OpenXcom Forum
Modding => Released Mods => The X-Com Files => Topic started by: al_5437 on June 22, 2022, 12:22:26 am
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[Made this a separate topic - Solarius Scorch]
Hello.
I have thoroughly enjoyed playing the mod.
Has anyone thought about redoing the mod as a stand alone game? That would be an opportunity to solve all these balance and grinding problems. Like introducing jagged alliance 2 style combat auto-resolve for monster hunt missions, and xenonauts - style objectives (if you held the UFO center for five turns, you didn't have to hunt one last straggler).
I have spent the weekend implementing geoscape in a game engine, screenshots below.
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I have spent the weekend implementing geoscape in a game engine, screenshots below.
Yes, the geoscape is impressive, well done!
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Yes, it looks very nice.
As for "would this make a good standalone game?", I'm not sure... The mod was written specifically as an expansion to X-Com (and reconstruction). If I were hypothetically to make an actual new game, I'd probably do something more different. But who knows!
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Today, I spent time on purchase products view -- with filtering by checkboxes, rather than a drop down.
I am a professional IT developer, been dabbling in game dev for a couple of years, and the game I tried to make has been stalling because I can't come up with a good plot, just not enough creativity. And as I was procrastinating and playing old games, I thought -- why not fix all these irksome things...
First goal of porting the mod as standalone is quality of life UI fixes, such as aforementioned checkboxes instead of a dropdown, 3d combat view, better squad control, ai control of the squad for the boring missions.
Second -- balance fixes, such as being able to keep multiple cars (but single aircraft) in a hangar, rats and bats occupying half a spot in a vehicle, AI units not taking living quarter space at bases, partially spent weapon ammo clips not disappearing such that one could use trophy weapons.
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I do not think is even feasible to move XComFiles to different engine.
All mod data is tightly liked to OXCE engine:
All maps are in ancient XCom format.
All unit graphic is 8bit and units require very specific draw order.
All configs are very specific to OXC/OXCE
To even consider possibility like that, your engine probably will need copy 30% of OXCE to load mod data to your engine.
Another if you consider fixing any behavior in mod that really on engine then you need fist implement current behavior with all its quirks.
Other wise you will make your game more and more different than original mod.
I personally if you would make break from XCOM behaviors better would collaborate with From the Ashes, where Finnk have more liberal approach to original behaviors than OXCE or OXC. He could even probably consider dropping 320x200 res support and this will make UI all lot better with more space for e.g. buttons.
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Sounds like the answer is no? Noone is seriously entertaining the idea to move to a new engine?
I was thinking of the x-files mod, and not the whole thing that would support every mod written.
And moving to new engine means completely new graphics and combat engine, with a completely new set of quirks. The current map format seems to be in binary format -- that's unfortunate, but I am sure that with the code being open source, that can be ported as well.
Today, i have done the base facilities -- as xcom3 style drag and drop.
I personally if you would make break from XCOM behaviors better would collaborate with From the Ashes, where Finnk have more liberal approach to original behaviors than OXCE or OXC. He could even probably consider dropping 320x200 res support and this will make UI all lot better with more space for e.g. buttons.
You have thrown a number of names at me -- who are these people? More generally, who owns the IP, such as the maps, the images, the text of research projects?
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You have thrown a number of names at me -- who are these people? More generally, who owns the IP, such as the maps, the images, the text of research projects?
Finnik's mod From the Ashes (found here (https://openxcom.org/forum/index.php/board,27.0.html)) uses a custom fork of OXCE with some very interesting features. But it's still an OXC(E) fork.
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I see.
No, the 'engine' means not getting away with OXCE codebase and not coding in C++.
The above screenshots are from godot 4 (latest alpha). I had to write the math to calculate the shortest path on a sphere, and to match the click position to the pixel in the texture (to determine the surface point biome). Speaking of the texture, it is randomly generated, and the country borders will be drawn randomly as well.
The combat will be in 3d, fully destructible environment x-com 3 style. Etc, etc -- current next milestone is to implement the 'equip craft and crew before mission' process, then I will upload runnable binary - tech demo somewhere.
So question is -- how much of X-Files content can I take and reimplement? Is there a license?
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Is there a license?
You could read the readme (https://github.com/SolariusScorch/XComFiles/blob/master/README.md).
So question is -- how much of X-Files content can I take and reimplement?
But be aware that XCF (and indeed the whole OpenXcom project, to a lesser degree) are on rather shaky grounds if anyone actually wants to come after it. Witness the Youtube strikes against people who stream the mod, for an easy example.
The combat will be in 3d, fully destructible environment x-com 3 style.
Given the number of full studios that have failed to get this right, I don't have high expectations. Xenonauts 2 - at least superficially quite similar - has been in perpetual beta for years now.
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I see.
No, the 'engine' means not getting away with OXCE codebase and not coding in C++.
