[Zelanto]

This is a replacement old gray armor?
Belts can be recharged on level, like suit in HL, or only buy?

[Danukem]

Zelanto, on 20 October 2019 - 11:36 PM, said:

This is a replacement old gray armor?
Belts can be recharged on level, like suit in HL, or only buy?

Yes, your shield replaces armor. It starts to recharge automatically if you don't take any damage for the length of the recharge delay (150 = 5 seconds). It works just like shields in Borderlands. They are designed to be used in gladiator matches, not in normal levels.

[F!re-Fly]

Trooper Dan, on 21 October 2019 - 12:11 AM, said:

Yes, your shield replaces armor. It starts to recharge automatically if you don't take any damage for the length of the recharge delay (150 = 5 seconds). It works just like shields in Borderlands. They are designed to be used in gladiator matches, not in normal levels.

It's really fascinating all that is possible to do in Eduke32. I am truly appreciative of the work done by you and all others in the community and elsewhere. This function of the shields is interesting. This could surely give me other ideas for mine.

[F!re-Fly]

Trooper Dan! Considering my motivation and my hard coding, are you ready to help me again? Even if I'm up in the air? (my head in the air!)

[Danukem]

Firefly Trooper, on 21 October 2019 - 05:56 AM, said:

Trooper Dan! Considering my motivation and my hard coding, are you ready to help me again? Even if I'm up in the air? (my head in the air!)

I'm not qualified to provide the kind of help that you need. If you reply in this thread your replies will be deleted.

[Radar]

Savage Dan.

[Marya]

Trooper Dan, on 21 October 2019 - 12:11 AM, said:

Yes, your shield replaces armor. It starts to recharge automatically if you don't take any damage for the length of the recharge delay (150 = 5 seconds). It works just like shields in Borderlands. They are designed to be used in gladiator matches, not in normal levels.

i assume this is a similar code to the Duke forces shield?

[F!re-Fly]

Trooper Dan, on 21 October 2019 - 12:02 PM, said:

I'm not qualified to provide the kind of help that you need. If you reply in this thread your replies will be deleted.

No problem. Message well received.

[Danukem]

Marya, on 21 October 2019 - 12:50 PM, said:

i assume this is a similar code to the Duke forces shield?

Not really. In DF, the energy shield was essentially just the armor, but it absorbed 100% of damage until depleted. In DF you would have to find batteries to recharge it, because it was balanced for normal singleplayer maps. In AA, it recharges on its own. In fake multiplayer matches of DM, CTF etc. you are dealing with lots of fast moving, respawning enemies and the game is still challenging even with a recharging shield. Health does not regen, though.

[Zelanto]

What to use for a better game experience: polymer or polymost?

I try use polymer without HRP pack and 3d models, because i like dynamic light. The light creates additional volume on the level, but Incinerator and incendiary rockets is not usable for my (fps!!!).

[Danukem]

Zelanto, on 23 October 2019 - 12:12 AM, said:

What to use for a better game experience: polymer or polymost?

I try use polymer without HRP pack and 3d models, because i like dynamic light. The light creates additional volume on the level, but Incinerator and incendiary rockets is not usable for my (fps!!!).

Use polymost. It's not even a debate. Polymost has seen huge improvements over the last few years while polymer continues to stagnate. I may even try to block people from using polymer in the next release, to avoid false reports about poor performance and visual glitches. By the way, if you think performance is bad with polymer now, the maps and scenarios in the next release will make it much, much worse.

[Phredreeke]

Not to mention, Polymer = no voxels.

[Zelanto]

Phredreeke, on 23 October 2019 - 01:41 AM, said:

Not to mention, Polymer = no voxels.

Voxels is great. I even know how to make them, but the dynamic light makes maps lively.

[Zelanto]

Sorry about double post.
I make Dredd-style map for DNAA. It will be a large skyscraper divided into commercial, residential and business areas. I plan to place a lot of secrets, explosions and traps.

Level done on 60%.

[Danukem]

Nice job so far. Do you want a proper dev kit? You are working with an old version. You can send me a PM.

[Danukem]

In a retro shooter, it's fine if the story doesn't make a whole lot of sense because gameplay is king. However, if you do want to add a more coherent story, and you can do so with some ret-conning that doesn't undermine the old content, then why not?

