MetalStorm Progress Report (28 June 2016)

[Eisenfaust86]

[quote=Nefarius";p="391673"]Ofc not, and I have no intention to port >100K lines of code to a new patch (or do any work on that patch for the matter).

You don't need a CD to play MetalStorm anyway, just to load the game (nothing is being read from the CDs --- see the Config file topic).[/quote]

Well, thats definitely good news. I probably won't be switching to that version anyway, since the released documentation for it makes no mention of fixing the many HORRIBLE bugs that Blizzard put in there when they did the other 1.1x versions (FE bug, Boss Event Bug, treasureclass upgrade bug, gloam bug, mana burn bug, etc) .

EDIT: ofc, I meant I won't switch to "Patch 1.12" that's being done for D2. Metalstorm will probably out-do it in virtually every aspect, anyway.

[Newman Iron]

[quote=Nefarius";p="391673"]Ofc not, and I have no intention to port >100K lines of code to a new patch.

You don't need a CD to play MetalStorm anyway, just to load the game initially (nothing is being read from the CDs --- see the Config file topic).

It's probably possible to use the v1.12 exe to launch to v1.11x dlls, at least we will experiment with this. Especially now with the SecuRom garbage gone.[/quote]

Ok, I didn't think there was that much to change
I did a fast test if the v1.11x dlls worked for 1.12 but they didn't, but there might be other ways to make it work correctly.

[Eisenfaust86]

I just looked at the documentation for Patch 1.12 (AFTER I installed the patch ) and it just shows exactly how clueless Blizzard is about the bugs in the game (they didn't fix any of the major problems that Nefarius spotted, not even the one involving the "random crashes when drawing objects" whose fix only involved the insertion of one lousy column at the ends of the text files). Like I said, Metalstorm is likely to become the "D2 for the New Era" compared to what Blizzard did...

[kingpin]

[quote=Nefarius";p="391673"]Ofc not, and I have no intention to port >100K lines of code to a new patch.

You don't need a CD to play MetalStorm anyway, just to load the game initially (nothing is being read from the CDs --- see the Config file topic).

It's probably possible to use the v1.12 exe to launch to v1.11x dlls, at least we will experiment with this. Especially now with the SecuRom garbage gone.[/quote]

That's understandable. That's the same reason as many stayed in 1.10 (this included me).

[Eisenfaust86]

[quote=kingpin";p="391689"]
That's understandable. That's the same reason as many stayed in 1.10 (this included me).[/quote]

...and the same reason I'll be staying with 1.10 for now (until Metalstorm comes out, that is. )

[kingpin]

I just looked at the documentation for Patch 1.12 (AFTER I installed the patch ) and it just shows exactly how clueless Blizzard is about the bugs in the game (they didn't fix any of the major problems that Nefarius spotted, not even the one involving the "random crashes when drawing objects" whose fix only involved the insertion of one lousy column at the ends of the text files). Like I said, Metalstorm is likely to become the "D2 for the New Era" compared to what Blizzard did...

Blizzard doesn't put the needed resources for this. Nefarius and other modders have put in insane amount of time into modding and ofcourse easier for us to discover bugs. Also, thing's we see as a bug. Is maybe not a bug for them. Sometimes it's coded with intention to work in the way it do.

- Had some issues with borked up installs for VC6 that needes system restore to fix (reinstalls didn't help), thankfully nothing was lost (we keep incremental backups of stuff + emergency backup icon_smile.gif)

I had a harddisk (around christmas) that started with give vc6 strange compile errors. Luckely enough I realise what was happening so did a last minute backup and saved everything important. Day after harddisk was broken.

Good nothing lost for you.

[Nefarius]

Good nothing lost for you.

Thnx.

[Jakebow]

Glad to see updates are going steady! I'll have to admit I don't know anything about some of the updates, but i'm glad it's progressing. Quick question. Are you going to use new music for the towns / acts, and what not? Also what do you think you'll be 'rating' the game? Mature? As in, will there be more Mature content in dialouge and what not?

[Nefarius]

Quick question. Are you going to use new music for the towns / acts, and what not?

Yes, we will probably have new music composed for some of the areas , though this will be available in a optional extra mpq that isn't needed for playing.

Also what do you think you'll be 'rating' the game? Mature? As in, will there be more Mature content in dialouge and what not?

