Jump to content
Rambo

C&C TD (95/Gold) Special Options

Recommended Posts

How to enable "Special Options" in C&C Gold other than forcing them through hacking of c&c95.exe?

Both conquer.eng and c&c95.exe have references to them.

 

Selected part of conquer.eng:

Special Options

Targeting flash visible to all.

Allow targeting of trees.

Allow undeploy of construction yard.

Employ smarter self defense logic.

Moderate production speed.

Use three point turn logic.

Tiberium will grow.

Tiberium will spread.

Disable building "bib" pieces.

Allow running from immediate threats.

Allow separate helipad purchase

Tiberium grows quickly.

Show true object names.

 

Selected part of c&c95.exe:

TrueNames Options

Players Options

Rotation Options

Helipad Options

MCV Options

Bibs Options

TreeTarget Options

Combat Options

Scores Options

CombatIQ Options

Overrun Options

Sounds Options

Scrolling Options

Share this post


Link to post

C&C, Red Alert, Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 / Yuri's Revenge all have debug strings and even dialogs in later games. These are obsolete though in the ship version sadly :cry:

 

Actauly, i forgot, Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 have some debug features that still work, check here for more information: http://www.ppmsite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14604

Share this post


Link to post

By modifying c&c95.exe I can force some of the options, for example:

 

TrueNames - Shows true object names, funny

Rotation - Units rotate in a weird way

Helipad - Builds helipad without heli/orca

MCV - Selling MCV undeploys it

Bibs - Turns off bibs

TreeTarget - Trees can be target by default

Scores - Uses some alternate music scores

Sounds - Uses zounds.mix for sounds instead of sounds.mix

Etc.

 

But I can't figure out way to do it more easily (I lack disasm/debug skills :/ ) and how to enable more options. And nobody on internet mentions any of these at least I couldn't find it. :?

Share this post


Link to post

You managed to enable them? Brilliant, if your into disassembly and the sorts, you should have a chat with Pd and VK, they have patches for Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2. They could help you.

Share this post


Link to post

By modifying c&c95.exe I can force some of the options, for example:

 

TrueNames - Shows true object names, funny

Rotation - Units rotate in a weird way

Helipad - Builds helipad without heli/orca

MCV - Selling MCV undeploys it

Bibs - Turns off bibs

TreeTarget - Trees can be target by default

Scores - Uses some alternate music scores

Sounds - Uses zounds.mix for sounds instead of sounds.mix

Etc.

 

But I can't figure out way to do it more easily (I lack disasm/debug skills :/ ) and how to enable more options. And nobody on internet mentions any of these at least I couldn't find it. :?

Oh gods... PLEASE tell me the offsets :o

 

I've been hex editing C&C95 for ages, and I've been looking for stuff like that :)

 

I've been getting into disassembling lately, and yesterday I found out how to actually edit building foundations (I could already switch them between buildings, but no real editing), and I'm pretty sure I'll find loads more stuff like that. If you got the offsets of the bytes to change to enable those options, I'll probably find a load more options like that :)

 

The ability to get the hidden themes in the playlist is already an awesome find.

 

Anyway... I originally thought these options were supposed to go into conquer.ini, but I think I've tested them and they didn't work.

The strings seem to indicate an ingame menu though... maybe I can get it reactivated by following the references to these strings :)

Share this post


Link to post

You could've told me about this... I haven't been here in ages :(

 

I only came here now because of the Round Table discussions thing. I got so many places I should visit more often :bang:

Share this post


Link to post

My guess is that they are enabled through conquer.ini, but they are disabled or have to be enabled in exe. My knowledge of assembly and disassembly is poor, and I've only been able to force them by noping jumps in exe that jump over them. IMHO this is a very dirty way to do it. :|

Anyway the offsets are:

TrueNames Options       0x7F047 : 7507 -> 9090

Players Options         0x7F07A : 750A -> 9090

Rotation Options        0x7F0B0 : 7507 -> 9090

Helipad Options         0x7F0E3 : 7507 -> 9090

MCV Options             0x7F116 : 7507 -> 9090

Bibs Options            0x7F149 : 7507 -> 9090

TreeTarget Options      0x7F17C : 7507 -> 9090

Combat Options          0x7F1AF : 7507 -> 9090

Scores Options          0x7F1E2 : 7507 -> 9090

CombatIQ Options        0x7F215 : 750A -> 9090

Overrun Options         0x7F24B : 7507 -> 9090

Sounds Options          0x7F27E : 7507 -> 9090

Scrolling Options       0x7F2B1 : 7507 -> 9090

Share this post


Link to post

oh, nice... but these jumps might indeed be the key :)

 

That's a "Jump if not Zero" command... so I gotta figure out how to make the accumulator zero and it won't jump.

