Rebellion 2008: Remake of a new Source Engine.

[Slocket]

Hi everyone. I think you may very much like the new GUI strategy map I created. I made it exactly like the original, but with higher resolution. You can place for starter 300 planets, 30 sectors, or whatever you want. It is alot to place each planet star on this Galaxy Mapper. The demo will have the tools I used to create a new System.dat file. You can set the INI file for Random ownership or your own galaxy setup (position , sector , ownership, core, visible, etc and loyalty).

 

It is such a big job, the demo will be just two sectors, but I give the editor dev tools I made to create the universe setup. You will see the planet color names with ownership change, star color, and more. I made the sound and the Sesswenna sector map when you click on it. plus IMP-22 random comments click on him. I think you Darth Tex will really like it, since you can place all your planet galaxy data, and inital setup, into using the Galaxy Star Mapper tool.

 

I made this look exactly like original, no short cuts. But in the end, I am trying to make not such a window based clickfest that is abit of a hassle. I am ready to show the basic demo to download, and you can modify it using one of the dev tools I made to set it up. No cheese in this one. It is like the original game; I just want to put a couple of more sectors in to show it off. You chose random (INI file =Random =0,1; custom set up), or set up yourself with the basic galaxy editor. I hope this is not too far off topic. I know Tex you wanted this abililty ( your personal custom galaxy), now you will have it! It has the capabilty to start out with unlimited planets, demo *.dat has 300 planets; I only know to put 200; the rest the community can do with it whatever they can think of.

 

Sorry if I am bit tired, bit this is really cool. I never give up. This is so cool! You will think you are playing the original game (but I think some changes should be made to make not such a window based clickfest).

 

This a bit premature, but by this week end, I wil place two sectors, and every time you star tthe game it is random, or set the dat in INI for your own. To help out, 200 planets is alot of work I am going as fast as I can, but with my dev tool, you can go ahead of me and creat ANY galaxy setup you want.

[DarthTex]

... You can place for starter 300 planets, 30 sectors, or whatever you want. It is alot to place each planet star on this Galaxy Mapper. The demo will have the tools I used to create a new System.dat file. You can set the INI file for Random ownership or your own galaxy setup (position , sector , ownership, core, visible, etc and loyalty)...

So is 300 the maximum, or can I put in even more systems/sectors? I take it the "standard" 10 systems per sector still applies; would your editor be capable of having "more" systems in the Core regions, "average" in the Mid regions, and "fewer" in the Outer regions? Although the "outer" regions would have fewer systems, there are definitely "more" sectors there than in the "Core". Looking at the SW Galaxy map, I would love to have 300-500 systems in 30-60 sectors to "explore".

 

Keep up the great work, and I look forward to seeing your demo

[Eagle]

Awesome pic, Slocket!

[Slocket]

... You can place for starter 300 planets, 30 sectors, or whatever you want. It is alot to place each planet star on this Galaxy Mapper. The demo will have the tools I used to create a new System.dat file. You can set the INI file for Random ownership or your own galaxy setup (position , sector , ownership, core, visible, etc and loyalty)...

So is 300 the maximum, or can I put in even more systems/sectors? I take it the "standard" 10 systems per sector still applies; would your editor be capable of having "more" systems in the Core regions, "average" in the Mid regions, and "fewer" in the Outer regions? Although the "outer" regions would have fewer systems, there are definitely "more" sectors there than in the "Core". Looking at the SW Galaxy map, I would love to have 300-500 systems in 30-60 sectors to "explore".

 

Keep up the great work, and I look forward to seeing your demo

 

You can place as many sectors as you like. You can have 0 to unlimited number of planets in easch sector. There is no limit to the size of the galaxy. Use of 1024*768 and each pixel is the limit factor. Yes, it is extremly flexible, limited to the graphics of the Stars on Galaxy map and Planet Pictures in each sector. If I give 17*17 bitmap for each star symbol, that max = (1024*768 - GUI area)/17*17 ~ 1814 planets stars on Map if you want to be able to see the star icons fully with no overlap. that is a big universe? I can also define new region if I wanted to, original game is Rim or Core, there is no reason why I cannot make the planets have more datatype such as Deep Core, Unknown, Pirate, Borg, etc.. Each sector is not limited to 10 stars, put whatever you want in there form nothing to 1000 if you can fit them into each sector. The orginal had a total of 20, make it as big as you wish. Meaing the rasndom setup of the garisson, max energy, max mines definitions, intial defenses, level of society development. So you could define Mandolorian space and have each planet associated with that tag have a unique random profile generation; just as the game does for a Rim planet or a Core planet.

