Nod technology of Command & Conquer

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This page showcases exotic advanced technologies employed by the fictional Brotherhood of Nod in the Tiberian Series of the Command & Conquer real-time strategy computer games.

Contents 1 Active Camouflage 2 Amplifed Light Projection 3 Cybernetics 3.1 First Tiberium War 3.2 Second Tiberium War 3.3 Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform 3.3.1 Origin 3.3.2 Game Involvement 4 Reverse Engineered Alien Technology 5 Tiberium 5.1 Weaponry 5.1.1 First Tiberium War 5.1.2 Second Tiberium War 5.1.3 Third Tiberium War 5.2 Divination 5.2.1 Project ReGenesis 5.2.2 Divination recipients 6 Other Known Nod technologies 7 Notes 8 Sources

[edit] Active Camouflage

Placing emphasis on guerilla combat, tactics and stealth, the Brotherhood developed a technology named the Lazarus shield, which makes a unit completely invisible, both on radar and to the naked eye. The technology has been first introduced in the First Tiberium War and has been used by Nod ever since.

The first units demonstrating this technology were the Stealth Tanks, light armored tanks equipped with rocket launchers with 4 short tracks. Relying on their invisibility, they could sneak up on unsuspecting GDI forces and cause major damage to unprotected ordnance and facilities without warning. They have to be managed carefully as their relatively light armor means that being detected is usually fatal. During the events in Renegade enemy soldiers using a personal stealth suit can be seen. These soldiers are said to be part of the elite Black Hand units and were rendered completely invisible by these suits, in the same way as the stealth tank. This makes them ideal to be used as spies, assassins and saboteurs. Their standard weapon is a Firefly Laser Rifle. Cloaked units can be detected at close range by infantry, the primary way of detecting them in C&C. This is shown by a visible distortion resembling a partial uncloaking sequence and, in Renegade, the engine sounds can be heard if the tank is near.

In the Second Tiberium War, a base structure called the Stealth Generator allowed a commander to stealth everything in a 200m radius, provided it was supplied with the necessary large amounts of base power. These devices were used to protect critical installations, such as the prototype factory, where Nod manufactured the first series of Banshee fighters. Personal stealth systems were used by units called Chameleon Spies, a specialized type of infantry only available during specific espionage missions.

It has been confirmed that in the upcoming Tiberium Wars, the stealth technology will be abundantly available to the Brotherhood of Nod. Confirmed units and structures include Vertigo stealth bombers, inexpensive and small stealth generator towers, a new version of the Stealth Tank, stealthed harvesters that can travel undisturbed to and from the Tiberium fields, and the Nod Commando who is stealthed while she remains still.

There are some flaws with this stealth technology. The first being the obvious trails left by the user. Track and footprints left by the user are still visible. The generator also shifts violently if hit, making bright patterns or revealing the user outright. The stealth field put up by the generator is also only useful at long ranges, If a person is to step too close the user is revealed even if nothing else happened.

[edit] Amplifed Light Projection

The Brotherhood of Nod extensively uses lasers in both offensive and defensive roles.

In the First Tiberium War, Nod designed and fielded the Obelisks of Light, massive structures largely considered to be the most powerful conventional weapons used during both Tiberium wars, seen as a symbol of Nod's strength and technological prowess. These were the pinnacle of the Brotherhood's projected-energy weapon systems, able to fire devastating laser beams at ground targets at range. The capacitor charging sequence that occured before each firing would emit a distinctive humming noise, serving as a short warning of sorts to enemy forces. In-game, an Obelisk will typically destroy anything up to a light-armor vehicle in one hit, with tougher targets requiring a few extra strikes.

In Renegade, the Brotherhood has developed the technology down to infantry-level, producing weapons colloquially called Laser Rifles and Chainguns. These were however rare, and apparently only issued to elite Black Hand units. Also seen was a laser grid surrounding the Temple of Nod, a feature only rarely seen as of that point in the game's chronology.

