Fallout 2 > IanOut => who wants to help?

mvBarracuda

Vault Dweller
I know that IanOut got an own forum here @ nma but this is kind of a project announcement, so I think this is the right place.

ATM we've got contact with a new coder; he thinks about helping out IanOut and hopefully he'll join the team. So we would have some resources free and could start some new projects while SztupY still works on Beta 5 of the engine. The best project would be a port of the Fallout 2 campaign to the IanOut engine. This way modders could use this campaign as a basis for their IanOut mods and they wouldn't have to start all things from scratch.

To speed up the process of porting it's neccesary to have a working map converter. Our new coder would give it a try but we need to clear things up some things about the Fallout 2 map format. If you got knowledge about it, please reply to this thread: http://www.nma-fallout.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11879

ATM Sztupy tries to create a document that specifies the IanOut map format so after we've found out how the Fallout 2 map format works we could start porting the campaign.

However for this quite big task we would need to form a team that ports the campaign. We're searching for:

1. Modders that got some knowledge about the fallout 2 map format

2. Beta testers for the converter; it would be good if you're used to the BIS mapper, because finding bugs would be much easier if you know how the map should look like it was displayed in mapper2.

3. Modders that are willing to give some ideas how to improve the converter. I think the converter will start with basic support and improve over the time:

3.1 Convert floor tiles
3.2 Convert roof tiles
3.3 Convert scenery
3.4 Convert containers and thje things stored in them
3.5 Convert critters and there scripts: the scripts can't be really converted but I think it would help if the converter generates just blank files with the according filename; so that mappers know what scripts are left to be written

Have I forgotten anything? Ideas?

4. Mappers that help to convert the maps and add some extra things if they want to improve the map a bit

5. Scripters that script critters and computers, etc. If you know how to script fallout 2, scripting IanOut will be easy for you.

6. Beta testers for the mod itself. The mod won't be done tomorrow, but we'll definately need beta testers because the mod will be an exact copy of the Fallout 2 campaign and have more than 50 hours playtime, so we'll need a bunch of those.


If you got some nice ideas or want to join the team just reply. Or contact me using ICQ (98600423) or eMail (mvBarracuda@web.de)

In the first phase of the project we'll need people who want to help out for points 1 - 3 but you can join for the later tasks, too. Hopefully there is somebody is interested in this project because I'll think playing Fallout 2 under IanOut will rock and you'll ease the work of future modders very much.

Thx for your time :)
 
I might apply to be a Beta tester, but I don't have the time or the know-how for any of the other positions. :)

Btw, nice sig. :wink:
 
I'll count on you as a beta tester ;)

I've just created all maps .txt style and packaged them using 7zip. If you don't know 7zip and you want to open the file just go to: http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/sevenzip/7z415b.exe?download and download the v4.15 beta there.

I've used 7zip because it got the best compression method :) The file is packed about 2.8mb and unpacked 175.0mb, so be sure to have enough free disk space while unpacking!

You can download the map package here:
http://ianout.nma-fallout.com/maps.7z
 
Okay, I'm fairly busy with real life commitments right now (I get married in 5 more days) and the Mutants Rising mod, but if you need a hand with any art (FRMs etc...) just let me know, and I'll try to help out.

*EDIT*
I think the script converter needs to be a prioty. And since I'm not a software engineer, I cant really help with this. But woudnt it be possible to convert them something like this:

1) Use Noids decompilier to get the sources
2) Convert the Fallout 2 scripting language to the IanOut scripting language

Surely you must be able to get some sort of 'filter' that could translate them once you get the sources? Even better get the source code for Noids decompiler and make an app that does it in one hit.

Of course I'm not a software tech so I'll let you guys figure that one out :)
 
Wild_qwerty said:
I think the script converter needs to be a prioty. And since I'm not a software engineer, I cant really help with this. But woudnt it be possible to convert them something like this:

1) Use Noids decompilier to get the sources
2) Convert the Fallout 2 scripting language to the IanOut scripting language

Surely you must be able to get some sort of 'filter' that could translate them once you get the sources? Even better get the source code for Noids decompiler and make an app that does it in one hit.

