Patches for "Lost in the Shadows" [Patch Request]

Request patches for Keens 1-3.
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Shadow Master
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Patches for "Lost in the Shadows" [Patch Request]

Post by Shadow Master »

I need a patch for Keen 1-3 door behaviour. The doors go *down* when opened. I need them going *up*, so I can improve the appearance of the doors for the keycards. I haven't found any patch for it yet, so I post this request.

For now it's essential to have a patch for Keen1. The others can wait :)

I think the default behavior of doors involve an incremental tile repainting, since while the door goes *down* in Keen1, it is slowly replaced by the default background tile. So I think it should be possible to patch it for going up.
Last edited by Shadow Master on Sun Dec 24, 2006 12:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
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CommanderSpleen
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Post by CommanderSpleen »

I'd say it'd be a relatively simple patch, but unfortunately our patch experts are absent. I wouldn't know where to begin with this patch.

I think it's time we started really using the patches we have. It sounds like you can get away without this patch fairly easily. We already have far more freedom with the Keen engines now than we ever dreamed of three years ago.

Actually, all this freedom may have had an adverse effect on mod progress. We have so many options now, the tendency is toward including as many technology tweaks as we can rather than making a unique game experience.

Besides, a large element of this artform is working within limitations. Don't pin your hopes on this patch. If someone comes along and makes it happen, great. Otherwise, you'll have to be creative in some other way.
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Shadow Master
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Post by Shadow Master »

Don't worry, my mod is still work in progress. I'll continue working on levels and graphics, and that will probably take two or three months more.

I meant it's more important to have the patch for Keen1 first, than patches for Keen2-3, but my mod(s) can survive without it anyway.
Commander Spleen wrote:We have so many options now, the tendency is toward including as many technology tweaks as we can rather than making a unique game experience.
I noticed that in some of the latest mods. But this mod should make a unique game experience, both in gameplay, storyline and graphics, and not necessarily engine patching.

I've already added many nice patches (that I found here) to the mod patch file, anyway.[/quote]
levellass
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Post by levellass »

As far as I was told, Keen 1 calls the door tiles from the tileset, (Pick this tile and the one that comes later.) then makes these into an image that is slowly lowered and removed. (That is, when the door is op-ened, it switches to a background tile immediately, but the game displays a 'sinking' door; when memory is stretched, the game will occasionaly not show the sinking image and doors instantly dissapear.)

Don't quote me on that though. I'll have a 'look' but I wouldn't hold your breath if I were you. ('LL' is a week away by mail.)
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XkyRauh
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Post by XkyRauh »

Depending on how the code is laid out, it could be as simple as changing a "+1" statement to "-1," to reverse the direction. :) Good luck, levelass.
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Post by Stealthy71088 »

Commander Spleen wrote:We have so many options now, the tendency is toward including as many technology tweaks as we can rather than making a unique game experience.
I try to take the technology we have, and bend it, use it in some way no one has thought of to make something original. I also think a number of the mods that have come out have had their own unique, special flavor that set them apart from the other mods. Could you define a bit clearer what you mean?
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Post by levellass »

Okay; this is what I've managed to get out of the door opening code:

Play sound
Set up door opening data
Location $03; pick tile 3 down from door top in level and display this tile over the level
Location $40 $40 [2] Take tile two down from door top from level and display this over the level
Location 0 Take tile at door top and next tile in tileset and display these over the level, lower them
Location 0 Replace door top with specified tile
Location $40 (1) Replace tile 1 down from door top with specified tile.
Clear tiles

As yet I haven't found the 'down' bit of code; it's in the door data I think. There seems to be a very close simalarity between 'display tile' and 'replace tile' stuff; and no difference between the 'go down' and 'display tile' strings.

I have managed to make about a dozen patches, but no door upwards as of yet!
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MultiMania
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Post by MultiMania »

Good News:

The patch:

Code: Select all

%patch 0x2753 $F9 $FF
makes it move up.

It doesn't stop however.

This patch is a tricky one, and I only have access to a really old version of my notes. :/
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Shadow Master
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Post by Shadow Master »

MultiMania wrote:Good News:

The patch:

Code: Select all

%patch 0x2753 $F9 $FF
makes it move up.

It doesn't stop however.

This patch is a tricky one, and I only have access to a really old version of my notes. :/
Perhaps a combination of this patch and the other door behavior patches can stop the door from infinitely moving upwards.
levellass
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Post by levellass »

It will move upwards until it finds the 'stop value' By default this is (If I remember right.) $03 $00 or three tiles below the door top. It will have to be changed to $FE $FF (2 above the door top) and you'll be able to see the door rise into the ceiling.

I'll take a look when I can get *my* notes.
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Shadow Master
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Post by Shadow Master »

Now I'm needing a patch for making bridges vertical rather than horizontal in Keen1. The idea is to replace vertical energy fields with harmless tiles using a switch.
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XkyRauh
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Post by XkyRauh »

Hum. There's no way you could design your levels to take advantage of the already-functioning horizontal bridges instead?
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Shadow Master
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Post by Shadow Master »

Xky wrote:Hum. There's no way you could design your levels to take advantage of the already-functioning horizontal bridges instead?
Since there are no levels made yet (except Level 1), it was just matter of applying some isometric transformations (right name?) on the light-beam tiles.

Now I'm looking for a patch that makes the Yorp harmful only when stunned (i.e. after Keen jumps on it).[/quote]
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