The loading is much faster on PC. You really don't have to sit down and shaddup for long.

Exactly this - what I'm saying is that technically it sucks because all they did was re-implement the PSYQ functions to work with DirectX. Its literally a PS1 emulator - and a buggy one at that. For example each sprite should be its own DirectX sprite, but its just one huge image that gets locked and has its pixels manipulated directly. This is VERY bad for performance - these days not an issue, back then it was an issue. Also since its a PS1 emulator they have to allocate a huge image for the PS1 framebuffer, a waste of memory - again not a problem now but would have been back then.

Yup - you can tell from Abes red eyes, they match the sprites JAW used, so while most of these screens where doctored up to look nice, this is actually what the PC version should have looked like.

These days people expect the PC version to have higher res textures, more tessellation, lighting, higher polygon models than the Console versions, else it gets the "OMGZ THIS IS A BAD PORT" screams. But now engines are optimized per platform, AO and AE just had the PS1 lib layer hacked up to make it work on PC, not really a "port" as such at all.

If you think the secret area sound is the same on PC and PS1 you must have much worse hearing than me ;) maybe I'll create a youtube video that shows the diffs. The PC version of the game does not implement reverb and other PS1 SPU hardware sound effects, this is why it doesn't sound as good. Additionally there are other strange bugs in the emulation where a channel sometimes plays a sound indefinitely - this can be worked around by pause/unpausing the game and the sound stops.

In the modding thread someone used some 3rd party lib to play an AO sound track that did support all sound effects correctly, needless to say it sounded a lot better.

I actually wonder, the source code might be lost but if all the old art assets are around could someone rebuild the game from scratch with those high-res assets? That would be nice to see.



Yeah, these days – when almost all platforms are based on the same architecture and are usually developed on middleware and multiplatform engines. AO and AE were ported back in the PC gaming dinosaur era, and from games originally built for a platform which doesn’t share much architecture with PCs.

There’s just no reason to call it a bad port when it’s completely functional and has no major bugs or issues despite being 18 years old.

Well in my opinion I feel it is a "bad" port, someone could reconstruct the game. Actually I created a github project for this today:

https://github.com/paulsapps/alive

Since it looks like previous "alive" projects are "dead" :D It will probably be quite a while before this even displays a sprite though. Also no assurance it will ever be finished.

I did this a while back but lost the code and it was hacked together: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdhI-rFtXGE

A constructed version of the game would only really be worthwhile if someone could get their hands on those high-res art assets though.

That said, as much as it’s a pipe dream it’s one of those nerdy things that I dream about seeing – literally the same original games but with better versions of the original art assets, plus opportunity to make it easy for new custom levels.

People have been able to make custom levels for years, it's just that the engine is clunky and doesn't actually support that kind of thing.

Remaking the game to run better on modern operating systems (did someone say windowed mode?) and support custom content without having nasty hook .dlls would be great with or without better assets.

Also we could just ask OWI if we could have the hq sprites. If JAW used them they must still be around to some extent.

Where did they use them though? I saw the discussion about the Merry Oddmas thing they apparently did, but I can't for the life of me find the actual thing anywhere.

Open source Oddworld 2D platformer? Like open source version of 1995 C&C Red Alert, Open RA, which has 100% support for modern PCs? :) Would be great!

Just open a new project on Github and let's make one!

luke3212 manged to extract the HD sprites but the download link is down...

Thankfully I've still got them: http://www.mediafire.com/download/kv...Sprites_HD.zip

Wow. That's very fluid animation. Hi-res too.

So those are the sprites used in the Xmas message. They certainly look higher detail than the sprites in the old games, so JAW must have at least some of old art assets in order to be able to make that.

The question is, do they have the rest, like all the background environments and other characters?

I believe they do. Lorne's made a point that they archived all their assets in high quality to save money on future titles. It saved them a few million on New n Tasty since they used them as a reference.

Well that’s for the 3D models if I remember rightly, but whether the matte paintings or the other original sprites are still around remains to be seen.

e: Man, I’d love to see a bunch of fans get together and rebuild those games from scratch with the old art assets. Pipe dream, but it’d be cool.

Why? What would be the point? Itd just be the same. I dont see where you're coming from.

Same gameplay, scrubbed up art and sound assets, made with modern game engine features like running in a window, being Mac and Linux friendly, running at other resolutions, having full controller support, and being more easily modded to make new levels.

Same games, but better. Like a classic HD remake.

Isnt New n Tasty just that idea but with money behind it?

No, New n Tasty is a grounds-up remake which was all about adapting and modernising the original concept for a new generation. Different engine, different style, different art assets.

