RELEASE: Wolfenstein 3D TC Version 3.1

[Gamerwarrior117]

@GamerWarrior: Thanks, I appreciate the encouragement. So far I found out tonight that the best is to render the graphics at the resolution I need for proper filter usage, then downscale them for the game engine. It's not perfect, but it works!

@Kinsie: I think you are referring to things like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuT7cF3VG2w

That's very poor quality. There may have been a source port that did this in the past but I don't remember where. I did this in the past, it's great for Wolf 3D TC's using the Wolf 3D engine specifically, because that's the only option for enhancement besides using the source port with 1024x768 texture support.

The GzDoom filters are good but very very poor compared to doing them prerendered. No matter which filter you select, there's deep pixelization when near objects and it appears there is no filter whatsoever, it is no substitute. Additionally, even at optimal distances, there's a great deal of sprite distortion and inconsistency at best. I extensively tested them recently to be sure, after I bought a new graphics card and my rig could actually handle them. Even my worst filtering effort is better than realtime texture filters. I prefer to leave these off.

Thanks for your advice, maybe I'll make an account if I make my own thread for screenshots.

Floor texture, could be replaced, best I could find 6 months ago. Finding a good cobblestone texture is rough. The focus on the mod is to enhance what's there, not to re-engineer everything like I used to do when I was learning graphics and how to do them at all.

im gl;ad you found the thing your looking for rendering the graphics. congrats, i look forward playing it soon.

[Captain J]

I recently downloaded Wolf3D-TC-3.0 ZIP and played it with GZDoom version g4.3.3. But i encountered some technical problems and i'm not sure if i downloaded it right or wrong. Problems are as follows:

---

- The transition sequence on the menu is very slower than the original one. Can you speed it up a little?

- When i die, the screen turns red. Now that's normal in the original. But at the same time, frame rate drastically drops and it gets really slow.

- Do my shots disappear in certain range? Because i can't hit a thing from distance even with machine gun. I guess that's also in the original? I don't remember this part. The sniping strategy used to work well in old version.

- Don't show Blood or Bullet puffs Option does not entirely work if either Blood Type or Bullet Puff Type options are turned to Sprites & Particles.

- For some reason Brown Guard's firing sound never plays. So he's sneakier than ever.

- I played the game on I am Death Incarnate but the enemy's damage output seems did not increase. I was standing in front of SS and he would shot me point blank, but he took a while to kill me.

- Speaking of Death Incarnate difficulty, you start with 0 ammo after choosing that difficulty.

- The beginning of Machine Gun's firing animation looks unstable: the sprite descends before firing.

- When i press End Game, it doesn't go to Scoreboard. Instead it resets the game.

EDIT:

- Floor 52? Did Hitler build Volkshalle earlier?


- The enemies tend to get stuck by the pushwall and there's nothing else you can do about it. Killing the one got stuck doesn't do anything. It's rather disappointing, but i guess this also happens in the original game?

- If you save the game, the menu music will still play.

I guess you're still updating this mod and all? Keep up the good work. Nice to play this once more.

[D2 Mod Player]

I haven't found any better ways to remaster so I decided to do a few screenshots. I'm not to the point of announcement yet. I have about 30 walls to go, otherwise it's all finished. These are high resolution images and you can zoom in to examine the high quality of the art.

It's taken alot of time because I was doing R&D alot and redid over half the graphics about 5 times. I've never used such a good monitor (1440p IPS 100% RGB) and such modern software before.

https://i.imgur.com/Yv7Hrmg.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8f0Qll6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6JUqbeT.jpg

OK, good! The links are working.

The idea is to prerender with filters similar to how GzDoom can do them in real time, but much much higher in quality.

Every texture you see in these screenshots are original graphics. I haven't started on lost levels and can't make promises at this point. It depends on my attention span.

[Captain J]

THIN YOUR CONTRAST

By all means, it looks promising.

EDIT: Also found more problems during the game--

- Deathcam's transition is very slow while the bosses would play animations properly fast.

- I found it weird that even the bosses wake up after enemies do. In the original game, the bosses won't chase you even unless you show your face to them.

- U R A Hero, the song of the victory scene never plays instead of level clear one.

- I'm sure i collected a lot of treasure, like over 40000 scores but it won't give me an extra life.

[D2 Mod Player]

Thank you. I appreciate your advice, but I do know what I am doing.

If you have a better way, please demonstrate.

[Kinsie]

Thank you. I appreciate your advice, but I do know what I am doing.

You fed a texture folder through a Photoshop batch job to make the contents look like they were poorly printed out on sandpaper. That's hardly worth putting on an ego under normal circumstances. When it's done in response to a distinguished pixel artist like Captain J, it comes across as more than a little bit insulting.

[Captain J]

Now now, Kins. I can handle this.

If you have a better way, please demonstrate.

I'll enhance the whole TC itself if i could, but i have better things to do. We honestly already have plenty of Wolf3D revival TCs lying around, but it does have some potential. But i hope it's not a Standalone that needs to be downloaded separately. Reminds me of ol' days with Wildweasel's Nazis. Heh

Anyway glad you're confident with what you're doing. But it's important to take one's criticism in a learner's way to improve your skills, you know? Frequent Denial of Advice usually leads to either way: Keep holding it stagnantly, or Fail. I'm pretty sure you would choose the wise way.

Now to the topic. I actually have beaten Spear of Destiny and there were also some problems like intermission mess-ups. I know, i know. As written in the changelog, it's WIP. But might as well troubleshooting it:

- SoD version of Chaingun disappears from your inventory when you switch the weapon.


