Valkyria Chronicles FanFiction Discussion

[Firefly00]

Right; seems there's plenty to deal with here, so without further ado...

Originally Posted by RedShocktrooper

And for resources and production, we could turn to Tiberian Dawn up to Red Alert 2. Warning. Our Base, is under attack.

Well, I was thinking Randomly Assigned Potentials... but then we could see Susie in Apocalypse Tank form, and Jane in the form of a Combat Engineer. While that makes for great comedic value, it's nigh useless

If some confusion still exists about the boots-on-the-ground mechanics of the Dawn of War games, I imagine that IGN among others would be home to several videos and articles which would serve to provide illumination on the matter.

How could I forget about that sort of monster? /slaps self.

Simple: 'that sort of monster' doesn't get as much air time as certain other things in the inventory. And as long as we're here, I imagine that the GSSR Navy might well include ekranoplans... I'm sure you recall the 'Caspian Sea Monster', yes?

Eh.... wha?

The motto is a nod to the UNSC's Orbital Drop Shock Troopers over in the Haloverse.

Well, if my memory serves me correctly, 'Welkov,' as I shall call it, would have to require Welkin actually be dead.

Or very close to it; recall the case of Alex Murphy, who is probably better known as Robocop.

While a Welkin-clone could also be possible (and probable, since Marchenko being a dirty Communist pig, and all), I could see Comrade Premier using a brainwashed Clone of the Nature-lover to attempt to get Alicia to defect back to the Soviet side.

Of course, since Welclone would act odd, she'd see right through it.

Yes, pretty much; good thing we're probably leaving this particular thread on the proverbial shelf for a bit.

Red Alert 2 is up.

Yay!

That's good to hear; it'll be amusing to see what manner of unwelcome mat Moskvin rolls out for his... guests.

Also, I've had some musings about what a VC/RA crossover would play like, if it were to be made.

Feel free to add onto that as you see fit.

Handy to know, although I still think it amusing that in this world, given the Empire's size advantage, the GSSR will find itself adopting quite a bit of Allied doctrine... with appropriately Soviet touches, of course.

Ladies and germs, I have an announcement.

I. Am. INSAAANE!

That is all.

Insane? Debatable. Amusing. Definitely.

[RedShocktrooper]

Originally Posted by Firefly00

If some confusion still exists about the boots-on-the-ground mechanics of the Dawn of War games, I imagine that IGN among others would be home to several videos and articles which would serve to provide illumination on the matter.

You saw my musings; I actually think that the idea of units that perform well to a particular degree (Killing, for instance 500% their original worth) getting promoted to 'Character' status, where they get their own set of potentials and voice. Until then, though, they would be generic units.

Simple: 'that sort of monster' doesn't get as much air time as certain other things in the inventory. And as long as we're here, I imagine that the GSSR Navy might well include ekranoplans... I'm sure you recall the 'Caspian Sea Monster', yes?

No, but a quick google search turned up... Holy crap in bottle. That thing's big.

The motto is a nod to the UNSC's Orbital Drop Shock Troopers over in the Haloverse.

No wonder I didn't get it.

Or very close to it; recall the case of Alex Murphy, who is probably better known as Robocop.

Well, either way, he wouldn't remember much. I see Marchenko possibly having some sort of chip installed in Welkin to keep him loyal to the Party. Last thing he wants is Volkov Mark II running around flattening his forces.

Yes, pretty much; good thing we're probably leaving this particular thread on the proverbial shelf for a bit.

Conversely, once Yuri gets in there with Max, we might see the prince Emperor attempting to clone Selvaria. I don't see the GSSR, seeing as how they would have little background when it comes to the whole "bring in the clones" thing, wouldn't have the technology to clone people. Cybernetics are there, as Volkov demonstrates.

That's good to hear; it'll be amusing to see what manner of unwelcome mat Moskvin rolls out for his... guests.

Warehouse 13...

Handy to know, although I still think it amusing that in this world, given the Empire's size advantage, the GSSR will find itself adopting quite a bit of Allied doctrine... with appropriately Soviet touches, of course.

Well, the doctrine is still reliant upon Tanks, with the "heavy infantry" parts coming in to play for mopping up. Nothing like finding out that that guy with the heavy armored suit and the machine gun is the basic grunt.

Insane? Debatable. Amusing. Definitely.

What do you mean, 'debatable?'

I have this odd feeling that I made the Soldier a bit OOC. Too many curse words coming out of his mouth, enough to possibly warrant the M rating, and I'm a bit too quick to note "Your Pancreas! Your Head! Bits! More Bits!"

I mean, it's "a Grimm bloody fable, with an unhappy, bloody end." But I couldn't resist the literal Item Drops.

EDIT: I'm also trying to get things like "FYI, I'm a Spy"/"OH MY GOD YOU'RE A (dies) SPY!" and "WE HAVE SIX MEDICS! WHAT THE FUUU-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Really it isn't TF2 without humor.

[Neovoid]

A friend of one was working on a fanfic where the main protagonists are group of ragtag elite Atlantic Federation soldiers. The team consists of all Darcsen-Atlantic Federation and their mission is to infiltrate countries controlled by the Empire and cause panic and havoc within the Empire by savagely killing as many Imp servicemen as possible. They operate with a "Take No Prisoners" attitude and scalp their victims following each ambush. Its basically retribution for all the Darcsens the Empire was responsible for hunting down and killing throughout the years. And yes, it's heavily inspired by "Inglourious Basterds" where what if Europa had a "Basterds" counterpart with the same MO.

[Runty]

My viewers, it's technically Christmas Day where I live. To you, I've got a good present: Chapter 8 of Lone Wulf, FINALLY DONE.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5060248/...cles_Lone_Wulf

Please read it and enjoy it; it took me FOREVER to finish.

Now, I need to get some sleep. Ugh...

[RedShocktrooper]

Originally Posted by Runty

My viewers, it's technically Christmas Day where I live. To you, I've got a good present: Chapter 8 of Lone Wulf, FINALLY DONE.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5060248/...cles_Lone_Wulf

Please read it and enjoy it; it took me FOREVER to finish.

Now, I need to get some sleep. Ugh...

Good on ya. Merry Christmas, Runty. And same to the rest of you, too.

Reading it now...

[Firefly00]

Originally Posted by RedShocktrooper

Well, either way, he wouldn't remember much. I see Marchenko possibly having some sort of chip installed in Welkin to keep him loyal to the Party. Last thing he wants is Volkov Mark II running around flattening his forces.

Of course such a failsafe would be necessary; indeed, this comment reminded me of one of Namco's probably-forgotten games, which is probably the first third-person shooter to integrate cover and blindfire (in fact, the Gears of War dev team explicitly calls it out as an influence):
Kill.Switch
As it turns out, this gentleman has a playthrough up.

Warehouse 13...

Opportunity for another Halo nod here: the code phrase for deploying certain prototype units to greet the 'guests' might well be, 'Unseal the hushed casket' (in Halo: Combat Evolved, this is the cue for the techs manning a certain cryo bay in the Pillar of Autumn to rouse Master Chief/John-117).

Well, the doctrine is still reliant upon Tanks, with the "heavy infantry" parts coming in to play for mopping up. Nothing like finding out that that guy with the heavy armored suit and the machine gun is the basic grunt.

And I can see certain Imperial assumptions about heavy infantry being rudely dispelled...