It’s the difference between taking an old movie and scrubbing up the footage to put on a Blu Ray, and taking the original script and shooting a new movie as an adaptation.

So you want a middle ground. Dont like New n Tasty (wasnt what u wanted as a remake) but dont want to play the original for the umpteenth time?

No, I like New n Tasty and it’s a great remake. I also like the original AO/AE and want to replay them, but I want them scrubbed up to be the best they can be. These are old games and while they’re still very playable, the low resolution and old engine can get in the way of that.

I understand what ur saying, but I dont understand why. New n Tasty fills that role already. theres no point to remaking the original again.



Right?

It’s for people who want to play the originals cleaned up for modern machines.

Ok.

There's a unique charm and style to the original games which NnT or any other remake cannot recreate.

Just play the original then.

I don't get what your points are.

They want the original game without the pixelation of all its art assets.

The point is that it would/will be multiplatform and be very easy to mod, i.e designed with modding in mind. Also this would mean new features such as actually having working AI when a scrab meets a paramite. Or anything else people want to add.

Lets say when a timer reaches zero you want it to trigger something, right now your options are Cave in/gas (AE) or gas (AO).

I mean hell all you’d really even need to make it moddable is to have the source code around and keep it documented. The reason the originals are so difficult to mod is you’re basically hacking up compiled code via trial-and-error.

I just remembered a similar project, by the way: a Sonic fan made his own engine and ended up being hired by Sega to do total remakes of the original games for iOS. I’ve played them, and they’re 1:1 true to the originals but in an entirely new engine instead of Sega’s usual “stick it in a Genesis emulator” shtick. It let them build in unlock able new characters, edit the levels to add secret areas for Tails and Knuckles to reach, run the game in widescreen, and just generally be a better version of the games.

For some reason I just couldnt wrap my head around the concept. I was literally lost for words on how to comprehend wanting a slightly HD remake over New n tasty.Thats how I was seeing it anyway.

Have you read anything on this page? About wanting a 1:1 recreation that has better support on modern systems? And mod support? And more versatile level editing? How about multiplatform?

No???

I dunno. I guess I have the same opinion as Nep, I.E. Go play the original, but I didnt want to sound mean, and I coudlnt figure out a way not to sound mean.

I dont know what im talking about, so ima just stop.

"Go play the original" doesn't account for a single point in my post. Let me break it down for you - what we're discussing would theoretically have:

• Better support for modern systems (widescreen and windowed modes)
• Possible to port to a new OS if the original game is broken by Windows 10, or any newer OS
• Mods
• Easier and more versatile level editing
• Multiplatform support

None of those things are addressed in saying "go play the original".

I wasnt trying to?

New & Tasty made hundreds, possibly thousands of stylistic choices which differed from the original game in a striking way.

Some of which I felt fall under the category of "If it ain't broke, why did they fix it?" But I don't need to be told why - times have changed, a whole new generation of creatives were working on this game and I'm sure Lorne's tastes have changed in the last 20 years as well.

Whereas I enjoy New & Tasty, I don't believe it recreated Abe's Oddysee. It was a new game of it's own and it just told the same story. It was lighter in tone, more cartoony, much more colourful and full of life and whereas it took on a whole new atmosphere of it's own in places - it wasn't the atmosphere I fell in love with in Oddysee.

And that's cool, I totally respect their right to do that as the creators of a Ground-Up Remake. They did what was best for todays market and for the audience they were targeting, and added their own spark and creative flare along the way.

But this is why I would be interested in seeing the original but with the HD Sprites. It's not about "Just play the original" - I can't play the original without it bleaching out of my HD Television. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but I' understand there's not enough of us to warrant JAW putting any money into it :p

Yeah, I understand now.

I think that yeah, whilst it would be cool it would also be a pointless endeavour on the part of JAW. Perhaps they wi put what they've learnt into AE HD if that's the path they take, and we'll see something that keeps the good from the old AE and takes on the new things we appreciate in NnT. Just remastering AO at this point makes no business sense.

Well yeah, while it would be nice for JAW to do it I’m not asking or expecting them to. They have their priorities and investing that time and effort wouldn’t really make sense for them.

That’s why I suggested it as an interesting idea for a fan project.

Nobody is asking JAW to remaster AO, but it'd be cool if we had the original uncompressed backgrounds and sprites, seeing as Paul is actually working on an open-source ALIVE engine right now.

Very improbably but hey, who knows, like Manco said, some dude did the same thing for Sonic and the port eventually became official when they hired him.

EDIT: Oh look, Manco said the exact same thing only 30 seconds earlier.

As long as the fan project isn't made by an OWF member. Seriously how many fan games never saw fruition here?

As many as should.