Missing rules.ini in PortableRA?

[loc]

Hi all,

 

I've recently downloaded and installed PortableRA (version 3.03P R298). I wanted to modify the rules.ini but couldn't find it. Is it not used anymore, now that we have RedAlertConfig.exe? Or is there a fresh, unmodified, PortableRA-friendly rules.ini somewhere that I can download and use in the game?

 

I use it usually to change unit/country costs for single player games, so it would be great if we could still have it.

 

Thanks! 

[loc]

To put things into perspective, I'd like to change the cost of the Ranger for the Stage 1 of the Ant Missions. Let's just say I find the giant ants' destructive powers a bit 'overwhelming'. 

 

Which country am I playing in that mission by the way? The uniform colors are different.

 

Thanks!

[Jacko]

to access rules.ini you would need to use xcc mixer and extract rules.ini from redalert.mix, which are the base values that the game remembers.

 

In the ant missions you are playing as 'Spain'

[FunkyFr3sh]

copy those in your game folder:

 

http://funkyfr3sh.cncnet.org/files/rules.ini

http://funkyfr3sh.cncnet.org/files/aftrmath.ini

 

 

if you ever want to modify the rules files for cncnet (multiplayer) then look out for spawn.xdp and spawnam.xdp

[Allen262]

Ants are not in the rules.ini anyway. The coding for them is in the mission it self. The ant mission are found in the main.mix ? general.mix Ant mission are SCA01EA.ini to SCA04EA.ini. Open them with notepad and you will see the ant data in top of the file.

[loc]

to access rules.ini you would need to use xcc mixer and extract rules.ini from redalert.mix, which are the base values that the game remembers.

 

In the ant missions you are playing as 'Spain'

Thanks, Jacko! I could just edit the cost of Ranger for Spain and leave it at that, because I don't play online anyway so I don't get to choose which Allied country I want to play. I normally just get the usual grey units in single player missions (England?).

 

 

copy those in your game folder:

 

http://funkyfr3sh.cncnet.org/files/rules.ini

http://funkyfr3sh.cncnet.org/files/aftrmath.ini

 

 

if you ever want to modify the rules files for cncnet (multiplayer) then look out for spawn.xdp and spawnam.xdp

Awesome! I don't have to fiddle with XCC Mixer after all.  :beer:

 

I can't seem to find those two .XDP files you mentioned, FunkyFr3sh. Or are they in redalert.mix as well and need to be extracted first?

 

 

Ants are not in the rules.ini anyway. The coding for them is in the mission it self. The ant mission are found in the main.mix ? general.mix Ant mission are SCA01EA.ini to SCA04EA.ini. Open them with notepad and you will see the ant data in top of the file.

Thanks for the pointers, Allen! I don't however need to change the values for the ants (not yet at least). I'd like the same level of challenge, but with a discounted price for the Rangers.  (Plus I can't find the general.mix file.)

 

 

Now let's see if I understand you guys right:

- If I use a rules.ini file, RA will use the values in that file instead of the defaults buried within redalert.mix.

- The Counterstrike add-on doesn't have its own .INI file because there isn't a new unit in the expansion pack.

- aftrmth.ini will affect only those new units found in The Aftermath add-on, and can also be extracted from redalert.mix (in PortableRA).

- I could (but I won't now) change the values for the ants if I take SCA01EA.ini to SCA04EA.ini out of main.mix.

 

Again, thanks loads everyone for the really helpful replies!

 

[Allen262]

Yes Counterstrike dosen't have a .ini. All of the changes to make "New" units are change done in each misson. Also the aftrmth.ini has some changes done to stock units but this will only be effective on Aftermath mission or if you have the Force Aftermath units for all mission on.

[loc]

Yes Counterstrike dosen't have a .ini. All of the changes to make "New" units are change done in each misson. Also the aftrmth.ini has some changes done to stock units but this will only be effective on Aftermath mission or if you have the Force Aftermath units for all mission on.

Gotcha Allen, thanks! I might force Aftermath units later to see how that changes the game play. Should be interesting.

[FunkyFr3sh]

the .XDP files are only for multiplayer, cncnet will download them when you connect to the online lobby for the very first time but they are also used for Skirmish games in the cncnet lobby

 

Here is the loading order for the ini files:

Rules.ini

Aftrmath.ini (overrides rules.ini)

Map File (overrides Aftrmath.ini and rules.ini)

 

 

so, that means if you play a mission where the stats of a given unit were changed in the mission file then the game will use the stats from the mission and ignores the ones from aftrmath/rules.ini

 

if nothing was changed in the mission then it tries to load it from aftrmath.ini and ignores rules.ini (only if aftermath is enabled and the unit stats exist in aftrmath.ini)

 

 

Since the unit stats for the ants are inside of the mission files you will only be able to change their stats by modifying the mission files

 

