Enhanced Edition Campaign Plan — Allied & Soviet

This is the concrete content plan for IC’s first-party “Enhanced Edition” campaign extensions. It weaves the original 14+14 main campaign missions, 34 Counterstrike/Aftermath expansion missions, and IC-original missions into two unified branching campaign graphs.

Source material: 28 base game missions + 20 Counterstrike missions + 18 Aftermath missions + 4 Ant missions = 70 total existing missions. IC adds ~15-20 original missions showcasing platform features.

Design principle: The classic campaign is always available as a straight-line path through the graph. Enhanced Edition content branches off as optional/alternative paths. IC-original missions are toggleable per-mission; Counterstrike and Aftermath missions are toggleable per-chain (following D021’s sub-feature toggle model in modding/campaigns.md).

Campaign Design Rules

These rules govern how the Enhanced Edition missions are designed. They address problems in the original campaigns — awkward character introductions, unexplained difficulty spikes, disconnected optional operations — and establish IC’s standard for campaign quality.

Rule 1: No Awkward Character Introductions

The original RA1 cutscenes often introduced characters with a “am I supposed to know this person?” feeling. Von Esling, Stavros, Tanya, Einstein — they all appear in briefing videos assuming the player knows who they are and why they matter.

IC rule: Every named character gets a gameplay introduction before their cutscene introduction. The player meets the character through gameplay (controlling them, fighting alongside them, or hearing about them) before seeing them in a briefing video.

Character voice and personality profiles: Each named character has an MBTI-based personality profile that governs their dialogue style, decision-making patterns, and interpersonal dynamics. Einstein (INTP) speaks in conditional precision and retreats into analysis under stress; Tanya (ESTP) is action-first with impatience for briefings; Stavros (ENFJ) rallies through moral conviction; Von Esling (ISTJ) delivers by-the-book procedure; Stalin (ENTJ) commands through strategic dominance; Nadia (INTJ) operates through long-game calculation; Volkov (ISFJ with suppressed warmth) follows duty with buried humanity; Kukov (ESTJ) enforces through blunt hierarchy. These profiles ensure consistent characterization across briefings, War Table dialogue, and LLM-generated content. See research/character-mbti-bible.md for full profiles, pair dynamics, and scene applications.

Alternate-timeline lore reference: All campaign content must respect IC’s alternate timeline where Einstein erases Hitler in 1924. A detailed 22-year vacuum timeline (1924–1946) covering the immediate aftermath, Stalin’s consolidation, the complacency period, what doesn’t happen (no WWII, no Holocaust, no NATO, no UN, no Manhattan Project), and the breaking point that triggers the Soviet invasion is documented in research/strategic-campaign-layer-study.md § “The 22-Year Vacuum Period — Show Bible Timeline.” This timeline is the canonical reference for briefing writers, mission designers, and LLM narrative generation.

Rule 2: Progressive Difficulty and Mechanics Teaching

The original RA1 campaign has inconsistent difficulty — some early missions are harder than late ones, and new mechanics appear without introduction. IC’s Enhanced Edition follows D065 (Tutorial) principles: each mission teaches one new thing, difficulty escalates smoothly, and the player is never overwhelmed.

Difficulty curve for the Enhanced Edition prologue and Act 1:

Optional operations are exempt from this curve. Counterstrike, Aftermath, SpecOps, and Theater Branch content can be any difficulty — the player chooses to take them. A warning label in the mission select indicates difficulty: “This is a challenging optional mission.”

Difficulty stars are UI shorthand, not the design itself. First-party missions should back those labels with concrete pressure levers: enemy wave count, starting-force deficit, timer length, visible approach lanes, weather timing, or available support powers. When an optional operation changes difficulty later, the plan should name the exact lever it moves, not just say “harder” or “easier.”

New IC mechanics are introduced through gameplay, not text:

• Hero progression: Introduced in prologue (Tanya: First Blood). The player earns skill points and sees the skill tree for the first time in a low-stakes mission
• Spectrum outcomes: First experienced in M3 (bridge destruction with partial success). Low consequence — the next mission is harder, not game-ending
• Dynamic weather: First appears in M8 (Chronosphere defense storm at minute 30). The storm is progressive — starts mild, gets worse — giving the player time to adapt before it’s severe
• Embedded task force: First appears as an optional alternative in M10B (“Evidence: Enhanced”). Players who choose the classic M10B path never encounter it until M14: Enhanced (also optional)

Rule 3: The World Moves Without You (Expiring Opportunities)

Between certain main missions, the Enhanced Edition presents expiring opportunities — multiple optional operations that are only available for a limited time. You use Command Authority to launch them, but you rarely have enough Command Authority to do all of them before the phase advances. When the phase advances, unselected operations expire with consequences.

Unlike XCOM’s generic “you don’t have enough time” model, IC’s expiring opportunities are framed by Red Alert command realities:

1. Intelligence Perishability: Striking Target A puts the theater on high alert. Within hours, Target B will purge its databanks or heavily fortify. You only get one surprise attack.
2. Unique Asset Commitment: You need a singular, specialized asset to succeed (e.g., the only stealth transport in the sector) that can only be deployed to one location.
3. Political Capital: High Command only authorizes one unsanctioned diversion from the main front.

How it works: Expiring opportunities are not static multiple-choice menus. They are implemented as standard optional mission nodes that appear dynamically on the campaign map and have an expires_in_phases duration.

When an expiring opportunity appears, a visual beacon is drawn over its location on the globe/Europe map so the player cannot miss it. Clicking the beacon opens the operation card with full details.

If the player launches a main mission, the campaign phase advances, and the opportunity’s timer ticks down. If it reaches 0 without being launched, the opportunity locks and its on_expire consequences fire. Launching an optional operation does not advance the phase—it just costs 1 Command Authority from your War Table budget.

# A rolling opportunity on the map. Starts active, expires after 2 phase advances.
missions:
  ic_behind_enemy_lines:
    type: mission
    role: SPECOPS
    prompt: "Iron Curtain Raid — Tanya"
    description: "Authorize Tanya's raid on a Soviet facility before the window closes."
    expires_in_phases: 2                  # ticks down each time a main mission launches
    on_expire:
      set_flag:
        iron_curtain_window_missed: true # site hardens; no raid, no rescue branch
      notify: "Tanya's insertion window has closed. The target is heavily fortified."

This represents a shift from D021’s static decision nodes (which pause the map, forcing an immediate pick) to a living map board. The player manages a shifting board of expiring opportunities. The Lua event Events.on("mission_start") can still read these flags to apply consequences exactly as documented in modding/campaigns.md.

Design rules for expiring opportunities:

1. No more than 2-4 live options. The player can process a few active beacons; more creates map clutter and decision paralysis.
2. The tension is Command Authority vs Phase Management. Launching an operation costs Command Authority. You might have 3 expiring opportunities but only 1 Command Authority this phase, forcing a hard choice. Or you might have 2 Command Authority, letting you secure two before the phase advances.
3. Beacons demand attention. Opportunities must have visual beacons on the globe/Europe map. Clicking them reveals the prompt and consequences.
4. Consequences are visible and referenced. If Behind Enemy Lines reaches 0 and Tanya’s window is missed, the M5 briefing says so.
5. Main campaign is never blocked. The expiring opportunity affects difficulty and available content, never whether the player can continue.
6. 2-3 per campaign maximum. Too many and the mechanic loses weight. Each expiring opportunity window should feel momentous.
7. Hero Deployment Cooldowns. To prevent players from snowballing by exclusively using their best units (the “A-Team” problem), deploying named heroes (e.g., Tanya, Volkov) or unique persistent assets on an optional SpecOps mission incurs a recovery phase. They cannot be deployed on the immediate subsequent optional operation.

Briefing rule for expiring SpecOps: Before mission launch, the player should see four separate disclosures on the operation card or mission briefing: On Success, On Failure, If Skipped, and Time Window. The player is weighing operations, not guessing hidden consequences.

Save/load policy: Normal first-party campaigns allow free saving and reloading around expiring choices; the “world moves without you” rule is a campaign-fiction / consequence model, not an anti-save-scum guarantee. Ironman or other commit modes should autosave immediately after a branch-committing selection and treat that path as locked. A small number of explicitly badged optional spotlight ops may also opt into this behavior individually as COMMIT missions even outside full-campaign Ironman.

Expiring opportunity placement in Allied Enhanced Edition:

Rule 3A: The Campaign Map Must Be a Strategic Layer

The original Red Alert world screen has more potential than a simple mission picker. IC should treat it as one of the campaign’s most important systems: the place where the player reads the war, not just where they click “next.”

For the Enhanced Edition, the campaign map / intermission screen should function like the strategic layer in XCOM:

• it shows which fronts are active
• it shows which operations are currently available
• it shows which ones are urgent or expiring
• it shows what assets the player already owns
• it shows what enemy project is advancing if ignored

If an expiring opportunity, rescue branch, theater front, or prototype race matters, the player should see that on the world screen before launching the next mission.

What the world screen should surface in the Enhanced Edition:

1. Strategic Resources — Requisition (War Funds), Intel, and Command Authority (gates operation slots)
2. The Doomsday Clock — A single visual indicator of Soviet momentum, crossing threshold rings (Green/Yellow/Orange/Red) that alter briefing tones, income, and M14 difficulty
3. Front status — The map visually updates front lines based on choices. Greece under chemical threat, Siberian window open, Poland resistance active
4. Operation cards & Beacons — each available node is marked with a noticeable map beacon. Clicking it shows a role tag (MAIN, SPECOPS, THEATER, RESOURCE, DEFECTOR), a one-line reward preview, and a one-line consequence
5. Urgency markers — rescue pending, enemy initiative advancing if ignored, ticking countdowns on expiring opportunities
6. Investment & Infrastructure — The player’s chosen Command Doctrine, active Research Lab projects (funded with Requisition), and Forward Operating Base (FOB) upgrades
7. Asset ledger — captured prototypes, partisan favor, spy network, air package, denied enemy tech, rescued hero status
8. Downstream consumers — the card should tell the player which later mission or act uses the asset

Note: For the full specification of these strategic mechanics, see research/campaign-strategic-depth-study.md.

Concrete card examples for the Allied campaign:

This is what makes the campaign map worthy of attention. The player is not choosing between abstract branches. They are deciding which war problem to solve next.

Rule 4: Optional Content Must Produce Concrete Campaign Assets

Optional content is not a generic “side mission” bucket. In the Enhanced Edition, every optional node must either:

• solve a high-stakes problem through SpecOps / Commando play, or
• open a real Theater Branch with a concrete downstream asset chain

That means optional content must answer, in plain language:

1. What do we gain? Intel, tech, denial, faction favor, rescue, route access, prototype roster, air/naval support
2. What exact effect does that gain have? Reveal patrol routes, unlock Super Tanks, deny chemical attacks, add resistance reinforcements, delay enemy waves, open Poland/Italy/Siberia
3. Who consumes it later? Name the next mission, act, or endgame branch
4. What new operation does it reveal or unlock? A successful SpecOps raid can surface a new commander assault, convoy intercept, or theater branch on the world screen

The worst design sin is optional content that exists in a vacuum. If a mission has no visible downstream effect, it should not be in the Enhanced Edition.

SpecOps stakes rule: Optional SpecOps may absolutely matter if skipped or failed. Tanya can be captured. Sarin can go live. A prototype can be lost to the enemy. This is where the campaign baseline can change.

SpecOps reveal rule: SpecOps should often change what missions exist next, not just how hard existing missions are. Intel theft, rescued defectors, planted charges, and stolen schedules can reveal fresh commander operations on the strategic map.

Theater Branch rule: Non-hero optional content only earns its place when it represents a whole secondary front or support package with clear assets. Siberia, Poland, Italy, Spain, France, and air campaigns justify themselves because they open regional allies, units, routes, and bombardment packages. A one-off “regular side mission” with no concrete asset does not.

Rule 5: Three Mission Roles — Main Operations, SpecOps, and Theater Branches

The Enhanced Edition uses three mission roles:

Commander-supported SpecOps is a subtype, not a fourth role. Some SpecOps missions can let the commander maintain a limited-capability forward base: power, barracks, repairs, artillery, extraction support, or one support airfield. The hero-led objective remains the decisive part of the mission. This keeps the main campaign as the only place where the faction’s full macro potential comes online.

Why this separation matters:

1. Main Operations keep the full war fantasy in one place. Full economy, full production tree, full battlefield crescendo belong in the backbone campaign missions.
2. SpecOps becomes the precision tool. This is where the campaign gains or denies intel, prototypes, scientists, resistance support, and rescue outcomes.
3. Commander players are not trapped in commando gameplay. Every hero-led mandatory-feeling mission needs a commander path or commander-supported variant.
4. Theater Branches justify themselves with scale. If a non-hero optional arc does not open a whole front or a named asset chain, it should be folded back into the main campaign or cut.

