OpenZone 7.3

[Windcatcher]

I'm not dead, kidnapped by elite SoE commandos, or in a cult...I've just been taking an EQEmu vacation. Anyhow, I've got something new:

1. In the ground editing options pane, changed the ground height label to an edit field. You can enter any height you want here for precise ground height editing. Entering an invalid value will make turn the field background red.

2. Added "Help...Tutorial" to the main menu to make the tutorial easier to find.

3. Fixed a bug in the 3D engine where polygons would not be rendered in bird's-eye mode.

4. Fixed texture coordinates in .3DS export.

5. Fixed texture coordinates in .XWF export.

6. Got curious about the whole ClearType(tm) fad, as I'm running Win2k and couldn't play with it. Wrote a bunch of Delphi components that simulate ClearType and changed the program to use them. Under Edit...Preferences, you can enable it if you wish and try it out. XP is not necessary, and in fact it won't do anything under XP since XP already has it (only OpenZone itself will change, by the way: this isn't an OS-wide thing). Anyhow, it's something to play with if you're using an LCD monitor. Some people love it, some people hate it; i'm not sure myself where I stand on it, but it was fun to add.

7. Added File...Export...Export to .XWA. XWA files are just .S3D files, but they contain .XWF files instead of .WLD files. It's another step toward eventually creating our own game...

OpenZone 7.3 is here:

http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/eqemulator/OpenZone_7.3.zip?download

Good to be back,

WC

[GeorgeS]

Wind,

In the 3DS export, you may want to check the difuse settings, I think they should be 100 rather than 0, otherwise the exported object is dark.
When I changed the texture diffuse=100, the object looked fine.

BTW-welcome back!
GeorgeS

[Windcatcher]

Thanks for the tip. I've fixed it in OpenZone 7.4 and I'm hard at work on it. The new version's primary feature will be character export to .XWF/.XWA, including handling of robed models. One thing I'll have to do before I upload it is augment my elf model so it has a robed variant.

By the way, all the export work I'm doing isn't for nothing. Consider the following scenario, just for a moment: a tool that can export everything, zones, items, and mobs, to a public file format. Add to that a tool (OpenSpell) that can create spell files from scratch (yes, I know, it needs more work, and soon, too). Now, if we had a client that could read this very public format rather than a particular proprietary one, we would have something...a game where we could do whatever we wished, host whatever we wished, without fear and without any creative restrictions (as long as server ops are smart and avoid anything that's trademarked).

I don't want to say too much because I don't know how long all this could take, but I forsee a ton of coding for myself in the coming weeks. My advice to anyone who is intrerested: you might want to start creating an original slate of spells with OpenSpell, and maybe a dozen corresponding spell icons, now (or at least by New Year's). You also might want to consider getting together a couple of dozen decent item icons together (44x44 pixels each). One or two mob models made with Anim8or that follow my Elf paradigm wouldn't hurt, either, but what the two I've already made are at least serviceable. Zones already exist -- trouble yourselves not with them ;)

There's a lot coming, much more than you know, but it's still going to take a lot to get it all together and I can't do it all ;)

WC

[Sakrateri]

Hey Wind, Not wanting to give you any more work then you've got but would it be hard to add the ability to import .b3d or .X files into this program?

[Windcatcher]

Maybe eventually, but at the moment I have WAY too much on my plate as it is. For instance:

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/8059/wldparsertestmt4.th.png (http://img301.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wldparsertestmt4.png)

I've created a full set of robed textures and robed variants for the elf model. OpenZone 7.4 can fully export it to either .S3D or .XWA, and the test program you're seeing has DLL's to read either format, the sort of DLL's that a client (ahem) could easily use (whether I release the WLD one is something yet to be decided--and I'm leaning against it--but I need one to act as a baseline). The screenshot above is of my zone (windszone) and my elf model, exported to .XWA (in other words, ZERO SOE content).

The DLL work is almost complete, with shaders the last thing to finish (there is partial support at this time but it's not completely there yet). I've also made lots of architectural improvements to OpenZone's engine (which has more capabilities than OpenZone currently uses, hint hint).

I'm trying to get something special done by New Year's but it's a ton of work, and until it's done I don't want to add any new features to OpenZone unless I directly need them. Afterward, though, I wouldn't mind adding .X support to OpenZone if it's not hard to do. One thing you could do to help me would be to find some Delphi code on the net that can read them.

[Sakrateri]

Well , that is just awsome man. I believe you alone are going to be the one to bring this entire project out from under the grasp of SOE and all of your work is very much appriciated. I wish I knew alot more and was able to help you. I will see what I can come up with on that Delphi (not that I know anything but I will try) . The reason I ask what I do is I purchased the realmcrafter engine and in all truth your Openzone is ALOT better at making zones and I am trying to use the two together to come up with a truly unique game. I also have a program called mapcrafter that makes pretty good zones and they can be exported as b3d or .X files and anything I make with them is my property. Also I am getting pretty good at making static models in 3dmax. Still cant make a character model to save my arse but anyway if you need any models let me know and I will try to make em. Thanks again for all you hard work.

