Any way to edit Bio Menace?

[Guest]

You can't just say: "Hey You! You should make an editor!". It's a lot more complicated than that. Also in answer to your question: Nope. Same as Keen 3.5,4,5,6.

[JR Ewing]

Somehow I thought someone would have to break me that kind of news. I figured to edit BM you would have to get into the SC. If you don't mind would you explain why it is more complicated than it may seem.

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JR Ewing
"WHO SHOT JR"
Visit JR at www.jrewing.com (http://www.jrewing.com)

[JR Ewing]

Is there any way to edit the Bio Menace levels or would I have to edit the source code (which I don't have). Could somebody make an editor? I just don't have the kind of patience to learn to program. I tried to learn to edit the .con files for Duke3d, well I only got to the basic stuff. I got all frustrated and let it go. So like I said could somebody make a easy editor for windows. That would be fun. Brand new and more challenging levels for Bio Menace. Now that's a definate thought

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JR Ewing
"WHO SHOT JR"
Visit JR at www.jrewing.com (http://www.jrewing.com)

[Guest]

To make an editor:
(1) Learn the Level structure (hardest part)
(2) Learn a programming language (sometimes)
(3) Do lots of research (about the levels)
(4) Tell somebody to do it for you and then put your name on it. (Oops. Scratch that one.)
(5)Start to work
(6) Screen capture every single tile in the whole game (YOUCH!).
(7) Get the HEX values for all of them.
(8) Type them in to the program (Yeah all 3500 (about that in BM I'd say) of them. In Keen 1's case 270)
(9) Get BitBlting to work (non-programmers would not understand).
(10) Manipulate the HEX codes in just the right way to save to the correct position in the data file.
(11) Make it save.
(12) Now you're ready to recompile the source code :-)

[JR Ewing]

HMMMMMMMM. Maybe one day I'll give it a whirl. Right now I'm in the middle of some PowerPoint projects. I'm making games with PowerPoint.

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JR Ewing
"WHO SHOT JR"
Visit JR at www.jrewing.com (http://www.jrewing.com)

[JR Ewing]

HMMMMMMMM. Maybe one day I'll give it a whirl. Right now I'm in the middle of some PowerPoint projects. I'm making games with PowerPoint.

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JR Ewing
"WHO SHOT JR"
Visit JR at www.jrewing.com (http://www.jrewing.com)

[Guest]

How do you make PowerPoint games?



[This message has been edited by Simon Broadhead (edited 05-30-99).]

[JR Ewing]

All you need to do is hyperlink things. What I meant was you can make text games. It's actually really fun. But this is only the beginning of better ways to make efficent games.

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JR Ewing
"WHO SHOT JR"
Visit JR at www.jrewing.com (http://www.jrewing.com)

[JR Ewing]

I was wondering: How was Keen Makeover made to edit Keen 1? Was it just the same steps?

[Guest]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>I was wondering: How was Keen Makeover made to edit Keen 1? Was it just the same steps? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I don't think Keens 1-3 had anything important in their source code to levels, so they could be edited easily like with other games.

[Guest]

Here's how Keen 1-3 Accesses the levels:
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
Header of 36 bytes -

1-4: Long integer (height * width * 4 + 12) +20?
5-6: Integer indicating level width,
7-8: Integer indicating level height.
9-18: Unknown
19-20: Integer (height * width * 2)
21-36: Unknown

After this comes the level information:

A hex value of FE FE (254 254 in decimal) indicates a string
of the same blocks.

After the FE FE comes an integer which indicates how long the string is.
Following that is another integer, the tile ID.

When the data in the file reaches the end of the block information,
it starts on the sprite information, using the same format.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That is directly from an E-Mail that Geoff sent after I showed him the ALPHA of my editor.

[Joe Siegler]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Is there any way to edit the Bio Menace levels<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not completely, but.. Take the ted5.exe file from the ROTT tools, and plop it in the directory of Bio Menace. It'll work - sort of.

The reason for this is the raw editing files were distributed with Bio Menace by accident, so putting ted5.exe in there makes it work. However, I'm not sure as to how well it will work, since the ted5.exe that's there was modified for ROTT, and probably doesn't work the same way the one used in Bio Menace did.

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Joe Siegler
3D Realms Entertainment
http://www.3drealms.com
http://3drealms.3dportal.com/ubb/faq.html (For info on using this UBB)

[Guest]

What if somebody took the TED source, and fixed it for BM?

[Joe Siegler]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>What if somebody took the TED source, and fixed it for BM?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Since Bio Menace is at heart the Keen4 code, there's considerations there, too. You can futz with it, but I'm fairly sure you can't do complete levels and whatnot.

However, it's been about two years since I messed with that.

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Joe Siegler
3D Realms Entertainment
http://www.3drealms.com
http://3drealms.3dportal.com/ubb/faq.html (For info on using this UBB)

[JR Ewing]

It worked. Graphics and everything. So if you want to you can go get Ted5 and see if you can actually make a level. Bye now

[JR Ewing]

Look two messages below me to view what I want to say now.

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JR Ewing
"WHO SHOT JR"
Visit JR at www.jrewing.com (http://www.jrewing.com)

[This message has been edited by JR Ewing (edited 06-02-99).]

[JR Ewing]

I just found out that Ted5 no longer works with the Keen games. Ted5 needed a critical file called gfxinfoe. Bio Menace had the file so it can be edited. But CK didn't. Unless there is some way to fix this, I don't think there will be any levels for Keen.

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JR Ewing
"WHO SHOT JR"
Visit JR at www.jrewing.com (http://www.jrewing.com)

[Guest]

Try E-Mailing iD. Maybe they'll give it to you? Give it a title like : "I HATE QUAKE III ARENA". Then inside the message put in HUGE letters : "I need the raw data files for commander keens 4-6!!!"