By the time of the Second Tiberium War, Nod's continued research produced laser turrets, small automated defences that could work even during a power failure. Also by this time was a widespread adoption of the laser grid technology, now a common feature on more advanced Nod bases. The Obelisks were functionally unchanged, their profiles simply lowered and their shapes now resembling those of scorpions.

The Third War has seen even more extensive development and usage of laser technology. Turrets now carried twin lasers each, and the standard Nod artillery platform (The Beam Cannon) is laser-based. Obelisks, now looking more again like the originals, have upgraded power supplies, enabling their beams to fire in sweeping arcs to better handle infantry. They can also accept power assistance from one or more Beam Cannons, which dramatically improves their range and firepower.

Nod's premier war machine, the Avatar mech, has a laser weapon for a right forearm. In addition, Nod's "Laser Capacitor" upgrade gives Scorpion tanks and Venom aircraft superior laser versions of their default weapons.

[edit] Cybernetics

The Brotherhood of Nod has made many breakthroughs in science, one field in which they are most notable are cybernetics, which allowed them to create several outstanding technologies which ironically almost proved to be their demise at one point in their history.

[edit] First Tiberium War

During the first large scale clash between the GDI and Nod forces, Nod's experimentation with Tiberium and human augmentation (dubbed Project ReGenesis) had required the use of cybernetic enhancements in many cases in order to be able to stabilize the mutated organism. (See Divination in Tiberium research.)

[edit] Second Tiberium War

The time period between the events of the First and Second Tiberium Wars allowed Nod to advance and further research their cybernetics technology, refining it to the point where fielding large numbers of cyborgs became a reality.

Regular cyborgs, apart from regular foot soldiers, formed the backbone of the Nod's army. With their immunity to and affinity for the Tiberium substance, as well as their firepower (they carry dual rapid firing chainguns) and survivability rate (they can take a lot of machine gun fire and tank rounds before going down), it was not uncommon for Nod commanders to use cyborgs whenever possible in military confrontation. They were also characterized by their ferocity, continuing to fight even after losing their legs. Also, due to this same ferocity they were known to go berserk on occasion, assaulting anything in their vicinity(in rare instances damaged cyborgs in game would attack the closest unit, regardless of side).

Those cyborgs who excelled in combat were often promoted and subject to even further augmentation, changing them into Cyborg Commandos, who were much better armoured and were equipped with a plasma weapon possessing unmatched firepower capable of annihilating any land targets with a few shots.

However, the power of the cyborgs turned against Nod, as CABAL used their cybernetic interfaces and turned them against their former masters, nearly destroying the already weak Brotherhood by assassinating four of its highest ranking commanders (The Inner Circle), missing only general Anton Slavik.

In the upcoming Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, the Brotherhood has apparently done far less research into Tiberium-based cybernetics as a direct result of its experiences with CABAL ^[1].

[edit] Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform

The Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform (CABAL) is an artificial intelligence used during the Second Tiberium War. Its purpose is twofold: it acts as a console interface between battlefield soldiers and their commander, and collates intelligence and devises strategy of its own. It also knows how to translate the Tacitus, an object which holds all recorded knowledge of Tiberium, compiled by the Scrin. Its function is parallel to GDI's EVA.

[edit] Origin

CABAL's origin is unknown (it is speculated that it is of Scrin origin). It was first acquired by the Brotherhood of Nod near the end of the First Tiberium War. When GDI commandos stormed Kane's temple during the Sarajevo battle, they could hear it malfunctioning from the Temple damage. Between the First and Second Tiberium Wars, Nod agents re-housed CABAL in a core in Egypt. CABAL assisted Kane loyalists in the overthrow of the Global Defense Initiative's puppet Nod leader Hassan.

