Difference between revisions of "Command & Conquer: Red Alert"
(Modernized. A lot. Many things have merged or become obsolete.) |
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{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/series | Command & Conquer }} | {{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/series | Command & Conquer }} | ||
|official site= https://web.archive.org/web/19990223224652/http://www.westwood.com/games/ccuniverse/redalertpc/index.html | |official site= https://web.archive.org/web/19990223224652/http://www.westwood.com/games/ccuniverse/redalertpc/index.html | ||
− | |steam appid = | + | |steam appid = 2229840 |
|gogcom id = | |gogcom id = | ||
|hltb = 1837 | |hltb = 1837 | ||
Line 44: | Line 44: | ||
|introduction = | |introduction = | ||
− | |release history = All versions of ''Red Alert'' were combined DOS/Windows releases, despite some (primarily North American) boxes displaying one or the other on the front. | + | |release history = All versions of ''Red Alert'' were combined DOS/Windows releases, despite some (primarily North American) boxes displaying one or the other on the front. They differ in their default resolution and user interface, with the Windows version also supporting online multiplayer via Westwood Online's infrastructure instead of only LAN. The community gradually abandoned the DOS version once more powerful computers became more commonplace, and the Windows version is considered the ''de facto'' way to play. |
− | The '''''Counterstrike''''' expansion pack was released in April 1997 with a new set of missions, while '''''The Aftermath''''' followed in October 1997 with new units, its own set of campaigns, and balancing changes. The | + | The '''''Counterstrike''''' expansion pack was released in April 1997 with a new set of missions, while '''''The Aftermath''''' followed in October 1997 with new units, its own set of campaigns, and balancing changes. The expansions would be combined into the ''Retaliation'' release for the Sony PlayStation along with unique cutscenes for that platform, which were subsequently ported to the Windows release by the community, and were officially included in the ''[[Command & Conquer Remastered Collection|Remastered Collection]]'' version of the game in June 2020. |
− | The | + | The game received several patches, the latest batch of which (3.00-3.03) came out to a select group of testers in 1999 with rebalancing in mind (primarily for ''The Aftermath''), but was quietly pulled by the developers for unknown reasons, yet shared small parts of the underlying code with the then-upcoming ''[[Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun|Tiberian Sun]]''. |
The base version of ''Red Alert'' was made available as freeware on August 31, 2008 to promote the release of ''[[Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3|Red Alert 3]]''. | The base version of ''Red Alert'' was made available as freeware on August 31, 2008 to promote the release of ''[[Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3|Red Alert 3]]''. | ||
|current state = The Windows version has multiple issues running on modern systems without modification, ranging from [[#Installing CDs/ISOs on modern Windows systems|installation issues due to a 16-bit installer]] to rendering and launch issues. The unofficial [[#3.03p Fan Patch|3.03p]] fan patch alleviates all compatibility problems and long-standing gameplay bugs, and is integrated with [https://cncnet.org/ CnCNet]. Homepages of both projects include modified downloads of the full game, so as to simplify installation for new users, making the official freeware ISO images obsolete. | |current state = The Windows version has multiple issues running on modern systems without modification, ranging from [[#Installing CDs/ISOs on modern Windows systems|installation issues due to a 16-bit installer]] to rendering and launch issues. The unofficial [[#3.03p Fan Patch|3.03p]] fan patch alleviates all compatibility problems and long-standing gameplay bugs, and is integrated with [https://cncnet.org/ CnCNet]. Homepages of both projects include modified downloads of the full game, so as to simplify installation for new users, making the official freeware ISO images obsolete. | ||
+ | |||
+ | The official multiplayer service, Westwood Online, was redirected to the also community-run [https://xwis.net/ XWIS] server in 2005 in agreement with [[Company:Electronic Arts|EA]]'s German community team<ref name="XWIS2005">{{Refurl|url=https://ppmforums.com/topic-9241/bye-bye-wol-xwis-is-the-official-online-gaming-service-now/|title=Bye Bye WOL! XWIS is the official online gaming service now! <nowiki>|</nowiki> Project Perfect Mod|date=2024-03-08}}</ref>, and using the in-game multiplayer menus lead to it without any additional configuration, but this service is presently seldom used due to CnCNet's quality-of-life improvements. | ||
Open-source versions with continued development are found in the [https://github.com/TheAssemblyArmada/Vanilla-Conquer Vanilla Conquer] repository, based on the official source code of the ''Remastered Collection'' version of the game. | Open-source versions with continued development are found in the [https://github.com/TheAssemblyArmada/Vanilla-Conquer Vanilla Conquer] repository, based on the official source code of the ''Remastered Collection'' version of the game. | ||
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{{mm}} [https://cncnz.com/games/red-alert/ Red Alert section on CNCNZ.com] | {{mm}} [https://cncnz.com/games/red-alert/ Red Alert section on CNCNZ.com] | ||
