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Command & Conquer: Generals

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Revision as of 20:40, 23 October 2019 by 213.124.163.208 (talk)
Command & Conquer: Generals
Command & Conquer: Generals cover
Developers
EA Pacific[1][2]
Zero Hour EA Los Angeles
macOS (OS X) i5works[3][4]
Publishers
Electronic Arts
OS X Aspyr Media
Engines
SAGE
Release dates
Windows February 10, 2003
macOS (OS X) April 14, 2004
Command & Conquer: Generals guide on StrategyWiki
Command & Conquer: Generals on Wikipedia

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).
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

Key points

Small but dedicated community.
The Mac App Store 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. An official 64-bit update is in the planning to make it compatible again with macOS Catalina. [5]
Framerate is tied to gamespeed: 30 FPS.

General information

C&C:Online - fan-hosted multiplayer server replacement (Windows version only)
EA's Official Command & Conquer site
Command & Conquer Wiki - A wiki for everything Command & Conquer-related

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
CD key
SafeDisc DRM[Note 1].
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Mac App Store
Icon overlay.png
Deluxe Edition. Updated for compatibility with modern systems. Multiplayer is not compatible with the Windows and original OS X releases.
macOS (OS X)
Origin
Origin
Bundled with other games in the franchise up to Tiberian Twilight.
Included with EA Play.
Windows
SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows Vista and later (see above for affected versions).
Deluxe Edition includes the base game and the Zero Hour expansion

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Command & Conquer: Generals – Zero Hour Comes bundled with the The First Decade and Ultimate Collection compilations.
Windows
macOS (OS X)

Essential improvements

Patches

The Origin- and Mac App Store versions are already patched to the latest version.

The latest version of the patches:

Official released extra map and mission (Generals only)

For Generals, EA Pacific released a official extra map and mission that were not included in the game standardly.
  1. Download the single-player GLA-mission Black Sheep; an official campaign mission which was cut from the final release, but was released in 2009 by EA.
  2. Download the skirmish/multiplayer map Flash Fire for two players.
  3. Extract the folders from the ZIP-files.
  4. Place the folders in %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Command and Conquer Generals Data\Maps to be able to use them in-game.
  5. Start Generals (NOT Zero Hour).
  6. Click on Solo Play
  7. Click on Skirmish
  8. Click on Select map
  9. Click on Unofficial maps
  10. Click on either Black Sheep or Flash Fire.
  11. Click on Accept to use the mission or map.
  12. Click on Play game for the Black Sheep mission or setup the skirmish Force Fire map.

Gentool

Still actively supported and updated.
It restores online play and contains many enhancements and fixes for the game.
Gentool is compatible with all the Windows-versions of Generals.
Gentool requires the game and expansion pack to be patched to the latest version.

Gentool provides enhanced game controls, optimizations and fixes for both Generals and its expansion pack Zero Hour. The latest version can be downloaded from here.

The main features of Gentool include: [9]

  • Redirects the online login screen to the C&C:Online server instead of the closed GameSpy ones to restore the online services.
  • Crash and exploit fixes.
  • Support for custom widescreen resolution.
  • Better compatibility with recent Windows versions.
  • Better anti-cheat detection for online play and replays.
  • Adjustable camera height, pitch and rotation.
  • Adjustable scroll speed.
  • Adjustable FPS limiter (when the game runs too fast.)
  • Contains an internal update mechanism to keep Gentool up-to-date and download the latest version of extra maps that can be used in skirmish or online play.
  • Includes a automatic patch that allows up to 1200 maps to be used in-game.

The in-game Gentool menu, where you can access all these features, can be opened by pressing the Insert-key on the keyboard.

Get online play working again (Windows)

Get network play working again[citation needed]
This is more stable, provides more functionalities and features better anti-cheat than other VPN-based solutions, like GameRanger.
There is no official online play available anymore since GameSpy shut down.
Your game needs to be patched to the latest version for this to work!
C&C:Online is a free community-made and -managed online server for the game, allowing you to log in and continue playing online just like you could when the GameSpy-servers were still online.
Gentool is needed to redirect the login screen to the C&C:Online servers instead of the closed GameSpy ones. It also provides an anti-cheat solution for online games.
  1. Download and install Gentool.
  2. Sign up on C&COnline.
  3. Activate your account by clicking on the activation-link in the confirmation mail your received.
  4. Choose a server login and password.
  5. Start the game.
  6. Login online in the game with the e-mail address you used to register, your server password and a nickname of your choice.