[edit] Game Involvement

During the Second Tiberium War, CABAL was used as Nod's AI and Kane's artificial right-hand man. After the war, remnants of Nod reactivated it, thinking they could use it as their AI again. GDI also wanted CABAL, as the AI was the only other being available that could translate the Tacitus, an important artifact, after Tratos was covertly assassinated - by CABAL. But CABAL had a plan of its own. It ordered several unapproved Nod missions, illegally acquired the Tacitus and secretly built up a cyborg army. Later, CABAL severed links with Nod and began attacking both Nod and GDI. This lead to an unholy alliance between the two enemies to destroy CABAL, which was successful. GDI received the Tacitus, and Nod declared victory against the "single greatest threat to the survival of the Brotherhood".

After the final defeat of CABAL and his cyborg army, the ending shows that Kane's body is hooked into the CABAL interface and is being kept alive in a large tube while recovering from his injuries sustained at the end of the Second Tiberium War. Several other humans are being kept alive in similar tubes, presumably for CABAL's cyborg production to continue.

Concept art by a Generals artist was found indicating CABAL would have a large role in Tiberian Twilight before the project's termination at the hands of EALA; a Generals concept artist (whose site is now closed) had created pictures of a CABAL Trooper, CABAL Puppet Master and CABAL Asymmetrical Hybrid to name a few. CABAL's units seemed to be hybrid human/robotic, but as opposed to complimenting the human body, the robotic attachments served to control it (for example - the Puppet Master's eyes were sewed shut and his legs had been attached to his back).

Perhaps the earliest appearance or reference to CABAL in the Command & Conquer timeline takes place on the final level of Command & Conquer: Renegade. While infiltrating Kane's temple in Cairo, one can hear clips of a male NOD EVA malfunctioning. While most of these are simply amusing ("Intruder Alert. Alert Canceled. Intruder Alert. Alert Canceled. Intruder Alert. Intruder Cancelled. All intruders please report to the detention center," and "Attention: There's no business like show business. Don't throw stones in glass houses without proper protection. That is all.") One of them clearly says "Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Lifeform damaged. Please shut down all non-essential operations."

In CNC3, an in-game news excerpt (The Ghost in the Machine) wrote that what is believed to be the last CABAL Bunker was demolished by GDI in 2043, approximately 4 years prior to the events of the game. This, combined with the fact that CABAL makes no further appearances of any sort, appears to indicate that his part in the storyline is over.

[edit] Reverse Engineered Alien Technology

The Brotherhood was able to gain access to artifacts of extraterrestrial origin and research them. The superior technology contained within these artifacts (one notable source was a saucer-shaped starship, which crashed into an ancient Egyptian temple towards the end of the First Tiberium War.)

Data collected through analysis of these artifacts in the First Tiberium War would allow the Brotherhood of Nod to construct awe-inspiring structures, such a the Obelisk of Light or the Temple of Nod, which carry great similarities to the crashed craft and advance their technology in fields such as Tiberium research or weapons development. The pinnacle of this research was a reconstructed warship, which was completed as the war drew to an end and was abandoned as Kane was supposedly killed by GDI forces.

During the period between the first and second Tiberium war, Kane, who stayed in the shadows following his apparent demise, advanced the development of new technologies based on reverse engineered alien tech, which resulted in the construction of a powerful fast attack fighter, known as the Banshee. The craft was equipped with twin plasma cannons, also based on the alien tech, and could challenge even the mighty Mammoth Mark II. The plasma weaponry was also issued to elite cyborg units.

It is interesting to note the similarities in appearance between Nod's Banshee fighter, and the alien fighter-craft seen throughout the sci-fi motion picture Independance Day.

[edit] Tiberium

[edit] Weaponry

[edit] First Tiberium War

The Brotherhood's extensive research on the Tiberium substance has resulted in the development of several unconventional and lethal weapons, which are extremely effective in an anti-infantry role.

