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Rich Nagel

C&C DOS Version 1.22p Hidden Options Enabler v5.0

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Just a little update of my Command and Conquer DOS Version 1.22p Hidden Options Enabler:

 

Readme -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Command_and...C&C_HOE.txt

 

Screenie -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Command_and...C&C_HOE.gif

 

The ZIPola -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Command_and...C&C_HOE.zip

 

 

(edit) Thanks for all of the investigation, info, offsets, and hex values, Nyerguds! :)

 

Edited by Rich Nagel

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lol, that's quite some stuff XD

 

you know, I've been thinking... maybe I can still get you to mess around with these debug options, if replacing the Funpark parameter's effect works ;)

[edit]

 

Again... reacts as if I changed nothing, and crashes at odd times. Really bizarre. Looks like I'll have to keep out of that command line parameters function.

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lol, that's quite some stuff XD

 

From the readme:

 

- Minor edits to the utility's interface (I'm running out
  of space!).

 

LOL!

 

 

you know, I've been thinking... maybe I can still get you to mess around with these debug options, if replacing the Funpark parameter's effect works ;)

 

Will do :) Just tell me what you want me to hex-edit/hack, and I'll be more than happy to give it a whirl :)

 

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eh, I already told you the effect :P

 

[edit]

 

Again... reacts as if I changed nothing, and crashes at odd times. Really bizarre. Looks like I'll have to keep out of that command line parameters function.

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eh, I already told you the effect :P

 

You mentioned something about the FUNPARK command line parameter in your previous post.

 

I misunderstood, I thought that you meant you might try remapping a given debug option so that it would take effect using FUNPARK (we hadn't talked about FUNPARK before when we were discussing the "-XD" thing in that other thread).

 

(edit) Duh! OK, I re-read your post and understand what you were saying. Sorry about that... heh, the old brain doesn't work as good as it used to <grin>.

 

Edited by Rich Nagel

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Hopefully I'm not getting off-topic here, but I've been thinking, what about making a small fix for the DOS version of C&C (I don't know if any exist ATM)? Nothing special or large-scale, just a few fixes of the more obvious (and easily detectable) things like minor glitches in certain missions (e.g. a misplaced tile near the starting position of Nod mission where you have to destroy the Mammoth prototype factory), the missing Construction Yard shadow and stuff like that, plus the aforementioned optional extras. Or is there one already that I've missed?

Edited by MrFlibble

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I'm not really sure what other little buglets might be in the DOS version, but Nyerguds has created a ton of fixes for the W9x version... some which may be able to be incorporated into the DOS version.

 

I dunno though... all of the stuff that my utility hacks are nothing but simple hex edits to the EXE; all of which I might add, were discovered and explained by Nyerguds :)

 

Edited by Rich Nagel

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Hmm, did you or Nyer or maybe someone else do any research of the older DOS versions (I think v1.07 is the first release, right?) looking for possible other developmental leftovers? Maybe traces of support for the separate Nod score screen and map screen themes or something like that?

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Hmm, did you or Nyer or maybe someone else do any research of the older DOS versions (I think v1.07 is the first release, right?) looking for possible other developmental leftovers? Maybe traces of support for the separate Nod score screen and map screen themes or something like that?

 

I would be surprised if Nyerguds hasn't; but I myself have not. There was a while that I was including the hex offset info in the C&CHOE readme for both versions 1.20 and 1.22, but it became a chore figuring out the offsets for the older version 1.20... so currently I only include the offsets for version 1.22.

 

I never did research anything for the older versions (pre v1.20) though.

 

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The Nod score and map themes were never implemented. Unlike Ride of the Valkyries, Die, Hearbreak and Enemies To Be Feared, they weren't even in the game's music list. For patch 1.06b I had to add them to the music list and write my own code to make them play on the map and score screens.

 

as for other stuff, I do have a screenshot of a beta testing options screen with the Hidden Options. This one undoubtedly exists in DOS C&C too, since the spacing between the lines is obviously still based on the smaller DOS fonts.

http://nyerguds.arsaneus-design.com/junk/special_opts.png

Note that the only easy way to actually access this window is make it replace the Resign function :P

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I have no idea how to even make it check for special keys.

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I have 1.07 C&C DOS version, but 1.20 patch doesn't change much. It would be really nice to make better balance between Nod and GDI or make game a little bit faster.

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...doesn't change much? Just the turret price change has a huge balance impact. Besides, patches aren't supposed to change much you can see. It's mostly internal bug fixes and such.

One thing I know the patch does is make sure you don't have to collect the steel crates anymore to get the nuke in the last Nod mission, because that system worked notoriously badly, probably due to savegames (which probably means, if the Funpark savegame problems are any indication, that you only got a nuke if you got all crates, in one single continuous playthrough without loading savegames).

