Honestly Mecca declaring neutrality should not be a concern for GDI at all, because we have enormous leverage on them should we choose to use it. They are using GDI pattern sonic fences to repel Tiberium and GDI designed Tiberium refineries and their water comes from GDI built desalination plants. While some of the parts of these can be replicated locally, I doubt they have the industrial base to fully maintain their facilities without our help. At this point they are heavily entwined with our supply networks and they would lose far more than we would if they tried to decouple themselves.
Plus, with Philly 2 complete and voting being fully extended to the Green zones, plenty of people in Mecca might like the idea of having a say in the proceedings of the largest unified government on Earth. So I doubt their declared neutrality will actually last very long, especially if we can put Nod on the back foot in the coming conflict.
Really it depends on the realpolitik and their own cultural identities and whether or not they feel we can protect them from NOD if they do decide to shed their tails. There's a complex geopolitical thing going on over there, but we're definitely trending towards a GDI-aligned ally state and potentially peaceful assimilation in the long term.
Something we should consider: extending the SADN umbrella over the Caravansarai and whatever other neutral states crop up once we start actually constructing it.
Because it's a sure thing that whatever diehard fanatic ends up last on our list will lapse into 'take 'em down with me.' And if they can't hit us...
Something we should consider: extending the SADN umbrella over the Caravansarai and whatever other neutral states crop up once we start actually constructing it.
Because it's a sure thing that whatever diehard fanatic ends up last on our list will lapse into 'take 'em down with me.' And if they can't hit us...
We could covertly extend the offer or at least set it up around Mecca and Medina. Not sure if they'd accept the covert offer, it would depend on the political circumstances of the time, but right now I don't think they would because it would upset their careful pretense of neutrality and get the rest of NOD jumping on them, and that would be very bad for them at this point in time.
Around Mecca and Medina, though, well those are GDI-held cities, of course GDI will set up defenses there. At least if it won't upset the Caravanissi, and I don't think it will considering it's immobile anti-air and not like a MARV hub that is the base for a fleet of land battleships.
Do we really need some silver bullet to defeating Tiberium encroachment? We seem to be doing pretty well with abatement. Without Nod's interference the prospect of reclaiming Earth seems doable. Not fast, but possible.
Do we really need some silver bullet to defeating Tiberium encroachment? We seem to be doing pretty well with abatement. Without Nod's interference the prospect of reclaiming Earth seems doable. Not fast, but possible.
At some point the liquid tiberium concentrations building up in the Earth's mantle will detonate and explode the planet if we don't have a TCN. Granted, we're talking a century or something, but still. In addition, mutation is slowly speeding up even with the Stabilizers having taken the edge off. At some point, we need either a TCN or an evacuation plan.
We could covertly extend the offer or at least set it up around Mecca and Medina. Not sure if they'd accept, it would depend on the political circumstances of the time, but right now I don't think they would because it would upset their careful pretense of neutrality and get the rest of NOD jumping on them, and that would be very bad for them at this point in time.
At the very least, though, the offer should be made. It might be the pretense holds for the entirely of the war and they end up not needing it, but if that changes--and it might change very quickly--that option needs to be on the table.
At the very least, though, the offer should be made. It might be the pretense holds for the entirely of the war and they end up not needing it, but if that changes--and it might change very quickly--that option needs to be on the table.
At some point the liquid tiberium concentrations building up in the Earth's mantle will detonate and explode the planet if we don't have a TCN. Granted, we're talking a century or something, but still. In addition, mutation is slowly speeding up even with the Stabilizers having taken the edge off. At some point, we need either a TCN or an evacuation plan.
Thanks, I don't recall this from the narrative. Where's the liquid tiberium coming from? I thought it was artificial, and highly unstable. I'd have thought heat and pressure would set off any that formed in the mantle immediately.
Thanks, I don't recall this from the narrative. Where's the liquid tiberium coming from? I thought it was artificial, and highly unstable. I'd have thought heat and pressure would set off any that formed in the mantle immediately.
Liquid Tiberium is the natural end state of Tiberium, it forms naturally in Red Zones. It's how tib spreads, the liquid tib forms underground and eventually is set off by the mantle like you said. It's still pretty unstable so we'd start seeing other Liquid Tib detonations before the planet-shattering kaboom. Heck, that's why the Scrin showed up, they thought that the Temple Prime Detonation was natural and that the Earth was in the prime harvest zone.
