C&C TD (95/Gold) Special Options

[Rich Nagel 0]

You do know that the windows version of C&C (C&C95) is actualy free? Has been for a year now, EA officially released it.

 

Actaully I'm aware of that. But unfortunately I'm on a miserable lowly dialup connection, with no hope of broadband.

 

[CCHyper 3]

Ah that sucks, big time >_>

[Nyerguds 102]

@Nyerguds, Would you happen to know the offsets (and what they need to be hex-edited to) for DOS C&C v1.22p? I don't have the .Net framework runtime installed, so unfortunately I can't run your utility

Um, then install it? It's free...

also, for some bizarre reason the Remix option is removed from 1.22p.

(hmm, might look into enabling that again... though hacking DOS C&C is a mess)

Edited October 3, 2008 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

Um, then install it? It's free...

 

Yeah, I really need to download and install it... I'd love to give that utility a whirl. I've enabled several of the (known-valued) options in my CONQUER.INI file, but not all of the values have been discovered. Although, if I simply knew the hex offsets and values within the GAME.NEW, I'd simply toss together a QBasic proggie to do the same

 

 

also, for some bizarre reason the Remix option is removed from 1.22p. (hmm, might look into enabling that again... though hacking DOS C&C is a mess)

 

I dunno why they removed that option in the v1.22p upgrade patch. I've always had a hunch that they simply forgot about it, and somehow it was inadvertantly disabled when applying the patch. I still have an older pre-v1.22 version of the GAME.DAT file, and that option is a pretty neat one (I really like the remix of AOI).

 

As far as hacking, good luck! I've perused version 1.22p's GAME.NEW file, comparing it to the older version GAME.DAT file. My skills are limited, but the only way that I could think of re-enabling it would be to re-add the "Scores(hex00)Options" in the GAME.NEW file (there are still entries within the GAME.NEW file for ".VAR", leading me to think that maybe the underlying code is still present). The problem is, there's NO room for it

 

e.g.

 

GAME.DAT:

Combat(hex00)Options(hex00)(hex00)Scores(h

ex00)Options(hex00)(hex00)CombatIQ(hex00)Options

 

GAME.NEW:

Combat(hex00)Options(hex00)(hex00)CombatIQ

(hex00)Options(hex00)(hex00)

Edited October 4, 2008 by Rich Nagel

[CCHyper 3]

I can take a look for ya, just need the latest executable and the version of the executable that last had this option.

[Nyerguds 102]

it's just enabling the second bit of the Funpark byte... shouldn't be too hard, even in DOS. Look for 11CA05BB and you can trace the place where funpark is enabled, and find the byte to change.

 

Heck, you can probably easily rig the funpark enabling code to either enable both Funpark and remixes or just the remixes

 

I'll look into it after school.

 

[edit]

Hm. Adapting the (from what I can see useless) "scrolling" option to change the themes instead should do the trick too. It also edits that same byte

 

 

As far as hacking, good luck! I've perused version 1.22p's GAME.NEW file, comparing it to the older version GAME.DAT file. My skills are limited, but the only way that I could think of re-enabling it would be to re-add the "Scores(hex00)Options" in the GAME.NEW file (there are still entries within the GAME.NEW file for ".VAR", leading me to think that maybe the underlying code is still present). The problem is, there's NO room for it

No, that would be quite useless on its own. That's just text... the problem is that the code that uses that text is removed too. The text is for the ini options, which the hack bypasses anyway.

 

It's probably just the enabling code that's removed though. I doubt they touched the rest. But as I said, that part isn't too hard to check if I adapt the Scrolling code to enable the scores instead.

 

 

I MIGHT just try to copy my C&C95 1.06 code, where all these options are simply in a new [Advanced] conquer.ini section, and simply need "1" as value to activate them. But I have no idea if I'll be able to correctly make the DOS program call the INIClass_ReadInt function. References to other parts of the program can be kinda tricky to get right in that, since I can't disassemble it correctly bc of the memory manager (DOS4GW) that DOS C&C uses (why doesn't IDA have DOS4GW support? ).

 

(DOS C&C includes a small 16-bit program that does its memory management, and that program starts the real 32-bit game. when I disassemble the game.dat / game.new in a normal way, only the memory manager code is shown, and not the real game. And if I force it to load the entire file instead, it doesn't disassemble everything correctly)

 

Anyway, I can't normally add new code in the exe simply (simply because there's no space for it), but I know from simplifying these ini options in C&C95 that it freed up quite some space, so in DOS C&C 1.22 it should be enough to add the Scores reading code again

I can also make all code use the first "Options" string (or "Advanced" in my case), so all these useless duplicate strings can be removed too. Then there's plenty of space to re-add the Scores string there.

 

Mind you, this is all theoretical. I haven't opened DOS C&C in a while, and I really don't now if I'll pull off a correct call to the ini-read function.

tbh it's also a lot of work for a game that already got a hi-res remake. I can probably whip up a 20-MB pack to upgrade a DOS C&C installation to C&C95 in less than an hour... C&C95 also has a "channels" setting in the audio options that I may take a look at...

Edited October 8, 2008 by Nyerguds

[Nyerguds 102]

well if you can hex edit...

 

Comparing files game.new and game_fixed.exe
00096702: 75 3C
0009670A: 08 02

 

Open game.new in a hex editor, go to 0x96702 and change the byte from 75 to 3C. Then at 0x9670A change the byte from 08 to 02

 

This replaces the "scrolling" option. First edited byte is the enabling hack (as done by my CCOptions prog), the second is what makes it enable the hidden music instead of the 'Scrolling' option (changes bit #2 (0000 0010) instead of bit #4 (0000 1000) of that byte).

You can combine the options (even though I got no idea what Scrolling does) by changing the byte to 0A, enabling both bits (0000 1010)

 

I tested the music, and it works perfectly.

Edited October 8, 2008 by Nyerguds

[CCHyper 3]

Stupid DOS executables, Nyer, you live in the old days >.>

[Rich Nagel 0]

well if you can hex edit...

 

Comparing files game.new and game_fixed.exe
00096702: 75 3C
0009670A: 08 02

 

Open game.new in a hex editor, go to 0x96702 and change the byte from 75 to 3C. Then at 0x9670A change the byte from 08 to 02

 

This replaces the "scrolling" option. First edited byte is the enabling hack (as done by my CCOptions prog), the second is what makes it enable the hidden music instead of the 'Scrolling' option (changes bit #2 (0000 0010) instead of bit #4 (0000 1000) of that byte).

You can combine the options (even though I got no idea what Scrolling does) by changing the byte to 0A, enabling both bits (0000 1010)

 

I tested the music, and it works perfectly.

 

Works like a champ Nyerguds, MANY THANKS! Any chance that you could provide the offsets/values for the other hidden options in question (for version 1.22p GAME.NEW file)?

 

 

Stupid DOS executables, Nyer, you live in the old days >.>

 

Hehe, so do I <LOL>!

 

[Nyerguds 102]

Bahh... the source of my program just has the first offset stored and the rest as relative to that first one. Like this:

 

C&C v1.22:

0x96431 - base offset

options:

0x000 - true civ names

0x041 - 6-player LAN

0x085 - wheeled rotation

0x0C6 - separate helipad

0x107 - MCV undeploy

0x148 - no bibs

0x189 - target trees

0x1CA - combat

0x20B - combatIQ

0x24F - Overrun (disables tiberium spawning)

0x290 - beta sounds

0x2D1 - Scrolling

 

 

C&C v1.20:

0x96349 - base offset

options:

0x000 - true civ names

0x041 - 6-player LAN

0x085 - wheeled rotation

0x0C6 - separate helipad

0x107 - MCV undeploy

0x148 - no bibs

0x189 - target trees

0x1CA - combat

0x20B - enable remixes

0x24C - combatIQ

0x290 - Overrun (disables tiberium spawning)

0x2D1 - beta sounds

0x312 - Scrolling

 

So you just need to use the windows calculator to add them together.

 

And as I said before, that byte has to be changed from 75 to 3C in each case.

Edited October 9, 2008 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

MANY THANKS for the offsets, Nyerguds!

 

 

Bahh... the source of my program just has the first offset stored and the rest as relative to that first one. So you just need to use the windows calculator to add them together.

