[icecoldduke]

Futuretime23, on 13 September 2018 - 11:58 AM, said:

Assuming every lamppost was supposed to emit a light (I'm not talking about the OOB ones, only the ones you would encounter in gameplay) + all the lights at the entrance of the casino, I'm pretty sure the light count hits at least 30.

30 for direct lighting, but to make things look good you need lights for indirect lighting as well(to fake light bounce), so the actual number of needed lights, to make it look good, will exceed 30.

[Futuretime23]

@themaniacboy
@zwieback
thanks guys

I should probably mention it here but this is all part of a bigger project called the DNF Overhaul that's intended to redesign and improve the game as much as possible.

One thing I can confirm about that Map05 is that Dylan, Leeroy and the other idiotic EDF npcs are NOT present, and you are not forced to do the turret section at the beginning, in fact, you aren't actually forced to kill every enemy. Only the ambush at the end is scripted and forced. Basically let the player progress thru the level how they like.
Dylan is not going to be in the overhaul I should mention, and one major focus of the overhaul is changing the tone of the game to be more serious. This also implies changing duke's look, and oneliners. So yes, graphics will be altered (and there's some settings that have been altered that you can check out in the classic gameplay mod)

It's going to be a pretty big mod and currently I have no set release date other than Q4 2018 and I'm not even sure if that's going to happen. Hopefully it won't take 14 years in development hehe.

[icecoldduke]

So just curious, how are you editing the maps?

[Futuretime23]

One way is editing via hex editor what gets called in, but currently a lot of this is via SOS console and editactor/object.
Then you can set save_mode 0 and savegame, which creates a save that can be used as the map (it can't replace the original map, as it is still dependant on it)
You could also make your own checkpoint saves this way. The game doesn't load what ego you have in the save or dukeplayer, or the guns you have (unless you loadgame while still in save_mode 0. This is because it's likely what remains of the old save system if I had to guess) if you load these saves as maps via either sos console, shortcut or from assigning it in the chapter select in dnwindow.u
It does save what enemies are present, the present dispatchers, triggers, etc. Basically it's duke's stuff that's not saved if these saves-as-maps are loaded from chapter select or any other method that's not loading game while save_mode is set at 0.
I should mention, these saves as maps work fine on both 1.00 and 1.03. Hell, the old save system is still fully functional in 1.03.

[icecoldduke]

Unreal has never been modder friendly, as it turns out, editing cooked assets isn't easy or straightforward. I'm impressed that you found a method within the save system to edit and change things .

[Futuretime23]

Thanks.
BTW, I can def see what you mean with the fake light bounce /indirect lighting post (I missed it lol)
Though I think I've read it was the consoles that were the cause of the daytime vegas level, not the PC version. Same reason why levels got split into pieces.

Going back to the Overhaul, one thing I'm considering is adding the jetpack as a secret and more secrets in general, but time will tell how feasible this is. I can add invisible walls but I need to see how feasible the jetpack idea is. It can work well in the dam and a couple of the dlc areas I have in mind.

[Redxplatinum]

Any chance that DNF: Overhaul will be somewhat based on the 2009 version?

http://duke4ever.alt...orld_Chart.html

[Futuretime23]

That's a world chart from July 29, 2008. Why the hell is it labelled 2009? lol (I know, it's because it got leaked back then in 2009, but it doesn't represent what 09 DNF was like)
Ehh, not really. Partly because you have to keep in mind I'm limited to what I can do (no level editor. I can add shit remove stuff with sos console and the like but I can't persay edit the actual geometry of the map) and partly because even then I'm not really interested in doing 08 DNF or 01 DNF for that matter. I'm definitely taking ideas and the like (there's not gonna be any ego regen, no weapon limit) but also adding in my own ideas (one idea that's pretty much mandatory I'm gonna add is Proton being the main villain. That and establishing Duke as a has been, which as far as we know, no incarnation of DNF ever really tackled this idea)

I can definitely say this with all certainty: the game is going to play more like an old school shooter than DNF 2011 did.

[necroslut]

MusicallyInspired, on 13 September 2018 - 06:18 AM, said:

What was the reason they gave again for why they went with daylight Vegas?

The official reason was that nighttime Vegas was "overdone"... which was an obvious bullshit excuse.
Wieder and others speculated that it was for performance reasons, which in the context of how well DNF ran on consoles seems likely.

[spessu_sb]

Futuretime23, on 13 September 2018 - 12:28 PM, said:

@themaniacboy
@zwieback
thanks guys

I should probably mention it here but this is all part of a bigger project called the DNF Overhaul that's intended to redesign and improve the game as much as possible.

One thing I can confirm about that Map05 is that Dylan, Leeroy and the other idiotic EDF npcs are NOT present, and you are not forced to do the turret section at the beginning, in fact, you aren't actually forced to kill every enemy. Only the ambush at the end is scripted and forced. Basically let the player progress thru the level how they like.
Dylan is not going to be in the overhaul I should mention, and one major focus of the overhaul is changing the tone of the game to be more serious. This also implies changing duke's look, and oneliners. So yes, graphics will be altered (and there's some settings that have been altered that you can check out in the classic gameplay mod)

It's going to be a pretty big mod and currently I have no set release date other than Q4 2018 and I'm not even sure if that's going to happen. Hopefully it won't take 14 years in development hehe.

You are doing holy work.

[justLMAO]

I'm glad that someone is still modding this game, that's pretty dope. Is it possible to make the Vegas section nighttime and make the buildings illuminate? (like the original design)

[Futuretime23]

justLMAO, on 15 September 2018 - 03:50 AM, said:

I'm glad that someone is still modding this game, that's pretty dope. Is it possible to make the Vegas section nighttime and make the buildings illuminate? (like the original design)

Yeah, I just posted a sneak peek in the previous page. Still a very early WIP obviously.

[icecoldduke]

Maybe you posted this already, what's your process for recompiling the .u scripts into compiled Unreal scripts?

[Futuretime23]

icecoldduke, on 17 September 2018 - 09:43 AM, said:

Maybe you posted this already, what's your process for recompiling the .u scripts into compiled Unreal scripts?

I edit the .u scripts via hex editor. I read them with UTPT (not everything can be read keep that in mind) and use the unrealscript to hex guide here https://wiki.nexusmo...es_XCOM_Modding
It should be mentioned that while this game is UE3, all the values here apply to DNF which is a heavily modded UE1.
I know, it sucks, but it's the best we've got for now. I've tried running ucc make but if it's -ucc make on shortcut it tells me it needs to be ucc make, and if I do that, then it tries loading a map called ucc make.

[icecoldduke]

Futuretime23, on 17 September 2018 - 10:20 AM, said:

I edit the .u scripts via hex editor. I read them with UTPT (not everything can be read keep that in mind) and use the unrealscript to hex guide here https://wiki.nexusmo...es_XCOM_Modding
It should be mentioned that while this game is UE3, all the values here apply to DNF which is a heavily modded UE1.
I know, it sucks, but it's the best we've got for now. I've tried running ucc make but if it's -ucc make on shortcut it tells me it needs to be ucc make, and if I do that, then it tries loading a map called ucc make.

It's possible the original DNF unreal script compiler was not included in the shipping version of the game, which is why its trying to load a map rather then executing the script compiler. You might try repeating your steps in 1.00(or even 1.00 demo) and see if they accidentally included it there(it's doubtful though).

EDIT:
You might try going into the exe with a decompiler and see if they renamed the script compile command to something else, rather then strip it completely out of the executable. It's a long shot, but its something I've seen done before.

[icecoldduke]

As a addendum to my above post. If you download something like IDA pro, and open up a version of Unreal in IDA pro that has the unrealscript compiler, find "ucc" in there, you should see a branch of some kind. That same style of branch and code execution, if its still present, would look similar in the DNF exe(or surrounding DLL's). Its possible they renamed -ucc to something else to hide the tools away. It's also possible the script compiler is there, but the command line execution bits are removed. In which case executing the script compiler might be doable, just harder to do. It's all a long shot though.

[Futuretime23]

I've tried doing this with 1.00 before, no luck.

[icecoldduke]

Futuretime23, on 17 September 2018 - 11:46 AM, said:

I've tried doing this with 1.00 before, no luck.

Ah figured it would be a long shot.

[Tompig]

You are truly a hero.

[Futuretime23]

So I recently figured out that by editing the ammo clip size to 00 at the beginning of each respective weapon's config script in dngame.u (they are all ints keep in mind) it's possible to outright disable the reloads for the pistol, shotgun machinegun and railgun.
Taking the shotgun as an example, go to offset 8B4E6 in 1.00 dngame.u, and set the 07 value to 00.
Haven't seen any weird sideeffects yet, I'll continue testing.