Liquid Tiberium is the natural end state of Tiberium, it forms naturally in Red Zones. It's how tib spreads, the liquid tib forms underground and eventually is set off by the mantle like you said. It's still pretty unstable so we'd start seeing other Liquid Tib detonations before the planet-shattering kaboom. Heck, that's why the Scrin showed up, they thought that the Temple Prime Detonation was natural and that the Earth was in the prime harvest zone.
Oh, so it's building up in the crust, not the mantle, and the whole deposit gets set off when the conversion front reaches the mantle. I think I see.
Given the instability I'd wager other things would probably set it off first most of the time, like earthquakes or magma tubes. To get a deposit big enough to be a problem you'd probably need a geologically inactive area, and a lot of time. If it only forms in red zones that further reduces the potential search area, and density changes would make it detectable. Deep digging in possible trouble spots to remove or prematurely trigger affected pockets seems like a solvable problem with GDI's technology. Maybe you could even avoid the necessity of drilling, if you thump the ground above the area hard enough to set it off by pressure shockwave. Dropping a kinetic kill vehicle from orbit might be enough.
Maybe you could even avoid the necessity of drilling, if you thump the ground above the area hard enough to set it off by pressure shockwave. Dropping a kinetic kill vehicle from orbit might be enough.
This would involve underground detonations, though. Miles of solid rock overhead will absorb the energy and keep the reaction products contained. (It works with underground nuclear tests, and some of those are pretty shallow.) You'd be left with regular green tiberium underground. Still worth abating, but not the same kind of existential threat by chain reaction explosion.
If Nod would go away and let use cover the Red Zones with SMARVS and Inhibitors then liquid tiberium wouldn't be an issue.
I'm more expecting the Visitors to come back with a war fleet before the risk of planet exploding is a thing though.
Exploding planets are messy to harvest, so the harvesting fleet should have enough time after the first explosion to arrive and set up a TCN to stop further explosions.
And we haven't actually had the real first one yet.
If Nod would go away and let use cover the Red Zones with SMARVS and Inhibitors then liquid tiberium wouldn't be an issue.
I'm more expecting the Visitors to come back with a war fleet before the risk of planet exploding is a thing though.
Exploding planets are messy to harvest, so the harvesting fleet should have enough time after the first explosion to arrive and set up a TCN to stop further explosions.
And we haven't actually had the real first one yet.
From what I recall, the reason they like "inhabited" planets is because organic life (especially civilized organic life) tends to move around a lot more, so the time horizon for "full tiberium saturation" is a lot quicker, i.e. you get more return on investment a lot faster.
To be fair I'm about 98% sure that was an LT bomb, not just a few liters of research sample cooking off. But yeah, intentionally detonating LT deposits is at least a few decades of desperation away. I can't imagine it's very good for the geology.
*Looks at raid on blacksites*
I must say this looks very much like a call back to RA2 Yuri's Revenge.
Nod basically sent a Yuri Prime, several Yuri clones or psi troopers, and a couple Brutes with support to raid our RnD sites.
Dunno if it was a deliberate Red Alert reference on the GM's part.
We've seen the trick now. And have orbital troops on deck. This group is on borrowed time. At some point Nod will have to commit these assets and if they get stuck even for a moment? They face not just being surrounded but being dropped on. Also they sleep somewhere and if anyone drops the dime on them? We have bombers for deep strikes.
That's assuming there isnt like an entire Astartes Legion worth of these guys currently gestating in biopods in India and the Far East. After all, we have no current indication that "Kemal" and his compatriots are naturally born
More seriously, Nod has been doing human-Tiberium experiments for almost half a century.
Tiberium Infusion is a canon combat drug we know they hand out like candy to Militants. Now that they have a template they know that works, and cooperative Tiberium enhanciles, putting them under the medical scanners and possibly soliciting biosamples makes the possibility of reverse-enginering the phenotype that much easier.
Its not like these guys would not have motive to cooperate, above and beyond ideology; better understanding translates to better medical care, possibly more Forgotten babies and adults growing to adulthood.
