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v2.0 Map Editors for Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 Released, Including Source Code 8 Mar 2024 9:01 PM (last year)

In case you missed it: yesterday's release of Command & Conquer The Ultimate Collection on Steam includes a new v2.0 version of the map editors for Tiberian Sun (FinalSun) and Red Alert 2 (FinalAlert 2). The v2.0 editors come with the purchase of Tiberian Sun and/or Red Alert 2 as part of The Ultimate Collection on Steam or on the EA app.

Here's what's new and improved in v2.0:

• Fixed a few code issues to allow the application to run on modern operating systems.
• Updated the application icons with new 256x256 graphics.
• You can now zoom in & out with the middle mouse button or wheel.
• You don't need administrator access anymore if the program is installed in the program folder, as all user data and settings are now stored in your AppData folder.
• Tunnel tube editing completely reimplemented:
  • Tunnel tilesets available.
  • You can edit existing tubes by using the tool on the end of an existing tube.
  • You can now create curved tubes.
  • You can now create unidirectional tubes.
• LAT support for Crystal and Swamp terrain in Tiberian Sun temperate maps.
• House colors are now read from map or rules.ini.
• Units and buildings are now shaded in the house colors correctly.
• Voxel units now have shading applied.
• Minimap can now be resized.
• Undo steps increased to 64.
• Map rendering performance improved.
• Several fixes for crashes.
• Fixed addon turrets display.
• SHP turrets and Voxel turrets + barrels have their positioning fixed.
• Maps up to 400x112 (or 112x400) are now allowed.
• Fixed minimap for non-quadratic maps.

The C++ source code has also been released for the first time, under the open source GNU General Public License v3. It too comes with the purchase of The Ultimate Collection, but is also now available for download here on C&C Labs: Tiberian Sun & Red Alert 2 Mission Editor v2.0 - Source Code Download. Happy coding!

C&C The Ultimate Collection - Now on Steam 7 Mar 2024 9:41 PM (last year)

Today, EA released Command & Conquer The Ultimate Collection on Steam for the first time. The collection includes the original Command & Conquer, Tiberian Sun, Red Alert 2, Renegade, Generals, C&C 3 Tiberium Wars, Red Alert 3, and Command & Conquer 4, plus all expansions.

Notably, the games have been updated since previous releases of The Ultimate Collection to work on modern Windows versions "out of the box," including Windows 11. Map editors are included too for the first time -- thanks in part to amazing contributions by C&C community members.

The bundle is on sale in the United States for under $10 through March 21, 2024. If you already own C&C games on Steam such as C&C 3 Tiberium Wars or Red Alert 3, the bundle price is pro-rated.

This is the first time that C&C Generals (2003), Red Alert 2 (2000), and Tiberian Sun (1999) are available on Steam.

Jim Vessella, Senior Producer at EA, posted this announcement on the Command & Conquer Reddit, including this backstory:

How did this come to happen? Well, a while back I heard some team members at EA had the desire to launch some of our classic titles on Steam. After hearing about this initiative, several of us proposed we include the C&C Ultimate Collection. We knew this has been a request of the C&C community for over a decade, and has been an equal goal of us passionate C&C folks around the company. As such, a dedicated strike team here at EA has been pushing to make this a reality - but we knew we couldn't do it alone. So in the spirit of our community collaboration from the Remastered Collection, we reached out to a small group of the C&C Community to understand how we could best deliver the Ultimate Collection on Steam.

The feedback and collaboration has once again been invaluable. With improvements like better compatibility for modern operating systems and additional supported languages for both the Steam and EA App versions, we believe this is the best release of the Ultimate Collection to date.

Alongside the launch of the Ultimate Collection on Steam, we are also excited to announce the release of the beloved map editors FinalSun and FinalAlert 2 under the GPL version 3.0 license, which can also be launched directly from the Steam version of Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2. Now over 20 years since their initial release, original creator Matthias Wagner has generously repackaged these classic editors into a more compatible version for 2024. This was achievable thanks to the technical collaboration with Luke "CCHyper" Feenan, and the kindness of Olaf van der Spek, who has graciously released his XCC Library under the GPL 3.0 license as part of this effort. We cannot thank Matthias, Luke, and Olaf enough for making this a reality for the C&C community, and are eager to see where the tools and content creation go from here.

