The physics engine is fun and still innovative - inertia, ballistics, and side damages are implement and can be truly used. Music and sounds effects are all fun while feeling polished. The 3D art is clear while being distinct. The factions are parody exaggerations of our politics real world.
> Building and working with this code will not be a plug-and-play affair. The namesake 1995 game and its hugely popular 1996 Red Alert sequel require some older dependencies, like DirectX 5 and the Greenleaf Communications Library (for a full build and tool access) and the Borland Turbo Assembler (TASM 4.0) to compile. Renegade and Generals, however, call for a whole lot more nostalgia: STLport 4.5.3, the SafeDisk API, the GameSpy SDK, the RAD Miles Sound System SDK, and at least eight more.
It is weird that they didn't open source the Remastered edition which already includes two modernised games that I assume use either new technology in place of deprecated versions, or just newer versions of those.
Seems very odd, I don't understand why they would want to keep private their own modernisation efforts.
> It is weird that they didn't open source the Remastered edition which already includes two modernised games that I assume use either new technology in place of deprecated versions, or just newer versions of those.
Part of the "value add," I'd think. The source code for the original games are released if you really want to play the old-and-creaky version from your youth, exactly as you remember it, ported onto a Raspberry Pi or whatever. But if you want the modern, "batteries included" remaster, you'll pay for it.
EA being, well, EA, you have to assume someone made the calculated decision that any unofficial port derived from the original source would be a sufficiently "degraded" experience compared to their Remasters so as not to be a financial threat. But perhaps releasing the actual Remastered source would have been.
The remastered versions may have just replaced those dependencies with other new ones that similarly can't be publicly released. Game middleware and sdks tend to be very aggressively NDAd.
If they replaced Miles with Wwise, they still wouldn't be able to release that code.
And if anything the remastered versions might be even more heavily integrated or using even more middleware.
Can at least concur with C&C/RA being difficult to compile; There are several missing sources and the build environment feels like its one grand 90's hack.
Would be nice to have a way to show them how much we appreciate what they did. Lastly game editors have been more in the mood to screw players for money instead of being leaders of good will.
Didn't realize they open sourced Renegade too. I used to play that game all the time. I thought the merging of FPS and RTS mechanics was pretty unique even if it wasn't perfect in execution.
I think there was even a fan remake in progress at some point. Wonder what the folks over there are thinking now.
Reminds me of a former employer who maintained a custom solution on top of a GPLd piece, customer finally asked for a copy of the source, so someone went through looking for swear words and anything offensive to remove. I never understood commenting offensive things or calling variables by terrible names.
People who swear when they're hurt feel less pain than those who don't. Swearers were able to keep their hands in the 5 degree C. water longer than non-swearers.
I have added a few. The last one starts with CTHUlHU FHTAGN for a godforsaken piece of shit software which I try to automate for e2e testing. Cannot use docker, because that thing has workflows where I need to click the UI. Also, the workflow is terribly unintuitive and convuluted. The packet script therefore has three breakpoints where I have to log in to the VM and click stuff
I remember the hubbub over Duke Nukem 3D when people found out that the dancers in the club (I think it was them) were referenced internally as "bitches".
Because it's 4 fucking am the day before the god-damned code freeze deadline and i just need to get this shit to work and the gently caressing thing keeps breaking.
Gamedev used to be a far different culture. Code that would get thrown away after release, short deadlines, gremlin bugs in code written in a convoluted way to eke or another few fps, tons of ill-architected systems interacting with each other in unforseen ways. To quote the kids these days, some of the comments hit me right in those feels.
I think some people take craftsmanship more seriously than others, and wouldn’t deface a workpiece like that during those moments of frustration that we all have.
I find that PRs are the best place for rants. I can let out steam while sharing and recording my journey and lessons learned, while not making the code worse off with silly variable names and sloppy comments.
I have once added a comment saying “this was a very painful function to get right. If you change it you will suffer the same fate. See PR#1234 for details.”
You could also argue that witty comments in code could also indicate a more artisan style of craftsmanship with deep care of the code. I'm not talking about insults but more about specific context provided in a felt prose, like I've seen in legacy code.
Not usually my style but I wouldn't judge it as "not talking it seriously".
Yes, really. The content promised in the headline is actually in the link in this paragraph:
> Inside the source code are some wonderful reminders of what Windows game development from 1995 to 2003 was really like. One experienced modder posted some gems on Bluesky, like a "HACK ALERT!" text string added just to prevent the Watcom IDE from crashing because of a "magic text heap length" crash: "Who knows why, but it works," wrote that poor soul.
Generals is truly a piece of art.
The physics engine is fun and still innovative - inertia, ballistics, and side damages are implement and can be truly used. Music and sounds effects are all fun while feeling polished. The 3D art is clear while being distinct. The factions are parody exaggerations of our politics real world.
> Building and working with this code will not be a plug-and-play affair. The namesake 1995 game and its hugely popular 1996 Red Alert sequel require some older dependencies, like DirectX 5 and the Greenleaf Communications Library (for a full build and tool access) and the Borland Turbo Assembler (TASM 4.0) to compile. Renegade and Generals, however, call for a whole lot more nostalgia: STLport 4.5.3, the SafeDisk API, the GameSpy SDK, the RAD Miles Sound System SDK, and at least eight more.
