Proto:Command & Conquer: Generals/Multiplayer Sneak Peek

This is a sub-page of Proto:Command & Conquer: Generals.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

To do: A lot of removed battle honors that don't appear in the final game, add them! A GLA battlemaster tank is mentioned in the text, investigate!

General Differences

• The font used for in-game text is different.
• Cursors are not animated.
• UN supply crates use a smaller model.
• Control Bars for all factions use early textures and are actually animated.
• The Money counter is located on the right, atop of the mini-map.
• The training tooltip for the GLA Worker says he can repair bridges. This is a leftover of the old bridges which were destroyable at one point.
• Red Guards can kill Infantry with their bayonet.
• Stealthed Infantry flash in a Cyan color when detected.
• Hijackers capture vehicles as if they're buildings.
• Anthrax thrown on the ground has a different texture.
• When disguising, the Bomb Truck copies the target's voice set.
• Pathfinders fire while prone, their rifles are silenced however the animations are slightly bugged.
• Infantry in Humvees don't die if the transport is destroyed.
• Demo Charges placed by Burton use a really big icon when placed on targets.
• Unlike in the final game, Tomahawk missiles don't track their targets.
• The Particle Cannon can't be controlled, it follows a pre-set pattern when used.
• Significantly different FX effects.
• Due to a bug, Missile Defenders use their free-fall animation when low on health.
• Many General Powers cut from the final game appear fully functional in this Sneak Peak, like the Black Market Nuke.
• The radiation color on the ground is closer to red, in the final game it's a bit orange.
• The Mines and Nuke Cannon General Powers for China are located in Rank 1 and Rank 3 respectively. Their unlock order was switched in the final game.
• Anthrax Bomb General Power always comes with Anthrax Beta, whether or not the upgrade is actually researched.
• The Stealth Fighter has coding that makes it untargetable for some time even when detected, this was likely done to imitate a real-life Nighthawk. This coding is fully functional in the final game but no unit makes use of it.

POW Logic

The POW logic is still in this multiplayer Sneak Peek however barely functional. All factions can build their prison camps and research the related upgrades that lets infantry to be captured. Unfortunately, said upgrades do nothing other than killing infantry units. In other words, conventional weapons with no special gimmicks.

Selection Images/Icons

Unlike the final game, command buttons have four versions of the same selection image, these are:

• QueueImageEnabled
• QueueImageDisabled
• QueueImageHilite
• QueueImagePushed

The first two are used when a command button is available/unavailable for use.
The third is used when you hover over a command button.
The forth one shows up when you push a command button.
In the final game, any command button the player hovers at is automatically highlighted with a special white borderline and command buttons that aren't available for whatever reason (production queue full, insufficient funds etc.) are hard-coded to be grayed out. Otherwise it would've been a nightmare for modders having to create four images for every command button.

Aircraft Ammo

The Aircraft Ammo upgrade from the prototype actually survived long enough to be in this Sneak Peak and was given an updated image, however only the image exist in this build as the upgrade itself was scrapped.

Alternative Sell Icon

An alternative, unused sell icon appropriately named "Sell2" in the files. Compared to the used icon in the final game, this one spots a dollar sign with a golden gradient whereas the final game uses a green dollar sign on a price tag.

Attack Move

An old attack move cameo depicting the Crusader Tank. It's not used in this build.

Bribe

For the Chinese Agent's bribing ability. He would've been able to bribe units as evidenced by the Dollar sign in his model file. Neither the Agent nor the ability are in this build.

Bugout

Two Selection images showings Raptors and Migs respectively. There's no indication as to what these were meant to do since they aren't used in this build, either upgrades or abilities.

China Supply Truck

Pretty self-explanatory what this is.

Climb Cliff

Burton at one point had a dedicated button for climbing cliffs, it's still mentioned in the text file for the final game.

Computer Virus

An unused selection image of a green skull displayed on a computer monitor. Given its name, and how China plays out, we can see this might've been an ability for the Hacker or Black Lotus.

Cruise Missiles Upgrade

Can be researched in the Warfactory but does absolutely nothing! Supposedly lets you control the Tomahawk missile by setting waypoints. It's interesting to say in this sneak peak, the missiles don't track their targets but do so in the final game, perhaps this change is intended to be a makeshift replacement.