A huge thank you to the community playtesters who helped provide feedback on this version of the Ultimate Collection, and the organizations of CnCNet, W3DHub, and C&C Online for continuing to support these classic titles. We hope you all enjoy these improvements to the C&C Ultimate Collection - available today on Steam.

Until next time.

Cheers,
Jim Vessella
Jimtern

If you're a Steam user, the simple ability to play the games without worrying about operating system capability glitches makes it worth considering picking them up again.

The Ultimate Collection bundle is part of a broader release of classic EA games on Steam. So while you're at it, why not grab Populous: The Beginning — another RTS classic — and Sim City 3000?

C&C Remastered Released 5 Jun 2020 4:10 PM (4 years ago)

The title says it all: C&C is back, at least in some form. The Remastered Edition of C&C brings back the first two games from the series, Command and Conquer: Tiberian Dawn, and Red Alert, plus all of their expansions. It includes multiplayer and mod support. Check it out here!

The Forgotten 1.2 21 May 2019 7:48 AM (5 years ago)

Almost nine years ago, we released our in-house mod, C&C 3: The Forgotten. The reception was terrific, and I know we were and are quite proud of it. Recently, though, the team's lead coder, CommieDog, came up with some new ideas to make the mod even better, and he is proud to present the 1.2 patch to the mod, available here. For those who have not played it, the mod is definitely worth checking out, as it adds a full new faction and campaign to C&C 3, and is the only mod to feature full-motion video sequences like the games themselves.

The Return of CNC! 16 Nov 2018 6:08 PM (6 years ago)

Wow.

The last Command and Conquer game, CNC 4, came out in 2010. It was a disaster. The previous major game before that, Red Alert 3, came out more than a decade ago, in the fall of 2008. Since then, EA announced and then canceled C&C Generals 2, firing a large portion of the team in the process. It seemed fair to say that C&C was left for dead. Most of the many C&C fan sites closed their doors, including long time stalwarts like CNC Den and PlanetCNC. We kept ours open but, by necessity, became tremendously less active. Our forums continue to sustain an active conversation around modding, mapping, and playing all sorts of C&C games, but it is fair to say the C&C community is much, much smaller than it used to be. I did not think we would ever write this post. 

C&C is coming back. Or so EA says. In a post on the Command and Conquer subreddit, EA producer Jim Vessella announced that the company is working on a remastered version of the first games, suitable for modern hardware.

Today, I’m thrilled to tell you we are going back to the beginning. We have decided to remaster Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn. And while this is incredibly exciting on its own, we’re also aware of how passionate the community is about the Red Alert universe. So, we will also remaster the original Command & Conquer: Red Alert™. But what about the classic expansion packs you may ask - Covert Ops, Counterstrike, and Aftermath? Well, C&C and Red Alert wouldn’t be the same without them, so all three expansion packs will be bundled with the base games into one remastered collection - without microtransactions.

Now, in addition to the excitement and support of this remaster initiative over the past month, there has also been a healthy skepticism that we can pull this off. How are we possibly going to remaster these titles while maintaining the authenticity of the original experiences? Bottom line, there is no better way to achieve this than to partner with some of the talented developers who brought these original games to life.

So, after years of the fans asking for their involvement, I am humbled to announce that EA is going to partner with Petroglyph Games to develop the C&C remastered collection. Petroglyph Games includes many of the original developers from Westwood Studios, and some of the most influential members of the original Command & Conquer development team from 1995.

It is fair to be immensely skeptical, as Jim himself notes. The track record over the last decade is quite bad. Nonetheless, Vessella has been around C&C long time (I believe I met him briefly at the 2008 community summit for Red Alert 3). The veterans from Petroglyph Games go back even further with the franchise. Tiberian Dawn and Red Alert are classic games that, around here, we love so much we made them into C&C All Stars; it is a shame that so many younger C&C fans never got to play them, and perhaps this will remedy that. After a decade with no real news, EA's announcement is a spark of much-needed excitement. At C&C Labs, we will continue to keep you posted, but for the first time in a long time, it is fair to say that things are looking better.

