Project Osiris - Alien Breed 3D for GZDoom (1.0.3)

[Cherno]

It's not possible to recreate the rippling effect of Alien Breed 3D with a GZDoom shader, neither a post-processing nor a fragment one.

[ArcturusDeluxe]

Have you figured how to implement the underwater effect you struggled to replicate, yet ? If not, have you considered using a rippling post-processing shader ? It might do the trick, I don't know much about GZDoom, but it might worth doing some digging.

Yeah a shader would really be the only way to do it, but something about how GZDoom works at the moment means I'm unable to add a refraction effect. Something to do with shaders not being able to access what's behind it? Or something like that? I'm not really knowledgeable on the subject, but that's what I remember being told, and I haven't seen it implemented elsewhere. I really want to have it too, but it depends on what the devs of GZDoom do.

[Cherno]

GZDoom's shader support does not include access to the depth buffer, so you only ever get access to a pixel of one specific surface (sprites are considered surfaces as well), and anything behind it off limits. Hence, the rippling effect is not possible.

[Gez]

You could try things with the post-process shader, but then it'd apply to the entire screen -- not to a specific area of world geometry. One could imagine using chroma-keying techniques to solve that issue, but then it becomes really, really hacky and you can expect weird jank as a result.

[aconike]

Hi,
I have a question
when will the new version be
Write some new info, what will be there, what you have improved, what you have done for good new things, how many secret rooms you have made and so on.

Please (if you want) if you would be willing to make some new bikes - something like a special section with suggestions, and we might add something to me and let me finish it.

Thank you

[zxdunny]

You don't sound like a moaner or anything, don't worry about that. Could I ask what exactly puts you off though? Is it that it's further from the original game, or something specific about the changes I made? I'd be interested to hear the feedback.

Ok, sorry for the delay in replying. I have no excuse. Please don't take this as whining, I'm trying to be constructive

The lighting is fantastic, the gameplay is spot-on, I can live with those weird green and blue pickups if I absolutely have to (though would prefer to be able to go back to the original pickup graphics if possible an option like being able to use the original weapons). But what I really don't like are two things:

1) Drops to prevent backtracking. Level 2 has one at the entrance to the third room (which serves only to annoy if you accidentally fall down it - you then have to fight to get to the switch to raise the stairs... but if you've played it before then you just stand at the top and wait for the enemies to come to you and pick them off one by one as they can no longer get to you). Drops remove a gameplay style where you can inflict damage and then retreat to draw enemies out or catch your breath. AB3D has large arenas where it's packed with bad guys and you have to be more tactical than just running in guns blazing.

You corrected the drop at the end of level 2 nicely by raising stairs at the end of the fight. That was nice.

There is another drop in level 3, too, and this one then does force you into a large area with no retreat possible. Also annoying.

2) Removed (in Level 3 again) a large area (the one with a secret and the lift to the teleporter) an large area filled with bad guys and replaced it with a corridor shooting section. You can quite simply walk through that one and just kill everything as it appears, whereas previously you had to be more careful.

I'm sorry to say I didn't bother to play beyond level 3, and dug out an earlier version. Which is a shame as you've done such an amazing job. Having the original levels as an optional level pack, or an option in the Osiris settings would be just wonderful.

Anyway, I'll stop now, and continue to watch this thread with interest. And give my heartfelt thanks for what you've done so far, even if it's not quite what it was.

[ArcturusDeluxe]

You don't sound like a moaner or anything, don't worry about that. Could I ask what exactly puts you off though? Is it that it's further from the original game, or something specific about the changes I made? I'd be interested to hear the feedback.

Ok, sorry for the delay in replying. I have no excuse. Please don't take this as whining, I'm trying to be constructive

The lighting is fantastic, the gameplay is spot-on, I can live with those weird green and blue pickups if I absolutely have to (though would prefer to be able to go back to the original pickup graphics if possible an option like being able to use the original weapons). But what I really don't like are two things:

1) Drops to prevent backtracking. Level 2 has one at the entrance to the third room (which serves only to annoy if you accidentally fall down it - you then have to fight to get to the switch to raise the stairs... but if you've played it before then you just stand at the top and wait for the enemies to come to you and pick them off one by one as they can no longer get to you). Drops remove a gameplay style where you can inflict damage and then retreat to draw enemies out or catch your breath. AB3D has large arenas where it's packed with bad guys and you have to be more tactical than just running in guns blazing.