First, let's talk about the role of Bombshell. In Alien Armageddon, she is an optional playable character or part of the playable duo in the original episodes. But canonically, she was not there. Think of her presence as a non-canon option for AA players. In AA canon, the order of events goes like this:

E1, E2, E3, E4
various user maps
Bombshell joins EDF and becomes Duke's partner
Caribbean vacation
various user maps
New Invasion
Duke it out in DC
Space Gladiators

In AA canon, Bombshell becomes Duke's partner after E4 and before Caribbean vacation. Thus, she appears in cutscenes in our Caribbean and after that, but not before.

Next, let's talk about some things that don't make sense. The alien invasion: just randomly occupy various places with no clear military goal. Somehow leave EDF mostly intact while taking over wherever they like. Leave random stripper bars running while clearing out all other civilians. An "emperor" who is a mindless brute incapable of making any imperial decisions and who stands around in a football stadium waiting to be killed. And perhaps the strangest thing: the apparent need for human females to incubate young. There's no way a species could evolve to need hosts from another planet. Moreover, given their obvious technological superiority (space travel, cloaking devices, etc.) they could make whatever incubation they need, or use lifeforms on their own planet(s).

So here's where the major AA ret-conning comes in. It turns out, the actual emperor is a dude named Braccus and he's mad but fairly intelligent. The invasion of earth was never a serious attempt at conquering. It was mostly done for entertainment. Videos of the battles between Duke and the invasion forces are broadcast on the alien homeworld and sold as pay-per-view. The "emperor" that Duke fights in the football stadium is not actually the emperor, it was just an arranged PPV fight. "Cycloid Emperor" is a stage name, the dude was actually a slave forced to fight. They don't really need human chicks at all, although they have genetically engineered a species that gestate in human females. Why? For entertainment. Getting Duke and the other humans all riled up about it is hilarious. And as for the broadcasts... remember when Duke is captured at the end of E1L2. Remember how he is not even strapped into the electric chair? Well, obviously he was supposed to escape and provide more fodder for PPVs. During his capture, a chip was implanted in Duke's brain that records his experiences. Perfect for using in broadcasts. Also very convenient for the VR reconstructions that the player can encounter later in the gladitorium complex...

[Mike Norvak]

Trooper Dan, on 30 October 2019 - 12:50 PM, said:

In a retro shooter, it's fine if the story doesn't make a whole lot of sense because gameplay is king. However, if you do want to add a more coherent story, and you can do so with some ret-conning that doesn't undermine the old content, then why not?

First, let's talk about the role of Bombshell. In Alien Armageddon, she is an optional playable character or part of the playable duo in the original episodes. But canonically, she was not there. Think of her presence as a non-canon option for AA players. In AA canon, the order of events goes like this:

E1, E2, E3, E4
various user maps
Bombshell joins EDF and becomes Duke's partner
Caribbean vacation
various user maps
New Invasion
Duke it out in DC
Space Gladiators

In AA canon, Bombshell becomes Duke's partner after E4 and before Caribbean vacation. Thus, she appears in cutscenes in our Caribbean and after that, but not before.

Next, let's talk about some things that don't make sense. The alien invasion: just randomly occupy various places with no clear military goal. Somehow leave EDF mostly intact while taking over wherever they like. Leave random stripper bars running while clearing out all other civilians. An "emperor" who is a mindless brute incapable of making any imperial decisions and who stands around in a football stadium waiting to be killed. And perhaps the strangest thing: the apparent need for human females to incubate young. There's no way a species could evolve to need hosts from another planet. Moreover, given their obvious technological superiority (space travel, cloaking devices, etc.) they could make whatever incubation they need, or use lifeforms on their own planet(s).

