OpenD2k - cross platform reimplementation of Dune 2000

[Gruntlord6]

This could be considered for a possible collaboration between D2K+ and OpenD2K?

It's something I would welcome immensely, as it would allow modders to port the existing mods easily, as well as allowing the original campaign to be played..

[Matthias M.]

You could create a feature request for that at http://bugs.open-ra.org linking some documentation. We need to know how the MIS file formats is defined and what these triggers do to re-implement them in Lua. Another feature we are still missing is a legacy  http://d2kplus.com/wiki/index.php?title=Map_Files conversion which we only have for RA95 and CnC Gold.

[Gruntlord6]

You could create a feature request for that at http://bugs.open-ra.org linking some documentation. We need to know how the MIS file formats is defined and what these triggers do to re-implement them in Lua. Another feature we are still missing is a legacy  http://d2kplus.com/wiki/index.php?title=Map_Files conversion which we only have for RA95 and CnC Gold.

IIRC the map editor from D2K+ is open source so that would be a good start.

[Feda]

IIRC the map editor from D2K+ is open source so that would be a good start.

I think the entire toolkit is open source.

[Matthias M.]

Mostly, but I am not sure if the repository is still updated. I got some more recent source code parts that were not yet perfectly polished sent exclusively via e-Mail (Thanks!). In fact there is already a collaboration in place. This whole OpenD2k undertaking would not have been where it is today without mvi although he never directly sent a patch. His reverse engineering, documentation and consulting helped a lot. Added your suggestions to our tracker at

• https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/issues/4280
• https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/issues/4281

[Gruntlord6]

I think the entire toolkit is open source.

I wasn't sure if the one posted to the site had the source, or just the post here in the forum.

[Gruntlord6]

 

Mostly, but I am not sure if the repository is still updated. I got some more recent source code parts that were not yet perfectly polished sent exclusively via e-Mail (Thanks!). In fact there is already a collaboration in place. This whole OpenD2k undertaking would not have been where it is today without mvi although he never directly sent a patch. His reverse engineering, documentation and consulting helped a lot. Added your suggestions to our tracker at

• https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/issues/4280
• https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/issues/4281

 

To be honest the game wouldn't have been around for people to migrate from if everyone wasn't pitching in on the tools and documentation. Thanks for adding those to the tracker for me.

[Matthias M.]

Paul is making some cool progress on using the original shroud tiles:

 

[Nyerguds]

While working on the movement flash https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/pull/3999 we discovered palettes being placed inside the R8 and now try to parse and use those, too. The shroud (palette) is still a mystery to us though.

Not like OpenRA ever bothered trying to use the filters C&C and RA uses for shadow, selection flash, shroud edges, movement flash, iron curtain, and other such effects. And those are just simple remap tables. Hint: look for .mrf files.

[Matthias M.]

Not like OpenRA ever bothered trying to use the filters C&C and RA uses for shadow, selection flash, shroud edges, movement flash, iron curtain, and other such effects. And those are just simple remap tables. Hint: look for .mrf files.

What is the benefit of using those files? Are they already documented?

[Nyerguds]

They're simply remap tables. Index reshuffling. A remap table is a map of 256 values, to replace all possible original colour indices a pixel on a graphics file can have with a new index. To apply it, you take the game graphics (which are paletteless 8 bit, and thus contain only the colour indices for each pixel), you go over each pixel, and for each pixel's palette index value, you take the corresponding value on that remap table index. Then you apply the palette to that modified graphic.

For example, if a certain pixel on an image (in C&C1) is index 176, which is a yellow pixel, and you convert it with the red Nod house colour remap table, you'll see the value on index 176 of the remap table is 127. Thus, the original colour index 176, pointing to a yellow colour, gets replaced by the index 127, which is a red colour on the palette. This remapping is done for all pixels on the image.

The remap tables for houses only modify the 176-191 range of the palette, and the rest is just kept as index 1 = 1, index 2 = 2, etc, "remapping" all the other colours on the same thing.

The filters for shadow and other effects, however, remap the entire palette that way, which means you can have a table that remaps all 256 colours to use, for example, only the shades of red on the palette. This is the iron curtain effect in RA. For shadows, the game takes whatever graphics on the actual map that are below the area that would normally be covered by the shadow colour on the SHP, and remaps that with the shadow filter table.

The advantage is that all effects in the game can be replicated exactly as they are in the original game, without any need to figure out how to make it come close to the original effect. No extra code for per effect needed; you just use the file that's there for it.

The original remap tables in C&C1 are hardcoded, but I got them all extracted here. They only contain that modified 176-191 range, though, to save space. The rest is unmodified anyway, and should just have the same value as the index everywhere.

For RA, there's a "palette.cps" file that has the remap and radar colours for each house in a small block in its upper left corner. The first line of colours in that file actually determines the remap source.