Of course I'm not a software tech so I'll let you guys figure that one out :)
The sources for the scripts are bundled with the BIS mapper so that should be no problem :) But converting the scripts would be impossible in my opinion (I'm no coder, too but with my limited knowledge of programming and c++ I think it's not possible.)

IanOut has a completly different approach for scripting; and not because we want to screw up things for modders ;) but we believe that our scripting concept is far better compared to the interplay variant :)

This is just an example code from IanOut:
Code:
Text.ClearTexts()
Char = Classes.GetCurrentChar()

if Text.GetPosition() == 0 then
 Text.SetMain([[Ahh, Ian. I''ve already waiting for you. I''ve got a quest for you. It''s dangerous, but you can gain reputation in the town.]])

 Text.AddLine([[Come what may come!]],3,1)
 Text.AddLine([[No, Aradesh, I''m frightened!]],2,1)


elseif Text.GetPosition() == 2 then
 Text.SetMain([[Then I will pronounce you DEATH!]])

 Text.AddLine([[(attack)]],100,1)

elseif Text.GetPosition() == 3 then
 Text.SetMain([[Wery well, I know, that you''re the bravest and most intelligent p[erson in Shady Sands. (:-)) We face the biggest problem Shady Sands ever had. We urgently need you, but with your help...]])

 Text.AddLine([[Spit it out!]],4,1)
 Text.AddLine([[(you wait)]],5,1)

elseif Text.GetPosition() == 4 then
 Text.SetMain([[Don''t be impatient! So...]])

 Text.AddLine([[(you wait)]],5,1)

elseif Text.GetPosition() == 5 then
 Text.SetMain([[So we couldn''t solve the problem. We have found a small den north-east of Shady Sands. It''s called Rat Base. It is just a small meadow, but the threat our town must face is...]])

 Text.AddLine([[Tell me the problem, I''ve already faced wolves, deathclaws, humans, bandits, dangerous creatures, UFOs, nothing is a threat to me.]],6,1)
 Text.AddLine([[Sorry I''ve already retired.]],2,1)

elseif Text.GetPosition() == 6 then
 Text.SetMain([[A MANTIS lives there!]])

 Text.AddLine([[Hû, micsoda ellenfél...]],7,1)
 Text.AddLine([[Hah, what an enemy...]],8,1)
 Text.AddLine([[Well, that''s too much for me.]],2,1)

[...]
As you can see every line of dialogue can be found within the scripts and not inside a .msg file like in Fallout. IanOut scripts don't need be compiled so all these things like setting up the watcom compiler won't be necessary :) But like I said our approach to scripting makes it quite impossible to convert the scripts; at least this is my impression, if there somebody out there that got an idea how we could transfer the fallout 2 scripts into something lua-like, just give me a shout :)

I think this would seriously ease and speed up the conversion process :)
 
But the FO2 scripts just read in the *.msg files anyway, so its only a small step to read the correct msg file that the script refers to and then merge it into the new script. Merging two separate parts wouldnt be too hard as the script should automaticaly point to the correct msg file for dialog.

Just as long you can convert the scripting language then importing the dialog shouldnt be impossable
 
Wild_qwerty said:
But the FO2 scripts just read in the *.msg files anyway, so its only a small step to read the correct msg file that the script refers to and then merge it into the new script. Merging two separate parts wouldnt be too hard as the script should automaticaly point to the correct msg file for dialog.

Just as long you can convert the scripting language then importing the dialog shouldnt be impossable
You're right :) at least the dialogues seem to be convertable; that's at least also the impression from one of the guys @ gamedev.net :)

tentoid@gamedev.net/forums said:
Oh by the way, I looked into the the FO2 dialogue/script format and the IanOut format.. I don't think that writing a simple converter will be that hard after all. And I think a basic FO2->IanOut dialogue converter, which just creates most of the skeleton code is enough for a start.. (you can fix the scripts later by hand)
And I think such a dialog converter will speed up the convert process a lot :) Let's just wait for SztupY reaction, maybe he got some good ideas :) Haven't seen him since a while :(
 
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