Spoiler for Final transmission of Alder One-One:

"Their armored infantry will be no problem; they are big and slow, and armed only wi-" *sound of something landing* "What is that? Is there something on the turr-" *metallic tearing and wrenching" "Mother of God..." *shotgun fire, very close*

Originally Posted by Neovoid

A friend of one was working on a fanfic where the main protagonists are group of ragtag elite Atlantic Federation soldiers...

That might be interesting. I saw the movie recently; it wasn't bad by any means, even if I prefer a more professional, less gratuitous variety of wet work.

[RedShocktrooper]

Actually, I'm thinking of going back to Square 1, with the Allies appearing to save the battered Squad 7 from the Botamys (did I spell that right?). I just got VC and a PS3 under the tree, and fankly thought of changing things in the fic when I said to myself, "Man, I wish I had a ConYard."

LOL, me spaming KV-105-2's (RA1 HTs) at the Marmota. "I'll overwhelm it eventually!"

[RedShocktrooper]

Recently, I deleted Red Alert 2, and set to work on an alternate version of Red Alert; creatively titled 'Red Alert: Redux.' I'm also drawing more from Red Alert 3 for Redux (ADK-45's rather than AK-47's), so we can assume we won't be seeing Atom Bombs any time soon (Desolator weapons are another story).

Also, I've come up with a Second Tesla+Valkyria theory: Shocking an Active Valkyria causes a Final Flame, possibly of a greater magnitude than normal. Shocking an inactive one (for instance, Alicia before Naggiar) brute forces her to become Active, though unlike the normal method (near-death experiance, where she is actually knocked out, so to speak), she is fully awake, but in severe pain until she deactivates.

[Firefly00]

Originally Posted by RedShocktrooper

Recently, I deleted Red Alert 2, and set to work on an alternate version of Red Alert; creatively titled 'Red Alert: Redux.' I'm also drawing more from Red Alert 3 for Redux (ADK-45's rather than AK-47's), so we can assume we won't be seeing Atom Bombs any time soon (Desolator weapons are another story).

Ah, good to hear. I imagine that we'd be able to flesh out some of the awesomeness that really didn't get much air time in the original version. For example...

• Su-25s or Mi-24s cutting through Gallian armored column like a harvester in a wheatfield;
• Spetsnaz airmobile raid which succeeds where the Empire failed in canon by capturing the Gallian National Command Authourity;
• the gunship and AWACS forms of various Antonov and Ilyushin transports (they'd fit better in the RA3 timeframe);
• UAVs (not that far a leap for the Soviets to develop)

Also, I've come up with a Second Tesla+Valkyria theory: Shocking an Active Valkyria causes a Final Flame, possibly of a greater magnitude than normal. Shocking an inactive one (for instance, Alicia before Naggiar) brute forces her to become Active, though unlike the normal method (near-death experiance, where she is actually knocked out, so to speak), she is fully awake, but in severe pain until she deactivates.

That's an interesting set of considerations; would I be on the mark in presuming that Redux' divergence point from canon would be sometime pre-Naggiar?

[RedShocktrooper]

Originally Posted by Firefly00

Ah, good to hear. I imagine that we'd be able to flesh out some of the awesomeness that really didn't get much air time in the original version.

Which reminds me; you said a while back you had some scenes you wished to share. Now's your time to offload them, though keep in mind that the Soviet war machine is mostly dormant; in Redux, they aren't coming out guns blazing like in Original, but rather only reveal themselves when they V2 the Batomys (which I spelled Botamys in the fic, though the name is a bit confusing as of yet). We could even assume they've been lying in wait for a while now in the Barious desert.

For example...

• Su-25s or Mi-24s cutting through Gallian armored column like a harvester in a wheatfield;

The idea could be modified to fit more with the idea of the Soviets fighting the Imperials alongside the Gallians: the look on Selvaria's face when she looks up to see a wing of Mig-28 Airmen (fictional plane made up for the fic) sweep in with cluster or air-fuel bombs and basically kill everything Imperial that doesn't have silver hair or red eyes.
[QUOTE

• Spetsnaz airmobile raid which succeeds where the Empire failed in canon by capturing the Gallian National Command Authourity;[/QUOTE]

Well, I actually have a backstab in place...

Spoiler for Modifications:

Rather than have Cordielia get kidnapped during 'A Midsummer Incident,' the incident will be retooled to instead have Marchenko and Moskvin, plus a detachment of Soviet Officers (equiped with my resident SKS clone, the SDK-41, for 'cerimonial reasons'), and have the Soviet troops actually take Borg, Cordielia, and the Ambassador hostage, and possibly have the Marshal off Borg and the Fed Ambassador, though keep Cordielia alive for some reason or another.

• the gunship and AWACS forms of various Antonov and Ilyushin transports (they'd fit better in the RA3 timeframe);

You have to keep in mind; I work with the assumption that the '45' in 'ADK-45' stands for 1945, as in 'Entered Service in 1945.' I will come up with some sort of Gallianized ADK soon enough, and perhaps call it the AG-35, or something. Though, since I've lined up the KV-85 Hammer for development some time down the line (with some changes, of course), seeing gunship and AWACS planes still isn't implausible; the AWACS could also play havoc with Imperial communiations (Jamming and all that jazz).

• UAVs (not that far a leap for the Soviets to develop)

Since we can assume Volkov and Chitzkoi were in the Soviet arsenal, we're closer to seeing Terror Drones and robot versions of the Gallian's resident tanks (the Soviets being unwilling to sacrifice KV-110-2's for the program, and thus hand over the Shamrock and its brethren, plus captured Imp tanks).

That's an interesting set of considerations; would I be on the mark in presuming that Redux' divergence point from canon would be sometime pre-Naggiar?

Well, actually, Redux diverged at the Batomys; Welkin was about to fall victem to the 340mm Ragna-cannon, when a V2 Rocket struck it, throwing aim off. A second rocket hits, and blows a nice big hole in the Batomys. I'm also having the Soviets try to peice the tank back together; with some modifications, it would easily fit Soviet War Doctrine.

Spoiler for Heavy Stuff here:

However, by this point Alicia will have gotten a bit... 'curious' about the Soviets, and gotten herself carried off by the NKVD (the acronym I'm using). Welkin will make at least one attempt to save her, and I might fit Noce in there somewhere down the line, joining the fight to get Alicia back... well, actually, yeah. The fight to get Alicia back (though, it we might see Noce and Welkin nearly come to fisticuffs at some point.)

[Firefly00]

Originally Posted by RedShocktrooper

Which reminds me; you said a while back you had some scenes you wished to share. Now's your time to offload them...

With the change in direction in Redux, it'll likely be back to the drawing board for many of them. Though if the Soviets have been lurking about that bit of desert, I imagine that there might be rumors making the rounds among Imperial and Gallian alike about the place being home to mysterious sightings (of Soviet scout details) and even the odd disappearance. Naturally, when the two forces make contact, each believes they've found the explanation for these odd occurences. Making the Soviets that much more of a surprise.

The idea could be modified to fit more with the idea of the Soviets fighting the Imperials alongside the Gallians: the look on Selvaria's face when she looks up to see a wing of Mig-28 Airmen (fictional plane made up for the fic) sweep in with cluster or air-fuel bombs and basically kill everything Imperial that doesn't have silver hair or red eyes.

Personally, I'd still go for actual Soviet hardware to round out the arsenal; it reduces developmental workload. Still, it'd be amusing to watch, as well as an excuse for a nod to a certain Kurt Russel movie beforehand where a Soviet FAC tells the flight lead, "On my signal... unleash hell."