I would very much expect that while Delta-class psykers, with their spectrum of talents, are going to be rare?
We might see a dripfeed of more specialized psykers as agents and soldiers in the next fee years. Think a cross between Tiberium Wars Nod Commando and Red Alert 2 Yuri/Red Alert 3 Yuriko at the high end, and RA2 Allies psi troopers at the low end.
I mean, its Nod.
They're supposed to be a peer power with superior experience in Tiberium and Tiberium-biology enhancement, coupled with a willingness to push the envelope on ethically questionable research. It makes sense they are decades ahead of us on this.
Interesting bits here about stealthed ships and tech transfer.
Stealthed ships on the Red Sea, whose mouth we undoubtedly control, points at either the ability to sneak through the the mouth of the Red Sea despite GDI control, or Mehretu building those ships on the Red Zone African coastline.
"Stand tall, Brother Reynaldo."
"Your arrival has been foreseen."
"For your service has always been acknowledged by Him."
"For you are peerless in your craft, an insurgent as famed as the Legendary Martyr."
"Yet humble enough to know that a dagger could never hope to parry a greatsword."
Reynaldo looked up, eyes tearing at the fact that the Messiah had noticed him. His pain seemingly a dull ache at the face of recognition.
"Bask then, in splendiferous glory."
"For you are one the few who walked the Pilgrim's Path and succeeded."
"For your just rewards are here. Let your bodies be healed and your faith reaffirmed."
As if on cue, the skies in front of the three split. Nay, it has always been split– by an obelisk soaring heavensward. All around, the world shimmered, illusions peeling apart within the blink of his eye. Walls and fortification stand tall in front of him, unnoticed, before rippling back towards obscurity. The air above then pressed him, as an almost ovoid craft uncloaked itself, hovering just a scant bit above the ground as a ramp extended outwards towards him.
"More, will be discussed."
"But for now, let us carry onward beyond the Threshold."
"Unto the Adversary's Haunt, where He reigns above earth."
Lots of JudaeoChristianIslamic themes here.
Moses climbs the mountaintop to seek an audience with Yahweh, is received by his Angels, and is ushered in to the presence of
Which suggests he'll descend with the blessing of the Messiah, explicit instruction and the means to attempt to carry it out
The floating disc is a Yuri multipurpose aircraft in Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2: Yuri's Revenge. The flying disc is simply that - a silver, tapered disc equipped with technology that allows it to fly about the battlefield. Along the outer edge of the floating disc was a laser actuator, which...
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Yeah, that sounds like a disc.
Im beginning to think the Red Alert references are deliberate.
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A word of caution for the amused:
Reynaldo went to Kane for advice and help.
Thats not the same thing as his faction collapsing. He has a 2iC. He left contingency instructions before leaving.
It could happen, mind. Or Kane might emerge and take a hand. Or send LEGION, or a LEGION variant, to help him.
Or bequeathe him a set of technological and biological upgrades to help him compete. Or point him to a cache of weapons and industry like the MoK. Or simply name him Regent, giving him the moral authority to unite Nod behind him.
Of all the possible options that this opens, Reynaldo and his faction being eliminated is the least likely.
Especially since Reynaldo EXPLICITLY asked for Power.
Just saying.
To be fair I'm about 98% sure that was an LT bomb, not just a few liters of research sample cooking off. But yeah, intentionally detonating LT deposits is at least a few decades of desperation away. I can't imagine it's very good for the geology.
There's an awful lot of rock down there to absorb energy, but the idea is that you trigger pockets while they're small enough not to even be noticeable as surface quakes.
From what I recall, the reason they like "inhabited" planets is because organic life (especially civilized organic life) tends to move around a lot more, so the time horizon for "full tiberium saturation" is a lot quicker, i.e. you get more return on investment a lot faster.
Clearly Scrin corporate executives are overly focused on next quarter results to the detriment of long term planning. XD
Seriously though, if I were them I'd just drop some liquid tiberium bombs on a whole bunch of big asteroids and small moons. It's easier to move stuff off of shallower gravity wells anyway, and liquid tiberium bombs seem to spread the stuff pretty darn quick. Even if that wasn't fast enough for their needs, it just becomes a matter of planning, like on tree farms. Keep a production pipeline going and the turnaround time on any individual source doesn't matter.
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