Canonical rule: every optional or interior-heavy commando mission has a commander-compatible path. That may be:

• a full commander alternative with reduced rewards
• a commander-supported SpecOps variant with a limited support base
• or, in D070 co-op add-ons, a commander/specops split where both players act simultaneously

The backbone can still contain a small number of main operations with hero-led sub-objectives (for example Allied M1 and M3). Those remain main operations, not separate optional SpecOps nodes.

How it looks in practice:

Main Operations (mandatory backbone):
  M1, M2, M4, M7, M8, M10A, M11, M12, M14

SpecOps / Commando Operations:
  Tanya: First Blood
  M3 Destroy Bridges
  Behind Enemy Lines
  M5 Rescue Tanya
  M6 Iron Curtain Infiltration
  Spy Network
  M9 Extract Kosygin
  M10B Evidence / Evidence: Enhanced
  M13 Focused Blast / Focused Blast: Enhanced

Theater Branches:
  Sarin Gas chain
  Siberian chain
  Italy chain
  Poland chain
  Operation Skyfall / Air Superiority / Operation Tempest
  Spain / France chains

Commander-compatible commando examples:

• M6 (spy infiltration) → commander alternative: full Tech Center assault. Story result preserved, but intel quality is worse because the site is wrecked.
• M9 (spy+escort) → commander alternative: armored extraction. Kosygin is recovered, but he yields less intel after a louder rescue.
• M10B / M13 → commander-supported SpecOps variants. Tanya handles the decisive interior objective while the commander runs a limited forward support camp instead of a full economy.
• Soviet M3 / M9 → commander alternatives: cordon-and-sweep and arrest operation. Same political or military result, cruder execution, worse downstream flags.

The arrows still flow one way: optional results feed into later main operations as difficulty modifiers, routes, units, tech, and briefing context. The main operations remain completable without them; they are simply better informed and better equipped if the player invests in optional content.

Failure-forward default for the Enhanced Edition: Missions should continue the campaign unless explicitly authored otherwise. If a mission can truly end the run, it must be marked CRITICAL on the world screen and again in the briefing. That should be rare and mainly reserved for final assaults or self-contained mini-campaign finales.

Rule 5A: Flagship Heroes Need Bench Support, Not Arcade Lives

The Enhanced Edition should not assume Tanya or Volkov can carry every optional mission forever. They tire, get wounded, can be captured, and in rare cases can be lost. The answer is not to give them abstract extra lives. The answer is to build a SpecOps ecosystem around them.

First-party roster model:

• Flagship hero — Tanya / Volkov. Best individual operative, full progression arc, high-value rescue/capture consequences, and on Standard they usually fall into wound/capture states before outright loss
• Elite special units — Allied black-ops assault teams, Soviet Spetsnaz-style raiders, spy teams, combat engineers, partisan specialists. Weaker than the flagship hero, stronger than regular line infantry, expected to work in teams, mortal in ordinary campaign play, and visually close to normal infantry with only subtle elite markers
• Commander-supported path — if the hero bench is depleted, the operation can still be tackled loudly through a commander alternative or support-base variant

Design rule: the hero should usually increase the quality of a SpecOps result, not merely determine whether the mission exists.

• dispatching the hero can improve stealth margins, objective speed, extraction safety, or the quality of the reward
• dispatching only elite operatives should still allow success on many optional missions, but with lower odds, noisier execution, or weaker downstream assets
• dispatching only elite operatives should also expose the player to normal team fatalities and bench depletion; these are soldiers, not protected marquee characters
• only a small number of rescue, betrayal, or signature-character operations should be truly hero_required
• elite teams should usually be roster assets, not normal production-queue units; the player keeps them alive, promotes them, and chooses when to deploy them

First-party faction examples:

• Allies: Tanya at the top, then black-ops assault teams, field spies, and engineer-sapper detachments
• Soviets: Volkov or lead Spetsnaz operative at the top, then Spetsnaz teams, NKVD arrest squads, and GRU recon cells

Availability rule: a healthy campaign should let the player keep doing SpecOps even if the marquee hero is tired or wounded. The bench exists so the player chooses between:

• spend Tanya/Volkov now for the best odds and best reward
• preserve the hero for a later spotlight op and send a team instead
• skip the operation and accept the campaign consequence

Bench rule: elite teams can die, be reduced below preferred strength, or be wiped out entirely. The campaign should replenish them through theater-specific replacements, rebuild delays, or downgraded rookie versions rather than by giving them hero-style rescue immunity.

Promotion rule: in first-party campaigns, elite black-ops / Spetsnaz teams should usually come from surviving high-veterancy infantry or theater-granted specialists rather than from ordinary barracks production. A promoted squad leaves the general roster and becomes a scarce SpecOps asset.

Presentation rule: first-party elite teams should mostly read as “very capable soldiers” rather than flamboyant supersoldiers. Use subtle rank badges, portrait frames, or elite pips to hint at their role.

Insertion/loadout rule: first-party elite teams may gain authored mission profiles such as paradrop, helicopter lift, safehouse insertion, truck cover, or civilian cover, plus tools like demolition charges or covert breaching kits. These should be operation-specific loadouts, not universal default powers.

Recommended dispatch tiers in the first-party campaign:

• hero_required — rare, high-drama missions tied to that character’s identity or capture state
• hero_preferred — hero improves odds/reward, but elite teams can attempt it
• team_viable — elite team is fully acceptable; hero is a luxury
• commander_variant — operation can still resolve through a loud assault path if the special-ops bench is depleted

Rule 5B: Optional Operations Can Have Different Commitment Levels

Not all optional missions should feel the same. Some are opportunistic raids. Some should feel like “if you pull this off, the campaign changes.”

First-party optional-op risk tiers:

• Routine — ordinary optional content; useful, but not all-or-nothing
• High-Risk — better rewards, harsher downside, but still under normal campaign save policy
• Commit — one-shot, high-value optional mission that autosaves on launch and locks the result even outside full-campaign Ironman

Commit missions are appropriate when all of these are true:

1. The reward is campaign-shaping, not just incremental
2. The fiction strongly supports “one shot only”
3. Failure-forward consequences are still interesting
4. The player was clearly warned before launch

Good first-party candidates for Commit:

• a prototype theft that can permanently deny or secure a top-tier capability
• a deep rescue where delay means transfer or execution
• a deniable sabotage op that, if blown, permanently closes the theater window
• a one-night infiltration tied to a launch, summit, or convoy schedule

Frequency rule: no more than 1-2 Commit ops per act. If too many optional missions become one-shot Ironman spikes, the strategic layer stops being a planning board and becomes a punishment engine.

Commander Alternative Matrix (Exact Trade-Offs)

These are the minimum explicit downstream deltas for the first-pass Enhanced Edition plan. They turn “less intel” and “cruder result” into concrete, player-visible differences.

Rule 6: Hero Capture Creates Escalating Rescue Pressure

When a hero operative (Tanya, Volkov) is captured in a failed mission, the enemy doesn’t just hold them — they interrogate them. The intended mechanic is escalation: the longer the hero remains captured, the more intel or technology the enemy extracts.

This is one of the few places where the first-party Enhanced Edition deliberately extends the base D021 campaign graph model. The rescue mission is a bounded pending branch: it can be taken immediately, taken later within a limited window, or ignored entirely. Each intervening mission increases the compromise level until the window closes.

The original M5 cutscene already implies this urgency: a Soviet interrogator presses Tanya for information. IC makes those stakes real and mechanical.

Tanya Capture Escalation (Allied Campaign)

Tanya knows Allied troop positions, the Chronosphere project, spy network identities, and battle plans. The Soviets want all of it.

Rescue quality also matters: If M5 is completed but with heavy casualties or a long mission time, Tanya returns wounded (hero status: wounded, unavailable for 1 mission). A fast, clean rescue returns her at full strength.

Volkov Capture Escalation (Soviet Campaign)

Volkov is a cybernetic super-soldier. He knows Soviet military secrets, but his real value to the Allies isn’t intel — it’s technology. If the Allies capture Volkov, they reverse-engineer his cybernetics.

Implementation

The first-party plan uses a bounded pending-rescue state with explicit escalation, rather than collapsing capture into a one-node yes/no:

# CampaignState flags set when a hero is captured
hero_capture:
  tanya:
    captured: true
    pending_rescue: true
    rescue_mission_id: allied_05_rescue
    missions_since_capture: 0
    rescue_window_closes_after: 2         # after 2 intervening missions, severe/terminal state
    compromise_level: none                # none | partial | severe | terminal
  volkov:
    captured: false

-- Example controller logic run when the player commits to another
-- non-rescue mission while the rescue branch is still pending.
-- Campaigns can execute this from mission_start of the next mission
-- or from their intermission / mission-launch script.
local capture = Campaign.get_flag("hero_capture.tanya")
if capture and capture.pending_rescue then
  capture.missions_since_capture = capture.missions_since_capture + 1

  if capture.missions_since_capture == 1 then
    capture.compromise_level = "partial"
    Campaign.set_flag("spy_network_compromised", true)
  elseif capture.missions_since_capture >= 2 then
    capture.compromise_level = "severe"
    Campaign.set_flag("chronosphere_location_known", true)
    Campaign.set_flag("operative_m6_degraded", true)
  end

  if capture.missions_since_capture > capture.rescue_window_closes_after then
    capture.compromise_level = "terminal"
    capture.pending_rescue = false
    Campaign.set_flag("tanya_lost", true)
  end

  Campaign.set_flag("hero_capture.tanya", capture)
end

Briefing integration: The dynamic briefing system (§ Optional Operations — Concrete Assets, Not Abstract Bonuses) assembles conditional lines based on the current compromise level. Immediate rescue, delayed rescue, and abandoned rescue each get distinct lines in the next briefing.

Cross-campaign echo: The Soviet M7 briefing always includes a line about an Allied commando operating in the facility — regardless of Allied campaign state. “Our interrogators have extracted valuable information from the captured Allied commando. Use it well.” This is always-present authored flavor text, not conditional on cross-campaign data (see § Cross-Campaign Continuity).

Rule 7: Teach Every Mechanic at the Right Moment

Campaign mechanics (capture consequences, optional-operation assets, expiring opportunities, spectrum outcomes, hero progression, and commander-compatible commando paths) are powerful but only if the player understands them. The Enhanced Edition uses progressive disclosure — each mechanic is explained exactly when the player first encounters it, never before, never after. No front-loaded tutorials, no walls of text, no unexplained mechanics.

This follows D065 (Tutorial & New Player Experience) § progressive disclosure and hint systems.

When each mechanic is explained:

Explanation principles:

1. Explain at the moment of encounter, not before. Don’t explain expiring opportunities in the prologue. Explain them when the first expiring opportunity appears
2. Show, don’t tell. The first spectrum outcome isn’t explained in a tutorial — the debrief screen SHOWS the player what their partial success means for the next mission
3. Make consequences visible before they happen. Expiring opportunities show both the reward of choosing AND the consequence of expiration. No hidden penalties
4. Explain once, then trust the player. The first optional-operation asset gets a highlighted briefing line and tooltip. The second one just gets the briefing line. By the third, the player understands the pattern
5. Never interrupt gameplay to explain. All explanations happen in briefings, debriefs, intermission screens, or small in-game tooltips — never a pause-the-game tutorial popup during combat
6. Use the briefing officer’s voice. Von Esling (Allied) and Nadia (Soviet) explain mechanics in character. “Commander, these operations won’t wait forever — and we don’t have the authority to launch them all” is both a narrative moment and a mechanics explanation. The UI reinforces with tooltips, but the character delivers the message

D065 integration: These explanations use the existing feature_discovery hint category from D065 § Feature Smart Tips. Each mechanic has a hint entry in hints/campaign-mechanics.yaml that triggers on first encounter and is dismissible. Players who’ve already learned the mechanic (from a previous playthrough or the tutorial) never see the hint again.

Rule 8: The Tech War Must Cover Whole Capability Chains, Not Just Superweapons

The campaign tech war should not be limited to nukes, Chronospheres, or the Iron Curtain. It should cover the whole battlefield capability race: unit lines, production methods, logistics systems, sensors, support powers, doctrine packages, training pipelines, and strategic projects. None of these should be treated as a single destroy_the_lab = true/false switch. They are campaign programs with multiple intervention points. This is what makes tech races, capability races, and special operations feel like war planning instead of filler raids.