• "Venom" Tiberium Sprayer - this weapon uses raw concentrated Tiberium gas as ammunition, spraying it in the direction the muzzle is pointing in. The high spread nozzle makes it ineffective at ranges other than short, but in close quarters it is an irreplaceable infantry killer. It is issued mainly to Nod chem troopers, however, its safe construction allows it to be used by any, even non-protected, personnel.
• "Mantis" Tiberium Automatic Rifle - a bullpup assault rifle firing Tiberium gas cartridges which explode upon contact with a solid object. This weapon possesses a very high fire rate as well as a very distinctive discharge sound. Unlike the chemical sprayer, it is very accurate at long ranges and also less cumbersome. It was the weapon Acolytes (early Nod cyborgs) were typically armed with.
• "Talon" Tiberium Flechette Gun - a submachinegun firing processed Tiberium shards at high speeds. The shards are located in a sealed ammunition clip, making the weapon capable of being employed by any kind of field personnel without protective equipment.

[edit] Second Tiberium War

Also, during the Second Tiberium War, Brotherhood used highly destructive chemical missiles. The payload of these missiles consisted of processed Tiberium waste harvested from Tiberium veins (another notable achievement, as only Nod was able to safely harvest them) and was delivered by a short-range ballistic missile. The concentrated gas was released on impact in addition to the damage dealt by the explosive rocket itself. The tiberium-based gas proved to be extremely toxic and corrosive, often resulting in severe damage to all nearby installations as the gas clouds slowly spread through the nearby environement and created Visceroids out of any infantry caught within the gas clouds.

[edit] Third Tiberium War

In the Third Tiberium War, Nod's research into Tiberium has yielded several new weapons, the most prominent of which is an integral component of the storyline: a Liquid Tiberium bomb with an explosive yield exceeding 200 megatons, that will also ignite all Tiberium within its blast range to augment its destructive power. The first large-scale Liquid Tiberium detonation was set off by a GDI ion cannon strike on Temple Prime where a stash of it was hidden. The actual bomb can be detonated by GDI during the final campaign mission.

In addition, Nod has made a number of other breakthroughs for use in the field, listed here are their "Support Power" and "Upgrade" names:

• Catalyst Missile: The warhead on this long-range missile is designed to explosively ignite Tiberium and anything that has it, such as storage silos.
• Seed Tiberium: An aircraft-delivered bomb that seeds liquid Tiberium at a target area, creating a new Tiberium patch in that area.
• Tiberium Infusion: The Brotherhood can safely infuse its normal soldiers with tiberium, enhancing their toughness and rendering them immune to the harmful effects of Tiberium exposure in the wild.
• Tiberium Vapor Bomb: An aircraft-delivered bomb that disperses a Tiberium vapor cloud in mid-air, which is then ignited. The in-game effects are reminiscent of real-life thermobaric weapons.

[edit] Divination

Divination refers to the experimental process of controlled Tiberium mutation of humans conducted by the Brotherhood of Nod. It was pioneered by a woman known as Doctor Elena Petrova during the events of the First Tiberium War, when it was dubbed Project ReGenesis.

[edit] Project ReGenesis

Project ReGenesis was a program centered around using Tiberium-assisted genetic engineering and early cybernetics technology in order to create supersoldiers for the Brotherhood of Nod. It used information gained from the research of Ignatio Mobius and Dr. Sydney Mobius to mutate captured civilians, Global Defense Initiative soldiers and Nod volunteers. It was shut down by GDI and all remnants of it were thought to have been destroyed with Kane's temple after the Brotherhood's first downfall.

In Command & Conquer: Renegade, Dr. Ignatio Mobius and his daughter, Sydney Mobius, are captured and forced to undergo "Treatment" by Elena Petrova (a former GDI researcher who joined the Brotherhood of Nod). Petrova called ReGenesis the route to perfection of the human race, and to that end underwent the process herself. Captain Nick "Havoc" Parker, a Global Defense Initiative commando, eventually rescued Sydney from within the Temple of Nod in which she was being held, after he had eliminated Petrova. Sydney then reprogrammed the Temple's resident nuclear weapon to detonate inside the silo once the timer counted off.