EA Discusses a Return of C&C to the Desktop 24 Oct 2018 12:11 PM (6 years ago)

 EA's producer Jim Vessella made news recently with a post in the Command and Conquer subreddit, in which he suggested that EA was considering returning C&C to the desktop in a remastered form. To quote Jim: "We heard you loud and clear: the Command & Conquer community also wants to see the franchise return to PC. And as a fan of C&C for over 20 years, I couldn’t agree more. With that in mind we’ve been exploring some exciting ideas regarding remastering the classic PC games, and already have the ball rolling on our first effort to celebrate the upcoming 25th Year Anniversary."

He followed up a week later with another post, promising EA was still investigating the idea. 

This of course would be very welcome to all of here at C&C Labs, as news has been exceptionally quiet on the C&C front for far, far, far too long. While it doesn't sound like brand new games are in the offering, any chance to play with C&C units on modern hardware would be great. Until that comes though--and the 25th anniversary is still two years away--there's always our mod, C&C All Stars. 

We will not be Forgotten! 15 Oct 2018 10:39 AM (6 years ago)

Hello Everyone,

It is with great anticipation that I am officially announcing the restarting of development on C&C: The Forgotten Mod! There have always been a few issues that bothered me, and I thought that we had stopped support for the mod too soon in order to move on to other projects that never panned out. As such, I'm coming back with the goal of trying to fix bugs and implement balance changes both for the Forgotten faction and the original factions.

At this point, I'm in the process of gathering suggestions from the community as to what people would like to see changed. I have a few ideas myself, but I'll give other people a chance to speak first. People can post in The Forgotten forums, and I also have a Discord channel set up on C&C Mod Haven if you prefer that format.

Merry Christmas From C&C Labs! 25 Dec 2017 5:44 PM (7 years ago)

Newsposts are few and far between these days, and with fairly good reason: there isn't much of a online Command and Conquer community left. Virtually every one of the once-huge C&C sites is gone, including old stalwarts like PlanetCNC, CNCDen, RADen, CNCGenerals.com, CNCWorld, and many more. We're proud to say we're still here, along with CNCNZ. The strength of C&C Labs has always been our forums and our creative endeavors. The former still remain fairly active, so check them out if you want more ongoing discussion of C&C. Our maps collection continues to grow, and while there are no new mods in development, we do have a series of big projects that we successfully completed.

As another year comes to a close, we send our very best wishes to all our fans, past and present. Merry Christmas, happy holidays, and a Happy New Year! 

CIMSEC's "RTS" Podcast 9 Jul 2017 3:43 PM (7 years ago)

The guys over at cimsec.org have kicked off their first podcast of 2016, named "RTS", with an hour long discussion of one of C&C's most popular games: Generals.

Have a listen.

This is something I came upon recently, and thought it was very interesting that those who work tirelessly to defend our nations from threats abroad also happen to enjoy firing scud storms at each other for kicks. The podcast mainly covers what the political atmosphere was when the game was first released, and how it has seemingly predicted the future in some ways. I reccomend you guys check it out.

On another note, we are still looking for people willing to review maps for all our supported games with the exception of Generals and Zero hour, we could really the extra help. If you are interested in learning, or already have the experience and know-how to review them, email me at: super-g@cnclabs.com

The Rise and Fall of Command & Conquer 9 Jul 2017 3:34 PM (7 years ago)

Fans of Command & Conquer may find the following look back at the history of the series worth a watch. Take a look.

Among games that have defined the Real-Time Strategy genre, Command & Conquer is seen as one of the most influential titles. The C&C franchise, along with Warcraft and Starcraft, shaped the identity of RTS games during the '90s and would influence the designs of countless similar strategy titles in later years. Even though the franchise ended with a whimper instead of a bang, it managed to create an indelible impact on the history of video games. Join us as we take a look at the rise and fall of Command & Conquer.

