BlameThePixel!

So I finally got arround to getting the WMapEditor into a usable shape. Not sure if it will be enough to bring the game back from the dead, but it's there if you want it.

http://www.dream17.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=339

certainly interesting. sadly I don't have the desire to install any 3d worms games...

Understandible. I can't remember the last time I played any of them myself. I just run them for testing. Though, I do hope that with maps aimed at MP, rather than made by T17 to look pretty, some of the fun of Worms might be brought back into the 3D versions.

With the editor, it is possible, at least in theory, to build maps larger than these that come with the game. T17 were limited by the memory restrictions of the consoles. Typical PC has a lot of extra resources when running W3D/W4, allowing for larger maps to be loaded. With a large enough map, the water deaths should be signifficantly reduced, and importance of tactical movement can be brought back.

Nice to see a human being sign up to BTP for a change! Welcome to BTP, K^2.

I've downloaded it but haven't got around to trying it yet. I liked W3D and W4M enough to keep them installed.

The limitations of the games can be frustrating though. It's fantastic to be able to make our own maps, but next we'll need an easy way to play them online, hint hint.

Personally I prefer the idea of programming my own game from scratch, but I'll stick with 2D for now. Hell, Monday's a holiday here so I should spend this weekend on getting started... been thinking about it for months.

If you want to write 2D games, write them for x86 real mode DOS. That way, you have direct access to hardware, and you really can write your own stuff from scratch without rellying on any libraries. Some of that stuff is tricky, of course. I spent almost 3 days trying to get the sound card to work. But it's worth it in the end.

As for a way to play these maps on-line, all you need is to ensure that all of the players have the map. Right now, it means replacing the same T17 map with the same custom map. In the future, once the map list editor is done (work in progress in cooperation with another coder), it will mean having the same custom maps installed.

What I really would like to see happen is a fairly large collection of W3D/W4 Multiplayer maps that can be released as a single package, preferably self-extracting, that can be spread on the net among sufficient number of people to allow on-line games on any of these maps.

Alternatively, it might even be possible to design a map synchronization system. In essence, a program that would be running in parallel with W3D/W4, perhaps as a parent process, that would intercept the game's on-line communications and retrieve the maps that you are missing from the host, presuming that the host runs the same sync program.

Haha, when I said from scratch, I didn't mean without libraries. I'll probably use the Tao Framework.



Yeah that's the sort of thing I was thinking of. It would replace the same map on everyone's game automatically before the game starts.

I don't think it would even need to replace a map. There will be a map list editor out soon, so you will be able to add a new map. And I'm pretty sure that on other machines, it doesn't even need to be in the map list. So the program just needs to retrieve a .xom/.xan file, and place it in the maps directory.

The only serious design problem is finding a way to tell which map needs to be fetched, and doing so before something somewhere times out. If WNet server-client communication is encrypted, as it was for WA, intercepting packets would not be helpful in determining the necessary map. This leaves three options.
1) Manual. You'll have to ask the host which map is going to be used, and type it in to the console of the sync program. Hopefully, the host's IP can be automatically determined from open connections.
2) File I/O intercept. I'm not sure it's even possible on Winows, but it would be nifty if maps folder is simply replaced with a virtual one, controlled with the sync program. Maybe Windows' shared folders capability could be used. File stream calls will be intercepted and, if needed, substituted with network streams. [afterthought: Might be possible to use piping to intercept all file streams. I know it can be used to lock onto stdin and stdout of a child process. It would make it rather simple if it can be done with file streams. I'll look into it.]
3) Memory scan. If sync program runs as a parent process, it can access RAM segments used by the game, similar to the way that memory editors do. Somewhere in there got to be the name of the file that the game will need. Even if it's not on the client machine untill connect, it is on host's machine, and can be requested from host's sync client. Again, hoping that the state of current connection can provide host's IP.

Well congrats on this new sexy program. I don't have any of the 3D games cause my computer is too shiet to play them.

Funny, I didn't notice this thread untill someone linked me. I shouldn't have hidden it in the forum list. D:

Looks like a nice program you've got there. Of course, being the idiot I am, I can't figure out how to use it.

Just blame me. Inteface is horrible, I know it. It's a bit difficult for me to imagine what's going to confuse users, espetially since I keep thinking of all actions in terms of what happens inside the program.

I'm probably just easily confused.

Hi all!
Sorry, that i writting here for so long time, but I have an error: if I click the link at the top of this page (http://www.dream17.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=339), I see an error "403: Fobidden". =(( Can you help me?

dream17 seems to be down... I'm not sure if it's just bad timing or if it's been down for a while. I think it's the first one.

And where I can download the map editor? I have rummaged all Internet, but didn't found anything...

I make NEW W3DMapEditor v1.0, but need time for it. More info and last news here http://worms3d-portal.com/viewforum.php?f=25