Warnings
- The macOS (OS X) version of this game does not work on macOS Catalina (version 10.15) or later due to the removal of support for 32-bit-only apps.
- GameSpy online services have been shut down (see Network for solutions).
Key points
- Small but dedicated community.
- Frame rate is capped at 30 FPS.
General information
- Command & Conquer Wiki - A wiki for everything Command & Conquer-related
- C&C:Online - fan-hosted multiplayer server replacement (Windows version only)
- Red Alert 3 on CNC.community
- Red Alert 3 section on CNCNZ.com
- Red Alert 3 section on GameReplays.org
- Steam Community Discussions
Availability
Monetization
Essential improvements
Skip intro videos
Delete or rename movie files[3]
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- Go to
<path-to-game>\Data\Movies\ .
- Delete or rename
RA3_EA_logo.vp6 , RA3_Gameplay_720p.vp6 , and RedAlertLogo.vp6 .
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Patches
- The Steam and Origin versions are already patched to the latest version.
- Retail Windows Red Alert 3 patch v1.12 can be downloaded in many languages from CNCNZ or Patches-Scrolls.
Command & Conquer Ultimate Collection Fixed Launchers (Origin)
An unofficial patch that provides a slight enhancement to the default launchers provided with the Command & Conquer: The Ultimate Collection version (fixes registry entries and allows command line arguments to function properly).
It can be downloaded from ModDB.
Speed up loading
Use the RA3 Quickloader
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Upon launch, the game attempts to look up an EA server which used to distribute relevant news for the game. Since it has been offline since the late 2010s and the timeout is relatively long, loading the game may take a while.
- Go to
<path-to-game>\ .
- Make a backup of
RA3.exe .
- Download the fixed version from this page and replace
RA3.exe .
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Switch GPUs
Set a Default Graphics Card in Windows 10
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Red Alert 3 apparently prioritizes the integrated graphics card over the dedicated one in systems with two GPUs. If the integrated card runs the game slowly because it is not as powerful as the dedicated one, this may result in severe slowdown when running the game at Ultra Settings. Normally this fix is simply accomplished by using the Windows 10 graphical setup to select the High Performance GPU, but Red Alert 3 requires an extra step (if running the latest version, 1.12):
- Go to the "Data" folder, it would normally be located in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Electronic Arts\Red Alert 3\Data."
- You will see several files with the ".game" extension. You must rename the file "ra3_1.12.game" to "ra3_1.12.game.exe" (simply add the ".exe" extension). If your version of Red Alert 3 is not the 1.12 version, simply do this with the latest version you have.
- Open “Settings.”
- Select “System” then “Display.”
- Beneath the “Multiple displays” section, click on “Graphics settings.”
- Choose the app via the pull-down menu: ...
- Once you've selected the app from the drop-down menu, click the “Add” button.
- Add "ra3_1.12.game.exe" to the list, left-click on it and select options, then click on "High Performance".
- The game will now run on the dedicated graphics card instead of the integratead one, ensuring maximum performance.
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Worldbuilder (map editor)
- There is a "standard version" (2.0) for most users, available from CNCNZ, ModDB and CnCLabs.
- A separate, significantly larger version, is meant for use with the official mod SDK, available from CNCNZ, ModDB and CnCLabs.
- Maps created with either Worldbuilder are not meant for the Uprising standalone expansion pack and may result in broken terrain.
- The Origin release has a missing registry key by default, preventing custom maps from displaying.
Edit registry key for Origin release[4]
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- Run the Registry Editor and go to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Electronic Arts\Electronic Arts\Red Alert 3 .
- Add a DWORD value titled
UseLocalUserMaps and leave it at 0 .
- Close the Registry Editor.
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Game data
In-game general settings.
Configuration file(s) location
Save game data location
System |
Native |
Notes |
Origin |
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Only available through The Ultimate Collection version |
Steam Cloud |
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Video
Set custom resolution[5]
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- Go to
%APPDATA%\Red Alert 3\Profiles\<user-id>\
- Open
options.ini .
- Change
Resolution xxx xxx to your desired resolution.
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Input
In-game key map settings.
Audio
Audio feature |
State |
Notes |
Separate volume controls |
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Surround sound |
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Only supports Stereo audio. |
Subtitles |
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Closed captions |
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Mute on focus lost |
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Localizations
Language |
UI |
Audio |
Sub |
Notes |
English |
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Traditional Chinese |
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Retail only. |
Czech |
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French |
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German |
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Hungarian |
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Italian |
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Korean |
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Retail only. A low quality translation. Subtitles are completely out of sync. Somewhat fixed in 1.07 patch, but issues still remain. A fan made patch is available to improve the translation. |
Polish |
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Russian |
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Spanish |
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Thai |
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Retail only. |
Network
In-game network settings.
Multiplayer types
Type |
Native |
Players |
Notes |
LAN play |
| 6 |
Versus Regular PvP/PvE only; campaign co-op requires online. |
Online play |
| 6 |
Versus, Co-op Official servers have been shut down. Possible with C&C:Online. |
Connection types
Ports
Protocol |
Port(s) and/or port range(s) |
TCP |
80, 3783, 4321, 6660-6669, 28900, 29900, 29901 |
UDP |
6515, 6500, 13139, 27900 |
- Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.
Issues fixed
Game crashes on startup with an "application error" when launched from executable (Steam)
Create missing file
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- Go to <path-to-game>
- Create a new file named
steam_appid.txt .
- Open the file and insert the game's Steam application ID (
17480 ).
- Save the file.
- The game will still require an active Steam client to run, but will no longer crash on the attempt to run directly from the executable.
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Game does not start (Origin, The Ultimate Collection)
Disable Origin In Game[citation needed]
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- Select the My Games tab in Origin.
- Right-click Red Alert 3/Uprising and select "Game Properties".
- Check the "Disable Origin in Game for this game" option.
- Click OK and launch the game.
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Other information
API
Technical specs |
Supported |
Notes |
Direct3D |
9 |
|
OpenGL |
|
OS X only. |
Shader Model support |
3 |
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Executable |
32-bit |
64-bit |
Notes |
Windows |
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macOS (OS X) | |
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This 32-bit-only macOS game does not work on macOS Catalina (10.15) or later. |
Middleware
|
Middleware |
Notes |
Cutscenes |
On2 VP6 |
|
Multiplayer |
GameSpy |
Shut down in 2014. |
System requirements
Windows |
|
Minimum |
Recommended |
Operating system (OS) |
XP |
Vista |
Processor (CPU) |
AMD Athlon XP 2200+ Intel Pentium 4 2.2 GHz |
AMD Athlon XP 2800+ Intel Pentium 4 2.6 GHz |
System memory (RAM) |
1 GB |
2 GB |
Hard disk drive (HDD) |
10 GB | |
Video card (GPU) |
ATI Radeon X1800 Nvidia GeForce 6800 DirectX 9.0c compatible | |
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
References