Mod Support In C&C 3: Don't shoot the Messenger!

Banshee

Last december I went to EA LA with a small group of C&C community webmasters, modders and fans. There, they showed us a lot of things and told us that Command & Conquer 3 would use XML files for unit settings, graphics, etc... gathering all files related to the unit in a single place, which would make the game loads much faster. The game really loads absurdly fast, compared to Tiberian Sun and any other old C&C game, including Generals.

In the end of february, they have released a demo of the game and we modders, started to know and research more about the way the game can be modded. BIG files came with a RefPack compression also used on other EA games from the Medal Of Honour series. That wasn't the real obstacle. The problem was that we found out that everything related to the units, from settings, sounds, models, textures and etc are inside a group of .manifest, .imp, .relo and .bin where the community is struggling to decode. If you can't edit the units of the factions, modding as we know becomes extremely limited and total conversions become impossible to be done.

That's where Koen, a well known community member who created TibEd has written an article comparing the Supreme Commander mod support and C&C3 mod support and showing that the community is totally dependent on EA's mod SDK.

The article had a strong repercussion with Deezire, another well known modding veteran, writing an article agreeing with him and a response at DerelictStudios against it, where some modders also emailed EA representants a formal request of tools to be included on the mod SDK and how it should be done. And a lot of discussion on many modding and non-modding communities, including here.

Koen recently got the oportunity to visit the CnC Con 07 event by winning a VIP ticklet in a contest and he could talk to Amer Ajami about the mod support of the game. And, of course, he wrote a new article about it. While I don't believe in crystall balls (mine is still broken), the article brings a lot of interesting information. Here's some quotes:

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"These compiled files, from the analysis of C&C3 by the modding community, no longer look like easy-to-edit XML files anymore. Amer mentioned that Apoc has been bugging them every day about the mod SDK. This mod SDK has to include the original XML files that are used to build the game and the build tool itself. I do not know if the original 3D models are also needed, because the modding community really does not know yet what exactly is in the compiled files."
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"We have an interesting storyline and possibly an expansion pack to look forward to. However, the future of C&C modding depends on developments within the next few months. It is all about resources and priorities. I really hope things turn out for the best, but if no-one can make mods then I think the longetivity of C&C3 as a game will be severely hampered. The only logical conclusion to be drawn from the current situation is that there will be no TibEd for C&C3. I do not have time to reverse-engineer C&C3 from scratch. Perhaps my idea of a community build tool with help from EA will work out. Or maybe we can get EA to really commit to a mod SDK... but right now everything is hanging in the balance."
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Read the whole article HERE and discuss it in a reply. Remember that guest posting is allowed, but keep things civil.

MadHQ · Commander **Joined**: 07 Nov 2003

AWW... What a bummer... Well guess what! IM ztyping sick of hereing about C&C 3. I don't give a damn about it. I haven't play the demo as I cant. And TBH I have had nothing but a roller coaster emotion attack from this damn game. And thats not a good thing. I fear this is the end for C&C... Well in my eyes it ended when Generals was released. I'm not a supporter of 3d RTS games.

I for one say that you spend way to much time on C&C 3 banshee. And you know I have talked to a lot of other people about it and they have also gotten sick of the game! And its not even out yet!

Your letting your head go up your ass banshee! Yes it was a great thing that EA let you and a few other people go look closer at it before any one else. Ya I for one have to say that EA has a very good marketing team... And that about all I can say about EA. By inviting people to these C&C 3 community summit things is nothing more than a way to try to hype people into C&C 3.

Ban me for speeking my mind I could care less. Rolling Eyes

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Rebelmoon · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:52 am Post subject:

I hope this isn't as bad as it seems. The following is quoted from EALACypher at the CnC3 Forums.

"Just wait for the game, it's not long till it is finally out. And with it you will be able to fully mod it as you wish, or just fully play the entire game as it was meant to, with all options, all factions and all maps."

This makes it sound like all the needed files will be easily accessable to modders. I'm hoping the demo was just encrypted to keep "a tight lid" on the info until after the release. Although it doesn't look too good now.

Thanks for the update and keep the info coming, Banshee

Koen · Vehicle Drone **Joined**: 25 Apr 2004

They are working on a mod SDK. But when the producer says they are 'struggling' with the build tool and it is a question of "if and when" it is released. Then the "if" part frightens me.

That is the 2-line summary of my article.

Suiseiseki · Commander **Joined**: 06 Oct 2003

O lawd the strife!

Blaat85 · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 9:35 am Post subject:

I think some people need to be more optimistic really..

Clarkson · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 10:58 am Post subject:

Thank you, Blaat. Hopefully any flaws will be filtered into C&C 3 and give us a next-to-perfect Red Alert 3 or Renegade 2... *sighs* That will be the day.

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Clazzy · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:00 pm Post subject:

If you're optimistic then you'll be disappointed if nothing comes from it. Being realistic about the situation is a better way to approach it.

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Blaat85 · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:59 pm Post subject:

Being pessimistic is not helping one either, Clazzy.

Oshog · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:18 pm Post subject:

Well, so far C+C3 is more bad news for me than good. The good parts are Kane and the new people that will rediscover C&C along the new game.

Clazzy · Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 11:10 pm Post subject:

Quote:

Being pessimistic is not helping one either, Clazzy.

I said realist, not pessimist. I accepted that EA wouldn't get the tiberium story perfectly but I was quite happy to accept that they would make a relatively fun RTS game, which they did. Being pessimistic is like the people who consistently put EA down with everything they do, worship Westwood and probably haven't played any game that doesn't bear the Command and Conquer logo. They're the people who complain every time a new feature or piece of information is released that isn't EXACTLY like how it was in Tiberian Sun or Tiberian Dawn and tend to be annoyed that not everybody agrees that Red Alert is part of the C&C storyline.

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