Key points
- Released for free following the release of Red Alert 3.
- Completely playable on modern PCs after installing the 3.03p fan patch.
- CD/ISO installer is 16-bit and doesn't run under modern operating systems, see Availability for fanmade installers and workarounds.
- Emulation guide is available below.
General information
- CnC-Comm forums
- CNCNZ subforum
- Command & Conquer Wiki
- PortableRA and ra303p patch discussion
Availability
Template:Availability Table
Installing CDs/ISOs on modern Windows systems
- Like many 32-bit games released during the mid-90's, the game's installer is 16-bit. This and some other issues prevents you the game from being installed (using the ISOs released by EA or the game CDs) on modern operating systems and PCs.
- The web installer includes an option to install games from real or virtual CD drives and patch the installation afterwards. More information available at CnC-Comm forums.
Essential improvements
Patch
- This patch contains:
- Latest official 3.03 patch and community fixes (over 130)
- New optional mods (no changes to default graphics or gameplay by default)
- Support for newer Windows systems (including 64-bit)
- Online (by CnCNet) and LAN playability up to 8 players (with a new lobby)
- Support for higher resolutions
- No-CD option
- Missions from Counterstrike and Aftermath expansions
- Complete feature list.
- In the compatibility tab all compatibility options should be turned off.[1]
- Support for regular Red Alert installation, The First Decade and The Ultimate Collection.
Game data
Configuration file location
-
redalert.ini contains normal game settings.
-
ddraw.ini contains CnC-DDraw settings.
-
cncnet.ini contains CnCNet 5 settings.
Save game data location
Video settings
- These are video settings alongside the fan patch.
Template:Video settings
Input settings
Template:Input settings
Audio settings
Template:Audio settings
Online play
There are 2 online services to choose for Red Alert: XWIS and CnCNet 5. XWIS is the official replacement for Westwood's online service (WOL) which was shutdown in 2005. On the other hand, CnCNet 5 is supported by the community and runs by opening the external CnCNet 5 client. It's also the only service used by most of the online player base.
XWIS
XWIS is a community run replacement for Westwood Online (WOL), Westwood's online service. It's integrated directly into the game and the in-game 'Internet' menu uses this service. It's run by a community called Strike-Team and their official forums can found at http://xwis.net/forums/ . They do not seem to support Red Alert on their site nor forums. The online Red Alert community does not use XWIS, instead using CnCNet 5.
CnCNet 5
CnCNet 5 is another community run online service for older C&C games which uses an external client to launch the games it supports. It's where the online player base predominantly plays on. CnCNet 5 makes use of the ra303p patch to launch matches from its external client and to enable extra game options. CnCNet 5 also is automatically updated and comes with the ra303p patch, CnC-DDraw and a configuration tool. In addition to that it comes with better netcode support, the ability to pick spawn locations and set alliances, support for spectators and new game options plus map previews in the CnCNet 5 client. In the future a ladder will be added too.
In order to play the game online with CnCNet 5, you'll will need to download it from http://cncnet.org/download . On this page there also is a download link to a CnCNet 5 multiplayer version of the game which is about 15 MB in size. After downloading cncnet5.exe place it in your Red Alert game folder and run it. It should now download all needed files and prompt you to connect to the server with a name. Press the "Ok" button and then you're ready to play.
Issues unresolved
- This list assumes you're using the patch. If you experience a new game issue, please make a support thread on the CnC-Comm forums.
- Flickering mouse under cnc-ddraw (which is needed to fix game issues)
- Left-handed mouse setups have problems with selecting multiple units.[2]
Issues fixed
- If you have problems with The First Decade or The Ultimate Collection, be sure to check this FAQ on EA forums.
General fixes
Crash after overheating
No videos after installing the patch
Game is laggy after installing the patch
Game speed/Map scroll rate issue
No music in the portable version
Mac/Linux Emulation
- This is an emulation guide for the fan-made packs, not for the ISOs or CDs.
- PlayonLinux/PlayonMac can also be set up to play with the same configuration (if you want a step-by-step guide, go to FunkyFr3sh.cncnet.org).
- Install Wine through repositories or through official website and run or extract the installer under Wine.
- Inside 'winecfg' create configuration options for ra95.exe and under the Library tab, add overrides for 'wsock32.dll' and 'ddraw.dll'.
- Have fun!
- The configuration program requires .NET Framework 2.0.
- If the configuration program doesn't work, then you have to do configure the game manually in redalert.ini or the aforementioned ddraw.ini. The settings for the internal resolution, sound and multiplayer options (not CnCNet) and languages are in redalert.ini.
Other information
Language add-ons
- RA patch also adds support for multiple languages. Download them from PCGamingWiki repository.
- Available language packs: German, French, Russian, Spanish
Maps
- C&C has support for external maps, both multiplayer and singleplayer.
- Map editors can be downloaded inside CnCNet's game options.
- Cnc-Comm.com - Mapping discussion
Re-implementations
- OpenRA - Multi-platform, reimagined interface, multiplayer-only
System requirements
| Windows |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
| Operating system (OS) |
95 |
98 |
| Processor (CPU) |
Intel Pentium 75 MHz
| Intel Pentium 120 MHz |
| System memory (RAM) |
| |
| Hard disk drive (HDD) |
40 MB |
500 MB |
| Video card (GPU) |
PCI video card
1 MB of VRAM | |
| DOS |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
| Operating system (OS) |
5.0, Windows 3.1 |
6.2 |
| Processor (CPU) |
Intel 486 66 MHz
| Intel Pentium 75 MHz |
| System memory (RAM) |
| |
| Hard disk drive (HDD) |
40 MB | |
| Video card (GPU) |
VGA or MCGA (256 colour) video card | |
- ISA video cards are not supported
References