 

[edit]

Wow. This stuff is pure gold.

 

I have to say, in all my years of modding these are the most awesome changes I've ever seen anyone make :)

 

Congrats mate.

Share this post


Link to post

Indeed Nyer, i think i am going to have to take a look too. And dont worry Rambo, your ASM is most no doubt better than mine :P

Share this post


Link to post

I downloaded it, where do I install it? Or does it need somekinda installing?

Share this post


Link to post
I downloaded it, where do I install it? Or does it need somekinda installing?

It needs the MS .net framework 2.0 to run, but besides that, there's no install needed. Place the ccoptions.exe file anywhere you wish, and it'll work. It will not work when ran from a read-only medium (like a CDROM), since it needs to write the path of C&C95.exe in an ini file which will be put in the directory where the program is located.

The tool works on the English, French and German version of the game.

 

It has a quite extensive method to search for your C&C95.exe file. This will happen in the following order:

 

1. Reading settings in INI file (if present)

2. Looking for C&C95.exe in the current directory (new feature in v1.05)

3. Reading the path from the First Decade registry key

4. Reading the path from the Westwood registry key

5. Reading the default install path "c:\westwood\C&C95\C&C95.exe" (also new in 1.05)

 

After it finds a valid C&C95.exe (which means it can identify the language AND find the data to modify) it immediately writes the path to its ini file, "ccoptions.ini". If you got multiple copies installed, you can simply click the [Change...] button to select a different (*.exe) file manually. The program will only work if the file is a valid C&C95.exe file though. As with the startup scan, the path of the new (valid) file you open will immediately be saved in the ini file.

 

If the file you open is not a valid C&C95.exe file (or if the startup scan doesn't find a valid C&C95.exe in any of the 5 locations it searches), all options except Change and Close will be greyed out until you do select a valid file. Obviously it also doesn't save the path of this file to the ini file.

 

The ini file method means that the program can be put anywhere and will still remember which file it last edited.

 

I MIGHT make a C++ version later, which won't need the .net framework, but I've never done anything graphical in C++ before, so I can't promise.

Edited by Nyerguds

Share this post


Link to post

lol @ 3-point turning logic for wheeled vehicles:

 

Share this post


Link to post

OK, from Hyper's disassembling work it seems like these are simply conquer.ini settings... but with a twist. The value to add behind them is encoded to a 4-byte ID, kinda like a CRC, so not reversible (the "funpark" string is encoded in the same way).

Thanks to pd I got a program to generate those IDs though, and I've already generated all strings up to 5 characters. So far, I only found one of these options in it though:

 

Scores=remix

 

Put that under [Options] in your conquer.ini, and it plays the remixes, without needing any hacking :)

Share this post


Link to post

Note that you need either DOS C&C (<v1.22), TFD or the Covert Operations to make that work. The normal C&C95 CDs don't contain these remixes, and in DOS C&C 1.22 the Scores option is removed for some bizarre reason.

 

There's more options identified, but not with the original string (several strings can match the same ID).

 

They're all in the PPM thread, here:

http://www.ppmsite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=228637#228637

Share this post


Link to post

I used to have a list for all this stuff. Oh well. the link show how you alter the tag, it just replaces the unit to act like a turret. I also liked

 

Share this post


Link to post

what on earth are you talking about?

Share this post


Link to post
My knowledge of assembly and disassembly is poor, and I've only been able to force them by noping jumps in exe that jump over them. IMHO this is a very dirty way to do it. :| Anyway the offsets are:

TrueNames Options       0x7F047 : 7507 -> 9090

Players Options         0x7F07A : 750A -> 9090

Rotation Options        0x7F0B0 : 7507 -> 9090

Helipad Options         0x7F0E3 : 7507 -> 9090

MCV Options             0x7F116 : 7507 -> 9090

Bibs Options            0x7F149 : 7507 -> 9090

TreeTarget Options      0x7F17C : 7507 -> 9090

Combat Options          0x7F1AF : 7507 -> 9090

Scores Options          0x7F1E2 : 7507 -> 9090

CombatIQ Options        0x7F215 : 750A -> 9090

Overrun Options         0x7F24B : 7507 -> 9090

Sounds Options          0x7F27E : 7507 -> 9090

Scrolling Options       0x7F2B1 : 7507 -> 9090

 

 

 

 

@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 :(

 

Share this post


Link to post
Why you running the DOS version?

 

Per my reply to you in the 'Stereo' message thread, I don't have the Windows version of C&C... only the original DOS version (2 CDs, with the v1.22p upgrade patch installed), and the original Covert Operations CD.

Edited by Rich Nagel

Share this post


Link to post

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.

Share this post


Link to post

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×