jStrife/jDuke/jBlood etc...

[Nephil]

I never played Strife before. Is it still avaible somewhere? A demo or a shareware version? Everyone is talking about this game, and I don't even know it!

[Vermil]

Slide posted a link to the demo in the first post of the thread.

[Caden]

about that demo... is there a way i can run it on win xp? the "port" has some bugs in it so i cant do anything.

Originally Posted by ToXiCFLUFF

Sin4U can do it. He blows his trumpet and bleats and bloats endlessly on about coding (coder's joke? heh), tailors his posts to give him opportunities to throw out a few easy morsels of tech jargon, and - despite all this - still manages to leave you doubting that he can actually code anything worthwhile.

Sin4U: Here's a project for you, steeep on up!

No actually, I just know ABOUT coding. Not the actuall coding itself, if that makes sense. I can look at something and see what it does, or can give a general idea on what and how something is possible, but dont have the basic comprehension on how to do it. Not to mention im lazy as hell, and cant be bothered. Apart from that though, you have me completly sussed out. I say a coders joke because I have seen it done BY coders, and thought it was funny. I just need to get a boot in my ass, and coding at uni just may do that. (a decent course, not that java crap they choke you on in the first year.)

[Cain]

I know well that what I will say is crazy.. but why not program a convertisor... since the doomsday engine can to use the same functions that the build engine.?

- yes that need an very good coder..
..but is possible..no ?

[destarus]

Cain, that's exactly what I was suggesting in my post above a while back. No one responded though.

[ToXiCFLUFF]

Originally Posted by Sin4U

No actually, I just know ABOUT coding. Not the actuall coding itself, if that makes sense. I can look at something and see what it does, or can give a general idea on what and how something is possible, but dont have the basic comprehension on how to do it. Not to mention im lazy as hell, and cant be bothered. Apart from that though, you have me completly sussed out. I say a coders joke because I have seen it done BY coders, and thought it was funny. I just need to get a boot in my ass, and coding at uni just may do that. (a decent course, not that java crap they choke you on in the first year.)

All is now understood. My curiosity has been sated, and I'm ready to be nice again.

[Kaiser]

Creating and Mimicing Strife's code is quite easy. But there are some elements like the conversation system and other minor things posses a problem.

[Chilvence]

The conversation system has actually been emulated near enough completely by Vavoom, so once someone codes all the actors, linetypes and gameplay/ui stuff we should have a 99% accurate strife port.

[Cain]

You rigth Destarus...

well.. if have time and power to code an convertisor....why does not include the Build engine code in the Doomsday code...( arrr i'm going crazy.. :\\ )

[destarus]

I've been coding in C/C++ for a decade now, but the real problem is time. My current project http://corridor.has.it is stalled for the same reason. Time is never on my side.

The idea appears simple though (Notice I said: 'appears')

1. Extract verticies, sectors, and lines from the MAP file

2. Extract sector data such as height/depth lighting and color

3. Extract all 'standard' sprites, directions etc. (NOT flattened sprites)

Now...

Recompile verticies, sectors etc into a BSP, add sprites or Doom-equivalent sprites.

If this small portion of the 'Duke3d.dll' could be done, it would allow a very basic version of a Duke3d level to be played. Obviously, many build-specific abilities would have to be filtered out (slopes, sector teleporting, sector-over-sector) but those features could:

1. Be handled through emulation of some sort
2. Added to future version of JDoom by SkyJake
3. Ignored

In any case, it'd be a good start if anyone reading this is motivated enough to try it. A wealth of information on the Duke3d .MAP arcitecture is available in the Duke3d source itself.

It looks very incomplete... where are the:

• Slopes (used very often in every duke level).
• SectorEffectors, MasterSwitches, Activators, ... (the sprites used to make all the special effects in duke, from moving sectors to underwater areas).
• MusicandFX, the sprites wich can be used to add ambience sound to the level (I think Doom doesn´t have ambience sound in his levels, correct me if I´m wrong) like wind, echo, city sounds, etc...
• Mirrors
• Room over Room

and many more...?

Until the Doomsday engine supports things like that, a Duke to Doomsday conversion will not be possible or, at least, not accurate.

[destarus]

Incomplete? See Notes 1,2 and 3 in the second paragraph

This is an incremental approach, to establish a proof-of-concept. If what I proposed is done and it works, then as SkyJake adds things like slopes, moveable sectors, etc, they can be integrated into the converter.

You are correct about accuracy though. The likelyhood a converter will fail to generate a true-to-form version of Duke3D is high. But I don't think its impossible to get so close to the original that we'd even notice the inconsistencies.

[Cain]

Yea... that look promisin...

it just a little start, but it can be better with a lot of work...

If an coder can trying that, i can to start the graphique stuff..
( that remeber me, in the past, i have porting a lot of duke3d sprites in doom...well if the code are good i never need to make that... ).....

[destarus]

Cain: Here's a good idea,

Go ahead and start modelling 3D stuff. If this never pans out, I'm sure your work wouldn't be wasted.

But your models may provide an inspiration for someone to write a converter as suggested. If I remember, your work was pretty good.

Or it also will be useful when Jonof´s port will have 3D model support (Maybe when Polymost supports them).

Also Jonof confirmed he´s going to include external Hi-res textures support

In a side note: To make the enemies, 3D Realms first made 3D models in Hash animation master and used them to make the sprites. The community is begging to 3DR to release the models if they still keep them somewhere, but looks like it´s not gonna happen..


Another model

[Weenuk]

WOW. 3DRealms better release those models.

[Tyberious]

can't wait till a good JDuke port comes out that actually works, uses high res textures and 3d models.

jDuke? or a normal Duke Port? Honestly, if we DO get jDuke it WILL be in 2.0 or above, and from the look of the design specs Jakko put up for that, everything you need for Duke would be FAR easier to implement.
JonoF's will definatly be the best from the looks of it, unless someone out there is re-coding the WHOLE program from scratch in the dark somewhere. you may have to wait about 5 months before we get 3D-models support, but it will be WORTH it.

EDIT: forgot to mention a new JonoF release. mostley menu-reordering is all you will notice, but there are a few cleanups as well.

[Gokuma]

Sehacked v0.4 should help.