EA has announced that it’s releasing the source code for Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert in an effort to support the series’ modding community ahead of the launch of Command & Conquer Remastered.
Announced in a blog post on May 21, EA has decided that it will release the dynamic-link library (.dll file) and for both Tiberium Dawn and Red Alert, as well as the games’ respective source codes. This will allow modding of the remastered game, something highly requested by fans.
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The remastered collection launches in 15 days, and the blog post states that the source code will be launched alongside it.
“This is a key moment for Electronic Arts, the C&C community, and the gaming industry, as we believe this will be one of the first major RTS franchises to open source their code under the GPL,” C&C producer Jim Vessella said in the blog post, referring to the General Public License, which guarantees freedom for users to modify software. “After discussing with the council members, we made the decision to go with the GPL license to ensure compatibility with projects like [existing mod projects] CnCNet and Open RA.”
Vessella said EA’s goal was to deliver the source code in a way that would be “truly beneficial for the community” and that he hopes this will enable community C&C projects for years to come. The release of the DLL files will help modders in designing maps, creating custom units, replacing art, altering gameplay logic, and editing general data, according to Vessella. This is enhanced by the inclusion of a new map editor in the remastered package.
Steam players will be able to use Steam Workshop to share both maps and mods, while Origin users will need to manually install mods into their respective folders outside the game. Origin players will, however, be able to download maps through the usual in-game process. For both PC versions of the game, a Mods tab will be accessible in the game’s Options menu, where mods can be activated.
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Alongside this announcement, Vessella said that while EA understands LAN play is a heavily-requested feature, its inclusion in the collection has been delayed as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“Earlier this year, we had every intention of including LAN Play in the launch version of the game, but sadly this feature did not make it in time,” Vessella said. “Unfortunately, LAN Play became the key impact of the Covid-19 situation as we realized the challenge of developing/testing a ‘local area network’ feature in a workplace time of social distancing.”
Vessella said the team will keep LAN Play on their priority list as it moves forward in the game’s development. The C&C Remastered Collection launches on June 5 on PC. You can check out the first snippets of the collection’s gameplay in this C&C Remaster teaser trailer. Meanwhile, here are some ways to help and stay safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.
Source: IGN.com EA to Release 2 Command & Conquer Games' Source Code to Help Modders