 

Understood

 

[Nyerguds 102]

No problem, glad I could help

 

I just updated CCOptions with added code to apply this new hack. Now the Scores option works in DOS C&C v1.22 too

(I made it completely invisible to the user. It looks exactly like the other versions, but if the version is DOS 1.22, the new code checks the 2 bytes of the Scrolling code, and shows the options accordingly... and of course saves to these 2 bytes when saving )

[Rich Nagel 0]

For some reason I can't seem to get the beta sounds to work.

 

I have a copy of the "ZOUNDS.MIX" file located in my C&C directory (as well as my "C&C_CDs" directory, as I run the game from my hard drive), but hear no battle sound effects at all when editing byte 0x290 to 3C (base offset 0x96431 of GAME.NEW v1.22p). The only way that I could hear the alternate/beta sound effects was to copy the ZOUNDS.MIX file to the SOUNDS.MIX file (located in my "C&C_CDs" directory).

 

BTW, concerning the "Combat" and "CombatIQ" options: In the readme for your utility (sorry, I still haven't installed the .NET framework runtimes in order to be able to run it), you mention that "Combat" is unknown, and that "CombatIQ" causes the units to scatter when attacked.

 

I haven't had time to experiment much with it yet, but in C&C's "LOCAL.MIX" file (more specifically, the "CONQUER.ENG" file contained in it) is the text "Allow Running From Immediate Threats" and "Employ Smarter Self Defense Logic".

 

Could possibly one of the options cause them to scatter, and the other... (well, I wouldn't have any idea)?

 

Anyhow, again, many thanks! All seems to work as advertised (except the ZOUNDS thing), although I still have to try out the "TreeTarget" option

 

BTW (after I get all of this sorted out), I've been thinking of tossing together a simple DOS QBasic utility that would work only on the version 1.22p GAME.NEW file. I hope that you wouldn't consider me 'stepping on your toes' <G> (so to speak) or anything? Of course, I'd credit you for all of the offsets/info/data (as well a link to your web page/C&C Options utility)

 

 

P.S. Since you also seem to be well-versed in DOS C&C, check my thread here if you already haven't seen it -> http://forums.cncnz.com/index.php?showtopic=10594

 

Edited October 9, 2008 by Rich Nagel

[Rich Nagel 0]

although I still have to try out the "TreeTarget" option

 

Gave it a try, and "TreeTarget" works perfectly

 

 

All seems to work as advertised (except the ZOUNDS thing)

 

My mistake :duh:

 

I forgot to rename ZOUNDS.MIX to SCZOUNDS.MIX <G> (as C&C needs any addon MIXes prefixed with "SC")... beta sfx works perfect now

Edited October 10, 2008 by Rich Nagel

[Nyerguds 102]

Yeah, I've looked at that zounds.mix code, and I don't see why it doesn't work. Though it's possible that this is another stupid mistake like the empty video error message box in C&C95 (it tries to read the error message string from the strings file 'conquer.eng' before the game has loaded that file). I think there's a check on the zounds.mix reading so it's only done if the beta sounds option is activated. However, it's entirely possible that these options aren't configured until AFTER the mixfiles are read, which makes the zounds.mix code pretty unreachable.

 

I should look into that. Though in my C&C95 v1.06 patch I already fixed that problem... I added a system in the exe that reads all update*.mix files (it's really just a copy of the sc*.mix reading code) as addons, and I've included zounds.mix in the patch as update03.mix

 

I should rename the toss1.juv inside to toss.juv though, so it is actually used as grenade throw sound.

[Rich Nagel 0]

BTW, about the Combat/CombatIQ options that I mentioned previously: "Combat" indeed doesn't seem to do anything. But, "CombatIQ" is sort of a strange one.

 

In the readme for your CCOptions utility you state that it causes the units to scatter. I was experimenting with this using a saved game that I had that placed an MCV directly in the middle of some enemy ground units (directly beside a a 'Hand of NOD'). I also used an old utility (that I purchased many moons ago) "C&Cheat" to enable 'god mode' so that the MCV wouldn't immediately be destroyed.

 

Seems that when CombatIQ is not enabled, the MCV just sits there and takes all of the punishment from the ground troops. But, when the option is enabled, the MCV goes on a squishing spree <G>. It appears that the MCV would target and kill any immediate unit that fired on it. Other friendly vehicles and troops were a bit harder to determine exactly what they were doing to the enemy units (as by default, they're quite aggressive to begin with), but I saw the above behavior with the MCV as well as the Harvester.