[Matthias M.]

Updated documentation on what we know about http://d2kplus.com/wiki/index.php?title=DATA.R8#Palettes now.

[Matthias M.]

You will note that there is still a slight issue where some parts are transparent which should be bright remapping and there are black dots all over the cliff terrain.

fixedRemapper.png

 

This has been finally fixed https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRA/pull/4268 and will be shipped in the upcoming stable release.

[Nyerguds]

Edited my post to fix the link to the C&C1 house remap tables :P

[edit]

Makes me wonder if they still use the .R8 files to do the remapping logic even if you use the .R16 graphics...

[Matthias M.]

As R16 is afaik only used in single-player, they could have gone away with no remapping at all.

[Matthias M.]

The latest Dune 2000 improvements have been promoted to a new stable release:

 

Our hard working developer-elves have wrapped up a new release as an early christmas present to our fans. We have focused on two main areas in this version: improving the stability and polish of our existing mods, and laying the foundations for several big new features that will appear in future releases.

 

In the last three months we have merged 769 commits by 14 authors into our Github project.

We do all of our development in the open, so anybody can get involved!

You can find us on our IRC channel (webchat) or using your favorite social media platform:

 

     

 

Some important improvements over our last September release are:

• We now support Lua scripting in maps for creating missions and custom minigames.
• Our Red Alert mod now includes the M.A.D tank, production acceleration (multiple factories improve the production rate), and the heavily requested base-size limit from our TD mod.
• Our Tiberian Dawn mod (renamed from C&C) has overhauled support powers and weapon effects.
• Our Dune 2000 mod now uses the original artwork for shroud and spice.
• Menu UI improvements include password-protected servers and a new unified settings menu.
• A lot more bug, polish, and performance fixes. Thanks to everyone who reported problems!

The christmas stocking full changelog is stuffed with goodies, so be sure to check it out if you’re interested in seeing all the changes, or have a mod or map that you’d like to upgrade.

 

The first two allied missions have been recreated using Lua in our RA mod.

The A10 aircraft in our TD mod now strafe their target with their vulcan cannon before releasing fire-bombs.

Our D2K mod is looking better than ever, now using the proper shroud and spice artwork.

Our modding tools have received several improvements.

Shown here is a sneak-peek from our work in progress Tiberian Sun mod.

[D2k Sardaukar]

Just a small thing, but the loop on the tanks in the Dune 2000 image are "broken off". :)

[Matthias M.]

If you mean turret with loop then this is intentional to mark them as dead husks.

[D2k Sardaukar]

If you mean turret with loop then this is intentional to mark them as dead husks.

Yeah, I meant turret, sorry for that. Original game does not have that feature, but, if I'm not mistaken, OpenD2k is not meant to be an exact copy so you can ignore the previous comment.

[Matthias M.]

Those things happen when you have a lot of programmers with new ideas, but no one who does the required pixelart. :)

[Nyerguds]

No one who does the research, either. There's little sense in recreating the missions in LUA if you could just research the trigger system and make it read RA missions. Then again, there's not much sense in that either, since the OpenRA balance is nothing like that of the original game. As the A10s modification just shows once more.

Sometimes I really wish they'd just stop pretending they were trying to clone these games.

[arkon]

I downloaded the game but when i run the D2K mod the game speed is very slow. Is there any settings where i can change the speed of the game.?

[Matthias M.]

I downloaded the game but when i run the D2K mod the game speed is very slow. Is there any settings where i can change the speed of the game.?

Not yet.

[Matthias M.]

Sometimes I really wish they'd just stop pretending they were trying to clone these games.

This should be addressed now on the frontpage with https://github.com/OpenRA/OpenRAWeb/pull/70

[pchote]

Sometimes I really wish they'd just stop pretending they were trying to clone these games.

I'm not sure why you keep putting these words in our mouth. We have always been up front that OpenRA isn't a straight clone - there are plenty of other projects serving this niche with varying degrees of success. Most of your comments towards us (which come across as bitter and overtly hostile) appear to be based on this incorrect assumption.

 

Our goal since ~2010 when we decided to move away from "yet another RA clone" has been to keep the original atmosphere and the gameplay aspects that (in our opinion) make the originals fun, but revamp the mechanics and limitations that (in our opinion) make them feel dated.  An important part of this has been creating a flexible and mod-friendly engine, and this has heavily influenced our design decisions. There's little sense in recreating the restrictive RA trigger and palette remapping systems when we can instead implement significantly more powerful solutions that also let us recreate the original behavior.

 

Note that the atmosphere/gameplay comments above don't apply to our D2K mod yet.  We are still missing logic for many of the features that make D2K interesting, and this is something we intend on addressing in time.