- The Ramparts' sky is a lot different than before.

[D2 Mod Player]

Thank you. I appreciate your advice, but I do know what I am doing.

You fed a texture folder through a Photoshop batch job to make the contents look like they were poorly printed out on sandpaper. That's hardly worth putting on an ego under normal circumstances. When it's done in response to a distinguished pixel artist like Captain J, it comes across as more than a little bit insulting.

Your opinion is noteworthy but I don't agree.

I'm sure he's done good work, but am not immediately familiar with his projects. Was a link to his project given earlier in this thread? If so, apologize for forgetting his name. And just so you know, it is not my intent to diss others and their solid contributions to this community.

I don't do pixel art. I'm sure he's quite good, but that's not my direction. It is to modernize the graphics, not stay in the past. Telling me what I've done isn't worthwhile is less constructive criticism and more like, "why did you bother doing it?" How does that help me with my project, and how is it useful to me?

@Captain J: At what point was I unable to take your criticism? You have lost me there. As a pixel artist as Kinsie established you as, I'm sure you do good work. And yes, I am confident in what I'm doing and feel it is worthwhile. Kinsie doesn't discourage me. Of course I respect you and your work.

[Captain J]

Pardon me if i offended you somehow. I replied you like that first for half joking and feedbacking. I found your project interesting, different and it's okay. But i just wanted to tell you my opinion that would make it better and all. My reply actually has a point but i must admit, that joke sucked haha

Anyway i genuinely find 'If you have a better way, please demonstrate' part rather awkward. I'm just telling my honest opinion, trying to help you with the knowledge i have while not being familiar with this graphical enhancement stuff but then i suddenly have to prove my... Some kind of skill to you. It's also true that i actually sounded discouraging, but keep in mind that speaking both honesty and truth don't come sweet. But i tried my best not to sound bitter about your project. Like i said, it's promising. Keep it up. I thank you for reading my reply politely, though.

And if you don't know who i am specifically, i made two Total Conversions for Doom named Netronian Chaos and Rebel Rumble. Both has distinctive MS Paint design that is simple and unique. Also i have my own 7 years old sprite resource thread.

[D2 Mod Player]

Thank you Captain J. That was very kind of you. I'll DEFINITELY check out your work. Thank you!

You obviously have those who respect your work and would stand up for you. That's great. I am not upset long term. In my response I failed to see you told Kinsie to stand aside and let you handle it.

Using texture filters, it's quite involved and requires alot, to Kinsie, not exactly mindless macros even though they they do help (and you need to invent those macros on your own)!

Concerning noise and sandpaper, the reason some things have noise is to reduce the amount of contrast used to allow the graphics to not blur close up. If there's an inconsistency from one texture to the next it can cause issues in immersion and gameplay. Some textures naturally have more native contrast than others and it creates a disparity in how each texture appears in game and requires different touches.

Additionally, there's no detail in a 64x64 texture (the enemies are much less than that since they don't take up the entire texture) and they need something for the eye to catch. Without any texture it can defeat the purpose in an upscale at all and can at times be a key aspect of the visual reconstruction.

I apologize for being awkward, but your last response of humility shows the goodness in you as a person. Thank you.

So now, in the mean time, I'll be checking out those TC's and the resource repository.

[Captain J]

Ahh geez forgot to inform this, but is this normal? The icon is out of the difficulty box.

[Gamerwarrior117]

I haven't found any better ways to remaster so I decided to do a few screenshots. I'm not to the point of announcement yet. I have about 30 walls to go, otherwise it's all finished. These are high resolution images and you can zoom in to examine the high quality of the art.

It's taken alot of time because I was doing R&D alot and redid over half the graphics about 5 times. I've never used such a good monitor (1440p IPS 100% RGB) and such modern software before.

https://i.imgur.com/Yv7Hrmg.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/8f0Qll6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6JUqbeT.jpg

OK, good! The links are working.

The idea is to prerender with filters similar to how GzDoom can do them in real time, but much much higher in quality.

Every texture you see in these screenshots are original graphics. I haven't started on lost levels and can't make promises at this point. It depends on my attention span.

looks good, great work:) im looking forward to your release:)

[Gamerwarrior117]

can this be added as a pk3 file?

[D2 Mod Player]

Yes, again, thank you for your encouragement. We've had this pandemic and also earthquakes in my area yesterday and helping a friend for a whole week while I was sick.

I was thinking about starting again tonight.

It's a PK3 file you can add, but it is for the earlier Consilidated TC from 2016 and and not the new version I know nothing about and haven't tried. That version is fantastic! The final PK3 (RAR file actually) will be close to 2GB.

Even if I find the new version satisfactory, I know nothing about modding it. I had to change one file to allow the HD weapons to be displayed properly. Otherwise it's 100% compatible with the original.

[Gamerwarrior117]

Yes, again, thank you for your encouragement. We've had this pandemic and also earthquakes in my area yesterday and helping a friend for a whole week while I was sick.

I was thinking about starting again tonight.

It's a PK3 file you can add, but it is for the earlier Consilidated TC from 2016 and and not the new version I know nothing about and haven't tried. That version is fantastic! The final PK3 (RAR file actually) will be close to 2GB.

Even if I find the new version satisfactory, I know nothing about modding it. I had to change one file to allow the HD weapons to be displayed properly. Otherwise it's 100% compatible with the original.

hows the wolf3d mod going so far? i know the pandemic thing probably put it on hold for awhile imagine.

ii hope things are going well for you.