Great. The Red Alert 3/Spore DRM sounded very nice: you get to activate the game 5 times, and don't need the disc in the drive. Of course, those 5 could easily run out, so EA has released a deauthorization tool so you can "uninstall" the game from a machine without actually losing one of your activations. The thing is, it just does not work on Windows XP 64-bit. Some error 5024, about being unable to load a security module. So when I get a new machine next week, I will need to use activation #3 (new Vista 64-bit), after #1 (my current desktop) and #2 (my laptop). Oh, and if Windows 7 arrives next year, then I bet I'll have to reinstall Windows. And probably the deauthorization tool will not work on 64-bit Vista either. That will cost me #4, and so within 18 months I will have used up 4 out of 5 activations. I'm all for this activation stuff, but not if the deauthorization tool does not work. And the fact that you have to download it manually for Spore is plain stupid. Patch it into the game already!
Koen
PS: Happy New Year!
Nine years ago, the first public version of TibEd 1 was released to the web. According to the download counter, there have been 152,000 downloads over the years, though this number is probably higher due to some breakages in the counter. Now, it is time for the 9 year anniversary edition. Including the new version, there have been 30 releases of TibEd 1. With an anniversary, there are always presents. And this time, the present is for you: TibEd 1 is now freeware.
Click here to download TibEd 1 (freeware)
Koen
While not strictly related to TibEd.net, I will still post it here as well. I have just released color descriptor software that I have been working on for the past period as a researcher. The software can compute descriptors such as color SIFT which can be used for recognition of the content of images and video. For more information on my research, visit my website at the University of Amsterdam.
Koen
PS: be sure to check back later this week for a software release which is very much related to TibEd...
Red Alert 3 is on track to be released to stores next week. I'm looking forward to the game. And hopefully the Mod SDK, required to be able to mod the game, will be made available soon.
To continue the story of the post below, on upgrading TibEd 2 to use Delphi 2009: both main dependecies are now compatible (I ported Python for Delphi myself). However, then I realized there is another dependency, which is now the only one missing Delphi 2009 compatiblity: the DelphiScintilla components. These are used to provide an XML text editor for the Command & Conquer 3 support. Hopefully it will be available soon, so I can start testing for new bugs introduced by the upgrade.
Koen
It has been quiet here for a while, because I have been working on several projects unrelated to TibEd. The campaign for a Mod SDK for Kane's Wrath has concluded. Unfortunately, it will not result in an SDK anytime soon, but it sent a clear message. It looks like the Kane's Wrath No Logo Mod will be the first and only mod ever created for the game. Although EA has not ruled out creating a Mod SDK sometime in the future, I personally think the SDK would no longer be relevant if not available by Christmas 2008. Feel free to disagree with me. I hope that during the Christmas holidays we get to play with an SDK for Red Alert 3, because my personal experience is that most mods and utilities are started in those two weeks of the year.
In the meantime, I have been looking at the programming languages that TibEd is written: Delphi and Python. Both are receiving major updates (Delphi 2009 and Python 3) to better support unicode (foreign human languages), which add the requirement to TibEd 2.x that at least Windows 2000 is used. However, in order to upgrade to Delphi 2009, all components used need to be compatible first (most importantly ExpressVerticalGrid and Python for Delphi). As Python 3 is still in the release candidate stage, I have spent some time today upgrading to Python 2.6 instead. This needed some minor updates to Python for Delphi, which I have posted here.
Koen
Around the C&C community, there are currently polls on what EA should give the highest priority for C&C3: Kane's Wrath. I will follow the poll from CNCNZ: what is most important to you? Improvements to the map editor, a Mod SDK or general balance patches to the game (to fix bugs in the game itself). Being a mod site, I will explain the Mod SDK further: without a Mod SDK, it is impossible to make mods for Kane's Wrath. TibEd for C&C3 relies on the C&C3 Mod SDK to work. Without a Mod SDK for Kane's Wrath, there will be no TibEd for Kane's Wrath. In fact, there will be no mods for Kane's Wrath at all (but you can still make mods for C&C3, you just cannot mess with the new stuff from Kane's Wrath).
Please vote in the poll on Kane's Wrath priorities on CNCNZ
Koen
PS: I would like to make a poll myself, but I am currently in Alaska which makes setting up a poll kind of difficult.
After uploading an updated version of TibEd 2, I realized it has been several months since I last announced a new version on the frontpage. Therefore, without further ado, I bring you TibEd 2 beta 5f. Compared to the previous version, many bugs and minor issues have been fixed with respect to editing C&C3 XML files. Please note that this version does not yet have a GUI editor, like you are used to in TibEd. This will hopefully follow soon. You can give feedback on this version in this forum topic.
Download TibEd 2 beta 5f with C&C3 editor
Koen
Do you like waiting 10 seconds for the EA logo movie to play when C&C3 or its expansion, Kane's Wrath, starts?
If not, then you should definitely check out the C&C3 No Logo Mod!
There is now a version available for Kane's Wrath as well. It works exactly the same as the original for C&C3: download, install and never worry about the EA logo again. The great thing about this mod is that you can still play online with it. The mod comes with an uninstaller as well, though I cannot imagine why anyone would ever want to part ways with the No Logo mod!
For the impatient: Download CnC3 Kane's Wrath No Logo Mod now!
Koen
PS: For those of you who recently picked up the pack of both C&C3 and Kane's Wrath in the same box, you want to install the CnC3 No Logo Mod for the original game as well.
I have been playing the Command & Conquer 3 expansion Kane's Wrath for a little bit, and it is very good. The missions are quite difficult when played on hard difficulty, so it should provide a greater challenge than the original C&C3. I like it a lot better so far than ordinary C&C3, but I will keep you posted. If you are just getting started with Kane's Wrath or have any problems, be sure to check the Launch Guide on the official C&C3 website.
Koen
The first expansion pack for Command & Conquer 3, Kane's Wrath, has gone gold. This means the bits of the game are done. It will now proceed to manufacturing plants around the world, preparing for a world-wide release between March 26th and March 28th.
Koen