Kavawuvi

Invader

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Tiddy-bits:

Models work now. Here's the cyborg model imported from an Invader-built map into the one map that everyone mods.

 

h77OiNL.png

 

Though I guess model animations aren't as finished as I thought they were. I tried importing the Invader built animation tag and... well... this happened.

 

vXMpWas.png

 

tgt1NBH.png

 

He's so happy, he doesn't want to leave the warthog even when you press the action button.

 

UljDlfC.png

 

Fixed

Takka, Kinnet and ShikuTeshi like this

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I did more work on Invader on and off in the past week.

 

9eHTkNa.png

 

HUD works, effects work, but particles and lights are broken. Also, some particles appear to freeze the game.

 

Yet again, use map_name to load this one. Do not load it any other way or the game will crash.

 

Download here:

WaeV, Sunstriker7, Takka and 1 other like this

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So would this be like modding in some other games?
In Halo we have to put everything we want into a map scenario and compile it all into a single file.
Where as most other games can just get a mod as an add-on and tell the game/map to use said files?


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13 hours ago, ShikuTeshi said:

So would this be like modding in some other games?
In Halo we have to put everything we want into a map scenario and compile it all into a single file.
Where as most other games can just get a mod as an add-on and tell the game/map to use said files?

Something like this was similar to an idea I had, actually. My idea was being able to distribute a .zip or .7z of all of the tag files necessary to compile the map (or maps if this is a map pack), and you'd include a .json file inside of the root of this archive to determine the maps in the archive.

 

There are quite a few benefits to this approach:

  • You only distribute a single archive of the tags for your map(s) rather than individual cache files.
     
  • You only send your tags and not the tags included with the game, potentially saving space when distributing maps, especially multiple maps that are in the same tags folder Also, your maps are invariably and indisputably yours, because you do not include any assets from the original game with them, nor are they being run through tool.exe when being built.
     
  • A single archive files means you send each tag only once rather than the same tag for each map file, saving space if distributing a map pack.
     

However, there are plenty of downsides and obstacles:

  • Map loading time is increased in order to build the necessary cache file(s) when they're needed.
    • This can mostly be solved by caching the map files, only rebuilding them if a tags folder they depend on is changed, but this negates any space saving benefits.
       
  • Everyone will need the Halo Editing Kit tags folder present, particularly one that matches their language, otherwise you'll have issues such as Spanish speaking players seeing only English assets as well as, potentially, mismatched tag data.
    • Including the entire HEK can be easily done and the EULA allows it to be distributed in whole, but it will make the download size larger.
    • I don't know where you can obtain a non-English HEK, but it probably wouldn't be that much effort to rip the installed bitmaps.map, sounds.map, and loc.map files and distribute only the English HEK.
       
  • Invader may produce files slightly different to the files made by tool.exe, and revisions to Invader may produce slightly different files from previous revisions. Either will result in not being able to join multiplayer servers with the slight differences.
    • Removing the check or just checking tags rather than the resulting maps could also solve this problem, but would you want to risk issues to occur if the user has a different map file?
       
  • It's less effort to rip your tags because they're already in HEK format, ready to be used. Although map protection is a futile endeavor, some map makers may still want it as an option with reasons such as for distributing betas or for preventing modifications and preserving the original mapper's intent.
    • Simply accepting the fact that your map will be ripped regardless of if, how, and/or why you protect it will solve this issue for you.
       
  • Sapien, Guerilla, and tool.exe all assume a single tags directory. Therefore, for this approach to be cohesive for both mappers and players, all of these tools will likely need to be modified and/or replaced.
    • For Guerilla, MEK replaces it through Mozzarella, and this open source alternative could simply be modified, if needed. I'm sure MosesofEgypt would be happy to accommodate Invader's ability to use multiple tags folders.
    • Sapien has no known, complete replacement. This tool is required for compiling Halo scripts as well as populating scenario tags.
    • tool.exe has no known, complete replacement, but I'm sure MosesofEgypt is working on replacing a lot of its functionality.
DRL333, Takka and ShikuTeshi like this

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More work has been done on Invader recently. I ran into a snag a couple months ago and decided to take a break from the project. This snag was the game freezing with high CPU usage (an infinite loop possibly?) when shooting a surface with a weapon which I had suspected was something particle related, because the issue only started to occur when particles were being dealt with.

 

After picking it back up a couple hours ago, I am pleased to announce that it no longer does this. Particles are now done, for the most part.

 

If you want to download the resulting tutorial.map file, here: 

 

As always, use map_load tutorial to load this. Do not load from multiplayer. The game will still crash

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