It is weird that they didn't open source the Remastered edition which already includes two modernised games that I assume use either new technology in place of deprecated versions, or just newer versions of those.
Seems very odd, I don't understand why they would want to keep private their own modernisation efforts.
> It is weird that they didn't open source the Remastered edition which already includes two modernised games that I assume use either new technology in place of deprecated versions, or just newer versions of those.
Part of the "value add," I'd think. The source code for the original games are released if you really want to play the old-and-creaky version from your youth, exactly as you remember it, ported onto a Raspberry Pi or whatever. But if you want the modern, "batteries included" remaster, you'll pay for it.
EA being, well, EA, you have to assume someone made the calculated decision that any unofficial port derived from the original source would be a sufficiently "degraded" experience compared to their Remasters so as not to be a financial threat. But perhaps releasing the actual Remastered source would have been.
The remastered versions may have just replaced those dependencies with other new ones that similarly can't be publicly released. Game middleware and sdks tend to be very aggressively NDAd.
If they replaced Miles with Wwise, they still wouldn't be able to release that code.
And if anything the remastered versions might be even more heavily integrated or using even more middleware.
Can at least concur with C&C/RA being difficult to compile; There are several missing sources and the build environment feels like its one grand 90's hack.
Would be nice to have a way to show them how much we appreciate what they did. Lastly game editors have been more in the mood to screw players for money instead of being leaders of good will.
I could easily just buy the game again lol
Didn't realize they open sourced Renegade too. I used to play that game all the time. I thought the merging of FPS and RTS mechanics was pretty unique even if it wasn't perfect in execution.
I think there was even a fan remake in progress at some point. Wonder what the folks over there are thinking now.
https://github.com/jmarshall2323/CnC_Generals_Zero_Hour already has it in a working state, fixed all the issues upgrading it.
Didn't fix the best part.
https://github.com/jmarshall2323/CnC_Generals_Zero_Hour/blob...
I wonder if RA2 is coming. That was always my favorite of the C&C games.
Apparently the source code has been lost so probably not
That is most depressing news to hear
Discussion on 27-feb-2025:
EA Open Sources Command and Conquer: Red Alert, along with other games
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43197131
312 comments
Reminds me of a former employer who maintained a custom solution on top of a GPLd piece, customer finally asked for a copy of the source, so someone went through looking for swear words and anything offensive to remove. I never understood commenting offensive things or calling variables by terrible names.
People who swear when they're hurt feel less pain than those who don't. Swearers were able to keep their hands in the 5 degree C. water longer than non-swearers.
https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/25/6843
I have added a few. The last one starts with CTHUlHU FHTAGN for a godforsaken piece of shit software which I try to automate for e2e testing. Cannot use docker, because that thing has workflows where I need to click the UI. Also, the workflow is terribly unintuitive and convuluted. The packet script therefore has three breakpoints where I have to log in to the VM and click stuff
I remember the hubbub over Duke Nukem 3D when people found out that the dancers in the club (I think it was them) were referenced internally as "bitches".
Some people are just immature.
Because it's 4 fucking am the day before the god-damned code freeze deadline and i just need to get this shit to work and the gently caressing thing keeps breaking.
Gamedev used to be a far different culture. Code that would get thrown away after release, short deadlines, gremlin bugs in code written in a convoluted way to eke or another few fps, tons of ill-architected systems interacting with each other in unforseen ways. To quote the kids these days, some of the comments hit me right in those feels.
> I never understood commenting offensive things or calling variables by terrible names.
Maybe because of this? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36584464
I think some people take craftsmanship more seriously than others, and wouldn’t deface a workpiece like that during those moments of frustration that we all have.
I find that PRs are the best place for rants. I can let out steam while sharing and recording my journey and lessons learned, while not making the code worse off with silly variable names and sloppy comments.
I have once added a comment saying “this was a very painful function to get right. If you change it you will suffer the same fate. See PR#1234 for details.”
You could also argue that witty comments in code could also indicate a more artisan style of craftsmanship with deep care of the code. I'm not talking about insults but more about specific context provided in a felt prose, like I've seen in legacy code.
Not usually my style but I wouldn't judge it as "not talking it seriously".
Blogspam. Wrapped article is at https://bsky.app/profile/rwtema.bsky.social/post/3lj73vvrhr2
Note it’s Bluesky so there’s pornhub and sewerslvt (the musician) in the tabs in the screenshot, potentially NSFW.
It’s really not though. The content is completely different.
Yes, really. The content promised in the headline is actually in the link in this paragraph:
> Inside the source code are some wonderful reminders of what Windows game development from 1995 to 2003 was really like. One experienced modder posted some gems on Bluesky, like a "HACK ALERT!" text string added just to prevent the Watcom IDE from crashing because of a "magic text heap length" crash: "Who knows why, but it works," wrote that poor soul.
Which links to the bluesky post.
I hope someone uses ai to port this to a solid upgrade I can play on my Mac or iPad
That person could be you! AI tools are so easy nowadays, you just paste the code and go!