Canonical outcome verbs for program interference:

• Deny — the enemy never fields the capability this run
• Delay — the enemy still gets it, but later, shifting which missions it affects
• Degrade — the enemy fields a weaker or shorter-lived version
• Corrupt — the enemy believes the system works, but it misfires, aborts, or backfires under pressure
• Capture — the player slows the enemy while accelerating their own program
• Expose — the raid reveals the next node in the chain, creating a new operation card

Default first-party program stages:

1. Theory / design — scientists, archives, formulae, stolen notes
2. Materials — fissile stock, rare parts, capacitor arrays, coolant, reactor components
3. Prototype — first build, first live field core, test-bed platform
4. Test / calibration — proving ground, targeting data, timing circuits, safety checks
5. Deployment — launcher, field generator, transport battalion, support crews
6. Sustainment — fuel, replacement parts, recharge network, political authorization

First-party rule: a mission should usually hit one stage of a program, not the entire chain. That lets the same enemy project stay relevant across multiple acts:

• Unit-production programs — factory tooling, specialist parts, veteran crews, trial battalions, field maintenance, replacement pools
• Sensor / countermeasure programs — radar nets, jamming vans, decryption cells, sonar pickets, spotter aircraft, decoy doctrine
• Support-power and delivery programs — bomber wings, missile batteries, naval gunfire chains, paradrop logistics, artillery spotting networks
• Doctrine / training programs — infiltration schools, winterization packages, armored breakthrough doctrine, urban pacification cadres, elite commando pipelines
• Industrial / logistics programs — fuel depots, spare-parts hubs, rail junctions, ore processing, bridge-repair units, convoy escorts
• Nuclear / doomsday program — deny heavy water / uranium shipments, steal lens geometry, falsify test telemetry, destroy bomber readiness
• Chronosphere project — steal anchor-beacon locations, damage capacitor farms, corrupt calibration maps, capture a damaged prototype
• Iron Curtain program — sabotage emitter synchronization, poison coolant routing, replace field-control codebooks, destroy or misalign the backup generator network
• Weather / chemical projects — attack probe stations, precursors, dispersal logistics, harden your own theater against a project you failed to stop

Design rule: program interference should often create a more interesting later mission, not just remove content. A corrupted enemy nuke test, a misaligned Chronosphere jump, a crippled heavy-tank maintenance chain, a blind radar sector, or an undertrained elite battalion is usually better campaign design than simply deleting the capability from the act.

Campaign rule of thumb: every act should contain some mix of:

• high-end strategic projects — the spectacular stuff the briefings talk about
• mid-tier capability races — armor lines, air packages, radar coverage, winter gear, engineer assets, support powers
• low-level sustainment contests — fuel, ammo, ore, bridge repair, depots, replacement crews, local guides

That is what makes the war feel broad instead of boss-fight-centric.

Rule 8A: “Wars Between The Wars” Shift Capability Arrival Windows

Optional operations should not only decide whether a capability exists. They should also decide when it arrives. This is the core value of the strategic layer: the battles between missions shape the battles inside missions.

The classic campaign still provides the baseline schedule. The Enhanced Edition then lets the War Table move selected capabilities earlier, on time, or later based on optional operations, enemy initiatives, and denied / secured logistics.

This works best for capabilities that already make sense as campaign progression in classic Red Alert:

• MiG readiness — prototype wing, pilot training, fuel stock, radar integration
• Satellite / high-altitude reconnaissance — uplink stations, decryption, launch prep, sensor coverage
• Advanced naval assets — cruisers, submarine wolfpacks, missile boats, escorts, repair docks, fuel trains
• Heavy armor lines — factory tooling, elite crews, spare parts, recovery teams
• Support packages — paradrops, strategic bombing, naval gunfire, engineer corps, winterization kits

Authoring rule: only capabilities with explicit early / on-schedule / delayed mission variants should be allowed to move. The campaign should not free-float every unit or support power.

Balance rule: the default timing shift should usually be one phase or 1-2 missions, not an entire act, unless a branch is deliberately built around that disruption.

Consumer rule: later missions must react in concrete authored ways:

• MiGs early — air pressure starts sooner, recon passes arrive earlier, AA becomes more valuable
• MiGs delayed — one mission loses air cover entirely, later mission gets fewer sorties or rookie pilots
• Satellite recon early — shroud starts partially revealed, convoy routes are pre-marked, ambushes become harder
• Satellite recon delayed — enemy runs blinder, long-range artillery scatters more, hidden routes stay hidden longer
• Advanced naval group early — a later coastal mission adds offshore bombardment or a cruiser screen
• Advanced naval group delayed — invasion flotilla arrives understrength, no bombardment window, weaker sea denial

First-party principle: the baseline classic path is “on schedule.” The War Table is where the schedule bends.

Rule 9: Third-Party Actors Must Create Battlefield Options, Not Flavor Text

Optional missions can earn or lose third-party actors: resistance cells, local militias, defectors, criminal logistics rings, partisan engineers, exile air wings, coerced auxiliaries, or rear-area collaborators. These actors should be treated as persistent theater assets with visible battlefield consequences.

Canonical third-party alignment states:

• Friendly — actively supports the player
• Neutral — uninvolved for now
• Wavering — can still be won, intimidated, or abandoned
• Coerced by enemy — not ideologically aligned, but currently helping the opposing force
• Hostile — actively works against the player

What earned allies should actually grant:

• Staging rights — a better MCV start point, forward landing zone, or pre-secured base site
• Logistics support — extra starting credits, ore stockpiles, supply convoys, repair yards, fuel, or a live FOB
• Technical access — early tech, captured schematics, black-market parts, a scientist, or a prototype workshop
• Local knowledge — tunnels, patrol schedules, minefield maps, safe extraction zones, hidden ore fields, or a flank route
• Manpower support — militia squads, air sorties, naval boats, engineers, artillery observers, or a flank-holding detachment
• Sanctuary — safehouse, fallback extraction, evacuation corridor, or a protected rear area if the mission goes badly

The reverse is equally important: ignored pleas, failed protection missions, or compromised raids can flip a neutral actor against the player. That should create enemy advantages, not just remove a possible player bonus:

• guides reveal your approach routes
• militia secures an enemy FOB
• coerced labor repairs a bridge sooner
• hostile auxiliaries create rear-area sabotage
• collaborators expose your safe houses or courier network

First-party rule: every ally-facing side mission should declare On Success, On Failure, and If Skipped in plain campaign terms. If a town, militia, or resistance cell matters, the world screen should tell the player whether they are being won, lost, protected, or left exposed.

Rule 10: Some Main Operations Are Endurance Battles, Not Extermination

Not every decisive battle should be solved by total annihilation. Some operations are really about operational endurance: whose stockpile, relief window, production chain, or defensive position lasts longer. This creates the “time plays against us / them” feeling without reducing every mission to a flat countdown.

Three acceptable endurance presentations:

• Hard visible timer — relief convoy ETA, evacuation deadline, reactor overload, storm front, bridge demolition, prison transfer
• Soft projected timer — the briefing or UI estimates how long an offensive can sustain itself if current conditions hold
• Hidden systemic timer — the mission simulates attrition, production starvation, morale collapse, or fuel exhaustion under the hood without showing a literal clock

What changes endurance:

• intact or destroyed supply corridors
• depot/fuel/ammo survival
• allied FOBs or rear-area sanctuaries
• local guides opening safer expansion zones
• captured repair yards and ore fields
• air/naval interdiction
• power-grid stability
• weather windows and river crossings

Culmination rule: when a side “runs out of time,” the result should usually be culmination, not instant deletion. Production stalls, artillery goes silent, reinforcements stop, morale breaks, or the force withdraws. That is usually better than requiring the player to hunt every last unit on the map.

First-party usage rule: endurance missions work best for bridgeheads, sieges, relief operations, encirclements, delaying actions, evacuation covers, and offensives whose supply chain has already been damaged by earlier optional content.

SpecOps Mission Families

Optional commando content in the Enhanced Edition should fall into recognizable mission families with explicit downstream assets. These are the recurring patterns used by both the Allied and Soviet trees:

These families are what justify optional commando content. If a proposed mission does not cleanly fit one of them and cannot state its exact downstream effect, it should be reworked or cut.

First-Party SpecOps Content Rule: Official Once, Generated Thereafter

The Enhanced Edition should not try to hand-author every optional commando branch forever, nor should it reuse the same official map repeatedly.

Rule:

• Use an official handcrafted mission once, where it is the best story fit
• Use IC-authored handcrafted missions for the handful of flagship new set pieces
• Use generated SpecOps missions for the rest of the optional commando network

That means:

• Behind Enemy Lines, Spy Network, M5, M6, M9, Focused Blast, Stalin's Shadow, and a few other anchor beats stay hand-authored
• follow-up raids, emergency rescues, prototype intercepts, mole hunts, resistance pickups, and alternative commando opportunities should usually be generated unique operations from the mission-family grammar in campaigns.md

This is the XCOM 2 lesson applied correctly: the strategic layer offers many operations, but only a few should be singular authored landmarks. The rest are theater-appropriate generated missions whose rewards and consequences are authored by campaign state.

Generated-first candidates in the Enhanced plan:

• extra Allied spy-network raids after the first network-establishment mission
• alternate Sarin-site strikes beyond the canonical CS mission placement
• resistance-contact pickups in Poland / Italy / Siberia
• Soviet mole hunts, scientist extraction, and rear-area counter-intel sweeps
• secondary prison-break or prototype-recovery opportunities created by branch state

The campaign graph still shows the operation card and exact reward/risk. What changes is that the map behind that card is generated from the current theater, mission family, and campaign seed instead of always pointing to one fixed handcrafted scenario.

Core World Reactivity Matrix

The campaign earns its “the world reacts” claim only if the player can trace a completed operation to a concrete later mission state. These are the headline cause-and-effect chains the Enhanced Edition should surface on the world screen and in briefings.

Allied Reactivity

Validation note for compounding endgame states: The first-party Enhanced Edition should validate endgame consumers such as M12, M13, and M14 by asset bundle rather than raw flag explosion. The validation pass should sample every legal combination of:

• air-support assets
• partisan / theater assets
• prototype-tech assets
• unrest / sabotage states
• rescue / compromise states

and confirm that the mission remains spawnable, its briefing remains coherent, and every promised reward/penalty still materializes.

Soviet Reactivity

Side-Campaign Thread: Einstein’s Burden

A narrative thread that runs underneath the main war campaign, surfacing at key moments and paying off in Act 3. This is not a separate campaign — it’s woven into the existing missions as optional discoverable content, briefing moments, and one pivotal reveal mission.

The thread answers the question every player eventually asks: “Einstein used a time machine to remove Hitler and created this entire war. Does he feel guilty? Could he undo it? Why doesn’t he?”

Scope note: The narrative thread itself is baseline Enhanced Edition content. The actual time-machine gameplay unlocks tied to Einstein's Confession / Temporal Experiment are experimental D078 add-ons only while D078 remains Draft. If D078 never graduates, these missions remain lore reveals with no gameplay unlock.

Thread Structure

Prologue — The Voice

Einstein is heard but not seen. During the Fall of Greece prologue missions, his voice comes through on a radio transmission to Stavros:

“Stavros, listen to me. The Soviets have developed weapons beyond anything we anticipated. I… I bear some responsibility for this. Get your people out. I will explain when we meet.”

The player doesn’t know what “some responsibility” means yet. It’s a hook — filed away, not explained.

M1 — The Rescue

The player rescues Einstein. In the debrief, Einstein thanks the Commander but is visibly troubled. A brief exchange (text in the briefing, not a cutscene — IC doesn’t add FMV):

“Commander, thank you. I owe you my life. And… I owe the world an explanation. But not today. Today we have a war to win. A war that exists because of me.”

Von Esling cuts him off: “Professor, that’s enough. Commander, your next assignment.” The moment passes. The player notices Einstein said something strange but the campaign moves on.

Acts 1-2 — Intel Fragments (Collectible Narrative)

During SpecOps missions (Behind Enemy Lines, Spy Network, Sarin Gas facilities, Italy operations), the player can find Einstein’s Research Fragments — optional collectibles hidden in mission maps. These are short text entries that gradually reveal the Trinity story. Finding them is never required — they’re rewards for thorough exploration.

Fragment discovery UX: When the player finds a fragment, a brief notification appears: “Intel discovered: Einstein’s Research Fragment 3/5”. The fragments are readable in the campaign journal/intermission screen. They’re short (2-3 sentences each) — enough to build the picture without interrupting gameplay.

Fragments are not dead collectibles. They also feed the strategic layer in concrete steps:

Act 2 (after M8) — The Confession

The Einstein's Confession mission (documented in the campaign graph) is always the narrative reveal. If the experimental D078 add-on is enabled, it also offers the rebuilt prototype gameplay unlock.

If the player found fragments: Einstein’s briefing is richer. He references specific things the player already discovered:

“You’ve seen the Soviet files. You know what I did in Trinity. You’ve read my journal — you know I kept one copy of the notes. I cannot hide from you any longer. Here is what I built.”

The player feels rewarded for their exploration — they pieced the story together before the reveal.

If the player found no fragments: Einstein’s confession is the first the player hears of Trinity. It still works — but it’s a surprise rather than a confirmation. The fragments are enrichment, not prerequisites.

Act 3 — The Weight

If the experimental time-machine add-on is enabled and the player uses the capability, Einstein reacts. A brief briefing line after each use:

• First use: “It worked. Commander… please use this power sparingly. I know what it costs.”
• Second use: “Again? I… understand. The stakes are high. But each use destabilizes the temporal field. There may not be a third.”
• If the player uses all charges: “It is done. The device is spent. Perhaps that is for the best.”

