Can I view the code od movement in O:AO and O:AE

[Mizard]

Hello everybody !

I think this is the right place to ask. Not so far time ago I used Artmoney(game cheater, that can freeze different values in a game) to complete walkthrough of Abe's Odyssey and Abe's Exodus with more rock pieces, bombs, meat, etc.

And I realized, that I got different walkthrough, that which game testers thought I will. And now I want to do third walkthrough, but to do it I need to know algorithms of movement of sligs, slogs, paramites, scrabs ant other creatures.

So I ask developers of Oddworld Inhabitans to publish parts of source code of first two games on PSone, which respond of creatures AI. I know that company rules may be very strict about publishing such information or source code was lost for 10 years, but I think publication of those parts of code is harmless for business. Or if code cannot be published any way, at least describe the algorithms in pseudo-code.

Developers, please, show us what is on the slig's mind, when he shouts "Freeze!"

I think, that not only me is interested i alternative walkthrough, knowing more info about the game.

[Varrok]

I'm almost sure that AO/AE source code got lost in those years : (

Developers, please, show us what is on the slig's mind, when he shouts "Freeze!"

I know! He wants to shoot you just after saying that Not much of the tactics, I'm afraid...

[Paul]

Hello everybody !

I think this is the right place to ask. Not so far time ago I used Artmoney(game cheater, that can freeze different values in a game) to complete walkthrough of Abe's Odyssey and Abe's Exodus with more rock pieces, bombs, meat, etc.

And I realized, that I got different walkthrough, that which game testers thought I will. And now I want to do third walkthrough, but to do it I need to know algorithms of movement of sligs, slogs, paramites, scrabs ant other creatures.

So I ask developers of Oddworld Inhabitans to publish parts of source code of first two games on PSone, which respond of creatures AI. I know that company rules may be very strict about publishing such information or source code was lost for 10 years, but I think publication of those parts of code is harmless for business. Or if code cannot be published any way, at least describe the algorithms in pseudo-code.

Developers, please, show us what is on the slig's mind, when he shouts "Freeze!"

I think, that not only me is interested i alternative walkthrough, knowing more info about the game.

Check out LVL files thread, grab the editor and look at the sligs properties. Thats all you need to know to make a guide like that. It has time to wait before shooting, if it should shoot etc etc

Edit: Btw if you DID somehow get the one source file for slig AI I doubt you could figure out what its doing without lots of other bits of source, which also won't help unless you are fluent with C/C++ and possibly MIPS asm.

[Mizard]

I'm almost sure that AO/AE source code got lost in those years : (

I know! He wants to shoot you just after saying that Not much of the tactics, I'm afraid...

Are you think so as developer, or you looking on game's big age ? I want to know exact answer for code existance if possible.

[Paul]

Are you think so as developer, or you looking on game's big age ? I want to know exact answer for code existance if possible.

Did you even read my response? The answers are in the PATH files which have been 99% reverse engineered already!

[Mizard]

Did you even read my response? The answers are in the PATH files which have been 99% reverse engineered already!

I am currnetly studying your editor, and so forget about my thread
You have done great work ! No... HUGE ! I even don't want to think how many hours you spent on understanding which portion of bytes belongs to some object.

As I understood from xml files, going with editor, sligs have flag on which they shoot at you when you just enter the screen - I thought, that on some screens I choose the unlucky time to enter

I respect your work and will use a lot of it for examining screens for hidden objects and so.
But I don't want to create levels - I want to beat this two games knowing all their bugs. And more - theese games are part of my childhood, when I thought, that men, which create such things, are at least gods So looking into the code for me - it's looking into their minds. Oh, forget

Some questions to you(I am too lazy to read about 55 pages of LVL thread):

Which tools you use for examining game - only hex editor or you use debugger and other tools ?
Do you have tutorial for debugging PSone games ?

[Paul]

I am currnetly studying your editor, and so forget about my thread
You have done great work ! No... HUGE ! I even don't want to think how many hours you spent on understanding which portion of bytes belongs to some object.

As I understood from xml files, going with editor, sligs have flag on which they shoot at you when you just enter the screen - I thought, that on some screens I choose the unlucky time to enter

I respect your work and will use a lot of it for examining screens for hidden objects and so.
But I don't want to create levels - I want to beat this two games knowing all their bugs. And more - theese games are part of my childhood, when I thought, that men, which create such things, are at least gods So looking into the code for me - it's looking into their minds. Oh, forget

Some questions to you(I am too lazy to read about 55 pages of LVL thread):

Which tools you use for examining game - only hex editor or you use debugger and other tools ?
Do you have tutorial for debugging PSone games ?

I used IDA and OllyDbg, you wont find bugs in the game by looking at the source though, you said you want to make a guide knowing the Slig AI params etc. Looking at the retail levels in the editor gives you all of that information (at least in AO at the moment).

If you want to abuse bugs then its not really a guide either? There are plenty of bug videos on you tube such as allowing hoisting anywhere etc.

[Mizard]

I used IDA and OllyDbg, you wont find bugs in the game by looking at the source though, you said you want to make a guide knowing the Slig AI params etc. Looking at the retail levels in the editor gives you all of that information (at least in AO at the moment).

If you want to abuse bugs then its not really a guide either? There are plenty of bug videos on you tube such as allowing hoisting anywhere etc.

I forgot that PC version also exists This tools making reverse engineering much more easy. I use your editor for examining psx version of lvl files, seems that difference is tiny.

And I think, that AI is pretyy simple for sligs - their only see you where you on one level with you, and pursuit you only by using X coordinate. The most complex AI have slogs, flying sligs and paramites - creatures, that can move in 2 dimenisons. Futher more , this logic is 100 % written in C, because is all AI is just coordinate checking and changing x and y values, no asm. I think I can realize what they doing by seeing code.


And about sligs in editor - I see there is things like start position, initial slig state, and some blue arrows(which subscribed as collision vectors) - is it a vectors of movement for standart route of slig ?

Please sshow me link for "hoist everywhere" glitch. This doing be freezing flag, which show is on current position hoist object or not ?

Maybe you know why game crashes if I try to use grenades in zones where there is no bomb machine ?

[Paul]

You can use grenades anywhere, you can only see asm code since the developers are not going to give away their source code. From the asm its clear that its using lots of c++ mixed with c so a lot of your assumptions are incorrect.

The AI for everything is extremely basic, contrary to what the ALIVE engine is "supposed" to be :P

The collision items can be used as paths for flying sligs to follow, walking sligs never use this, only flying sligs / bombs / bats etc.