KarlosTKG now on GitHub

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by BigD

Your old Mod build that I had been playing up to now probably just the original files from the 90s at that point. I can see that a lot of changes have been made! For the better though! It's a lot less grey now!

Right. There will be differences as almost nothing in the 90s version was "finished". There are more zones and more wall sections per zone. I've recently been changing the way lighting works, especially in large open areas to rely more on the simple shading model regardless of the settings. It should help speed up those areas.

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by BigD

Your old Mod build that I had been playing up to now probably just the original files from the 90s at that point. I can see that a lot of changes have been made! For the better though! It's a lot less grey now!

The game palette is... interesting. It has at least 32 grey tones. I haven't looked into what's involved in completely changing it yet because IIRC there are various precalculated tables based on it that need to be recalculated too. I seem to recall the palette editing tools that came with the game just produced a mess. So, we have grey. We also have a lot of blue and red shades, so I decided to make red and blue variants of some of the textures. By making dark corners between thes, you can give the impression of coloured lighting.

There's also a lot of brown shades, which were used by the cobblestone and the wall with pipes. I replaced the latter with rusty looking textures, some modified from quake, others from the original AB3D (the green mech walls that had the fans). These all work fairly well thanks to the availability of shades in the palette.

A goal I have set myself is to update the engine to support true RGB rendering in RTG (maybe even AGA via HAM C2P). Doing so could allow the game palette to be changed to have many fewer shades of the same colour, just enough for textures to look good at full brightness and let the shading code do all the rest with RGB output.

[rabidgerry]

Originally Posted by Karlos

Some tips to go faster:

1. Use F10 to switch between fullscreen mode or 2/3 screensize
2. Use F9 to switch between 1x1 and 1x2 pixel mode
3. Use F8 to switch between full Gouraud lighting and simple Gouraud lighting.

You can also use the numberpad +/- keys to adjust the vertical height of the screen.

Can't live with the crappy display. But if I overclock a little more and crop the screen using +/- keys say to mimic letter box, I get a nice experience.

Man the 2nd level is deadly!!! How do I use the green things that look like mines?

There is no key to quit the game and exit to workbench then I take it?

Really amazing work. I'm enjoying it so far apart from getting my ass kicked

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by rabidgerry

Can't live with the crappy display. But if I overclock a little more and crop the screen using +/- keys say to mimic letter box, I get a nice experience.

Man the 2nd level is deadly!!! How do I use the green things that look like mines?

Collect the two mines. Choose them with 8 and press fire any time to drop one where you are standing at that moment. They will bounce up and down for a while before detonating or will detonate on contact with an alien. Later, when you find the jet pack you can also drop them in flight, like bombs.

Drop one near the next set of doors on the left as you work round the ring. Behind that door is a horde waiting to kill you but a single mine will take them all out when the door opens. You have to time this right. As soon as you drop the mine run to the end of the corridor where there are a couple of more red dogs and a guard. Taking those out opens the door where you just put the mine.

[ Show youtube player ] this is an older version of the level but the trap and mine solution already was in place.

Save the second mine for the big robot in the centre of the level, or save your assault rifle. Or both.

If you explore this level you can find a barely hidden assault rifle and a slightly better hidden plasma gun.

There is no key to quit the game and exit to workbench then I take it?

Not yet. Clean(er) shutdown should be possible now as it doesn't completely take over the system like it used used to

Really amazing work. I'm enjoying it so far apart from getting my ass kicked

Two things:

1. Make sure you find the shotgun and assault rifle in the first level. The shotgun is easy to find, the assault rifle requires a bit more exploration. Both are hitscan and ideal for faster moving targets that aren't penned in.

2.The blaster is more powerful and faster than the original game. You can use it to wipe out the slower moving robot guards more easily.

[Karlos]

On the subject of explosives, be careful. All gravity affected projectiles (mines and grenades) are subject to blast forces and will be thrown around unpredictably. Don't plant mines near each other unless you aren't going to be nearby when the first detonates.

[rabidgerry]

Originally Posted by Karlos

On the subject of explosives, be careful. All gravity affected projectiles (mines and grenades) are subject to blast forces and will be thrown around unpredictably. Don't plant mines near each other unless you aren't going to be nearby when the first detonates.

No shit! Just found that out, but at least I blew a bunch of those red alien dogs up and one big silver blaster robot. I managed to make it to level 3 then. Man the levels are crazy maze like at time. This game really is good.

What else might you do on this or is that your work finished? A game I'd never ever thought I'd get to play properly on my actual Amiga. Poor thing was dying in the heat today even worse when I was overclocking it to 100mhz.

