New zone creation?

malnutrition · #1 02-20-2002, 03:36 PM

Has anyone thought about creation of new zones? Is this possible? Just a thought.

ZeroDegrez · #2 02-20-2002, 03:51 PM

doubt it, i would think that would require mod to the client...although i might be wrong.

EvIl-QuEsT · #3 02-20-2002, 07:05 PM

Even so making a mod is legal. Its done for many games including Half-Life one of my favorite games to mod for. I do 3D lvl design for it.... working on my own mod Id like to release in stores some day. They even got mod conventions in California.

You should be able to use cad to build the level structure and somehow incorperate it with code to make the lvl active in the client. Sorta like plug-ins.

Pyrotek · #4 02-21-2002, 12:38 AM

You would need to distribute custom zone files. It's certainly possible but not likely.

EvIl-QuEsT · #5 02-21-2002, 02:17 AM

Would be cool if someone could design some new lvls. If worldcraft were to be whats needed I'd gladly volunteer.

Windcatcher · #6 02-21-2002, 04:15 AM

I've had success making small "test" zone files and overwriting existing zone files with them. I haven't distributed any becasue they are still really buggy (e.g. you fall forever). But I have not been able to create new zone files from scratch and get the client to load them. I strongly suspect that the checksum in the s3d files is the culprit, and from examining checksums for identical files in different archives I'm 99.99% sure that it's based at least in part on the name of the compressed file. If EQInside could write correct checksums I think we would be set. Does anyone know who the author of EQInside is and if the tool is still being worked on? If a lot of us started asking for it might we convince the author to help?

Windcatcher

TheClaus · #7 02-21-2002, 05:07 AM

I am pretty sure that Ashran made EQInside. So good luck asking him.

EvIl-QuEsT · #8 02-21-2002, 05:25 AM

I think getting this program to work would be a great asset to EQEMu. Users and developers could release addon maps and maybe even continents or virtually anything we want. It would make the game much more fun and would be unique to the emu.

Minara · #9 02-21-2002, 06:12 AM

Making a zone creator is kinda dangerous. Getting a working zone creator that makes playable zones will be very hard to do(i think) without opening eqgame.exe.. And if you open it you break the law.. So.. It's murky water.

EvIl-QuEsT · #10 02-21-2002, 07:43 AM

Well modding and making the levels for games is legal. Check out Http://www.PlanetHalfLife.com and you will see that mods are made all the time and so are maps/levels. I would go ahead and work on it.

Minara · #11 02-21-2002, 08:23 AM

Yes making levels is legal.. But making levels that owkr will be hard to code without decompiling. read what i posted next time

madborg · #12 02-21-2002, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EvIl-QuEsT

Well modding and making the levels for games is legal. Check out Http://www.PlanetHalfLife.com and you will see that mods are made all the time and so are maps/levels. I would go ahead and work on it.

The FPS companies (first person shooters) encourage mod building; that is not the case with Verant or any other MMORPG company except for NeverWinterNights -- if it ever comes out.

However, you don't have to be encourage to be legal as long as your content is your own. Unfortunately some of this is still in the gray area so it's best to consider this as experimental.

There is one or two technical issues involved too. Zones seem to be harded in the client so the idea of adding a completely new zone may be interesting but no doable.

It's an interesting idea for sure.

EvIl-QuEsT · #13 02-21-2002, 08:40 AM

Well then lets decompile the client but *NOT* tamper with it any way thats illegal. Only for the purpose of adding *CUSTOM* maps of our own thats total *NEW* and not copied work.

ZeroDegrez · #14 02-21-2002, 09:25 AM

To decompile is illegal, Verant DOESNT WANT every hill billy joe game company knowing their code. if you add something new you are tampering with their orgional code, NOW if you want to make your own eqgame.exe from scratch hopeing its going to work go right ahead, but you can not decomplie then edit or add to their code.

Razzle · #15 02-21-2002, 09:43 AM

How about you don't decompile, because we know no one here would ever do that- and through a series of guess and check, form a level editing program.

The level editing program doesn't have to be created by decompiling EQ, you could make it by using your third eye, or at least that's what you can tell anyone who asks.