Well, I actually have a backstab in place...

Hmm, not bad; let me see if I can flesh it out a bit...

Spoiler for Who Dares, Wins:

The Gallians, somehow having advance warning of the Imperials' planned decap raid, have accepted Marchenko's offer of a Spetsnaz detachment to supplement the Royal Guard. The raid goes off, and the Royal Guard (with, I presume, help from Squad 7) repulse the capture team... but amidst the hue and cry the Spetsnaz have secretly slipped the 'principals' aboard one of their helicopters and slipped off. This, incidentally, is also the same time a code phrase goes out to Soviet units throughout Gallia:
'Execute Directive 66'.

You have to keep in mind; I work with the assumption that the '45' in 'ADK-45' stands for 1945, as in 'Entered Service in 1945...

Though, like the AK-47, there's no reason that the design hasn't 'evolved' to keep current. I take it we're going in with the full RA3 tech level, yes?

...seeing gunship and AWACS planes still isn't implausible; the AWACS could also play havoc with Imperial communiations (Jamming and all that jazz).

Yep, not to mention using direction-finders in concert with pinpoint airstrikes or artillery to nail command elements. Also good opportunity at multiple points for Zhana or Marchenko to chew out folks like Damon for their narrow-mindedness. Especially Zhana; I imagine she's very proud of what she's achieved with/for the Soviet Air Force.

Since we can assume Volkov and Chitzkoi were in the Soviet arsenal, we're closer to seeing Terror Drones and robot versions of the Gallian's resident tanks (the Soviets being unwilling to sacrifice KV-110-2's for the program, and thus hand over the Shamrock and its brethren, plus captured Imp tanks).

And I can just imagine the stories that would start making the rounds among Imperial forces about tanks that somehow keep fighting despite hits that should've incapacitated their crews (or killed them outright)... and those small, spidery machines which pose a grave threat to tank and infantryman alike...
And Volkov-and-Chitzkoi badassery is a department all to itself.

Well, actually, Redux diverged at the Batomys; Welkin was about to fall victem to the 340mm Ragna-cannon, when a V2 Rocket struck it, throwing aim off. A second rocket hits, and blows a nice big hole in the Batomys. I'm also having the Soviets try to peice the tank back together; with some modifications, it would easily fit Soviet War Doctrine.

Yes, it could; indeed, it might end up being the chassis used for the Armageddon prototype later on down the line.

[DC20]

Runty, I saw that in your review for the Halo thing you mentioned Artillery. Is there any word on whether he's completely discontinued that story that you know of? Anything on Dr. Evil for that matter? Those guys need to get their asses back in front of a keyboard >: (

[Runty]

Originally Posted by DC20

Runty, I saw that in your review for the Halo thing you mentioned Artillery. Is there any word on whether he's completely discontinued that story that you know of? Anything on Dr. Evil for that matter? Those guys need to get their asses back in front of a keyboard >: (

I wish I knew, DC20, but I don't. Neither one has responded to any messages I've sent them. You could try.

[RedShocktrooper]

Originally Posted by Firefly00

With the change in direction in Redux, it'll likely be back to the drawing board for many of them. Though if the Soviets have been lurking about that bit of desert, I imagine that there might be rumors making the rounds among Imperial and Gallian alike about the place being home to mysterious sightings (of Soviet scout details) and even the odd disappearance. Naturally, when the two forces make contact, each believes they've found the explanation for these odd occurences. Making the Soviets that much more of a surprise.

Well, it would still be good to see some of them. They might inspire similar scenes in Redux.

Personally, I'd still go for actual Soviet hardware to round out the arsenal; it reduces developmental workload. Still, it'd be amusing to watch, as well as an excuse for a nod to a certain Kurt Russel movie beforehand where a Soviet FAC tells the flight lead, "On my signal... unleash hell."

Well, the main reason I went with a more RA3 styled version of RA1, was because of the liberties I could take: The Mig-28 (The MiG-29), the KV-110-2 (T80 Twin Cannon), and IS-120-2 (Mammoth Tank), plus SMK-T (Tesla Tank). Other things will be actual weapons (Yak-9's, Mi-24's, CH-47 Chinooks [with a change to the name, possibly to Ka-47, with 'Chinook' being like 'Helix' or 'Fulcrum'; a NATO/Allied reporting name])

Hmm, not bad; let me see if I can flesh it out a bit...

Spoiler for Who Dares, Wins:

The Gallians, somehow having advance warning of the Imperials' planned decap raid, have accepted Marchenko's offer of a Spetsnaz detachment to supplement the Royal Guard. The raid goes off, and the Royal Guard (with, I presume, help from Squad 7) repulse the capture team... but amidst the hue and cry the Spetsnaz have secretly slipped the 'principals' aboard one of their helicopters and slipped off. This, incidentally, is also the same time a code phrase goes out to Soviet units throughout Gallia:
'Execute Directive 66'.

Directive 66, eh? Isn't something with that number the order that Vader's superior uses to say 'kill the Jedi?'

Though, like the AK-47, there's no reason that the design hasn't 'evolved' to keep current. I take it we're going in with the full RA3 tech level, yes?

While, yes, the ADK-45 would probably see many updates, Redux is quite explicitly pre-RA3 (Moskvin is only a Captain, for instance. This seems to indicate that he may find a way back to his timeline.) After all, the ADK-45's used by RA3 Conscripts are said to be used, which implies that they are possibly aged weapons.

Yep, not to mention using direction-finders in concert with pinpoint airstrikes or artillery to nail command elements. Also good opportunity at multiple points for Zhana or Marchenko to chew out folks like Damon for their narrow-mindedness. Especially Zhana; I imagine she's very proud of what she's achieved with/for the Soviet Air Force.

Oh, yes. Zhana probably would come down on Damon for that sort of stuff; possibly because anyone higher and she risks a court martial (Perhaps she and Damon are of the same rank?). Marchenko would chew out the bits too high for Zhana to get: being Marshal of the Soviet Union (later to be Generalissimo of the Republic, not unlike Stalin and Generalissimo of the USSR) has the perk of only the PM (who could be 'disappeared' by the NKVD by this time) outranking him. This also means Marchenko could actually attempt to place one of his own (highly competent) generals in command of Damon's old post, but Borg keeps getting in the way.

And I can just imagine the stories that would start making the rounds among Imperial forces about tanks that somehow keep fighting despite hits that should've incapacitated their crews (or killed them outright)... and those small, spidery machines which pose a grave threat to tank and infantryman alike...

"I swear! This thing had a hole the size of one of our Heavy tanks in it, but it kept fighting!"

Also, the Terror Drone could actually go as far as to possibly make Welkin rethink the 'Humans are part of nature' thing: Given what they develop in the RA3 timeline, we could easily say that while there is more than people killing people, but damn, those Reds like killing people! We could actually have an exchage between Welkin (detained by the NKVD) and Marchenko:

Spoiler for Welkin and Sergei:

(Footage of Desolator Airstrike from MiG-28's)
Welkin: What... that's... it's... Marchenko, that's unhumane!
Marchenko: I know. That is point.
Welkin: Just the enviromental damage is...
Marchenko: The enviroment can f*** itself. The more brutal the enemy's death, the less likely they are to resist.
Welkin, Largo, Rosie, Isara, Alicia: ...

And Volkov-and-Chitzkoi badassery is a department all to itself.

