Gamemd.exe is an executable, just like every other executable. It is a compiled version of the Red Alert 2 : YR source code written in C++.
Your local University or College should have courses for studying Computer Science or Programming, they cover the basics of Assembly/Machine Code.
If that's the case: how come you all (especially AlexB) can't get your hands on the source code for those games (unless I missed it?)? Is it locked behind a special cyphering? QUICK_EDIT
Becuase we studied various programming languages and techniques to be able to understand the x86 assembly language.
Would you ask a mechanic on a tutorial for how to completely take apart a car engine and put it together again in one day when you have not even grasped how a socket wrench works?
This is a topic that gets asked every now and then, and we just regurgitate the same response.
Go study programming and/or computer science and give it another shot in a few years, otherwise, feel free to take the engine apart with a spoon and let me know how you get on.
Alex doesn't have the source code (nor anyone else around here), he has just spent a long time studying programming languages so he knows how to reverse engineer the game's code a few small bits at a time. _________________
It would certainly make it easier, but not necessary and EA most likely dumped the source ages ago.
A hex editor won't get you very far with this by itself. You can change values that already exist, but you can't do much else. What you will need is the knowledge to use a disassembler like IDA (there are freeware/abandonware tools too that would work fine with an x86 exe like RA2), the knowledge of both ASM and C#/C++, and the ability to compile them back into an .exe which for Ares project, iirc, is in the latest Visual Basic/Studio.
If you think you have the gist of both languages (say you've been using Cheat Engine for many years and can make pointers, scripts, etc.), start trying to figure it out on your own with IDA and VS, you may just be able to do it with a little help from Youtube and Google. Most people need to actually go to school for it though. _________________ "Don't beg for things; Do it yourself or you'll never get anything." QUICK_EDIT
The rumors are that the source for renegade and anything earlier is lost, TUC binaries supports that theory with binary hacks being used on the older titles while generals and above appear to be recompiled. Even if that wasn't the case though, EA don't seem disposed to providing it so the only solution is to try and reimplement either part or ideally all of the original binaries. Its not that the source is needed per se to modify things, but having it would save years of work.
You pretty much need to know some x86 asm to understand the original and some C/C++ to write some replacement code, though it is possible to write it in assembly and relink it as well. QUICK_EDIT
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