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Difference between revisions of "Ground Control"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
m
(wine - rewording to be more neutral)
 
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−
{{stub}}
 
 
{{Infobox game
 
{{Infobox game
 
|cover        = Ground control cover.png
 
|cover        = Ground control cover.png
 
|developers  =  
 
|developers  =  
−
{{Infobox game/row/developer|Ubisoft Massive}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/developer|Massive Entertainment}}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/developer|High Voltage Software|Dark Conspiracy|ref=<ref name="High Voltage Software">[http://www.high-voltage.com/games_add.htm High Voltage Software Additional Games]</ref>}}
 
|publishers  =  
 
|publishers  =  
−
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|Sierra Entertainment}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|Sierra Entertainment|2000-2008}}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|Rebellion Developments|2008-present}}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/publisher|Sold Out Software|Retail re-release}}
 
|engines      =  
 
|engines      =  
−
|releasedates =  
+
|release dates=  
 
{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|June 1, 2000}}
 
{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|June 1, 2000}}
−
|steam appid  =  
+
|taxonomy    =
−
|gogcom page  = ground_control_expansion
+
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization      | One-time game purchase, Expansion pack }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/modes            | Singleplayer, Multiplayer }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/pacing            | Real-time }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/perspectives      | Bird's-eye view }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/controls          | Multiple select, Point and select }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/genres            | RTS }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/sports            | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/vehicles          | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/art styles        | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/themes            | Sci-fi }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/series            | Ground Control }}
 +
|steam appid  = 254820
 +
|gogcom id    = 1207658776
 +
|hltb        = 4131
 +
|strategywiki =
 +
|lutris      = ground-control-anthology
 +
|mobygames    = 1714
 
|wikipedia    = Ground Control (video game)
 
|wikipedia    = Ground Control (video game)
 +
|winehq      = 984
 +
|license      = Former commercial
 
}}
 
}}
−
{{Series|Ground Control}}
 
  
−
'''Key points'''
+
{{Introduction
−
{{++}} The game has been released as a free download.
+
|introduction      =
 +
 
 +
|release history  =
 +
 
 +
|current state    =
 +
}}
  
 
'''General information'''
 
'''General information'''
−
{{mm}} [http://www.massgate.net/forum.php/ Official forum]
+
{{mm}} [http://www.gcvets.net/viewforum.php?f=1/ Ground Control Veterans]
−
{{mm}} [http://www.gog.com/forum/ground_control_series/ GOG.com Community Discussions]
+
{{GOG.com links|1207658776|ground_control_series|for game series}}
−
{{mm}} [http://www.gcvets.net/viewforum.php?f=1/ Unofficial forum]
+
{{mm}} [https://steamcommunity.com/app/254820/discussions/ Steam Community Discussions]
  
 
==Availability==
 
==Availability==
−
{{Availability Table|
+
{{Availability|
−
{{Availability Table/row| [http://www.gog.com/gamecard/ground_control_expansion/ GOG.com] | {{ID|gog}} }}
+
{{Availability/row| Retail | | Disc check | {{DRM|SecuROM}}. | | Windows }}
−
{{Availability Table/row| [http://www.fileplanet.com/156136/150000/fileinfo/Ground-Control-%5BFree-Game%5D/ Free download] | {{ID|drm-free}} | The game has been released as a free download shortly after the sequel was released. Simply click next when installer asks for serial code.}}
+
{{Availability/row| GamersGate | ground-control-anthology | Steam | Anthology. Also {{Store link|GamersGate|ground-control-collection|bundled}} with the sequel. |  | Windows }}
 +
{{Availability/row| GOG.com | ground_control_expansion | DRM-free | Anthology | | Windows }}
 +
{{Availability/row| Steam | 254820 | DRM-free | Anthology | | Windows }}
 +
{{Availability/row| ZOOM | ground-control-1-anthology | DRM-free | Anthology | | Windows }}
 +
{{Availability/row| GamersGate | ground-control-expansion | DRM-free | Anthology. |  | Windows | unavailable }}
 +
{{Availability/row| GMG | ground-control-dark-conspiracy-expansion | Playfire | Anthology | | Windows | unavailable }}
 
}}
 
}}
 +
{{++}} The base game has been released as a [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/191-ground-control/ free download] in order to promote the sequel.
 +
{{ii}} A free demo version is available from [http://sierrahelp.com/Misc/Demos.html#G SierraHelp].
  
