Unused Text

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

Unused Text#

COMMAND AND CONQUER GENERALS 
COMING: CHRISTMAS 2002

Command & Conquer Generals 
Coming February 2003

These were probably used to create game teasers.

The Communicator is not available in the Multiplayer Playtest

Another leftover from an earlier test build, presumably. The prototype has multiple comments referring to the Multiplayer test.

This is like a test string, dude

This is like a really long test string, dude. It makes sure that the word wrap and the spacing works

Mary had a little lamb, it's fleece as white as snow

And everywhere that Mary when, the lamb was sure to go

These are, quite obviously, test strings.

Major General

Lt. General

General

At one time, the ranks actually went up to eighth rank, instead of stopping at 5 Star General. They come just after the used rank names.

&Climb Cliff

It appears that there was once a button for Burton to climb cliffs with unique voice lines. There's a selection image for it in the multiplayer sneak peak. In the final game, Burton automatically climb cliffs and those voice lines for this action were turned into move voice lines.

Starlifter

According to Wikipedia, the Starlifter is a military strategic airlifter. It may have been intended as another cargo plane, for whatever reason.

Secret 
Police

An obvious leftover from the prototype, because the name is designed for the old sidebar interface. What this unit would have been like is completely uncertain.

Seismic
Tank

Another one of these. The concept of a Chinese Seismic Tank sounds really cool, too bad it did not make it into the final game.

Prop
Blimp

Shortened here but written out fully in its internal name, PropagandaBlimp. It seems that the Chinese faction used to be much different from what it is now.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Cruise Missiles |Tomahawks can be given a flight-path |}

This is a removed upgrade for the Tomahawk missile launcher which allowed you to control the Tomahawk missile by setting waypoints. Beside these text strings, there are several voices referring to the waypoints function, but at the end it was removed for whatever reason. It was cut pretty late in development as the upgrade is still available in the multiplayer sneak peak but doesn't seem to function.

Extra Fuel

Extra Fuel was a planned upgrade for America which allowed aircraft to stay in the air longer if they needed to land but had no airfield available to land on. As it has no accompanying description, it was cut early in development alongside its voice file.

Air Fuel

Another fuel upgrade for American but no idea how it differs from the previous one

Click on the ground to set waypoints

In the final game, waypoints are set by using the Alt key but it seems it was intended to have its own command button.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Stun Bullets |Red Guard may try to capture enemy soldiers |}

Stun Bullets is a cut upgrade that would've allowed Red Guards to capture enemy units as POWs with an equally cut weapon.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Tranq. Darts |Rebels may try to capture enemy soldiers |}

Same with Stun Bullets, Tranq Darts is also a cut upgrade that would've allowed Rebels to capture enemy units as POWs with the cut Tranq Darts weapon.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Tranq Darts |Switches to tranq-dart weapon to capture enemy soldiers in the open |}

This would've let the Rebels switch their weapons to tranquilizer darts but since the POW logic was cut, this weapon went alongside it.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Stun Bullets |Switches to firing stun bullets mode to capture enemy soldiers in the open |}

Same with the Tranq Darts, but for Red Guards.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Fire Bomb |Use fire bombs on target |}

This is a cut ability for the Angry Mob which would've allowed all members to attack a specified target with Molotovs.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Prison |Used to hold captured enemy soldiers |}

Probably meant for a command button to build the cut GLA Prison.

Pick up enemy prisoner to return him to your base

Return to prisoner holding facility

These two lines were used by the cut POW trucks of each factions for capturing POWs and returning to their prison buildings.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Guard & Close |Order unit to move to guard a specific location, but not to pursue targets out of the area |}

This is a fully functional button which is never used in the game. It works similar to the plain Guard, but the unit will not follow an enemy unit if it moves outside its guard radius. It was most likely designed with aircraft and artillery in mind (which are not really supposed to move), one wonders why the developers never used it.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Fire 20mm Cannon |Fire 20mm Cannon at the target |- !Fire Missiles |Fire antitank missiles at the target |}

Removed buttons for the Comanche helicopter. For some reason it got ground attack button for both of its weapons. The ground attack button for the Vulcan would have been absolutely pointless though, since the Vulcan has a range of zero and therefore cannot actually hit anything.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Inferno Bombardment |Bombard a location with inferno cannon shells |- !Nuke Bombardment |Bombard a location with nuke cannon shells |- !Anthrax Bombardment |Bombard specified location with anthrax warheads |- !Explosive Bombardment |Bombard a location with explosive warheads |- !Tomahawk Bombardment |Fire tomahawks at a location |}

Apparently, all artillery originally had ground attack buttons to have them target a ground location, instead of targeting an enemy unit. This was likely removed because in every other Command and Conquer game ever (with Generals as a non-exception), Ctrl+Clicking (ordering a force fire) on the ground will achieve the same exact effect, and uniquely to Generals, even in the fog of war. There wouldn't really be a purpose to fire blindly with artillery into the fog of war, let alone a dedicated button for it. These buttons are in the multiplayer sneak peak with their own unique selection images.