Spoiler for Sel, Volk, and Chitz:

I'd love to see the look on Selvaria's face when she first encounters Volkov, possibly in Alicia's place in Naggiar. I've actually personally compared Volkov's abilities to a Valkyria, possibly even surpassing them. I've also come up with a theory as to how he can shrug off one of Selvaria's beam attacks: He has a backpack-mounted Iron Curtain device, causing him to faintly glow red on the battlefield. As such, when the beam hits him, rather than being destroyed (as a few KV-110-2's are), there is simply a "Perrsh!" sound when the beam hits, and does nothing to him. Cue a look of shock on Selvaria's face when Volkov opens up with the arm-mounted concussion cannon on her.

This backpack could act as a weakspot that Squad Seven exploits, since they will end up part of the Allied resistance. It's not unlike the glowing radiators in practice, though rather than killing Volkov outright, it makes him vulnerable to all weapons. A possible way to kill him would be to have a sniper (for awesomeness reasons, this will be Oscar) shoot the back, then shoot 'Kov in the head.

Yes, it could; indeed, it might end up being the chassis used for the Armageddon prototype later on down the line.

Actually, the Batomys is much larger than the Armageddon: the former is a massive tank Marchenko will use akin to Germany's P-1000 Ratte that never got finished. The Obyekt 374, AKA Wintergreen (Developer name), Armageddon ('Service' name), will be the stepping stone tech-wise between the IS-120-2 Mammoth and IS-125-2 Apocalypse. We could see parts of both tanks (Mammoth Tusk missiles and the frontal Grinder and M-Harpoon) incorperated into the Armageddon. Though, a Soviet Welkin Gunther (not a clone, but an oddly smiliar counterpart), rather than the actual Welkin would ride in this thing while attempting to crush his Gallian counterpart: the idea of Welkin running into himself (albiet a Russian version) would be interesting... up until the Russian one pulled out a gun (Possibly telling Welkin that he'd personally make sure, to the best of his abilities, that Welkin and his men are taken care of. I doubt I'll create a Soviet Alicia, though)

Originally Posted by Runty

I wish I knew, DC20, but I don't. Neither one has responded to any messages I've sent them. You could try.

From what I gather, Artillery and Dr. Evil have seemingly abandon the fandom.

[Firefly00]

Originally Posted by RedShocktrooper

Well, it would still be good to see some of them. They might inspire similar scenes in Redux.

Okay, I'll see what can be salvaged from the pile. One amusing segment could come from a Soviet NCO asking some of his Gallian counterparts how it is that their development of the military art has somehow managed to skip over camouflage (something I've long wondered about the canon VC universe in any case), which could segue into one of the older Soviet retelling some of his grandfather's stories about what the Russian military was like under the czars or something.

Well, the main reason I went with a more RA3 styled version of RA1, was because of the liberties I could take: The Mig-28 (The MiG-29), the KV-110-2 (T80 Twin Cannon), and IS-120-2 (Mammoth Tank), plus SMK-T (Tesla Tank). Other things will be actual weapons (Yak-9's, Mi-24's, CH-47 Chinooks [with a change to the name, possibly to Ka-47, with 'Chinook' being like 'Helix' or 'Fulcrum'; a NATO/Allied reporting name])

Since we're using a tech level just before RA2/3 (the two universes are roughly similar, I think), that's a fairly reasonable list you have there; just note that the Yak-9 would've been succeeded in the ground-attack role by the Su-25, and replace the CH-47 with the Mi-26 'Halo', and we're more or less set.
At the 'small' end of the Soviet ground vehicle roster would, of course, be motorcycles (an excuse to introduce RA3's mortar cycles) and FAVs (hi, 'ninja buggies'!)

Directive 66, eh? Isn't something with that number the order that Vader's superior uses to say 'kill the Jedi?'

Yep, though Palpatine called it 'Order 66'... like the modified Twinblade, this was intended as a almost-explicit nod.

Oh, yes. Zhana probably would come down on Damon for that sort of stuff; possibly because anyone higher and she risks a court martial (Perhaps she and Damon are of the same rank?).

Yes, pretty much; and I imagine it doesn't help that the corpulent chap might be less-than-subtly checking her out... and should his mouth start taking cues from the smaller of his heads, I imagine that a couplf of Zhana's colleages might end up dragging her out of the room before she does worse than verbally tear into the man.

Marchenko would chew out the bits too high for Zhana to get: being Marshal of the Soviet Union (later to be Generalissimo of the Republic, not unlike Stalin and Generalissimo of the USSR) has the perk of only the PM (who could be 'disappeared' by the NKVD by this time) outranking him. This also means Marchenko could actually attempt to place one of his own (highly competent) generals in command of Damon's old post, but Borg keeps getting in the way.

And it'd be amusing if Borg's persistent obstructionism leads Marchenko to wonder as to the man's motives aside from sheer stubbornness... some discreet inquires by the NKVD lead to the discovery of his agenda (and, incidentally, lead to the raid warning mentioned earlier).

"I swear! This thing had a hole the size of one of our Heavy tanks in it, but it kept fighting!"

And if the robot tanks and terror drones weren't bad enough... well, as you'd likely divined from a previous post, Alder One-One and his group were jumped by Soviet battlesuited infantry (literally in his case - one jumped on the tank, tore off the commander's hatch, and emptied an auto-shotgun into the interior). But since we're talking not-quite-RA2/3-tech-level yet, I imagine that neither powered armor nor man-portable Tesla weapons have gotten much beyond the proving grounds - meaning no Tesla troopers in this continuity. Which, in turn, means that this AU's Volkov and Chitzkoi would be different from canon in that this Soviet 'hero unit' is a battlesuit operator instead of a cyborg (Chitzkoi would still be a cybernetically-upgraded canine... maybe a wolf in this case).

Though, a Soviet Welkin Gunther (not a clone, but an oddly smiliar counterpart), rather than the actual Welkin would ride in this thing while attempting to crush his Gallian counterpart: the idea of Welkin running into himself (albiet a Russian version) would be interesting... up until the Russian one pulled out a gun (Possibly telling Welkin that he'd personally make sure, to the best of his abilities, that Welkin and his men are taken care of...)

I agree; that would be interesting to watch. Not to mention opportunity to make a couple of nods to Wild Dog of Time Crisis infamy...

(...I doubt I'll create a Soviet Alicia, though)

You don't really have to; one could argue that Natasha fills that role. And it's not like this continuity would have the Empire of the Rising Sun find its way here too, right? Even if Yuriko and her crush make for such fine blooper-reel fodder.

[RedShocktrooper]

Originally Posted by Firefly00

Okay, I'll see what can be salvaged from the pile. One amusing segment could come from a Soviet NCO asking some of his Gallian counterparts how it is that their development of the military art has somehow managed to skip over camouflage (something I've long wondered about the canon VC universe in any case), which could segue into one of the older Soviet retelling some of his grandfather's stories about what the Russian military was like under the czars or something.

But since we're talking not-quite-RA2/3-tech-level yet, I imagine that neither powered armor nor man-portable Tesla weapons have gotten much beyond the proving grounds - meaning no Tesla troopers in this continuity. Which, in turn, means that this AU's Volkov and Chitzkoi would be different from canon in that this Soviet 'hero unit' is a battlesuit operator instead of a cyborg...