 

I also making a small utility to 'point' on the map and create the co-ordinates x,y of each planet in the galaxy. Much easier for data input and you can see what it looks like. You can select each planets as a core or rim, loyalty, ownership (you can have a very unloyal system but still under control), and if it is initialy visible before it is explored. My intial small demo will be the original map of 200, but you can create whatever you want. The Sector planet display will not be editable at this time, but I have that tool to create, I placed in Sessweena for an example in this demo to show what it looks like. The name of the planet color changes with Ownership just like the original. It will have the loyalty bar underneath just like the original. As I build each tool and database. (that is the *.dat files which you can hex edit or use the dev tools) to make changes in the game. This modularity give much flexability to show what is going on to the public, so I can recieve feedback, as I build more funtionality into the game.

 

@Eagle. Thanks man!...It is alot of work and positive feedback is great! (of course if I am doing something wrong I need to know, or suggestions ). All the fun of the original but now the power to create your own unverse.

 

DarthTex you can create that universe, but the full sector editor is not completed yet, but you can go ahead and make the galaxy star map .dat file ready to go with these first tools. And you can have a random option like the original game, or psuedo random, and of course complete custom galaxy.

[VoDkA64]

Many games use XML and LUA for a good reason. ( I wonder how long it would take me to learn that...a year?) I hope thing go well for me.

 

If you know any HTML, XML is pretty easy.

[darthcircuit]

out of curiosity, is this still being worked on?

[Slocket]

Yes. It is just I had alot of things slowing down since the economy crashed last fall. Sorry for the delay.

 

I had the 2D strategy map mostly finished last Nov 08. I am setting my own little den work area so I have the room to work. The paper work and documentation is the real battle. It is easy to get lost, if I do not keep it organized.

[Faello]

Good luck with your project Slocket, I hope you'll be able to finish it

[budious]

Good initiative to take on this project and your work looks promising. I would hope that you will take under consideration of making the project open source to the community at some point in the future. Keep up the good work!

[Kallyn]

Looking forward for this...

 

any news?

[Slocket]

Yes, but it is slow going. I posted a picture of it in another thread of the 2D interface. I need to place a demo here just so I know if it is goingt o work OK on different OS systems, Vista/7/XP 32 and 64 bit. Plus Resolution of monitors. I have so it auto adjust, or just run it in 'window box' mode at 1024*768.

 

The GUI is very much exact to the original but better layout of the space on the monitor. I madr the demension exact for the sectors, the original was distorted vertically to fit the screen. The GUI is what is taking forever to finish.

 

 

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2452/rebsneakpeek.th.png

 

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/2452/rebsneakpeek.png

 

I will release a test alpha when I finish the loyalty bars under the the planets. It is just like the original but better.

[YoungLord]

Hello there. I joined the site today. Been reading through this projects development. Any updates? It's looking great so far.

 

Excellent work.

 

Regards.

[Slocket]

Still working on it. Sorry for the delay . First will be a tech demo just to make sure it will run on all Windows OS and DirectX 9 cards.

[sw_thrawn]

Do you need help? You still don't want to publish the actual source code? Maybe other persons can be helpuf to work on visual effects for exemple.

What file format do you use for 3D model? still .x?

What's the texture's files? .dds? .png?

what direct x effects do you use exactly (what version of pix shader? T&L?)

do you use opengl too?

[Slocket]

I am using Dark Basic Pro. They have a free edition. It requires DX9 and Windows only. I simply use jpg, bmp, for now. Basic old school stuff. 3D seems to have to be in .X only but DB claims it can do Studio Max to recall, but I could not get it to work. The language is easy enough to use (well a bit quirky for sure), sort of like MS Visual Basic but with the capability to use 3D stuff (which MS Visual Basic ASFAIK cannot do but 2D) without having to have a four year degree in computer science to use. Plus 3D Audio is easy to use in DB too. I do not know if DB can do OpenGL or OpenAL since I am not using those functions (but I have worked with it before). No shaders or TL. Audio WAV or MP3. textures the same as sprites jpg or bmp. Obvious to use compressed jpg and MP3 if possible.

 

There is another version that is more familiar C++ and uses MS free 2008 Express SDK. It is called Dark GDK for more speed if it needs it.

 

Nothing fancy with the code, just really only takes one author, I am not good at organizing a huge project, so tend to be lone wolf. I suppose I can release what code I got, but it is not documented or pretty looking. I ran into some serious problems a year ago, health related plus financial burden, seems like that is never going away; so I guess I might as well finish what I started, and in the end someone can take the code and finish the project.

 

I do have a working 3D tactical demo, and a working 2D strategic tech demo, but I want it to do a little more so peeps can look at it without a good laugh.

[sw_thrawn]

Ok, as you wish for the code, but I'm sure some persons on this forum are able to help you if you want. I've a lot of star wars 3D models, we can find textures files but we need at least a technical demo and the organisation of your program. When should you publish the technical demo?

[Danish]

I necromancer that I am fully support you. Make the game so once more the sith will rule the galaxy!

Beware of copyright issues and upload to some internet storage like "adrive" should Lucasarts decide to reown this orphan. Not to discourage you or anything.

