Eternal X v1.1

[macksting]

For some absurd reason, my onboard card*'s most recent official driver release is for Windows ME. Maybe Intel was just weird at the time.
Regardless, I can't seem to render HD textures. Which is a pity, 'cause I've seen 'em in action for a few instants before my Aleph One instance implodes under the strain, and they're beautiful.

* Can't replace it, multiple reasons, all related to money

[Eurysilas]

OK, I give; can't bear to see the almost fuck-tardedly low levels of TLC this baby's getting.

Here's some feedback, Pfhorrest :

1. You need to check that all is safe and sound internals-wise with the first map of the game. Unlike the current "stable" version of it, using the first elevator introduces an odd physics anomaly- all forward motion while using it stays engaged until it's through moving. I can reproduce this (every time, I might add) by simply using the elevator and pressing the "forward" key before it reaches the ground level.

2. Your edited shapes by "President People" have instructions so poorly elaborated on that I'm unsure which file I need, never mind actually USING them! As well, if you want more feedback, how 'bout posting an updated download with the Previous AI Plugin and edited shapes already where and how they're supposed to be within the scenario files? I'd say that clearly falls under the scenario design lead's duties.

3. Second level of the game, I'm briefly teleported somewhere else first (before the Marathon). This supposed to happen? Additionally, even WITH the AI plugin, your BOBs are having fits coping with the level geometry. One or the other needs to blink, or the player would actually benefit more from just gunning them all down to steal supplies.

[President People]

Your edited shapes by "President People" have instructions so poorly elaborated on that I'm unsure which file I need, never mind actually USING them!

You can find those shapes here. Nothing terribly important inside if you're testing in singleplayer, just some player sprites to match (some, but not all of) the weapons, a few cleaner item pickup sprites, and some rear diagonal rotations for the Nightmare.

If you want to use them, though, place the unzipped folder in your Eternal directory, start up Aleph One, go to Preferences > Environment Settings > Shapes, and eat find the path to the folder. There are two shapes files, but you'll only need to use one of them. The one marked with an asterisk changes a Pfhor scenery lamp to match the staff crystals. Select whichever one you like, and you're ready to play.


By the way, I'm curious to know which color scenery lamp is preferred. Should I include the purple one in the updated shapes file?

[Pfhorrest]

I prefer the purple ones. They're awesome :-)

[Eurysilas]

The one marked with an asterisk changes a Pfhor scenery lamp to match the staff crystals.

Except in my download, there is no file with an asterisk. I'm well aware of what the readme says. I can RTFM as well as any old Tom, Dick, or Harry. And I'm telling you, either your instructions are not clear enough, or they're wrong.

As far as there being "nothing important" in said shapes.....Are they used in the scenario (or planned for use)? Yes? Then they're important. Especially since some of the elements are confirmed by you (who presumably are a member of the Eternal Omega team) to be active in single player as well.

[$lave]

If you actually want to be even remotely helpful, as opposed to irritating and antagonistic, maybe you could post some useful information such as:

-What is included in your download
-Your system specs
-Where you even downloaded the shapes from

I just downloaded President People's "Edited Eternal Shapes" from Simplici7y



That's what the download folder looks like for me. I will however confirm that the readme does not provide any instructions on how to use alternate shapes files.

My guess is that either your system is using a character set that isn't displaying the asterisk in the filename, or you downloaded a different file entirely.

[Eurysilas]

irritating and antagonistic

*stare*

You know...For someone who's supposed to be a moderator (and thus charged with keeping the peace, though I suppose it could work...differently...around here), I'm finding many of these exact same qualities in yourself. Funny how that works, huh? I actually found out what the problem with the files were. Technically it's President People's fault, as an asterisk is not a valid character for filenames in an NTFS filesystem. This meant that upon decompression it was silently stripped from the filename and a "_" was substituted in its place. Of course, the really amusing thing about this is that the joe who made the mistake in question (President People) has been far more kind and constructive vis a vis the matter than you have.

President People: Might want to keep NTFS file system limitations in mind in the future. This is said with absolutely zero malice or irritation on my part. I know, I know; it's just plain fucking irritating that Apple won't even so much as pop up a user-configurable or one-time warning dialog on the matter. That's just Apple for you I guess (until recently, I owned an iMac with Snow Leopard)...

