[project] Arctic Wolf remake

wildweasel · Post by **wildweasel** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:27 pm

Upon emailing Laz Rojas about Operation Arctic Wolf and the possibility of being granted permission to remake the wad using ZDoom (2.0.96x or GZDoom), I recieved this message in reply:

Laz wrote:Thanks for your interest in Arctic Wolf and in converting it for ZDoom. I originally made Arctic Wolf (and all the WolfenDOOM scenarios) on a Mac, but I've also had a PC since 2000 and I used it to finish the Special Edition of Arctic Wolf. While working on the SE, I contemplated doing it for ZDoom, but I chose to make it compatible with Legacy instead.

These days, I'm too busy working on a mod for the Quake 3 engine Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force, so my WolfenDOOM days are over. But if you'd like to convert Arctic Wolf for ZDoom, you have my permission as long as proper credit is given. When it's finished, I'd like to see it before you release it, and I'll put a link to it on my site.

--- Laz Rojas

Upon taking a few glances at the WAD files in XWE and Doom Builder, I determined that such a project would best be done by a group of people. So here is the to-do list for the Arctic Wolf remake, from what I've analyzed:

PHASE ONE

Merge all WAD files together, renaming duplicate entries and reconstructing TEXTURES/PNAMES or just using TX lumps
Recode DeHackEd monster replacements in Decorate
Remove the need to warp to Map09 using MAPINFO

PHASE TWO

Enhance Decorate coding and resources for monsters, rebalancing enemy health and power while adding new sounds and more variety in enemies
Create new realistic World War 2 weapons in Decorate with reloading
Replace vanilla/Boom map hacks with more functional ZDoom/GZDoom equivalents (water, etc)

PHASE THREE

Redetail maps, add special effects, new areas, etc.
Add scripts and mission objectives
Eliminate need for DeHackEd patch
New music?

I will begin recruitment as of now. This post will be updated regularly with new additions to the project team and other important pieces of news.

CURRENT PROJECT TEAM (12/03/05)

Lead: WildWeasel

Weapons: WildWeasel, Marty Kirra, Inuyasha_989, TheDarkArchon

Mapping: Psycho Siggi, DooMknight, farlowj, jallamann, ?

Scripts: Psycho Siggi, farlowj, solarsnowfall, ?

Sound Effects: WildWeasel, ?

Music: Bouncy, farlowj, Nash, jallamann

Graphics: Marty Kirra, DooMknight, Skunk, ?

Decorate: Bouncy, Killer_Of_Doom, TheDarkArchon

FTP Support: jallamann

Other: Graf Zahl

Please note that we are not accepting beta testers at this time, nor do we see a need for them in the future. However, we will let everybody know when/if we happen to need testers.

UPDATE #1

TEAM MEMBERS: You can find the development forum at http://forum.drdteam.org/ under the Doom Armory subforum. Please note that this is a HIDDEN forum and cannot be seen by those that are not a member of the project.

BouncyTEM · Post by **BouncyTEM** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:51 pm

i'm willing to help with decorate. while i do have issues in RL to deal with as well, i think i can exchange a bit of time. that, and i'm already pretty good with making nazis, due to my {now semi-defunct} nazi invasion project.

oh, and i can help with music too. I got a huge mp3/ogg/mid/etc. archive. Also to mention i can make mids into much better sounding oggs.

i'll see if i can try to help out in anything else. i'd LOVE to see this remade for zdoom.

Cardboard Marty · Post by **Cardboard Marty** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:54 pm

Hey WildWeasel! You caught me at a good time and I am wondering what kinda weapons you might need. Centered or Angled, because has you know, I have a Luger that'd work great for angled. So for right now add me for weapons and graphics.

jallamann · Post by **jallamann** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:58 pm

Bouncy wrote:Also to mention i can make mids into much better sounding oggs.

Heh, not hard at all

wildweasel · Post by **wildweasel** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:58 pm

If it's the same Luger I'm thinking of, then I have one too (with code for reloading and everything). I'd much prefer angled weapons for this project, and I'll be going for anything WW2-era (Mauser rifles, MP-40's, MG34's, Panzerschrecks, maybe the FG-42 paratroop rifle too).

Post by **Graf Zahl** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 3:59 pm

This project is spmething I have been thinking about since I first played this WAD. I really liked the maps and the general idea but they'd benefit so much from some enhancements possible with scripting.