[Windcatcher]

Here's another screenshot. My human model is almost complete:

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9412/wldparsertest1wi0.th.png (http://img404.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wldparsertest1wi0.png)

This is an important one since it's the fallback model when a model isn't found. It also constitutes another playable race...

I'm rapidly nearing the point where I'm in desperate need of a slate of item and spell icons. I don't need a full set in the sense of needing everything that EQLive has, but I need *something*, e.g. a dozen item icons and a dozen spell icons. I'm capable of creating lots of things but I've tried icons and they seem to be beyond me. Is *anyone* in the community interested in helping?

[Teppen]

Impressive Windcatcher !

Concerning icons, if you would pm me with details on what you are wanting them to look like (being as descriptive as possible) I will give it a try. I have created icons through pixel art in the past, and I could create a few then email you, and we could go from there based on if you like them or not. When you pm me please include your email.

-Teppen

[Windcatcher]

For all icons, they should be 44x44 pixels.

For spell icons, I need something that covers a broad spectrum of spell types, both beneficial and harmful, for instance healing, protection, attack (fire, lightning, poison, etc.). Maybe one icon for teleporting, one for spells that affect movement, and so on. Basically just one icon per general category.

For items, I need one icon for each type of item: one for chest items, one for pants, one for arms, one sword icon, one shield icon, one staff icon, etc. I don't care about cloth vs. leather vs. chain at this point, just a basic set that allows me to put together a deployment without the need for anything from EQLive. It also wouldn't be a bad thing to have a generic icon (maybe a question mark or something) for items where we need to show something but no specific icon exists yet (like for rings, books, etc.)

I know I've been pretty secretive so far. Let's assume for a moment that we have a client, in the sense of an executable program and associated UI graphics. A playable deployment of it (that is safe from any SOE attack) requires at a minimum the following:

- a handful of zones
- a couple of player models
- a few mob models so players can kill things
- a slate of spell icons
- a slate of item icons
- a spell file with original spells/stats/effects, etc.
- an original game text file (not hard to produce but requires inventorying all of the numeric text references that EQEmu servers send to the client)

In addition, it would have to have the following qualities to be really safe:

- no reference to any names in EQLive, e.g. no references to Erudites, Frogloks, Karana, etc. (though inventing our own names would be fine)
- deliberate inability to load EQLive models or zones (I know this will cause howling but if it isn't done then everyone will just use SOE content and we'll be worse off)

A bit at a time we're getting there. I just finished my human model (even the monk look) so now we have at least two fully playable races). Next I'll take a crack at making a humanoid monster model, which I think will be a lot easier since I'll only have to deal with only one body type (since players have to have a robed variant, which makes everything a lot harder). Then people will have something other than snakes to kill (grin).

[Windcatcher]

Goblins have invaded the Peshara Highlands!

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/1008/wldparsertest2br2.th.png (http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wldparsertest2br2.png)

It's a lot easier when there is only one body type, one head type, and all I have to do is change the tint for different model types...

All was exported to .XWF with OpenZone 7.4, coming soon...

[Teppen]

I use these names for classes & races on my private 0.7.0 custom server, feel free to use them.

eqlive class || custom class
---------------------------
bard..................muse (mus)
beastlord............animalist (ani)
berserker............rager (rag)
cleric.................priest (pri)
druid.................hermit (her)
enchanter..........charmer (cha)
magician............summoner (sum)
monk.................ninja (nin)
necromancer......occultist (occ)
paladin..............knight (kni)
ranger...............scout (sco)
rogue................thief (thi)
shadowknight......#havent figured out one yet
shaman..............spiritualist (spi)
warrior...............grunt (gru)
wizard................mage (mag)
----------------------------
eqlive race || custom race
----------------------------
barbarian........viking (vik) .. or celtic (cel)
dark elf...........inky (ink)
dwarf.............#havent figured out one yet
erudite...........nero (ner)
froglok...........froggy (fro)
gnome...........nome (nom) .. or shortling (sho)
half elf...........hybrid (hyb)
halfling...........hobbit (hob) .. or shortling (sho)
high elf..........#havent figured out one yet
human...........common (com)
iksar.............lizzy (liz)
ogre.............brute (bru)
troll..............#havent figured out one yet
vah shir.........furri (fur)
wood elf.........woody (woo)
---------------------------
example: furri rager = vah shir berserker
example: woody scout = woodelf ranger
example: hobbit hermit = halfling druid
---------------------------

as for icons and stuff, i will mess around alittle and see what i come up with.

i will pm you when i get a handful created.