little stupid to work so much on the mod that may be few people will ever try, but hey! at least I'm learning something and sharing with the others.


**Changes (from those I remember):**

- Reworked AI, it's much better now. This is huge and I spent so much time working on it.
- Fixed gui icons
- Fixed: getting spy into Yuri's harvester was giving huge amount of money
- Fixed: Tesla Anihilator
- Fixed: Chrono miner AI bug, now both allies and soviets uses soviet war miner
- Yuri's units drops ORE now
- Reworked gates (still not perfect but working)
- You can now repair civ bunkers
- Removed structure: Defractor (useless)
- AI gets more POWER from AI Centre now
- AI Centre produces credits now (AI only)
- AI gets free SLAVEMINER now, both enemy and allies
- Disabled reverse engineering for most of vehicles (was too easy)
- Fixed and reworked Chrono reinforcement, inc adding new EVA voice commands
- Fixed BRUTE bugs, including EVA spamming "Unit Lost"
- Fixed UI strings
- AI: fixed engineer, everything about it except the model
- Added build limits for almost everything to avoid AI building on whole map
- Added Hedgehog, a single cell wall type that autorepairs and it's strong
- Walls are stronger now
- Reworked Robot (drone tank)
- Easter egg's units moved to their place, try to get them
- AI allies works much better now, uses better AI logic, builds and attacks more
- Demolition Drop: fixed everything and added new EVA voice commands
- Miners explodes now
- PSI-Commando: Fixed price, buildlimit
- AI: fixed monkeys not being able to attacks some type of objects

mbnq.pl


You can learn more about RA2YR:BruteForce by visiting the Official Website. Download the latest version of RA2YR:BruteForce Here. And that's all for now! Have fun and enjoy RA2YR:BruteForce!

One vision, one purpose! There is a new version of Dawn of the Tiberium Age posted under the name Dawn of the Tiberium Age 11.1.0. For your information, Dawn of the Tiberium Age is a stand-alone mod for Tiberian Sun that combines Tiberian Dawn (Command & Conquer 95) and Red Alert featuring a classic mode and an enhanced mode. Here is what we know about Dawn of the Tiberium Age 11.1.0:

Quote:
Version 11.1.0:
Released: Nov 9, 2023

  • Added: Game modes in the game lobby's drop-down menu will now display a description when you hover over them (Credits: Rampastring, Bittah Commander).
  • Changed: The Scarab has been replaced with the Speedboat (Credits: Lin Kuei Ominae).
  • Changed: The power drain of the GDI Tech Center has been raised from 50 to 100.
  • Changed: The power drain of the Allied Tech Center has been lowered from 200 to 100.
  • Changed: The Soviet Airstrip now requires a Radar Dome to be built.
  • Changed: The radius within which Medics and Mechanics will detect units to heal/fix in Area Guard mode has been reduced from 16 to 8 cells.
  • Changed: Advanced AI (Credits: Rampastring):
    - It now builds AA earlier if it detects that one or more of its enemies is building aircraft very early.
    - It now builds less AA if its enemies are not building any aircraft.
    - It now orders all of its combat vehicles to attack its nearest enemies when it has no Construction Yards and War Factories left.
    - It is now much better at countering early infantry rushes.
  • Fixed: The Advanced AI could freeze in "braindead" mode when it ran out of money and had no harvesters left (Credits: Rampastring).
  • Fixed: Enabling Naval in Classic mode caused vehicles to become unbuildable.
  • Fixed: Flame Tanks no longer need to stop before firing in classic mode.
  • Fixed: The "Autumn Leaves" overlay no longer appears black on the radar.
  • Fixed: Soviet players will no longer have an unbuildable Quad Tank appear on the sidebar in the "Scavenger" game mode.


For further information about Dawn of the Tiberium Age, visit the Forums at PPM, ModDB Profile, Discord Channel, and YouTube Video Channel. You can grab the latest version of Dawn of the Tiberium Age by clicking Here. That's all, folks! Stay tuned at PPM for more news coverage on Dawn of the Tiberium Age!

GIMP 2.10.36 has been released!
November 09, 2023 - 03:23
Greetings, commander! GIMP has been recently improved with the release of GIMP 2.10.36. For those who are not acquainted with it, GIMP is a free and open-source image raster graphics editor used for image manipulation (retouching) and image editing, free-form drawing, transcoding between different image file formats, and more specialized tasks. It might not be the ideal program for drawing. GIMP is available for Linux, macOS, and Microsoft Windows. Here is the official announcement about GIMP 2.10.36:

Quote:
This stable release of GIMP comes with a few security fixes, so we advise you to update even if you feel like your current version works fine for you. Apart from the many bug fixes and security updates, it also provides new support for palette formats and a new generated gradient.


New features and mprovements

ASE and ACB palettes support

In addition to already supported palette formats, GIMP can now load palettes in the following formats:

  • Adobe Swatch Exchange (ASE)
  • Adobe Color Book (ACB)

This will make it easier to exchange palettes coming from other software.

New Gradient: FG to Transparent (Hardedge)

Everywhere a gradient option is available, the gradient list will now feature the additional “FG to Transparent (Hardedge)” option. It generates a gradient from the foreground color to transparency, with hard-edge transitions between the 2 colors.

In the Gradient Tool, in particular, you can generate patterns very quickly with the “Repeat” option, alternating repetitive colored shapes with full transparency over a given background.

New FG to Transparent (Hardedge) gradient - GIMP 2.10.36


GIF: non-square ratio support

GIMP now loads GIF images containing the PixelAspectRatio header metadata by setting different resolutions per dimension, hence rendering the image correctly (instead of looking squashed on the screen).

Of course, the option “Dot for Dot” in the View menu must be unchecked to see the image at its expected ratio.


More enhancements

A few more improvements were sprinkled across this update, such as:

  • Text tool: improved formatting behavior when selecting and changing text on Canvas.
  • Theme: better feedback when hovering lock buttons (with a white frame) as well as when activating a lock (a small padlock shows up in the corner).
  • Help: The Help > User Manual submenu now features a “[Table of Contents]” link.



Security and bug fixes

Fixed Vulnerabilities

Four vulnerabilities were reported by the Zero Day Initiative in code for the following formats and fixed immediately:

  • DDS: ZDI-CAN-22093
  • PSD: ZDI-CAN-22094
  • PSP: ZDI-CAN-22096 and ZDI-CAN-22097

Additionally, dependencies have been updated in our binary packages, and with them, some vulnerabilities recently reported in these libraries were fixed.

In any case, we recommend to update GIMP with the latest packages.


Broken Graphics Tablets with recent linuxwacom driver

We don’t usually mention bug fixes prominently, but an ugly one happened recently after a change in the xf86-input-wacom (linuxwacom) driver, which provoked crashes of GIMP when using a graphic tablet on Linux.

Various distributions have already downgraded the driver or backported the fix since a patch to the driver has been quickly pushed as well. Nevertheless, if you are in the unlucky situation of using the non-patched driver, this version of GIMP also contains a workaround to the bug.


You can check more information about GIMP by visiting the Official Website, and Forums. Grab the latest version of GIMP by clicking Here. That's all, folks! Stay tuned at PPM for more news coverage on GIMP!