Epilogue — Closure

In the Allied epilogue mission (“Aftermath”), Einstein appears one final time. His dialogue depends on whether the player used the time machine:

• Used it: “You used my device. I don’t blame you — I used it too, once. The difference is that you used it to save lives. I used it to play God. Perhaps that makes you wiser than me.”
• Never used it: “You won this war without my device. You have no idea how much that means to me. Perhaps humanity doesn’t need to meddle with time to find its way.”
• Never unlocked it (skipped the Confession mission): “Commander, there is something I never told you about my past. Perhaps someday. But today… today we celebrate. The war is over.”

Soviet Campaign Mirror — The Red Ledger

The Soviet campaign should not only watch Einstein from afar. It needs its own narrative spine. The Soviet mirror thread is therefore political rather than guilt-driven: a dossier on Stalin’s paranoia, Gradenko’s rivalry, Nadia’s hidden agenda, and Kane’s influence at the edge of the regime.

Acts 1-2 — Political Intelligence Fragments

During Soviet SpecOps missions (Mole Hunt, Let's Make a Steal, Liability Elimination, Stalin's Shadow, selected Spain/France ops), the player can recover Political Intelligence Fragments: memos, interrogation notes, coded directives, and fragments of correspondence.

Strategic payoff:

Act 2 — The Realization

By Liability Elimination and Stalin's Shadow, the player should understand that the war is turning inward. The question is no longer just “Can the Soviets win?” but “Who is going to own the victory?” That gives the Soviet campaign a throughline comparable in weight to Einstein’s burden on the Allied side.

Act 3 — Red Dawn payoff

If the player followed the Red Ledger thread, Red Dawn lands as the resolution of a long-brewing political thriller rather than a sudden twist. Kane’s shadow, Nadia’s intent, Gradenko’s threat, and Stalin’s fragility all arrive with authored buildup.

Implementation

The thread uses existing and one new UI surface:

• Fragments: Campaign flags (red_ledger_fragment_1: true through red_ledger_fragment_5: true) set when the player enters a trigger zone in the mission map — standard Lua trigger, no new system
• Conditional briefing lines: Same conditional_lines system documented in modding/campaigns.md § Optional Operations — Concrete Assets, Not Abstract Bonuses — no new system
• Fragment reader (new UI): A new “Intel” tab in the campaign intermission screen displays collected fragments as short readable entries. The current intermission screen (single-player.md) exposes roster/heroes/stats — the Intel tab is an addition, not an existing viewer. Small scope: a list of 2-3 sentence text entries, readable between missions. Requires a new tab in the intermission UI but no new campaign state infrastructure beyond the flags already defined

Narrative Framework — Making the Lore Coherent

The Questions the Original Never Answered

The original RA1 and its expansions leave significant narrative gaps. Some are worth filling; others are better left mysterious. The Enhanced Edition’s job: fill the gaps that hurt the story, leave open the mysteries that enrich it.

Design Principle: Cutscene Alignment

The original FMV cutscenes (briefing videos with live actors) are preserved exactly as they are — IC doesn’t re-film them. Instead, the Enhanced Edition aligns gameplay to make the cutscenes land better. Every cutscene moment that felt abrupt or unexplained in the original gets a gameplay setup so the video makes sense in context.

Key example — M1 briefing video:

The original M1 video shows Stavros objecting to Tanya’s presence: “General Von Esling, she is a civilian!” In the original game, this is the player’s first encounter with BOTH characters — neither introduction lands because the player has no context for either person.

The Enhanced Edition plays two prologue missions before M1: one with Stavros (Fall of Greece) and one with Tanya (First Blood). When the M1 briefing video plays, the player recognizes both characters. Stavros’s objection becomes a meaningful character moment: the player fought alongside him in Greece and understands his military pride. Tanya’s cocky reply (“That’s why I don’t get killed”) resonates because the player just saw her rescue POWs. The same unmodified video, but now it has emotional weight.

This principle applies throughout: IC missions are designed so that original cutscenes feel like they were always meant to be watched at this point in the story. The videos are untouchable; the gameplay around them is what changes.

Questions We Answer (fills narrative gaps)

Q: How did Einstein get captured by the Soviets? The original intro shows Einstein using a time machine in Trinity, New Mexico (1946) to remove Hitler. He reappears in the RA timeline as a prisoner of the Soviets in Allied Mission 1. The game never explains how he went from Trinity to a Soviet firing squad.

IC Enhanced Edition answer: Einstein is the same person — he remembers the original timeline. After removing Hitler, he found himself in a world where the Soviets expanded unchecked. Wracked with guilt, he tried to help the European Allies covertly, developing the Chronosphere from his time machine research. The Soviets discovered his work, invaded Switzerland (where he was hiding), and captured him. Allied Mission 1 picks up at the moment of his scheduled execution. The IC prologue mission can show Einstein’s final days in Switzerland — the player helps evacuate his research before the Soviets close in, but Einstein himself is captured to protect the escaping data.

Q: How did Tanya get captured between Allied M4 and M5? Addressed in the campaign graph: IC adds “Behind Enemy Lines” — the mission where Tanya infiltrates a Soviet facility for Iron Curtain intel. If Tanya succeeds or escapes, no rescue branch opens. If she is captured, the M5 rescue branch becomes available and the later penalties depend on how long the player waits.

Q: Why does Tanya appear at the Soviet nuclear facility in Soviet M7? In the original, Tanya just shows up at “Core of the Matter” with no explanation. IC links this to the Allied campaign: if the Allied “Behind Enemy Lines” mission was played, Tanya’s presence is the Allied side of that same operation. From the Soviet perspective, an enemy commando has infiltrated the facility.

Q: What are the expansion missions about? They seem random. The Counterstrike/Aftermath missions were designed as standalone challenges with no campaign integration. IC gives them narrative purpose:

Q: What’s Kane doing in the Soviet ending? The original reveals Kane (from Tiberian Dawn) advising Nadia after she poisons Stalin. IC leaves this mystery intact — it’s too important to the larger C&C universe to alter. But IC adds subtle foreshadowing: in the Soviet “Stalin’s Shadow” SpecOps mission, the player encounters references to a mysterious advisor who has been influencing Soviet politics from behind the scenes. Players who recognize Kane from Tiberian Dawn get the connection; others experience it as a Cold War thriller twist.

Questions We Leave Open (enriches the mystery)

Q: Is this the same Einstein, or an alternate version? The game’s intro shows Einstein physically walking into the past and shaking Hitler’s hand before Hitler vanishes. This is the same Einstein — he remembers both timelines. But IC doesn’t over-explain this. Einstein’s dialogue in briefings can hint at his burden (“I have seen what happens when we meddle with time…”) without spelling out the metaphysics. The player should feel the weight, not read a physics lecture.

Q: Could the Chronosphere undo all of this? Einstein knows the Chronosphere could theoretically reverse his original intervention — send someone back to prevent him from removing Hitler. But he also knows the consequences of another temporal intervention could be even worse. This tension — “we have the power to fix everything, but using it might break everything worse” — is the thematic core of the time machine campaign mechanic (D078). Some players will wonder “why not just use the Chronosphere to fix it all?” The answer is that Einstein refuses, and the Enhanced Edition campaign shows why.

Q: What happened in the “original” timeline that Einstein left? Without Hitler, WWII as we know it never happened. But what filled the vacuum? IC leaves this deliberately unanswered — it’s the road not taken. However, the “Paradox Equation” mission (CS Soviet) shows temporal anomalies where the “original” timeline bleeds through — ghostly echoes of a world that might have been. This is atmospheric, not explanatory.

How IC Features Connect to the Story

The Enhanced Edition doesn’t just bolt new features onto old missions — each IC feature has a narrative reason for existing within the RA1 story.

Expansion Missions — The Unified Story

With narrative integration, the 34 expansion missions stop being random standalone challenges and become chapters in a larger war story:

Act 1 — The War Begins (M1-M4 + Fall of Greece + early Aftermath) The war erupts across Europe. Greece falls (Stavros’s personal tragedy). The Allies scramble to respond. Einstein is rescued. Bridges are destroyed. Lines are drawn.

Act 2 — The Arms Race (M5-M9 + Sarin Gas + Volkov + Italy) Both sides escalate: the Allies develop the Chronosphere; the Soviets build the Iron Curtain, develop chemical weapons (Sarin), and create Volkov. The Mediterranean becomes a second theater. Intelligence operations (spies, infiltration) become as important as firepower.

Act 3 — Total War (M10-M14 + Siberian + Poland + final operations) Everything converges. The Siberian front collapses. Poland is liberated. The Allied fleet clears the river. Every optional-operation asset (or absence) shapes the final assault. The war ends in Moscow (Allied) or London (Soviet).

Epilogue — Consequences The war is over, but what comes next? Allied: cleanup operations with moral decisions. Soviet: the internal power struggle (Stalin/Nadia/Kane). Both: the Ant crisis emerges from the war’s radiation legacy.

Allied Enhanced Edition Campaign

Narrative Gaps Identified in the Original

Full Campaign Graph

Legend: [MAIN] = mandatory backbone mission, [SPECOPS] = hero-led intel / tech / rescue operation, [HYBRID] = commander-supported SpecOps, [THEATER] = secondary-front or regional asset chain, [NARRATIVE] = lore or reveal mission

