Posted: Sat Jan 05, 2013 12:36 pm Post subject:
PortableRA beta released
PortableRA is a Red Alert 1 FULL game package that includes everything must have for Red Alert 1. From the site:
Quote:
PortableRA is a Command and Conquer: Red Alert FULL game package download, that is:
- 100% free to play
- Comes with an easy to use installer
- Runs great on Windows 95 and later, Mac and Linux
- Completely no-CD, no need to have a random CD inserted
- Includes expansions and they can be enabled/disabled on the fly
- Comes with CnCNet for online play, lots of players on
- Uses CnC-DDraw to modernize the game's rendering system
- Is really easy to use, comes with a configuration tool and launcher
- Supports high game resolutions (even 3200x3200 works!)
- Has a fix for the 'out of sync' issue online after playing modded maps
- Allows you to play the Aftermath games with the build speed multiplier cap disabled
- Includes and supports all community non-code fixes and additions, such as small infantry
- Patched to integrate support for The Lost Files videos and extra, unreleased music tracks
- Comes with the latest unofficial patch to the game, ra303p-iran
- Completely online compatible with the version of the game used by online player (3.03)
- And MUCH more
I've spent almost 3 months working on this project, essentially I reorganised the game's files so things like the game's campaign can be optional, playing expanion mutliplayer maps without having the expansions enabled is possible and much more. I've written a config tool (copying Nyerguds' CCConfig design and using his INI handling code), a launcher, and I've made a patch based on hifi's ra303p patch which includes my own improvements and code/help/info from hifi, CCHyper, AlexB and Nyerguds. I've also patched hifi's cnc-ddraw a little bit so stretching of videos and assorted screens work properly and is also supported with the GDI renderer.
This package is advertised in the CnCNet Red Alert 1 lobby and it's being adapted by players there. I guess approximately 500-2000 people at least downloaded it but I consider it beta so it might still have bugs.
I made a simple background for the launcher, I don't like the way it looks and I was wondering if a graphics artist could make me a better one. It looks like this. I was wondering if someone could make me a better Red Alert 1 related background that's taller and wider with the Red Alert 1 logo in the top center (the buttons will be below it).
The full list of patches/addons/internal changes the package includes is really long so I summarized them. And my apologies for the lack of images. QUICK_EDIT
Via Wine (actually PlayOnMac which is a Mac frontend), the launcher and config tool (both aren't needed to play) are written in C# 2.0 and they work under Mono. QUICK_EDIT
OpenRA is different, this is Red Alert without needing to have the disc or download the ISOs. Actually if you want I got D2k working for me, so I could zip it all up, just posting on PPM wouldn't be allowed I guess. QUICK_EDIT
Oh pretty sure CTF was disabled in skirmish simply because the AI can't play it properly. They won't try to capture any flags.
The multiplayer options should use the defaults IMO, so people don't have to add something new to an ini. It's stupid being able to play with 2.7 billion credits and what not.
Greece, Turkey and Spain shouldn't be enabled, seems like a really pointless addition. The original countries were enough and it should be left that way IMO.
"The multiplayer options should use the defaults IMO, so people don't have to add something new to an ini. It's stupid being able to play with 2.7 billion credits and what not. "
The patch notes just show the extra keywords, PortableRA comes with them set to the normal defaults.
I added the three countries after CnCNet players requested them, yeah I can see that they're pointless (no country bonuses), though map mods can change their country bonuses afaik. QUICK_EDIT
Mmm, I just think the game should be left as original as possible regarding the extra countries...
Also is this patch incompatible with none-patch users (to avoid crashes presumably)?
EDIT: Seems that if you join someones game who has a custom and map it starts transfering and you hit cancel you get "Unable to Read" scenario, hit ok and it goes to desktop, rather than back to the lobby. QUICK_EDIT
It's compatible with the latest official patch (3.03).