And I have some good news for you: Back when I first got this WAD I already did most of the Phase 1 stuff. Admittedly I was a little sloppy (I reduced the enemies' health because I found it a little too hard, the enemies' sounds are not 100% correct and I took some liberties with the weapons) but if you use that as a start it might save you a considerable amount of time.

wildweasel · Post by **wildweasel** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:00 pm

Graf: Well, I'd appreciate it if you could submit that (though where to submit it is currently up in the air - I don't know where to put this stuff). Maybe some help from whoever has had experience coordinating this stuff (like, maybe, a member of the KDIZD or ZDCMP projects).

Phobus · Post by **Phobus** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:01 pm

Jallamann is always useful for community project development ftp servers

BouncyTEM · Post by **BouncyTEM** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:02 pm

jallamann wrote:
Bouncy wrote:Also to mention i can make mids into much better sounding oggs.
Heh, not hard at all

yeah i know but to put bluntly i'll save others the time.

wildweasel · Post by **wildweasel** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:03 pm

Would it be too risky to take the music tracks from Medal of Honor, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, etc. to use for this project?

jallamann · Post by **jallamann** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:04 pm

Phobus wrote:Jallamann is always useful for community project development ftp servers

Always a pleasure to provide FTP space for worthwile community projects

Bouncy wrote:yeah i know but to put bluntly i'll save others the time.

What tools do you use anyway?

Post by **Graf Zahl** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:09 pm

wildweasel wrote:Graf: Well, I'd appreciate it if you could submit that (though where to submit it is currently up in the air - I don't know where to put this stuff). Maybe some help from whoever has had experience coordinating this stuff (like, maybe, a member of the KDIZD or ZDCMP projects).

I'm currently uploading to my DRDTeam webspace.

A thing to note: I already did some minor scripting to the 'Seeteufel' level to sink the sub and add in the 'Das Boot' level which was just a hidden extra level in the original.

Get it here:

http://grafzahl.drdteam.org/other/arcticwolf.zip

This WAD is playable in GZDoom only because it uses a global FraggleScript lump to set the default inventory but that is of course nothing that can't be changed.

And if you need some coordinating help I wouldn't mind. BTW, do ypu think that having a development forum for this would be a good idea? One thread can get rather messy.

wildweasel · Post by **wildweasel** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:14 pm

Concerning the weapons...I'd like to get this out of the way as soon as possible: since Arctic Wolf's weapons are essentially just Doom's with a new face and a little faster fire, I'd like to just replace these with more realistic WW2-era things. So I'll detail the stuff we'll be seeing inj the project, most likely. It's all based on common sense and actual weapon schematics (because odds are, you won't be finding a Thompson behind enemy lines).

A combat knife. Weapon of stealth; not last resort - must have a good power to it and be silent.
A Colt 1911 handgun. 8 .45ACP rounds to the clip, decent power and accuracy, semi-automatic.
A Luger Parabellum. 7 9mm rounds to the clip, a little weaker, but more accurate and slightly faster than the Colt.
An MP40. 30 9mm rounds to the clip, weak, inaccurate, quick to fire, commonly available.
An StG44. 30 7.92mm rounds to the clip, powerful, accurate, a little slower than the Mp40. Hard to find.
A Mauser rifle. 5 7.92mm rounds to the clip, very powerful and accurate, penetrates through enemies.
An FG42 paratroop rifle. 20 7.92mm rounds to the clip, decent power with lower accuracy, rather slow to fire, more commonly available later in the game.
An MG34 light machine gun. Needs no reload, uses 7.92mm rounds, fast, powerful, but seriously inaccurate.
Steilhandgranates. Carry up to 8 of them, can be tossed around corners.
Timed explosives. Carry up to 3 of them, can be used to destroy more powerful enemies or objectives.
Panzerschreck. Carry up to 5 rockets for this, packs a powerful punch, but is very slow and has little splash damage.

wildweasel · Post by **wildweasel** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:15 pm

Graf Zahl wrote:And if you need some coordinating help I wouldn't mind. BTW, do ypu think that having a development forum for this would be a good idea? One thread can get rather messy.

A development forum would be a very good idea. Should we petition Randy for one here at ZDoom?

jallamann · Post by **jallamann** » Mon Nov 28, 2005 4:16 pm