It also removes several cheats, like the "build anywhere on radar" one, and the 1.22 patch removes the sell-stop cheat too (though it does that poorly, by disabling the Stop command on buildings altogether).

As for making the game faster, there's the game speed slider for that. If you mean game pacing though, and you want to just spam huge tank armies... go play Red Alert 1 instead of C&C1.

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...doesn't change much? Just the turret price change has a huge balance impact. Besides' date=' patches aren't supposed to change much you can see. It's mostly internal bug fixes and such.[/quote']

 

I think, that change price for one building isn't so much improvement than it supposed to be. Besides, changes just focused on technology advancement which came with Win 95, such as upgrade for modem play.

Moreover, Westwood fought with cheaters, but never delete "computer cheat" - it is building structures even than, when he shouldn't have any money.

 

But that's my opinion :)

 

One thing I know the patch does is make sure you don't have to collect the steel crates anymore to get the nuke in the last Nod mission' date=' because that system worked notoriously badly, probably due to savegames (which probably means, if the Funpark savegame problems are any indication, that you only got a nuke if you got all crates, in one single continuous playthrough without loading savegames).[/quote']

 

As i mentioned above - computer cheats. It shouldn't never happen. I may destroy all silos and refineries of GDI / Nod and computer is still able to re-build himself, while destroying my refinery or silo causes loss of money.

The change which You mentioned, shouldn't be called a "patch". It should be a part of big changes, like: default expanded minimap option, higher tank damage versus life forms, better "scatter unit" movement ('coz now more effective is to move each group of infantry separately), better A.I. who attacks Us with forces proportional (or close) to Our defense forces (not with 3 rocketman like now or 1 tank supported by few footmans) etc.

 

As for making the game faster' date=' there's the game speed slider for that. If you mean game pacing though, and you want to just spam huge tank arm...[/quote']

 

True, but i was more thinking about shortening building time or changing few build orders, like refinery needed to build Comm Center (changing this to prerequisite Barracks).

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On 11/11/2011 at 11:51 PM, Traymen said:

I think, that change price for one building isn't so much improvement than it supposed to be. Besides, changes just focused on technology advancement which came with Win 95, such as upgrade for modem play.

Moreover, Westwood fought with cheaters, but never delete "computer cheat" - it is building structures even than, when he shouldn't have any money.

Not really. DOS C&C already fully supports modem play. The only thing new in C&C95 is Westwood Chat 1v1 laddered online play, which is totally obsolete now the ladders are gone and we got 6-player online through LAN rerouting. Which works in DOS C&C too, through DOSBox.

Oh, and you can perfectly starve an AI. It's not advised though, since it'll make sure all buildings you try to destroy get sold, which generally decreases your score. Also, what you call the AI 'cheating' is generally just tweaking it to give the player more challenging game play. I don't mind AT ALL. It's one of the things that makes the game fun.

In all the years I've ploughed through the game's innards, though, I personally haven't seen any obvious traces of AI tweaking. And I've seen quite odd stuff, like me controlling the AI's base while the AI did its thing. Besides, even if there is such tweaking in C&C it won't beat Dune II's; whenever you destroyed an AI's harvester there, the AI got a new free harvester dropped into its refinery, even containing some money. C&C has no such things.

On 11/11/2011 at 11:51 PM, Traymen said:
As i mentioned above - computer cheats. It shouldn't never happen. I may destroy all silos and refineries of GDI / Nod and computer is still able to re-build himself, while destroying my refinery or silo causes loss of money.

No it doesn't... destroying silos just reroutes the contents, unless you don't have enough, just like when you sell it. The only way to lose money is if it's captured by an eningeer. My guess, you just don't build as many silos as the AI has. Also, in case you haven't noticed, C&C has 2 kinds of money; harvested tiberium and actual cash. Whenever you you sell a building, or you cancel a construction, or get money at mission start... that's not tiberium in silos. That's invisible, virtual cash. The AI has that too. Silos are no perfect indication of money status, especially after you forced it to sell some buildings.

On 11/11/2011 at 11:51 PM, Traymen said:
The change which You mentioned, shouldn't be called a "patch". It should be a part of big changes, like: default expanded minimap option, higher tank damage versus life forms, better "scatter unit" movement ('coz now more effective is to move each group of infantry separately), better A.I. who attacks Us with forces proportional (or close) to Our defense forces (not with 3 rocketman like now or 1 tank supported by few footmans) etc.
  • Default expanded minimap is added by my patch. Which is C&C95 only, though.
  • Low tank damage versus infantry is VERY deliberate, to prevent infantry from being useless cannon fodder. It's called game balance.
  • AI attacks are fully scripted. This is not something a single patch can ever change; it's a game engine limitation. Seriously, this game is 15 years old... deal with it.

