DieHard Wolfers

[Dugtrio17]

As some of you know, I've been working on an array-based rewrite of a project of mine from a while ago called "Wolf17". Wolf17 allows the user to create modifications to a file called GAME.WL6 to enable and disable features that are normally hard-coded, thus making it easier and more flexible for people who aren't so adept at coding to make source mods to their TC to better suit their purposes. If no GAME.WL6 file exists, then one is generated that is to match EXACTLY how the original Wolf3D worked. That is the main principle of Wolf17: it MUST be able to work exactly like the original Wolf3D from the GAME.WL6 file generated if none exists (though that can be changed by modifying said file). Exactly can have something of a loose meaning, but I think I can define what I mean here: Removing any cheats (debug or otherwise) is unacceptable, but creating an "Extras" part of the Options menu to enable extra features such as turning off hitwall and press spacebar noises is acceptable (and I plan to add something like that in the future).
However, as I develop, I begin to see that so many configurations are possible that I can't test them all myself! That and the fact that Wolf17 is an open source project will cause me to release the smaller stepping stones in development on the way, and of course released betas can be used in projects (just make sure to include Wolf17 in any TCs that use it, since updated versions won't work with older ones).
Now about that open source part... yes, it's open source. This is so other people can perhaps submit ideas, study the work for their own mods, find bugs, find some way in which Wolf17 doesn't work like the original Wolfenstein3D, or even make a modified version of Wolf17 to distribute. Occasionally, there will be another "official" compilation, and that compilation may include bug fixes, submitted mods, and of course added material. Cleanups of the source are also nice to point out, since the source should prolly remain nice and efficient
I would like people of all levels of experience to work with Wolf17; from the ABSOLUTE beginner to the hardcore professional. I want to make sure that Wolf17 is easy to use (though with my current crappy editor, it's not as easy as it could be) so be sure to point out anything I could do to make it easier to use. Comments such as "this is kool i liek it" won't help me much (though I'm not going to turn down well thought out praise; remember, I'm a jackass ) but a nice bug report would help me immensely. If you really can't figure out what's wrong with something, then send me or give me a link to your GAME.WL6 file and I'll decompile it and give it a look. PLEASE NOTE: DO NOT USE WOLF17 WITH GAME.WL6 FILES GENERATED BY AN OLDER VERSION! MAJOR EFFUPS MAY OCCUR! Thought I'd point that out, since I knew it'd happen and it'll prolly still happen now.
One last thing is that the EXE is still uncompressed, meaning you can hex edit it. I left it this way on purpose; I ENCOURAGE you to hex edit anything you know how to. It's no problem; I'm trying to help people make mods, why restrict them in any way?
Alright! Enough banter! Let's rumble! This is the latest Wolf17 version, version 050128 (an odd version numbering system, but since the project is ongoing, I don't want to use the traditional 0.1, 0.5, 1.2 etc. format of version number... so you know, that's the year, month, and day of compilation). This is the source to Wolf17, including only the modified files. And of course this is the old Wolf17 version that I released before, in case anybody needs it.
Get to testing, I want to hear bugs, inefficiencies, and improvements!

-Dugtrio17
Well damnation... I never thought I'd be making a Beta Breakers topic...

EDIT: Not even a day and already a critical bug discovered by Sockman! I started to implement corrected ammo drawing, but forgot to change one number. Oh well... Zips updated. Of course, this won't affect your GAME.WL6 files, so don't worry.

EDIT2: More bugs getting caught, which is what I want. Mostly just bugs with ammo types, nothing major, and your GAME.WL6 files still aren't affected, though the old ones would have starting ammo1 as 99! I never noticed it cause I'd LIM immediately to test the weapons. Zips updated. I guess now it'd be version 050129.

[Dugtrio17]

Okay, I've been getting IMed a few more bugs, and I heard complaints of weird stuff happening with explosions. Turns out, you can't die! If you try to, the game crashes. I fixed it, though... I made a few things unsigned on a sleepy night, apparently... and, yes, your GAME.WL6 files are still compatible Good thing these bugs are getting caught... Some I can't believe slipped through my fingers...

[Blade Nightflame]

Too much text.. So what yer saying, basicly, it's something near a Source Code editor or something?

[Dugtrio17]

Well, I'll see how well I can condense it.
Rather than compiling the source code to edit something, you can use this EXE and an editor for it (currently only 17edit) to make changes to the game normally only able to be made by compiling the source. Currently, the focus is on weapons, and once that's pretty complete, I plan to move on to enemies. Right now you can enable up to 10 different weapons and 10 different ammo types, and you can modify damage, accuracy, and range of weapons, and you can make them shoot projectiles. That's far from a complete list of the stuff you can do, it's all listed in the help file.

[Blade Nightflame]

Yeah, just one question. Why the hell ain't 17edit a Win32 program, and why is it a DOS program?

[Dugtrio17]

Heh, that'd be its major limiting factor... See, I'm not actually the best programmer in the world, and I have no idea how to work with GUIs. Sorry... That would be something I'd like to see, some sort of GUI, maybe even with handy little slider bars... But it may not be feasable with an evolving project like Wolf17.

