146 replies to this topic

[Nazgûl]

First...

• I never left - I've been idle, trying to figure out solutions to on with the mod.
  
• This topic is NOT meant to say "hey, THIS is the solution" and/or "we'll have a new beta soon". I'm just letting you know that this is the last and final attemp to "solve" the future for this mod as I'm not getting any younger and something needs to happen before BFME-series (and myself) belongs in a museum. We've already reached a point where it's hard to come across any legal (original) copies to buy.
  
• This post is not meant to attract "haters" and long time forum "enemies" to start new debates and arguments about this and that! I don't have time or energy for that. This post is meant for SEE fans, players and supporters only, as it's indeed posted in our sub forum. So for the sake of future calm, haters stay out

Now, due to reasons explained HERE, unfortionately and as much as I hate it, I have only one option left... starting over from scratch, as aparently I'm the only person I can fully trust. The problem is I haven't coded in years, so this means that this attempt will take a LONG time to even get ANYWHERE close to what SEE is/was after Beta 4.5. I'm gonna have to go through ALL old lists, topics and notes to make sure I cover as much as possible of what SEE is. My plan is to try as hard as I can to do the follwing thoroughly and methodically:

Phase #1) Add all planned factions, structures, units and heroes - models, textures and skins (which means I still need help from modelers with a few units)
Phase #2) Start making them all unique as in adding powers and abilities.
Phase #3) Spell books for each faction
Phase #4) AI (this is where I will defenitely need help)
Phase #5) Balance
Phase #6) Make sure all maps from BFME1, BFME2(CE) as well as RotWK are in game and adapted and/or cutomized for SEE (depends on NJM and other mappers)
Phase #7) Polishing (coding, models, textures, skins & art)

YELLOW: Might require help!
ORANGE: Will most likely require help!
RED: Requires help for sure!

Luckily I got some serious help from the awesome Ridder Geel to make a new Launcher for SEE. This launcher comes complete with a fully compatible Wordbuilder that access all SEE stuff as well as BFME1, BFME2 & RotWK assets. This should be a dream come true for SEE mappers! But, don't get your hopes up too much as this means the current SEE will only be a source of reference for this new version that I've decided to call "Special Extended Edition - Director's Cut", or "SEE-dc" even though it will most likely mean that some of the heavier coding Sûlherokhh did will be lost in the process. But hey, better a fully functional and more basic version of SEE, than a super advanced and buggy one, right? Now, if anyone knows a good coder that would like to help putting back all the SEE assets into this new raw version of the mod, do let me know...

Edited by Nazgûl, 06 September 2011 - 01:40 PM.
Forgot some things...

[Ridder Blauw]

Great to here you're giving it another shot Nazgûl, I'll try to help in any way I can!

[Jonasking]

I haven't been around for a while and I'm impressed that you keep on trying in every way to make S.E.E even better. For me, I just hope that you won't spend time you don't want with S.E.E becouse it has to be "finished". 4.5 is by far (far!) playable mod, it's fantastic. Played it, in health care point of view, far to much but it's still fantastic.

And I beg you, if you ever come to the point when it's becoming a burden:
Fuck it!

[Nazgûl]

It's been a burden for years... but if those years won't be counted as wasted, I have to try this in a last effort to produce what I always envisioned since I saw this crappy game for the first time

[Lugdush]

This is great news that u are going to give it another shot.SEE is the best BFME mod I have ever played and I have played most of the good ones.I am new to this forum so I really dont know where to make this request so here goes...if u create a Wulf hero for Isengard,please dont use that lame Hwaldur of Angmar model.Angmar is lame and Hwaldar is one of the lamest hero models I have ever seen.Thx for the great mod,Naz.

[Ridder Blauw]

Hopefully, in the future Wulf will get a personal skin and model, although only time will tell.

[Mathijs]

If you need a model, feel free to ask me.