 

having a rules.ini/aftrmath.ini/mission loose in the game folder will force the game to use those files instead of the ones inside the mix files

[loc]

the .XDP files are only for multiplayer, cncnet will download them when you connect to the online lobby for the very first time but they are also used for Skirmish games in the cncnet lobby

 

Here is the loading order for the ini files:

Rules.ini

Aftrmath.ini (overrides rules.ini)

Map File (overrides Aftrmath.ini and rules.ini)

 

 

so, that means if you play a mission where the stats of a given unit were changed in the mission file then the game will use the stats from the mission and ignores the ones from aftrmath/rules.ini

 

if nothing was changed in the mission then it tries to load it from aftrmath.ini and ignores rules.ini (only if aftermath is enabled and the unit stats exist in aftrmath.ini)

 

 

 

Since the unit stats for the ants are inside of the mission files you will only be able to change their stats by modifying the mission files

Now that's something I bet not a lot of people know! So that means I could just leave the rules.ini unmodified but have a section added to the corresponding mission file (in my case that would be SCA01EA.ini, extracted from main.mix and saved as a file in the folder) containing the modification that I want (in my case that would be 'cheap Rangers'), am I correct?

 

 

having a rules.ini/aftrmath.ini/mission loose in the game folder will force the game to use those files instead of the ones inside the mix files

I guess the only way of knowing which mission file goes with which mission is to take a peek inside one by one, yes?

 

 

Thanks again, FunkyFr3sh!

[Allen262]

 

Now that's something I bet not a lot of people know! So that means I could just leave the rules.ini unmodified but have a section added to the corresponding mission file (in my case that would be SCA01EA.ini, extracted from main.mix and saved as a file in the folder) containing the modification that I want (in my case that would be 'cheap Rangers'), am I correct?

 

Yes it is known to us old timers. Yes if you extract the SCA01EA.ini and put into the folder with the RA95.exe it will override the SCA01EA.ini pakcin into the mix files. In you case to change the cost of the ranger all you need is the Ranger header [JEEP] and Cost= like below and put it into the mission.

 

[JEEP]

Cost=600

 

I guess the only way of knowing which mission file goes with which mission is to take a peek inside one by one, yes?

 

You can tell what side the player is by the first 3 leters. SCA****.ini is Ant missions. SCG****.ini is Allied missions and SCU****.ini Soviet missions. CMU**EA.in is for the new Custom Mission option. All others are Multiplayer maps.

 

Ingame you can find the ID of the mission your playing by going to Options. It is on the lower right above Briefing.

[loc]

Yes it is known to us old timers. Yes if you extract the SCA01EA.ini and put into the folder with the RA95.exe it will override the SCA01EA.ini pakcin into the mix files. In you case to change the cost of the ranger all you need is the Ranger header [JEEP] and Cost= like below and put it into the mission.

 

[JEEP]

Cost=600

So I don't need to specify the country or any of the other parameters?

 

 

You can tell what side the player is by the first 3 leters. SCA****.ini is Ant missions. SCG****.ini is Allied missions and SCU****.ini Soviet missions. CMU**EA.in is for the new Custom Mission option. All others are Multiplayer maps.

 

Ingame you can find the ID of the mission your playing by going to Options. It is on the lower right above Briefing.

Of course! That's where I got the game version as well (see my first post). How did I miss that?

 

 

Thanks again, Allen!

[Allen262]

@loc

 

For the Ant missions all you need [JEEP] and Cost= to change the Rangers cost.

[loc]

Yes. Tried it and it worked like a charm!

[Iran]

>Thanks, Jacko! I could just edit the cost of Ranger for Spain and leave it at that, because I don't play online anyway so I don't get to choose which Allied country I want to play. I normally just get the usual grey units in single player missions (England?).

 

You can launch CnCNet 5 in skirmish mode, you should try it as it gives you a lot more game setup options, including the ability to set spawn location and alliances.

[loc]

Whoa! Here's the guy (or girl) that put together the game I'm currently playing! I must say that playing PortableRA in windowed mode under Windows 7 with no color glitches or lock-ups is genuinely satisfying. Amazing work and big thanks! (I got here from playing the freeware I downloaded from redalert1.com, hence the pain.)

 

Sorry it took me so long to reply. It's holiday season here in my country, so family time.

 

I promise I'll try the Skirmish mode later on. I'm now trying out Counterstrike and The Aftermath (no, I didn't get to play them when they first came out). Do I have to be online to play it?

 

 

[Allen262]

For CnCNet 5 in skirmish mode you need to be online.

[FunkyFr3sh]

you don't need to be online, the skirmish button in the game launchers start the client with "-noupdate -skirmish" to send you right into the skirmish lobby without getting updates and no login screen will show up either

 

but you need to start it once with a working internet connection first to download all needed files

 

not sure if iran added such a skrimish button to his launcher tho