[Redxplatinum]

Futuretime23, on 12 October 2018 - 01:13 AM, said:

So I recently figured out that by editing the ammo clip size to 00 at the beginning of each respective weapon's config script in dngame.u (they are all ints keep in mind) it's possible to outright disable the reloads for the pistol, shotgun machinegun and railgun.
Taking the shotgun as an example, go to offset 8B4E6 in 1.00 dngame.u, and set the 07 value to 00.
Haven't seen any weird sideeffects yet, I'll continue testing.

Hmm.. I guess if you can make it a more fast paced game with more enemies to kill it'll be nice to remove the reload. The alien weapons would become more useless because having not to reload for those were the reason to use them. I never really liked using them in single player though. Multiplayer is a different story.

[Futuretime23]

I do have plans to buff the alien guns. I think I got a good idea where to take the at cap laser but not so sure about the at laser. Keep in mind I also want to make them fun.

[Redxplatinum]

AT laser was fun in MP because if its fast precise needle-like projectiles. The one in single player were slow impulse rays and you didn't feel strong using it. Maybe changing it to how it shoots in MP and up the damage a bit, but that'll make it a bit overpowered.

[Futuretime23]

well keep in mind enemies are not going to drop guns. There may be a situation or two in the game where they will, but most often, you have to pick up guns laying there, or off secrets, not off enemies.
I don't think, witht hat in mind, the at laser would be OP.

[Redxplatinum]

Interesting... Does that mean the unlimited ammo crate would be absent? Will any gun be able to hurt the bosses? I thought the 2-weapon system was fun because I had to keep looking for a gun when my ammo was low, and when an ammo crate wasn't around. The Hive was fun because of that reason, and those octobrains don't drop weapons.

One idea I had was removing the ammo crate entirely, and increase the max capacity of certain guns, say the RPG can go up to 50. Each RPG can still count has 5 shots, and it'll build up until 50. That way, hopefully its enough for to fight the bosses. The throwables are different because you needed it, but in Duke3D if you needed one. they'll leave you some and if you used them all you're stuck. Maybe you can up the capacity of the throwables too .

I just remembered the guns in the final Cycloid Emperor battle were solely from enemy drops, aside from the pistol. Do you have plans for that battle?

[Futuretime23]

The ammo crates do not work with the weapon limit removal mod. So they'll likely be removed since well, they do fuck all at this point. Notice I didn't say infinite explosives.
As for bosses, I intend for them to be harmable to regular guns (barring the exceptions listed in the boss damage scale mod before)
I'm not sure about increasing the max capacity of the RPG that much. Increasing capacity of guns is a thing in the Overhaul and has actually already been done for a few weapons already, namely the Devastator (up to 99), the Shrinker (up to 30), the Trip Mine and Pipe bombs (up to 10 each) and the RPG is increased for the moment (up to 10) What I was thinking was 20 max for the RPG.
Thing is you need to remember Duke has far more guns than he does in DN3D so you need to balance it out accordingly so Duke doesn't end up overpowered. More enemies will be present, and the harder ones like the Commander will be present more often, but I need to take into account the fact I can't edit the level geometry (barring decorations) so I need to place them in a way that doesn't turn the gameplay into shit and also take into account the new gameplay mechanics.

[Redxplatinum]

Ahh.. I wanted to up the capacity of the RPG to 50 because of the boss fights, since I wasn't aware that you could hurt them with regular guns. In that case, 10 sounds like a good number. I personally feel that the shrinker should have a lower number because it shrink anything one shot then you can step on them or blow them up with a pipe. It's probably the most overpowered weapon in the game.

[Futuretime23]

Well, there's very few shrinker pickups in the game, and while more will be added, I can guarantee all of them will be secrets.
Not to mention, the idea is to use the shrinker on the harder to kill enemies (i.e., enforcers, commanders and octabrains) not the weaker enemies like the pregnators.
I went with 30 to contrast with the Expander's 16.

[Redxplatinum]

Any changes to the checkpoint system?

[Futuretime23]

Not really. Maybe some levels will have less checkpoints or no checkpoints at all because they are way too short, and that's it.
I can't reinstate the old save system since it's just broken in terms that it doesn't remember what health you had at the time. So what it does instead is it just fully refills your health/ego. It's basically a free 100% health pickup that also save states the game.