Mod-support: Unofficial Ultimate Collection Fixed Launchers (Origin)

Only needed if you need mod-support and command-line parameters for The Ultimate Collection.
The maker of these launchers ("Bibber") dropped support for the launchers. [10]
It's likely that the launchers will stop working after a future Origin update. You will then have to uninstall it.

An unofficial patch that provides a slight enhancement to the default launchers provided with the Origin release (fixes registry entries and allows command line arguments to function properly).

Its last released version can be downloaded from CNCNZ. These launchers can be simply uninstalled by using the repair option in Origin for each game in The Ultimate Collection.

Skip startup game intro

Move, delete or rename the intro-video's[citation needed]
This can be done on all Windows versions of the game.
You need to apply this to both Generals and its expansion pack.
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\Data\english\Movies
  2. Move, delete or rename the following files: EA_LOGO.BIK, EA_LOGO640.BIK, sizzle_review.bik and sizzle_review640.bik.

Skip all mission news intro videos (Zero Hour)

Move, delete or rename the mission intro-videos[citation needed]
This can be done on all Windows versions of the game.
  1. Go to <path-to-game>\Data\english\Movies of your Zero Hour installation
  2. Move, delete or rename all the videos of which the name begins with MD_.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Command and Conquer Generals Data\
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour Data\
macOS (OS X) ~/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.command.conquer.generals.appstore/Data/Documents/Command & Conquer Generals/User Data/
~/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.command.conquer.generals.appstore/Data/Documents/Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour/User Data/

Save game data location

System Location
Windows %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Command and Conquer Generals Data\Save\
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour Data\Save\
macOS (OS X) ~/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.command.conquer.generals.appstore/Data/Documents/Command & Conquer Generals/User Data/Save/
~/Library/Containers/com.aspyr.command.conquer.generals.appstore/Data/Documents/Command & Conquer Generals Zero Hour/User Data/Save/

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Origin
OneDrive
Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.

Video settings

In-game options screen.
In-game options screen.
In-game advanced video settings.
In-game advanced video settings.
In-game options screen for Zero Hour expansion.
In-game options screen for Zero Hour expansion.
In-game advanced video settings for Zero Hour expansion.
In-game advanced video settings for Zero Hour expansion.

Template:Video settings

Widescreen resolution

Setting the game to a resolution that is normally not available in-game, causes the game to crash after alt-tabbing out of the game for the second time.
Set widescreen-resolution in-game with Gentool[citation needed]
Gentool allows you to set common widescreen resolution in-game.
Gentool also automatically adjusts camera height according to the resolution. [11]
  1. Install Gentool.
  2. Open Generals or Zero Hour.
  3. Go to the in-game Options-menu.
  4. Set the game to a resolution of your liking.
Set resolution manually in Options.ini[citation needed]
Can be used in case Gentool doesn't allow to set the specific unusual resolution you want.
  1. For Generals, open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Command and Conquer Generals Data\Options.ini
  2. For Zero Hour, open %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour Data\Options.ini
  3. Change the Resolution line to your liking, like this:

Resolution = 1920 1080

Camera height

Adjusted camera height only applied to replays and singleplayer.
Adjust camera height in-game through Gentool[citation needed]
This also sets the game to automatically draw the entire map to avoid visual glitches at high camera heights.
  1. Install Gentool.
  2. Open Generals or Zero Hour.
  3. Press the Insert-key on your keyboard to open the in-game Gentool menu.
  4. Increase the camera height by a total maximum of 1000.
Adjust camera height[citation needed]
It seems like this often doesn't work.
Using this in online matches could be seen as cheating.
  1. For Zero Hour, go to <path-to-game>\Data\INI and paste the file GameData.ini into this folder
  2. You can get a modified version of this file on Mod DB
  3. Change the height of the camera to your liking, like this:

MaxCameraHeight = 800.0 DrawEntireTerrain = Yes

Input settings

Template:Input settings

Audio settings

Template:Audio settings

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
French
German
An uncensored version of C&C Generals was shortly sold. The censored version, titled "C&C Generäle", is more widely available and known and uses separate patches.
Italian
Korean
Polish
Brazilian Portuguese
Spanish
Traditional Chinese
Not available in P.R.China.
Russian
Fan translation by «DK team»

VR support

3D modes State Notes
vorpX
G3D
User created profile, requires DGVoodoo2 v 2.55.4. For required ini tweaks see profile introdution. Note: Profile may not work with the latest wrapper, in case of issues please report to the vorpx forum.
Zero Hour has its own profile.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
LAN play
8
Online play
8 Official services have been shut down; use GenTool to get online play working again (Windows only).