As I didn't touch that part of the code it's probably normal behavior. Sounds really weird though so I'll add it to my todo list. Have to check it out a bit first. QUICK_EDIT
tested it and everytime i created a game on a good standart map i had 1 to 3 players in just a matter of seconds, thats how it should be _________________ Hydraw Art on Facebook QUICK_EDIT
We actually hit a new all time high of 143 players online yesterday. It maxes out in the European evening at around 21:00 GMT.
Just half a year ago the all time high was 70.
I'm gonna assume everything worked as expected for you guys (installer, launcher, config tool and the game itself?), because that's good to hear.
I've noticed you can't launch the ant missions via the launcher anymore because it checks for a file that doesn't exist anymore (I reorganised some files in the package a few days ago and I forgot to update that). I'll re-upload the installer and minimum game package with a fixed launcher. If you guys don't feel like redownloading I can PM a fixed a launcher.
Edit: Okay, I reuploaded the downloads now. QUICK_EDIT
Well I'll also point out that screens like the LAN lobby appear in the top left while the main menu is centred. Is there any chance of this being fixed at some point?
EDIT: Just quickly played the first Soviet mission and it crashed on the score screen. No dialog box with the memory ID just the Win7 'program has stopped responding' box.
EDIT2: Ok only happens if I click on the score screen to skip it. It's also a bit weird that it's stretched to full screen IMO (or the game changes resolution?). I do have videos set to stretch though.
EDIT3: And when quitting a multiplayer game (after the others had left and AI had taken over) I got an application error. 005e4288 at 00021252
EDIT4: Just had another issue where my cursor disappeared at the beginning of a match. QUICK_EDIT
Yes those menus showing up in the top left will be fixed. The high resolution patch changes all the positions of elements in the game, by default they have their position hard-coded for 640x400. For example a box might be set to 150 pixels from the left and 300 from the top. C&C95 is newer than RA95 and has the positioning code mostly resolution independent, sadly in RA95 pretty much every position is hard-coded. The LAN menu has tons of elements sadly. It isn't that the explicit number is called as argument for a function to create/draw an element, it's placed in a register somewhere in a gigantic function and you need to figure out where and what exact argument is the top/left offset one.
"EDIT: Just quickly played the first Soviet mission and it crashed on the score screen. No dialog box with the memory ID just the Win7 'program has stopped responding' box. "
I've noticed this too, there's no way to fix this. The game is still working and Windows 7 incorrectly thinks it's not responding. If you tell Windows 7 to ignore it, the game will continue normally. I think this only happens in windowed mode.
"EDIT2: Ok only happens if I click on the score screen to skip it. It's also a bit weird that it's stretched to full screen IMO (or the game changes resolution?). I do have videos set to stretch though. "
I did this as C&C95 with Nyerguds patch does this too. It would also take me a lot longer to center every part of the score screen because it has a lot of elements which are all hard-coded.
"EDIT3: And when quitting a multiplayer game (after the others had left and AI had taken over) I got an application error. 005e4288 at 00021252 "
Haven't heard of this one being reported before.
Seems to be a crash in the LAN menu (CnCNet lobby), there's a bunch of crashes in the menu with the colour changing code for player nick names and while moving the games list and user list around when the content of them is changed. Not sure how to fix this as this is a 3.03 issue and lies somewhere deeply in GUI elements code which haven't been analysed by me or CCHyper. :/
"EDIT4: Just had another issue where my cursor disappeared at the beginning of a match. "
Sounds like the cnc-ddraw cursor issue. QUICK_EDIT
Posted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 12:06 am Post subject:
LAN not working
I tried out the Portable RA and singleplayer campaigns and skirmish work fine. However, when I open the Multiplayer menu and click "Network" it just takes me straight back to the main menu. It does this on Win 7 32 & 64 bit. Why isn't the LAN menu working? Is there something I have to configure, like a IPX protocol? QUICK_EDIT
You cannot post new topics in this forum You can reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You can download files in this forum
PortableRA beta released