Well, I actually intend for a pretty epic showdown between Selvaria and Volkov to take place; not only would she possibly be confused by Volkov's mechanical appearance, and the fact that he, like her, is glowing, albiet red rather than blue. I've even wondered what a VC version of the mission "Soviet Soldier Volkov and Chitzkoi" would play like, and how it would be fit in. (Perhaps, Ellet interviewing Marchenko about it, and the mission being the only thing he'd tell her [as in, He's only willing to tell her how effective he is, but not all that he is capable of. The version seen in that mission could actually be the 'base model', and the Volkov that faces off vs. Selvaria is something like the Edelweiss II... same base, different parts]).

(Chitzkoi would still be a cybernetically-upgraded canine... maybe a wolf in this case).

The look on Max's face when all the Soviets sick on him on the Marmota is a wolf would be astounding: when he goes all OWA and becomes a fake Valkyria, Chitzkoi simply bites his crotch with all the force of a armor piercing round. That worked well, eh, Prince?

This, of course, assumes that Marchenko, being the Cherdenko-esque SOB he is, doesn't convince Selvaria to off Maximilian in a similar way to Nadia and Stalin back in the Soviet ending of RA1.

I agree; that would be interesting to watch. Not to mention opportunity to make a couple of nods to Wild Dog of Time Crisis infamy...

Rather, I was thinking of Alicia standing there as Welkin and this unnamed Soviet (time to consult my Russian Name Lexicon) talk about wildlife, and the differences and similarities between Gallia and Russia (let's face it: there are going to be similar creatures), and having this blank look on her face, before the Soviet pulls out his Makarov and says "We'll talk more later. But, I'm afraid if I don't turn you in, the Marshal will have my head... literally. I hope you understand."

You don't really have to; one could argue that Natasha fills that role. And it's not like this continuity would have the Empire of the Rising Sun find its way here too, right? Even if Yuriko and her crush make for such fine blooper-reel fodder.

While that is true about Yuriko/Welkin (and how one-sided that would be, with Welkin quickly turning to the nearest person and going "Help me!"), if any VC'rs who want to know who Natasha is, I can now describe her as "Marina and Alicia, if they shared a body with Boris from RA2."

[Firefly00]

Originally Posted by RedShocktrooper

Keep in mind, too, that the Soviets haven't quite yet gotten camouflage down: Thusfar, I've described them as having one-tone drab green uniforms, though a possible end result of a mix of the Soviet, Gallian, and Imperial combat uniforms could produce the face obscuring mask of the RA2 conscript (with a shatter-resistant glass visor), thick layers of a material similar to Kevlar, with an outer lining not dissimilar to the Shocktrooper's body armor (increased in coverage, of course). The soviets would then paint the outer body armor a green/brown pattern.

Apparently, I wasn't as clear as I had believed. While the Soviets' grasp of camouflage might be imprefect, it's certainly seems better than what the Gallians have so far exhibited, which latter fact is what many Soviet personnel would find puzzling. Of course, when the local residents do encounter Soviet forces in the desert, appropriate ad-hoc camouflage would be in evidence.

For obvious reasons, the Allied Forces that will eventually end up in Gallia (after appearing to beat down Hitler, Sapient Lizards, and the Confederates [laden with shout outs to works like Worldwar and various other alternate WWII's, before finally showing up in Gallia]) will either use a dark gray/brown combat uniform (as they used in the RA1 cutscenes), or just plain olive green, like US Army GIs.

Shout outs to various alternate WWIIs would be a nice touch... and yes, the Allies too would be puzzled by the Gallians' nonexistent grasp of camouflage. But this ties into something else you touch upon very shortly afterwards.

Well, the Mi-26 might compromise a term found on Red Alert: A Path Beyond's site known as "RAlism;" how true the work in question is to Red Alert. Hence, my use of the Chinook: It's explicitly stated both in-game and in manuals that it is, indeed the Chinook that the Soviets are using. Though, we can assume that something like the Twinblade coming into play, the fairly thin-skind 'Nook might be tossed aside in favor of the gunship.

By all means, though, the Su-25 is a logical evolution. An RA3-ized Halo could also be used as a technological go-between for the Chinook, Hind, and Twinblade; with some changes, of course, to give it intermeshing rotors.

Ah. What's happening here is that we're using slightly different takes on 'RAlism' - retaining 'signature' units and technologies (often with sensible mutations/evolutions) and tweaking the 'peripheral' (relatively speaking) stuff in the interests of adding, as you put it once, awesomesauce while remaining true to the technology level demonstrated at that point in RA canon.

"Need a leetle heet-and-run?"

Yep. As noted earlier, the FAV groups would be a 'natural home' for any Soviet officers of Cossack extraction; extra credit if the recurring character in question actually carries a perfectly usable cavalry saber (the US cavalry hat, if present, is a trophy (s)he picked up during the war back home).

Though, a question would be, since we could assume the heavy-lifting Twinblade to be experimental, that it would be more practical to use

I'd been referring to the idea of modifying an RA3 Twinblade by giving it firing ports for embarked infantry and calling the result a Hammerhead; that was intended as an explicit nod to the eponymous C&C3 unit. But since we're in the neighborhood... if the Soviets of this universe use Mil's various platforms to fill the attack (Mi-24) and utility (Mi-8 and -26) roles, the Twinblade could indeed be explained as an experimental unit (a Mil design team's experiment with alternative rotor configurations).
A couple of interesting related tidbits: one, the Mi-24 design is specifically noted as being derived from the Mi-8; and two, while the Mi-12 did enter production, a larger and more peculiar helo intended as a flying crane - the Mi-32 - did not in our world make it past the concept stage.

This assumes Marchenko doesn't 'disappear' Damon. Sergei might also make no attempts to stop Zhana: his won intentions would eventually lead to Damon being out of the Chain-of-Command anyway (the result of Damon treating Red Army troops like the Militia, and simply dumbly tossing them in droves to their deaths at the Imperials might actually cause Marchenko to order Damon's post trade combat troops to being an 'Admiral, in charge of the Army's Vessels.'

It comes to late to Damon, that Marchenko just gave him dish-washing duty, not unlike an Abbot and Costello movie, where Lou gets 'promoted' from Private to Admiral by his drill Sargent.

As humorous as the idea of Damon being busted down to dish-washing detail might be, his stupidity and callous disregard for the soldiers under his command will lead to his 'disappearance'... or, as you put it, the others who might be accompanying Zhana at some occasion where they again end up butting heads being, err, a bit too slow to stop her from laying the smack down. And given that his degree of idiocy is almost certainly unique among his contemporaries, I suspect Borg is the only reason he hasn't already been court-martialed or dishonorably discharged. Though a humorous story could be worked out wherein the Gallian military's more sensible elements simply act to keep his nonsense behind a 'firewall' while preserving the illusion that he's actually making decisions... if you're familiar with Sgt. Bilko, you likely have some idea what I mean.

Of course, the attempt to kidnap Cordelia would interfere with Marchenko's, which call quite explicitly for her presumed death (if she gets kidnapped, there is a possibility that she might eventually resurface).

More blooper-reel material could surely be derived from the idea of these backstabs getting in each other's way. But seriously, if you like the idea of Marchenko being more clever manipulator than straight Cherdenko-incarnate, I can see Cordelia 'resurfacing' after her stint in the Spetsnaz' 'protective custody'... of course, there's a small addition which explains Marchenko's subsequent growth in influence within Gallia's upper political and military circles. The same sort of addition which would be needed in another continuity to keep a cyborg Welkin on the proverbial leash.

Also note that this Marchenko will draw more than a little bit of Cherdenko, down to his presumed death. An unnamed, but loyal, Gallian commander eventually becomes too loyal: Marchenko fears he knows too much, and attempts to off him like Cherdenko to the player in the Easter Island incident in RA3's Soviet campaign, with similar end results (at least, until VC2's events get set in motion by Cordelia's assassination failing, her getting power, and Marchenko sitting on a street corner as the GRA starts attacking, going "I could have avoided this! It's all that Gallian's fault!").

Strange Coincidence. Gotta love it.

Well, I actually intend for a pretty epic showdown between Selvaria and Volkov to take place; not only would she possibly be confused by Volkov's mechanical appearance, and the fact that he, like her, is glowing, albiet red rather than blue. I've even wondered what a VC version of the mission "Soviet Soldier Volkov and Chitzkoi" would play like, and how it would be fit in. (Perhaps, Ellet interviewing Marchenko about it, and the mission being the only thing he'd tell her [as in, He's only willing to tell her how effective he is, but not all that he is capable of. The version seen in that mission could actually be the 'base model', and the Volkov that faces off vs. Selvaria is something like the Edelweiss II... same base, different parts]).

I submit for your consideration the idea of the two versions of Volkov being reconcilable.
His exosuit is a prototype, whose descendants would become standard issue in future for Tesla Troopers, Desolators, and a couple of other MOSes; at this point in its development, though, it requires a direct cybernetic interface to control it. This is why Volkov is the only one who can use it (similar technology lets him use the cybernetic limb(s) that a previous mission-gone-bad made necessary). Of course the suit would undergo mods and upgrades as the story progresses, as would his cybernetics. You'd still have the epic battle with Selveria (who is surprised at not only finally meeting the 'Tin Man', as the Imperials have taken to calling him, in person; but that one her her beam attacks only serves to knock him off his feet (thanks to the micro-Iron Curtain)). Eventually, she does manage to overwhelm the defensive field and render the suit inoperable, but is too drained to maintain her 'active' state... now imagine her shock when she approaches the helpless Tin Man, only for it to 'crack open' (emergency-egress breakaway panels) and Volkov himself springs out to engage her in hand-to-hand battle - his cybernetic limb(s) being shock number four. The only reason Sel survives is the fortuitous arrival of backup, which keeps the Soviet operative busy long enough for her to get away; Soviet forces arrive shortly thereafter and are able to extract Volkov and his suit from the field of battle.
As fate would have it, the details of this engagement remain unknown to the Gallians; thus, they aren't aware of the Tin Man's weak point (perhaps the field generated by the micro-Iron Curtain cannot for reasons unknown cover the field generator itself) until after the Allies arrive, thus setting up the opportunity for Oscar's Moment of Awesome and so on...

The look on Max's face when all the Soviets sick on him on the Marmota is a wolf would be astounding: when he goes all OWA and becomes a fake Valkyria, Chitzkoi simply bites his crotch with all the force of a armor piercing round. That worked well, eh, Prince?

Now that's how you can be funny and sadistic at the same time... and Volkov's snickering about how his partner 'fixed' the bastard doesn't 'help'...

This, of course, assumes that Marchenko, being the Cherdenko-esque SOB he is, doesn't convince Selvaria to off Maximilian in a similar way to Nadia and Stalin back in the Soviet ending of RA1.

Also amusing in its own right. Or Volkov clambering up to the bridge of the land battleship, ripping his way therein, and grabbing Max while the occupants are too shocked to react... I doubt Max would survive being tossed to the ground from that height, for instance...

Rather, I was thinking of Alicia standing there as Welkin and this unnamed Soviet (time to consult my Russian Name Lexicon) talk about wildlife, and the differences and similarities between Gallia and Russia (let's face it: there are going to be similar creatures), and having this blank look on her face, before the Soviet pulls out his Makarov and says "We'll talk more later. But, I'm afraid if I don't turn you in, the Marshal will have my head... literally. I hope you understand."

Oh, nice; I like ths one. Especially for Alicia (and, probably, the rest of Squad 7) looking totally confused in the background... depending on circumstances, they might not be the only ones doing that.

While that is true about Yuriko/Welkin (and how one-sided that would be, with Welkin quickly turning to the nearest person and going "Help me!")...

If one wants to grow that into more than just comedy fodder, keep in mind that Yuriko, while terribly inexperienced with these sorts of affairs, is by no means unintelligent... at some future point, with some sensible advice from Suki (and perhaps Isara and/or some of the other young ladies in the neighborhood being perhaps too well-intentioned for their own good), manages to be not quite so unintentionally frightening to poor Welkin. Not that this stops her from (subtly) trying to bump off folks who she thinks are getting between the two of them.

if any VC'rs who want to know who Natasha is, I can now describe her as "Marina and Alicia, if they shared a body with Boris from RA2."

For the benefit of said VC'rs, here's the relevant C&C Wiki entry.

[RedShocktrooper]

Originally Posted by Firefly00

Apparently, I wasn't as clear as I had believed. While the Soviets' grasp of camouflage might be imprefect, it's certainly seems better than what the Gallians have so far exhibited, which latter fact is what many Soviet personnel would find puzzling. Of course, when the local residents do encounter Soviet forces in the desert, appropriate ad-hoc camouflage would be in evidence.

... Why did I just imagine a KV-110-2 with a sign reading "Is Not Tank", and an Imperial or Gallian (or, for extra lulz, both), just staring at it going "...What?"

Shout outs to various alternate WWIIs would be a nice touch... and yes, the Allies too would be puzzled by the Gallians' nonexistent grasp of camouflage. But this ties into something else you touch upon very shortly afterwards.

The idea would be "Ok, are we SURE this is the right one?" Though, it seems odd that the Allies end up forgetting everything they learned about camo: the Soviets still paint tanks green in RA3 (sans team colors), but the Allies go like the Gallians: they paint tanks light blue.

Ah. What's happening here is that we're using slightly different takes on 'RAlism' - retaining 'signature' units and technologies (often with sensible mutations/evolutions) and tweaking the 'peripheral' (relatively speaking) stuff in the interests of adding, as you put it once, awesomesauce while remaining true to the technology level demonstrated at that point in RA canon.

Now that I think about it, using Soviet helicopters does make more sense... besides, I suspect the Chinook was a case of Sprite Recycling from CnC1.

Yep. As noted earlier, the FAV groups would be a 'natural home' for any Soviet officers of Cossack extraction; extra credit if the recurring character in question actually carries a perfectly usable cavalry saber (the US cavalry hat, if present, is a trophy (s)he picked up during the war back home).

Unrelated, but still notworthy: An RA3 mod I came up with replaced the Japanese with a German faction focused on infantry. While it would have contained shout outs to VC (the [fairly weak] MBT being called the 'Edelweiss,' and the equivilant of the Flak Trooper, Javalin, and Tank buster, the 'Lancer') and Real Life WWI Germany (Picklehaube and the like), one of the units I came up with was a motorcycle calvalrywoman; little more than Ye Olde Calvalry, but on a motorcycle, and with the ability to, when killed, turn into basic gun infantry, Shocktroopers (The Germans would have been the only faction with female basic troops, if I ever made this mod.)

Back on track, I recall Cherdenko saying (while wiping glass of his desk) "My grandmother was a Cossack! And us Cossacks don't go down easily!" Perhaps this could have been Marchenko's original post in the Red Army: the oft-overlooked Hit-and-Run corps.