Welcome to Two New Map Reviewers 2 Nov 2016 6:05 PM (8 years ago)

It's no secret that things are very quiet in the CNC community. It's been true here as well. However one of the things for which there is persistent demand is maps. We have a backlog of submitted maps at CNC Labs, and I'm happy to say we've added two new map reviewers--Klingon Dragon and Zero Hour Mad Map Maker--to help us review them. Welcome aboard!

Currently Recruiting Map Reviewers 21 Dec 2015 4:48 PM (9 years ago)

We are currently looking for dedicated fans of Command and Conquer to review maps for a few of our supported games. Specifically; C&C Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge, C&C Red Alert 3, C&C 3 Tiberium Wars and Kane's Wrath.

We have preference over those who have experience creating their own maps, but are open to just about anyone who can recognize quality and people with good English/communications skills. Either way, we need your help!

As a map reviewer, you will look at user submitted maps and judge their quality, and accept or reject them based on that judgement. it is a rewarding experience that will expose you to the creativity of this great community.

If you are at all interested in learning how to review maps, or if you already feel prepared for the exciting challenge, send Blbpaws an email at Blbpaws@cnclabs.com

Westood Studios Receives Award for Industry Icon at The Game Awards 2015 17 Dec 2015 12:23 PM (9 years ago)

When the 2015 Game Awards were broadcasted live on December 3rd, Westwood Studio founders Louis Castle and Brett Sperry received the award for Industry Icon for their work on Dune II and Command and Conquer, creating a new genre and inspiring the creation of popular games like Starcraft and Leauge of Legends.

Have a look:

In a time when Command and Conquer seems not much more than an echo from a lost generation of gaming, this is a great moment for fans abroad. The series has been through a lot during it's hayday, and although the past few years we've seen it been slowly butchered to peices, this recognition is a truly great moment for all of us fans.

If you're feeling nostalgic, don't forget that here at CNC Labs we have a large array of maps and mods for you to add to your Command and Conquer experience, and we will continue this support for as long as possible.

Merry Christmas! 25 Dec 2014 9:09 PM (10 years ago)

 A Merry Christmas to all of those who celebrate it from all of us at CNC Labs, and warm wishes for the holidays to everyone else. It has been a quiet and disquieting year for Command and Conquer, with few visible better prospects for 2015. But, the community has seen quiet years before, and perhaps some good news will come out soon. In the meantime, for your C&C fix we have a wide array of maps, mods, and more here at CNC Labs. 

All Quiet on the Community Front 6 Oct 2014 8:29 AM (10 years ago)

It goes without saying that things are quiet in the C&C community these days. You'll notice that there haven't been many newsposts around here, for the simple fact that there hasn't been much news. EA hasn't said a peep since canceling their latest attempt at RTS last fall. If they do give out any news, you can be sure we will cover it.

One other note: some of you may have noticed that the online servers for C&C games are no longer working. This is due to the shutdown of GameSpy, EA's longtime multiplayer partner. The dedicated fans over at C&C Online have devised their own solution, which you can learn more about and install free of charge here.

Lastly, for those still looking for your C&C fix, remember that we still have a large collection of maps for all the C&C games, our own suite of highly-popular mods, and forums where you can discuss a wide variety of C&C topics. While a number of C&C sites have closed in recent months (including longtime community pillars PlanetCNC and CNCDen), we intend on keeping this domain active and populated with our deep archive of content for the foreseeable future.

Command and Conquer Free to Play Canceled 10 Nov 2013 12:35 PM (11 years ago)

Electronic Arts has announced that they are canceling the upcoming release of Command and Conquer and closing the Victory Games development studio. This marks another cancelation for the series that has seen a few already, as EA's efforts to reboot the series continue to expand. Coupled with EA's quarterly losses, the ousting of its CEO last spring, and other failures in launching products (such as SimCity), this calls into serious doubt the company's ability to deliver high-quality games.

EA issued a PR statement on the move: 

Part of being in a creative team is the understanding that not all of your choices are going to work out. In this case, we shifted the game away from campaign mode and built an economy-based, multiplayer experience. Your feedback from the alpha trial is clear: We are not making the game you want to play. That is why, after much difficult deliberation, we have decided to cease production of this version of the game. Although we deeply respect the great work done by our talented team, ultimately it’s about getting you the game you expect and deserve.

