Experiments in Coding
I've been experimenting lately on all of the coding for Blood 2, and looking for ways in which to improve the actual game play. Unfortunately the Blood 2 code is a lot like a house with a bad foundation. Things can be added to it and built on top of it, but at some point the whole thing might eventually come crashing down.
So I've been looking into using the lithtech 1.5 code that was used in the game, Psycho Circus. I was given the game code to Psycho Circus earlier this year by one of its developers, Jonathan Wright, and it's never been publicly released so I feel rather fortunate in having the opportunity to study it. The code itself is superior to Blood 2's, with the advantage that existing models and levels could work well in this environment. The code could be built on and used to improve the actual game play of Blood 2, however it's still old technology, and the process of creating new levels is a little more complicated then simply using lithtech 1.0.
So far preliminary testing has been positive, and I've been able to successfully get the souldrudge and cultists into the game quite easily. It's a bit surreal at the moment though as large groups of souldrudges and cultists attack me without any weapons, and I then send them flying across the level when I kill them. The physics are more Blood like as well, and the pathfinding is quite impressive. Enemies always seem to be able to find me no matter where I'm hiding!
But there are negative aspects to using lithtech 1.5 as well. It's doubtful that anyone will ever build any new levels for this game using the lithtech 1.5 editor because its possessed with evil. The Blood 2 editor does work well for the actual level construction, but then the 1.5 editor still needs to be used for the final processing of the level. I think this would probably be too inconvenient for most people.
Aside from the possessed editor, the lithtech 1.5 engine is still old. For people that enjoy shiny, flashy eye candy that comes from more recent engines, lithtech 1.0 or 1.5 might come across as somewhat disappointing, in comparison. But some of its negative aspects can be used to its advantage, since these levels can be built much larger and the number of enemies in a level can be far greater then most modern engines could realistically deal with.
It may not be as flashy as a modern engine but I think the visual look of the game can still be improved with a little effort.
I haven't made any final decisions on the coding yet as these experiments in madness continue. But seeing the improvements in the enemies behavior first hand does give me hope that the game play can be dramatically improved eventually, whether through using lithtech 1.5 or continuing with lithtech 1.0. Work is ongoing....
So I've been looking into using the lithtech 1.5 code that was used in the game, Psycho Circus. I was given the game code to Psycho Circus earlier this year by one of its developers, Jonathan Wright, and it's never been publicly released so I feel rather fortunate in having the opportunity to study it. The code itself is superior to Blood 2's, with the advantage that existing models and levels could work well in this environment. The code could be built on and used to improve the actual game play of Blood 2, however it's still old technology, and the process of creating new levels is a little more complicated then simply using lithtech 1.0.
So far preliminary testing has been positive, and I've been able to successfully get the souldrudge and cultists into the game quite easily. It's a bit surreal at the moment though as large groups of souldrudges and cultists attack me without any weapons, and I then send them flying across the level when I kill them. The physics are more Blood like as well, and the pathfinding is quite impressive. Enemies always seem to be able to find me no matter where I'm hiding!
But there are negative aspects to using lithtech 1.5 as well. It's doubtful that anyone will ever build any new levels for this game using the lithtech 1.5 editor because its possessed with evil. The Blood 2 editor does work well for the actual level construction, but then the 1.5 editor still needs to be used for the final processing of the level. I think this would probably be too inconvenient for most people.
Aside from the possessed editor, the lithtech 1.5 engine is still old. For people that enjoy shiny, flashy eye candy that comes from more recent engines, lithtech 1.0 or 1.5 might come across as somewhat disappointing, in comparison. But some of its negative aspects can be used to its advantage, since these levels can be built much larger and the number of enemies in a level can be far greater then most modern engines could realistically deal with.
It may not be as flashy as a modern engine but I think the visual look of the game can still be improved with a little effort.
I haven't made any final decisions on the coding yet as these experiments in madness continue. But seeing the improvements in the enemies behavior first hand does give me hope that the game play can be dramatically improved eventually, whether through using lithtech 1.5 or continuing with lithtech 1.0. Work is ongoing....
posted by kurt at
10:37 AM
6 Comments:
It's an interesting idea to continue the mod with the 1.5 engine. Will you have to redo all the maps? It'd be a pain in the ass.
All of the levels will still work properly once they've been re-processed to run in the lithtech 1.5 engine. But I'm still not convinced that this would be the best decision to make.
So for the time being I'll continue experimenting with everything, and then weigh all of the pros and cons.
Kurt,
Will it be possible without the actual ED files for the retail maps? How could you process the maps with the 1.5 editor?
I agree that 1.5 editor is a beast, but I would gladly stomach it to see some new stuff.
I already plan on rebuilding some of the retail levels regardless of which engine I use. This will allow me to improve and expand certain areas that I feel could benefit from being overhauled.
That may sound like a lot of work, but I now have so many prefabricated parts that it would simply be a matter of copying and pasting everything into a new level that accurately duplicates the original, with improved modifications.
But I agree that lithtech 1.5 is a beast. Someone needs to call an exorcist...
I know that many people wants shiny modern graphics, but I really think that an improved gameplay is the key ingredient to restore Blood 2.
And the potential of building larger levels, with working mirrors and sligtly improved graphics is a nice plus. Not to mention that you actually have the game code! It's a pity that evil seems to posses each and every liltech engine in some way...
I think its just the early lithtech engines that were afflicted with this evil ;)
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