C&C Tiberian sun, Redalert 2 and Yuris revenge all use the same engine, and it works like this:
there is the Rules.INI file, which has a lot of variables about stuff that is activated, and it also has the 'unit' information and settings. for example:
snippet of the rules.ini file from Yuri's Revenge, Battle fortress information:
anyhow, we could use this kind of a setup as well! The game knows what's a unit and what is not by a list of all units. like this:;Battle Fortress
[BFRT]
UIName=Name:Battlefortress This is the key that refers to code from the STRINGS file for Yuri's Revenge, where all text is located.
Name=Battle Fortress Name of the vehicle, obsolete for the game
Prerequisite=GAWEAP,GATECH Stuff that is needed to build it.
-------------- more stuff below
Primary=20mmRapid
Strength=600
Category=AFV
Armor=heavy
IsTilter=yes
TooBigToFitUnderBridge=true
TechLevel=10
Sight=6
Speed=4
PipScale=Passengers
Passengers=5
OpenTopped=yes;passengers can shoot out
SizeLimit=2;1 ;gs like half track and Blackhawk. Terror Drones and Brutes are allowed in.
CrateGoodie=yes
Crusher=yes
OmniCrusher=yes;gs can crush things not normally crushable
Owner=British,French,Germans,Americans,Alliance
Cost=2000
Soylent=2000
Points=50
ROT=5
IsSelectableCombatant=yes
AllowedToStartInMultiplayer=no
Explosion=TWLT070,S_BANG48,S_BRNL58,S_CLSN58,S_TUMU60
VoiceSelect=BattleFortressSelect
VoiceMove=BattleFortressMove
VoiceAttack=BattleFortressAttackCommand
VoiceFeedback=
DieSound=GenVehicleDie
MoveSound=BattleFortressMoveStart
EnterTransportSound=EnterTransport
LeaveTransportSound=ExitTransport
Maxdebris=3
Locomotor={4A582741-9839-11d1-B709-00A024DDAFD1}
MovementZone=CrusherAll;gs OmniCrush handles crushing tanks and such, this handles walls
ThreatPosed=40 ; This value MUST be 0 for all building addons
DamageParticleSystems=SparkSys,SmallGreySSys
DamageSmokeOffset=100, 100, 275
Weight=3.5
VeteranAbilities=STRONGER,FIREPOWER,SIGHT,FASTER
EliteAbilities=SELF_HEAL,STRONGER,FIREPOWER,ROF
Accelerates=false
ZFudgeColumn=8
ZFudgeTunnel=13
Size=6
OmniCrushResistant=yes; so Crusher can crush Crushable, OmniCrusher trumps Crushable=no, and then OmniCrushResistant trumps OmniCrusher
another snippet in the ini file:
Right... still on tracks??[VehicleTypes]
1=AMCV;Allied MCV
2=HARV
3=APOC
4=HTNK
5=SAPC
6=CAR
7=BUS
8=WINI
9=PICK
10=MTNK
11=HORV
12=TRUCKA
13=TRUCKB
14=CARRIER
15=V3
16=ZEP
17=DRON
------- etc etc
Then there's the ART.INI file that has exactly the same names ( like [MCV] and [DRON]) but has information about what graphics to show and how to show them.
There's LOADS more like the place where the cannons should fire from, stuff like that...[MCV] ; Allied MCV
Cameo=MCVICON <-- the image for building the unit (in the sidebar)
Remapable=yes <-- are the shades of red to be changed into the player's color?
Voxel=yes <-- is this a voxel? (the way the engine generates it's units it by using a voxel engine...)
hope you guys are still getting it