RELEASE: Wolfenstein 3D TC Version 3.1

[AFADoomer]

BTW, anyone else having this?

It is a solid wall behind the silver key door on E5M3 in the TC, directly behind it would be the exit elevator. I don't see any way of passing this without cheating. I have had this problem before once, I think on E4M1 (in a passage with many doors in a row, each one separated by such a wall). I doubt it's supposed to be like that, I have no idea how to remove it legally...

Conversion error... Known issue with the last version. I fixed secret doors that were next to a regular door, and this was broken unknowingly in the process.

[NightFright]

Some pushwalls can also be pushed into more than one direction, enabling you to actually block your path to the secret area beyond. However, I don't know if that might be intended. For the obstacle walls which shouldn't be there, the only way to pass them right now is with the IDCLIP command (in case anyone didn't know what to do). Had to do that twice so far during a full playthrough (Ep.6 is left to do).

Another glitch I might have stumbled upon (no idea whether it's reported):
In E5M9, right before the end, you get to the map room after beating the boss. On the ceiling, it seems there is supposed to be some kind of decoration, but it apparently has no texture so it uses NOFLAT (grey/white squares). Right now, I have no screenshot of it, but I can provide one if it is needed. However, according to this Youtube video from E5M9 (original game, see 1:45 and following), nothing should be at the ceiling at all, at least not as far as I can see...

[D2 Mod Player]

BTW, anyone else having this?

It is a solid wall behind the silver key door on E5M3 in the TC, directly behind it would be the exit elevator. I don't see any way of passing this without cheating. I have had this problem before once, I think on E4M1 (in a passage with many doors in a row, each one separated by such a wall). I doubt it's supposed to be like that, I have no idea how to remove it legally...

Conversion error... Known issue with the last version. I fixed secret doors that were next to a regular door, and this was broken unknowingly in the process.

On my HD update versions I was able to fix these issues in the original 6 episodes by recoverting the original levels with the command prompt version. The only problem now is if you have level sets with double doors, it will put a wall in-between each door. I hope that gets fixed some day. In the mean time I've edited the Lost Levels (I've done alot of graphics for this set as well and even converted all the sounds and enemies over) affected and either removed a door or had an extra space between doors resolving the problem.

I am back into graphics (at least for now) the last few days and almost ready to make more screenshots so stay tuned. All walls, doors, ceilings, and floors are now accounted for. I'll probably tease a bit and mostly show Episode 1 shots and a tad of Episode 2 to keep everybody wondering what the rest looks like. The one screenshot I have provided has the old door (modified from Free Lanzer version) and is from Spear of Destiny. Actually I need to at least show Hitler or a single boss from episode 4-6 since that's one of the best advancements from other graphics updates seen. Hmm, a few BETA shots of the Lost Levels might be in order as well to show what's coming.

I never did download Killean's work, not because I wasn't interested in it, but because I had my own project.

I agree with AFA Doomer. We shouldn't implement a pushwall that requires editing of any kind. It destroys the purpose of the TC, the whole reason I started my project. I could easily have 2000+ levels ready if I start converting more (have about a thousand now, but only several hundred tested).

AFA Doomer, thanks for the updates. Glad you wish to still continue improving this impressive TC.

I would also love to see a Blake Stone TC. I've ripped all the graphics from the game (with the right coloring as well, most people's versions have used the incorrect color palette destroying the textures) but would be unable to do much without a coder. If I could do it I would not only at first put all the old graphics in, but then would one by one recreate all the graphics in high resolution just as I am with Wolf 3D. But I have 3 projects to finish first. Wolf 3D, Wolf 3D Lost Levels, and Doom. The last 2 are 50-70% complete. Wolf 3D is over 90% complete.

EDIT 12-23. Been working hard all day, and a fair amount the last few days. Made more changes then planned but they are all for the good. Will make screenshots soon, just need to get everything confirmed and approved.

[D2 Mod Player]

Screenshots are finally here.

Here are around 10 of about 60 screenshots I've made. Also below is a provided link where you can view all 60. For some reason several say they were banned but you can still click the image to view them, nobody has seem they yet at this point except me. Besides the Hitler and Episode 6 bosses I decided to make many of them basic showing different features. I'll upload more shots later of different environments. One of the main goals was to make each level feel like it's different from the last giving a sense of exploration and visual splendor instead of boredom and feeling like you've already been there 50 times before.

The chain-gun is not completed so I don't show it firing, same with the Luger, the animations themselves are done. Just not the effects.

These JPEG's are at 85% clarity in 1400x1050. I forgot to turn on 16xAA and 16xAF which improve the picture a fair amount. So keep in mind playing the game itself looks even better then these screenshots!

I took a shot of an uncompleted wall, the reason an old texture is there.

Floors are not hard coded as they are not a feature of the TC, the ceilings are.

Enemies are not final but it's close.

Lamp and other objects like treasure are likely not final and need tweaking or complete overhauls.

My monitor distorts some and doesn't keep aspect, you may not experience this when this graphics upgrade is released.

Onyx (Back to Hellfire Diablo II mod) did the basic animations to the Bosses from Episode 4-6, Spear, and Lost Levels in VGA. I then converted them into HD and added PC style frames (as opposed to the lame MAC ones) for better animation and detail. Sorry, forgot to include Lost Levels shots but it's not finished anyway.

No, not sure when I'll release it as the delivery medium has not been decided on. Nor has whether or not I'll release it before a site is constructed.

Check back later and I'll add tags or labels of some kind that describe the pictures. Image Shack unfortunately stripped the names.



