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Command & Conquer: Generals/Unused Content in the Expansion/Missions and Maps

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This is a sub-page of Command & Conquer: Generals/Unused Content in the Expansion.

Some mission maps come with multiple versions of itself, the duplicates titled with CINE, INTRO or END. Presumably, they would have been used to keep the introduction and ending cinematic separate from the actual map where the battle is fought. The problem with this is that it would have required loading the maps during the cinematic, which take very long to load. Most interesting, however, is that these unused maps actually originate from early versions of the mission maps and have not been updated since. Therefore, canned plans and other interesting ideas which have been removed from the normal mission map can still be found here.

Campaign Maps

American Mission 1 (CINE)

The early version of the map is titled CINE.

  • The map contains a string file. The string file of the final version's map exists, but is empty. Since the first mission does not use a lot of text, there is not much to be found here.
MISSION OBJECTIVES: 
Garrison the Radio Station
Destroy the GLA Stinger Sites

While you can garrison the radio station in the final version, it's only a secondary objective, and you can beat the mission perfectly fine without doing so. In the early version, however, garrisoning the radio station appears to have been a primary objective, possibly for calling in the B2 bomber. The obvious problem with this is that you're screwed if you do not bring any infantry to the Baikonur base, which was probably the reason this was turned into a secondary objective.

  • During the intro, the U.S. naval base in Northern Europe is shown. There is a bunch of POW trucks here, but there was originally a detention camp to go along as well. As the detention camp exists in the original game but not in the expansion, this suggests the map was created at a point where the detention camp still existed. The place where the detention camp originally stood is vacant in the final - it was just filled with some Rangers.
  • Your starting base was different. The buildings were reordered slightly, and originally you started out with two Supply Drop Zones rather than just one.
  • At the beginning, you can go to the right after the train bridge to find a few abandoned Chinese tanks. Originally, there were no Battlemaster tanks but instead damaged Crusaders and Humvees. This was probably changed because it was considered useless, seeing as you can already build Crusaders and Humvees from your War Factory.
  • One very minor thing - in the introduction mission, when you see the bikes zoom past the Baikonur base, you could see a Stinger Site in the early version. It was replaced with a Tunnel Network in the final version - maybe it confused too many players who went to look for this missing Stinger Site?

American Mission 2 (INTRO)

There are two different versions, titled INTRO and INTRO_NS. The former appears to be an earlier version, as it is completely missing the introduction scene, but they are rather similar. For both, the second part of the mission involving building a base and destroying the GLA either originally was not part of the mission, or was simply not yet coded in.

  • The mission plays in the afternoon, while in the final game, it is the early morning.
  • The north-western part of the map is filled with Supply Drop Zones all over the place. No idea why they are there, maybe you were intended to capture them.
  • The GLA base is much much larger in the original version of the map, featuring three Command Centers, multiple Palaces, Arms Dealers and Black Markets. There is also a very large amount of Stinger Sites all across the map. Demo Traps are also much more numerous, and there are even a few Hijackers at chokepoints. It is clear that this mission was originally much harder.
  • You did not start out with any units. Therefore, you only had your naval power, plus a few Rangers, Missile Defenders and Pathfinders dropped during the course of the mission.
  • There are some ferries at the docks, presumably so it looks a bit more lively. The problem is that you can actually enter the ferry, which may lead to the problem that you're unable to get your units out of the ferry (since you're considered as being on water it won't allow you to unload the ferry). Therefore they were removed in the final version.
  • At the docks area, there are a bunch of GLA units which are destroyed in the intro cinematic. Originally, this was a full-blown base with an Arms Dealer and multiple units, which was destroyed by battleship fire (instead of the aircraft carrier raptors like in the final version).
  • One minor thing: originally the supply trucks did not enter the depot when they arrived but simply parked outside. It was probably changed because it would allow the GLA to destroy the trucks long after this objective has been accomplished.
  • In INTRO, you only have four battleships, as opposed to five in the final version.