I'd been referring to the idea of modifying an RA3 Twinblade by giving it firing ports for embarked infantry and calling the result a Hammerhead; that was intended as an explicit nod to the eponymous C&C3 unit.

I recall that. But we have to develop the Twinblade first, do we not?

But since we're in the neighborhood... if the Soviets of this universe use Mil's various platforms to fill the attack (Mi-24) and utility (Mi-8 and -26) roles, the Twinblade could indeed be explained as an experimental unit (a Mil design team's experiment with alternative rotor configurations).
A couple of interesting related tidbits: one, the Mi-24 design is specifically noted as being derived from the Mi-8; and two, while the Mi-12 did enter production, a larger and more peculiar helo intended as a flying crane - the Mi-32 - did not in our world make it past the concept stage.

I shall take this into consideration.

As humorous as the idea of Damon being busted down to dish-washing detail might be, his stupidity and callous disregard for the soldiers under his command will lead to his 'disappearance'... or, as you put it, the others who might be accompanying Zhana at some occasion where they again end up butting heads being, err, a bit too slow to stop her from laying the smack down. And given that his degree of idiocy is almost certainly unique among his contemporaries, I suspect Borg is the only reason he hasn't already been court-martialed or dishonorably discharged.

Of course, Marchenko is going to foil Borg's plans: Gallia is more likely to end up the GSSR than it is Borg's kingdom... particularly given how Marchenko is willing to enforce his wish (Hell, he made Alicia disappear, which I will expand on later.)

More blooper-reel material could surely be derived from the idea of these backstabs getting in each other's way. But seriously, if you like the idea of Marchenko being more clever manipulator than straight Cherdenko-incarnate, I can see Cordelia 'resurfacing' after her stint in the Spetsnaz' 'protective custody'... of course, there's a small addition which explains Marchenko's subsequent growth in influence within Gallia's upper political and military circles. The same sort of addition which would be needed in another continuity to keep a cyborg Welkin on the proverbial leash.

Much foot stomping from a particular Red Army Captain about this: consider he wanted to off the Sevens personally, though certainly Marchenko planting a Loyalty Chip in Cordelia would further his eventual Goals much more, and possibly get him promoted to Generalissimo. Even if Damon did end up marshal, he wouldn't be the top of the chain, since Generalissimo is a Six-star rank.

Strange Coincidence. Gotta love it.

I'm going to play Marchenko as more of a Magnificant Bastard than his RA3 version, who was a Smug Snake. Try to imagine Marchenko appearing as a thinner Tim Curry, and we'll call it good.

I submit for your consideration the idea of the two versions of Volkov being reconcilable...

Hmm... it might be a possible Second showdown, at Ghirlandaio, where Volkov ends up defeated by Oscar (who I chose because the only snipers everyone seems to care about are Catharine, Marina, and Cezary, and it's mainly to be different) that convinces Selvaria to defect. When she tells the dead Volkov she was honored to fight him, Marchenko appears (in such a manner as to prevent a sniper from getting a shot), and gives some sort of speech about how he was honored to call her his opponent or something, but he'd consider it a greater honor to be shoulder to shoulder with her, before finally telling her he has no use for her as a POW, and tells her to leave, and do as she sees fit. Cue a re-enactment of the Tea scene from RA1, aboard the Marmota.

Oh, nice; I like ths one. Especially for Alicia (and, probably, the rest of Squad 7) looking totally confused in the background... depending on circumstances, they might not be the only ones doing that.

Toying with things, and Alicia being 'disappeared' by the NKVD could have an effect down the line: while she's knocked out, Marchenko could have one of his Loyalty Chips installed in her, while also running some sort of experiment that awakens her Valkyria abilities, against her will. This version of the chip would do so via pain: when Alicia looks in a mirror, and sees herself with sliver hair and red eyes (but sans the fire), she just about kills Marchenko, when the chip kicks in, sending her to the ground with a shriek.

If one wants to grow that into more than just comedy fodder, keep in mind that Yuriko, while terribly inexperienced with these sorts of affairs, is by no means unintelligent... at some future point, with some sensible advice from Suki (and perhaps Isara and/or some of the other young ladies in the neighborhood being perhaps too well-intentioned for their own good), manages to be not quite so unintentionally frightening to poor Welkin. Not that this stops her from (subtly) trying to bump off folks who she thinks are getting between the two of them.

This could be farther down the line: with Redux drawing off RA3, we could indeed see that Empire show up: Perhaps, spearheading a second invasion of Gallia with a Shogun and the Exocutioner leading it.

[Firefly00]

Originally Posted by RedShocktrooper

... Why did I just imagine a KV-110-2 with a sign reading "Is Not Tank", and an Imperial or Gallian (or, for extra lulz, both), just staring at it going "...What?"

Probably because the mental image makes such prime blooper-reel material. Thanks, by the way, for inspiring a Crocodile Dundee nod... imagine, if you will, Oleg taunting an Imperial force by broadcasting in clear, "Hah, those are not tanks...", and then, as the quartet of Apocalypsi come into view (and yes, he's commanding the lead vehicle), "...now these - these are tanks!" Smackdown ensues.

The idea would be "Ok, are we SURE this is the right one?" Though, it seems odd that the Allies end up forgetting everything they learned about camo: the Soviets still paint tanks green in RA3 (sans team colors), but the Allies go like the Gallians: they paint tanks light blue.

I suspect that we're dealing with a gameplay artifact here, intented to make the factions visually distinguishable by the players (consider GDI color schemes in C&C proper). Moving on...

Now that I think about it, using Soviet helicopters does make more sense... besides, I suspect the Chinook was a case of Sprite Recycling from CnC1.

That, and/or the devs didn't bother to do their research for whatever reason...

Back on track, I recall Cherdenko saying (while wiping glass of his desk) "My grandmother was a Cossack! And us Cossacks don't go down easily!" Perhaps this could have been Marchenko's original post in the Red Army: the oft-overlooked Hit-and-Run corps.

Yep, there you go. If not Marchenko himself, this is also a good 'excuse' for appearance of Vera.

Of course, Marchenko is going to foil Borg's plans: Gallia is more likely to end up the GSSR than it is Borg's kingdom... particularly given how Marchenko is willing to enforce his wish (Hell, he made Alicia disappear, which I will expand on later.)

Yes, I can see the NKVD and Spetsnaz getting in a good bit of work in this continuity. As for Borg...

Spoiler for "Not so fast...!":

Grumbling at the interruption, Borg opened the door; his visitor, he saw, was Gallian major, though not one he had seen before. "Who are you?"

"Your regular briefer was taken unexpectedly ill, sir; I have the duty today," the woman explained politely. Borg nodded, and she followed him to the living room.

"So where do we start?"

"Right here, sir." The major removed a small tape recorder from her attache case, set it on the coffee table, and pressed a button.

"That's the word of a traitor to his own country," countered Borg after the tape had finished.

"There're these, too." Photographs were spread out on the table. "I imagine the MSS will be wanting to have words with you. Given the way things work in this town, you'll be seeing them around ten or eleven... God help you then." The major smiled, reminding her interlocutor of a great cat. "You'll get life. I wish they'd do worse, but you'll get life in a federal prison, and who knows what'll happen to you when the guards aren't around. I mightn't mind seeing that."

"Why are you here, then?"