−
==Improvements==
+
===Version differences===
−
===Higher resolution patcher===
+
{{ii}} '''Ground Control Anthology''' includes the base game and the Dark Conspiracy expansion pack.
−
{{Fixbox|1=
+
 
−
{{Fixbox/instructions|Patch installation instructions}}
+
==Monetization==
−
First, download the [http://www.moddb.com/games/ground-control-ii/downloads/ground-control-1-resolution-changer/ resolution changer from moddb.com]. Extract the contents and follow instructions in readme:
+
{{DLC|
−
# Backup your gc.exe.
+
{{DLC/row| Dark Conspiracy | To access, run {{file|gc.exe}} with the <code>-mod DARKCONS</code> [[Glossary:Command line arguments|command line argument]]. | Windows }}
−
# Copy gc_cracked_type2.exe to game's installation directory (usually <code>C:\Sierra\GC\</code>) and rename it to gc.exe.
 
−
# Copy resolution_changer.exe to game's installation directory (again, usually <code>C:\Sierra\GC\</code>).
 
−
# Run resolution_changer.exe. It will find the cracked file which we copied in step 2.
 
−
# Type the screen width and press enter. Type the screen height and press enter.
 
−
# If you are really-really-really lucky resolution will be changed.
 
−
# Copy launcher.bat into game's installation directory and run it. It's normal to see resolution selection dialog, it doesn't affect the actual resolution. Just click ok.
 
−
# If it worked, then just remember to always start the game via launcher.bat.
 
−
If this didn't work, try doing the same with gc_cracked_type1.exe.
 
−
If it still didn't work, you probably have different version or language. Try downloading the free version (see [[#Availability|Availability]]) and start over.
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
== Game data ==
+
==Essential improvements==
−
=== Game files location ===
+
===Patches===
−
{{Game Location Table|
+
{{ii}} The latest official patch is 1.011, and is available from [https://www.patches-scrolls.de/patch/1916/7/ Patches-Scrolls].
−
{{Game Location Table/row|Free download|C:\Sierra\GC\}}
+
 
 +
===Map packs===
 +
{{ii}} Five official map packs are available from [https://www.patches-scrolls.de/bonus/1916/7/ Patches-Scrolls].
 +
 
 +
==Game data==
 +
{{Image|Ground Control General.png|In-game general settings.}}
 +
 
 +
===Configuration file(s) location===
 +
{{Game data|
 +
{{Game data/config|Windows|{{p|game}}\data\games\settings.dat}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
=== Save game location ===
+
===Save game data location===
−
{{Game Location Table|
+
{{Game data|
−
{{Game Location Table/row|Free download|C:\Sierra\GC\data\games\}}
+
{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|game}}\data\games\game*}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
=== [[Save game cloud syncing]] ===
+
===[[Glossary:Save game cloud syncing|Save game cloud syncing]]===
−
{{Save Game Cloud Syncing
+
{{Save game cloud syncing
−
|steam_cloud            =
+
|discord                  =  
−
|steam_cloud_notes      =
+
|discord notes            =  
−
|origin                =
+
|epic games launcher      =  
−
|origin_notes          =
+
|epic games launcher notes =  
−
|uplay                  =
+
|gog galaxy                = false
−
|uplay_notes            =
+
|gog galaxy notes          =  
−
|gamesave_manager      =true
+
|origin                    =  
−
|gamesave_manager_notes =GOG.com version only.
+
|origin notes              =  
−
|gamestow               =
+
|steam cloud               = false
−
|gamestow_notes         =
+
|steam cloud notes         =  
−
|synctocloud            =
+
|ubisoft connect          =  
−
|synctocloud_notes      =
+
|ubisoft connect notes    =  
−
|square_enix            =
+
|xbox cloud                =  
−
|square_enix_notes      =
+
|xbox cloud notes          =  
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==Video settings==
+
==Video==
−
{{Video settings
+
{{Image|Ground Control General Video.png|In-game general video settings.}}
−
|wsgf link                  = http://www.wsgf.org/dr/ground-control/en
+
{{Image|Ground Control Advanced Video.png|In-game advanced video settings.}}
 +
{{Video
 +
|wsgf link                  = https://www.wsgf.org/dr/ground-control/en
 