Yes, [spoiler](hint: it contains among others also sprites from Duke3D )[/spoiler]

[Jakebow]

Will those work in Diablo 2? I mean, will they look good? Lol

[Nefarius]

They look fine, just depends on which sprite is used and how they are retouched later. ( im not taking about the enemy sprites, those can't be used ).

[Destrictor]

Nefarius can you give us an idea of what code you still have to replace? I can't wait to get my hands on this and it might give me an idea of when i can finally play it

[Nefarius]

There probably isn't that horrible much code left to do, the key thing now is to finish the source revision and after that me and the team can see what is really left to be done. Ofc, after that the actual development, as in addition of content and design starts, code is only one step.

[EmaStergam]

Hi
Need some explanation about MetalStorm:
1) It will be free opensource for all moders?
a) if not, will it be expandable by plugins?
2) Engine use some new TXT (and old) and some INI files. Did you make some crypting protection for that?
3) Can you tell us when Engine can be expected for use (im stop moding couse that engine )?
4)If im corect it is for 1.11b?

thx

[Nefarius]

[quote=EmaStergam";p="398169"]Hi
Need some explanation about MetalStorm:
1) It will be free opensource for all moders?
a) if not, will it be expandable by plugins?
2) Engine use some new TXT (and old) and some INI files. Did you make some crypting protection for that?
3) Can you tell us when Engine can be expected for use (im stop moding couse that engine )?
4)If im corect it is for 1.11b?

thx[/quote]

"MetalStorm" is a standalone mod, as is detailed in posts made in some of the threads on this board. Many parts of it may in the future be released as plugins for NefEx, but only once it is done and I can devote time to doing so.

[DemonicAngel]

- Some npcs now offer to remove unequippable cursed items for a fee, the npc menu will show a list of unremoveable items you have equipped, and you can pick the one you want to remove. (doesn't work on quest based items). The item is destroyed in the process (ie it is dispelled, so you will be left with a normal item of the same base type).

Will there be a Remove All option, which will remove all cursed items for a total fee of each individual fee added together? Like there are Repair/Repair All options in some vendor NPCs?

[Nefarius]

While I doubt someone may end up with more then 1 of those items at a time, it's easy to implement (in fact about 10 times easier then it was adding the individual selections )

[Archer81]

Well, here's a mod with developers who are true to the "Blizzard way of development" method. The game will be released when it is ready. That's the best possible prospect for us. Very nice log. You made sure to keep up the attention.

[Eisenfaust86]

Well, here's a mod with developers who are true to the "Blizzard way of development" method. The game will be released when it is ready. That's the best possible prospect for us. Very nice log. You made sure to keep up the attention.

You got that right, pal! "When it's ready" is always the best way to do things. Setting deadlines is a risky business on hefty projects like this, especially when there's just so much involved in getting it done just right.

[DemonicAngel]

Nice. Looks like you got a lot done in the past week.

[Nefarius]

Yeah, whole lot of things got done in the last update, yet theres a load of muchness remaining, but the code revision should be complete soon (most files are done with)

[Radamer]

The latest changes look nice. They remind me of Freedom Force, where the game mechanics were hardcoded, but everything about the level design, players, etc. was all softcoded. Irrational Games even allowed their game design tools available to the general public.

Making as much of the game softcoded as you can would probably be the best route as more designers could get involved and get things done faster (assuming that everyone agrees on the design).

[Eisenfaust86]

Nicely put, Radamer! This is exactly what put franchises like "The Elder Scrolls" on the map (via the Construction Set, the tool used for making modifications to various aspects of gameplay and the player itself).

[gogodanny]

hey nefarius i'v been following this progress report for quite a while now and it really is very interesting, but what I am wondering is the current size of the file and the filesize that you are aiming for?
I mean can it be that all the codes that you are adding don't influence the size of the DL?

cheers

[Nefarius]

Code doesn't really make for lottsa filesize (the dll is only 900 KB, and it's compiled with a lot of debug extras --- without these it would easily be 200 KB smaller), I've pulled a lot of optimization tricks (some of which are undocumented) to make it as small as possible without effecting performance.

Though that says nada about the final filesize, the project is encompasing so many things that the complete size pretty much sums up to damn huge.

With one key advantage though, the things come in seperate MPQs (for graphics, sounds etc) and subsequent updates are released in a standalone patch, so there is no reason to download anything more then once (other then the patch). The new SFX and a few other things will be optional and do not have to be installed.