C&C95 version 1.06, patch in progress... Options

[Nyerguds]

As some of you may know, I am working on a C&C95 update that will offer a huge amount of upgrades and fixes R0XX0RZ Y00R B0XX0RZ!

The patch is currently in its final stages. Some features I'm still looking into are removing the code that disables the music in multiplayer games, and making dinosaurs visible without funpark mode.

[edit] dinosaurs are now visible [/edit]

[edit] Music in MP is now enabled [/edit]


As of this moment, these are the changes I have:

External addons:

• Scorpio9a's LAN patch (thipx32.dll)
• Funpark launcher program (funpark.bat) for playing the dinosaur missions

Code upgrades:

• VK's 1.05 patch (fixes top-of-map reconnaissance crash, adds native XP compatibility)
• Komfr's stealth crash fix (fixes a crash when the stealth animation is played on the right half of the bottom edge of the screen)
• Fixed the "/?" help parameter
• Fixed the empty error box when the game fails to set the video mode (which can happens when setting the game resolution to 640x400)
• High resolution available, with centered menus and a large version of the title screen for a more finished look (no centered vids yet, sorry)
• LAN play expanded to six players
• Default multiplayer tech level set to maximum (7)
• Skirmish mode enabled (note that AI players don't have bases, only units)
• Capture The Flag games with AI players are now possible. The "Bases" button now has 4 states: Bases On, Capture The Flag, Bases Off and Mobile HQ (note that AI players get a Mobile HQ in normal Capture The Flag mode too)
• Enabled music in multiplayer (was originally disabled because it was streamed from slow CD-ROM drives)
• Campaign missions will now show briefing text at the start of the mission if no briefing video can be shown (like in RA1)
• Fixed a bug that prevented the music from starting when a mission from the New Missions menu had a Briefing video set (normally it only has an Action video)
• Dinosaur graphics are always visible, even outside of Funpark mode
• The end of the funpark dinosaur campaign no longer exits the game, but goes to the main menu instead.
• Chan's name is shown (it now shows "Scientist" instead of "Civilian")
• The Hospital's name is now always visible to the player, even if it is owned by the enemy
• The Hospital can no longer be sold. It wasn't sellable in the original C&C; this was a bug in C&C95
• A primary building can be selected for helipads, so people can prevent newly built helicopters from flying to their base from the edge of the map.
• Civilian buildings no longer decay for no reason
• Fixed the Rocket Launcher graphics bleed
• Fixed a Chem Warrior behaviour bug; for some reason it had the civilian panic behaviour
• When multiplayer teams are used in single player missions, they no loger show up as grey on the radar
• The missions in the New Missions menu can now be played with any C&C CD
• Added "update*.mix" reading system for updates (same as "sc*.mix" addons)
• Added "updatr*.mix" reading system which disables the read files in the game instead of adding them (same as "ss*.mix" addons).
• Made the hidden beta options editable in conquer.ini, in a new section called [Advanced].
• Added an option in conquer.ini to disable score screens
• Added an option in conquer.ini to enable Funpark mode
• Added an option in conquer.ini that allows disabling the music in multiplayer (like it was originally)
• (unnoticeable) Added black tiles for fixing map borders of small missions in high resolution
• (unnoticeable) Changed internal strings management to read certain hardcoded strings from the external strings file

Graphics updates:

• Shadow of the Construction Yard fixed, so it remains like it is at the end of the MCV deploy animation
• The Rocket Launcher now has its launcher aimed 45 degrees up, as it should
• Nod logo restored on the Hand of Nod
• Several buildings which showed side-sensitive colour instead of real yellow are now fixed:
  * Civilian Oil Derrick (V19)
  * Advanced Communications Center
  * Tiberium Silo
  * Barracks
• Fixed green line refresh error on top sidebar icons
• Ion cannon icon rotated so the satellite fires from the correct side.
• Fixed Civilian Oil Pump building (ARCO) to fix the bug where the damaged state doesn't show up.

