2013-11-07, 05:26 PM
(This post was last modified: 2014-03-28, 11:14 AM by StolenBattenberg.)
- Project status: active
- Current task: Map Editor, .MRF specs, and documents.
I finally finished the separate tools enough to start doing basic concepts for a new SoM, since I want to work on KF style games, but SoM just refuses to work on my PC, and I'm sure there's a few others with problems like this.
All the tools I've worked on will tie into this one project, alternate image viewer will have texture converting tools for most formats too a new format I'm creating as we speak, including tools to convert old SoM .txr to the new format. Alternate model viewer, a tool which wasn't spoken of much will have tools to view .x, convert SoMs, .mdl/.mdo to .x and various other things relating to models.
A lot of SoM will be passed into this tool, far too much to list, but I also have a lot of improvements.
Because I know there's always someone in the world who likes to write custom editors, the engine will be completely seperete from the tools. This means you'll be able to eventually write custom tools to use it, and I'll be adding full specifications on all the file types to this top post as I'm finished with them.
For now, while it's in the prototype it's mostly going to be ideas all thrown into a big mess of projects, and it'll be using a small 'game maker' built engine to render with.
Oh, and one thing which I'm sure people will think I'm crazy for. Free of Charge. Nothing, not a single coin. You don't even need to say you used this engine if you don't want too.
What's coming from SoM
- Part files; I love these things -- But I also notice that their a pain in the ass to deal with, since they're in binary. I'll be changing that by making them human readable, then when you finally compile the game, it'll re-write them in binary, so you can have ease of use, but anyone trying to steal your stuff won't.
- Simplicity; The SoM tools aren't a walk in the park, but making items, objects and maps is simple, until you start scripting.
- Some of the assets MIGHT be coming from SoM.
What's coming from the SomEx extension frame work.
- Shaders; They make games look amazing, and any game should have them.
- Modes; SoM is just KF1, that's it. So I'll be taking the idea of a 'switch shadow tower' function, and expanding it to work with most From Soft games. These included Switch KF1, Switch KF2, Switch KF4, Switch ER (Eternal Ring), Switch ST (shadow tower).
What I'm adding
- Linux and MacOS; When I finally write my own rendering engine using c++ and OpenGL, I'll make a way for users to export their games as MacOS and Linux runnables, so the games created can hit a bigger audience.
- OpenGL; see above.
- Better scripting, full documentation on everything.
- Assets; Modern HD assets, though this is limited to static stuff right now, I can't animate or make things that live. (humans etc)
- Sound; An advanced sound engine, which will enable the user to make atmosphere that is equal, or better to the original King's Field games.
- Projectiles; This is a big one, and I say projectiles because it won't be limited to just bows. Crossbows, short bows, long bows, stones, guns, throwing knifes... If you really want, you could even set up throwing cheese!
LIMITATIONS
- As of now, SoM 2.0 IS NOT a game development platform, non of it will be of any use for making SoM games. Right now, it's all going to be tech demos and technical features. This is because I need to learn OpenGL to make a rendering engine. When I enter the alpha phase, I'll probably still be using Game Maker, but I'll be using a compiled version (which has set me back a good $500, which will be capable of competing with SoM, but it won't be cross platform, and it'll still be slower then OpenGL.
For the community
If anyone, like me is interested in understanding files, here -- I'll release these so no one will ever need to figure out SoM 2.0 formats on their own.
- Moonlight Room Format (.MRF) file specification (V0.3): - Link -
- Moonlight Part Format (.PRT) file specification (V0.1): - Link -
Pre-Alpha preview stuff
- Part system example, with .PRT creator (v1.0): - LINK -
Current road map! (-- = done, ++ = to do)
-- Build the base engine (GameMaker 8.1+DLLs).
-- Make basic map editor (GameMaker 8.1)
++ Implement custom object system.
++ Convert base engine (GameMaker: Studio 1.2)
++ Add LODs, model loading.