American Mission 3

  • In the third American mission, the final cinematic features an avalanche rushing down to destroy a secret laboratory. In the code, there are several very incomplete remains of the avalanche, which would have presumably been used for this cinematic and which would have also allowed the avalanche to be used on multiplayer maps - destroy the lead object and the snow comes rushing down to bury everything under it. However, in the final game the entire mountain was made an object which simply plays an animation showing an avalanche - the building is destroyed by script.
  • There is a script that makes the mission fail if Black Lotus dies. But it is impossible for Black Lotus to die, since she is AI controlled anyway and has no enemies on her way. The early versions of these maps suggest the mission was originally way different and allowed Lotus to die.
  • The included coding with the map makes the secret lab generate cash when captured by your troops, which is useless for three reasons. First off, it's missing vital code which would make it actually work, secondly you can never capture the secret lab during the mission, so you can't actually reap the benefits of the cash, and on top of that, there is nothing in this mission to spend cash on to begin with.

American Mission 3 (CINE)

This map has no less than five different versions! They're titled CINE, END, END1, INTRO and MID_CINE. Note however that the MID_CINE map is blank apart from a few GLA buildings, so it contains nothing of interest.

  • Perhaps the most surprising thing is that there is a bridge that connects the two parts of the map. Originally, you and Lotus started on the same side of the map, then Lotus walked across the bridge after which you destroyed it, which then led to the situation where you end up in the final version. There is an unused voice-over referring to this in the game files, but it is unknown how this would have worked seeing as bridges cannot be destroyed in this game. Also, on Lotus' side there are actual enemies to be found, while in the final game the entire left half of the map is completely vacant. Either you had to control her at this point, or there was some other way for her to pass this obstacle. In any case, the GLA base Black Lotus normally captures halfway through the mission is essentially reduced to one barracks in the earlier version.
  • There are some areas designated "INTRO" on Lotus' side of the map. They feature a village and nothing else, but the areas are called "GLA Attack Area", so maybe the intro originally showed the GLA attacking the village.
  • The capturable tanks on the right side of the map are missing in the earlier version of the map. The left side ones are there, but feature only two Paladin tanks, a Humvee and an Ambulance. This was probably changed because the Ambulance was deemed rather useless, and the Humvee was eventually moved to the right tank area.

American Mission 3 (INTRO)

This map is called INTRO.

  • The GLA base on Lotus' side of the map is now there - but it's not in the middle, but in the extreme north-west corner, way off the normal route to the secret laboratory. The "cut down" base as well as the enemies are still there, but have been powered up with additional units.
  • The capturable tanks on the left are much more numerous in this version - you get two Microwave Tanks, two Paladin Tanks, a Humvee and an Ambulance. The developer team probably decided to make some of these a bonus and moved them to the right side in later versions of the map.

American Mission 3 (END)

This map is called END.

  • Most interestingly, the tunnels at the end right before the mountain are Toxin Tunnels in this version! This would have made that last part very challenging, since any infantry including Burton die quickly to toxins, and vehicles do not fare well either.
  • The capturable tanks on the right side of the map are now there - except they're only a Microwave Tank and one Humvee. Also, they conflict with the map borders, meaning that half of the fenced-in area is visible, while the other half is already off the map perimeter.
  • The coding tries to change the Generals Powers - most importantly it makes you able to purchase the Emergency Repair and the Paradrop right from the start, but because you don't have a Command Center in this mission, this is useless. It was probably there so you could call in reinforcements during the mission.

American Mission 3 (END1)

This map is called END1.

  • It seems like the secret laboratory is not so secret after all in this version - it is properly fenced in and features some cars and houses, as well as oil drums and trash. This was probably removed because it did not fit at all.

American Mission 4

The map is titled CINE.

  • GLA did not have a Scud Storm in this version - the spot where it would be located is instead occupied by a third barracks. The developers probably decided that two barracks are more than sufficient for GLA and instead added the Scud Storm to make this mission a bit more challenging.
  • There was a Repair Pad in the Oil Derricks area. After the Repair Pad was removed from the game, this was instead replaced with a Repair Bay.
  • Instead of CIA Officers, the Secret Service was present in the area. While the Secret Service infantry is coded in the game, it has no attacks and is relatively useless, so no idea what the developers intended to do with this.
  • There is a mysterious Crusader tank standing right outside of the GLA base. Possibly intended as a capturable goodie?

