New C&C TD Command Line Parameter Discovered!

[Rich Nagel 0]

Hmm... even if I can't find that, I know the one set by enabling the Players option... That's on 9647A. Should be "06" originally

 

Ah, the original is at 11CCF8. That place is full of MP settings. Each is 4 bytes long. They should be:

 

NumberOfPlayers

 

 

One question:

 

Is there any pros or cons to using offset 9647A to control the amount of players (and also hex-editing offset 96472 from 75 to 3C - to enable 6-player LAN games), verses using only offset 11CCF8?

 

I noticed that if I hex-edited offset 11CCF8 to "06", but left offsets 9647A and 96472 at their defaults ("06" and "75" respectively), I also was able to start 6-player LAN multiplayer games... That is, with AI players enabled in-game, and disabling the LAN human player check (hex-editing offset 89ABA to EB).

 

In other words, will simply using *only* offset 11CCF8 effectively enable 5-6 player LAN games as well (and just leave offsets 96472 and 9647A at their defaults)?

 

- OR -

 

To be on the safe side, should I hex-edit all three offsets? e.g. Say I want to have five players (either for a *real* LAN game, or just *myself* with four other AI players):

 

Offset 96472 from 75 to 3C - enable 6-player LAN games

Offset 9647A from 06 to 05 - byte for the 'Players' option (set to 5 players)

Offset 11CCF8 from 04 to 05 - byte for original NumberOfPlayers option (set to 5 players)

 

(Of course, for playing a game with just myself and with four AI players, the human LAN player check would need to be disabled for the above)

 

 

P.S. Apologies for the ramble... I hope that made sense, as it hardly does to me <G>!

 

Edited November 22, 2008 by Rich Nagel

[Nyerguds 100]

well, 11CCF8 is the actual original value, just like you'll be able to get tons of units in a game when you edit the max. number of units values.

 

The only difference is that in one case you're editing actual game settings, while in the other case you're editing the code that puts an exception on that setting.

 

It really doesn't matter which you edit. But obviously, the exception code is made to change the default value, so if you enable the Players option, that one's value will override (actually, literally overwrite) the original value.

 

So if you enable the special option, the original at 11CCF8 will no longer matter.

Edited November 22, 2008 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

So if you enable the special option, the original at 11CCF8 will no longer matter.

 

MANY thanks for the info, Nyerguds... that makes perfect sense

 

BTW, as I posted in the 'Special Options' thread, many thanks for taking the time to answer all of my numerous rambling questions... you have helped breathe new life into this game for me

 

[Nyerguds 100]

The Players option is literally made to be the software equivalent of you editing 11CCF8 with your hex editor

That's why I changed the whole thing in C&C95 to simply read the number of players from conquer.ini. After all, all of these hidden options are already conquer.ini options.

 

and no problem, it's fun seeing some more independent research on this stuff

[Rich Nagel 0]

The Players option is literally made to be the software equivalent of you editing 11CCF8 with your hex editor

 

Understood, thanks for the info

 

 

it's fun seeing some more independent research on this stuff

 

 

Hehe, 6-player LAN enabled, human check disabled, 50 start units with an MCV, AI players enabled/Tiberium disabled, startup "Green Acres".....

 

 

 

 

 

RICH DIES A MISERABLE SCHRIEKING DEATH <ROTFL>!!!

 

Edited November 23, 2008 by Rich Nagel

[Nyerguds 100]

An overflow of starting units isn't really useful if you got MCVs enabled though...

 

Or should I say, enabling bases is irrelevant if you got that many starting units

 

and yes, I've tried stuff like that.. though without bases.

 

Me = orange.

AI players are all allies.

 

 

Ow.

Edited October 2, 2012 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

An overflow of starting units isn't really useful if you got MCVs enabled though...

 

Or should I say, enabling bases is irrelevant if you got that many starting units

 

Hehe, I needed all the help I could get <G>... with my above experiment it was 250 alied AI players, against my measly 50 unit + MCV army <G>.

 

 

Me = orange.

AI players are all allies.

 

Cool pic! Hehe, I LOVE when there is a massive amount of battling units on the map. Used in conjunction with my 'stereo sfx' thing that I figured out in that other thread here in the forum, the sound is incredible

 

[Nyerguds 100]

problem with adding more units is that the AI gets the same amount... if you lower it, the player with the base has the advantage.

