[obsolete] EoB 1 AGA Project

[demoniac]

I found some hints to EOB3 format. Since SSI developed it, we should probably look into extracting SSI formatted data.

http://forum.xentax.com/viewtopic.ph...347794f2361c33

[dlfrsilver]

thanks huge Demoniac !!!! the tool XWE editor is able to open the *.RES file of Eye of the Beholder 3 !!!!!

wow !!!

[Marcuz]

yeah! that's great!
i've extracted the files, there is a huge list of short lmp file, some of them contains uncompressed text, and there is a couple of bitmap files with external palette.
the graphic is stored in other lmp files that sadly i cannot read, and there is also one audio file. it's better if the stuff gets handed by someone with more understanding of codes than me...

[CFou!]

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

thanks huge Demoniac !!!! the tool XWE editor is able to open the *.RES file of Eye of the Beholder 3 !!!!!

wow !!!

XWE crash here with a runtime error


I have again a problem with VCN format (EOB1 & EOB2 pc and amiga)

I am not again understand the format , it seems it contain 2 images for game backround... Westpak2 try to open it and display it (on pic) but it's seems is not chuncky images on amiga file is not crunch but it's not bitmap picture :


ps: my tool is son finished (just error message and arguments to implement)

[CFou!]

Originally Posted by marco pedrana

yeah! that's great!
i've extracted the files, there is a huge list of short lmp file, some of them contains uncompressed text, and there is a couple of bitmap files with external palette.
the graphic is stored in other lmp files that sadly i cannot read, and there is also one audio file. it's better if the stuff gets handed by someone with more understanding of codes than me...

can you send to me all axtrated and not modified files?

Have you dungeon files???

[jrom]

great project!

[BippyM]

CFou just a thought..

Can't you resource the main eob.exe's and see how it is loading the files to determine how the file format is used?

I know that is probably a lot of hard work but maybe worth it

[CFou!]

Originally Posted by bippym

CFou just a thought..

Can't you resource the main eob.exe's and see how it is loading the files to determine how the file format is used?

I know that is probably a lot of hard work but maybe worth it

I have already result to resource EOB & EOB1 file (main loader /intro)
I have again a problem with game file EOB2 but i will retry after to have finish (Today) my uncps command

I have also to resource council.cps (an executable toplay outro )

[BippyM]

ahh cool.. your uncps command didn't do anything for me.. maybe too early a beta

If you need a hand with anything gimme a shout (I'll help if I can)

[Marcuz]

Originally Posted by CFOU!

can you send to me all axtrated and not modified files?

Have you dungeon files???

dungeon files: do you mean the files containing the maps of levels or the graphics or an actual extension?
there are files that should contain the leves data, judging by the names, only i cannot open them. i'm sending all of it, check your PM
also XWE opens cps files and palettes too and others, but id doesn't let me choose the palette for a file, whych has to be attached to the extracted file separatedly, in a graphic editing program.

[Zetr0]

Hmmm any clue on how maz files are constructed or used ?

[Marcuz]

yes, (not personally tough) check here:
http://www.eob2remake.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23

[keropi]

any chance someone post a couple of screenshots for the amiga / pc version? for comparison?

[DK2]

Hello my friends!
It's nice to see so many EoB fans!
I'm huge EoB fan and the projects here seems very interesting!

but i have a little problem, PC version seems don't contain OUTRO animation in the COUNCIL
Is it normal?

Interesting...I know that PC version lack of ending (as mentioned in the trivia on MobyGames), but what is exactly this OUTRO you are talking about?

What about porting EOB III from PC to Amiga. Main engine looks similar ta previous edition (i mean EOB I/II). Maybe it will enoug ONLY to convert data files and use the angine from EOB II.

Unfortunately SSI engine is very different from Westwood one (however is more simple to hack )
While SSI a wall is an entire wall (in various size), Westwood engine use a really strange (maybe to fit in floppy size or AMIGA/MS-DOS low memory?); it's made of tiles, 8x8 pixels each tile; a picture is better to show the system



The VCN files contains 8x8 graphic tiles, VMP files contains schema to create wallset.