 

This leads me to believe that the "CombatIQ" option doesn't cause the units to scatter, but rather causes them to be a bit more aggressive when fired upon... I'm not sure though. If so, then the matching text in the "CONQUER.ENG" (contained in the "LOCAL.MIX") would be "Employ Smarter Self Defense Logic", instead of "Allow Running From Immediate Threats" (which would describe the units scattering when fired upon).

 

 

P.S. Off-topic for the current discussion, but something that I've always thought would be neat: If there were some way/hack to enable the AI players for single-player games (using the multi-player maps), like the matching option when playing a multiplayer game Sort of a "fake AI multi-player" mode. I have a hunch that this is prolly beyond the scope of C&C editing/hacking though.

 

[CCHyper 3]

Ahhhh, CombatIQ must have been a test for the new AI engine...

[Rich Nagel 0]

Ahhhh, CombatIQ must have been a test for the new AI engine...

 

What is the new AI engine (was there an old one)?

 

[CCHyper 3]

Red Alert has the new AI engine... compared to TD.

[Rich Nagel 0]

Red Alert has the new AI engine... compared to TD.

 

Thanks for the info

 

@Nyerguds and ALL,

 

Attached is a screenie of what I've finished so far, it's almost done (short of enabling a feature or two, and the readme)

[Nyerguds 102]

Not entirely correct. Overun only disables spawning. Tiberium in loaded savegames will still grow to maximum density.

 

Also, um, as I said, my CCOptions tool supports DOS versions 1.20 and 1.22. And later I may look into DOS C&C 1.07, the other language versions and maybe even the demo.

Edited October 12, 2008 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

Not entirely correct. Overun only disables spawning. Tiberium in loaded savegames will still grow to maximum density.

 

I'm a little confused with this one. When you say that it will still grow to maximum density, do you mean that the tiberium trees will re-grow tiberium (after all of the existing tiberium is harvested)? In the saved games that I've loaded that had tiberium, after all of it was harvested it didn't grow back around the tiberium trees.

 

 

Also, um, as I said, my CCOptions tool supports DOS versions 1.20 and 1.22. And later I may look into DOS C&C 1.07, the other language versions and maybe even the demo.

 

Is there any chance of a version that doesn't require .NET framework? I know little in general about modern programming, but have seen quite a few proggies that required it. Just a-wondering, is there any advantage to using it (verses a languqage/compiler that doesn't require it), or is it simply that it is freeware which makes it popular?

 

 

P.S. The reason for my crude little QBasic utility was simply that one of my (several) C&C PCs is an old 486 running MS-DOS v6.22 -> http://www.cmoo.com/snor/weeds/Weeds_486DX4-100.htm <LOL>

 

[Rich Nagel 0]

(re: the alternate remix versions of the music)

 

Hehe, has anyone else noticed that in the remixes for the score tally screen (MAP1.VAR) as well as "Looks Like Trouble" (TROUBLE.VAR) that some of the vocal sound effects are from the movie "Top Gun"?

 

After listening several times to MAP1.VAR, I could have sworn that the "Return to base immediately" voice was "Viper" (the lead instructor at Miramar) from the movie. Then, upon closer listening of TROUBLE.VAR I was sure of it... you can hear Tom Cruise's "I can't control it!" from the movie <G>

 

Haven't paid much attention to the other remixes, but I'd bet there are a few other identifiable cound clips in them as well.

 

[Nyerguds 102]

I'm a little confused with this one. When you say that it will still grow to maximum density, do you mean that the tiberium trees will re-grow tiberium (after all of the existing tiberium is harvested)? In the saved games that I've loaded that had tiberium, after all of it was harvested it didn't grow back around the tiberium trees.

It only disables spawning of NEW cells of tiberium. So if you'd let your harvester harvest on one cell but stop before everything on that cell is gone, the tiberium on that cell will grow back to full density. Neither tiberium patches themselves nor the blossom trees will still spawn tiberium on new cells though.

 

Is there any chance of a version that doesn't require .NET framework? I know little in general about modern programming, but have seen quite a few proggies that required it. Just a-wondering, is there any advantage to using it (verses a languqage/compiler that doesn't require it), or is it simply that it is freeware which makes it popular?