Rail
Gun

Another prototype leftover, this time from the American faction. Apparently some kind of upgrade, but no idea really.

Anti-Tank Grenades

A Chinese upgrade. No idea who or what would get this.

IR Goggles

Again, for the Chinese. The goggles, they do nothing!

...they really don't, even in the prototype. Go figure.

Radar

The upgrade icon for radar for the GLA. The obvious catch with that is that the GLA does not actually have the ability to purchase Radar as an upgrade.

Overcharge exhausted

An unused feature of the Nuclear Power Plant. You can overcharge it in the game so it outputs more power, but it will damage itself in the process. Originally, it then stopped after a certain threshold and gave you this message. In the final game, it continues until it explodes.

All parking places are occupied

No idea at all.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Center Base |Center the view about the player's base |- !Cheer |Commands your forces to exult over your great deeds |- !Create Formation |Create a formation of the selected units and they will retain it as they move |- !Create Team 0 |Creates team 0 from currently selected units |- !Create Team 1 |Creates team 1 from currently selected units |- !Create Team 2 |Creates team 2 from currently selected units |- !Create Team 3 |Creates team 3 from currently selected units |- !Create Team 4 |Creates team 4 from currently selected units |- !Create Team 5 |Creates team 5 from currently selected units |- !Create Team 6 |Creates team 6 from currently selected units |- !Create Team 7 |Creates team 7 from currently selected units |- !Create Team 8 |Creates team 8 from currently selected units |- !Create Team 9 |Creates team 9 from currently selected units |- !Deploy Object |Deploy selected object(s) |- !Follow |Toggle follow state of selected object(s) |- !Go to Radar Event |Center the tactical view on the last radar event |- !Guard |Set the selected object(s) into 'guard area' mode |- !Scatter |Scatter selected object(s) |- !Screen Capture |Take a snapshot of the game screen |- !Select All |Selects all military units |- !Select All Aircraft |Selects all Aircraft |- !Next Object |Select the next object |- !Next Worker |Select the next Worker |- !Previous Object |Select the previous unit |- !Previous Worker |Select the previous Worker |- !Select Team 0 |Select members of team 0 |- !Select Team 1 |Select members of team 1 |- !Select Team 2 |Select members of team 2 |- !Select Team 3 |Select members of team 3 |- !Select Team 4 |Select members of team 4 |- !Select Team 5 |Select members of team 5 |- !Select Team 6 |Select members of team 6 |- !Select Team 7 |Select members of team 7 |- !Select Team 8 |Select members of team 8 |- !Select Team 9 |Select members of team 9 |- !Stop Object |Stop the selected object(s) |- !Type Select |Selects units by type. Double left click a unit to select all of the same type |- !Center Team 0 |Select and center view about team 0 |- !Center Team 1 |Select and center view about team 1 |- !Center Team 2 |Select and center view about team 2 |- !Center Team 3 |Select and center view about team 3 |- !Center Team 4 |Select and center view about team 4 |- !Center Team 5 |Select and center view about team 5 |- !Center Team 6 |Select and center view about team 6 |- !Center Team 7 |Select and center view about team 7 |- !Center Team 8 |Select and center view about team 8 |- !Center Team 9 |Select and center view about team 9 |- !Set Bookmark 1 |Set view bookmark map position 1 |- !Set Bookmark 2 |Set view bookmark map position 2 |- !Set Bookmark 3 |Set view bookmark map position 3 |- !Set Bookmark 4 |Set view bookmark map position 4 |- !View Bookmark 1 |View bookmarked map position 1 |- !View Bookmark 2 |View bookmarked map position 2 |- !View Bookmark 3 |View bookmarked map position 3 |- !View Bookmark 4 |View bookmarked map position 4 |} With the exception of Cheer, all of these are commands which are available only as keyboard combinations. Since they don't appear in the UI, these strings are never displayed. Either there was a tutorial explaining all keyboard combinations in the game, or they were somehow available in the UI.

You don't have enough money to build that

You don't have enough money to make upgrade

These are not used as when you don't have enough funds, the button will turn gray and you will get a click noise when you attempt to buy the unit/upgrade.

The unit's production queue is full

This is not used for the same reason as above.

You can only select %d units at one time

Apparently there was a limit on how many units you can select at the same time. In the final game, there is no limit, you can select as many units as you want.

