Mission briefings? (RA1)

[zak]

Hi

 

I was wondering if it is possible to change the mission briefings for a mission? I've tried several things already. I found out there is a "Briefing" section in a mission file so I created one but it was just ignored by the game and it has just shown the original mission text. Then I looked up the original mission file inside the general.mix (I think it was that mix file) - I changed the Briefing section inside the original map file inside the MIX but it still just showed the original mission briefing. Since I could not find any other files inside any of the MIX-Files which contained any mission briefing information I was wondering where the game gets these informations from and if it was somehow possible to change the mission briefing texts?

 

Thanks in advance

zak

[Nyerguds]

I think you have to remove the Digest section in the ini for it to work.

[MrFlibble]

Then I looked up the original mission file inside the general.mix (I think it was that mix file) - I changed the Briefing section inside the original map file inside the MIX but it still just showed the original mission briefing. Since I could not find any other files inside any of the MIX-Files which contained any mission briefing information I was wondering where the game gets these informations from and if it was somehow possible to change the mission briefing texts?

I think you have to remove the Digest section in the ini for it to work.

Hmm, IIRC if you change something in a RA1 INI without removing the [Digest] section, it will just refuse to load that scenario at all. If it shows the original briefing, then the modifications either were not saved, or a different version of the map was loaded.

 

On the other hand, all briefings from the original campaign (not add-on missions) are stored in a file called MISSION.INI, just like in C&C. If you want to change campaign briefings, you should edit that file, not individual scenario INIs.

[zak]

There is no mission.ini for the standard missions. Just for the expansion packs I can find their respective mission.ini, but I can't find any other mission.ini's. That's why I was confused where the game gets the information from when the briefing isn't in the mission's INI-file.

[Allen262]

There is no mission.ini for the standard missions. Just for the expansion packs I can find their respective mission.ini, but I can't find any other mission.ini's. That's why I was confused where the game gets the information from when the briefing isn't in the mission's INI-file.

 

The mission.ini sets original campaigns briefings for all the original campaigns. The expansion pack missions have there mission briefings inside them.

 

You can find the mission.ini for original campaigns on the on the Allied or Sovet RA-1 CDs under main.mix than general.mix, you will find mission.ini inside. The mission.ini is not found on the CouterStrike or The Aftermath CDs.

 

I'm also attaching the mission.ini but I have to put it in a ZIP folder. Extract the mission.ini from the folder and place it into your RA-1 directory. It will than over ride any mission.ini.

Mission.ini.zip

[Nyerguds]

So, a briefing section in the mission ini itself doesn't override the mission.ini briefing? Odd.

[Allen262]

So, a briefing section in the mission ini *Example Ailled 2/scg02ea.ini* itself doesn't override the mission.ini briefing? Odd.

 

Yes it will, if mission *example Ailled 2/scg02ea.ini* itself is placed in RA-1 directory but there is not a mission.ini in the RA-1 directory with it.

 

However if mission *example Ailled 2/scg02ea.ini* itself is placed in RA-1 directory but there is a mission.ini in the RA-1 directory with it. The mission.ini will over ride all misson briefings for the original campaigns

[Nyerguds]

That seems strange. I know the way C&C looks for files, and it shouldn't matter whether the file is in a mixfile or in the game folder.

[MrFlibble]

That seems strange. I know the way C&C looks for files, and it shouldn't matter whether the file is in a mixfile or in the game folder.

RA1 is a bit more picky with data inside/outside mixfiles, C&C is far more liberal in this respect.

[Allen262]

That seems strange. I know the way C&C looks for files, and it shouldn't matter whether the file is in a mixfile or in the game folder.

RA1 is a bit more picky with data inside/outside mixfiles, C&C is far more liberal in this respect.

 

I found out quickly that it was picky. This is why in Red Dawn the mission.ini is not packed in a mix file but left out in the game folder.

[Nyerguds]

well it's not about being picky... the game has methods that read in the game folder, methods that read in the mix files, and general methods that read in both. But what you're telling me means it actually tries to read TWICE, once in the mixfiles and once in the game folder, depending on where it does or doesn't find the briefing. C&C uses the general "read everywhere" method for nearly everything, including even the high scores file, which is never in a mixfile.

[Allen262]

From what I know RA-1 Mission briefings are done in this priority order.

 

mission.ini, in game folder.

any mission, in game folder will over ride mission.ini on allied or sovet disk but not mission.ini if it is in game folder.

 

mission.ini, in a Sc***.mix. Game will read mission briefings from missions that are also in Sc***.mix.