[Pfhorrest]

Oh and I forgot to reply to Eurysilas earlier, but the Previous Aleph One AI and President People's shapes are both things that came out (in the former case) or I discovered (in the latter case) after the last beta was uploaded a year ago, and I *was* about to release a new beta that included both of them recently until I hit a bug in new versions of Aleph that won't let me play past even one level, so I can't really do anything more until that gets fixed. But yes, the next release, as soon as I can actually do anything again, will have those bundled with it.

[Eurysilas]

...until I hit a bug in new versions of Aleph that won't let me play past even one level, so I can't really do anything more until that gets fixed. But yes, the next release, as soon as I can actually do anything again, will have those bundled with it.

Good to hear, but if you wouldn't mind elaborating (or pointing me to a previous post explaining; it's all good)- what bug? That sounds like a pretty damn serious glitch, truth be told......

[Pfhorrest]

It has its own thread here.

[Wrkncacnter]

though I suppose it could work...differently...around here

I'd just like to confirm that it does work differently around here.

[CryoS]

Man this thread brings back memories...
God what a twat i am!

[Cephalostrum]

...

1. You need to check that all is safe and sound internals-wise with the first map of the game. Unlike the current "stable" version of it, using the first elevator introduces an odd physics anomaly- all forward motion while using it stays engaged until it's through moving. I can reproduce this (every time, I might add) by simply using the elevator and pressing the "forward" key before it reaches the ground level.

...

That's a common issue with Marathon physics in general. Probably a way around it, but suffice it to say that's a small problem in the scheme of things.

[Eurysilas]

That's a common issue with Marathon physics in general. Probably a way around it, but suffice it to say that's a small problem in the scheme of things.

I hadn't thought it to be physics-related, but as momentum in general in the Marathon series is most politely described as "wonky" (try the simple act of descending a staircase coming fresh off games from the Build3D engine; fucking _crazy_ I tell you! ), you are very likely correct.

I still would hope it not to be overlooked, as the previous version most definitely found a way around it.

[$lave]

I don't remember the exact reason for it, but it is an engine bug which occurs on platforms with certain settings. If you look around, I think there's actually an explanation of the bug somewhere on the Pfhorums.If I recall correctly, fixing it would also break film compatibility, hence the bug is still present. My guess is the platform speed was changed slightly between releases.


Edit: I was wrong.

[treellama]

The sliding on platforms bug was fixed in Aleph One 1.1.

[Pfhorrest]

So I've decided that even though apparently the full development folder is way too huge to host on git, I can at least put up the merge folder, so if anyone wants to make any changes to the maps, fix any bugs they find, change anything that's just plain annoying or looks bad or whatever, or better still wants to help fix everything that extensive critique's like Crater Creator's or RyokoTK's have pointed out, you can do it now! Every small thing helps. I will of course be incorporating any changes made that way into future official releases of Eternal.

[marathonishalo6]

hello, iv been having a hard time in the level S'pht Happens. theres a switch next to a door that wont work at all. iv hit every other switch i can but this one switch wont work and i cant get passed the level. is there something wrong with my version, or did i forgot something? (i found a guide, as far as i know the only guide, that says theres a switch in front of a window to an area i cant access due to said switch i mention in my post, and list's it as the 9th switch i need to hit, but theres nothing there. i can provide pics is needed)

[HelviusRufus]

Probably not much help, but…
Using Windows XP on a 10 year old laptop I scratch started level 25 S'pht Happens both 1.0.3 and 1.1.0b4 and all switches activated in both versions. There evidently aren't any pre-switch actions on previous levels (since I scratch started) - if I could hit the switch, it activated. Seems to work OK here.
I googled but couldn't find a guide other than a PDF about 1.0.3 which doesn't talk about a switch in front of a window & the numbers on the map are not switch numbers. So, it's probably a problem with the machine, OS, or installation. On my computer with XP, using the map command (in all variations of Marathon) causes immediate exit to the desktop. Also, in Eternals (but not the others) sometimes transport to next level or using tab to restart after getting killed causes immediate exit to desktop. I reinstalled a couple o times before I decided it was my computer or OS's fault. I've only done five levels of E so don't know much about it.

[7ty7]

Firstly, thank you for making such a great scenario.

I've also experienced ctd when tabbing through terminals in Eternal 1.04, about three times in the first two levels.

Previously I'd played the hell out of 1.03 and never encountered this.