USA Mission 5 - River Raid
Status: Incomplete

USA Mission 6 - E3 Revamp
Status: Incomplete

USA Mission 8 - Devastate GLA
Status: Incomplete

China Mission 5 - Firebomb GLA
Status: Incomplete

China Mission 7 - Nuke-O-Rama
Status: Incomplete

China Mission 8 - Last China Mission
Status: Incomplete

These messages appear to be leftover messages from development, when the missions were not yet completed. They're the only ones that still remain. Some inconsistencies are there, they will be mentioned below:

• It says that the fifth American mission is "River Raid". River Raid is the sixth mission in the final game. A fifth American mission does not actually exist in the game, leaving an obvious gap in the row of missions. However, there is some evidence that it used to exist, including a pre-release video which shows a mission that does not appear at all in the final game, and may have been the lost fifth mission.
• What E3 Revamp refers to is unknown. It may refer to the real-life E3 event held annually.
• According to that last message, there used to be an eighth Chinese mission. This would put China in line with the other two factions (which also had eight missions designed for them), but due to a series of events, one mission was cut from every faction to make seven missions per faction.

WORLD BUILDER

Start the World Builder editor

This is in all caps, which suggests it was meant for the main menu. The developers seem to have planned to let you launch the World Builder from the main menu. The problem is that the game and World Builder together have massive memory usage, which was probably too much in 2003, when the game was released.

World Builder failed to load

Same as above. You no longer start World Builder from the game, and World Builder itself does not use the game text.

Chinese Hacker

Found among the game factions. No idea what it's doing there, and even less of an idea where it would be used.

Default Army

This is never shown or used in the game, and may be a placeholder.

A10-Strike Location

Capture Building

Make
Defector

Demoralize

Disable Building

Disable Vehicle

Disguise As This!

Dock

Repair

Enter

Fire
Bomb

Burn

Flash Bang

Stun Bullets

Tranq Darts

Get Repaired

Get Healed

Hijack

INVALID

Laser Guided Missiles

Make Carbomb

Pick Up Prisoner

Place Beacon

Place Remote Charge

Place Timed Charge

Emergency Repair

Resume Construction

Return

Set Rally Point

Snipe Vehicle

Stab

Steal Cash

TNT Attack

The entire set of "mouse" messages goes unused. These are the most likely to have shown up in-game, presumably in the mouse tooltip. Some of them are obviously leftovers from an earlier build (E.g. POW logic), others are of newer origin. In any case, in the final game the mouse tooltip always shows the name of the object the cursor is pointing to, so these are never shown.

DX8 Cursor

Polygon Cursor

W3D Cursor

Windows Cursor

Polygon and W3D probably mean 3D Cursors, as they were planned for the game, which would replace your 2D cursors with actual models. The models themselves can only be found in Zero Hour and the multiplayer sneak peak. Presumably DX8 Cursor is for the standard 2D Cursors, while Windows Cursor replaces them all with the default Windows Cursor.

Officers Club Medal
Player did not preorder Generals

Supposed to show up as a tooltip when you do not have the Officers Club medal (which is gotten by having preordered the game). This medal does not even show up when you do not have it, therefore this tooltip is not used.

Found among the science names. No idea what it was supposed to do.

Give My Science A Name

Please take the time to fill out my description located in Science.ini! Thanks a bunch

This is simply a placeholder used during development for sciences which did not yet have names and descriptions written for them.

Please take the time to fill out my description located in CommandButton.ini! Thanks a bunch

Similar to the above, but used for generic command buttons during development.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Uncapped FPS |Allows frame rates above 30. Affects game speed so only recommended for benchmarks |}

This is an unused function of the Options menu intended for the developers only, which allows you to disable the frame limiter in this game. It is hidden because it does not just affect the frame rate but also the game speed, which may be undesirable especially on fast machines.

Mouse Type

Another unused option, with an uncertain purpose.

{{{!}} class="wikitable" style="width:80%;" ! style="width:20%;"|Assign New Hotkey |Assigns your chosen Hotkey command |- !Current Hotkey | Displays the current Hotkey for this command |- !Reset All | Resets all of your keyboard Hotkeys to default |- | colspan=2 | Customize Keyboard |- | colspan=2 | Keyboard Options |- | colspan=2 | Alt+ |- | colspan=2 | Ctrl+ |- | colspan=2 | Shift+ |- | colspan=2 | Pick a category of keyboard command |- | colspan=2 | The description of your selected command |- | colspan=2 | Available commands for the current category |- | colspan=2 | Enter your new command Hotkey here |- | colspan=2 | The command this Hotkey is currently assigned to |}

These strings appear to be remnants of a removed menu that allowed you to change the keyboard commands and hotkeys of the game. It's easy to see why it was removed. Remapping these keyboard commands can possibly conflict with units training/construction hotkeys, which can only be edited by the game files.

Old Map Names#

The string table for map names contains old versions of their names: