C&C Labs News Wire

— Thursday, March 27, 2003 —

Posted By: talal at 7:53:38 AM ET

CNC games offline, westwood layout change

Hello People!

Well, sad news from Raden, their site is temporarily offline due to server stuff so they should be back in a while!

This one is quite old but just for the sake of something to post, the official Westwood site has had a layout change.

That's about it!

Last edited by Mike on Thursday, March 27, 2003 at 8:43:12 PM.

— Thursday, March 27, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 1:17:39 AM ET

Three More Maps

I have finally gotten around to adding three more maps to Generals World!  You can download them from our Maps Download Page.  As always, here is their info:

UK
Description:

Max Players: 2
From the Author: A small representation of the UK, Scotland vs London :o)
More Info: A great map for the Brits. =)
File Size: 0.03 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Fiz   Email

Gusto's Desert
Description:

Max Players: 2
From the Author: This is my first map in C&c Generals. It is a little tight map in a desert with scenery like a river in the middle.
File Size: 0.16 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Gusto   Email

424X
Description:

Max Players: 4
From the Author: This map is a remake of 42449. This map is made for pure deathmatches and has taken me quite some time to create and is a whole lot better then 42449!! Enjoy!
File Size: 0.38 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Sork   Email | Website

I've got over 15 more maps to add over the next week or so, so stay tuned.  I'll be adding a few more this weekend.

Last edited by Mike on Thursday, March 27, 2003 at 6:18:14 AM.

— Saturday, March 22, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 5:44:07 PM ET

Updates

Sorry for the lack of updates this past week everyone... I've been extremely busy and will continue to be until Thursday. I am hoping to release a few Generals maps before then though. I've got more than 10 of them sitting in my inbox, waiting to be tested and added to the website. I'll try to add a few tomorrow night. So don't worry, I haven't forgotten about updating the website, just haven't had time. Keep the maps coming too - I'll eventually get through them all!

— Saturday, March 15, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 3:25:53 PM ET

Happy Birthday Generals World!

Hey everyone!  It's Generals World's one year anniversary today!  It's been one year since our site launched, shortly after the announcement of CnC Generals.  At the time we were the third Generals-only fansite.  CNCGenerals.com was the first, followed shortly thereafter by General's HQ (no longer existant), and then us!  We've come a long way in a year, and I'd like to thank all of our visitors for helping to make Generals World a great fansite.  We couldn't have done it without you guys.

If anyone happens to be interested in seeing what we looked like back in June 2002, the Way Back Machine has us archived then.  You can check out the page here.  The page is missing a few key layout images, but you'll get the general idea.  Ah, how it brings back memories.

We're looking forward to a brand new year as we continue to strive for excellence.  Stick around - you're sure to see plently more improvements over the next year.  Thanks for a great first year!


— Thursday, March 13, 2003 —

Posted By: talal at 11:26:21 PM ET

Trace of Delphi!

Hello People!

The dudes at Tiberium MW have managed to get hold of Delphi and have a had a large Question & Answer session with him. Heres a small preview of it!

TMW: Are you going to be moving to EALA? Why did you make that decision? If so when will you be moving?
Delphi: Of course! It’s a new adventure and a chance to take everything I’ve learned over the years and help make some great games. I start work at the new facility on the 17th of March.

To check out the whole Q & A, Click Here

Last edited by Mike on Friday, March 14, 2003 at 6:41:51 AM.

— Thursday, March 13, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 11:06:05 AM ET

Content Updates

Seeing as how the third most popular response to our poll "How could we improve most?" is "Update the units and structures pages!" (ok, so what if the number of votes for more maps is crushing the other responses), I figured I'd do just that.  I've updated the following pages:

I'd like to take a moment to thank Sagi, a Generals fan from Israel, for providing useful updated info and screenshots of units and structures.  I'd also like to thank Pieter-Paul, a Dutch Generals World visitor for providing corrections about China's units and structures.  I always appreciate any help I can get, so thanks a lot guys! =)

The next pages I'm going to update are the GLA pages, since they're in dire need of updating.  Then I'll put together the Generals Upgrades pages for each side, which will include the upgrades, new units, and special weapons you can receive from the Generals Experience Menu.  Once I'm done all that, I'll finishing sorting though the rest of Sagi's screenshots and add a bunch of them to our Images Gallery for viewing.

Also, be sure to check back later on tonight - I'll have a couple more maps for ya to play on added by then.

Last edited by Mike on Thursday, March 13, 2003 at 4:07:36 PM.

— Thursday, March 13, 2003 —

Posted By: Luckie at 9:05:15 AM ET

Generals 1.4 Patch Live

Hey everyone,

Sorry for my lack of posting, but sometimes business takes first priority :) but in any case, I feel quite compelled to pass on this bit..erm...fairly large chunk of news from Harvard himself. As posted on the Official Message boards:
Dear C&C Generals players,

Patch 1.4 is live. You may autoupdate your files by logging into Generals Online. If you are online, log off then get back on.

DO NOT get the patch from anywhere except the normal EA source.

Sorry for the short delay. Did some last minute checks to make sure its right.

--------------------
Harvard Bonin
Producer
Command & Conquer Generals
Electronic Arts

And there it is! The 1.4 patch is live! Let it live!
Last edited by Mike on Thursday, March 13, 2003 at 3:50:51 PM.

— Wednesday, March 12, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 3:25:33 PM ET

Another Dose of Maps

I've got three more maps freshly submitted and tested for everyone today, and I've got another three sitting in my inbox waiting for me to test, so expect those soon.  Here's the info on the latest three maps:

Valley Wars
Description:

Max Players: 4
From the Author: This is a money map with a small village in the middle. Crates are located throughout the map. 2 vs 2 battles are effective because each side is linked. There are a few entrances to each base, which should be easy to defend.
More: This is a great map for those of you who love battling with near-infinite supplies of cash. UN crates are scattered across the map, providing quick and easy cash.
File Size: 0.12 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: woodbulb   Email

Dreadly Sins
Description:

Max Players: 6
From the Author: Dreadly Sins is a fictional creation of a major terrorist stronghold located a few miles east of Bagdad, Iraq. I dedicate this map to the American armed forces and their Allies who now prepare to fight and die for the liberation of the Iraqi people.
More: A very cool 6 player map. Offers a unique design of mountainous terrain. This map works great in both singleplayer and multiplayer.
File Size: 0.49 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: ZHaDuM   Email

Willington
Description:

Max Players: 2
From the Author: This is a Middle-East city map....Players start at both ends, the two sides have small humble towns, while the middle of the map has a city that has been bombed to ****... this may be a valuble area if you can repair the buildings...
File Size: 0.05 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Exoskeleton   Email

As always, you can download these latest maps from our Map Downloads page.

Last edited by Mike on Wednesday, March 12, 2003 at 8:27:06 PM.

— Monday, March 10, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 5:28:33 PM ET

3 New Maps

Just in special for the hundred or so visitors currently visiting Generals World at 10:30 EST... three new maps for you to keep ya busy for the night!  They're all great maps, and as always, here's their info.

3 Seasons
Description:

Max Players: 8
From the Author: There is a grass area, snow area, and desert area each with a couple of start points. Resources are very plentiful and goodie crates everywhere to keep you exploring. Works with computer players but no AI config was done. Multiple entrances to each base.
More: This is an awesome map for people who love having near-infinite cash! Great map for 8 players.
File Size: 0.3 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: woodbulb   Email

Corner Pocket
Description:

Max Players: 4
From the Author: Player starting locations are in each corner of map with a plateau on each side of each base. The plateaus each have ramps leading to oil derriks and oil refineries and supply docks. These plateaus also provide great scud launcher bombardment points.
More: This is map is great for people who aren't looking for the usual, square symmetric map. Plenty of resources for four-player fun.
File Size: 0.03 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Twisted_777   Email

Oasis Assault
Description:

Max Players: 2
From the Author: The map is centered around a small oasis in the desert with an island in the middle. The resources are moderate with the 2 non base corners holding a unique surprise.
More: This is a very neat, well-made, evenly balanced map, especially good for one on one tournament-style battles.
File Size: 0.02 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: DarkCnC   Email

Sound interesting?  Head on over to our Maps Download Page to download these three great fan-made maps.

Last edited by Mike on Monday, March 10, 2003 at 10:37:13 PM.

— Monday, March 10, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 2:01:15 AM ET

Harvard's Posts on Official Forums

Harvard has posted on the Official Forums two new topics, asking what you want in a Generals expansion.  Here are the two topics:

Head to the Official Forums and make your voice heard!


— Friday, March 7, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 1:28:23 PM ET

7 New Maps!

I've got seven new maps for all of ya to download tonight (finally)!  The first two were submitted by fans, and the other five were created by Exoskeleton.  Be sure to head to our Maps page to download them!  Here's their info:

Mountain Battle
Description:
Max Players: 2
From the Author: This is a multiplayer map only (no skirmish). The main theme of this map is two mountain ranges with a center valley and one main pass though the mountains. Controlling this pass is critical to victory.
File Size: 0.13 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Ryan Gibbard  
Email

Valley of Despair
Description:
Max Players: 4
From the Author: Just a 4 player map that is made up of equal opurtunity and lost of cash spread throughout the entire map.
File Size: 0.06 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Milko  
Email

[GWSF] U Turn
Description:
Max Players: 2
From the Author: This map is a large battlefield. It has many tech structures and can cause a huge river war.
File Size: 0.05 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Exoskeleton  
Email

[GWSF] Terror Rulz
Description:
Max Players: 2
From the Author: This map is a falt map, but can still hold a huge war with it's many tech buildings.
File Size: 0.04 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Exoskeleton  
Email

[GWSF] Middle City
Description:
Max Players: 4
From the Author: This map has a city in the center that can cause a huge problem.
File Size: 0.06 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Exoskeleton  
Email

[GWSF] Lil' Mound of Death
Description:
Max Players: 4
From the Author: This map can play on both Skirmish and multiplayer. When you start this map it might be wise to rush to the middle... there is a little suprise...
File Size: 0.04 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Exoskeleton  
Email

[GWSF] Center City
Description:
Max Players: 4
From the Author: This map is a large map with one center island....it can play in Skirmish and in Multiplayer.
File Size: 0.06 MB
File Type: .zip
Author: Exoskeleton  
Email

Once again, head to the Maps Downloads page to get your week's supply of Generals maps!


— Wednesday, March 5, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 2:25:31 PM ET

New Poll!

Yep... it's that time again! We've got a new poll! This time around the question is: How could we improve the most? Be sure to cast your vote to the right!

And as always, here's the last poll's results, with a whoppin 980 votes!

Do you own Generals yet?
Of course! I pre-ordered it!
282
28%
Yep, bought it already
531
54%
I'm getting it in a week or two
84
8%
If my computer could run it...
83
8%

Total Votes: 980
Last edited by Mike on Wednesday, March 5, 2003 at 7:26:55 PM.

— Wednesday, March 5, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 2:07:58 PM ET

Update on the 1.4 Patch

Here's the latest update from Harvard about the version 1.4 Generals Patch.

Dear C&C Generals players,

We're continuing to hammer out Patch 1.4.  It's looking really good so far and we're on target for release early next week.  Most of the work is done and we'll be testing till then.  Here's a tentative list of the contents. It may change depending on how testing goes but it should give you a ballpark estimate on what to expect. We'll keep you up to speed on the progress.

TENTATIVE 1.4 LIST

- Fixed the "repeat games in the custom match game list" problem.
- The game can now track who the offending disconnector is in a game.  That player will get a loss and also lose a rank point.
- Changed the lobbies to only list the games contained in that lobby.  Also renamed all of them after different countries...USA, Germany, Korea, UK, Australia, China, Europe, Asia, etc.
- Fixed a problem where the user could sometimes lose connection to Generals Online.
- Increased the allowed time for game to negotiate matching between players.
- Added the 3:00 rule for a game to count on Generals Online.
- Made a change for modders...added –directory command line.
- Fixed the rank hack where some players appear to have a higher rank than they should.
- Fixed the "no artwork" problem for a Random Private.
- Fixed an autosave problem in the Korean/Chinese versions.
- Fixed a crash related to user DPI setting.
- Added a new multiplayer map.
- Made some balance adjustments (may change):
  * Tunnel Network build speed decreased.  
  * Marauder Tank hit points increased. 
  * Stealth Fighter hit points increased. 
  * Explosion damage done by Chinese Nuke Tanks when they are destroyed reduced. 
  * Nuke Cannon locomotor changed so it moves the same speed when damaged, not faster.
 
 * Aurora speed increased after it drops a bomb. Damaged speed increased.

OTHER THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT

- We continue to track down serious error issues.  We are working with people who write to seriouserror@ea.com.
- We continue to look at firewall issues. 
- We've been keeping an eye out for online trainers, cheats, etc.
- We're working on the ladder kit.  See previous post for status.
- We're working on a help bot for the lobbies.
- We're making more multiplayer maps. 

I hope all this gives you some insight into the work being done.  Thanks for your continued support.

No ETA yet on the patch itself, but it looks like they've got a good deal done already.  Oh, and if you're interested in seeing that "previous post" about the ladder kit, head to the official boards here.


— Tuesday, March 4, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 1:59:14 AM ET

Tides of Westwood's Merger

The final tides of Westwood's merger/closing seem to be coming in.  The Westwood website has been replaced by a simple Command & Conquer Series page that links to the official websites for Renegade, Red Alert 2, Generals, etc.  Also, the following message has been posted at that website, concerning Westwood Online:

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT
Westwood Online (the game matchmaking service) will be unavailable from Monday, March 3rd until late March 5th while we move a number of servers to a new location. As a result, players will not be able to log in and chat or play online against each other until late Wednesday.

We are sorry for the inconvenience, and will keep you updated with a specific time of completion when available. Please understand that we will be working as fast as possible to complete all our work ahead of schedule.

-Westwood Online Staff.
Also, concerning the Official Generals Message Boards, Harvard sent along this message:

FYI…making some server changes due to the move.  Thanks for your patience

Last but not least, it is worthwhile to note that the Official Renegade Forums have closed, and are now being hosted by N00bStories.  You can visit the forums via http://www.renegadeforums.com/.


— Tuesday, March 4, 2003 —

Posted By: Mike at 1:46:10 AM ET

Latest Fan Maps

Here's the list of all the latest fan-created maps around the community:

  • CNCDEN has Delphi's first Generals map posted!  From what I hear, it's very cool, so be sure to check it out.  They also have several fan maps posted.
  • CNCMatrix has released a total of 8 new maps in just the past few days!  They're all made by Generals fans like yourselves.
  • CNC Sector has 6 new Generals maps!
  • Cannis, the man who brought you the Cannis Rules Set, has created his first Generals map!  You can download it from Cannis's Corner here.
  • CNCNZ has a new map sent in by a fan, Bloody Nutter called Up Hill Battle.

That's about it for now... stay tuned, later this week I'll be releasing 5 or so maps here at Generals World!

Last edited by Mike on Tuesday, March 4, 2003 at 6:47:16 AM.

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