{{mm}} [http://ra.afraid.org/ Red Alert Archive] - old fansite with a lot of custom content | {{mm}} [http://ra.afraid.org/ Red Alert Archive] - old fansite with a lot of custom content | ||
+ | {{mm}} [https://steamcommunity.com/app/2229840/discussions/ Steam Community Discussions] | ||
==Availability== | ==Availability== | ||
{{Availability| | {{Availability| | ||
{{Availability/row| Retail | | Disc | All discs, including the 2008 freeware ISO release, include both the DOS and Windows version. | | DOS, Windows }} | {{Availability/row| Retail | | Disc | All discs, including the 2008 freeware ISO release, include both the DOS and Windows version. | | DOS, Windows }} | ||
+ | {{Availability/row| Retail | | disc | The Windows version included in The First Decade has no disc check. The terrain editors and the DOS version still have disc checks. | | DOS, Windows }} | ||
{{Availability/row| official | https://web.archive.org/web/20100216115944/http://www.commandandconquer.com/classic | disc | Version that has been released for free by EA. | | DOS, Windows }} | {{Availability/row| official | https://web.archive.org/web/20100216115944/http://www.commandandconquer.com/classic | disc | Version that has been released for free by EA. | | DOS, Windows }} | ||
− | {{Availability/row| Origin | command-and-conquer/command-and-conquer-the-ultimate-collection | Origin | Bundled as part of Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collection; includes both expansions. | + | {{Availability/row| Origin | command-and-conquer/command-and-conquer-the-ultimate-collection | Origin | Bundled as part of Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collection; includes both expansions. Pre-packaged with [[Glossary:Display wrapper|DDrawCompat]]. Included with {{Store feature|EA Play}}. <br> [https://www.ea.com/games/command-and-conquer/command-and-conquer-the-ultimate-collection/buy/pc Manual link for EA App purchase]. | | Windows }} |
+ | {{Availability/row| Steam | 2229840 | Steam | Bundled as part of {{Store link|Steam-bundle|39394|Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collection}}; includes both expansions. Pre-packaged with [[Glossary:Display wrapper|DDrawCompat]]. Included with {{Store feature|EA Play}}.<br>The game can be run without Steam if {{file|ra95.dat}} is renamed to an {{file|.exe}} file.<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Plok|date=2024-03-09}}</ref> | | Windows }} | ||
}} | }} | ||
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{{DLC| | {{DLC| | ||
− | {{DLC/row| Counterstrike | | + | {{DLC/row| Counterstrike | | DOS, Windows }} |
− | {{DLC/row| The Aftermath | | + | {{DLC/row| The Aftermath | | DOS, Windows }} |
}} | }} | ||
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|origin = true | |origin = true | ||
|origin notes = | |origin notes = | ||
− | |steam cloud = | + | |steam cloud = true |
|steam cloud notes = | |steam cloud notes = | ||
|ubisoft connect = | |ubisoft connect = | ||
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|audio = true | |audio = true | ||
|subtitles = false | |subtitles = false | ||
− | |notes = | + | |notes = |
}} | }} | ||
{{L10n/switch | {{L10n/switch | ||
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|audio = true | |audio = true | ||
|subtitles = false | |subtitles = false | ||
− | |notes = Censored | + | |notes = Censored. |
}} | }} | ||
{{L10n/switch | {{L10n/switch | ||
Line 326: | Line 331: | ||
}} | }} | ||
}} | }} | ||
− | |||
{{++}} RA patch also adds support for [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/89-cc-red-alert-language-add-ons/ Language add-ons]. | {{++}} RA patch also adds support for [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/89-cc-red-alert-language-add-ons/ Language add-ons]. | ||
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|lan play players = 8 | |lan play players = 8 | ||
|lan play modes = Versus | |lan play modes = Versus | ||
− | |lan play notes = Uses IPX protocol. Use | + | |lan play notes = Uses IPX protocol. Use [[#3.03p Fan Patch|3.03p fan patch]] or [https://www.solemnwarning.net/ipxwrapper/ IPXwrapper] to work around this.<br>Alternatively, the [https://cncnet.org CnCNet] client includes its own workaround. |
|online play = true | |online play = true | ||
|online play players = 8 | |online play players = 8 | ||
|online play modes = Versus | |online play modes = Versus | ||
− | |online play notes = Lobbies point to [https://xwis.net/ XWIS] by default since 2005 as part of an agreement with EA, | + | |online play notes = Lobbies point to [https://xwis.net/ XWIS] by default since October 20, 2005 as part of an agreement with EA.<ref name="XWIS2005" /> [https://cncnet.org/ CnCNet] is a more popular alternative, and uses the [[#3.03p Fan Patch|3.03p fan patch]] to re-enable support alongside a wide range of other features (spectator mode, private games, alliances, spawn location selection and more). |
|asynchronous = | |asynchronous = | ||
|asynchronous notes = | |asynchronous notes = | ||
Line 353: | Line 357: | ||
|p2p notes = | |p2p notes = | ||
|dedicated = hackable | |dedicated = hackable | ||
− | |dedicated notes = [ | + | |dedicated notes = [https://cncnet.org/status CnCNet] allows this. |
|self-hosting = true | |self-hosting = true | ||
|self-hosting notes = | |self-hosting notes = |
Revision as of 13:51, 9 March 2024
This page is for the original 1996 game. For the 2020 remastered version, see Command & Conquer Remastered Collection.