American Mission 5

Unused part of the ending scene.
  • This mission is internally called "USA06", as is the map associated with this mission. This suggests there was planned to be more than five missions per faction, and that there was at least one American mission that was removed from the final game.
  • In the ending scene, the camera scrolls past the battleships looking southward, then fades out and ends the mission. Therefore, the entire eastern half of the ending scene is never seen in the game. It mostly consists of some more buildings and cars, but does not have any cheering people or battleships that dominate the western half.

American Mission 5 (INTRO)

The map is titled INTRO.

  • The "island" where the ending scene plays in the final version is missing in this version. However, there are some strange islands at the left corners of the map. They were probably removed because they were pointless and looked rather ugly.
  • There are only two rocket launch sites, in the northeast base. The northwest base does not contain any launch sites, but instead some toxin tanks and a chemical bunker. In fact, the entire GLA base looks very bland in this version, because while the enemy buildings are largely the same, all of the civilian buildings like the large oil factory are missing.
  • The northeast base was connected to the main area by land. This land bridge, however, looks very much like a placeholder, and in fact in the final version a normal bridge took its place.
  • In your base, the initial supply dock was at the other side of the base. It was likely moved because that's exactly where the attacks come from, so the Supply Center was very hard to defend. Also, you're unable to directly move to the friendly GLA base because the ramps are not there, requiring you to use a Chinook to fly over or drive all the way around the mountain range.
  • Speaking of the friendly GLA base, it does not come with any units in the early version, and is similarly bland like the enemy GLA base.
  • In the introduction movie, there was a fenced-in area with intruders and a rebel in the GLA base that is being destroyed. No idea why it was removed in the final version.

Chinese Mission 3

  • This mission's map.ini file seems to have been directly copied from GLA Mission 3, since there are leftover things relating to the TV station and American Fire Base in there which are never used.
  • Some commented out code changed the sciences around so you could purchase Frenzy and Emergency Repair right away, but instead the default science set is used.

GLA Mission 3

  • The third GLA mission has some coding which turns the TV station into a radar station, giving the player free radar should he decide to capture it. However, there is no TV station present on the map, so the code does nothing. In the final version, you permanently get radar during the course of the mission, rendering the radar station unnecessary.
  • The mission also alters the command set of the Chinese production facilities, but there are no Chinese in this mission. Perhaps this was a planned secondary objective?
  • There's some commented out code which would reduce the build time of the American Comanche helicopter to one frame. It's pretty easy to guess why the developers canned this idea.

GLA Mission 3 (CINE/END)

This version exists twice, with the titles CINE and END respectively.

  • Perhaps the most important difference is that you were not supposed to be able to build any buildings once you captured the abandoned GLA base. This was probably changed because it made the mission rather difficult, since you are likely to lose buildings while under the constant air bombardment.
  • Apparently the mission was originally not supposed to play in Crete. None of the Greek monuments are there in the earlier version of the map, instead replaced by generic stone fragments.
  • You did not start off with a Sneak Attack tunnel like you do in the final version of the game. The tunnel was probably added to allow you to heal your units at the very beginning when the American troops retaliate, making that part easier. Instead, there are a few garrisonable huts near the beach which don't exist in the final version.
Early Final
GensZHGLA03Town2.jpg GensZHGLA03Town1.jpg
  • The town looks vastly different, featuring a park with a bank and a non-existing fountain, and even a cemetery.
  • America had two more Supply Drop Zones in the early version than it has in the final game. The base itself is weird, as some buildings are inside each other...
  • The early map contains a string file which does not exist at all in the final map. Most of the strings are just an early version of the military briefings you normally get throughout the mission.
We are low on funds.  You may wish to spend a Generals' point
on Cash Bounty.

In the final game, you automatically start with Cash Bounty. It seems like this was not the case originally. It was probably changed precisely because of these money issues, as you won't find a supply pile, let alone workers until you reach the abandoned base, yet you will need to build defensive forces to protect against the airstrikes.

GLA Mission 5

The entire text file included with this map is commented out and goes unused. Most of it is just an early version of the military briefings you normally get throughout the mission, but there are some surprising changes there.

The POW's have all been killled!
We have failed our brothers and will
not receive any help from them!