Over the next 10 days we will be refunding any and all money spent in the alpha. If you have a question about your refund, please contact help.ea.com.

We believe that Command & Conquer is a powerful franchise with huge potential and a great history, and we are determined to get the best game made as soon as possible. To that end, we have already begun looking at a number of alternatives to get the game back on track. We look forward to sharing more news about the franchise as it develops. Thank you again for your participation and support.

This statement, attributing the cancelation to fan feedback, was undercut by posts within the internal C&C forums by a development team member that have since leaked.

Hi everyone, I just wanted to say that it has been a pleasure working on this game and I hope you all have enjoyed the closed alpha!  

This isn't official or anything, but you probably saw that our whole team got the ax.  I hope you understand that we at VG all were dedicated to making a game for all of you to play, and that the press release line was total b.s.  It was NOT any feedback from the alpha that shut this project down but just petty corporate politics and shenanigans.
 
We were all shocked and confused to find out that our studio is closed (and that we are all out of jobs!), but I am happy to see that the game is still up and running RIGHT NOW and that a lot of people are still having fun with it. Please enjoy the live game until they figure out how to turn off the servers (it might be a while)!

Cheers,
B [EA_Baelor]
 

As someone who has played C&C games since 1998, this is disappointing but not surprising. The end has been a long time coming. While we at C&C Labs right now continue to support the games and series as we always have, it is hard to think the future of the series is anything but bleak. Certainly, it is hard to take Electronic Arts seriously as a game-making company going forward. What an sad end for a series that brought joy to so many for so long, defined a genre, and of which we all should have had only happy memories.

Looking for A Few Good Map Reviewers 27 Oct 2013 1:41 PM (11 years ago)

We're looking to add to ours map reviewing team at C&C Labs. As many of you know, one of the things that distinguishes us is that we review every map and mod we host, and enable you to easily sift through them based on their characteristics. To do this, we of course need reviewers and we currently have an opening or two. It's a very fun position that will expose you to a lot of the great creativity in the community.

As a map reviewer for C&C Generals, Zero Hour, C&C 3 Tiberium Wars, Kane's Wrath, and/or Red Alert 3, you will be responsible for reviewing maps submitted to C&C Labs for quality. For this position, we are looking for someone who is either a talented map-creator or someone who is simply enjoys downloading and playing fan-created maps -- one who can recognize quality when he or she sees it.

Map Reviewers check a number of aspects of maps submitted to our site, and respond to the map creator with comments. If a map meets our quality standards, it is added to our downloads section. If not, the reviewer responds to the author with specific suggestions for improvement. Some basic criteria that map reviewers look for are whether map textures are varied and well-blended, rivers flow properly, build-space is appropriate, and AI players work properly.

If you are interested, please email me at Blbpaws@cnclabs.com

Command & Conquer E3 Trailer Revealed 15 Jun 2013 9:42 AM (11 years ago)

Straight from E3 comes this new trailer for the upcoming Command and Conquer. Take a look: 

The Red Alert 1.2 Released! 1 Apr 2013 11:00 AM (12 years ago)

More than eighteen months and 100,000 downloads after its release, The Red Alert mod is still alive and kicking, and more than 17 years after release, the classic Red Alert 1 game is fresher than ever. Whether you played the original game, are just a fan of the mod, or are new entirely, this release has something for you. It features a host of gameplay enhancements, AI improvements, and bug fixes. In particular, we'd like to thank ZeroMD for doing so much to make it possible.

It's available in two versions: a patch and a complete download. Head over to the download page or take a look at the mod's trailer.

More Command and Conquer Free to Play News 1 Mar 2013 8:58 PM (12 years ago)

C&C Free to Play has very much been in a lull for the past few months (hence the lack of updates here at C&C Labs), but EA recently has opened up a little bit more about the game in a series of interviews.

First up is Senior Development Director Tim Morten, which features a bit of gameplay with sound: 

Next we've got Sam Bass, the lead designer: 

And lastly, Bryan Farina, a producer: