[MrFlibble]

I have posted more details about the differences in the early versions of Shadow Warrior in the 3D Realms' forums (with some screenshots). [Edit] Screenshots now available here.

Back to Duke3D shareware versions, it turns out that v1.3d also has skill level 0. They fixed the switch values in that version so it requires a /s0 switch to use this skill. About the registered version 1.3d I have no idea, as well as whether the registered levels actually have any items or monsters that are available throughout all skill levels, including 0, while others start with skill level 1. I think it's quite possible that since this skill level was dropped, they could've been making registered levels without regard of this skill setting.

The shareware version 1.3d also doesn't have proper botmatch, since the bot AI was either not implemented yet (DN3DHELP.EXE in v1.0 and v1.1 only mentions the fake multiplayer mode as a means of testing the maps without the need to start a real MP game) or not included in the shareware release altogether.

[Hendricks266]

Nice work on SW! Could I ask you to try out the 0.9 beta too? If you are interested, I have a version of the registered SW between 1.1 and 1.2 that was circulated within the publisher. To my knowledge, a registered SW was never released before 1.2, much like Duke 3D's v1.3D.

Don't post about either of these on 3DR's forums because it will be deleted posthaste.

[MrFlibble]

I've posted some more screenshots from v1.0 at 3DR forums, showing the broken lamp sprites that are used in level 1 in v1.2 among other things. For some reason, there doesn't seem to be any destructible lamps in any of the levels, unlike Duke3D, and all broken ones are just pre-placed in a level. This is sorta weird, because many other parts of environment like computer panels, vending and banking machines, pachinko arcade machines etc. can all be broken.

Hendricks266, on 03 February 2013 - 01:24 AM, said:

Could I ask you to try out the 0.9 beta too?

I remember playing the beta version a bit some time ago (it didn't want to work properly at first so I had to launch it by loading the first level from the command line), but I have deleted it since. One thing I remember very clearly is that the staring location in level 1 and the secret room that is near the gold key (and is a reference to the secret apartment in Duke3D's E1L1) were swapped. Also, you can't switch between single and dual UZIs once you pick the second one, just like in v1.0/1.1. Another thing, IIRC, the fists are on button 1, while the katana and the shurikens share button 2. The fist attack also includes the animation of Duke's mighty foot, albeit in brown pants, and the animation of Lo Wang striking with his palm (this one) is used along with the animation of him hitting with close fists (as in the regular versions). There's a clip of Lo Wang saying "Come get some!" (I suppose it's COMEGET2.VOC from your list), which is used rather frequently as a random attack sound, however it was removed from v1.0 onwards.

Now I'm not sure about levels 2 and 3, but level 4 in the beta certainly is very different from v1.0*. For starters, the dojo area apparently was supposed to be the boss battle arena (I haven't completed that level so I can't tell for sure), and the sign says "Dojo of the Sumo" instead of "Dojo of the Serpent", which might suggest that the sumo boss was in fact intended for the shareware episode. IIRC you start somewhere in the dark woods area and you're supposed to get inside the dojo building to proceed.

I also remember that level 3 is called "Temple of the Anime", but its general layout doesn't seem to have changed a lot compared to the beta version.

Level 2 - can't remember but the level name is also somehow different - starts you in a different location, already outside the collapsed tunnel. I think it might be the same location as one of the starting locations for the multiplayer mode (available with the -commbat# switch).

If I get around to play the beta more, I'll sure check what other differences there might be.

Hendricks266, on 03 February 2013 - 01:24 AM, said:

If you are interested, I have a version of the registered SW between 1.1 and 1.2 that was circulated within the publisher.

Nice to know you have such a rare historical version However, since I don't own registered SW, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to have anything to do with it. One question though, since you said it's between v1.1 and v1.2, what version number does it actually report?

BTW, do you perchance have the shareware CD version of SW? I wonder what version that release could be (CD audio issues are already mentioned in v1.0's SWHELP.EXE, but those could easily be leftovers from the registered Duke3D's help file).

*That is, unless I screwed something up and was actually loading levels in fake multiplayer mode; I played the beta quite a while ago, but now I think that maybe level 4 as I remember it was more or less similar to what you get if you load it in v1.0 and higher with the -commbat# switch.

[Hendricks266]

MrFlibble, on 03 February 2013 - 07:17 AM, said:

Nice to know you have such a rare historical version However, since I don't own registered SW, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to have anything to do with it. One question though, since you said it's between v1.1 and v1.2, what version number does it actually report?

                          SHADOW WARRIOR(tm) Version 1.2                      
                    Copyright (c) 1997 3D Realms Entertainment                

              This is a version of Shadow Warrior(tm) supplied to 
                      Shel Mann/Wizard Works 8/10/97.

                           DO NOT DISTRIBUTE!

