Hi Alcar
I am actually going to use what is already there, and effectively "mod" the original game.
The parameters for AE and AO work on the following principle:
Example using slig:
Creature size:
width
hieght
Creature physics:
Max running speed
Point of gun muzzle
Max walking speed
Center
Creature Graphics:
Animation to be played when firing (plays from point of gun muzzle and ends at nearest solid object)
Animation to be played when walking
Animation to be played when turning
Animation to be played when running
Animation to be played when running and turning
With these parameters I can make the slig have the physics of a big bro, so that it walks, behaves and fires like a big bro.
So as you can imagine, I am basicly going to open up the game to see whats inside it, and see what animation sequences, graphics and parameters it refers to when it runs. Once I know what it does internally, I can start to build an extraction and replacement program that will allow me to change files within the game. I will piece by piece change the entire environment of the game, adding new graphics to fit on top of that.
It is effectively a mod, but thats only becuase I don't have the software that the Oddworld team used (nor do I have the time to make similar tools).
Another example of the physics of the game is with these dots, demonstrating the height, width and point of fire for a slig and a big bro:
. .
. .
. .
. . . .
slig big bro
the four points forming a box, symbolize the height and width, and the 5th point poking out symbolizes the muzzle of the gun. These can be configured in any way you would want them to be, you could make a giant, or you could make a shrimp, and they would all interact with their surroundings accordingly.
As for the price, well I think a free beta would have to be made available to get feedback on the game. And after that, who knows. I might just decide to put a price on it and then direct to profits to Oddworld Inhabitants. I am not particularly interested in earning money off this, I am doing it more as a fan than a businessman.
The program for extracting and changing the files inside the game exe will be made in either c++ or vb. I wan't to keep it simple, and therefore reduce bugs so I can distribute them with the game.
Reese
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