MM 6/7/8 Total Remake

[Nomad]

Ck-NoSFeRaTU

For example: gcc as de facto compiler and libsdl as cross-platform render/sound/input layer.

Personally, I dislike SDL.

Are there any plans for replacement with functionality of discarded code or all we'll have are ugly similar colored and paint bucketed actors?

Of course, the code will be updated and so will be the quality. But, we will need artists, many artists.
This is not a problem, I can add even skinned-animation meshes or whatever you like, with any quality you like. But I am neither 3d artist nor 2d artist so I cannot create content. This will be up to the community.

Also there are detected some work on D3D10 render which IMHO don't required for project with such engine. This render not only non-cross-platformed, but also requires Windows Vista/7 when there are many windows users which still using XP. So, the question is "why D3D10"?

Should you have looked more carefully, there is D3D10/OpenGL render. So technically yes, you could run that on linux with some preparations. Sadly, I never programmed for linux/mac so I can nither do basics (create window in linux, work with files, etc) nor I know what libs, compiler options etc are required.

default8p

D3D10 doesn't require Vista or 7, ran on XP for me.

It ran because I did not find D3D10 and was switching to D3D3.

[Nomad]

Legacy OpenGL 1.1 render added.

[kevin]

Hi

I am very impressed by the work that you have accomplished.

I think that portability should be thought after the code base has been stabilized and fully reverse engineered / refactored.
The current code is difficult to read (a lot of variables still do not have names), and it would probably have issues with another compiler (assembly code still present, compiler specific directives).

Once it has been stabilized, I would gladly invest some of my time porting it under Linux.

Keep up the good work guys !

[GrayFace]

Grayface in last patches found a way for using software render mode method for actors (which support was dropped from this remake) in D3D and we can enjoy different palleted actors in D3D, but these patches are out of topic, because they will be incompatible with this remake.

No, I just convert sprites from sprites.lod into HWL format on fly.

[Nomad]

Today's our project birthday

[Coldy]

Happy Birthday!

[GreatEmerald]

I wish you no more birthdays without a release

[Bowerbank]

congratulations for a years work

[kevin]

Is it still at 35% ? I saw there was a lot of activity in the SVN recently, I think that you should update the screenshots
Do you have a dedicated page outside of this forum ?

I am very interested in hearing more news about this project

[Nomad]

Coldy
GreatEmerald
Thank you guys! ^^

kevin

Is it still at 35% ? I saw there was a lot of activity in the SVN recently,

I guess it's more now. Though it's hard to estimate at the moment, since we've been doing mainly game mechanics: inventory, event system, player characteristics, combat, etc. A bit of progress everywhere.

I think that you should update the screenshots

As i said above, visual part was pratically untouched. Everything is rendered now, we can see and interact almost as in the original exe, so there's literally nothing to do with the render. And to snapshoot.

Do you have a dedicated page outside of this forum ?

Nope. I was thinking about making a site, but since I am among the major contributors to the code part of the project, I have no time to waste on something like that. If anyone could... i'd be very thankful.

I am very interested in hearing more news about this project

The news about last few days is that you can move items around inventory and dress your character. Some progress on drinking potions and apply other usables. Other game menus, like calendar and map are almost reconstructed.

I have had a little quarrel with one of the programmers, which thinks that we should keep as close to the original game as possible, with little to no changes at all.
What do you think?

[GreatEmerald]

I'd think that if there are some features that could be implemented in two ways, you should create a configuration option that would allow the users to choose. If it would take too much effort, then it's too difficult to say without knowing what the features are in any specific case. So we'd need more information.

[Ck-NoSFeRaTU]

kevin

I think that you should update the screenshots

As i said above, visual part was pratically untouched. Everything is rendered now, we can see and interact almost as in the original exe, so there's literally nothing to do with the render. And to snapshoot.

As save loading works now, you can show different outdoor areas, like:

Do you have a dedicated page outside of this forum ?

Nope. I was thinking about making a site, but since I am among the major contributors to the code part of the project, I have no time to waste on something like that. If anyone could... i'd be very thankful.

What do you want site be like, what functionality and so on?

I have had a little quarrel with one of the programmers, which thinks that we should keep as close to the original game as possible, with little to no changes at all.
What do you think?

As soon as all new functionality, mechanic differences an so on are optional and can be disabled in any time, why not to add something new to MM? But as I said all these additions must be strictly optional.

[Gloval]

I'm the programmer with was that quarrel.

And i want make my statements clear.
1. Full save compatibility between original exe and new (no conversion utilities). (latest changes in array indexing already kill it)
2. Minimum touches in core (game mechanics, and structures). it may be did by 3DO unoptimaly, but that done is done.
3. Full compatibility with original game resource files.

3d render, sound and video player, input can and need to be modified to adapt new OS and hardware, but not core (structures, game logic and array indexing MUST be kept as in original).


You put new exe in game directory and play. No resource files affected by it.

[GreatEmerald]

I don't think that it's much of an issue if the compatibility isn't preserved. After all, if we have to put in the EXE, why not other things as well? And maybe the save games could be converted to use your new system? Although if you're trying to get it to work with MM6, MM7 and MM8 it might not be a good idea anyway. As for gameplay mechanics, make things optional.

[Gloval]

Don't think that universal exe for mm6-9 possible without lots of changes. Lots debug, horde of errors. I think better to adapt for each forks of main code base.

Keep resource and save compatibility have great help in development and debugging. You already see new shots. How to test and to compare with original game behavior without it?
Also new feature modification on algorithms on code reversing stage can put lots bugs and confusion it that.
I STRONGLY disagree with modifications that will cause noncompatobility.

[Ck-NoSFeRaTU]

Don't think that universal exe for mm6-9 possible without lots of changes. Lots debug, horde of errors. I think better to adapt for each forks of main code base.

I think there are a bit too early for thinking of 6,8 support, at least before codebase rewritten and bug free, but forks also have drawbacks, because when you fixing identical errors or decide rewriting some part of code you must do it in all forks.

Keep resource and save compatibility have great help in development and debugging. You already see new shots. How to test and to compare with original game behavior without it?
Also new feature modification on algorithms on code reversing stage can put lots bugs and confusion it that.
I STRONGLY disagree with modifications that will cause noncompatobility.

IMHO resource compatibility is a must (OLD_CODE definition rulezz ^_^), but savegame compatibility is not so important for player and can be dropped for the sake of code optimization and new features in future.

[Nomad]

Meanwhile,

[NicholasRay]

Meanwhile,

More broken images!

[Nomad]

They are not broken
Which image hosting you can browse?

[NicholasRay]

I figured it out. Malware bytes blocks them so I can't view them, but now I can see them. So what's new exactly? I'm new to following this.