|widescreen wsgf award      = limited
 
|widescreen wsgf award      = limited
 
|multimonitor wsgf award    = incomplete
 
|multimonitor wsgf award    = incomplete
Line 83: Line 117:
 
|4k ultra hd wsgf award    = incomplete
 
|4k ultra hd wsgf award    = incomplete
 
|widescreen resolution      = hackable
 
|widescreen resolution      = hackable
−
|widescreen resolution notes= See [[#Higher_resolution_patcher|Higher resolution patcher]]
+
|widescreen resolution notes= Only supports 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768 by default. See [[#Widescreen resolution|Widescreen resolution]].
 
|multimonitor              = false
 
|multimonitor              = false
 
|multimonitor notes        =  
 
|multimonitor notes        =  
 
|ultrawidescreen            = unknown
 
|ultrawidescreen            = unknown
 
|ultrawidescreen notes      =  
 
|ultrawidescreen notes      =  
−
|4k ultra hd                = unknown
+
|4k ultra hd                = hackable
−
|4k ultra hd notes          =  
+
|4k ultra hd notes          = See [[#Widescreen resolution|Widescreen resolution]].
 
|fov                        = false
 
|fov                        = false
 
|fov notes                  =  
 
|fov notes                  =  
−
|windowed                  = hackable
+
|windowed                  = false
−
|windowed notes            = Add <code>-w</code> option to shortcut command. (have not tested myself)
+
|windowed notes            =  
−
|borderless windowed        = unknown
+
|borderless windowed        = false
 
|borderless windowed notes  =  
 
|borderless windowed notes  =  
 
|anisotropic                = false
 
|anisotropic                = false
Line 100: Line 134:
 
|antialiasing              = false
 
|antialiasing              = false
 
|antialiasing notes        =  
 
|antialiasing notes        =  
−
|vsync                      = false
+
|upscaling                  = unknown
−
|vsync notes                =  
+
|upscaling tech            =
 +
|upscaling notes            =
 +
|vsync                      = true
 +
|vsync notes                = Forced Vsync in hardware rendering, software rendering is uncapped.
 +
|60 fps                    = true
 +
|60 fps notes              =
 +
|120 fps                    = true
 +
|120 fps notes              = Follows display refresh rate.
 +
|hdr                        = unknown
 +
|hdr notes                  =
 +
|color blind                = unknown
 +
|color blind notes          =
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===[[Glossary:Widescreen resolution|Widescreen resolution]]===
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Instructions|ref=<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Expack3|date=2016-06-30}}</ref>|fix=
 +
# Download the following [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/586-ground-control-resolution-changer/ archive].
 +
# Go to the installation folder.
 +
# Extract all the files from the archive and overwrite.
 +
# Open '''Resolution Changer.exe''', then set the desired '''Width''' and '''Height'''.
 +
# Launch the game through the '''Launch Ground Control.bat''' file.
 +
 