 

Of course, in my C&C95 patch you can enable CTF, meaning you can build up your base and pick off their Mobile HQs. This balances the game a bit even if you have tons of enemies.

[Rich Nagel 0]

problem with adding more units is that the AI gets the same amount... if you lower it, the player with the base has the advantage.

 

Im not quite sure what you mean. When I set the unit count slider in the game, each AI player also gets that same amount of starting units (minus an MCV).

 

 

Of course, in my C&C95 patch you can enable CTF, meaning you can build up your base and pick off their Mobile HQs. This balances the game a bit even if you have tons of enemies.

 

Man, C&C95 sounds cooler to me every day! I need to check into purchasing a TFD CD, or dig up somone out here with broadband to download it

 

BTW, on the same topic, can C&C95 connect to C&C for DOS (modem, null modem, etc...)?

 

[Nyerguds 100]

Since IPX and XP don't mix well, and the 1.06 patch actually includes a fix that changes the system to UDP, normal LAN doesn't work between DOS C&C and C&C95.

 

I have played DOS C&C against C&C95 in 1v1 though, through the Null modem option. The TCP-COM tool can even emulate COM port traffic online. (so yes, I've played DOS C&C online )

 

Im not quite sure what you mean. When I set the unit count slider in the game, each AI player also gets that same amount of starting units (minus an MCV).

Right. Say you put the number of units to 5, and you build a base and some base defenses and infantry. You'll have the advantage, since the newly built stuff will compensate for the fact the combined AI players have more units than you. But if each of the AI sides storms you with 20 units, that advantage is insignificant, and you'll get crushed anyway. So your base only gives you an advantage if the number of units is low.

Edited November 24, 2008 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

Since IPX and XP don't mix well, and the 1.06 patch actually includes a fix that changes the system to UDP, normal LAN doesn't work between DOS C&C and C&C95.

 

I have played DOS C&C against C&C95 in 1v1 though, through the Null modem option. The TCP-COM tool can even emulate COM port traffic online. (so yes, I've played DOS C&C online )

 

Thanks for the info I don't have any sort of network set up, so's If I can connect via modem or null modem, I'm happy

 

 

Right. Say you put the number of units to 5, and you build a base and some base defenses and infantry. You'll have the advantage, since the newly built stuff will compensate for the fact the combined AI players have more units than you. But if each of the AI sides storms you with 20 units, that advantage is insignificant, and you'll get crushed anyway. So your base only gives you an advantage if the number of units is low.

 

Understood, thanks for the info

[Rich Nagel 0]

FWIW,

 

One thing that I noticed when using AI players:

 

Disable LAN human player check/change LAN player count to 2/12 starting units

 

When playing like this, the game assumes that there are still a total of four players. Hence, when the starting unit count is set to 12, the AI player actually gets 36 (the game is 'thinking' 3 AI players, so it gives the one AI player a total of 36 units.

 

This seems to hold true for 2-3 LAN players as well, and when bumping up the starting unit count to a higher number (via byte 9647A in the GAME.NEW file). e.g.

 

Lan player count to 3/50 starting units (with bases): The AI players get 75 units each.

 

Anyhoo, just thought that was interesting

 

[Nyerguds 100]

Woah, bizarre. Nice find, gotta test what causes that.

[Rich Nagel 0]

Woah, bizarre. Nice find, gotta test what causes that.

 

Hehe, I had a helluva time figuring that one out, as the end 'kill' count also counts troops that (sometimes are) have been added to the game when their vehicle is destroyed <G>.

 

One thing that really helps with my experimentation though, is using an old DOS C&C cheat utility that I purchased many moons ago: Kevin Cernekee's "C&Cheat v1.1" <G>. This thing allows for using some of the function keys for various cheat-type stuff (god mode/instant construction/unlimited money/unlimited power/show all map/etc..., amongst many other things). Really helps when screwing around with the game

 

Anyhoo, I have to thank you again for all of the info and offsets I've been having an absolute BBBLLLLASSST with this! My favorite is to set up a 6-player LAN game (me, and the 5 other AIs), 50 units each, bases/tiberium/crates on, and using the stock GDI campaign maps SCG10EA.INI/SCG10EB.INI/SCG11EA.INI

 

 

The crates are really a fun 'addition' to my single-player games. Hehe, I was playing - I forget which GDI SP map now - and had lost almost everything after about 15 minutes of gameplay... as well as being trapped like a rat on a small civilian 'island' that had one road crossing a river. I had almost no credits, and had blocked the entrance to the island with a single sandbag <G>. I had three med. tanks on my side of the river slowly picking off any stray units that would come my way.