PROLOGUE — STAVROS'S WAR (IC Original + Counterstrike)
│  Character intro: STAVROS (before any cutscene appearance)
│  Character intro: TANYA (before M1 cutscene)
│  Character intro: EINSTEIN (voice on radio during Fall of Greece)
│
├─ [CS] "Personal War" (Fall of Greece 1) ★ VERY EASY
│  │  Stavros's intro. Parachutes into occupied Athens to rescue family.
│  │  Player commands small resistance force. Teaches: basic movement,
│  │  unit selection, named character escort.
│  │  Einstein heard on radio: "Stavros, the Soviets have a weapon...
│  │  I've seen what they're capable of. Get your people out."
│  │  Menu scene: Mediterranean coast at dawn
│  │
│  └─ [CS] "Evacuation" (Fall of Greece 2) ★ EASY
│     Stavros evacuates Greek civilians before Soviets close the ports.
│     Teaches: time pressure, multi-objective, civilian escort.
│     Reward: Greek resistance contacts (spy network foundation)
│
├─ [SPECOPS] [IC] "Tanya: First Blood" ★ EASY-MEDIUM
│  │  Tanya rescues Allied POWs from a Soviet outpost.
│  │  Teaches: hero abilities, skill points, C4 charges.
│  │  First skill tree selection at mission end.
│  │  Menu scene: naval convoy at dawn
│  │
│  CUTSCENE ALIGNMENT: M1 briefing video plays here.
│  Stavros (seated) → player recognizes him from Fall of Greece.
│  Tanya (walks in) → player recognizes her from First Blood.
│  "She is a civilian!" — now a clash between two known characters.
│
ACT 1: LIBERATION OF EUROPE ─────────────────────────────────────────
│
├─ [MAIN] [M1] "In the Thick of It" ★ MEDIUM — Rescue Einstein.
│  │  Teaches: combined arms (Tanya + support units), base assault.
│  │  Einstein becomes a character the player heard in the prologue.
│  │
│  └─ [SPECOPS] [IC] "Supply Line Security" ★ MEDIUM — OPTIONAL
│     Tanya escorts a Chrono-tech convoy through Soviet ambush country.
│     Asset: Chrono reinforcement package.
│     Exact effect: one extra Chrono support platoon spawns in M4.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M2] "Five to One" ★ MEDIUM — Clear road for supply convoy.
│  │  IC link: convoy carries demolition equipment for M3.
│  │  Teaches: time-limited clearing, area control.
│  │  Spectrum: convoy intact → full explosives for M3.
│  │  Convoy damaged → M3 is harder (fewer charges).
│  │
│  └─ [THEATER] [CS] "Fresh Tracks" (Siberian 1) ★ MEDIUM — OPTIONAL
│     Opens the Siberian flanking front.
│     Asset: Siberian theater unlocked for Act 3.
│     Exact effect: enables Siberian chain and its final reinforcement-denial payoff.
│
├─ [MAIN / SPECOPS-FOCUSED] [M3] "Dead End" ★ MEDIUM — Destroy bridges. Tanya must survive.
│  │  Teaches: stealth, terrain objectives, hero preservation.
│  │  Main-operation framing: the commander secures bridgeheads and extraction
│  │  while Tanya handles the demolition objective.
│  │  Spectrum: all destroyed → M4 easy / some → M4 harder /
│  │  none → M4 very hard. First real spectrum outcome.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M4] "Ten to One" ★ MEDIUM-HARD — Defend the pass.
│  │  First genuinely hard mission — but player has 6+ missions'
│  │  experience by now. Difficulty scales with M3 bridge results.
│  │  If Greek resistance contacted: partial shroud reveal.
│  │
│  ═══ EXPIRING OPPORTUNITIES (ACT 1 TO ACT 2) ══════════════════
│  │  "Multiple fires burning — which one do you fight?"
│  │  Command Authority is limited. Operations expire if ignored.
│  │
│  │  OPTION A: [SPECOPS] [IC] "Behind Enemy Lines" ★ HARD
│  │  │  Tanya infiltrates Soviet facility for Iron Curtain intel.
│  │  │  Type: spy_infiltration. Teaches: detection/alert system.
│  │  │  Asset: Iron Curtain intel package.
│  │  │  Exact effects: access quality for M6, rescue-state branching, future briefing intel.
│  │  │  Spectrum outcomes:
│  │  │  ├─ Success + escape → No rescue branch opens. Full intel for M6.
│  │  │  ├─ Success + captured → M5 rescue branch opens. Partial intel for M6.
│  │  │  ├─ Failed + escaped → No intel. M6 blind. Tanya available.
│  │  │  └─ Failed + captured → M5 rescue branch opens + M6 blind. Worst case.
│  │  │
│  │  IF NOT CHOSEN → The Soviets harden and partially relocate the site.
│  │  │  No intel for M6. `Spy Network` does not appear in Act 1.
│  │  │  Tanya stays safe, but the raid window is gone.
│  │  │  Briefing: "The target site tightened security before we could act."
│  │
│  │  OPTION B: [SPECOPS] [CS] "Crackdown" (Sarin Gas 1) ★ HARD
│  │  │  Neutralize Sarin gas facilities in Greece.
│  │  │  Asset: chemical-weapons denial.
│  │  │  IF CHOSEN → No chemical attacks in M8.
│  │  │  IF NOT CHOSEN → Sarin goes active. M8 includes gas attacks.
│  │  │  Briefing: "Chemical weapons reports from the eastern front.
│  │  │  We didn't act in time."
│  │
│  │  OPTION C: [THEATER] [CS] "Fresh Tracks" (Siberian 1) ★ MEDIUM
│  │     Open second front in Siberia.
│  │     IF CHOSEN → Siberian arc available in Act 3.
│  │     IF NOT CHOSEN → Siberian window closes permanently.
│  │     Briefing: "The Siberian opportunity has passed."
│  │     If already completed earlier, this slot shows
│  │     `[RESOLVED] Siberian front already open` and the
│  │     remaining live opportunities continue their timers.
│  │
│  │  OPTION D: [RESOURCE] [IC] "Gold Reserve" ★ MEDIUM
│  │     Liberate a Swiss bank vault holding Allied war funds.
│  │     IF CHOSEN → +4,000 Requisition to fund research/deployments.
│  │     IF NOT CHOSEN → The war chest remains tight during Act 2.
│  │
│  [SPECOPS] [IC] "Spy Network" ★ MEDIUM — OPTIONAL (if Tanya escaped)
│     Recruit a spy network and secure safe houses.
│     Asset: spy-network favor.
│     Exact effect: M6 gains access codes and later missions start with partial shroud reveal.
│
├─ [SPECOPS] [M5] "Tanya's Tale" ★ MEDIUM — Rescue Tanya.
│  │  AVAILABLE (not mandatory) if Tanya was captured.
│  │  May be taken immediately or delayed for a limited number of missions.
│  │  Each delay increases compromise level and later-mission penalties.
│  │  Ignoring it entirely leaves Tanya lost and the Soviet intel haul intact.
│  │  Commander alternative: send an armored assault to the prison
│  │  compound. Louder, Tanya is rescued but wounded (unavailable
│  │  for 1 mission). Operative approach: spy+commando, clean rescue.
│  │  If Tanya was never captured → M5 doesn't appear. Skip to M6.
│  │  Menu scene: if captured → dark war room / if free → confident HQ
│
ACT 2: THE IRON CURTAIN ─────────────────────────────────────────────
│
├─ [SPECOPS] [M6] "Iron Curtain Infiltration" ★ MEDIUM-HARD.
│  │  Spy infiltrates Soviet Tech Center for Iron Curtain intel.
│  │  Full intel → east service entrance open and first alarm delayed 90 seconds.
│  │  No intel → blind infiltration, no service entrance, 2 extra patrol teams.
│  │  Commander alternative: full assault on the Tech Center. You
│  │  destroy it and recover partial intel from the wreckage — less
│  │  intelligence than the spy route, but no commando gameplay.
│  │  Character intro: KOSYGIN mentioned in intercepted comms.
│  │
│  ├─ [SPECOPS] [CS] "Down Under" (Sarin Gas 2) ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│  │  │  Continue Sarin campaign. Only if Sarin 1 was chosen/completed.
│  │  │  Asset: Greek-theater security.
│  │  │  Exact effect: bonus naval detachment in M7.
│  │  │
│  │  └─ [SPECOPS] [CS] "Controlled Burn" (Sarin Gas 3) ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│  │     Capture Sarin facilities. Requires Sarin 2.
│  │     Asset: captured chemical expertise.
│  │     Exact effect: special denial / defense package in Act 3.
│  │
│  ├─ [THEATER] [AM] "Harbor Reclamation" (Italy 1) ★ MEDIUM — OPTIONAL
│  │  Secure Italian harbor.
│  │  Asset: Mediterranean staging base.
│  │  Exact effect: opens Italy chain and southern support route.
│  │
│  └─ [THEATER] [AM] "In the Nick of Time" + "Caught in the Act" +
│     "Production Disruption" (Italy 2-4) ★ MEDIUM-HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Italian theater chain.
│     Asset chain: Chrono Tank salvage + southern flank security.
│     Exact effects: one Chrono Tank prototype in Act 3 and no southern counterattack.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M7] "Sunken Treasure" ★ MEDIUM-HARD — Destroy sub pens.
│  │  IC link: M6 intel → Iron Curtain parts shipped by sub.
│  │  If Sarin missions done: bonus naval units.
│  │  If Italy done: Mediterranean staging base support.
│  │  Teaches: naval combat.
│  │
│  └─ [THEATER] [IC] "Operation Skyfall" ★ HARD — OPTIONAL air campaign
│     Coordinate air strikes on AA around Chronosphere perimeter.
│     Type: air_campaign. Teaches: sortie management, no base.
│     Asset: air-superiority package.
│     Exact effect: M8 starts with AA destroyed and fewer Soviet air attacks.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M8] "Protect the Chronosphere" ★ HARD — Defend 45 minutes.
│  │  If Sarin NOT neutralized → chemical attacks during assault.
│  │  If Skyfall completed → Soviet AA pre-destroyed.
│  │  Dynamic weather: storm at minute 30 (D022 showcase).
│  │
│  └─ [NARRATIVE] [IC] "Einstein's Confession" ★ MEDIUM — OPTIONAL
│     After the Chronosphere defense, Einstein reveals something
│     he's kept hidden: his original time machine research from
│     1946 — the device he used to remove Hitler. His notes still
│     exist. He buried them after seeing what his intervention
│     created. Now, with the war reaching a crisis, he's reconsidered.
│
│     Einstein's briefing:
│     "Commander... my original research — the experiment I conducted
│     in Trinity, New Mexico — I destroyed my notes after I saw what
│     I had done to the world. But I kept one copy. I told myself it
│     was insurance. Now I am not sure if offering it to you is
│     courage or cowardice."
│
│     Einstein has rebuilt a limited prototype from his original
│     research. It can only transmit information — tactical intel,
│     warnings, exploration data.
│
│     EXPERIMENTAL D078 ADD-ON ONLY:
│     If D078 graduates from Draft, this mission can also unlock
│     the TIME MACHINE capability (Layer 2):
│     - 1-2 uses available for Act 3 (limited, not infinite)
│     - Can rewind to a previous Act 3 mission-start checkpoint
│     - Knowledge (exploration, intel flags) carries back
│     - Army does NOT carry back (knowledge > power)
│     - Butterfly effects: enemy AI adapts ("something has changed")
│     - Concrete Allied examples:
│       - Replaying **M12** keeps the west conduit location known, so
│         the sabotage route is available immediately instead of after scouting
│       - Replaying **M13** keeps concealed SAM pockets and charge nodes marked,
│         making the precision route faster without adding free units
│       - Replaying **M14** keeps the timing of the first Iron Curtain pulse
│         and the north service breach already known to the player
│
│     If D078 stays Draft / cut, the mission remains a pure narrative
│     reveal with no gameplay unlock. The classic campaign path works
│     either way.
│
│     Menu scene changes: Einstein's lab with prototype device
│
├─ [SPECOPS] [M9] "Extract Kosygin" ★ MEDIUM-HARD.
│  │  Spy infiltrates Soviet compound, frees defector, escorts out.
│  │  Character payoff: heard Kosygin in M6 comms. Now rescue him.
│  │  Commander alternative: armored extraction. Tank column blasts
│  │  into the compound, grabs Kosygin. Louder, more casualties,
│  │  and M10B loses the west service-tunnel intel.
│  │  Asset: Kosygin intelligence package.
│  │  Exact effect: M10B gains the west service tunnel and 2 pre-marked patrol routes if Kosygin's debrief is intact.
│  │
│  ═══ EXPIRING OPPORTUNITIES (ACT 2 TO ACT 3) ══════════════════
│  │  "Multiple theaters need reinforcement. Command Authority is limited."
│  │
│  │  OPTION A: [THEATER] [AM] "Monster Tank Madness" (Poland 1) ★ HARD
│  │  │  Rescue Dr. Demitri + Super Tanks.
│  │  │  IF CHOSEN → 2 Super Tanks for M14. Unlocks Poland 2-5.
│  │  │  IF NOT CHOSEN → No Super Tanks. Poland arc closed.
│  │
│  │  OPTION B: [THEATER] [IC] "Air Superiority" ★ HARD
│  │  │  Establish air dominance over the eastern front.
│  │  │  Type: air_campaign.
│  │  │  IF CHOSEN → Air support available in M12 and M14.
│  │  │  IF NOT CHOSEN → No strategic air support in endgame.
│  │
│  │  OPTION C: [THEATER] [CS] "Trapped" (Siberian 2) ★ HARD
│  │     Continue Siberian arc (only if Fresh Tracks was done).
│  │     IF CHOSEN → Siberian front weakens. Unlocks Wasteland.
│  │     IF NOT CHOSEN → Siberian gains lost. No Act 3 benefit.
│
│  [THEATER] [AM] Poland 2-5 ★ HARD — OPTIONAL (if Poland 1 was chosen)
│  │  "Negotiations" / "Time Flies" / "Absolute M.A.D.ness" / "PAWN"
│  │  Asset chain: Poland liberated + partisan favor.
│  │  Exact effects: flanking entry in M12 and resistance reinforcements in M14.
│
│  [THEATER] [CS] "Wasteland" (Siberian 3) ★ HARD — OPTIONAL (if Siberian 2 done)
│     Final Siberian operation.
│     Asset: Siberian front collapse.
│     Exact effect: Soviet M14 reinforcements halved.
│
ACT 3: ENDGAME ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
│  Menu scene: ground assault — tanks, artillery, dark skies
│
├─ [MAIN] [M10A] "Suspicion" ★ HARD — Destroy Soviet nuclear silos.
│  │  Main-operation backbone. Full base building, army assault. Always available.
│  │
│  │  After M10A, choose approach for the underground facility:
│  │  ├─ [SPECOPS] [M10B] "Evidence" ★ HARD — Interior commando.
│  │  │  Tanya infiltrates underground facility. Better intel yield.
│  │  │
│  │  ├─ [HYBRID] [IC] "Evidence: Enhanced" ★ HARD
│  │  │  Commander-supported SpecOps: Tanya + squad inside a live battle
│  │  │  while the commander runs a limited forward fire-support camp.
│  │  │
│  │  └─ [COMMANDER] [IC] "Evidence: Siege" ★ HARD
│  │     Bomb the facility from above. Artillery + air strikes
│  │     collapse the underground complex. Cruder but no commando
│  │     gameplay. Reduced intel yield (facility partially destroyed).
│
├─ [MAIN] [M11] "Naval Supremacy" ★ HARD — Clear river for final push.
│  │  IC link: Kosygin's intel → this is the only approach.
│  │
│  └─ [IC] "Joint Operations" ★ HARD — OPTIONAL (Phase 6b add-on, D070)
│     Co-op variant: Commander (naval base) + SpecOps (shore batteries).
│     Not part of the Phase 4 baseline — requires D070 co-op infrastructure.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M12] "Takedown" ★ VERY HARD — Destroy Iron Curtain bases.
│  │  If Poland done → flanking approach (attack from two sides).
│  │  If Italy done → no southern naval threat.
│  │  If air superiority → bombing runs available.
│  │
│  ═══ EXPIRING OPPORTUNITIES (FINAL PREPARATIONS) ═══════════════
│  │  "The Moscow assault is imminent. Command Authority is limited."
│  │
│  │  OPTION A: [SPECOPS] [M13] "Focused Blast" ★ VERY HARD
│  │  │  Interior commando. Plant charges in underground facility.
│  │  │  IF CHOSEN → Iron Curtain facility destroyed from inside.
│  │
│  │  OPTION B: [HYBRID] [IC] "Focused Blast: Enhanced" ★ VERY HARD
│  │  │  Commander-supported SpecOps. Tanya's full skill tree affects the mission.
│  │  │  Limited support base provides artillery, repairs, and extraction cover.
│  │  │  Silent Step → easier stealth. Chain Detonation → fewer
│  │  │  charges needed. Hero progression payoff.
│  │  │  (Only available if Tanya is alive and level 3+)
│  │
│  │  OPTION C: [COMMANDER] [IC] "Iron Curtain: Siege" ★ VERY HARD
│  │     Full base assault + artillery bombardment of the facility.
│  │     No commando gameplay. Same narrative result (facility destroyed).
│  │     Trade-off: higher casualties, no precision destruction —
│  │     some Iron Curtain tech survives (enemy retains partial
│  │     Iron Curtain capability in M14).
│
├─ [MAIN] [M14] "No Remorse" ★ VERY HARD — Final assault on Moscow.
│  │  EVERYTHING ACCUMULATES HERE:
│  │  ├─ Siberian arc done → reduced reinforcements
│  │  ├─ Poland liberated → Polish resistance arrives
│  │  ├─ Super Tanks → available as heavy armor
│  │  ├─ Sarin expertise → chemical defense
│  │  ├─ Italy secured → no southern counterattack
│  │  ├─ Air superiority → bombing runs
│  │  ├─ Tanya max level → leads assault squad
│  │  ├─ Nothing done → MAXIMUM difficulty, no bonuses
│  │  Briefing dynamically references every choice.
│  │
│  └─ [IC] "Moscow: Enhanced" ★ VERY HARD — ALTERNATIVE
│     Dynamic weather (blizzard). Embedded task force (Kremlin
│     infiltration during siege). Co-op option (Phase 6b add-on, D070).
│
EPILOGUE ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
│
├─ [IC] "Aftermath" ★ MEDIUM — Post-victory moral decisions
│  Cleanup in Moscow. Choices affect ending.
│  Menu scene: sunrise over liberated city
│
└─ [ANT] "It Came From Red Alert!" ★ VARIES — Secret campaign
   Unlocked after Allied completion. 4 ant missions.
   Uses campaign roster from completion.

