Add news post for July 2018 playtest.

content/news/playtest-20180729.md

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+Hot off the presses, we are pleased to announce a new OpenRA playtest series. With your help, we hope to find and squash any lurking issues and produce a refined release version in a couple of months time.
+
+The leading feature in playtest-20180729 is the integration of player accounts using our new [OpenRA Forums](https://forum.openra.net/). This optional feature allows players to:
+
+* Confirm their identity to other players without revealing your IP address or location
+* Connect to private clan- or tournament-specific servers without using passwords
+* Add some flair by displaying badges that show their achievements or preferences
+
+Anonymous players continue to be identified by their IP and geo-location.
+
+<div style="text-align:center" markdown="1">
+<img src="/images/news/20180729-profiles.png" width="600" alt="Player Profiles">
+
+Players can add badges to their profile to show their favourite mod, OS, or community achievements.
+ </div>
+
+A selection of default badges are available for selection in your forum [User Control Panel](https://forum.openra.net/ucp.php?i=-openra-openrauseraccounts-ucp-useraccounts_module&mode=profile_badges), and we will individually award badges to players who have contributed to OpenRA's development or participated in special community events. We hope to extend the profile system in the future to add more features and improve security.
+
+Other improvements to the lobby UI include an improved color chooser, the ability to select in text-fields using the mouse, and the game returning to the skirmish/mission/multiplayer panels instead of the main menu after leaving a game.
+
+Changes on the battlefield in Red Alert include:
+
+* Fixed Iron Curtain and Chronoshift effects being lost when a MCV deploys
+* Added the ability for fake structures to be built next to other fake structures
+* Kill Bounties have been removed from the campaign and disabled by default in MP
+* Tech structures and walls remain on the battlefield when their owner is defeated
+* A collection of [<span style="color: red">community balance changes</span>](https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/wiki/Changelog-(bleed)#ra-balance-changes)
+
+Kane has also been busy, with changes in Tiberium Dawn including:
+
+* Comprehensive changes to reduce the effectiveness of APCs
+* Changes to streamline the power usage of low-tech structures
+* Reduced the amount of time that Jeep, Bike, Buggy, APC wreckage lingers on the battlefield
+* Tech structures and walls remain on the battlefield when their owner is defeated
+* A collection of other [<span style="color: red">community balance changes</span>](https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/wiki/Changelog-(bleed)#cnc-balance-changes)
+
+<div style="text-align:center" markdown="1">
+![Chrono-vortex](/images/news/20180729-chronovortex.png)
+
+Chronoshifting MCVs opens strategic options, but beware the chrono-vortex if you cause a paradox!
+ </div>
+
+Significant work has occurred behind the scenes to fix crashes, improve performance, and extend capabilities for our modding community. [Our recent news post](/news/devblog-20180610/) discussed these topics in much more detail. We encourage modders to view the [<span style="color: red">SDK release notes</span>]() and [update instructions](https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRAModSDK/wiki/Updating-to-a-new-SDK-or-Engine-version) for instructions on how to take advantage of these improvements.
+
+This playtest also marks the shift to [AppImage](https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/wiki/Appimages) releases for our Linux builds. We have also repackaged the last release version as an AppImage, and will update this alongside future playtests if any packaging bugs are found.
+
+As always, we suggest you read the [<span style="color: red">full changelog</span>](https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/wiki/Changelog/) for details on all of the changes included in the playtest.
+We make these playtests available to get feedback from the community about the future direction of OpenRA, and we value your feedback on [our forum](https://forum.openra.net/), our [GitHub issue tracker](https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/issues), or in  the comments below.
+
+Playtest releases do not overwrite the OpenRA release version, and you can automatically switch between the two versions when joining a multiplayer server. Head over to our [download page](/download/) and give it a try!
+
+<hr>
+
+In other news, we'd like to congratulate the Shattered Paradise mod team on their [first public release](https://www.moddb.com/mods/shattered-paradise/news/shattered-paradise-has-been-released)!
+
+<div style="text-align:center" markdown="1">
+![Chrono-vortex](/images/news/20180729-shatteredparadise.png)
+
+Shattered Paradise pits GDI and Nod against C.A.B.A.L, the forgotten Mutants, and the Scrin invaders.
+</div>
+
+
+Shattered Paradise is an ambitious mod that transforms OpenRA's work-in-progress Tiberian Sun mod into a completely new experience &ndash; they chose to remove many unfinished and unwanted features, added three new factions, and rebalanced the game with a goal of fluid and fun gameplay.
+
+<hr>
+
+Finally, the OpenRA team was [recently interviewed by Vice Motherboard](https://motherboard.vice.com/de/article/gy353m/deshalb-sind-gamer-auch-nach-23-jahren-noch-von-command-and-conquer-besessen), along with Twisted Insurrection and Project Perfect Mod as part of their coverage surrounding the upcoming C&C Rivals game.
+
+Due to space constraints only a small portion of our remarks could be included; we make our [full English responses](/news/vice-interview/) available, which contains a look back at some of the history of OpenRA.
+

content/news/playtest-20180729.yaml

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+---
+kind: article
+title: "Playtest 20180729 and other news"
+author: "Paul Chote"
+created_at: 2018-07-07 18:00 +0000
+disqus_id: "playtest-20180729"
+---