 +
'''Notes'''
 +
{{ii}} If using [[Nvidia Control Panel#Dynamic Super Resolution|Dynamic Super Resolution]] or [[AMD Catalyst Control Center#Virtual Super Resolution|Virtual Super Resolution]] and [[Glossary:4K Ultra HD|4K Ultra HD]], see [[#Near-illegible text and buttons when using downscaling|this fix]].
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==Input settings==
+
==Input==
−
{{Input Settings
+
{{Image|Ground Control Remapping.png|In-game key map settings.}}
−
|key_remap                  =true
+
{{Image|Ground Control Mouse.png|In-game mouse settings.}}
−
|key_remap_notes            =
+
{{Image|Ground Control Joystick.png|In-game joystick settings.}}
−
|acceleration_option        =false
+
{{Input
−
|acceleration_option_notes  =Game uses "software mouse". This means cursor will be laggy at lower framerates.
+
|key remap                = true
−
|controller_support         =false
+
|key remap notes          =  
−
|controller_support_notes   =
+
|acceleration option      = false
 +
|acceleration option notes = Game uses "software mouse". This means cursor will be laggy at lower frame rates.
 +
|mouse sensitivity         = unknown
 +
|mouse sensitivity notes  =
 +
|mouse menu                = true
 +
|mouse menu notes          =
 +
|invert mouse y-axis      = false
 +
|invert mouse y-axis notes =
 +
|touchscreen              = unknown
 +
|touchscreen notes        =
 +
|controller support        = true
 +
|controller support notes  = Very limited modern controller support.
 +
|full controller          = false
 +
|full controller notes    =
 +
|controller remap          = false
 +
|controller remap notes    =
 +
|controller sensitivity    = unknown
 +
|controller sensitivity notes=
 +
|invert controller y-axis  = true
 +
|invert controller y-axis notes=
 +
|xinput controllers        = unknown
 +
|xinput controllers notes  =
 +
|xbox prompts              = unknown
 +
|xbox prompts notes        =
 +
|impulse triggers          = unknown
 +
|impulse triggers notes    =
 +
|dualshock 4              = unknown
 +
|dualshock 4 notes        =
 +
|dualshock prompts        = unknown
 +
|dualshock prompts notes  =
 +
|light bar support        = unknown
 +
|light bar support notes  =
 +
|dualshock 4 modes        = unknown
 +
|dualshock 4 modes notes  =
 +
|tracked motion controllers= unknown
 +
|tracked motion controllers notes =
 +
|tracked motion prompts    = unknown
 +
|tracked motion prompts notes =
 +
|other controllers        = unknown
 +
|other controllers notes   =
 +
|other button prompts      = unknown
 +
|other button prompts notes=
 +
|controller hotplug        = unknown
 +
|controller hotplug notes  =
 +
|haptic feedback          = unknown
 +
|haptic feedback notes    =
 +
|simultaneous input        = unknown
 +
|simultaneous input notes  =
 +
|steam input api          = unknown
 +
|steam input api notes    =
 +
|steam hook input          = unknown
 +
|steam hook input notes    =
 +
|steam input presets      = unknown
 +
|steam input presets notes =
 +
|steam controller prompts  = unknown
 +
|steam controller prompts notes =
 +
|steam cursor detection    = unknown
 +
|steam cursor detection notes =  
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==Audio settings==
+
==Audio==
−
{{Audio settings
+
{{Audio
−
|separate volume          = unknown
+
|separate volume          = true
 
|separate volume notes    =  
 
|separate volume notes    =  
−
|surround sound          = unknown
+
|surround sound          = false
 
|surround sound notes    =  
 
|surround sound notes    =  
−
|subtitles                = unknown
+
|subtitles                = true
 
|subtitles notes          =  
 
|subtitles notes          =  
−
|closed captions          = unknown
+
|closed captions          = false
 
|closed captions notes    =  
 
|closed captions notes    =  
−
|mute on focus lost      = unknown
+
|mute on focus lost      = true
 