 

I saw several crates 'pop up' across the river, and decided to sell the sandbag and attempt a beeline to them with one of my tanks. Low and behold, there was four enemy stealth tanks 'stealthed' RIGHT AT THE ENTRANCE of the island... GAME OVER, MAN <LOL>!

 

Edited December 2, 2008 by Rich Nagel

[Rich Nagel 0]

Hehe, a little animated GIF for ya, and another (old stuff) wallpaper-ish GIF for ya

[Nyerguds 100]

Another fun fact (dunno if I already mentioned this) is that if you enable Funpark, random dinosaurs will spawn on the map. And they DO attack the AI

 

[edit]

 

Hmm, Hyper found the alliance making code... maybe I can find out where exactly all these AI players are allied, and make an option that prevents it from happening. RA has such an option too.

Edited December 5, 2008 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

Another fun fact (dunno if I already mentioned this) is that if you enable Funpark, random dinosaurs will spawn on the map. And they DO attack the AI

 

Strange, I've never seen that happen before. Do you have to play a specific map, or does it work on any of the multiplayer maps?

 

 

Hmm, Hyper found the alliance making code... maybe I can find out where exactly all these AI players are allied, and make an option that prevents it from happening. RA has such an option too.

 

That would be *EXCELLENT*! Lemme know if you find the location, thanks!

 

[Nyerguds 100]

No, it works with any map. They're spawned randomly, at random intervals. I even found the code controlling which units it spawns.

I got a screenshot of it here:

http://nyerguds.arsaneus-design.com/junk/c...ish_funpark.png

T-rex roaming through my base

 

At the moment I'm making the Language= option in conquer.ini change the game language in C&C95, so it loads conquer.eng / conquer.ger / conquer.fre for the corresponding language, shows the right graphics file for the Map/Sell/Repair buttons, and so it displays any hardcoded error messages in the correct language too.

 

The original exe files for the 3 languagzes are all pretty different, and each of them stupidly used a conquer.eng file for its strings. Now I got one exe which handles all stuff of all languages, this is obviously MUCH easier for me, since I only make one global version and then use the ini file to change the language

 

Anyway, this is working fine so far. I'll take a look at the alliance code after I completely implemented this.

Edited December 8, 2008 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

No, it works with any map. They're spawned randomly, at random intervals. I even found the code controlling which units it spawns.

 

Thanks for the info Yep, after a bit of patience, I also (finally) noticed the dinos being spawned. Guess I didn't wait long enough in my previous experiments <G>, but it works fine now

 

 

Anyway, this is working fine so far. I'll take a look at the alliance code after I completely implemented this.

 

Again, a million thanks!

 

[Nyerguds 100]

well I first noticed it when one team of AIs didn't attack me... turned out they were busy fending off a dinosaur

[Nyerguds 100]

I found the alliance code in C&C95, and I think this hack should disable AI alliances it in DOS C&C v1.22:

 

E10A9: 03 5B E10AA: 03 5B

(changes a jump distance so the program jumps past the allying loop instead of into it)

 

 

 

Since the AI only uses the Hunt command, the result isn't too spectacular... they murder eachother starting with the most northern player, until you're the most northern player.

Edited January 14, 2009 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

and I think this hack should disable AI alliances it in DOS C&C v1.22:

 

E10A9: 03 5B

 

Thanks for the info, Nyerguds!

 

Unfortunately this causes C&C to lock up Just to ensure that we're on the same wavelength, the original bytes in the DOS v1.22 GAME.NEW (starting at offset E10A9) should be 'EB 03', correct?

 

[Nyerguds 100]

Crap, sorry, wrong address... there's a kind of double loop structure there, and I took the address of the start of the internal loop instead of the external one. The code looks pratically exactly the same...

 

E10AA: 03 5B

Edited January 13, 2009 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

Crap, sorry, wrong address... there's a kind of double loop structure there, and I took the address of the start of the internal loop instead of the external one. The code looks pratically exactly the same...

 

E10AA: 03 5B

 

Unfortunately this locks up the game as well

 

[CCHyper 3]

NudNud, come on, your braking the poor guys game