So here's where the major AA ret-conning comes in. It turns out, the actual emperor is a dude named Braccus and he's mad but fairly intelligent. The invasion of earth was never a serious attempt at conquering. It was mostly done for entertainment. Videos of the battles between Duke and the invasion forces are broadcast on the alien homeworld and sold as pay-per-view. The "emperor" that Duke fights in the football stadium is not actually the emperor, it was just an arranged PPV fight. "Cycloid Emperor" is a stage name, the dude was actually a slave forced to fight. They don't really need human chicks at all, although they have genetically engineered a species that gestate in human females. Why? For entertainment. Getting Duke and the other humans all riled up about it is hilarious. And as for the broadcasts... remember when Duke is captured at the end of E1L2. Remember how he is not even strapped into the electric chair? Well, obviously he was supposed to escape and provide more fodder for PPVs. During his capture, a chip was implanted in Duke's brain that records his experiences. Perfect for using in broadcasts. Also very convenient for the VR reconstructions that the player can encounter later in the gladitorium complex...

Sooo meta! lol

This makes more sense than DNF plot.

[Radar]

Thanks for the write-up Dan. I really do enjoy the story element of all these mods, especially since I have my own headcanon on how all these user maps and mods connect. Since AA and AMC seem to be connected in the sense that they both include Bombshell as a character, I also think it would be worth retconning other mods like WGRealms and Imperium, since those mods seem to be referenced a lot nowadays.

I don't consider every map and mod to be part of the Duke canon. I also imagine that some maps realistically have other characters that aren't implemented due to the limitations of vanilla Duke. For example, I'd imagine that most city-based user maps (like Roch) actually have military personnel on the ground assisting with taking out the aliens, while Duke works behind the scenes going into buildings and solving the necessary puzzles to fully weaken the aliens. Some smaller, more focused maps though, like Voices of Authority, work just fine with Duke as the sole character throughout the whole map.

I enjoyed your whole write-up, though I have mixed feelings about the last paragraph. IMO It's trying to make too much sense out of a narrative style that is unique to first person shooting games. The ability to traverse a level from first-person perspective, and fighting off aliens who seem to have no other objective than terror itself, is IMO part of the video game narrative style. Nobody would ever watch a 10 hour long movie from the first-person perspective, or read a 1,000 page book of it, but they would play a 10 hour long video game from that perspective because the entertainment medium lends itself to it. Every form of entertainment exploits narration and continuity, they just do it in their own way.

[Danukem]

Radar 100 Watts, on 30 October 2019 - 02:24 PM, said:

I enjoyed your whole write-up, though I have mixed feelings about the last paragraph. IMO It's trying to make too much sense out of a narrative style that is unique to first person shooting games. The ability to traverse a level from first-person perspective, and fighting off aliens who seem to have no other objective than terror itself, is IMO part of the video game narrative style. Nobody would ever watch a 10 hour long movie from the first-person perspective, or read a 1,000 page book of it, but they would play a 10 hour long video game from that perspective because the entertainment medium lends itself to it. Every form of entertainment exploits narration and continuity, they just do it in their own way.

This stuff is mostly backstory and it's not being shoved in the player's face and it doesn't really affect the player experience. However, it helps me to have coherent ideas about the world. The part about Emperor Braccus and his games is integral to the storyline of the next episode, and this was actually started in our cutscene at the end of DC. The part about there being a chip in Duke's brain that records his experiences and can transmit them to the aliens for entertainment is new, but I don't think it necessarily undermines the original narrative style. I'm not saying that everything was staged, I'm saying there is an eccentric emperor who is more interested in entertainment, and his military decisions are heavily influenced by that. Along the way, it's still true that there were many earnest attempts to kill Duke and enslave earth, but they weren't carried out with good military planning.

[Phredreeke]

Trooper Dan, on 30 October 2019 - 12:50 PM, said:

First, let's talk about the role of Bombshell. In Alien Armageddon, she is an optional playable character or part of the playable duo in the original episodes. But canonically, she was not there. Think of her presence as a non-canon option for AA players. In AA canon, the order of events goes like this:

E1, E2, E3, E4
various user maps
Bombshell joins EDF and becomes Duke's partner
Caribbean vacation
various user maps
New Invasion
Duke it out in DC
Space Gladiators

prequel episode?

[Marya]

honest that's good but i still kinda like Duke bosses explinaion of the babes they drove off their females or duke killed their females, though that would still bring up why they couldn't use artificial mean to reproduce.

Now in a joking manner i quote duke

"Get back to work ,slacker!" (Was this another refrence to doom where when it was first released companies had problems with people playing doom or was there a similar issue with duke 3d?)