Problem with modern programming is that there's no good alternative to programs requiring a pre-installed system (like .NET and Java). There is Visual C++, but that's a horrible mess to work with. I don't understand why they don't make a C programming environment that functions like C#, but actually compiles full programs that don't need the .NET framework, like C++

 

(re: the alternate remix versions of the music)

 

Hehe, has anyone else noticed that in the remixes for the score tally screen (MAP1.VAR) as well as "Looks Like Trouble" (TROUBLE.VAR) that some of the vocal sound effects are from the movie "Top Gun"?

 

After listening several times to MAP1.VAR, I could have sworn that the "Return to base immediately" voice was "Viper" (the lead instructor at Miramar) from the movie. Then, upon closer listening of TROUBLE.VAR I was sure of it... you can hear Tom Cruise's "I can't control it!" from the movie <G>

Small note there... the remix of Great Shot only adds the 'heroic' intro part. These voices are in the normal version too

 

Haven't paid much attention to the other remixes, but I'd bet there are a few other identifiable cound clips in them as well.

I got a few. The quotes from Enemies To Be Feared are from 'Apocalypse Now', ("He knew more about what I was gonna do than I did" and "They are enemies to be feared") and the ones in No Mercy are from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey ("No longer will the world be dominated by the legacy of these fools!" and I think "With the aid of my secret weapon" is also from it). Also from B&TBJ are the voices used for We Will Stop Them... uhm, that's "Deception" ingame I think, but Frank's original title was We Wil Stop Them. The clips in that are taken from this quote: "We will stop them now! Brothers and sisters, are we ready?"

 

The No Mercy remix isn't in the game though. My 1.06 patch adds it to C&C95, but you can't add a remix for a new track without changing the "Has Remix" setting in the music control section of the exe file. You can listen to the remix on the jukebox on Frank's site though.

 

Frank likes using voice clips like that. The track "Brain Freeze" in RA2:YR also has voice clips, from the B-movie "The Brain from Planet Arous".

Edited July 23, 2009 by Nyerguds

[Rich Nagel 0]

It only disables spawning of NEW cells of tiberium. So if you'd let your harvester harvest on one cell but stop before everything on that cell is gone, the tiberium on that cell will grow back to full density. Neither tiberium patches themselves nor the blossom trees will still spawn tiberium on new cells though.

 

Ahhh... I understand now. Thanks for the detailed info After your description and loading in a previous saved game, I see what you're refering to now

 

 

Small note there... the remix of Great Shot only adds the 'heroic' intro part. These voices are in the normal version too

 

Actually, the voice in question ("Return to base immediately") is a different version (person) in the regular song compared to the remix song. Sounds like a totally different sound clip (a different person speaking it). The person in the original version I don't recognize, but the one in the remix is definately "Viper" from Top Gun

 

Hehe, you know now that I think of it, maybe that's why that Westwood disabled the 'remix' option in the last DOS upgrade patch (v1.22p)... because of the copyrighted material contained in remixes <G>.

 

 

I got a few. The quotes from Enemies To Be Feared are from 'Armageddon Now', ("He knew more about what I was gonna do than I did" and "They are enemies to be feared") and the ones in No Mercy are from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey ("No longer will the world be dominated by the legacy of these fools!" and I think "With the aid of my secret weapon" is also from it). Also from B&TBJ are the voices used for We Will Stop Them... uhm, that's "Deception" ingame I think, but Frank's original title was We Wil Stop Them. The clips in that are taken from this quote: "We will stop them now! Brothers and sisters, are we ready?"

 

The No Mercy remix isn't in the game though. My 1.06 patch adds it to C&C95, but you can't add a remix for a new track without changing the "Has Remix" setting in the music control section of the exe file. You can listen to the remix on the jukebox on Frank's site though.

 

Frank likes using voice clips like that. The track "Brain Freeze" in RA2:YR also has voice clips, from the B-movie "The Brain from Planet Arous".

 

Thanks for the info I'll have to go back and give the songs another listen for the ones you mentioned, quite cool and interesting indeed I have MP3s that I created some time ago of all of the music contained in the Cov. Ops SCORES.MIX file.

 

 

P.S. Thanks for the info about .NET framework. I wish that the runtimes weren't so large of a download though (I'm still on a lowly dialup connection out here in the sticks).