[Nyerguds]

Mainly for those who end up here through my signature image...

The currently released version of the patch, v106b revision 2, can be downloaded here. This is the thread for the development of the next version.

---

That's right. I'm being swamped with school projects, but despite that, I do find some time to edit good old C&C95 from time to time. So here we go...




Here's the current features list:

Implemented (in reverse chronological order, so you might want to start reading at the bottom):

• The highest multiplayer map number read by the game has been increased from from 99 to 255
  
• People can now change the music of special scenes (score/map/menu screens) in rules.ini
  
• Added the ForceBriefScreen option for missions, which forces the game to show a text briefing screen
  
• Expanded the Warheads array, for modding purposes
  
• Changed music settings in the dinosaur missions from "Untamed Land" to its internal code "J1", so it will still play the correct theme if the game is set to a language in which the theme names are translated
  
• Removed the ability to start a multiplayer game with a random theme, since it caused game desynchronization errors.
  
• The damage percentage calculated on armour is no longer 255/256 when it should be 100%
  
• RemoveBuildExceptions option for a mission removes all restrictions the game puts on single player build trees. This unlocks the Nod helipad, APC, MLRS etc, and allows captured construction yards to produce the other side's superweapons. Note that even with this key, normal build level restrictions still apply
  
• Moved all special options from the [Advanced] and [Music] sections in conquer.ini to a new rules.ini (inside updatec.mix), to separate user settings from game settings
  
• Fixed reading order of mixfiles, so sc*.mix mod addons can override the updat*.mix files added by the patch
  
• Fixed the firing sound of the SAM site
  
• The steel crate pickup animation now plays for both sides
  
• Removed the special dinosaur death sound logic from the game, and linked the death sound to their dying animations instead
  
• Player-controlled visceroids now respond using dinosaur voices instead of normal unit voices
  
• The computer opponent can no longer capture your Advanced Communications Center
  
• The Advanced Communications Center is no longer capturable in multiplayer games
  
• Specified building types can now be made capturable in specific missions
  
• Renamed the Covert Ops and Special Ops mission files so they all have consecutive mission numbers, so fan-made missions can't show up in between the official ones
  
• Dinosaur campaigns added as two mini-campaigns (one for GDI, one for Nod), and put at the top of the New Missions list
  
• Radar logo can be overridden through the mission file
  
• NoEgoScreen option (to disable the score screen after the mission) can now be added in the mission file
  
• Mini-campaigns of up to 10 missions: missions started from the New Missions menu will now try to continue to their other variants (EB, EC, ED...)
  
• Official Japanese language from console versions added to the game (unit and EVA sounds only)
  
• Mission-specific house colour changes, controlled with ini keys in the mission file
  
• New language system that is 100% independent from settings in the exe file, allowing anyone to add new language addons. This system allows the names of multiplayer maps and missions from the New Missions menu to be overridden by the ones specified in the briefings file (normally mission.ini)
  
• Added numbers before the multiplayer game mode, so people see there are 4 of them (for example: "[2/4] Capture The Flag")
  
• Changed the fact helicopters stay passive in Nod mission 7 to an option in the mission's ini file, so people can use it in their own missions
  
• Added 3 new destroyable triggers for mission programming, bringing the total up to 6. You can now destroy triggers named UUUU, VVVV, WWWW, XXXX, YYYY and ZZZZ. This should facilitate multiplayer scripting since it's possible to make one destroyable trigger for each multi-House (typically, for "All Destroyed".)

Todo:

• Add power balance on the tooltip you get when you hold your mouse over the power bar (e.g. "Power Output: 480/700")
  
• Implement Nod-specific EVA option, and possible VoiceID option in missions. Maybe allow several other EVAs?
  
• Add controls for the exception that prevents Nod from building helipads, so it can be disabled in missions
  
• Move all special options to a rules.ini
  
• Make capturability of Advanced Comm Center into an ini key of the same kind as the PATSUX mode
  
• Allow mission-controlled radar logo image

[Nyerguds]

Some explanation on the mini-campaigns:

All missions in the New Missions menu ( = the Covert Ops menu) have (file)names ending on "EA" (like, SCG22EA). In the campaign, missions can also have variations of the EB, EC, etc type, for the different choices on the map. Despite the fact only EA, EB, EC, WA and WB are used in the campaign, the game technically allows up to 10 possible alternatives:

EA, EB, EC, ED, EE, WA, WB, WC, WD, WE (originally the last ones were L and not E, but I had to change that because of a problem with how the names are encoded)

The mini-campaigns system will make sure that each mission in the New Missions menu will try to continue to the next alternative in the row. So SCG22EA will continue to SCG22EB. Thus, this system allows each item in the New Missions menu to become the launcher of a mini-campaign of up to 10 missions.

This is done with a simple system that checks whether the next file exists, so all you need to do to make a mini-campaign is name your files accordingly

I originally implemented this system to add the Funpark missions into the New Missions menu as mini-campaigns (one for GDI and one for Nod), completely removing the need to start in Funpark mode.


Screenshot of the 4th (GDI) Funpark mission from the New Missions menu minicampaign. You see on the menu that the name is SCG20ED.

[Nyerguds]

I guess that for the sake of completeness, I'll explain the 'older' functions I added too:

Colour schemes

Colour schemes allow you to change the colours of the houses in a mission, and even assign a secondary colour like Nod uses. You can also assign custom radar colours, either by taking them from a different existing scheme, or by setting them manually as indexes on the game's colour palette.

Available tags, in reverse order of priority: (most general options to most specific options)
ColorScheme: Sets the colour scheme to use for this house. A colour scheme is the complete set of primary colour, secondary colour and radar colours.
SecondaryScheme: Sets the colour to use for the buildings of this house. The MCV and Harvester are also shown in this colour because of their transforming/docking animations with the differently-coloured buildings.
RadarScheme: Copies the radar colours from an existing colour scheme.
BuildingRadarColor: Sets an index on the colour palette to use as building radar colour.
UnitRadarColor: Sets an index on the colour palette to use as unit radar colour.

Available colour schemes:

• GDI (has different radar colour than MP yellow)
  
• Nod (grey with red as secondary colour and red radar colours)
  
• Yellow (Multiplayer yellow)
  
• Red (Multiplayer red)
  
• Teal (Multiplayer blue/greenish)
  
• Orange (Multiplayer orange)
  
• Green (Multiplayer green)
  
• Gray/Grey (Multiplayer light grey. The same colour as Nod's units in the normal game)
  
• Neutral (yellow remap, grey on radar. Used by house Special too)
  
• Jurassic (Neutral scheme with red radar colour; used for the Funpark missions)
  
• DarkGray/DarkGrey (new)
  
• Brown (new)

For the radar colours, the (non-crossed-out) colour indexes on this colour palette can be used:

(the crossed out colours are those that change between the theaters)

Example:

[GoodGuy]
Allies=GoodGuy
Edge=North
Credits=40
ColorScheme=Teal
SecondaryScheme=Green
BuildingRadarColor=211
UnitRadarColor=161

The result:

[Nyerguds]

Mission options

These options can be added in the [Basic] section of any mission. I'm including the older mission options from 1.06a too, but the last ones are new

Boolean options: These are all disabled by default. Put the value to "1" to enable. (e.g. "NoBibs=1")

CustomBuildlevel: Campaign missions only: This will force the game to read and use this mission's BuildLevel setting in the ini file. Normally, in the campaign, the game ignores this setting, and always uses the mission number as buildlevel instead. Note that since patch 1.06b, the global option that enables this is normally activated in the rules file.
TrueNames: Show true names for civilians and civilian buildings
SeparateHelipad: Build helipads without helicopters, for only $300
MCVUndeploy: Construction yard undeploys to MCV when you sell it
NoBibs: Disable concrete foundations under buildings
Patsux: Laser Orcas. Special upgrade implemented for the PATSUX Playstation mission
PassiveHelis: Makes AI helicopters remain on their helipad just like the player's helis. Note that this is not the same as "Sleep" mode: if you attack the helicopter it'll still retaliate.
NoEgoScreen: Disables the score screen after this mission.
RemoveBuildExceptions: Makes this mission ignore all build rule irregularities that were added for the campaigns. This unlocks the Nod helipad, APC and MLRS, and allows captured construction yards to build superweapons. It does NOT remove the build level restrictions though.
ForceBriefScreen: Forces the game to show a text briefing screen, even if it played a Briefing video.

