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Proto:Command & Conquer: Red Alert (DOS, Windows)

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This page details one or more prototype versions of Command & Conquer: Red Alert (DOS, Windows).

Hmmm...
To do:
Document the v0.09 Beta, released on Reddit in October 2019.

1996 Demo

The only released demo for Red Alert, exclusively for Windows. The demo contains two Allied maps and one Soviet map, and features quite a few differences from both the final game and other early builds of Red Alert.

Mission Differences

Generally, the demo gives the player more units, or a wider variety of them, in order to make things easier and raise the appeal of the game. There are considerably more map triggers, too, and some changed waypoints. Beyond that, there are some slight variations to enemy and object placement between the demo and final game.

Smaller changes aren't listed here, though are visible enough on the map images below.

Allies Mission 01

Demo Final
CnCRA1-Demo scg02ea.png CnCRA1 scg02ea.png

Repurposed from the retail game's second Allies mission, "Five to One".

  • The demo gives the player 2 Medics, 4 Riflemen and Rocket Soldiers, and 2 Ranger Jeeps and Light Tanks to work with before reinforcements. The final map only gives the player 1 Medic and 5 Riflemen.
  • There is twice as much ore spread between the player's starting point and the Soviet base.
  • The river to the west randomly juts southwest instead of continuing straight, and the nearby southern cliffs are much different.
    • A side effect of making the river go straight in the final is that more ore was added in the southwest.
  • Explosive barrels surround the Soviet Construction Yard, Power Plants, and Ore Refinery.
  • A patch of northern wire fence was moved slightly to the south and the northern cliff was shortened a little.

Allies Mission 02

Demo Final
CnCRA1-Demo scg05eb.png CnCRA1 scg05eb.png

Repurposed from the retail game's fifth Allies mission, "Five to One", "middle" route ("B" variant in the map files).

  • There are explosive barrels near the buildings where the Spy lands, for some reason.
  • The northern Soviet base has a Heavy Tank in the southwest corner, but only one Flame Tower to the eastern entrance.
  • The southern base has an additional Heavy Tank, two Airfields, and two Power Plants were replaced by Advanced Power Plants.

Soviet Mission

Demo Final
CnCRA1-Demo scu01ea.png CnCRA1 scu02eb.png

Repurposed from the retail game's second Soviet mission, "Guard Duty", Southern route ("B" variant in the map files).

  • The map file is named scu01ea in the demo. The retail equivalent is scu02eb.
    • In the retail game, Mission 01 (the actual scu01ea), "Lesson in Blood", is a "destruction" mission whereas "Guard Duty" is a "build and attack" map.
  • The map is two squares wider to the left. As such, the Soviet base was moved all the way to the southwestern border.
  • The starting base is far less generous, giving the player two Power Plants instead of four and no Airfields instead of two. However, the Forward Command Post is surrounded by Chain-Link Fence.
  • The cliffs directly south of the Soviet base are open and explorable, though there's nothing up there.
  • There is twice as much ore to the east of the Soviet base.