|mute on focus lost notes =  
 
|mute on focus lost notes =  
 
|eax support              =  
 
|eax support              =  
 
|eax support notes        =  
 
|eax support notes        =  
 +
|royalty free audio      = always on
 +
|royalty free audio notes =
 +
}}
 +
 +
{{L10n|content=
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = English
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = true
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    =
 +
|fan      =
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = French
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = true
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    = Retail and GOG.com only.
 +
|fan      =
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = German
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = true
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    = Retail and GOG.com only.
 +
|fan      =
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = Italian
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = unknown
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    = Retail only.
 +
|fan      =
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = Spanish
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = true
 +
|subtitles = true
 +
|notes    = Retail only.
 +
|fan      =
 +
}}
 +
}}
 +
 +
==Network==
 +
{{Network/Multiplayer
 +
|local play          =
 +
|local play players  =
 +
|local play modes    =
 +
|local play notes    =
 +
|lan play            = true
 +
|lan play players    = 8
 +
|lan play modes      =
 +
|lan play notes      =
 +
|online play          = false
 +
|online play players  = 8
 +
|online play modes    =
 +
|online play notes    = The official WON service has been shut down.
 +
|asynchronous        =
 +
|asynchronous notes  =
 +
}}
 +
 +
{{Network/Connections
 +
|matchmaking        = false
 +
|matchmaking notes  =
 +
|p2p                = true
 +
|p2p notes          =
 +
|dedicated          = hackable
 +
|dedicated notes    = Requires download of [https://www.patches-scrolls.de/bonus/1916/7/25631 official files].
 +
|self-hosting      = true
 +
|self-hosting notes =
 +
|direct ip          = false
 +
|direct ip notes    =
 +
}}
 +
 +
{{Network/Ports
 +
|tcp  = 15001, 15101, 15200, 20000-21000, 25000-25499
 +
|udp  = 20000-21000
 +
|upnp = unknown
 +
}}
 +
 +
==Issues fixed==
 +
===Crash on start on Windows 10===
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Instructions|ref={{cn|date=February 2024}}|fix=
 +
# Download this [https://www.moddb.com/mods/ground-control-windows-10-crash-fix patch]
 +
# Extract the zip folder and copy paste the .dll file into your installation directory.
 +
# If you are not using widescreen mod you need to add argument -1600 to the gc.exe file or its shortcuts for the base game and expansion.
 +
}}
 +
 +
===Poor framerate on Windows 8===
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Instructions|ref={{cn|date=July 2016}}|fix=
 +
# Download the following [https://community.pcgamingwiki.com/files/file/587-windows-8-custom-directdraw-dll/ archive].
 +
# Go to the installation folder, and extract the file.
 +
}}
 +
 +
===Poor framerate on Wine===
 +
Ground Control does leverage the DrawPrimitive() Direct3D 7 call, which has some overhead. It is patched in old versions of Windows, but not recent ones anymore as it isn't really an issue on modern hardware. Yet, in Wine this call has a significant overhead, even on modern hardware. There's a user space patched ddraw.dll that does convert that call to a batching one, removing the overhead. Note that this patch also works & improves the framerate in recent Windows, but is less needed.
 +
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Instructions|ref={{cn|date=April 2024}}|fix=
 +
# Follow the instruction at https://github.com/steveschnepp/d3d7batch to have a patching ddraw.dll.
 +
}}
 +
 +
===Near-illegible text and buttons when using downscaling===
 +
{{ii}} If [[Nvidia Control Panel#Dynamic Super Resolution|Dynamic Super Resolution]] or [[AMD Catalyst Control Center#Virtual Super Resolution|Virtual Super Resolution]] is used to achieve [[Glossary:4K Ultra HD|4K resolutions]], the game's text and buttons will become nearly illegible due to the downsampling involved.
 +
 +
{{Fixbox|description=Use dgVoodoo 2|ref=<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Expack3|date=2016-06-06}}</ref>|fix=
 +
# Follow all instructions for the [[#Widescreen resolution|widescreen resolution fix]], ensuring width and height are set to one of the following:
 +
## '''16:9 monitors:''' '''1024''' width, '''576''' height
 +
## '''16:10/8:5 monitors:''' '''1024''' width, '''640''' height
 +
## '''21:9 monitors:''' '''1024''' width, '''432''' height
 +
# Download the latest version of [[dgVoodoo 2]].
 +
# Extract {{file|D3Dlmm.dll}} and {{file|DDraw.dll}} from the {{file|MS\x86|folder}} subfolder to {{file|{{P|game}}|folder}} from the downloaded ZIP file.
 +
# Extract {{file|dgVoodooCpl.exe}} to {{file|{{p|game}}|folder}}.
 +
# Run {{file|dgVoodooCpl.exe}} and click on the <code>DirectX</code> tab.
 +
# Under <code>Resolution</code>, select your monitor's native 4K resolution from the dropdown list.
 +
# Click on the <code>Apply</code> button to save the configuration, the click <code>OK</code>.
 +
 +
'''Notes'''
 +
{{ii}} This fix has been tested with [[Nvidia Control Panel#Dynamic Super Resolution|Nvidia Dynamic Super Resolution]].
 +
}}
 +
 +
==Issues unresolved==
 +
===Crash related to wireless peripherals===
 +
{{--}} The game crashes on startup if the user has wireless peripherals (headsets, mice...), either with a black screen or with an error message reporting an access violation. Before the game is run, the USB dongle needs to be unplugged, and only plugged back in when the game's intro/menu is shown.<ref name="GroundControl2Crash">{{Refurl|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/254840/discussions/0/530646715641614989/?ctp=3#c3051737712175732203|title=Game won't start / Black Screen :: Ground Control II General Discussions|date=2022-09-11}}</ref> <ref>{{Refcheck|user=Plok|date=2023-01-11|comment=Confirmed with the Logitech G533 wireless headset.}}</ref>
 +
 +
==Other information==
 +
===API===
 +
{{API
 +
|direct3d versions      = 7.0a
 +
|direct3d notes        =
 +
|directdraw versions    =
 +
|directdraw notes      =
 +
|opengl versions        =
 +
|opengl notes          =
 +
|glide versions        =
 +
|glide notes            =
 +
|software mode          =
 +
|software mode notes    =
 +
|mantle support        =
 +
|mantle support notes  =
 +
|metal support          =
 +
|metal support notes    =
 +
|vulkan versions        =
 +
|vulkan notes          =
 +
|dos modes              =
 +
|dos modes notes        =
 +
|shader model versions  =
 +
|shader model notes    =
 +
|windows 32-bit exe    = true
 +
|windows 64-bit exe    = false
 +
|windows arm app        = unknown
 +
|windows exe notes      =
 +
|macos intel 32-bit app =
 +
|macos intel 64-bit app =
 +
|macos arm app          = unknown
 +
|macos app notes        =
 +
|linux 32-bit executable=
 +
|linux 64-bit executable=
 +
|linux arm app          = unknown
 +
|linux executable notes =
 +
}}
 +
 +
===Middleware===
 +
{{Middleware
 +
|physics          =
 +
|physics notes    =
 +
|audio            =
 +
|audio notes      =
 +
|interface        =
 +
|interface notes  =
 +
|input            =
 +
|input notes      =
 +
|cutscenes        =
 +
|cutscenes notes  =
 +
|multiplayer      = WON (World Opponent Network)
 +
|multiplayer notes=
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
==System requirements==
 