Other options:

RadarLogo: With this, you can override the default GDI or Nod radar logo shown in a mission. I made this option to be able to show the T-rex radar logo in the Funpark minicampaign.
The value given to this option is actually the file extension for the SHP file it tries to load as radar logo (HRADAR.*). Existing ones in the game are GDI, NOD and JP (the dino logo), but the system can perfectly load custom ones added to the game. The way this is used in the Funpark minicampaign is simply "RadarLogo=JP".

Line breaks in briefings:
This feature already works in 1.06b. In mission briefings, you can end a line with ## to make the briefing window insert a line break at that point. This is already used in 1.06b too, for the Covert Ops mission "Infiltrated":

[Briefing]
1=Infiltration!##
2=Nod has breached our base in Eastern Sudan and has begun taking it
3=over! Recapture the base and reestablish our military dominance
4=in the area.

Note that the ## code only has effect when placed at the end of a line. Adding empty lines with ## works too.



Another planned mission feature is somehow making a specific building capturable in a specific mission, but I'm not 100% sure how to implement that yet.

[Nyerguds]

As promised, the mission-specific capturability. This largely enhances your choice in capture targets for missions

This works exactly like mission-specific building options in RA1 and later games. To make the Temple of Nod capturable, all you need to do is add this:

[TMPL]
Capturable=1

Note that this can also be used the other way around. You can perfectly use this to make the silos uncapturable:

[SILO]
Capturable=0

All buildings for which the option isn't specified in the ini file are left as they were, of couse. As with all options, use of savegames causes no bugs whatsoever; the changes all save and load correctly.

Before people start going nuts about RA1-rules.ini-like options, I immediately want to say that no other building-specific options like this are planned. This was mainly done to remove the problems with the Advanced Comm Center that was only capturable in Nod mission 12. Like the helicopters exception, this is now reduced to a general mission option.

[Melchior]

You Are Machine, Nyerguds Loi ^^ Simply Amazing.

[Speedy]

I want to start making my own campaign at some point. XD

Ofcourse, I'd actually prefer doing that with a newer game, but at least I now know it wont be impossible for me.

[Nyerguds]

Thanks for the support

Now if only I'd get that power label right...

[CCHyper]

Nyerguds, on 02 November 2009 - 02:53 PM, said:

Thanks for the support

Now if only I'd get that power label right...

Want me to code it for you?

[Frankaz]

Nyerguds you are indeed a true genius

[Nyerguds]

CCHyper, on 03 November 2009 - 02:49 PM, said:

Nyerguds, on 02 November 2009 - 02:53 PM, said:

Now if only I'd get that power label right...

Want me to code it for you?

If you can, then sure... but I really want it to look like the construction options cost. An extension of the label with the power balance, under the original string read from the strings file.

[Nyerguds]

To continue my series on "implemented features", I bring you:

The Language System

Despite all that other neat stuff, this is actually what I think is the crowning feature of v1.06c. But that's mostly just because I learned how to open, read and close custom ini files to pull this off.

The system itself is actually ridiculously simple. The game first reads the conquer.ini, and reads the language setting. So, now, as an example, say that the language is set to XXX.

(conquer.ini)
[Language]
Language=XXX

It then tries to open "lang_???.ini", where the '???' is replaced by the language string. So, in this case, "lang_XXX.ini".

Then, it just reads the values from that ini and replaces the original text strings or file names the game would use by these new ones. If some don't need to be replaced, they should simply be left out of the language ini file completely. Any unspecified options revert to the English defaults in the exe file. If the ini file for the configured language doesn't exist at all, then all options are simply reverted to the English defaults.