Allied Dispatch & Risk Matrix

This matrix applies Rule 5A / 5B to the actual Allied special-operations graph. Theater branches and resource ops continue to use their own command-layer logic; the table below is specifically for hero / elite-team / commander-supported operations.

Default rule for the remaining Allied optional commando content: Sarin-chain raids and similar side SpecOps default to team_viable + high_risk unless the mission is explicitly a Tanya spotlight.

Allied Campaign Summary

Soviet Enhanced Edition Campaign

Narrative Gaps Identified in the Original

Full Campaign Graph

Legend: [MAIN] = mandatory backbone mission, [SPECOPS] = hero-led intel / tech / rescue operation, [HYBRID] = commander-supported SpecOps, [THEATER] = secondary-front or regional asset chain, [NARRATIVE] = lore or reveal mission

PROLOGUE — THE PARTY'S WILL (IC Original + Aftermath)
│  Character intro: STALIN (voice in propaganda broadcast)
│  Character intro: NADIA (briefing officer, gives first orders)
│  Character intro: VOLKOV (Soviet hero, playable in prologue)
│  Character intro: GRADENKO (mentioned as political rival — foreshadowing)
│
├─ [SPECOPS] [IC] "Volkov: Awakening" ★ VERY EASY
│  │  Volkov + Chitzkoi activated for a field test. Destroy a small
│  │  Allied outpost. Teaches: hero unit control, special abilities.
│  │  Nadia briefs: "Comrade, the Party has invested greatly in you.
│  │  Do not disappoint." Stalin's voice on radio: propaganda.
│  │  Gradenko mentioned: "General Gradenko questions the Volkov
│  │  program's cost. Prove him wrong."
│  │  Menu scene: Soviet war room, red lighting, propaganda posters
│  │
│  └─ [THEATER] [AM] "Testing Grounds" (France 1) ★ EASY — OPTIONAL
│     Test new Soviet weapons. Introduces Shock Troopers.
│     Teaches: new unit types, combined arms.
│     Asset: Shock Trooper deployment rights.
│     Exact effect: Shock Troopers available from Act 1.
│
ACT 1: THE IRON FIST ───────────────────────────────────────────────
│
├─ [MAIN] [M1] "Lesson in Blood" ★ EASY — Village assault. Tutorial.
│  │  Classic, enhanced with Nadia briefing context.
│  │  Teaches: basic base assault, unit production.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M2] "Guard Duty" ★ EASY-MEDIUM — Infantry bridge assault.
│  │  IC: spy spotted during battle (foreshadows M3).
│  │  If player kills spy → M3 is easier.
│  │  Teaches: multi-unit coordination, bridge tactics.
│  │
│  └─ [THEATER] [AM] "Shock Therapy" (Spain 1) ★ MEDIUM — OPTIONAL
│     Punish a border town.
│     Asset: Shock Trooper veterancy package.
│     Exact effect: veteran Shock Trooper squads in later Spain / Act 3 missions.
│
├─ [SPECOPS] [M3] "Covert Cleanup" ★ MEDIUM. Chase a spy.
│  │  If spy killed in M2 → timer extended to 20 min.
│  │  Commander alternative: cordon and sweep. Deploy infantry
│  │  squads to lock down the district. Less elegant — spy may
│  │  escape with partial intel (worse for future missions).
│  │  Teaches: time pressure, pursuit, area sweep.
│  │
│  └─ [SPECOPS] [IC] "Mole Hunt" ★ MEDIUM — OPTIONAL
│     Hunt Allied agents inside Soviet command. Reversed spy mission.
│     Asset: counter-intelligence package.
│     Exact effect: future Allied briefings lose composition intel and pre-defenses are reduced.
│     Character development: Nadia assigns this personally —
│     she's watching everyone. Foreshadows her true nature.
│
├─ [THEATER] [IC] "Road to Berlin" ★ MEDIUM — OPTIONAL operational march.
│  │  Bridges the geographic leap from the spy-chase theater to Berlin.
│  │  This is not passive traversal. The mission loop is:
│  │  1) seize the fuel depot before Allied engineers torch it,
│  │  2) choose the north rail bridge or south autobahn crossing,
│  │  3) escort 3 supply trucks into the Berlin staging park.
│  │  Ambush pressure comes from hidden AT guns, one timed air raid,
│  │  and the route choice between the shorter artillery corridor and
│  │  the longer but safer southern bypass.
│  │  Reward is upside only:
│  │  - 3 trucks preserved → M4 gains a forward deployment zone,
│  │    90 extra seconds on the radar timer, and 2 veteran heavy tanks
│  │  - 1-2 trucks preserved → forward deployment zone only
│  │  - skipped / failed → baseline M4, no extra staging assets
│
├─ [MAIN] [M4] "Behind the Lines" ★ MEDIUM — Destroy Allied radar in Berlin.
│  │  If Mole Hunt done → Allies don't expect you (no pre-defenses).
│  │  If Road to Berlin done → forward deployment zone, +90 seconds,
│  │  and +2 veteran heavy tanks if the whole column arrived.
│  │  Teaches: deep strike behind enemy lines.
│  │
│  ├─ [SPECOPS] [AM] "Let's Make a Steal" (France 2) ★ MEDIUM — OPTIONAL
│  │  Steal Allied tech.
│  │  Asset: captured vehicle technology.
│  │  Exact effect: one Soviet vehicle upgrade package for Act 2.
│  │
│  └─ [SPECOPS] [AM] "Test Drive" (France 3) ★ MEDIUM — OPTIONAL
│     Test stolen vehicles.
│     Asset: captured-unit roster package.
│     Exact effect: stolen Allied vehicles join the roster.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M5] "Distant Thunder" ★ MEDIUM — Build and defend a base.
│  │  IC link: surviving units and unspent resources carry over to M6
│  │  via D021 roster carryover (not literal base layout — structures
│  │  are map-specific). Over-investing in static defenses here means
│  │  fewer mobile units for M6's convoy escort.
│  │  Teaches: base building, resource management, investment trade-offs.
│  │
│  └─ [SPECOPS] [AM] "Don't Drink the Water" (France 4) ★ MEDIUM-HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Poison water supply, capture Chronosphere.
│     Asset: Chronosphere weak-point intel.
│     Exact effect: faster Elba assault and sabotage route in M8.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M6] "Bridge over the River Grotzny" ★ MEDIUM-HARD — Convoy escort.
│  │  IC: surviving units and unspent resources from M5 carry over
│  │  via D021 roster carryover. M6 starts with a pre-built base
│  │  (map-authored) but your M5 troops are available as reinforcements.
│  │  Spectrum: full convoy → max supplies / partial → less /
│  │  lost → M7 starts with minimal forces.
│  │  Teaches: escort + defend with limited resources.
│  │
│  ═══ EXPIRING OPPORTUNITIES (ACT 1 TO ACT 2) ══════════════════
│  │  "The front is wide. Command Authority is limited."
│  │
│  │  OPTION A: [SPECOPS] [CS] "Soldier Volkov & Chitzkoi" ★ HARD
│  │  │  Volkov commando mission behind Allied lines.
│  │  │  Asset: Volkov veterancy package.
│  │  │  IF CHOSEN → Volkov gains veteran status for Act 2+.
│  │  │  IF NOT CHOSEN → Volkov stays in reserve (no veterancy).
│  │
│  │  OPTION B: [SPECOPS] [CS] "Legacy of Tesla" ★ HARD
│  │  │  Capture Allied nuclear MiG prototype.
│  │  │  Asset: prototype MiG tech.
│  │  │  IF CHOSEN → Prototype MiG available in M11 naval battle.
│  │  │  IF NOT CHOSEN → No air prototype. M11 is naval-only.
│  │
│  │  OPTION C: [THEATER] [AM] "Situation Critical" (Spain) ★ MEDIUM-HARD
│  │     Secure Mediterranean sea lanes.
│  │     IF CHOSEN → Naval advantage in M11. Unlocks Spain arc.
│  │     IF NOT CHOSEN → Allied naval threat from south persists.
│  │
│  │  OPTION D: [RESOURCE] [IC] "Grain Requisition" ★ MEDIUM
│  │     Redirect agricultural surplus in Ukraine to military production.
│  │     IF CHOSEN → +3,500 Requisition to fund research/deployments.
│  │     IF NOT CHOSEN → Military budget remains restricted during Act 2.
│
ACT 2: SUPERWEAPONS ────────────────────────────────────────────────
│
├─ [MAIN] [M7] "Core of the Matter" ★ HARD — Nuclear facility vs Tanya.
│  │  Tanya's presence is always explained in the Soviet briefing
│  │  (IC adds context regardless of whether Allied campaign was played —
│  │  cross-campaign references are flavor text in briefing lines only,
│  │  not gating state. No global/legacy persistence layer needed).
│  │  If Volkov is veteran → Volkov vs Tanya encounter (hero vs hero).
│  │  If Volkov not available → standard mission, Tanya is a boss unit.
│  │  Teaches: facility defense + counter-commando operations.
│  │
│  └─ [THEATER] [AM] "Brothers in Arms" (Spain 2) ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Soviet traitors. Only if Spain arc opened in Act 1 expiring opportunities.
│     Asset: loyal tank-crew favor.
│     Exact effect: heavy armor veterancy bonus in Act 3.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M8] "Elba Island" ★ HARD — Destroy Allied Chronosphere.
│  │  If "Don't Drink the Water" done → know weak points.
│  │  If Volkov veteran → solo insertion option (sabotage before assault).
│  │  Teaches: combined naval + ground assault.
│  │
│  ├─ [SPECOPS] [CS] "Paradox Equation" ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│  │  Chronosphere anomalies — tanks behave as other units.
│  │  Asset: Chrono-tech understanding.
│  │  Exact effect: faster capture path and safer temporal experiment in M13.
│  │
│  └─ [SPECOPS] [CS] "Mousetrap" ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Hunt Stavros at a Chronosphere research center.
│     Asset: Allied-command intel.
│     Exact effect: improved command-structure knowledge in later briefings and AI reads.
│
├─ [SPECOPS] [M9] "Liability Elimination" ★ MEDIUM-HARD.
│  │  Assassination mission. The "liability" helped Kosygin escape.
│  │  Character shift: the war turns inward. Stalin's paranoia.
│  │  Nadia's briefing is colder — she's consolidating power.
│  │  Commander alternative: arrest operation. Send an armored
│  │  column to detain the target publicly. Same political result
│  │  but cruder — causes a rear-sabotage event in M12 unless
│  │  Stalin's Shadow neutralizes the unrest.
│  │
│  └─ [SPECOPS] [IC] "Stalin's Shadow" ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Nadia's secret mission: evidence against Gradenko.
│     Foreshadows the Stalin/Nadia/Kane ending.
│     Asset: internal-purity leverage.
│     Exact effect: Gradenko neutralized and fewer political disruptions in Act 3.
│     Character reveal: Nadia is not who she seems.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M10] "Overseer" ★ MEDIUM-HARD — Escort supply trucks.
│  │
│  ├─ [CLASSIC] M10 as-is ★ MEDIUM-HARD
│  │
│  └─ [IC] "Overseer: Strike" ★ HARD — ALTERNATIVE
│     Armored assault instead of escort. Same narrative result.
│     Teaches: offensive operations as alternative to escort.
│
ACT 3: CONQUEST ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
│  Menu scene: naval fleet mobilizing, Channel crossing preparation
│
├─ [MAIN] [M11] "Sunk Costs" ★ HARD — Naval defense vs Allied cruisers.
│  │  If MiG prototype captured → air support available.
│  │  If Spain secured → no Allied southern reinforcements.
│  │
│  ├─ [SPECOPS] [AM] "Deus Ex Machina" (Spain 3) ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│  │  Rescue Volkov (if he was captured).
│  │  Can be taken immediately or after delay, but Allied tech extraction
│  │  escalates each mission he remains in custody.
│  │  Reward quality depends on how late the rescue happens.
│  │
│  └─ [THEATER] [AM] "Grunyev Revolution" (Spain 4) ★ MEDIUM-HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Crush a revolution.
│     Asset: rear-area security.
│     Exact effect: no uprisings during the England invasion.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M12] "Capture the Tech Centers" ★ VERY HARD — Capture 3 centers.
│  │  Compound rewards from all optional operations affect difficulty.
│  │
│  ═══ EXPIRING OPPORTUNITIES (FINAL PREPARATIONS) ═══════════════
│  │  "The invasion of England approaches. Command Authority is limited."
│  │
│  │  OPTION A: [THEATER] [IC] "Operation Tempest" ★ VERY HARD
│  │  │  Air/naval pre-invasion bombardment.
│  │  │  Type: air_campaign.
│  │  │  IF CHOSEN → M14 starts with damaged coastal defenses.
│  │  │  IF NOT CHOSEN → Full Allied coastal defense in M14.
│  │
│  │  OPTION B: [SPECOPS] [CS] "Nuclear Escalation" ★ VERY HARD
│  │     Prevent Allied air-fuel bomb testing.
│  │     Asset: enemy superweapon denial.
│  │     IF CHOSEN → No Allied superweapon in M14.
│  │     IF NOT CHOSEN → Allied air-fuel bombs in M14.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M13] "Capture the Chronosphere" ★ VERY HARD
│  │  If Paradox Equation done → faster capture.
│  │  If Volkov available → commando approach option.
│  │
│  ├─ [HYBRID] [IC] "Chronosphere: Enhanced" ★ VERY HARD — ALTERNATIVE
│  │  Commander-supported SpecOps / co-op (Phase 6b add-on, D070):
│  │  commander sieges while SpecOps infiltrates.
│  │
│  └─ [NARRATIVE] [IC] "Temporal Experiment" ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Soviet intelligence recovers fragments of Einstein's original
│     1946 time travel research — notes hidden in a captured Allied
│     research facility. Soviet scientists build a crude prototype
│     from these notes. Less refined than Einstein's version, more
│     powerful, and dangerously unstable.
│
│     Nadia's briefing: "Our scientists found Einstein's original
│     time travel research in a captured laboratory. His notes
│     describe something extraordinary. The Americans buried this