Here is the link to look through the whole album!
http://img825.imageshack.us/i/001guardfiring.jpg/

Thanks for your patience, I hope it was worth the wait.

[SamVision]

Wait, isn't the Hitler ghost supposed to shoot fireballs at you, not "glowing shine-balls of brightness"? Anyway, this looks fantastic I can't wait.

[InsanityBringer]

That chaingun looks terrible. It's way too slim, and it suffers perspective issues near the end of the barrel.

[Slax]

That chaingun, is a penis chaingun.

[D2 Mod Player]

SamVision, I went back to the original graphics. Yes, it definitely looks like a red blob slowly rotating, hard to tell if it's fire or not. Glad you pointed that out though, I'm going to actually reduce it's size and alter it to be more red, have better contrast and color and see how it turns out. When it comes to special effects I'm more limited but I will work on this.

Well, looks like I've got an insult and a kind of compliment on the chaingun. Before I comment let me talk about it's evolution since the beginning of the project. It's been my worst nemesis, the most technically difficult thing to do for the whole game. For one it's animated, getting to be a pro at making seamless textures but this seems harder. For another I don't do 3D models (not from the HUD anyway), nor do I have the technical knowledge to do them and integrate it into the TC. I don't really plan on heavily altering the TC since on the main I want it to work with future versions. I also am not horribly impressed by many existing 3D models as they have great animation but then totally lack any kind of good resolution and detail and end up looking like a dirty stick. But some are better. Also, most don't fit the Wolf 3D mood. What this started as is a pretty much top down high resolution photo of a real mini-gun. I essentially did major perspective correction using photo software to get it here. I can't exactly draw it since I'm not a traditional artist, my strength is getting software to do work for me. The actual animation and effects will not be advanced at all since the TC only allows 2 firing frames on the chaingun. Also if you look at the shots on my link I have several other weapons. The Luger and the MP40. The MP40 effects don't look as good as I'm capable of because the engine simply will not do subtle transparencies (1st person only, it's fine with other sprites), so anything I try to create with photo software gets completely destroyed. I've even tried changing transparency settings in the engine itself. I have more current ideas to remove that but it wouldn't be nearly as see through or nice. So look for that on the chaingun.

Insanity Bringer. When the chaingun is fired there's a motion blur and the guns raises a bit further. So the bottom becomes even wider since you have to distort the gun rather horribly to appear to fire forward. This dramatic perspective however is done in other mods and I rather like the look, it's also the only way to make it appear to fire forward. I personally don't think it looks too thin. If you keep in mind the rather dramatic change in thickness from the top to the bottom of the gun you can't really make it wider. No gun that is that big (making it wider as suggested) could possibly be carried by a human under 500 pounds and full of muscle at that. Also the thicker you make it the less realistic it will appear. This is farther away from BJ who carries it and your basically seeing only about half the barrel. By the time you get to where he's holding the base it would be gargantuan. I do however realize the tip isn't exactly perfect, I can see if improvement is possible when I work on it's effects.

Slax, can't say I haven't thought about that before. It is a bit obvious. However whenever possible, I really want to keep it as similar to the original as possible. That means keeping the weapons in the center even if it is a bit on the unrealistic side. There's tons of things in Wolf 3D that would never happen in real life. And it's true I've gone more towards realism for most of the environments, but it's still Wolf 3D. When it comes to the Luger it has to be to the side because that's the best photo I could come up with (I was surprised to find it at all because it's very unusual to make a photo of a gun from behind) and it's from an auction site of old antiques. So I did my best to work with the limited amount of photo's available online.

I'm sure once it's released if someone wants to integrate a better version for me (on the chaingun) I wouldn't be against it at all.

Thanks for being the first to comment.

EDIT: There are plenty of weapons that have a different angle then center. This creates a problem even in professional games. Often the weapon appears to fire to the right or left of everything. Or if your closeup and you have the gun to the right it looks like it's firing past your enemy but not hitting it. One way or the other. So far I've preferred this approach, and it makes the weapon itself at a more realistic angle and improves your aim. Plus Wolf 3D itself is like that.

[janiform]

A few questions: any chance of a Doom Builder 2 configuration file? Also, any chance of a config and resource wad for the Spear of Destiny resources? Also, is there a way to quickly convert a whole 6-episode, 60-map set using MAPTOWAD? Finally, do you plan to convert the Lost Episodes as well?

This is a really impressive, enjoyable piece of work. Many thanks.

[Alice Jameson]

It's looking good.

[Zaratul]

I got the same bug Nightfright has but in e5m1.I can`t get the key because of that.@AFADoomer I heard you working on next version of Wolf3D TC.Can you fix these bugs?

[koverhbarc]

Yeah, e5m1 is bugged because of some polyobject issue. Can it be fixed? Also, what's those screenshots above - they certainly don't look like my copy!

[Alice Jameson]

That's a hi res project someone is doing as an addon for this project.

[cq75]

I would also love to see a Blake Stone TC. I've ripped all the graphics from the game (with the right coloring as well, most people's versions have used the incorrect color palette destroying the textures) but would be unable to do much without a coder. If I could do it I would not only at first put all the old graphics in, but then would one by one recreate all the graphics in high resolution just as I am with Wolf 3D.

Sorry I'm late, I missed that before.

You have the Blake Stone graphics in the doom palette? I'd love to see a blake stone TC, what kind of coding do you need? I'd be happy to help you out with DECORATE/ACS if that's what you mean.

[koverhbarc]

You have the Blake Stone graphics in the doom palette?

No need to convert them to the Doom palette, since you can load any palette you want - that's what Wolf3D TC does (though SLADE won't read its PLAYPAL because someone left a trailing newline in it!).