[Ridder Blauw]

Thanks for the offer Matias!

I deeply appreciate it, and I think Nazgûl does to.

We'll have to discuss it sometime soon.

[Nazgûl]

Any help is welcome off course, thank you. Let's see if I get anywhere first though, before we ask for models. Wouldn't want anyone to put any effort into something that won't produce results. We've had a lot of that =p I don't even know where to begin atm... the task is truly daunting. I need to find a suitable starting point that will also motivate me to venture on. Currently I'm mostly reading up on coding.

[Ridder Geel]

Ha, now he made it somewhat official... How fun, lets see if more people react to this good news!

[Elric]

If i were you i would:

Start with Men and add everything for Men. Play through it and fix the bugs.
Then do Elves
Then do Dwarves
I think you get the point.

Use some of the data you already have by copy and pasting it, this will improve your skills even if you are just looking at it.
Take it one faction at a time. Don't jump all over the place because then you might forget to add something that could be crucial (x coughs x Witch King Fire Sword x cough x)

I will help in any way i can. I don't picture my self as an amazing coder but i am very good at sorting stuff out and doing powers (FX's and such).

I would be more then willing to help. Also I do have to say this but didn't i mention this as an idea when in the topic "Where's Naz?" I just wanted to point that out. But hey maybe you had this idea for a long time.


Anyways: AWSOMENESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Lauri]

I think Naz has had this in mind for quite some time, yes

Great to hear Naz!

[Elric]

ya thats what i thought but i hope this works

[Nazgûl]

Thanks.... I just wish there wasn't sooo many changes in SEE, it's really gonna take "forever" to even get half the way. I've spent the evening looking through the mod files and there's virtually NO file that hasn't been altered or tampered with. This means INIs, scrips, AI, maps, bases, LUA, etc... I have ported all added audio, all the new scripts and all the files in Libraries (which I don't even know what they do, but Sûl messed with them all when setting up his advanced AI). The launcher, WB and the game works/starts, so so far so good. But I haven't even begun to fiddle with any unit, hero, structure or such as I truly don't know where to begin. I might go for the Balrog, since that's what started SEE in the first place, back in 2006

[Elric]

maybe we could all chip in an ini file per mod leader. this would just be the communites way of helping you out getting started. like for example u give someone the original balrog ini and then sees old balrog ini and someone combines them? maybe something like that... this could get you see back a lot quicker... once the files are done u can start doing your own thing... ( sorry about abbreviations i am on my ipod)

[Ridder Blauw]

I'm not sure that's the best way to handle it, I believe it would become very, very unorganized. Nazgûl would loose sight of what has happened, like the last time.

[Elric]

thats what i thought but i thought it might also be a way to help, so i posted it.

[Ridder Geel]

I advise Nazgul to start with small things, and one faction at a time. He knows he can contact me via msn if he needs help

[Nazgûl]

I appreciate ALL help, offers and suggestions, and I don't think it's a bad idea at all. I do however agree somewhat with what Blauw said about losing, not control perhaps, but the overall view on things. This could be avoided by simply go through what the community helpers did to convert the files but that would sorta kill the whole point since it means I basically could do the converting myself. Pretty good idea and apealing offer, but perhaps somewhat hard to micro manage though

As far as Geel goes, he's pretty much a "new Sûl" in terms of skills, and he's defenitely faster than Sûl... but still, he (excuse me for speaking in third person RG, lol) has RC mod to attend to. If that mod ever sees the finish line, I would gladely "hire" RG to work for SEE full time though

Now... to spark my motivation - the converting of the Balrog is done, and all affected INIs are modified, so the game runs, the spell book summons him, all the new AI and FX works like a charm. So bascially for this raw version (plain BFME2/RotWk) starting point, at least the Balrog is in and up to date with the obsolete Beta 4.7 status. Only a gazillion items left to convert/port or emulate...

[Ridder Geel]

You made a start, that's half the work