│     knowledge. We will use it."
│
│     EXPERIMENTAL D078 ADD-ON ONLY:
│     If D078 graduates from Draft, this mission can also unlock the
│     TIME MACHINE capability (Layer 2):
│     - 1-2 uses available for M14 (the invasion)
│     - Can rewind to M14's mission-start checkpoint with knowledge
│     - Soviet version is more aggressive with KNOWLEDGE carryover:
│       full enemy patrol routes, base layouts, weapon positions carried
│       back (the Soviets squeeze every drop of intel from the temporal
│       transmission, where Einstein is more cautious)
│     - Army does NOT carry back — D078 Layer 2 rule, same for both factions
│     - Chrono Vortex hazards are Layer 3 / Phase 5 content — NOT included
│       in this Phase 4 campaign mechanic
│     - Concrete Soviet examples:
│       - Replaying **M14** keeps the White Cliffs gun pits, mine lanes,
│         and first coastal-battery timing known from the start
│       - Replaying **M13** keeps the Chronosphere conduit layout and
│         west-lab capture path known, shortening the capture route
│       - Replaying **M14** after `Nuclear Escalation` was skipped still
│         preserves the known air-fuel bomb window, letting the player
│         pre-position AA without gaining extra forces
│     - If Volkov was the test subject: his briefing dialogue hints
│       at residual temporal effects ("Something is... different.
│       I remember things I should not know.") — narrative flavor only
│
│     If D078 stays Draft / cut, the mission remains a narrative
│     demonstration of Soviet interest in Einstein's research with
│     no gameplay unlock.
│
│     Showcases: D078 campaign time machine with faction-specific rules
│     If Paradox Equation was completed: the temporal experiment
│     is more stable (fewer vortices — prior Chrono understanding helps)
│
├─ [MAIN] [M14] "Soviet Supremacy" ★ VERY HARD — Invade England.
│  │  EVERYTHING ACCUMULATES:
│  │  ├─ Spain secured → no southern counterattack
│  │  ├─ Volkov available → leads armor spearhead
│  │  ├─ Pre-invasion bombardment → damaged coastal defenses
│  │  ├─ Nuclear Escalation done → no Allied superweapon
│  │  ├─ Chrono tech → counter Allied Chronoshifts
│  │  ├─ Grunyev done → no rear uprisings
│  │  ├─ Nothing done → MAXIMUM difficulty
│  │  Dynamic weather: Channel storm clears mid-invasion.
│  │  Briefing references every choice.
│  │
│  └─ [IC] "Supremacy: Enhanced" ★ VERY HARD — ALTERNATIVE
│  │
│  └─ [SPECOPS] [AM] "Don't Drink the Water" (France 4) ★ MEDIUM-HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Poison water supply, capture Chronosphere.
│     Asset: Chronosphere weak-point intel.
│     Exact effect: faster Elba assault and sabotage route in M8.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M6] "Bridge over the River Grotzny" ★ MEDIUM-HARD — Convoy escort.
│  │  IC: surviving units and unspent resources from M5 carry over
│  │  via D021 roster carryover. M6 starts with a pre-built base
│  │  (map-authored) but your M5 troops are available as reinforcements.
│  │  Spectrum: full convoy → max supplies / partial → less /
│  │  lost → M7 starts with minimal forces.
│  │  Teaches: escort + defend with limited resources.
│  │
│  ═══ EXPIRING OPPORTUNITIES (ACT 1 TO ACT 2) ══════════════════
│  │  "The front is wide. Command Authority is limited."
│  │
│  │  OPTION A: [SPECOPS] [CS] "Soldier Volkov & Chitzkoi" ★ HARD
│  │  │  Volkov commando mission behind Allied lines.
│  │  │  Asset: Volkov veterancy package.
│  │  │  IF CHOSEN → Volkov gains veteran status for Act 2+.
│  │  │  IF NOT CHOSEN → Volkov stays in reserve (no veterancy).
│  │
│  │  OPTION B: [SPECOPS] [CS] "Legacy of Tesla" ★ HARD
│  │  │  Capture Allied nuclear MiG prototype.
│  │  │  Asset: prototype MiG tech.
│  │  │  IF CHOSEN → Prototype MiG available in M11 naval battle.
│  │  │  IF NOT CHOSEN → No air prototype. M11 is naval-only.
│  │
│  │  OPTION C: [THEATER] [AM] "Situation Critical" (Spain) ★ MEDIUM-HARD
│  │     Secure Mediterranean sea lanes.
│  │     IF CHOSEN → Naval advantage in M11. Unlocks Spain arc.
│  │     IF NOT CHOSEN → Allied naval threat from south persists.
│  │
│  │  OPTION D: [RESOURCE] [IC] "Grain Requisition" ★ MEDIUM
│  │     Redirect agricultural surplus in Ukraine to military production.
│  │     IF CHOSEN → +3,500 Requisition to fund research/deployments.
│  │     IF NOT CHOSEN → Military budget remains restricted during Act 2.
│
ACT 2: SUPERWEAPONS ────────────────────────────────────────────────
│
├─ [MAIN] [M7] "Core of the Matter" ★ HARD — Nuclear facility vs Tanya.
│  │  Tanya's presence is always explained in the Soviet briefing
│  │  (IC adds context regardless of whether Allied campaign was played —
│  │  cross-campaign references are flavor text in briefing lines only,
│  │  not gating state. No global/legacy persistence layer needed).
│  │  If Volkov is veteran → Volkov vs Tanya encounter (hero vs hero).
│  │  If Volkov not available → standard mission, Tanya is a boss unit.
│  │  Teaches: facility defense + counter-commando operations.
│  │
│  └─ [THEATER] [AM] "Brothers in Arms" (Spain 2) ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Soviet traitors. Only if Spain arc opened in Act 1 expiring opportunities.
│     Asset: loyal tank-crew favor.
│     Exact effect: heavy armor veterancy bonus in Act 3.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M8] "Elba Island" ★ HARD — Destroy Allied Chronosphere.
│  │  If "Don't Drink the Water" done → know weak points.
│  │  If Volkov veteran → solo insertion option (sabotage before assault).
│  │  Teaches: combined naval + ground assault.
│  │
│  ├─ [SPECOPS] [CS] "Paradox Equation" ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│  │  Chronosphere anomalies — tanks behave as other units.
│  │  Asset: Chrono-tech understanding.
│  │  Exact effect: faster capture path and safer temporal experiment in M13.
│  │
│  └─ [SPECOPS] [CS] "Mousetrap" ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Hunt Stavros at a Chronosphere research center.
│     Asset: Allied-command intel.
│     Exact effect: improved command-structure knowledge in later briefings and AI reads.
│
├─ [SPECOPS] [M9] "Liability Elimination" ★ MEDIUM-HARD.
│  │  Assassination mission. The "liability" helped Kosygin escape.
│  │  Character shift: the war turns inward. Stalin's paranoia.
│  │  Nadia's briefing is colder — she's consolidating power.
│  │  Commander alternative: arrest operation. Send an armored
│  │  column to detain the target publicly. Same political result
│  │  but cruder — causes a rear-sabotage event in M12 unless
│  │  Stalin's Shadow neutralizes the unrest.
│  │
│  └─ [SPECOPS] [IC] "Stalin's Shadow" ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Nadia's secret mission: evidence against Gradenko.
│     Foreshadows the Stalin/Nadia/Kane ending.
│     Asset: internal-purity leverage.
│     Exact effect: Gradenko neutralized and fewer political disruptions in Act 3.
│     Character reveal: Nadia is not who she seems.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M10] "Overseer" ★ MEDIUM-HARD — Escort supply trucks.
│  │
│  ├─ [CLASSIC] M10 as-is ★ MEDIUM-HARD
│  │
│  └─ [IC] "Overseer: Strike" ★ HARD — ALTERNATIVE
│     Armored assault instead of escort. Same narrative result.
│     Teaches: offensive operations as alternative to escort.
│
ACT 3: CONQUEST ────────────────────────────────────────────────────
│  Menu scene: naval fleet mobilizing, Channel crossing preparation
│
├─ [MAIN] [M11] "Sunk Costs" ★ HARD — Naval defense vs Allied cruisers.
│  │  If MiG prototype captured → air support available.
│  │  If Spain secured → no Allied southern reinforcements.
│  │
│  ├─ [SPECOPS] [AM] "Deus Ex Machina" (Spain 3) ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│  │  Rescue Volkov (if he was captured).
│  │  Can be taken immediately or after delay, but Allied tech extraction
│  │  escalates each mission he remains in custody.
│  │  Reward quality depends on how late the rescue happens.
│  │
│  └─ [THEATER] [AM] "Grunyev Revolution" (Spain 4) ★ MEDIUM-HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Crush a revolution.
│     Asset: rear-area security.
│     Exact effect: no uprisings during the England invasion.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M12] "Capture the Tech Centers" ★ VERY HARD — Capture 3 centers.
│  │  Compound rewards from all optional operations affect difficulty.
│  │
│  ═══ EXPIRING OPPORTUNITIES (FINAL PREPARATIONS) ═══════════════
│  │  "The invasion of England approaches. Command Authority is limited."
│  │
│  │  OPTION A: [THEATER] [IC] "Operation Tempest" ★ VERY HARD
│  │  │  Air/naval pre-invasion bombardment.
│  │  │  Type: air_campaign.
│  │  │  IF CHOSEN → M14 starts with damaged coastal defenses.
│  │  │  IF NOT CHOSEN → Full Allied coastal defense in M14.
│  │
│  │  OPTION B: [SPECOPS] [CS] "Nuclear Escalation" ★ VERY HARD
│  │     Prevent Allied air-fuel bomb testing.
│  │     Asset: enemy superweapon denial.
│  │     IF CHOSEN → No Allied superweapon in M14.
│  │     IF NOT CHOSEN → Allied air-fuel bombs in M14.
│
├─ [MAIN] [M13] "Capture the Chronosphere" ★ VERY HARD
│  │  If Paradox Equation done → faster capture.
│  │  If Volkov available → commando approach option.
│  │
│  ├─ [HYBRID] [IC] "Chronosphere: Enhanced" ★ VERY HARD — ALTERNATIVE
│  │  Commander-supported SpecOps / co-op (Phase 6b add-on, D070):
│  │  commander sieges while SpecOps infiltrates.
│  │
│  └─ [NARRATIVE] [IC] "Temporal Experiment" ★ HARD — OPTIONAL
│     Soviet intelligence recovers fragments of Einstein's original
│     1946 time travel research — notes hidden in a captured Allied
│     research facility. Soviet scientists build a crude prototype
│     from these notes. Less refined than Einstein's version, more
│     powerful, and dangerously unstable.
│
│     Nadia's briefing: "Our scientists found Einstein's original
│     time travel research in a captured laboratory. His notes
│     describe something extraordinary. The Americans buried this
│     knowledge. We will use it."
│
│     EXPERIMENTAL D078 ADD-ON ONLY:
│     If D078 graduates from Draft, this mission can also unlock the
│     TIME MACHINE capability (Layer 2):
│     - 1-2 uses available for M14 (the invasion)
│     - Can rewind to M14's mission-start checkpoint with knowledge
│     - Soviet version is more aggressive with KNOWLEDGE carryover:
│       full enemy patrol routes, base layouts, weapon positions carried
│       back (the Soviets squeeze every drop of intel from the temporal
│       transmission, where Einstein is more cautious)
│     - Army does NOT carry back — D078 Layer 2 rule, same for both factions
│     - Chrono Vortex hazards are Layer 3 / Phase 5 content — NOT included
│       in this Phase 4 campaign mechanic
│     - Concrete Soviet examples:
│       - Replaying **M14** keeps the White Cliffs gun pits, mine lanes,
│         and first coastal-battery timing known from the start
│       - Replaying **M13** keeps the Chronosphere conduit layout and
│         west-lab capture path known, shortening the capture route
│       - Replaying **M14** after `Nuclear Escalation` was skipped still
│         preserves the known air-fuel bomb window, letting the player
│         pre-position AA without gaining extra forces
│     - If Volkov was the test subject: his briefing dialogue hints
│       at residual temporal effects ("Something is... different.
│       I remember things I should not know.") — narrative flavor only
│
│     If D078 stays Draft / cut, the mission remains a narrative
│     demonstration of Soviet interest in Einstein's research with
│     no gameplay unlock.
│
│     Showcases: D078 campaign time machine with faction-specific rules
│     If Paradox Equation was completed: the temporal experiment
│     is more stable (fewer vortices — prior Chrono understanding helps)
│
├─ [MAIN] [M14] "Soviet Supremacy" ★ VERY HARD — Invade England.
│  │  EVERYTHING ACCUMULATES:
│  │  ├─ Spain secured → no southern counterattack
│  │  ├─ Volkov available → leads armor spearhead
│  │  ├─ Pre-invasion bombardment → damaged coastal defenses
│  │  ├─ Nuclear Escalation done → no Allied superweapon
│  │  ├─ Chrono tech → counter Allied Chronoshifts
│  │  ├─ Grunyev done → no rear uprisings
│  │  ├─ Nothing done → MAXIMUM difficulty
│  │  Dynamic weather: Channel storm clears mid-invasion.
│  │  Briefing references every choice.
│  │
│  └─ [IC] "Supremacy: Enhanced" ★ VERY HARD — ALTERNATIVE
│     Dynamic weather + Volkov commando insertion on White Cliffs
│     + embedded task force + co-op option (Phase 6b add-on).
│
EPILOGUE ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
│
└─ [IC] "Red Dawn" ★ MEDIUM — Stalin's betrayal.
   Player witnesses the power struggle from inside — not just
   cutscenes. Nadia, Gradenko (if alive), Kane's shadow.
   Decisions affect ending variant. Kane reveal lands harder
   if "Stalin's Shadow" was completed (foreshadowing pays off).
   Menu scene: Kremlin at night, red star glowing