Really enjoying things so far so thanks again. Also thanks for the useful help etc, much appreciated.

Is there a (simple) way of me playing the original style game but with the performance enhancements? Just curious, as I'm happy with it as it is to be honest.

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by rabidgerry

No shit! Just found that out, but at least I blew a bunch of those red alien dogs up and one big silver blaster robot. I managed to make it to level 3 then. Man the levels are crazy maze like at time. This game really is good.

Level 3 is a grind, IMO. I've tried to make it a bit more interesting visually and added a secret area but I plan to seriously change it after I'm finished all the retexturing.

What else might you do on this or is that your work finished? A game I'd never ever thought I'd get to play properly on my actual Amiga. Poor thing was dying in the heat today even worse when I was overclocking it to 100mhz.

Really enjoying things so far so thanks again. Also thanks for the useful help etc, much appreciated.

My plan is to outright replace one or two levels maybe or at least replace big sections of them. If you play the original you'll see that I've done that to some of the levels already.

Is there a (simple) way of me playing the original style game but with the performance enhancements? Just curious, as I'm happy with it as it is to be honest.

Sure there is. Simply copy the new executable to the original team17 game directory and either rename it to TKG, or edit the original launch script to run it.

[rabidgerry]

Originally Posted by Karlos

Sure there is. Simply copy the new executable to the original team17 game directory and either rename it to TKG, or edit the original launch script to run it l.

So do I need a HD install of the original game then to do that?

I only have the WHD load version and it moves like a slide show on my system.

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by rabidgerry

So do I need a HD install of the original game then to do that?

I only have the WHD load version and it moves like a slide show on my system.

That'll should be fine. Just pop the new executable into the directory where the whdl version of the game is. I would then recommend copying the KarlosTKG iconx script to the same location and editing it to run the new binary. It sets up the stack and assigns (we changed the new executable to use the AB3 assign for everything but the original game link file likely still has references to the other assigns).

[Karlos]

@rabidgerry.

Did it work?

[Karlos]

I have removed the last (I hope) defunct textures from the work in progress branch, updated the launcher, included the latest binaries and merged back into main.

This isn't the end.

It's the beginning....

[abu_the_monkey]

excellent

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by abu_the_monkey

excellent

How do you feel about including the latest leveled 304 build in the repo?

[abu_the_monkey]

Originally Posted by Karlos

How do you feel about including the latest leveled 304 build in the repo?

yeah, you can if you want to (might want to include original v303.exe as a backup though)

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by abu_the_monkey

yeah, you can if you want to (might want to include original v303.exe as a backup though)

The reason I didn't was because it's on aminet and I didn't want to redistribute without getting permission

[Karlos]

Blinkenlights texture for non-industrial tech areas. It's on the wall where the captain's table joins. Not sure if it works or not - I'm aiming for a sort of sleek black glass with blue and red indicators behind it, arranged in racks (barely visible). Should be applied to walls in darker areas using the brightness offset to make it "glow" a bit.

It's an extension to the existing technolights texture which has a somewhat odd palette selection but I think works here.

Opinions?

[abu_the_monkey]

Originally Posted by Karlos

Blinkenlights texture for non-industrial tech areas. It's on the wall where the captain's table joins. Not sure if it works or not - I'm aiming for a sort of sleek black glass with blue and red indicators behind it, arranged in racks (barely visible). Should be applied to walls in darker areas using the brightness offset to make it "glow" a bit.

It's an extension to the existing technolights texture which has a somewhat odd palette selection but I think works here.

Opinions?

I can see the look you are going for, but, to me its a bit too dark for the room, though that is from looking at a single screen shot, it also may look different when playing the game for reals.

[abu_the_monkey]

Originally Posted by Karlos

The reason I didn't was because it's on aminet and I didn't want to redistribute without getting permission

I can understand that, but feel free to include the latest build of v304 if you happy with it thus far

[Karlos]

Originally Posted by abu_the_monkey

I can see the look you are going for, but, to me its a bit too dark for the room, though that is from looking at a single screen shot, it also may look different when playing the game for reals.

I think the other problem with this texture is that the indicator lights need to be further from the edges and perhaps it needs some subtle detailing. The palette for this texture slice is not the best thing though.

[Karlos]

I want some different outdoor textures. While I'm happy enough with the rock replacement, it's a bit too pervasive. quite liked the shake rock look of the mines and surface zone in AB3D1. Something weathered, suitable for flooded areas. I'll want a floor to go with it too.

Time to crack out PPaint over lunch.