[Kjell_Bjarne]

I am really looking forward to play your game. Rebellion is great, but a sequel is needed.

 

Take this it as feedback and not criticism. Your are writing that the resolution is limited to 1024 x 768 pixel. That`s not much nowadays, even Rebellion supports 800 x 600 pixels. I would prefer something like 1920 x 1080 pixels.

[Slocket]

I understand. It has to do with the graphics pictures I have from the original game. They were made with the old 4:3 ratio. It will run fine in a window mode on the new wide screen monitors. Full screen mode it is stretched out.

 

I would need to change the basic graphics to the 9:16 format ratio and all the metrics scaled to that image size. It can be done, just not for the first release.

[Markus_Ramikin]

I personally do everything in 4x3 ratio when I can. I never quite understood the widescreen craze.

 

So I don't care if widescreen is supported, as long as 4x3 remains so as well.

[Antonius]

Very nice planet pictures.How are u progressing ?

[Slocket]

Slowly, I am recuperating from a very nasty broken shoulder, then I played another game for a while. One handed. It does take time..I am hoping to get more done now since holidays are over and I get my cast off me shoulder here tomorrow. I think I will put in a good weekend to get something nice done. I have to take it easy so instead of being bored I am staying home and getting caught up on this some more. Very sorry for the long process, it takes a lot of dedication to finish a game, most never do get finished. I hope I do finish something.

 

http://hosting11.imagecross.com/image-hosting-th-55/5741war3.jpg Click Image to Enlarge Image Hosting

 

Pic of one of the unique 300 planets in the 3D battle tactical Galaxy engine. It is looking much better..

 

 

http://hosting11.imagecross.com/image-hosting-th-55/4701Rebstrat1.jpg Click Image to Enlarge Image Hosting

 

Hardest part was to get these windows to work correct, I had to make my own version of 'windows' using BASIC. Notice how I changed the Imperial Window to make more room to fit in more square viewing area.

 

http://hosting11.imagecross.com/image-hosting-th-55/6653Rebstrat3.jpg Click Image to Enlarge Image Hosting

 

Alliance pic ...notice I have a lot more planets to add still. The GUI is a lot of work. But I am getting there. The audio and music is working fine and is finish more or less.

[RoflCopter4]

I desperately hope you can finish this. It looks amazing.

[Slocket]

Oh yes, I will finish it -I was slow to get going but now things are going to go much faster (as long as my health holds up, but that is another story -I've been lucky so far going on five years, very very luck and happy and thankful to good doctors). I am most glad this website is back up. I also make some small donations each month to help out. After all, they are hosting this remake, or more or less, Rebellion 2 for me and the community. It is the least I can do. I really do not want the trouble of hosting a website...plus this is free anyway. I just hope the copyright holders of the images do not get too upset when I release this tech demo to see how it is running on others computers.

 

I migrated this project to a new computer. I finally got a 1080 monitor and gosh I wish I did this in wide screen, but the original art work is 4:3 so I sticking with that -except you are getting higher resolution at 1024*768 (yeah not great but heck a lot better than 640*480). In the future, I can and need all to help make the higher wide screen format pictures and help avoid copyright issues. I try to give credit to those companies such as Lucas Arts and Coolhand and everyone else whose pictures I use. This game is going to die hard if no one remakes it, and I have to do it from scratch. I have no source code except what I make. The public will have access to the source code...but I do not want a thousand versions of this floating around right now. So that will limited for now. You may have notice how hard people are having trying to get the original to run. I even have yet to get it to work on my new W7 64 machine. I use my old one to look thing up.

 

I am should make a new thread here soon for the testing with regular updates so people will not have to wait years for me to produce something and to help keep this thread fun to watch and discuss. It is just the strategic part for now. I have the tactical engine also but I am not worried about that right now. The first one is the GUI window flipping. I did it without using any MS windows dll library functions (whatever they call it to make life easier to program) since I am an amateur programmer using Dark BASIC Pro the free version. It takes awhile more because of the low level programming I am doing, plus learning the hard way.

 

The option.dat file in the GUI tech demo has three setting and wish for people to try. The AVI movie file cutscene I had problems with getting it to play under the most common codec XVID but I did get a version to work using another codec I think that works with Directplay , it works under W7 so it needs a look. If it crashes then use a hex editor and change the 0 to 1 bit. ( windows default ON, cutscene movie default ON, Music volume HEX). It is three data words. 0100 0100 3200

 

The game does not support ALT -TAB so do not do it else it will crash. You can click on IMP22 for his random speech.

Next I will place the loyalty bars under neath. I have the code from the rebellion tactical engine for that I made a function to display bars (such as the shield strength and hull damage). I am getting faster at this.

[Antonius]

Hey Slocket, i've offered you once to make the character's pictures for the game, this thing i've offered to those guys who are making the Rebellion 2.

You can modify that thing, that we have much characters than 30 , each side ?