[JR Ewing]

IF you think they would actually reply, then I guess why not give it a whirl. But first I need to know how to insert a few things into my bio menace level.

Joe you might not know this question. When editing the level I can't insert backgrounds or actors. I can insert platforms (stuff you stand on or touch). I need to know how to insert these things. Could you help me?

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JR Ewing
"WHO SHOT JR"
Visit JR at www.jrewing.com (http://www.jrewing.com)

[Joe Siegler]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Joe you might not know this question. When editing the level I can't insert backgrounds or actors. I can insert platforms (stuff you stand on or touch). I need to know how to insert these things. Could you help me?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No - we don't offer help with editing. Besides, I don't remember.

As for the other comment about Keen4 and that one file.. The editor might run with that, but the game wouldn't recognize the changed levels (and/or work right with them).

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Joe Siegler
3D Realms Entertainment
http://www.3drealms.com
http://3drealms.3dportal.com/ubb/faq.html (For info on using this UBB)

[JR Ewing]

Is there any faqs that explain the whole program. I looked at Ted5help.exe and didn't help me on this problem. I have started a new level for Bio Menace though. I just don't have a background or any actors or items.

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JR Ewing
"WHO SHOT JR"
Visit JR at www.jrewing.com (http://www.jrewing.com)

[This message has been edited by JR Ewing (edited 06-02-99).]

[Joe Siegler]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Is there any faqs that explain the whole program.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

No. Ted5help.exe is the only help ever written for it.

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Joe Siegler
3D Realms Entertainment
http://www.3drealms.com
http://3drealms.3dportal.com/ubb/faq.html (For info on using this UBB)

[JR Ewing]

Well I read the help file over very carefully again and found out how to add backgrounds and sprites. 1, 2, and 3, buttons on the number line on the keyboard control which planes will be enabled. So Ted5 is fully effective for Bio Menace. I even tested my level too. IT WORKED!!! http://3drealms.3dportal.com/ubb/images/icons/smile.gif
Now there's only one prob. I don't know how to link things. Such as making a switch turn off a force field. Or telling the door to take you somewhere.

[This message has been edited by JR Ewing (edited 06-02-99).]

[Guest]

I make games with The Games Factory.
But now I have Multimedia Fussion, which
has Digital sound, MMX support, IPX and
online play.... I'm hoping to make games
with that and sell them.

[Guest]

I think unless the full complete source code for these games are released, along with a very experienced programmer, that there will never be any working editors..

[JR Ewing]

Have you tried using Ted5 with Bio Menace? It works pretty good. With the exception of linking. But I don't think that it's the source code that I need to link. I don't know how to link stuff when using Ted5 for Rott either. Do you? Oh Geoff I haven't seen you post anything in a long time. I hope you have forgiven me for the little inccident about a month ago.

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JR Ewing
"WHO SHOT JR"
Visit JR at www.jrewing.com (http://www.jrewing.com)

[Guest]

Damn, this thread is interesting!

[JR Ewing]

Well I have gone on but do you know how to link in TED5. I never found out.

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>NEVER EAT FISHBONES, THEY CAN CAUSE LOTS OF PROBLEMS!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ryan Stroup
Classic Gaming Administrator

Emails: ryans32@hotmail.com johnnys1@prodigy.net classicgaming@hotmail.com

[Crosma]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Simon Broadhead:
(6) Screen capture every single tile in the whole game (YOUCH!).
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Why would you need to do this? Surely the editor would read the graphics from the Bio Menace graphics file?

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Crosma Software: http://www.crosma.co.uk
Email: gmissile@crosma.co.uk
ICQ: 40937169
HyperRoms Emulation (http://members.xoom.com/hyperroms)

[JR Ewing]

TED5 does read every graphic in the game. I have actually built a level in Bio Menace. But the only problem is I don't know how to use the link function. If someone would tell me I could make a really good level. http://www.3drealms.com/ubb/images/icons/mad.gif

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<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>NEVER EAT FISHBONES, THEY CAN CAUSE LOTS OF PROBLEMS!<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ryan Stroup
Classic Gaming Administrator

Emails: ryans32@hotmail.com johnnys1@prodigy.net classicgaming@hotmail.com

[This message has been edited by JR Ewing (edited 06-16-2000).]

[Guest]

Even if you DID make a level, how would you be able to use them in the game?

[moron]

you would just replace one of the original levels

[JR Ewing]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Even if you DID make a level, how would you be able to use them in the game?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I have actually tested my level. And it did work. It just overwrite's the original level. So as long as you know all the functions for TED5 then you can build a level that has doors and exits. I don't know the link function so I didn't do anything fancy in the level i made. it didn't even have an exit. And Joe mentioned something about TED5 being modified. I don't know what TED5 looked and acted like when you made Bio Menace but it works very well for me so, just thought you'd like to know.

And one more thing, whether I'm using TED5 to build a level for ROTT or Bio Menace I don't know how to create a link. That's why I use ROTTEd for ROTT.

[Guest]

If my memory serves me right, from the question about "General" Darian, those "links" were in the source code, so you'll just have to make your levels without them, or to make some thing in replacement

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"It wasn't supposed to turn out like this.." (Sebastian "Doyle" Krist)
ROTT2: Return Of The Triad

Our wines leave you nothing to hope for
(misunderstandabilationist)

[Joe Siegler]

In Bio Menace / Keens 4-6 - you had to recompile the game at the source code level to make newly created levels work.

That's why there have never been any user levels. You'd have to then recompile the game each time you made a change to the level(s).

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Joe Siegler - Webmaster, 3D Realms
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