You corrected the drop at the end of level 2 nicely by raising stairs at the end of the fight. That was nice.

There is another drop in level 3, too, and this one then does force you into a large area with no retreat possible. Also annoying.

2) Removed (in Level 3 again) a large area (the one with a secret and the lift to the teleporter) an large area filled with bad guys and replaced it with a corridor shooting section. You can quite simply walk through that one and just kill everything as it appears, whereas previously you had to be more careful.

I'm sorry to say I didn't bother to play beyond level 3, and dug out an earlier version. Which is a shame as you've done such an amazing job. Having the original levels as an optional level pack, or an option in the Osiris settings would be just wonderful.

Anyway, I'll stop now, and continue to watch this thread with interest. And give my heartfelt thanks for what you've done so far, even if it's not quite what it was.

No worries! And again, don't worry about seeming whiny or anything, you don't, and I appreciate the criticism. I understood going into this that not everyone will be on board with all of the changes being made from the original, and that's ok.

The option to use the original pickup sprites already exists, go into Project Osiris Options under Options and change Pickup Style to Classic. The blue armour shards will still be in there, since armour is part of this version now, but I did make new sprites for the smaller health pickups to fit with the original style when you choose this setting.

The reason I made the first map 2 drop was because the enemies couldn't get up the staircase, the stairs are too steep for them to navigate, making it completely trivial to pick off the red aliens without any danger from them. Admittedly, I still fucked it up as you could fire to wake up the monsters from the top of the drop, but that's been fixed. Now you're forced into the fight after taking the drop. On reflection, I could have made the staircase bigger so the enemies could navigate it, but I quite liked the ambush aspect of the fight the drop adds.

I wasn't happy with the corridor section in map 3 either, but I felt the large room from before was too easily bypassed. I've changed this area again in the next version back to an open room but with two pillars for some cover from the hitscanners, and you now have to hit a switch at the far end of the room to open the way to the elevator, but it also brings in extra enemies. This makes you engage with the whole room and you can't just run through, but keeps the openness and danger of the original. The drop added later in map 3 was done for the same reason, to stop you just running on by and not fighting anything. I do wonder if it's too hard of an area now though, since there's no real cover and the deep water affects your movement speed.

Not saying you're wrong or anything with all this, just explaining the decisions I made. They might indeed not have been the right calls, as I'm not an especially experienced level designer. Porting AB3D to GZDoom makes it a fundamentally different game to begin with, just from being in a different engine, so I figure I might as well attempt some improvements to the map design while I'm at it - to make things hopefully more palatable to the Doom players and to keep players of the original on their toes.

With all that said, I will release the maps that are closer to the original game as an add-on mod after I finish 1.0, because I have them and I might as well. There will still be some differences here and there because of quirks with the engine and such, and I made some adjustments while converting them, to fix some obvious mistakes like bugged textures and misaligned geometry.

For anyone wondering, as for 1.0, it's still incoming. Feeling a bit bad because I promised it in the new year at first, but I've had some mental health issues lately. I'm doing ok, but been a bit burned out on the music and modding stuff over the past few weeks. Please bear with me, I really want to get back into the swing of things!

[JohnnyTheWolf]

For anyone wondering, as for 1.0, it's still incoming. Feeling a bit bad because I promised it in the new year at first, but I've had some mental health issues lately. I'm doing ok, but been a bit burned out on the music and modding stuff over the past few weeks. Please bear with me, I really want to get back into the swing of things!

No pressure! You are not being paid to work on this mod anyway.

[zxdunny]

For anyone wondering, as for 1.0, it's still incoming. Feeling a bit bad because I promised it in the new year at first, but I've had some mental health issues lately. I'm doing ok, but been a bit burned out on the music and modding stuff over the past few weeks. Please bear with me, I really want to get back into the swing of things!

Thanks for that detailed response that I probably didn't deserve - acutely aware this is a free game - I'm looking forward to the changes then

Most especially the maps from the demos also, but that's by the by right now. The current social climate has been bloody awful for a year now. Mental health issues are affecting a huge amount of the population and it's more important that you take time to breathe than finish a game that, as has been pointed out, is free. That I can play any form of AB3D natively on the PC is an absolute godsend tbh.

Take care, and all the best!

[ArcturusDeluxe]

UPDATE

1.0 next Friday! Features a new soundtrack, intro/ending improvements and custom menus, new in-game graphics and sound effects, and some more gameplay adjustments. Note that the 1.0 doesn't mean I'm done completely, I'm still open to feedback and updating the game when necessary, and I haven't forgotten about the demo maps either!

