'Zero Lag' is a mod for the game 'Command and Conquer Generals Zero' and is made entirely by 'Trailhog250'. What this mod does is correct the lagging encountered when playing against the AI in Zero Hour, this has been tested in Single Player skirmish and Network Comp Stomps with great success. Online Comp Stomps SHOULD also work IF all parties are using 'Zero Lag'.
For a long time the lagging encountered in ZH 1.04 irritated me, and although the problem comes from a faulty 'game.dat' it appears I greatly reduced lag by making key changes to the INI file. I have optimized the AI commands, and done a few other changes that reduces lag.
The game went from slow, choppy, and unplayable to smooth and lag free. So what all this boils down to is this... You can now play versus the AI on Hard without it lagging after a few minutes.
This mod requires Zero Hour version 1.04.
Progress:
Vanilla unmodded ZH 1.04 --- DONE
Shockwave 1.1 --- DONE
Tiberian Dawn Redux 1.4 --- DONE
Rise of The Reds 1.8 --- Permisson granted
Installation:
Separate and complete install instructions for the individual mods are included in the Readmes with the individual downloads. Such as detailed installation instructions including: location of ZH directory, and many other things.
For ZH 1.04: GEN>ZH>ZH 1.04 patch>Zero Lag 1.0
For SW 1.1: GEN>ZH>ZH 1.04 patch>SW1.1>Zero Lag 1.0
For TDR 1.4: GEN>ZH>ZH 1.04 patch>TDR 1.4>Zero Lag 1.0
If you use The First Decade then you need not worry about installing the ZH 1.04 patch as it comes with it. Skip that step.
Downloads:
Zero Hour 1.04 patch can be found here: Commandandconquer.gamefront.com
Shockwave can be obtained here: Moddb.com
Tiberian Dawn Redux can be obtained here: Moddb.com
If you want your mod to also be compatible, then contact me and send me the INI file you're using and I'll upload a version here and keep it updated provided you send me the latest INI file every time there is a release of your mod. For users to get it to work they simply install your mod and then my mod and it will work flawlessly.
F.A.Q.
Q. What does this mod do?
A. It greatly (if not entirely) reduces lag when playing against the AI on Hard.
Q. I only play mods and this mod is for vanilla, unmodded ZH!
A. If the leaders of other mods will permit me to make a version of their INI file for use in Zero Lag you can also play mods with this mod. As of now I plan on versions for SW and TDR if permission is granted.
NOTE ON ABOVE QUESTION: I have now been granted permission by several mod teams to make Zero Lag versions of their mods. Various Zero Lag versions for different mods are available RIGHT NOW!
Q. ZH still lags! Your mod is a fraud!
A. Yes it might, and no it isn't. The AI code in ZH has been drastically optimized to reduce lag. I encounter Zero Lag when playing.
Q. What are those *annoying* yellow lines?!
A. Many people are likely to notice this right off, all those 'weird' yellow lines and red cursors that appear and then disappear real fast is a result of some things I've changed. And that actually means the mod is WORKING as opposed to not working. It's not a bug, it's intended. They do not bother me, and should not bother anyone else either that much.
Q. It's not working!
A. Post a comment here and if I do not reply then send me a PM with your mod related problem.
NOTES:
If you try to play this mod with other mods not listed here you WILL GET PROBLEMS.
I am not liable as to what this mod may do to your system, it hasn't affected 5 of my PCs in any way, but should your keyboard catch fire don't complain to me. Or if you mouse runs away. If you're computer attempts to eat you then you had best do something about it besides blaming it on this mod.
Credits:
Trailhog250 - creator of Zero Lag
The_Hunter - allowing me to modify Shockwave/Rise of the Reds
SWR Productions - creator(s) of Shockwave/Rise of the Reds
sgt.meyers88 and Taxikiller - allowing me to modify Tiberian Dawn Redux
Command and Conquer REDUX Development team - creators of Tiberian Dawn Redux
EA - creator of Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour
The Hunter has granted me permission to create a Zero Lag patch for Rise of the Reds 1.8 (when it's released). All future Rise of the Red's releases will have Zero Lag patches as long as I keep modding.
Concerning the lack of news on Zero Lag: I have not went inactive, nor has the mod died. The currently released versions are considered 'done' at this point in time. There has simply been nothing to post.
-Trailhog250
The mod page is up and the downloads are being authorized by ModDb! The vanilla Zero Hour 1.04 and ShockWave 1.1 versions will be up as soon as they finish...
First release of the mod. Post questions on the main page and if I do not reply send me a PM here on ModDb please allow a few days for a reply. This version...
First release of the mod. Post questions on the main page and if I do not reply send me a PM here on ModDb please allow a few days for a reply. This version...
First release of the mod for Zero Hour V1.04. Post questions on the main page and if I do not reply there, send me a PM here on ModDb please allow a few...
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Please make for Generals Contra and Generals World War II.
Patches of Zero Hour cause Lag. Check my tutorial: Moddb.com
I would like to write something about the lag problem in Zero Hour that has caused many people to stop playing.
Zero hour version 1.0 has no lag. In the Twilight flame map, you can play against 7 hard ai without any lag.
Versions 1.01, 1.02, 1.03 and 1.04 have this bug. The reason for this error is the game.dat file. By comparing the "game.dat version 1.0" file with the "game.dat version 1.04" files, this error causing memory leak can be detected. As far as I know, the programming language of .dat files is Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0. We can also use Hex editor or something.
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Does it work with 1.201 Shockwave mod ?
No, its crashing.
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im new to having a user on this site ive downloaded alot from here tho and i dont know how to contact the person who done this page all i want to do is ask him if he could add this mod into the destructive forces mod i run because i love this mod but as soon as i start adding more and more units it starts to lag and kind of freeze for a second or so quite often and it does it without the mod too and i know its not my pc cause im running an fx8320 water cooled and running at 4.3ghz along with 16gb ddr3 1600mhz radeon r9 280x and it runs stable with the overclock so please can i have some help to get around this because i love this game and the glitching sucks