In all those years, I've collected many info about EoB saga games and I'm happy to share my findings, if can be useful.
I'm the author of Westpak2, and (slowly) try to add features to the tool, but still many interesting feature aren't implemented (like a dungeon explorer...).
I've also a CPS encoder, but work only on PC.

Ah, BTW, months ago I get in touch with a person who is trying to create an EoB1 game on C64!!!

See ya,
DK

P.S. I'd like to add support for EoB3 to the Westpak, I've the spec (.res file structure and BMP decompressor for graphics, other files seems similar - like MAZ - to old EoB engine)

[Marcuz]

hi dk and welcome to EAB! thanks for the kind offer and sure thing it will be accepted!
enjoy your stay !

as for the Westpak2 utility it's very nice, i think it would use happily a feature to zoom in the pictures and a built in cps encoder. will you pretty please share the windows cps encoder?

[demoniac]

Ah, great! We now have the help from an EOB expert. Welcome!

[BippyM]

I've been trying to figure out the map files properly and i'm not getting far.

I followed what it says on that site

the guy says that the map might be

01 01 02 02

would correspond to north, east, south, west

  01
01  02
  01

Now this don't make sense to me.. does anyone understand?

[thor]

If I understand this correctly the numbers are wall types

[DK2]

Thanks for the welcome.

as for the Westpak2 utility it's very nice, i think it would use happily a feature to zoom in the pictures

yes, in the todo list
However, I've have a testing version which can show bitmap using Scale2x algo.

and a built in cps encoder.

yes, I need also!

will you pretty please share the windows cps encoder?

Ok, in attach to this message.
It's a quick hack and it came from the source of XCC by Olaf.

Use:
enc80_full <rawimg> <destcps>
where rawimg is a RAW image of 320x200 pixel (64000 byte in size), without pal.

-------------------

For the MAZe spec:

 
MAZ Files (Dungeon Map)
------------------------
2b map width
2b map heigth
4b ??? always $0004 (size of header? Magic Number? Boh?)
...following data 4byte each group
4b dungeon cell (1b for every wall in the 4 direction, NSEW - or NSWE??)

The byte number for every dungeon cell indicate wall kind (invisible, blocking, ecc.); it's a state of bit because can be a blocking wall with an alcove.
I do not have figure out the exact value (0 empty, 1 wall, ecc.), but I think it's simple to modify a map and check in the game.
I'll attach a quick program (for Windows) to edit the .MAZ file.
It's primitive, but you can select a "dungeon cell", change the value and save the file. So you can try in the game the effect.
The other button are unused, do not click.
Remember, in EoB map, a cell has 4 wall (North Sud East West).

bye


P.S. Neverless, I've found a doc with bit-map of walls, maybe should be from the guy of C64 remake, I do not have checked, see if can be useful.

[CFou!]

thanks for technical info:

here full running UnCPC-AGA command (I have change name)

Features:
--------
- 'VIEW' or 'V' command to try to view a CPS/CMP VGA or 32 colors picture.
(if you load a file named 'NAME.CPS', aumatically inside palette is used
but if palette is not found a file named 'NAME.COL' is loaded

- PACK or P command to pack a file in CPS format
(If no OUPUT file is defined (using SAVEGAME parameter) an file with
'.CPS' extensino is saved)

- UNPACK or U command to unpack a CPS/CMP compatible file
(If no OUPUT file is defined (using SAVEGAME parameter) an file with
'.RAW' extensino is saved)

- SAVEFILE or S parameter to define name of OUTPUT file

- COLORFILE or C parameter to define name of the palette to load
(AMIGA 32 colors palette file must have a size of 64 octets,
PC 256 colors palette file must have a size of 768 octets)

Can you test it

I have allready add it un DOPUS and now just clicking on CPS/CMP file ican show it (VGA or amiga files)

ps: i will upload Beta version on aminet