The above screenshots are from godot 4 (latest alpha). I had to write the math to calculate the shortest path on a sphere, and to match the click position to the pixel in the texture (to determine the surface point biome). Speaking of the texture, it is randomly generated, and the country borders will be drawn randomly as well.
The combat will be in 3d, fully destructible environment x-com 3 style. Etc, etc -- current next milestone is to implement the 'equip craft and crew before mission' process, then I will upload runnable binary - tech demo somewhere.
So question is -- how much of X-Files content can I take and reimplement? Is there a license?
Do you want effective get only lore from mod noting else? Because based on what you say it look more like independent game inspired by XCF than "port" of it.
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Yes, just the lore.
The cults, the monsters, the zombies, the history, the technology, the secret files.
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You will have IP issues with the specific space aliens, TFTD, Apocalypse bits, UAC/Doom. At least. A lot of the soundtrack. Quite a few sprites.
So you need to basically replace two core arcs, a lot of the sounds and artwork, in addition to making an all-new game engine.
Sounds like a full new game to me, minus a good chunk of the writing. We all know the track record of people (multiple people and full studios!) making X-Com clones.
Feel free to prove me wrong. A new old-school X-Com game with full terrain destruction sounds very attractive.
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Feel free to prove me wrong. A new old-school X-Com game with full terrain destruction sounds very attractive.
Can the battlescape be voxel based? I'd like the battelscape to be voxel-based. Teardown (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1167630/Teardown/) is a pretty impressive demonstration (and a fun game in it's own right, or so I've been told) what you can do with voxels on modern PCs, including destructible environments. I've always dreamed of having an actual 3D-battlescape while preserving the pixelated look, and the underlying engine is basically voxel-based already.
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I am not sure what the advantage of voxel terrain would be. Terrain -- ground -- can be procedurally generated, but who would be making the buildings, house appliances, walls, etc? Low poly 3d models can be purchased from synty studios, or made by one of many 3d artists at r/gamedevclassifieds. Surely xcom3 style destruction is good enough?
You will have IP issues with the specific space aliens, TFTD, Apocalypse bits, UAC/Doom. At least. A lot of the soundtrack. Quite a few sprites.
So you need to basically replace two core arcs, a lot of the sounds and artwork, in addition to making an all-new game engine.
1. I have had good experience with getting soundtracks from fiver.
2. For sprites, I plan to get replacement from asset store texture packs (walls) daz studio (humans) or pixel artists from r/gamedevclassifieds (aliens).
3. Please tell me more, which two core arcs, and who do I get permission from for the rest of the arcs? Solarius Scorch?
Did some coding today, looks like in order to implement the new equipment view, most of the data model has to be coded first. It is not happening today, and we will see how much work my boss throws at me tomorrow.
Below is a screenshot on how I envision the new equipment view -- select a craft, select a spot in the craft, then fill the spot with 1. operative 2. armor and equipment. Everything drag and drop. No more frantic clicking to change everyone's armor for a different mission.
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I am not sure what the advantage of voxel terrain would be.
Better terrain destruction. But since voxels are far more resource-hungry than polygons, and OpenXcom already tends to struggle with moderately large and especially multi-level maps, it's doubtful it would be a net benefit.
Especially since you'd be essentially writing your own engine (or engine extension) for it, part-time, with another game in the wings, a day job, etc. Probably would end up as some sort of X-Minecraft in the end.
Surely xcom3 style destruction is good enough?
Depends on who you ask. But since most commercial X-Com clones have never gotten even that back, I'd be on board with it.
For sprites, I plan to get replacement from asset store texture packs (walls)
Have you looked at just how many of these there are in XCF?
daz studio (humans)
3D? Ugh.
pixel artists from r/gamedevclassifieds (aliens).
You're intending to pay them? For full sprite collections, including Ufopedia? For at least a couple dozen aliens?
Please tell me more, which two core arcs...
The OG alien arc, and the sequel TFTD arc. Both use (mostly) OG assets, lore and concepts right now, and I imagine the specific designs and names (Sectoids, Mutons, Gillmen, Tasoths, etc) are still copyrighted. Even if not, or not fully, nuCom has been pretty successful and 2K has a lot more money and lawyers than you.
...and who do I get permission from for the rest of the arcs? Solarius Scorch?
He'd be where you start, yes. But some of his work is building on existing IP to a degree that won't fly in a commercial game (UAC being the most obvious example). You two would need to sit down and examine the whole thing pretty thoroughly.
...fill the spot with 1. operative 2. armor and equipment. Everything drag and drop. No more frantic clicking to change everyone's armor for a different mission.
How is drag and drop better? In OXCE, armour can be changed in bulk with right-clicking. Unless you make armour a part of the equipment template, I don't see how you can improve on that. Maybe I'm just dense.
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I am not sure what the advantage of voxel terrain would be.
Better terrain destruction.
Not only Voxel terrain. Also Voxel units and objects. Yes, better terrain destruction, but also to preserve the pixel look in a true 3D environment. Imagine the battlescape, but freely zoomable and rotatable. But as far as I can tell that's not really what OP is after.