[NightFright]

A side question not directly related to this project:

Considering AA includes all the WizardWorks addons by now, is it still making sense to do this diff patch thing with my Duke!Zone II update? I mean, whether you modify the maps for a mod or just apply some fixes to the original maps doesn't seem to be such a big difference to me.

On top of that, people over at the ZDoom forums publish entire formerly commercial WizardWorks addons like H!Zone directly anyway (including myself). So I was wondering why not make things easier for people, considering I have cases where folks end up with incomplete groupfiles after the diff patching process.

[Phredreeke]

Yeah, I doubt DZ2 is an issue anymore. (although in comparison, I believe the HZone maps were scraped off the web while DZ2 had maps specifically made for it. Also is it just me or does HZone sound like the name of a hentai website?)

[NightFright]

H!Zone was a mix, just like Duke!Zone 2. It came with over 1.200 levels taken randomly from the internet, but also had 12 custom-made episodes (9 for SP, 3 for MP) created specifically for the CD release, over 80 maps in total. Many of them were actually not bad, certainly better done than those that are in DZ2.

In general I just want to know to be on the safe side before making another release of my patched DZ2 version which works out of the box. In fact I was always sceptical about turning the Duke Apocalypse files into totally different ones via diff patches, with completely changed internal file structure. The original release in the Apocalypse edition was a mess anyway since it also contained all assets from Duke3D as well, which I know for sure would NOT be OK. My patched file would only contain the maps, art files and cons/defs to run the game with duke3d.grp. Basically nothing Alien Armageddon hasn't already done. And whether I need AA to run DZ2 or not then isn't a big thing any more, correct me if I'm wrong here.

Also, it's not like we are going to see another official commercial release of the WizardWorks addons ever again since Megaton vanished and Gearbox is not making any efforts to provide a complete package.

[Forge]

Don't try to make any monetary gains and you may not attract unwanted Randy attention.

[NightFright]

I wouldn't dream of it. Right now it's just about DZ2 anyway which was actually neither covered by Megaton nor AA.

[Forge]

Even though we 'reverse engineered' the addons, it's probably the same as 'reverse engineering' a song in the eyes of a court. The only reasons AA didn't get a C&D is because there are no owners around to issue one & we aren't asking for money, so gbx doesn't care.

[NightFright]

So basically the bottom line is: Where there is no accuser, there is no indictment. (Plus: No money earned, nobody cares.)

Since prominent members of the Duke4.net community are involved in AA, it is safe to assume they knew what they were doing when adding the WizardWorks addons. All this could have been different if Gearbox had published the addons again by themselves, but I guess they couldn't find anybody to negotiate with about it, if they even tried.

In general it's an interesting development because a few years ago when I was wondering how to publish that DZ2 patch, I was advised to not provide any maps or art files directly, just via diff patches to be on the safe side. Apparently this has changed and I wasn't aware of it.

Don't get me wrong, I am not holding a grudge about this against anybody. I was simply surprised when the addons suddenly were integrated into AA, and now after some user wrote to me about DZ2 diff patching problems, I was wondering why I couldn't just put the fixed addon directly on the HRP website without all that hassle.

[Danukem]

NightFright, on 10 November 2019 - 11:27 AM, said:

In general it's an interesting development because a few years ago when I was wondering how to publish that DZ2 patch, I was advised to not provide any maps or art files directly, just via diff patches. Apparently this has changed and I wasn't aware of it.

I don't think anything has really changed. Someone gave you that advice a few years ago, but someone different would have advised the opposite. The same is true today. It's a gray area where you're going to get conflicting advice, so you have to go with your own judgment. We decided the risk was minimal so we included the expansions.

[NightFright]

Well, I think with DZ2 it's even safer to do so because:

1) The addon in general is shitty and not very popular. There's no big demand for it.

2) It was a bonus for a crappy shovelware compilation. The probability for it to ever become part of another commercial re-release is basically zero.

3) Nothing is known about who made these levels. Just like for other addons published by WizardWorks back in the days, there is nobody you could contact for permissions.

Under these circumstances, I'd say publishing that cleaned-up DZ2 version (stripped of all Duke3D assets) is a low-risk endeavor. I would definitely stay away from doing the same with Nuclear Winter, Caribbean or Duke DC. After all, I think they are presented in a much better way and context in AA.