==System requirements==
−
{{System Requirements
+
{{System requirements
 
|OSfamily = Windows
 
|OSfamily = Windows
  
−
|minOS    = Windows 95/98
+
|minOS    = 98, ME
−
|minproc  = Pentium II 200 MHz (with 3D accelerator card), 233 MHz (without 3D accelerator card)
+
|minCPU  = Intel Pentium II 233 MHz
−
|minmem   = 32 MB
+
|minRAM   = 32 MB
−
|minHD    = 1.5 GB
+
|minHD    = 250 MB
−
|minGPU  = 4 MB DirectX 7.0a compatible video card
+
|minVRAM  = 4 MB
 +
|minGPU  =  
 +
|minDX    = 7.0a
 +
|minother = 4X CD-ROM
  
−
|recOS    = Windows 95/98
+
|recOS    = 2000, XP
−
|recproc  = Pentium II 333 MHz
+
|recCPU  = Intel Pentium II 333 MHz
−
|recmem   = 64 MB
+
|recRAM   = 64 MB
−
|recHD    = 1.5 GB
+
|recHD    = 450 MB
−
|recGPU  = 4 MB DirectX 7.0a compatible video card
+
|notes    = {{ii}} The game has software rendering mode, which may have lower system requirements.
 +
{{--}} Windows 98 and ME are only supported with the original ATI Radeon, ATI Radeon 7200, and Nvidia video cards
 
}}
 
}}
−
{{ii}} The game has software rendering mode, which might have lower system requirements.
 
  
 
{{References}}
 
{{References}}
−
 
−
[[Category:Windows]]
 

Latest revision as of 15:49, 23 April 2024

Ground Control
Ground Control cover
Developers
Massive Entertainment
Dark Conspiracy High Voltage Software[1]
Publishers
2000-2008 Sierra Entertainment
2008-present Rebellion Developments
Retail re-release Sold Out Software
Release dates
Windows June 1, 2000
Taxonomy
Monetization One-time game purchase, Expansion pack
Modes Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing Real-time
Perspectives Bird's-eye view
Controls Multiple select, Point and select
Genres RTS
Themes Sci-fi
Series Ground Control
Icon overlay.png
Ground Control on HowLongToBeat
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Ground Control on MobyGames
Ground Control on Wikipedia
Icon overlay.png
Icon overlay.png
Ground Control
Ground Control 2000
Ground Control II: Operation Exodus 2004

Ground Control is a singleplayer and multiplayer bird's-eye view RTS game in the Ground Control series.

General information

Ground Control Veterans
GOG.com Community Discussions for game series
GOG.com Support Page
Steam Community Discussions

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
Disc check (requires the CD/DVD in the drive to play)
 SecuROM DRM.
Windows
GamersGate
Icon overlay.png
 Anthology. Also bundled with the sequel.
Windows
GOG.com
DRM-free
 Anthology
Windows
Steam
DRM-free after installation through Steam client (notes may include more details)
 Anthology
Windows
ZOOM Platform
DRM-free
 Anthology
Windows
GamersGate (unavailable)
DRM-free after installation (requires an internet connection during installation)
 Anthology.
Windows
Green Man Gaming (unavailable) Playfire Client Anthology
Windows
The base game has been released as a free download in order to promote the sequel.
A free demo version is available from SierraHelp.

Version differences

Ground Control Anthology includes the base game and the Dark Conspiracy expansion pack.

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Dark Conspiracy To access, run gc.exe with the -mod DARKCONS command line argument.
Windows

Essential improvements

Patches

The latest official patch is 1.011, and is available from Patches-Scrolls.

Map packs

Five official map packs are available from Patches-Scrolls.

Game data

In-game general settings.
In-game general settings.

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\data\games\settings.dat[Note 1]
Steam Play (Linux) <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/254820/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\data\games\game*[Note 1]
Steam Play (Linux) <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/254820/pfx/[Note 2]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
GOG Galaxy
Steam Cloud

Video

In-game general video settings.
In-game general video settings.
In-game advanced video settings.
In-game advanced video settings.

Graphics feature State WSGF Notes
Widescreen resolution
 
 Only supports 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768 by default. See Widescreen resolution.
Multi-monitor
 
Ultra-widescreen
 
4K Ultra HD
 
 See Widescreen resolution.
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Borderless fullscreen windowed
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
Forced Vsync in hardware rendering, software rendering is uncapped.
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
Follows display refresh rate.

Widescreen resolution

Instructions[2]
  1. Download the following archive.
  2. Go to the installation folder.
  3. Extract all the files from the archive and overwrite.
  4. Open Resolution Changer.exe, then set the desired Width and Height.
  5. Launch the game through the Launch Ground Control.bat file.

Notes

If using Dynamic Super Resolution or Virtual Super Resolution and 4K Ultra HD, see this fix.

Input

In-game key map settings.
In-game key map settings.
In-game mouse settings.
In-game mouse settings.
In-game joystick settings.
In-game joystick settings.