Overall, you seem to be misinformed as to what a "patch" is. Right now, yes, most game companies release games that are barely 60% finished, and add the remaining 40% with patches. C&C was fully finished on release, as the team intended it to be. All that was left were small tweaks, and they GAVE them too. That's not something to complain about, that's something to applaud.

On 11/11/2011 at 11:51 PM, Traymen said:
True, but i was more thinking about shortening building time or changing few build orders, like refinery needed to build Comm Center (changing this to prerequisite Barracks).

Build time is directly proportional to selling value. Not much to tweak there. Refinery needed to build Comm Center is just so you don't start building hi-tech stuff before you got any source of income. It's only logical. You simply don't get enough money to even TRY that in most missions.

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Also' date=' what you call the AI 'cheating' is generally just tweaking it to give the player more challenging game play. I don't mind AT ALL. It's one of the things that makes the game fun.[/quote']

 

The same things are saying people who uses special-for-game trainers which are adding such options: "Game becomes *moar* funny".

In the matter of A.I. - thing that really makes me crazy, is computer which can re-build destroyed building in same place. Even if structure isn't connected by so called "build zone".

Moreover, computer doesn't uses infantry as he should. Most of them are just spammed under Hand of Nod / Barracks waiting for your arrival.

 

For rest i'll answer later when i find more time :)

Edited by Traymen

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The same things are saying people who uses special-for-game trainers which are adding such options: "Game becomes *moar* funny".

...except that this is the opposite. It's originally implemented code made by Westwood that makes the game harder to make it more challenging.

 

Really though, I doubt C&C1 has such code. All differences between the AI and players are mostly compensations for limitations in the AI, or for limitations in the player's GUI. For example, the AI can build one building or unit from each factory it has, at the same time, and if it has 2 construction yards, you can see it rebuild 2 buildings at exactly the same time. To compensate for the fact the sidebar doesn't allow constructing 2 things at the same time, human players get speed bonuses for owning multiple factories. But if you think about it, this could be seen as a "cheat" in favour of the player, since you can build units really fast on one single spot, even if your other factories are on the other side of the map.

 

In the matter of A.I. - thing that really makes me crazy, is computer which can re-build destroyed building in same place. Even if structure isn't connected by so called "build zone".

You have to realize, C&C1 contains NO base building AI. AT ALL. The only thing the AI can do is (re)build structures that are on a list in the mission file, on the locations set in the mission file. This seems like a rough solution for something they didn't really have time to implement, but it's already more refined than in Dune II, where the AI simply rebuilds ALL destroyed buildings, without exceptions. C&C's system actually allows it to build new stuff during the mission. From a mission making perspective, it's a pretty handy system since you can perfectly control where the AI will build stuff. (Too bad they didn't bother to put the owners of the buildings on the list though. Have more than one AI with a construction yard... and they'll fight over build spots -_-)

 

Moreover, computer doesn't uses infantry as he should. Most of them are just spammed under Hand of Nod / Barracks waiting for your arrival.

You seem to misunderstand how this works. In the mission scripting is an option to keep a spare of a team around, meaning that a team only gets sent away after a second team of those same units is produced. They do send out the infantry to your base... just never all of it. I don't see anything wrong with that, personally. It's just meant to serve as base defense.

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It just edits specific locations in the exe... if you edit the exe in unpredictable ways, no tool can support that without actually having that new file. you could just compare the exe files to figure out what bytes to change yourself.

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The things which I miss in C&C DOS is lack of some hotkeys like "repair", "sell" and "choose all units on screen". Maybe there is a way to add it...
On a positive sides, DOS version have nice screen shaking effect! IDK why this is not implemented in C&C unofficial patch.

Edited by riderr3

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Because no one ever asked, and it never bothered me?

As for "select all units on screen", not sure how easy that is to do.

The screen shake was specifically disabled in C&C95; I found traces of the function, but it was empty. This was most likely done for multiplayer compatibility since the screen shake depends on what you're viewing, and pauses the game for a second or two, which could lead to games getting out of sync. Not sure why they didn't just disable it for multiplay then, but yea...

It might also be related to the switch to DirectDraw. Maybe they used some graphics buffer trick in DOS that simply didn't work in DirectDraw.

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@Rich Nagel

Found an odd bug on this subject... when I added sczounds.mix, the game refused to show the GDI/Nod choice animation on the New Game screen, and crashed when making the side choice...

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