String updates:

• Changed "Med. Tank" to "Medium Tank"
• Changed "Attack Helicopter" to "Apache"
• Changed "Transport helicopter" to "Chinook Transport"
• Changed "Stegasaurus" to "Stegosaurus"
• Changed MCV from "Mobile Construction Yard" to "Mobile Construction Vehicle"
• Changed "Obelisk Guard Tower" to "Obelisk of Light"
• Changed "Dr. Chan" to "Scientist", because the unit can spawn from a destroyed tech center. Chan's original name was never visible anyway
• Added some of Frank Klepacki's original track names to the music list
• Added world map animation strings to the strings file (for language compatibility)

Mission updates:

• Added the Covert Operations missions
• Added the updated dinosaur missions included in the Covert Operations pack
• Edited the maps of all missions where you could see beyond the map border in 1024x768 so they show black outside the border instead of unreachable terrain.
• Fixed some missions where the AI's production wasn't started, so it didn't build anything.
• Fixed some mission files that didn't play their videos due to mistyped video names.
• scg05ea: re-enabled the Ukraine mission, which was replaced by a duplicate of one of the choices from Germany.
• scg08eb (Moebius hospital mission): removed the blossom tree in the village so the "lose when ## civilians are killed" trigger is less random.
• scb08ea (capture abandoned GDI base): Moved the build location of the refinery to a place where the AI can actually build it.
• scb10ea (destroy mammoth prototypes): fixed map error near start location.
• scb13ea (Nod end mission): fixed a mission programming setup that could crash the game.

Sound updates:

• "Right Away!" infantry response fixed; was not played due to a mistyped string
• Grenade throw sound restored
• Added the remixes (Advanced options, "Scores") of the tracks No Mercy and Deception (aka "We Will Stop Them") from the console versions of C&C.
• Added the beta sounds (which can be enabled in the [Advanced] options)
• Enabled all hidden music (note that some tracks are only available because of the [Advanced] option "Scores", and will disappear if you disable that)

The patch is currently about 9 mb. The german version will be slightly larger since it will contain de-censoring of graphics, sounds and mission briefings.


I'll keep this list updated when I add new things.

This post has been edited by Nyerguds: Sep 16 2008, 03:57 PM

[Scorch]

Wow! Sadly, none of the older CnC games work on my comp...

[Lin Kuei Ominae]

Damn nice job Nyerguds!

Do you also include balancing bugfixes, like raising the Nod artillery firingrange by one cell?

Can you raise the max map size too? It could be very hard, but bigger maps in TD would be really cool.

This post has been edited by Lin Kuei Ominae: Sep 15 2008, 08:58 AM

[Nyerguds]

Another update:

• Default multiplayer tech level set to maximum (7)
• Added an option in conquer.ini that allows disabling the music in multiplayer (like it was originally)

Oh, and did anyone know that Funpark mode affects LAN games?


It spawns random dinosaurs all the time.. and they even attack the AIs

(btw, if anyone wonders why I'm not playing this in hi-res.. it's because when I debug, the space taken by the original C&C game becomes an unusable block in the upper left corner of my screen. So I keep it as small as possible. Rest assured though; skirmish in hi-res works fine)

Damn nice job Nyerguds!

thanks
I'm currently finishing up the readmes, making the installers and making the last fixes for the German and French versions. Seeing as I pretty much found and fixed everything I wanted to fix, I expect to release this patch before the next weekend.

Do you also include balancing bugfixes, like raising the Nod artillery firingrange by one cell?

No. This is not a balance patch. It is ONLY meant to fix problems and upgrade the usability, not to change the actual gameplay.

However, Reaperrr at PPM will be making an upgrade pack that has such things. It will be based on this patch.

Can you raise the max map size too? It could be very hard, but bigger maps in TD would be really cool.

I looked into that and it's a giant mess... a lot of things (like building foundations and mission objects) count on the map-wraparound at 64 cells to determine what's on the next Y-position. It would mean adapting all maps, missions, and foundations of building and clumps of trees.

I haven't looked into finding the values that have to be modified for the map size to change, but seeing as it's just the first bytes of an impossible amount of work, I don't see any reason to go and find them in the first place.

Wow! Sadly, none of the older CnC games work on my comp...

How so? All old C&C games can be ran on moderm OSes if you know how... I suggest checking out the Common Problems thread on the EA forum:
http://forums.commandandconquer.com/jforum...s/list/345.page

This post has been edited by Nyerguds: Jan 15 2009, 11:05 AM