Thing is though, I think I messed up on the CD32 music thing? Since 0.10 I've found out that Bjorn Lynne is selling the full AB3D soundtrack on digital storefronts, which has now made me a bit anxious about including the CD32 tracks without permission. I contacted Bjorn Lynne and I hope he responds at some point, because I want them to be included, but without feeling weird about it. Support for the music will still be in there, there's a menu option to switch between soundtracks, but you'll have to provide the music files in a pk3. Instructions will be included if needed.

Hope you all understand! In the mean time, I hope you all give my new soundtrack a fair shake. I'm far from a professional musician, I made the tracks mainly for fun and practice, but I think they're pretty atmospheric and there are some fun musical callbacks to other Alien Breed games in there. I know I've shared some opinions on the original CD32 music before, it didn't quite gel with the game for me, but I'm not trying to replace or invalidate Lynne's work on the CD32 stuff, I want both soundtracks to be an option.

[JohnnyTheWolf]

Yes!

[Pa9an]

Great news...can't wait !!

[ArcturusDeluxe]

Wow, it's been about 2 years since I embarked on this mad undertaking, and here we are, project 'officially' completed! Say hello to v1.0! Big changes in this version:

• New soundtrack by me! The previous music I made is included, such as the boss music, but now there is quite a lot of new music for exploring the levels. It ranges from dark ambient to pumping electro. I'm not a professional musician or anything, but hopefully the tracks do a decent job of setting the mood! Look out for some Alien Breed references in the music too. I also added some triggers to the levels so there is a bit of dynamic music stuff in there. Some levels will start quiet until the music kicks in!
• Official CD32 soundtrack support. It's a bit fiddly I'm afraid until I can get Bjorn Lynne's permission to include the tracks. You will have to bring your own music and insert them into a pk3. See the readme for details!
• A general presentation overhaul. There are now proper ACS-driven scrolly text intro and ending scenes. The menus are now custom made to be a bit easier to understand for newcomers, and the regular GZDoom menu is quickly accessible under 'Advanced'. Fullscreen mode HUD has been tied together a bit. Automap now shows coloured key doors and secrets.
• Various new graphics and visual effects in-game. The slug enemies and the final boss now have diagonal view angles (which took an UNGODLY amount of time to draw). Teleporters and grenade/rocket projectiles have new particle effects. Barrels and lamps now shatter with debris when destroyed. Ammo drops now have more distinct colours. New item sprites now have brightmaps.
• New sound effects. Quite a few pickup sounds taken from other Alien Breed games, just to give a bit of variety to picking stuff up. Eyeballs, worms and tentacles now have distinct idle, pain and death sounds.
• Various gameplay tweaks. Armour is now much more effective (you get 10 per armour shard too!) but some enemies have been made a little nastier. Especially boss fights, the robot now has more damaging attacks, and the final boss has less health but an itchier trigger finger.
• Good news, huge pixel fans! Chunky mode, courtesy of DrPyspy's chocolate mode shader, allows you to play the game with that distinctive 68020 crustiness. Lower the screen size by pressing the minus key for maximum effect!
• Secret Mr Bubz mode. We don't talk about Mr Bubz mode. Mr Icarus made me do it. Don't go looking for it.

As ever, if you have any issues with the difficulty balance of the game, or just issues in general, please let me know and I'll look into it as soon as I can.

Thanks for all of your support so far! You guys and gals have been awesome. I will be starting to focus on other projects now, but do expect more updates to this in future.

Download Project Osiris v1.0.3
Download via Itch.io

PS. I'm not sure if I really have to point this out, but I'm anticipating this might come up. The first map starts off silent, with no music, because of the dynamic music triggers. This is by design! Please don't immediately think it's broken - just go through the door.

PPS. If anyone, particularly on non-Windows platforms, has any errors come up regarding DEFCVARS.txt, try going into osiris.ipk3 and delete that file. It's just there to auto set up default configuration options. The main important thing is that dynamic lights with shadowmaps are turned on, and sector lights should be set to 'Doom'.

[Dynamo]

Congratulations on this release! I did play the first version when it came out long ago but I'll have to replay it now that it's on v1.0. I hope to see other people attempt at making custom maps as well

[undeadmonk354]

Congrats on the 1.0 release! But I got one question to ask. How do I access the secret Mr Bubz mode?