Apparently, if all the POWs were killed you would not receive any help from the GLA Terror Cell. In the final version, they are more helpful and will assist you in avenging their deaths.

CIVILIANS KILLED (-10 INTERNATIONAL APPROVAL EACH):
CIVILIAN BUILDINGS DESTROYED (-5 INTERNATIONAL APPROVAL EACH):
STEALTH FIGHTERS DESTROYED (-20 INTERNATIONAL APPROVAL EACH):
AURORA BOMBERS DESTROYED (-10 INTERNATIONAL APPROVAL EACH):

This is just strange. Why are there strings relating to International Opinion in here, and why does destroying the American units reduce International Opinion?

This intro is a a placeholder...

This string speaks for itself.

GLA Mission 5 (INTRO)

This version is titled INTRO.

Early Final
GensZHGLA05Pre2.png GensZHGLA05Pre1.png

Just by looking at the unused map previews, it becomes obvious that the map originally looked much different. Most importantly, the American base to the east cannot be directly accessed originally because of the body of water. There are also no chokepoints at the entrance to the American base at the north.

There is also a dam in the early map, but whether it's only there for design purposes or whether America was actually meant to be able to flood the map is uncertain.

The map has all of the Partisan units placed in the town located in the middle of the map, the units themselves are barely functional and do not appear in the final version of the mission.

Other Maps

Mountain Guns

The Mountain Guns map has some coding which adds a carpet bombing ability to the TV station. This does nothing in the game, because the TV station is not present on the map. However, this coding, together with the awkward map layout (it is the only five-player map in the entire game) suggests it was originally planned for the campaign, and only later converted into a multiplayer map.

Demolitions General GC Map

The map, viewed in Worldbuilder.

A map exists in the game files which was intended to be the Generals Challenge map of Demolitions General, a general which does not appear in Generals Challenge in the final game. It is a desert map with millions of Demo Traps scattered all over the place, which fits the nature of Demo General perfectly. There are two bases to his disposal, and some tech buildings here and there, but otherwise the map is seemingly bland, and the cliffs don't have the correct texture blends which suggests that the map is far from complete.

Looking at the contents of the map and its associated scripts, it's obvious that this was originally intended to be a mission for the Generals campaign. There is an American Command Center and a construction dozer at the player's starting point, and the build list features none of the innovations introduced with the expansion pack. The GLA enemy is to a large extent nonfunctional, since the mission attempts to call nonexistent units prefixed with "GC_Demo", which would have probably been the counterparts to the GC_Chem and GC_Slth units which appear in the expansion pack campaign.

Unused American Mission

The file USA05_EndsConflict.map contains an American mission which does not appear in the game whatsoever! You start out in the bottom left corner, and judging from the unfinished scripts, had to hunt the GLA Leader across the map.

There are four boundaries on the map. Initally, you could only see the left side. After destroying the palace at the top, the map would expand to show part of the city on the right. This city doesn't appear to be entirely finished as the top half is very empty. Destroying the radio station would expand the map to show the rest of the city. Here, you had to destroy a chemical plant held by the GLA at the bottom right. After doing that, the rest of the map would be shown, and your job here was to destroy the GLA bunker at the top right. It is not known what the next objective, if any, would be, since the scripts seem to stop here.

There is an intro map that goes with this mission, called USA05_EndsConflict_INTRO.map. The intro shows Humvees and Technicals chasing each other across a city. More interestingly, this map uses special objects which were coded entirely for this mission, but ultimately never used.

Early Generals Mission

Another file called USA07_TaskForces.map appears to be a modified version of the sixth American mission from Generals, where you had to fight against both the Chinese and GLA.

Hmmm...
To do:
Detail the differences between the two.

Unit Test

GensZHUnitTest.jpg

This is a test map containing all the faction units in the game. It was probably used to check the correct appearance of all units, since it cannot actually be loaded in the game and can only be viewed in the map editor.

Building Test

GensZHBuildingTest.jpg

This giant map contains all buildings and units of all in-game factions. It also contains a bunch of salvage crates for checking out all the upgrades of the GLA units.

Bug Test

GensZHBugTest.jpg

No idea. Only contains two American Command Centers. It was apparently used to demonstrate a bug.