A shrug. "I'm something of a movie buff. And in the movies at times like this, they'd take the guy aside and give him a chance to handle things himself. 'For the good of the service'."

Again, kudos to whoever can guess where that scene was adapted from.

Much foot stomping from a particular Red Army Captain about this: consider he wanted to off the Sevens personally, though certainly Marchenko planting a Loyalty Chip in Cordelia would further his eventual Goals much more, and possibly get him promoted to Generalissimo. Even if Damon did end up marshal, he wouldn't be the top of the chain, since Generalissimo is a Six-star rank.

And that chip, I imagine, would supplement the, err, work put in by Marchenko's analogue of Psycho Mantis (note: unlike Yuri, this operative won't be going off the reservation). With Borg removed from circulation, there's not to my knowledge much of anything preventing Damon from being shuffled out of circulation... whether that shuffling be through retirement or, err, other means.

I'm going to play Marchenko as more of a Magnificant Bastard than his RA3 version, who was a Smug Snake. Try to imagine Marchenko appearing as a thinner Tim Curry, and we'll call it good.

Works for me... isn't that what Montgomery called Rommel, by the way? Besides, Grand Admiral Thrawn (who I'd mentioned earlier as a possible partial-template for Marchenko) is one of the better examples of the breed.

Hmm... it might be a possible Second showdown, at Ghirlandaio, where Volkov ends up defeated by Oscar...

Hmm, I could see that working quite well. I had this image of Sel finding herself and the remnants of her small force totally cut off by the time Volkov breathes his last... but instead of being clapped in irons by the Soviet troops, or cut down outright, they're surprised to see a command vehicle pull up and Marchenko (who'd been watching the whole thing via UAV feed) alight from it.

Toying with things, and Alicia being 'disappeared' by the NKVD could have an effect down the line: while she's knocked out, Marchenko could have one of his Loyalty Chips installed in her, while also running some sort of experiment that awakens her Valkyria abilities, against her will. This version of the chip would do so via pain: when Alicia looks in a mirror, and sees herself with sliver hair and red eyes (but sans the fire), she just about kills Marchenko, when the chip kicks in, sending her to the ground with a shriek.

That 'experiment', I imagine, would be based in part on what the NKVD and GRU have been able to gather about the Imperials' own black R&D programs...

This could be farther down the line: with Redux drawing off RA3, we could indeed see that Empire show up: Perhaps, spearheading a second invasion of Gallia with a Shogun and the Exocutioner leading it.

And we'd have an excuse as a result to play around with certain early missions from that game's Soviet and Japanese campaigns... not to mention the possibilities that arise from melding the two factions' signature technologies.

[RedShocktrooper]

Originally Posted by Firefly00

Probably because the mental image makes such prime blooper-reel material. Thanks, by the way, for inspiring a Crocodile Dundee nod... imagine, if you will, Oleg taunting an Imperial force by broadcasting in clear, "Hah, those are not tanks...", and then, as the quartet of Apocalypsi come into view (and yes, he's commanding the lead vehicle), "...now these - these are tanks!" Smackdown ensues.

To further this: the Imperial force in question would be Jaeger's, conisting mainly of Heavy and Medium tanks, plus the Lupus. Since the Lupus and the Heavy tank are the things which pose the greatest threat to the Edelweiss (which could be knocked out), Jaeger could have gotten a bit overconfident in the abilities of his tanks. When Vodnik shows up, the smackdown does ensue: while the Imp HT and the Lupus might take down one Apocalypse (thoses glowing barrels on the back were noted long before VC to be something like the Ragnite Radiators), the other three, including Oleg's tank (a customized Apocalypse tank mounting 140mm cannons, and possibly 23mm Autocannons, and painted a gray-brown pattern) reduce Jaeger's force to debris. It doesn't help that an imobilized Apocalypse just sits there, tossing 125mm cannon rounds out.

I suspect that we're dealing with a gameplay artifact here, intented to make the factions visually distinguishable by the players (consider GDI color schemes in C&C proper). Moving on...

No, in RA3, Allied units are painted blue. Even more confusing: A cutscene with a Sickle actually depicted the red paint people use to tell teams apart.

Yep, there you go. If not Marchenko himself, this is also a good 'excuse' for appearance of Vera.

Fitting; given she's the person you face in Uprising to unlock the Twinblade, Mortar Cycle, and Reaper.

Yes, I can see the NKVD and Spetsnaz getting in a good bit of work in this continuity. As for Borg...

No clue on the scene. However, I assume the briefer going ill all of a sudden is one explaination of the NKVD 'disappearing' people. I am starting to see Borg becoming quite paranoid with all these disappearances...

And that chip, I imagine, would supplement the, err, work put in by Marchenko's analogue of Psycho Mantis (note: unlike Yuri, this operative won't be going off the reservation). With Borg removed from circulation, there's not to my knowledge much of anything preventing Damon from being shuffled out of circulation... whether that shuffling be through retirement or, err, other means.

Great... She gets electrocuted (which I shall touch on later), a chip implanted in her head, forced to fight her friends, and now we're mind controlling her?

Man, this is not Alicia's fic.

Works for me... isn't that what Montgomery called Rommel, by the way? Besides, Grand Admiral Thrawn (who I'd mentioned earlier as a possible partial-template for Marchenko) is one of the better examples of the breed.

I was actually thinking of the trope, but either way, I'll at least try to play Marchenko up as one untill the Uprising Allies make their way into the timeline, tossing a pretty big wrench in things using stuff like the Pacifier and Futuretank X-1, the likes of which Marchenko is unlikely to have heard of (which is ultimately his undoing).

Hmm, I could see that working quite well. I had this image of Sel finding herself and the remnants of her small force totally cut off by the time Volkov breathes his last... but instead of being clapped in irons by the Soviet troops, or cut down outright, they're surprised to see a command vehicle pull up and Marchenko (who'd been watching the whole thing via UAV feed) alight from it.

I also find that of the many things Marchenko could do, pinning a medal to Selvaria would be the thing that would throw her off most.

This is something akin to the British, in a movie I saw about him, Swooping in and dropping von Richtofen a wreath. I don't know if it actually worked like that in RL, but the point is the odd similarity, other than Selvaria not being dead when Marchenko presents her the honor (perhaps, a captured Knight's Cross off a German Marchenko defeated during GWWII?).

That 'experiment', I imagine, would be based in part on what the NKVD and GRU have been able to gather about the Imperials' own black R&D programs...

Quite, off coursed mixed with the Soviets having a technological advantage. Her hair and eye color not reverting is a side effect; it also prompts something along these lines:

Spoiler for Alicia and Marchenko:

Alicia, unwilling to except Marchenko activating her (seemingly permenantly) asks the Marshal why he did it, and that she doesn't want to be a weapon.

Marchenko seemingly, and does, intentionally cause her to attempt to slug him, demonstrating the Loyalty Chip to her. He does this by telling her, "You are not a weapon. You are my weapon."

Perhaps Volkov underwent similar treatment when he first became a cyborg... Though, that would be another fic entirely. There may be more to this cyborg than you think...

And we'd have an excuse as a result to play around with certain early missions from that game's Soviet and Japanese campaigns... not to mention the possibilities that arise from melding the two factions' signature technologies.

I've actually toyed with this: Apocalypse Tanks that trade the cannons for smaller versions of the Shogun Battleship's weapons, for instance. Though, I considered it more plausable that we see a Tesla variant of Apoclaypse, which, until a better name comes, is the Bolter.