New resources for merge

So, my apologies for my ignorance, but I'm going to need some hand holding while I get up to speed.

I managed to merge 3.42 with 4.0 such that it compiles and I can create a new character, but I'm using all 3.42 resources. The first problem I'm having is that the map is from PoP 3, while the centers are all from some other map (many off drifting in the ocean). Is there a new map that I can get?

Thanks

The map for PoP4 is done (beside some polishing at later stages).
I also relocated all Towns/Castles/Villages/Bridges.

Not included atm are the extra partys like spawn-points, special things like Pendor Castle upgrades etc.
I will check what the latest upload included, and maybe reupload it.

Edit:

http://www.mediafire.com/?v6rs82vb9qmjfdm

This includes the latest Map.txt as well as a file called parties_tuples.py.
In the .py file there are all major partie tuples included, you can copy paste them into a parties.py.
This is not a complete module-system file, it only contains the changed tuples ... look for the start and end tuple to see what section you need to replace.
(it basicly covers all towns/castles/villages as well as some spawnpoints and bridges)

Great, thanks. I should have something playable in a short while.

So I've checked into the SVN a merge of 3.42 and 4.0 that compiles and runs. It has many issues. Off the top of my head:

Sound is borked.
Lots of items included with no meshes.
I have no clue what to do with "Pendor Castle"
Spawn points probably need moving
Training grounds definitely need moving
Bandit lairs use PoP 3 troops
Haven't really checked that the world and map size are kosher

Those are the things that jump out. They're also things I can't so much fix on my own, because I have no idea what's supposed to happen (I guess I can fix sound if I just use all the old files).

To actually install the thing:

1) check out the source
2) edit module_info.py to point to where you want to compile the thing
3) run build_module.bat
4) copy in all of PoP 3's resources
5) copy in the maps.txt from the source to the module
6) (maybe edit module.ini to get a bigger world size?)


If anyone wants to play with it and figure out what needs fixing, that'd be great. Personally, I think I'm going to work on cleaning up the code because I rather dislike how little bits of commented-out junk have managed to stick around from the betas of the original M&B.

Awesome job getting right into the Mix of things this weekend with this Merge..

Since Mordred is away with limited access over the weekend, I took the liberty to e-mail the other main guys working on the merge ManO and Timaaagh, so my hope is they'll read my e-mail and naturally check this thread soon enough, so they can help you through the problem .

regards,

MP

Sound is borked. This may have to do with the sounds being switched from .ogg format (PoP4 source) to .wav (newer pop3). We want to keep the .wav style as it is a massive performance boot.

Lots of items included with no meshes. I would send a PM to Sairtar, he is our art lead.

I have no clue what to do with "Pendor Castle" This is a feature that Abhuva has been building. Basically it is a castle that the Player gets as a part of the main quest, and can upgrade (so it goes from a ruin, to a wooden castle, to a stone castle to a town. Liaise with Abhuva for more detail.)

Spawn points probably need moving To be tackled once we have the alpha so I can see the current dynamics. It would be helpful to know the setting that you use for spawns (number of units? Radius they spawn in? etc)

Training grounds definitely need moving Yes they do, against once we have the alpha. I think it would be best if Player always started in Pendor Landing, so we may only need a single one there.

Bandit lairs use PoP 3 troops Minor factions have not yet been done, so this is pending.

Haven't really checked that the world and map size are kosher They should be, they worked in our tests. Any problems let Abhuva know.

Do you want some testers to be assigned to you, Manka? Then you can target the aspects you want to hit with some skilled testers. Also I would ask that everyone get the alpha version and play it, so we can create a picture of what needs to be done, what is missing etc.

Manka wrote:

6) (maybe edit module.ini to get a bigger world size?)

I totally forgot to include the changed module.ini stuff in the upload i provided to you, i will check this and drop you a pm here with the changed variables (its mainly size of map-borders and river/ocean direction)

Mordred wrote:

Do you want some testers to be assigned to you, Manka? Then you can target the aspects you want to hit with some skilled testers. Also I would ask that everyone get the alpha version and play it, so we can create a picture of what needs to be done, what is missing etc.

