Digital Arts has launched the supply code for Command & Conquer to a neighborhood of modders who like designing new ranges for the classic real-time technique recreation.
It’s a good transfer for the neighborhood, but it surely additionally tells me that EA sees no actual option to make strong revenues on remakers of the real-time technique model, which was well-liked once I was rising up. That half makes me unhappy, but it surely’s value dealing with actuality.
Jim Vessella, C&C producer at EA, famous that the corporate launched the C&C Final Assortment on Steam final 12 months. This was a optimistic step in direction of sustaining the legacy of Command & Conquer, however he stated EA all the time had the ambition to ship much more C&C franchise enhancements to the neighborhood.
So shortly after launch in 2024, EA commissioned Luke “CCHyper” Feenan (a veteran of the C&C neighborhood who was part of our Neighborhood Council for the C&C Remastered Assortment). Feenan was additionally concerned in bringing the C&C Final Assortment to Steam again in March 2024.
EA requested Feenan to formally analysis enhancements to most of the video games within the Final Assortment. With full entry to the C&C Archive at EA, Feenan proposed a pair formidable concepts on behalf of the neighborhood, and over the previous 12 months, he has devoted himself to ship upon these initiatives.
In an announcement, Feenan stated, “For these of you superior C&C followers who I’ve not crossed paths with earlier than, my identify is Luke Feenan, aka. “CCHyper”. I’m a 20+ 12 months veteran of the C&C Neighborhood, a very long time modder, and an Admin of CnCNet. I used to be additionally very lucky to have been concerned within the improvement of the C&C Remastered Assortment underneath the mentorship of Jim Vessella.”
Over the previous 12 months he has labored alongside the C&C stakeholders at EA to revive the Perforce supply code archives for the C&C video games again to buildable states, which now supplies the staff with the flexibility to patch these traditional video games in a deeper means going ahead. As a very long time modder, it was wonderful to lastly get an opportunity to deep dive into the supply code for these video games and see how they work, Feenan stated.
It’s nearly 5 years in the past now that EA launched the supply code for the C&C Remastered Assortment DLL information. This launch obtained reward throughout the video video games trade, and has enabled the neighborhood to create wonderful content material for the Remastered Assortment. In response to the restoration strategy of the C&C archives, EA is now releasing the totally recovered supply code for Command & Conquer (aka, Tiberian Daybreak) and C&C Pink Alert underneath the GPL license.
This may empower these in the neighborhood who proceed to create content material for these traditional entries within the franchise, and Feenan hopes it would assist communities like CnCNet to proceed to help these video games and preserve them playable for future generations to come back.
Feenan stated the neighborhood over at W3DHub has carried out nice issues with the C&C Renegade engine for nearly 20 years now and their initiatives have been pushing absolutely the limits of the sport. To help them in taking the sport and their superior initiatives to the subsequent stage, EA can be releasing the whole supply code for C&C Renegade underneath the GPL license.
“All of us listed below are all actually excited to see what’s subsequent in retailer for the neighborhood over at W3DHub and what they’ll be capable of do with this launch,” Feenan stated.
And lastly, in appreciation of the C&C Generals neighborhood who’ve saved the sport alive with their constant vitality and ardour, internet hosting multiplayer tournaments, and producing wonderful content material, Feenan stated the corporate is releasing the total supply code underneath GPL for C&C Generals and its growth pack, Zero Hour.
“I do know the Generals/ZH neighborhood goes to do wonderful issues with this supply code launch, and I’m excited to see what the staff over at C&C On-line does subsequent with the multiplayer expertise for these video games,” Feenan stated.
EA additionally stated it’s enabling the Steam Workshop help for extra C&C titles to permit customers to add their customized maps. This has been an ask from the neighborhood for a really very long time so EA can lastly give map creators an official and everlasting dwelling on the Steam Workshop for content material.
Now Steam Workshop help has gone stay for: C&C Renegade, C&C Generals & Zero Hour, C&C 3 Tiberium Wars and Kane’s Wrath, C&C Pink Alert 3 & Rebellion and C&C 4 Tiberian Twilight.
EA has additionally up to date all of the Mission Editor and World Builder instruments so you’ll be able to publish maps on to the Steam Workshop. Once you subscribe to an merchandise on the Steam Workshop (through the Shopper or webpage), the video games will now pull that content material down if you subsequent launch the sport and the maps will likely be displayed within the singleplayer/multiplayer map choice menus.
“We’re all wanting ahead to seeing what enjoyable and loopy maps you add,” Feenan stated.
EA is releasing a “C&C Modding Help” pack which incorporates the supply Xml, Schema, Script, Shader and Map information for all of the video games that use the SAGE engine. This has been one other want from the neighborhood for nearly 15 years now so Feenan stated he’s excited to lastly make this occur, and it ought to assist the neighborhood to make wonderful content material and mods for the years to come back.
“I wish to take a second to thank all of our Neighborhood Playtesters who’ve supported us all through this journey with their invaluable suggestions and encouragement, additionally a giant thanks to everybody who has reported bugs and points for the C&C video games on Reddit and Steam,” Feenan stated. “And in fact to the entire C&C neighborhood for supporting these video games for over 25+ years.”
Feenan thanked the staff at EA working at varied studios and departments throughout the globe who’ve helped make this occur (there are simply too many to call!). Their help for this undertaking and the C&C franchise was actually motivating in the course of the last push to launch. He additionally thanked EA Companions and supporters together with technical director Brian Barnes and Vessella.
Vessella stated that, as with earlier modding initiatives, person generated content material for C&C titles fall underneath the Command & Conquer Franchise Modding Pointers, which have been up to date to replicate this initiative. Kudos to EA. As we’ve seen recently, there are worse fates for ageing recreation properties.