                      <Press any key to continue> 

1997-04-03  11:53 AM        40,495,207 sw_r09b.grp
1997-05-13  12:00 PM        25,702,245 sw_s10.grp
1997-05-26  12:10 PM        25,833,456 sw_s11.grp
1997-08-10  05:01 PM        47,539,335 sw_r12pre.grp
1997-08-25  12:20 PM        26,056,769 sw_s12.grp
1997-08-25  12:20 PM        47,536,148 sw.grp
1997-08-25  07:20 AM        47,536,148 sw_r12uk.grp
1997-09-11  03:05 PM        26,056,769 sw_smac.grp
1998-01-28  09:43 AM        48,698,128 wt.grp

Compare sw_r12pre.grp to sw.grp (r 1.2).

MrFlibble, on 03 February 2013 - 07:17 AM, said:

BTW, do you perchance have the shareware CD version of SW? I wonder what version that release could be (CD audio issues are already mentioned in v1.0's SWHELP.EXE, but those could easily be leftovers from the registered Duke3D's help file).

I don't have this CD, but I would suggest asking Litude, a 3DR forumgoer.

[MrFlibble]

I've mentioned previously that v1.0 and v1.1 of SW shareware didn't work in DOSBox for me (and other users as well), but recently zirkoni at Abandonia Forums has very kindly notified me that they actually work with the recent builds of Taewoong's DOSBox and with DOSBox-X.

One more thing I have remembered about the SW beta is that instead of the Koi pond area in level 1 there's a complex room-over-room structure (IIRC it has three floors one over another) that caused a serious drop in framerate even in 320x200 resolution. I'm not sure, but it has some kind of a fountain at the bottom level (which replaces the underwater part of the pool), and a ramp that leads to the upper level, although I'm not sure from where exactly. Maybe some rooms that remain in the final version of this map have also switched places to allow for this. The bottom part probably was connected to the diner area, or maybe to one of the lower luggage transport belt areas (where the remote control for the microcar is located).

Hendricks266, on 03 February 2013 - 07:26 AM, said:

1998-01-28  09:43 AM        48,698,128 wt.grp

Hmm, and what's the wt.grp? Wal-Mart version?

[Hendricks266]

Wanton Destruction. The freeware release came as a completely functional independent GRP.

[Fox]

I have been doing to research about how the RPG damage is calculated.

The RPG actor will have an .extra that ranges from 140 to 147. If the value of RPGBLASTRADIUS is set to zero, then the damage will equal the .extra times two minus one (range from 279 to 293). However it is a bit more complicated since RPGBLASTRADIUS doesn't equal zero, and the damage also varies depending of the .clipdist of the actor that receives the damage.

From the tests I have performed, if the actor has a .clipdist of 0 the damage will range from 140 to 293, and if he .clipdist is at the limit of 255 it will range from 70 to 220. For most of the enemies the default .clipdist is 80 and the damage range from 140 to 220 if auto-aiming is on, and from 140 to 293 if it is turned off. For big bosses which .clipdist is 164, the damage is beetween 140 and 220 with auto-aim and 70-220 without it.

So it is all confusing. I guess it could be said that the damage ranges from 70 to 293 in general, although it varies from enemy to enemy and I am not sure about how to calculate the average damage. The mean damage is 180 with auto-aim, and 181 without it. I guess that makes sense since it takes about six RPG shots to kill a Battlelord Sentry.

[MrFlibble]

Another thing I remembered about the SW beta is that the video screen on level 1 that shows the micro racing cars area doesn't work in a particularly spectacular way, corrupting the entire game screen as soon as you approach it. This makes guiding the car with the silver key to the prizes slot impossible, and for that reason the level has the platform area entrance from the end of the tracks open from the start, so you can actually complete the level as soon as you find the gold key.

I also think that the room-over-room section I mentioned above that was replaced with the Koi pond in v1.0 actually goes two storeys down from the area near the lobby. I also remember the design gave me the impression of a more realistic environment, but it was probably scrapped because the ROR structure negatively affected game performance.

[High Treason]

Whilst poking around with the data for DNF, I discovered some things hiding in the smacker textures, you might not be able to see them as my server keeps overheating right now;


This one is titled "Menu_Nuke_Saving_Data" - maybe for a Save Game feature we didn't get? I may upload the PNGs of these in the resources thread.


A higher resolution menu nuke thing; Menu_Rotating_Nuke I believe this one is normally used;

(An animated flag of the USA, see video)
MenuBkgrdFlag - don't think this is used


rpgdisplay (1-3) - something to do with the RPG, heat seeking?


rpgdisplay_armed - Nuke, ala Shadow Warrior? I want it and I want it now!


tripminedisplay - Perhaps they were going to have different modes once?

I also found some alternate versions of the logo like this;

There's a low-res version with less stars on the flag, more on this later.

Edit 2: Here are all the smacker textures (except four from Capture the Babe) in one video;


Things to note;
> The computer screens state the height of the aliens among other things, this interests me as I have never seen detailed profiles of Duke's enemies like this.
> Possible tribute to Allen H. Blum III in news broadcast (the scroller at the bottom)?
> Blood also used Smacker Textures, hence the cutscenes in that game have the .SMK extension. In DNF they use the .BIK extension.

[Fox]

Duke Nukem and Doom scale comparison, assuming Duke Nukem and the Space Marine are 1.93m and 1.75m tall respectively.

[Lunick]

High Treason, the rotating Nuke logo is used in the Console versions of the game to show a checkpoint save.

The nuke is actually in the game somewhere, saw a YouTube video on it.

[Mark]

After searching through a bunch of my older backups I can't seem to find a certain Grabbag mix. It was the first heavy metal version I heard. This was way before the Vertexguy or Megadeth versions. For some reason the name Zebra comes to mind as the author of the song. I don't remember if that was a band name or personal name. Is there anyone out here with a comprehensive Grabbag collection that can help find this one again? I have searched the internet for the last couple of years and haven't been able to find it again.

[MusicallyInspired]

Is it none of these?

[Mark]

Nope, not there. But I did find another version I remembered liking a lot at the time by Grospixels. The one I'm after was from way back when I was Duking in the late 90's. It was a pretty solid, straightforward copy of the song without a lot of embellishments. But because it was the first remake I heard I was impressed.

[Fox]

The many stages of Duke Nukem 64 development:

First version - It appears to be just an engine test. It is close to the PC version, and there is some light effects similar to the Saturn version.



Second version - The HUD already resemble Duke Nukem 64.



Third version - The weapons have been completely redrawn.



Fourth version - The ammo and inventory displays in the HUD now use a new font.



Fifth version - The HUD left bar has been slightly modified. The difference from the final release the health display is aligned to the left.

[Jimmy]

I like the original Health part of the HUD with the cross more than the final version.

[Fox]

I also enjoy it, but I guess they choose to go with clarity. There isn't that much of contrast in a cyan font and a silver background, especially in a blurry TV.

[Fox]

In Duke Nukem 64, there is a left-over Tank spawn in Area 51, though the enemy is not actually present in the ROM.



I wonder how I should deal with that in the mod...? I guess I should just ignore it.

Spoiler

[Gambini]

I´m a picky perfectionist when it comes to recreating things. I would put the spawn star, just like in the game you´re recreating. It doesn´t make sense, but it didn´t make sense back then either.

[Jimmy]

I would add it back in but only for higher difficulties. I think this is one time where being perfect with the recreation is silly.

[Player Lin]

Captain Awesome, on 22 February 2013 - 01:37 PM, said:

I think this is one time where being perfect with the recreation is silly.

Hmm, for some reasons, I agree this. If you want perfection of Duke 64 feel, play on emulator may be better than this ported TC/mod.

Or, made an eduke64(?) port or something...like the Doom64EX port for DooM64.

[Jimmy]

Well in this case it's more a bug or a glitch. I don't think bugs and glitches should be perfectly recreated if they can be fixed.

[NNC]

I don't get it. That tank was actually spawned in the original game when you enter the blue key room. It was spawned along with 3 liztroops. Isn't it tagged correctly in the D64 or what?

[Fox]

The 64 level has it exactly the same as the PC, however the Tank (sprites and bits of code) has been erased from the game.

[Player Lin]

Fox, on 25 February 2013 - 03:51 AM, said:

The 64 level has it exactly the same as the PC, however the Tank (sprites and bits of code) has been erased from the game.

If they never appeared/existed from the original N64 game, so it's not a bug. But bring it to the PC port/mod isn't bad at all.

[Jimmy]

I'd keep it. Seems more like a limitation of the engine/cart space, or maybe the sprites weren't finished yet.

[NNC]

Fox, on 25 February 2013 - 03:51 AM, said:

The 64 level has it exactly the same as the PC, however the Tank (sprites and bits of code) has been erased from the game.

Thanks for the info. Somehow I completely forgot the D64 version, because it was so hard to play with stupid controls.

[Fox]

Oddly the box of Duke Nukem 3D for the PSX and Nintendo 64 announce it as having 34 and 32 levels respectively. Actually they have 35 levels (plus 1 multiplayer) and 30 (plus 4 multiplayer) respectively. At least the PC version did it right by stating it as having 28-39 levels.

[Jimmy]

They probably didn't count secret levels.

[Fox]

That would make up for 29 levels (plus 1 multiplayer) for Total Meltdown and 26 (plus 3 multiplayer) for Duke Nukem 64.