Connection types

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 80, 6667, 28910, 29900, 29920
UDP 4321, 27900
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

Issues fixed

Game does not start (Origin)

Disable Origin In Game[citation needed]
  1. Select the My Games tab in Origin.
  2. Right-click Generals/Zero Hour and select "Game Properties".
  3. Check the "Disable Origin in Game for this game" option.
  4. Click OK and launch the game.

"Technical Difficulties" error/Serious Error

This problem occurs on modern systems; one of the methods below should fix it.
Error message
Error message
Creating or editing Options.ini[12]
The install process very often fails to create Options.ini, causing this error.
Set AntiAliasing = 6 (maximum) for AMD/ATI or AntiAliasing = 4 (maximum) for Nvidia.
  1. Open options.ini if it exists, or create it if it doesn't.
  2. Replace its contents with the following and save your changes:
AntiAliasing =
DrawScrollAnchor =
GameSpyIPAddress = 0.0.0.0
Gamma = 50
IPAddress = 0.0.0.0
IdealStaticGameLOD = High
LanguageFilter = false
MoveScrollAnchor =
MusicVolume = 55
Resolution = 800 600
SFX3DVolume = 79
SFXVolume = 71
ScrollFactor = 50
SendDelay = no
StaticGameLOD = Low
UseAlternateMouse = no
VoiceVolume = 70
Set Windows XP Service Pack 2 compatibility mode[citation needed]
  1. Go to the properties of generals.exe or one of its shortcuts.
  2. Enable Windows XP Service Pack 2 compatibility mode.
Fully reinstall[13]
A full reinstallation is a last resort that seems to work for most users.
Steps below are for the non-Origin versions. In case of the Origin-version, it can be uninstalled and reinstalled pre-patched through Origin.
  1. Uninstall Zero Hour (if you have it)
  2. Uninstall Generals
  3. Reboot
  4. Install Generals
  5. Patch Generals
  6. Install Zero Hour (if you have it)
  7. Patch Zero Hour (if you have it)

DirectX 8.1 error (Windows)

Full error: 'Please make sure your have DirectX 8.1 or higher installed. Also verify that your video card meets the minimum requirements'.
Install DirectX 9.0c[citation needed]
Happens when DirectX 9.0c, DirctX 8.1 is included, is not yet installed on your Windows installation.
  1. Download the DirctX End-User Runtimes (June 2010). It contains DirectX 9.0c.
  2. Run the downloaded installer.
  3. Tell it to extract the necessary files to a folder of your choosing.
  4. Go to the folder where you extracted the files to.
  5. Run DXSETUP.exe as administrator.
  6. Install it.
  7. Reboot your computer.
Remove dbghelp.dll[citation needed]
Known error; sometimes the dbghelp.dll file, a debug file, gets accidentially left in the installation folder and cause problems.
  1. Go to <path-to-game>.
  2. Locate dbghelp.dll and delete it.

Shell map (menu background) is not moving

Set Windows XP Service Pack 2 compatibility mode[citation needed]
  1. Go to the properties of generals.exe or one of its shortcuts.
  2. Enable Windows XP Service Pack 2 compatibility mode.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 8.1
OpenGL
OS X only.
Shader Model support 1.4 [citation needed]
ExecutablePPC 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Install the version 1.0.4 patch for Intel support.
64-bit Intel support is only available in the digital re-release.

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio Miles Sound System
Cutscenes Bink Video (Windows), QuickTime.framework (macOS)
Multiplayer GameSpy

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 98
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium III 800 MHz
AMD Athlon 800 MHz
System memory (RAM) 128 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 1.8 GB
Video card (GPU) Nvidia GeForce 2
ATI Radeon 7500
32 MB of VRAM
DirectX 8.1 compatible
macOS (OS X)
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 10.9.5
Processor (CPU) Intel 2.2 GHz
System memory (RAM) 4 GB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 5 GB
Video card (GPU) ATI Radeon HD 3870
Nvidia GeForce 330M
Intel HD 3000
256 MB of VRAM
OS X requirements are for the Mac App Store version

Notes

  1. SafeDisc retail DRM does not work on Windows 10[6] or Windows 11 and is disabled by default on Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1 when the KB3086255 update is installed.[7]

References