++ Convert base engine (GameMaker: Studio 1.3+DLLs)
++ Expand map editor to use my idea, the layer system.
- Current task: Map Editor, .MRF specs, and documents.
I finally finished the separate tools enough to start doing basic concepts for a new SoM, since I want to work on KF style games, but SoM just refuses to work on my PC, and I'm sure there's a few others with problems like this.
All the tools I've worked on will tie into this one project, alternate image viewer will have texture converting tools for most formats too a new format I'm creating as we speak, including tools to convert old SoM .txr to the new format. Alternate model viewer, a tool which wasn't spoken of much will have tools to view .x, convert SoMs, .mdl/.mdo to .x and various other things relating to models.
A lot of SoM will be passed into this tool, far too much to list, but I also have a lot of improvements.
Because I know there's always someone in the world who likes to write custom editors, the engine will be completely seperete from the tools. This means you'll be able to eventually write custom tools to use it, and I'll be adding full specifications on all the file types to this top post as I'm finished with them.
For now, while it's in the prototype it's mostly going to be ideas all thrown into a big mess of projects, and it'll be using a small 'game maker' built engine to render with.
Oh, and one thing which I'm sure people will think I'm crazy for. Free of Charge. Nothing, not a single coin. You don't even need to say you used this engine if you don't want too.
What's coming from SoM
- Part files; I love these things -- But I also notice that their a pain in the ass to deal with, since they're in binary. I'll be changing that by making them human readable, then when you finally compile the game, it'll re-write them in binary, so you can have ease of use, but anyone trying to steal your stuff won't.
- Simplicity; The SoM tools aren't a walk in the park, but making items, objects and maps is simple, until you start scripting.
- Some of the assets MIGHT be coming from SoM.
What's coming from the SomEx extension frame work.
- Shaders; They make games look amazing, and any game should have them.
- Modes; SoM is just KF1, that's it. So I'll be taking the idea of a 'switch shadow tower' function, and expanding it to work with most From Soft games. These included Switch KF1, Switch KF2, Switch KF4, Switch ER (Eternal Ring), Switch ST (shadow tower).
What I'm adding
- Linux and MacOS; When I finally write my own rendering engine using c++ and OpenGL, I'll make a way for users to export their games as MacOS and Linux runnables, so the games created can hit a bigger audience.
- OpenGL; see above.
- Better scripting, full documentation on everything.
- Assets; Modern HD assets, though this is limited to static stuff right now, I can't animate or make things that live. (humans etc)
- Sound; An advanced sound engine, which will enable the user to make atmosphere that is equal, or better to the original King's Field games.
- Projectiles; This is a big one, and I say projectiles because it won't be limited to just bows. Crossbows, short bows, long bows, stones, guns, throwing knifes... If you really want, you could even set up throwing cheese!
LIMITATIONS
- As of now, SoM 2.0 IS NOT a game development platform, non of it will be of any use for making SoM games. Right now, it's all going to be tech demos and technical features. This is because I need to learn OpenGL to make a rendering engine. When I enter the alpha phase, I'll probably still be using Game Maker, but I'll be using a compiled version (which has set me back a good $500, which will be capable of competing with SoM, but it won't be cross platform, and it'll still be slower then OpenGL.
For the community
If anyone, like me is interested in understanding files, here -- I'll release these so no one will ever need to figure out SoM 2.0 formats on their own.
- Moonlight Room Format (.MRF) file specification (V0.3): - Link -
- Moonlight Part Format (.PRT) file specification (V0.1): - Link -
Pre-Alpha preview stuff
- Part system example, with .PRT creator (v1.0): - LINK -
Current road map! (-- = done, ++ = to do)
-- Build the base engine (GameMaker 8.1+DLLs).
-- Make basic map editor (GameMaker 8.1)
++ Implement custom object system.
++ Convert base engine (GameMaker: Studio 1.2)
++ Add LODs, model loading.
++ Convert base engine (GameMaker: Studio 1.3+DLLs)
++ Expand map editor to use my idea, the layer system.