[edit] Divination recipients

• In Command & Conquer: Renegade, Dr. Ignatio Mobius and Dr. Sydney Mobius were forced to assist the research of the Brotherhood of Nod which was being conducted by a woman called Elena Petrova. Petrova's research was, however, put to an end by Nick "Havoc" Parker.
• General Gideon Raveshaw, the leader of the Black Hand of Nod during the First Tiberium War was a completely successful subject of Divination, though with a mind more suited to taking orders and far improved physical attributes. In the words of Captain Parker; "At least he's taller" and "Raveshaw's a walking turnip. Some success.".
• Dr. Elena Petrova, the Nod doctor in charge of Project Re-Genesis, converted Gideon Raveshaw, and later she underwent the process herself, and was killed by Captain Parker within the Temple of Nod in Cairo. She was, according to Nod, the perfect result of Project ReGenesis, retaining her superior intelligence while combining it with superior physical attributes.

• Numerous individuals have undergone Divination during the First Tiberium War, as part of Project ReGenesis:
  • Initiates: The first successful result of the ReGenesis Project, the Initiates are an unstable creation, much less advanced than their brethren in terms of processing power. However, the Tiberium mutations grant them excellent speed and power making them excellent and dangerous hand-to-hand fighters.
  • Acolytes: The second stage produced "stable" mutations. These new variants are capable of command processing and using advanced weaponry. Most (if not all) Acolytes are augmented with cybernetic limbs, as it appears they may have been constructed from failed Initiates (i.e.; failed mutations). They resemble Initiates but with many features deformed (i.e.; only one eye, arm, skin-covered jaw bones and, in extreme cases, exposed brains).
  • Templars: The final stage of Project: Re-Genesis. Genetically and bio-chemically engineered to be the perfect soldiers, possessing dense musculature, a phenomenal resistance to injury and superhuman data processing skills and tactical acumen. Templars are created loyal to the Brotherhood and follow orders unquestioningly. As befitting their status, Templars bear the best body armour and weaponry that Nod can offer. Except for a breathing apparatus, they lack any other visible cybernetic augmentation.

• Umagon was forcefully subjected to Divination by Kane, and although The Forgotten leader Tratos believed he had found an anti-serum to the process at the advent of the events seen in Firestorm, it was soon after discovered that this serum fails and Umagon mutated horribly before dying in Tratos' sanctuary.

• All cyborgs (standard cyborgs, cyborg reapers and cyborg commandos) have to undergo Divination before their cybernetic augmentation can begin.

[edit] Other Known Nod technologies

• Netwarriors - In the First Tiberium War, Netwarriors were hackers that used virtual reality suits instead of traditional computers to enter networks. It has only been demonstrated during the First Tiberium War.
• Subterranean units - Some Nod units were designed to move underground; this aids the surprise element Nod typically requires to succeed during operations against the Global Defense Initiative. There is no terrain obstacle that such units cannot cross, including large bodies of water. Only an EMP can disrupt a tunneling unit while underground.
• Mechanized Walker Technology, - By the Third Tiberium War, Nod had developed humanoid shaped walkers known as Avatars as mobile weapons against their enemies.

In Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars, it is confirmed that Nod will have also developed EMP-based weaponry, as well as psych technology.

[edit] Notes

According to old concept art, Nod was supposed to field microwave tanks, which would kill pilots inside combat vehicles on the battlefield with archs of electricity jumping from one vehicle to another.

CABAL, along with a long-abandoned Nod base, are featured as one of the last levels of Lands of Lore 3, another Westwood game.

[edit] Sources

• Command & Conquer Tiberian Dawn game manual and cut-scenes,
• Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun game manual, files and cutscenes,
• Command & Conquer: Renegade
• Mike Verdu's blog on technology in Command & Conquer