Developers | |
---|---|
Westwood Studios | |
Expansions | Intelligent Games |
Publishers | |
1995-1998 | Virgin Interactive |
1998-present | Electronic Arts |
Re-release | Sold Out Software |
Release dates | |
DOS | November 22, 1996 |
Windows | November 22, 1996 |
Reception | |
Metacritic | 90 |
Taxonomy | |
Monetization | Freeware, Expansion pack, Subscription gaming service |
Modes | Singleplayer, Multiplayer |
Pacing | Real-time |
Perspectives | Top-down view |
Controls | Multiple select, Point and select |
Genres | RTS |
Themes | Europe, Sci-fi |
Series | Command & Conquer |
⤏ Go to series page | |
Command & Conquer | 1995 |
Command & Conquer: Red Alert | 1996 |
Command & Conquer: Sole Survivor | 1997 |
Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun | 1999 |
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 | 2000 |
Command & Conquer: Renegade | 2002 |
Command & Conquer: Generals | 2003 |
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars | 2007 |
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 | 2008 |
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 - Uprising | 2009 |
Command & Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight | 2010 |
OpenRA (unofficial) | 2010 |
Command & Conquer (2013) | Cancelled |
Command & Conquer Remastered Collection | 2020 |
Renegade X (unofficial) | EA |
Command & Conquer: Red Alert is a singleplayer and multiplayer top-down view RTS game in the Command & Conquer series.
All versions of Red Alert were combined DOS/Windows releases, despite some (primarily North American) boxes displaying one or the other on the front. They differ in their default resolution and user interface, with the Windows version also supporting online multiplayer via Westwood Online's infrastructure instead of only LAN. The community gradually abandoned the DOS version once more powerful computers became more commonplace, and the Windows version is considered the de facto way to play.
The Counterstrike expansion pack was released in April 1997 with a new set of missions, while The Aftermath followed in October 1997 with new units, its own set of campaigns, and balancing changes. The expansions would be combined into the Retaliation release for the Sony PlayStation along with unique cutscenes for that platform, which were subsequently ported to the Windows release by the community, and were officially included in the Remastered Collection version of the game in June 2020.
The game received several patches, the latest batch of which (3.00-3.03) came out to a select group of testers in 1999 with rebalancing in mind (primarily for The Aftermath), but was quietly pulled by the developers for unknown reasons, yet shared small parts of the underlying code with the then-upcoming Tiberian Sun.
The base version of Red Alert was made available as freeware on August 31, 2008 to promote the release of Red Alert 3.
The Windows version has multiple issues running on modern systems without modification, ranging from installation issues due to a 16-bit installer to rendering and launch issues. The unofficial 3.03p fan patch alleviates all compatibility problems and long-standing gameplay bugs, and is integrated with CnCNet. Homepages of both projects include modified downloads of the full game, so as to simplify installation for new users, making the official freeware ISO images obsolete.
The official multiplayer service, Westwood Online, was redirected to the also community-run XWIS server in 2005 in agreement with EA's German community team[1], and using the in-game multiplayer menus lead to it without any additional configuration, but this service is presently seldom used due to CnCNet's quality-of-life improvements.
Open-source versions with continued development are found in the Vanilla Conquer repository, based on the official source code of the Remastered Collection version of the game.