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Game uses "software mouse". This means cursor will be laggy at lower frame rates.
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Very limited modern controller support.
Full controller support
Controller remapping
See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion
Controller types
XInput-compatible controllers
PlayStation controllers
Generic/other controllers
Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

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
Retail and GOG.com only.
German
Retail and GOG.com only.
Italian
Retail only.
Spanish
Retail only.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
LAN play
8
Online play
8 The official WON service has been shut down.

Connection types

Type Native Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Requires download of official files.
Self-hosting
Direct IP

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 15001, 15101, 15200, 20000-21000, 25000-25499
UDP 20000-21000
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) support status is unknown.

Issues fixed

Crash on start on Windows 10

Instructions[citation needed]
  1. Download this patch
  2. Extract the zip folder and copy paste the .dll file into your installation directory.
  3. If you are not using widescreen mod you need to add argument -1600 to the gc.exe file or its shortcuts for the base game and expansion.

Poor framerate on Windows 8

Instructions[citation needed]
  1. Download the following archive.
  2. Go to the installation folder, and extract the file.

Poor framerate on Wine

Ground Control does leverage the DrawPrimitive() Direct3D 7 call, which has some overhead. It is patched in old versions of Windows, but not recent ones anymore as it isn't really an issue on modern hardware. Yet, in Wine this call has a significant overhead, even on modern hardware. There's a user space patched ddraw.dll that does convert that call to a batching one, removing the overhead. Note that this patch also works & improves the framerate in recent Windows, but is less needed.

Instructions[citation needed]
  1. Follow the instruction at https://github.com/steveschnepp/d3d7batch to have a patching ddraw.dll.

Near-illegible text and buttons when using downscaling

If Dynamic Super Resolution or Virtual Super Resolution is used to achieve 4K resolutions, the game's text and buttons will become nearly illegible due to the downsampling involved.
Use dgVoodoo 2[3]
  1. Follow all instructions for the widescreen resolution fix, ensuring width and height are set to one of the following:
    1. 16:9 monitors: 1024 width, 576 height
    2. 16:10/8:5 monitors: 1024 width, 640 height
    3. 21:9 monitors: 1024 width, 432 height
  2. Download the latest version of dgVoodoo 2.
  3. Extract D3Dlmm.dll and DDraw.dll from the MS\x86 subfolder to <path-to-game> from the downloaded ZIP file.
  4. Extract dgVoodooCpl.exe to <path-to-game>.
  5. Run dgVoodooCpl.exe and click on the DirectX tab.
  6. Under Resolution, select your monitor's native 4K resolution from the dropdown list.
  7. Click on the Apply button to save the configuration, the click OK.

Notes

This fix has been tested with Nvidia Dynamic Super Resolution.

Issues unresolved

Crash related to wireless peripherals

The game crashes on startup if the user has wireless peripherals (headsets, mice...), either with a black screen or with an error message reporting an access violation. Before the game is run, the USB dongle needs to be unplugged, and only plugged back in when the game's intro/menu is shown.[4] [5]

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 7
Executable 32-bit 64-bit Notes
Windows

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Multiplayer World Opponent Network

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 98, ME 2000, XP
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium II 233 MHz Intel Pentium II 333 MHz
System memory (RAM) 32 MB 64 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD) 250 MB 450 MB
Video card (GPU) 4 MB of VRAM
DirectX 7.0a compatible
Other 4X CD-ROM
The game has software rendering mode, which may have lower system requirements.
Windows 98 and ME are only supported with the original ATI Radeon, ATI Radeon 7200, and Nvidia video cards


Notes

  1. ↑ 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. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:

References

  1. ↑ High Voltage Software Additional Games
  2. ↑ Verified by User:Expack3 on 2016-06-30
  3. ↑ Verified by User:Expack3 on 2016-06-06
  4. ↑ Game won't start / Black Screen :: Ground Control II General Discussions - last accessed on 2022-09-11
  5. ↑ Verified by User:Plok on 2023-01-11
    Confirmed with the Logitech G533 wireless headset.