Here's the language ini, with suggested filenames:

(lang_XXX.ini)
[Language]
MisNametag=NameXXX
MisBrieftag=BriefXXX
StringsExt=XXX
Brieffile=miss_XXX.ini
CDDir=XXX
PCXTitleLo=ttlloXXX.pcx
PCXTitleHi=ttlhiXXX.pcx
MIXSpeech=speecXXX.mix
MIXTalk=talkXXX.mix
MIXIcnh=iXXX.mix
SHPPips=pipsXXX.shp
SHPRepair=reprXXX.shp
SHPSell=sellXXX.shp
SHPMap=mapXXX.shp
FNTGrad6=grad6XXX.fnt
FNT12green=12grnXXX.fnt
FNT12grngrd=12grdXXX.fnt
FNT8fat=8fatXXX.fnt
FNTVcr=VcrXXX.fnt
WSAMulScore=mltscXXX.wsa
CPSAttract=attrcXXX.cps

A special mixfile called "lang_???.mix" (again, with that language code) is provided to add all loose files for the language pack. Mixfiles can't be inside other mixfiles in C&C1 though.

The full explanation for all of the replaced files and strings can be found here. All the files necessary to make a new language pack can be found here, though some more strings may still be added to the strings file in the final 1.06c.

The basic language pack is normally a lang_XXX.mix file, in which this language ini file, the briefings file and any other loose files like SHP files and the mission briefings file are kept. Besides that, the packs usually also include the custom icons mixfiles, and possibly (EVA) speech and (unit) talk mixfiles.

v1.06c will only include the 4 languages in which C&C was originally released, namely, English, French, German and Japanese (speech & talk only, from the console versions). All of these are implemented with this language system.

The Spanish language that was added in 1.06b will be taken out and offered as external language pack. Siberian_GRemlin is most likely also going to release a Russian language pack... which is actually the only reason these font replacement tags exist

[Speedy]

Hehe.. sounds like it's only a matter before there's a dutch version of c&c

[Nyerguds]

Screw that. Did you know Dutch people actually complained on the EA forum when finding out their C&C3 was Dutch? We don't like translations. We can understand English well enough. Over here, none of the foreign TV shows are dubbed; only subtitled. The only dubbed shows are for children, so you can understand that translations of that kind seem patronizing.

Unless someone is crazy enough to do a full EVA and unit voices set in their language, I think the Spanish language addon will always remain the most complete one... well, maybe the Russians pull it off. They even fan-dubbed the videos
As for a Dutch voice set, then you immediately get the Dutch vs Flemish problem. The languages are technically the same, but when spoken in Dutch it sounds totally different than when spoken in Flemish. I guess it's a bit like comparing English with Scottish.


There IS a gentleman who made a British English language pack though, to fix the spelling of all briefings and text to Proper British
A Norwegian pack is also on the way, though I'll have to contact these people again to ask if they still want to continue it. After the delay with 1.06c, they kinda lost interest.

[Speedy]

..Actually.. I hated the dutch for CnC3 as well.

But that's cause it was done in the most horrible way possible- voices in-game, like 'enemy base detected', were removed completely, and alot of names of buildings were straight translated.

Units and Buildings should've had the same names, but if the objectives and such were translated I wouldn't have a problem with it.

[Nyerguds]

well, if you wanna do it, be my guest. The folder I linked to has a full guide. And feel free to record the most effeminate voice you can manage to get a new EVA

But then I'm doing the commando. Hah.

[Speedy]

...Actually.. of eigenlijk..

Ik zou veel liever ALLEEN de missie instructies en dergelijk willen vertalen, geen voices.

But ofcourse, I guess you're always welcome to do that.

[Nyerguds]

well, go ahead, the readme in that folder describes exactly how you can do that

Partial translations are no problem at all. You just make a lang_ned.ini (or lang_dut.ini, whatever you choose) with only the Brieffile= line in it, and just add the briefings file.

I just updated that briefings file on the site, btw, to have the dino missions as mini-campaigns, and to put all numbers of the covert ops missions together. This does mean that the dino missions are in there 3 times, but each time under different mission names.

[Nyerguds]

A bit of fun with the custom radar logo...

[nathancnc]

Awesome, just awesome!