### Soviet Dispatch & Risk Matrix

This matrix applies Rule 5A / 5B to the actual Soviet special-operations graph. Theater branches and resource ops remain command-layer content; this table covers the hero / elite-team / commander-supported operations.

| Operation | Dispatch Tier | Bench / Fallback | Risk Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Volkov: Awakening** | `hero_required` | none | `routine` | Character introduction and systems tutorial for the Soviet flagship operative |
| **Covert Cleanup** | `hero_preferred` | cordon-and-sweep commander alternative | `routine` | Cleaner if handled surgically, but early-campaign fallback already exists |
| **Mole Hunt** | `team_viable` | GRU / NKVD covert teams | `high_risk` | Counter-intelligence mission does not require Volkov personally |
| **France covert chain** (`Let's Make a Steal` / `Test Drive` / `Don't Drink the Water`) | `team_viable` | Spetsnaz / engineer cell | `high_risk` | Prototype theft and sabotage are team operations first, hero showcases second |
| **Soldier Volkov & Chitzkoi** | `hero_required` | none | `high_risk` | Pure Volkov spotlight and progression beat |
| **Legacy of Tesla** | `hero_preferred` | Spetsnaz theft team viable | `commit` | Prototype-capture raid with campaign-shaping upside and strong one-shot fiction |
| **Paradox Equation / Mousetrap** | `team_viable` | GRU / Spetsnaz teams | `high_risk` | Strange-lab and target-hunt content where specialist teams can carry the mission |
| **Liability Elimination** | `hero_preferred` | public arrest commander alternative | `high_risk` | Precise operative path is better; loud fallback is valid but politically messier |
| **Stalin's Shadow** | `team_viable` | NKVD / GRU covert team | `high_risk` | Political evidence mission should not be hard-gated on Volkov |
| **Deus Ex Machina** | `commander_variant` | heavy rescue column fallback if authored | `commit` | Volkov rescue window with escalating extraction cost is exactly the kind of spotlight op that should lock |
| **Nuclear Escalation** | `hero_preferred` | Spetsnaz sabotage team viable | `commit` | Late-war denial raid with endgame-scale payoff |

**Default rule for the remaining Soviet optional commando content:** if the mission is about covert access, political cleanup, or prototype theft, assume **`team_viable` + `high_risk`** unless the operation is explicitly framed as a Volkov showcase.

### Soviet Campaign Summary

| Content Type | Count | Toggleable |
|---|---|---|
| Classic main missions | 14 | Always on |
| IC-original missions | ≈8-9 depending on enhanced-alternative toggles and D078 add-ons | Per-mission |
| Counterstrike missions | 6 (Volkov & Chitzkoi, Legacy of Tesla, Paradox Equation, Mousetrap, Testing Grounds, Nuclear Escalation) | Per-chain |
| Aftermath missions | 9 (France 1-4, Spain 1-4, Grunyev Revolution) | Per-chain |
| **Total missions available** | **~36** | — |
| **Minimum path (classic only)** | **14** | — |

---

## Cross-Campaign Continuity (Flavor Text Only)

If the player plays both campaigns, certain thematic echoes emerge. These are **briefing flavor text only** — not gated by any cross-campaign state. Neither campaign reads data from the other. No global/legacy persistence layer is needed. Each campaign's `CampaignState` (D021) is fully independent.

| Allied Event | Soviet Briefing Echo |
|---|---|
| Tanya infiltrates Soviet facility (IC "Behind Enemy Lines") | M7 briefing mentions "an enemy commando was detected" — always present, not conditional |
| Allied spy network established | M3 briefing mentions "increased Allied intelligence activity" — always present |
| Kosygin extracted by Allies (M9) | Soviet M9 briefing references "a high-ranking defection" — always present |
| Stavros rescued in Greece (CS) | CS "Mousetrap" briefing mentions "the Greek officer" — always present |

The echoes are authored as standard briefing text that both campaigns include regardless of play order. A player who plays both campaigns recognizes the connections; a player who plays only one experiences them as normal briefing context. No data flows between campaigns — each stands alone.

---

## IC Feature Showcase Summary

| IC Feature | Allied Showcase | Soviet Showcase |
|---|---|---|
| **Hero progression** | Tanya skill tree across 14+ missions | Volkov progression across 14+ missions |
| **Embedded task force** | Evidence: Enhanced (M10B alt), Moscow Enhanced | Core of the Matter (Volkov vs Tanya), Supremacy Enhanced |
| **Air campaign** | Operation Skyfall | Operation Tempest |
| **Spy infiltration** | Behind Enemy Lines, Spy Network | Mole Hunt, Stalin's Shadow |
| **Dynamic weather** | Chronosphere defense storm, Moscow blizzard | Channel storm during England invasion |
| **Asymmetric co-op** | Joint Operations (M11, Phase 6b add-on), Moscow Enhanced (Phase 6b add-on) | Chronosphere Enhanced (Phase 6b add-on), Supremacy Enhanced (Phase 6b add-on) |
| **Branching decisions** | 4+ decision points | 3+ decision points |
| **Spectrum outcomes** | Bridge destruction, intel gathering | Convoy escort, spy elimination |
| **Optional-operation assets** | Compound bonuses affecting M14 | Compound bonuses affecting M14 |
| **Campaign menu scenes** | 4 acts with evolving backgrounds | 4 acts with evolving backgrounds |
| **Roster carryover** | Squad persistence, hero survival matters | Volkov + captured units persist |
| **Failure as consequence** | Tanya capture/rescue branch | Convoy loss affects Act 2 forces |
| **Time machine (D078, experimental add-on)** | "Einstein's Confession" — narrative reveal in the baseline plan; only becomes a gameplay unlock if D078 graduates from Draft. If enabled: cautious, knowledge-only carryover | "Temporal Experiment" — narrative reveal in the baseline plan; only becomes a gameplay unlock if D078 graduates from Draft. If enabled: same Layer 2 knowledge-only rules, but harsher Soviet-flavored intel extraction |
| **Capture escalation** | Tanya captured → rescue can happen now, later, or never; the longer she is held, the more Chronosphere / spy-network intel leaks | Volkov captured → each delay gives the Allies more cyborg-tech insight; late or failed rescue escalates Act 3 penalties |
| **Counter-intelligence escalation** | Enemy OPSEC tightens after successful Allied SpecOps runs; authored patrol/detection variants | Enemy counter-intelligence reacts to Spetsnaz/GRU raids; bait ops and mole hunts |
| **Operational tempo** | Bench fatigue from back-to-back operations shapes Allied SpecOps pacing | Same tempo system with Soviet-flavored political pressure variants |
| **Strategic debrief** | Post-mission feedback links SpecOps results to War Table changes | Same debrief system showing how optional work changes the campaign state |
| **Intel chains** | Linked discovery chains produce compound bonuses when followed through | Same chain bonus system for Soviet intelligence/theft chains |
| **Campaign journal** | War Diary tracks decisions, assets, milestones across the Allied campaign | Parallel journal for Soviet campaign with faction-appropriate framing |

---

## Campaign Journal (War Diary)

The Enhanced Edition should include an in-game **Campaign Journal** — a running log of the player's war, automatically populated from `CampaignState` changes.

**What the journal tracks:**

- **Decisions made** — which operations were launched, skipped, or expired, and when
- **Assets earned and lost** — roster changes, equipment captured, heroes wounded/captured/rescued, third-party actors aligned
- **Strategic milestones** — phase transitions, capability shifts, enemy programs denied or delayed, initiative states
- **Operational outcomes** — mission results (which outcome ID triggered), compound bonuses earned, intel chains completed

**Why this matters:**

1. **Returning players.** A player who puts the campaign down for a week and comes back can read the journal to remember where they are, what they've done, and what's at stake
2. **Replay comparison.** On a second playthrough, the journal from run 1 naturally highlights the branches and choices that differ
3. **Community storytelling.** Journal exports (as text or lightweight HTML) give players something concrete to share
4. **Debrief anchoring.** The post-mission debrief (see `campaigns.md` §Post-Mission Debrief as Strategic Feedback) writes its entries to the journal, so the journal becomes a cumulative record of every debrief

**Implementation:** the journal is a `Vec<JournalEntry>` on `CampaignState`, appended by mission Lua scripts and the campaign system's automatic state-diff logic. The UI renders it as a scrollable, filterable timeline in the War Table screen. See `campaigns.md` for the `JournalEntry` struct and `JournalCategory` enum.

**First-party rule:** every main-operation completion, every SpecOps outcome, every hero status change, and every phase transition should generate a journal entry automatically. Authors can add custom entries via `Campaign.journal_add()` in Lua for narrative-specific moments.