General information
- Command & Conquer Wiki - A wiki for everything Command & Conquer-related
- CnCNet (multiplayer replacement)
- Red Alert section on CNC.community
- Red Alert section on C&C Communications Center
- Red Alert section on CNCNZ.com
- Red Alert Archive - old fansite with a lot of custom content
- Steam Community Discussions
Availability
Source | DRM | Notes | Keys | OS |
---|---|---|---|---|
Retail | All discs, including the 2008 freeware ISO release, include both the DOS and Windows version. | |||
Retail | The Windows version included in The First Decade has no disc check. The terrain editors and the DOS version still have disc checks. | |||
Official website | Version that has been released for free by EA. | |||
Origin | Bundled as part of Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collection; includes both expansions. Pre-packaged with DDrawCompat. Included with EA Play. Manual link for EA App purchase. |
|||
Steam | Bundled as part of Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collection; includes both expansions. Pre-packaged with DDrawCompat. Included with EA Play (Steam). The game can be run without Steam if ra95.dat is renamed to an .exe file.[2] |
Monetization
Type | Notes |
---|---|
Expansion pack | The expansion packs includes new campaigns, maps, and units. |
Freeware | Released for free by Electronic Arts in 2008. Expansion packs are de facto considered free by the community and distributed without issue. |
Subscription gaming service | Available via EA Play. |
DLC and expansion packs
Name | Notes | |
---|---|---|
Counterstrike | ||
The Aftermath |
Unofficial downloads
- RA1 Installer is a modified installer that can either download the game, install it from existing CDs/ISOs or patch an existing installation. Extra contents can be downloaded depending on the settings used.
- Vanilla Conquer provides native source port builds based on source code released with the Remastered Collection.
- OpenRA is a modernized open-source version, but with considerable changes to the gameplay which were not part of the original design.
- Mac OSX Wineskin package - Mac-compatible web installer that works outside the box. Includes single-player campaign and extra contents for the single-player.
Installing CDs/ISOs on modern Windows systems
- Like many 32-bit games released during the mid-'90s, the game's installer is 16-bit. This and some other issues prevents the game from being installed (using the ISOs released by EA or the game CDs) on modern operating systems and PCs.
- The RA1 Installer (see above) includes an option to install games from original CDs/ISOs and patch the installation afterwards. More information available at CnCNet forums.
Essential improvements
Patches
Official
- Official patches are available.
3.03p Fan Patch
- Patch is included in the installation via RA1 Installer (see above).
- Not necessary to download when using fan-made packages, as it is already present there.
- This patch contains:
- Latest official 3.03 patch and community fixes (over 130) which range from compatibility tweaks to fixes for long-standing bugs.
- Includes several graphics renderers, as well as support for higher resolutions
- New optional mods (no changes to default graphics or gameplay by default)
- Online (via CnCNet) and LAN playability up to 8 players
- No-CD option
- Missions from Counterstrike and Aftermath expansions if not installed beforehand (including their soundtracks and PSX-exclusive cutscenes)
- Complete feature list.
- In the compatibility tab for all executables, all compatibility options should be turned off except running as administrator.[3]
- Supports all retail releases (including The First Decade), official freeware ISOs and The Ultimate Collection.
Game data
Configuration file(s) location
System | Location |
---|---|
DOS | |
Windows | <path-to-game>\*.ini[Note 1] |
Steam Play (Linux) | <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2229840/pfx/[Note 2] |
-
redalert.ini
contains normal game settings. -
ddraw.ini
contains CnC-DDraw settings (present after patch). -
cncnet.ini
contains CnCNet settings.
Save game data location
System | Location |
---|---|
DOS | |
Windows | <path-to-game>\savegame.***[Note 1] |
Steam Play (Linux) | <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/2229840/pfx/[Note 2] |
Save game cloud syncing
System | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
Origin | ||
Steam Cloud |
Video
Graphics feature | State | WSGF | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Widescreen resolution | A fan patch is required. | ||
Multi-monitor | |||
Ultra-widescreen | |||
4K Ultra HD | |||
Field of view (FOV) | |||
Windowed | A fan patch is required. | ||
Borderless fullscreen windowed | A fan patch is required. Disable borders, enable windowed, then stretch the resolution in the patch configuration program. | ||
Anisotropic filtering (AF) | |||
Anti-aliasing (AA) | |||
Vertical sync (Vsync) | A fan patch is required. Be sure to enable OpenGL too.[citation needed] | ||
60 FPS | A fan patch is required. | ||
120+ FPS | A fan patch is required. |
Input
Keyboard and mouse | State | Notes |
---|---|---|
Remapping | A fan patch is required. | |
Mouse acceleration | ||
Mouse sensitivity | For DOSBox set in the DOSBox configuration file. | |
Mouse input in menus | ||
Mouse Y-axis inversion | ||
Controller | ||
Controller support | For DOSBox use the DOSBox Mapper (see the glossary page for other workarounds). |
Controller types |
---|
Audio
Audio feature | State | Notes |
---|---|---|
Separate volume controls | ||
Surround sound | ||
Subtitles | ||
Closed captions | ||
Mute on focus lost | ||
Royalty free audio |
Localizations
Language | UI | Audio | Sub | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
English | ||||
French | ||||
German | Censored. | |||
Russian | Partial audio support; fan translation, see Language add-ons. | |||
Spanish | Fan translation, see Language add-ons. |
- RA patch also adds support for Language add-ons.