I'm not sure if it's because I'm tabbing too fast or if that would even be relevant.

[Pfhorrest]

So since you all last heard from me, I had developed intentions to release a finalized 1.1 including President People's fixed shapes and the Previous Aleph One AI script simultaneously with the latest Aleph One (in which the #STATIC bug that was breaking EX1.1 got fixed). In the interrim, I was going to recreate all the textures in vector formats including all the latest features like glow and bump maps, since I had months to kill between when I decided to do that and when the latest AO was due out.

In the interim my life got hit by a figurative truck that left me barely able to function in my life, and I had to drop the retexturing project halfway through the first set I was doing. (The actual textures are all recreated, but they lack bump and glow maps, even the rudimentary old glow maps they used to have).

But since people are still having problems due to the AI change and all that, and besides the textures 1.1 is pretty much stable, I think I will roll back the textures to the ones in 1.1b4 and keep any other fixes made since then, including the fixed shapes and AI, and call that 1.1 final.

I hope to do that some time next week, life permitting.

[HelviusRufus]

Take care of yourself.
The other stuff can wait.

[HelviusRufus]

Sakhmet Rising.
After grenade hopping over the wall, I find this absolutely wonderful place (other than the fact there's no air). Vast, flat, dark, quiet, empty, but with an awesome view! Actually four awesome views. Dump the HUD and run straight out to the edge and it is amazing to look at. And turn around and see the dark towers whence Childe Marcus came. Then turn to the bright and, again going to the edge, look into the face of creation. It's an amazing place; even with the lack of air, the trip is worth the fare.

Which brings up the question: Is there any legitimate way to get back (i.e. other than using a cheat) in solo play? I've not enough health to hop back and arrive alive. I can arrive dead but that's no fun. I've found no secret doors or passages so far.

The nitpicker reports polygon 750 is black: has no texture - correct terminology? It looks like a hole in the deck. I thought it was a drop down to the inside like on the other side of the wall. Also, in 783, at a specific place and looking a specific direction, the whole right side of the screen is black, but I haven't been able to find that spot again. At 768, angular black to the lower left. X = 1.115, Y = -19.294, Z = 3.600, Yaw = -159.609, Pitch = 0.000, thereabouts. And one or two others, but they're hard to find. I mention this cause you're talking about final version and it might be of interest.

On the other hand, probably not too many people go wandering around out here. It looks like a tremendous amount of work for so few tourists, but I'm glad you did it. 30 or so screen prints of inside and out, without HUD or weapon, make a wonderful slideshow; especially for a screen saver slide show.

[patrick]

[Pfhorrest]

Available now at eternal.bungie.org is Eternal X v1.1 beta 5. It's basically just b4, plus:

• The Previous Aleph One AI script to let things continue working they way they used to despite the changes made in Aleph One's AI in its own 1.1 update.
• An updated version of President People's patch to the Eternal shapes, fixing 3rd-person view of the Marine sprites and a few other things. Hey, that's the only substantial "known problem" from the first beta, and now it's finally fixed!
• All of the terminal picts are redone. They don't perfectly match the terminal textures anymore, but stock Marathon didn't do that anyway. Updated textures including new terminals are in the works for a 1.2 release... someday. That part of it is already done, but not included here because it doesn't match the rest of the textures that aren't redone yet.
• The floating HUD now displays the level names in a Halo-like way as each level loads.
• Assorted bugfixes.

So I'm going to give it like a week (hahaha, I've said that before) for just one person (LT, I'm looking at you) to play through this and tell me it's not completely broken, and then I'm going to call this 1.1 final. Anything else can go into 1.2 instead.

If I don't actually call this 1.1 final within a week, someone please call me out on that.

So besides the redone textures, and the weapons if they ever get finished (Nick, CryoS, where are you guys?), on the docket for the next release is to change out the annoying PiD monsters from chapter 5 to something scarier. I'm thinking of keeping the Banshees, replacing the Headless with invisible Devlins, and just turning the Nightmares invisible, unless someone can think of a better third scary monster that already exists that I should use there. Or unless everyone thinks this is just a terrible idea.

Also, at some point I might learn the new toolchain and actually go through RyokoTK's and Crater Creator's reviews and fix all the little things they point out.

And remember, if any of you would like to help with that, the Eternal Maps merge folder is up on github now, so you can make small changes as you like and I'll roll them in to the next version of Eternal.