EDIT YET AGAIN: Another bug caught, this time it's a real "doh!" one... Fake Hitler and missile firing enemies were making goofy noises, so zips updated again. Apologies for the frequent zip updates, but this is for bug finding. Again, your GAME.WL6 files won't be affected.

[Guest]

I took a quick look at it, and I find it to be pretty nice and clean. It'll be good for anyone who wants to get a start on coding. Personally, I find Borland much better simply because I got a good understanding of C++ through it. I'm not the best coder, and I've had to rely solely on tutorials, but I think this program will be good to sway people to code-editing in their mods.

[Dugtrio17]

Well, that was the point, since often if someone wants to work with code mods, they'll call up a coder. With this, you've got direct control of the code, albeit through an awkward DOS-based editor
One thing that will be cleaned up in the next complete compilation (not bugfix, like the recent updates) is the fact that I've got got1, got2, got3, ... got10 variables, when I should be just writing up an array whether or not the player has the weapon. That'd especially clean up the CheckWeaponChange function.
The other main reason for the rewrite was incorporating seamless levels is much easier from a fresh source package and, as you can tell, it's in there, and I was pretty surprised that it worked out nice and clean... or I hope. Bugs, anyone?

[ZuljinRaynor]

Blade Nightflame wrote:

Yeah, just one question. Why the hell ain't 17edit a Win32 program, and why is it a DOS program?

Whoa, some nevere you got to talk about my friend's program like that. Lets see, it was easier to make a DOS one and what if you wanna use it in DOS?

[Blade Nightflame]

There were some people born in the Win32/XP era. That's why some people like me aren't Dos geeks. :p

[Dugtrio17]

I heard a complaint about piercing not working, well, at all, so I looked into it, and in the code everything seemed to be in the right place... I retested, though, and it seems it didn't work! I placed the pierceloop label a little higher, though, and now it DEFINITELY works! Zips updated, and your GAME.WL6 files still aren't affected.

[Zombie_Plan]

This is kool. By the Way, THERE IS NO SUCH THINGS AS DOS GEEKS (same with fairies and Eskimos). How else would we have had Wolf3d? If youre not a Dos Geek, how come you like that then huh? And Dos is the simplest programming possible. All Dugtrio17 did (as I believe) is make Wolf17 as a SIDE project that took TWO DAYS, it is therefore not going to be that complicated.

By the by, fantastic job 'Trio.

[Dugtrio17]

Well actually, this version took a week to make, but it still wasn't all that long.
A few things I'd also like to throw out there for anyone who is interested in doing them:
- A GUI-based version of 17edit that can be easily modified with new versions
- Some help with implementing strings that can be stored to files (you can see I commented out what I started)
- More bugs, more bugs! I can't start development on the next part of Wolf17 until I've caught EVERY bug from this part.
- Suggestions (feasable ones) for weapon options. I want to complete everything that can possibly be done with weapons before moving on to enemies.

[ZuljinRaynor]

Internal Help!

I also suggest you run a clrscr(); or whatever whenever you pick a new option. It gets to messy for me. Also prehaps you can make then a HEADER so you get the 17edit thing on every screen and maybe like it shows your current category:

17edit\Weapons\Ammo Types>

Sorta like the DOS UI

[Hair Machine]

This is cool... very cool. Even for someone who isn't completely useless at programming! Somehow it seems a lot easier to use this program than fiddling around with compiling, finding errors, recompiling... good for testing out ideas and stuff! Thanks, small 3-headed brown pokemon who digs holes all day to the power of 17!

[Dugtrio17]

Nice Pokémon reference there, Hair Machine The project won't reach its full potential until everything possibly editable has been in a phase of editing at least once, at which point I hope to have a nice, flexible, and quickly (and easily) modifiable engine for newbies and veterans alike; I'm having fun with playing through Wolfenstein with a missile launching pistol, flamethrowing chaingun, and piercing, silent, and powerful machinegun. If you really want insanity, do this to weapon 3: give it a weapon kick of 200, damage of something like 10 percent (or maybe a mix of low accuracy and damage), and make it use ammo type 0, giving it infinite ammo. iNsAnItY

[ZuljinRaynor]

Danny's been working on a new version but I don't think he's really told anyone about it. I hope this catches his attention and he'll spill the beans to some other people.

[Zombie_Plan]

I hope so, i do love this project, and its good to see its still being worked on.

[Dugtrio17]

Well I didn't announce it because I can't see it coming out for a while. There's A LOT that needs to be added/tweaked this time around, but hopefully everyone'll be pleased with enemy control.

[Tricob]

Dugtrio17, I finally downloaded the thing and hope to try it out soon. Sorry for taking so long to test this thing out, but after restoring everything I lost from a harddisk wipeout, it took forever to back up everything. Too bad you can't write-protect Memory Sticks. *Gotta* get that driver for my CR R/W drive.