Network
Multiplayer types
Type | Native | Players | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
LAN play | 8 | Versus Uses IPX protocol. Use 3.03p fan patch or IPXwrapper to work around this. Alternatively, the CnCNet client includes its own workaround. |
||
Online play | 8 | Versus Lobbies point to XWIS by default since October 20, 2005 as part of an agreement with EA.[1] CnCNet is a more popular alternative, and uses the 3.03p fan patch to re-enable support alongside a wide range of other features (spectator mode, private games, alliances, spawn location selection and more). |
Connection types
Type | Native | Notes |
---|---|---|
Matchmaking | ||
Peer-to-peer | ||
Dedicated | CnCNet allows this. | |
Self-hosting | ||
Direct IP |
Issues unresolved
- This list assumes that the 3.03p fan patch is installed. If you experience a new game issue, please make a support thread on the CnCNet forums.
- Flickering mouse under cnc-ddraw
- Left-handed mouse setups have problems with selecting multiple units.[4]
Issues fixed
General fixes
Checklist for general troubleshooting[citation needed] |
---|
|
Crash after overheating
Edit ddraw.ini and enable singlecpu [5]
|
---|
Game is laggy after installing the patch
Change the renderer in the fan patch's configuration tool[6] |
---|
"Unable to set video mode" error
Possible fixes[citation needed] |
---|
|
No music in the portable version
Go to CnCNet lobby and download the music in the settings[citation needed] |
---|
No videos after installing the patch
Download the videos separately[citation needed] |
---|
If the game was installed manually from the CD or official ISOs, the no-CD option in the fan patch's configuration tool is ignoring the movie files on the disc, in which case they need to be copied to |
Cannot Alt+Tab
From the fan patch's configuration tool, set the renderer to either OpenGL or Direct3D 9. |
---|
Other information
API
Technical specs | Supported | Notes |
---|---|---|
DirectDraw | 3 | |
DOS video modes | MCGA, VGA |
Executable | 32-bit | 64-bit | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Windows |
Middleware
Middleware | Notes | |
---|---|---|
Cutscenes | VQA | |
Multiplayer | Westwood Online |
Maps
- CnCNet includes its own online map folder.
- Map editors can be downloaded inside CnCNet's game options.
System requirements
DOS | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | Recommended | |
Operating system (OS) | 5.0 | 6.2 |
Processor (CPU) | Intel 486 66 MHz | Intel Pentium 75 MHz |
System memory (RAM) | 8 MB | 16 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 40 MB | |
Video card (GPU) | VGA or MCGA (256 colour) video card |
Windows | ||
---|---|---|
Minimum | Recommended | |
Operating system (OS) | 3.1, 95 | 98 |
Processor (CPU) | Intel Pentium 75 MHz | Intel Pentium 120 MHz |
System memory (RAM) | 8 MB | 16 MB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) | 40 MB | 500 MB |
Video card (GPU) | PCI video card 1 MB of VRAM DirectX 3 compatible |
- ISA video cards are not supported
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below
%PROGRAMFILES%
,%PROGRAMDATA%
, or%WINDIR%
might be redirected to%LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore
on Windows Vista and later (more details). - ↑ 2.0 2.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
- File/folder structure within this directory reflects the path(s) listed for Windows and/or Steam game data.
- Games with Steam Cloud support may also store data in
~/.steam/steam/userdata/<user-id>/2229840/
. - Use Wine's registry editor to access any Windows registry paths.
- The app ID (2229840) may differ in some cases.
- Treat backslashes as forward slashes.
- See the glossary page for details on Windows data paths.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Bye Bye WOL! XWIS is the official online gaming service now! | Project Perfect Mod - last accessed on 2024-03-08
- ↑ Verified by User:Plok on 2024-03-09
- ↑ CnC-DDraw optimal configuration - last accessed on May 2023
- ↑ C&C Comm Center - RA95 Can't select (drag) multiple units - last accessed on May 2023
- ↑ C&C Comm Center - C&C overheats my laptop - last accessed on May 2023
- ↑ C&C Comm Center - CnC95 laggy and unresponsive after gold edition patch, help! - last accessed on May 2023