But since voxels are far more resource-hungry than polygons, and OpenXcom already tends to struggle with moderately large and especially multi-level maps, it's doubtful it would be a net benefit.
I'd really urge you to check out Teardown (if you haven't already done so) in regards to what a modern voxel engine can do, even on "average" machines. I'd also expect that starting from a clean slate - and not recreating an old engine - would yield improvements in performance. Not that I expect OP to actually go through with this (Voxels or not).
3. Please tell me more, which two core arcs, and who do I get permission from for the rest of the arcs? Solarius Scorch?
He'd be where you start, yes. But some of his work is building on existing IP to a degree that won't fly in a commercial game (UAC being the most obvious example). You two would need to sit down and examine the whole thing pretty thoroughly.
Take into account that material "in the arcs" has also been contributed by other authors (users on the forums, github, etc). You'll probably need to contact Solarius for particulars, and you might want to check out the credits in the readme attached to XCF.
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voxels
Voxel units and objects are pretty secondary for battlefield manipulation. Maybe some particularly big Muton corpse or a wrecked tank would matter, but it'd more eye candy than functional.
A part-time developer who already has another game in the works is hardly going to produce a 'modern voxel engine', so I imagine the whole thing is rather moot.
And people play OpenXcom on cell phones, tablets, old laptops and similar stuff. An engine targeted at 'average' machines is not going to be a great boon.
Yeah, it would be nice if something like that was made, but I don't think it's realistic. I don't think even porting XCF over to a new engine is a realistic (less than) one-man project, unless you're okay with it taking years.
Edit: Okay, I took a gander at Teardown. Yeah, something like that would definitely earn the X-Minecraft moniker. :P It would also be pretty nice as an X-Com game. But, again, realistic expectations. I have more confidence in Xenonauts 2 getting a release than a fully voxel-based X-Com game being made.
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Voxel units and objects are pretty secondary for battlefield manipulation. Maybe some particularly big Muton corpse or a wrecked tank would matter, but it'd more eye candy than functional.
The eye candy being the entire point, being able to have the orginal battlescape aesthetic in full 3D. *drool*
A part-time developer who already has another game in the works is hardly going to produce a 'modern voxel engine', so I imagine the whole thing is rather moot.
But as far as I can tell that's not really what OP is after[...]Not that I expect OP to actually go through with this (Voxels or not).
Of course it is, I'm aware of that. Doesn't mean I wouldn't like to see it happen ;)
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Below is today's screenshot from the craft-team-equipment view.
On the left are the main base navigation buttons (64 pixels out of 1024).
192 pixels for the column that lists base's crafts and the button to purchase new crafts (UI copied from xenonauts).
The remaining 768x768 is the equipment view where you would have in one screen what other games divide in three or four. You would select a spot in the craft, and then assign 1. agent 2. suit of armor and 3. equipment to that spot. At any point, you would be able to save/load a predefined config.
Take into account that material "in the arcs" has also been contributed by other authors (users on the forums, github, etc). You'll probably need to contact Solarius for particulars, and you might want to check out the credits in the readme attached to XCF.
Yes, I will do that after the prototype has base management and basic game loop. There is always an option to scrap the globe, and to do the game in medieval-fantasy setting. Five feet long bows instead of sniper rifles.
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The equipment selection view is functionally complete. Lots of polishing remains to be done, such as adding a button to resize spot management within craft and actual equipment of the spot, and more validation checks.
The data model is as follows (I haven't studied how it is implemented in oxce, but pretty sure it is very similar).
A craft template has spot positions, and spot count. A spot is where the operative would appear in battlescape relative to the craft.
A craft instance has craft spot instances, which can be assigned to any spot position available.
A craft spot has an operative, a suit, primary equipment slot. All three are nullable.
Suit has a list of slots (holster, pockets, backpack).
The management allows you to assign spots to spots positions, assign agents, armor, and equipment to the spots, and it performs a number of validation checks to make sure a pet can't wear non-pet armor.
I thought about compiling and uploading the demo, but a new version of godot alpha comes out every two weeks, and I would need to redownload the export templates, so here are the screenshots.
The suits are daz renders.
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Weekend sprint is over, the craft crew equipment system is functional.
Download and try it :
https://castirongames.itch.io/x-inq
Once it is running, click on the 'bases' in the top right.
then, click on 'craft equip'. In this view, you
1. select which craft to equip
2. once a craft a selected (first one selected by default), you can select each spot within that craft to fill with operative, armor, and equipment. There is some validation to prevent rats from being equipped with human armor, but it doesn't count inventory.
3. click on the 'save' in the bot left corner. That will save a spot configuration (armor and items, but not operative), and move it to the top list.
4. Click on the 'Spots' button, you will be able to rearrange the actual spots among the available spot positions.
5. Click on 'Geo Back' button, click on 'intercept', and enjoy the icons that can be resized, as in screenshot.