Crush Target

Originally, you could order tanks to crush Infantry with this command button. It seems that such a feature was removed shortly before this build was compiled since the Crush Target as a command doesn't exist anymore and its associated voice lines were repurposed.

Defector

The Defector special power, available for China. It converts enemy units to your side and still fully functional in the game. Strangely it has an American flag.

Demoralize

The Demoralize special power for the GLA, it doesn't work in this Sneak Peak. Would've made enemy units fire at only one fourth their normal rate. It was removed but brought back in Zero Hour and some mods, like Shockwave, make use of it

Deploy Nuke Cannon

You originally had to deploy the Nuke Cannon manually, there are even unused voice lines in the final game for deploying the Nuke Cannon. We can easily see why this was removed as it would require extra micro management from the player compared to the other artillery units in the game, which do not need to deploy.

Extra Fuel

The cut Extra fuel upgrade is mentioned in the text files of the final game and even by the Raptor but the Sneak Peak has the upgrade image itself.

Fighter Armor

An unused command button, probably for an upgrade that increases hitpoints/armor of USA aircraft.

Fire Bomb

Used by Angry Mob for attacking a selected target with Molotovs. In the final game they automatically use Molotovs when attacking but not all members do.

Flame / Fire Napalm

Firing command for the Dragon Tank and the Mig.

Mig Combat

Referred to as "Mig Combat", It shows a Mig firing a missile. Perhaps a cut upgrade to increase payload.

Observer

A number of unused selection images in the files, all named Observer plus the faction name. No idea where these might've been used.

Rad Bomb

An unused command button of an Atom model with a green background. Given its name, it might've been a weapon of sorts.

Rapid Fire

An unused command button called "RapidFire" in the files.

Return

Sends the POW Truck back to the American Detention Camp.

Scud Launcher Ground Attack

For bombarding either with the Anthrax warhead or high-explosives warhead. Doesn't take a genius to know which is which.

Stun Bullets

Available in the Propaganda Centre, gives Red Guards the ability to take Infantry as prisoners. However, like the Tranq Darts, it only kills them.

Tomahawk Bombardment

Bombarding command for the Tomahawk Launcher.

Tranquilizer Darts

When used, switches the Rebel's weapon to a tranquilizer rifle, it doesn't "subdue" infantry for capturing. It just kills them.

Tranquilizer Darts Upgrade

Researched in the now-removed GLA prison. Gives Rebels a tranquilizer rifle with darts.

Waypoints

In the final game, waypoints are set by using the Alt key but it seems that was intended to be done with a command button, unused text in the final game reinforces this.

Aurora Supersonic Move

Aurora was actually going to need a manuel touch to activate it's supersonic move. This image was going to become the button image for this command. Unused aurora quotes can be shown as evidence for this.

Unknown Icons

Either the Communications Download or the Radio Jam special powers, available in the Radio Station Tech Building.

Perhaps was meant to be used for the Chinese Agent, a cut unit. It's likely tied to him since his model has wire cutters.

An alternate icon for the The CIA intelligence power?

Related to POWs but I don't know which faction uses them.

Idk

An unused large portrait of what appears to be an insurgent group. This might be an alternative icon for the Angry Mob but nothing confirms it.

Generals Portraits

Originally generals existed for the game but were removed later on, they didn't work the way they do in Zero Hour, as in separate factions. Only one USA General, John is present in the files, the other two, Bradly and Griffon can be seen in a pre-release video and no GLA Generals seem to exist in the files.

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Textures

Partisan

The male Partisan textures in the Sneak Peak differ from those in Zero Hour, although still unused in both. The only significant difference between them are the faces and the hands, which are of lower quality in the Sneak Peak. However, the female Partisan texture wasn't changed in Zero Hour.

Sneak Peak	Zero Hour

Sneak Peak	Zero Hour

Tech Buildings

Caves

They work just like the Tunnel Networks except:

• Units inside can't be evacuated individually (One by one) due to lack of appropriate command buttons. Evacuating the cave still sends them all out.
• Unlike Tunnel Networks, a cave can be set (in the World builder) to be only connected to another specific cave instead of all caves. This is done through a script that still remains in the final game, which is Set Cave connectivity index.

Sound Files

Sound Files Early voiceovers for several units and some altered sounds.