Thanks for the information, I'll see what I can do about resolving some of this stuff.

I guess the next step would be to ask: how can we distribute an alpha? In my mind, the easiest thing would be to just put everything in SVN and be able to check out sounds + graphics + code, compile the thing, and have a working copy.

Unfortunately, I don't think our repository has sufficient space, so I guess the next best thing is to have the source check out with all of the text files to build the game (including maps.txt and module.ini), and just have a resource archive that can be extracted in the right spot to fill in the rest.

I also don't think that we'll need skilled testers yet. There's way too many obvious things broken. Mostly we'll need folk figuring out what those things are and coming up with plans for how to fix them.

Thoughts?

Manka wrote:

Thanks for the information, I'll see what I can do about resolving some of this stuff.

I guess the next step would be to ask: how can we distribute an alpha? In my mind, the easiest thing would be to just put everything in SVN and be able to check out sounds + graphics + code, compile the thing, and have a working copy.

Unfortunately, I don't think our repository has sufficient space, so I guess the next best thing is to have the source check out with all of the text files to build the game (including maps.txt and module.ini), and just have a resource archive that can be extracted in the right spot to fill in the rest.

I also don't think that we'll need skilled testers yet. There's way too many obvious things broken. Mostly we'll need folk figuring out what those things are and coming up with plans for how to fix them.

Thoughts?

Mordred can elaborate on this, but as an FYI we do have an extra "repository" link made for us on a "dummy" account with Silly Title Name that we use to download any Alpha versions in the past. (Located here: http://www.mbrepository.com/file.php?id=2839) and I'm sure Timaaagh can give you the access to that page so it can uploaded there if need be.

As in the past for the Alpha Versions, we just put it all in a zip file, and "password" protect the zip file, and naturally just give what the password is to unlock the files here on these boards when people are ready to install into the WB Module.

Since not everyone has access to SVN, only the Coders do, so ideally when you feel it's ready to proceed for testing, you would probably just do the same steps as we have done in the past for it, but overall finding a link to download this won't be a problem, so you shouldn't have to worry about that.. The most important thing is this baby is almost done in terms of having our first working "Alpha version" on top of very good line of code which is PoP 3.41, which is awesome progress overall, so great work .

MP

I have sent an email to SD for the repository test details.

From SD;

"I would use filefront, and call it something wierd..then password protect it. I know I get much better performance from them than from the repository."

I suppose I'd prefer to have something more "pre-alpha", since bundling it all together and pretending it's something more than an extremely buggy first attempt would be a sin, but, to be honest, whatever gets folk working on it sounds the best.

Given all that, if we wanted to roll the code and some resources into a legitimate mod, what do we have available and to whom should I talk? It's really strange seeing folk ride around with just their hands, maybe a head, so having some of the new artwork might be nice. Since I haven't stitched in any new scenes I guess that wouldn't be a problem. Thanks to abhuva, we've got the new map and module.ini, and I know nothing about any updated sounds/music.

Might as well shoot for something by the end of the week. Just no promises as to functionality.

Pre-Alpha is fine by me (and far more honest heh). Once we have a build we can play we can go through and see what needs doing, this is the vital step that has been missing from development for so long as we didn't have the merge done. Once we have a "to do" list things should click together more easily, and hopefully will become more organised than simply "make me a mod".

Your best bet would be to speak to Sairtar regarding the artwork, he has been working on optimising the BRF files for PoP4. We went through a load of OSP's (open source projects) for artwork to use, and Sairtar compiled what we chose together. The next step would then be to equip all the troops with place holder items from those BRFs, so that we have no more invisible units. Only one faction is more or less artistically complete (Melitines) so they can be fully implemented. We can then use that as a template for what needs to be done for the others, and gauge what is still missing.

Regarding sound, all that we did for PoP3.42 was convert all .ogg files to .wav and modify the relevant code which call those files. It should be working as intended in the PoP3.42 source, so I would simply delete what we have in PoP4 at the moment and copy that across. Sounds are unlikely to change, and will be cut back if anything, now that we are not doing voice-overs.

And please don't worry about how it looks and plays, that is half of the fun of development - breaking it, and then fixing it again