Hello!
As promised, completed the blog for registered users. Hopefully this will rally the remaining fans of the game, and the light will be something worthwhile.
I'll start with reprints of articles on modifying the game from the site Absolute Games . The article is very useful, but references to it are outdated, since the game developer's site - is closed. I think that would be useful to refresh the page and links. Join us! I'll wait for your articles!
Documentation in English and examples of modifications
Contents:
Working with management games: *. ubn-archives
UBN-file is a regular zip-archives and can be viewed, unzipped, zipped and edited WinZip or WinRAR. Each. UBN-file contains folders with files. We consider them in detail:
zones.ubn - contains all the locations available in the game.
terrain.ubn - surface textures in the format *. DDS. Also contains, along with some texture files of type *. grid_map. This is the XML-files that are edited with any text editor. They determine what location on the map is a particular object (the size is measured in the tile). If the file *. grid_map missing, then the object becomes completely passable for the character, ie does not take place on the map.
videos.ubn - the caption from the beginning and end of the game. Format - *. bik (for conversion into this wonderful and very popular gaming format, and from it to other formats using free software RAD Video Tools).
sounds.ubn - sounds and music in the appropriate directories, in an open format *. ogg (Vorbis). Most modern programs for working with audio converted from *. ogg in it without any problems.
textures.ubn - texture format *. DDS, divided into groups, like everything else (equipment, buildings, etc.).
objects.ubn - 3D-model formats *. gr (in particular - the animation character's head) and in the format *. diff3d (buildings, weapons, objects). About *. diff3d - below.
gui.ubn - graphical user interface. Contains images of the menus, the global map, character selection screen, etc. in the format *. dds.
scripts.ubn - all the scripts in the format *. py and *. pyc
data.ubn - archive contains files for control markup and GUI! Data Types: *. lay and *. gui, for them there are official programs from the developers, details about them below in the appropriate section.
These files should be unzipped into the root directory of the game (/ The Fall: Last Days of Gaia /). In this case, the game will take files directly from the catalogs of the same name (...Gaia / gui /...), and not from the archives *. ubn (.../ Gaia / gui.ubn). Changing something, you will immediately see the result. If you screwed up somewhere, we can again ubn unzip and replace the corrupted files source.
Then, when convinced that the MOU is ready and running, compiling directories with modified files back to the UBN-archive any archive ... Voila!
Note: Sometimes the game happen, "race", when instead the modified file from a directory, it takes the original file from the archive. So my advice: starting work on a patch or mod, unzip all the files, then create backups of all files and then open the original files, and erase all the data inside. DO NOT REMOVE own archive files (*. ubn), otherwise the game would be cursing and will not start. Now any modified files in the directories will be 100% reflected in the game.
All the scripts are written in Python. Scripts in the bulk are in *. ubn-archives "zones.ubn" and "scripts.ubn" as a *. py and *. pyc files. They can be edited with any text editor, specialized editors is for him to www.python.org . To understand the language of the game, first it is desirable to get acquainted with Python, and then with the leaders of script.
Note: The game works only with compiled scripts (*. pyc), which are compiled from the edited *. py. If a directory with scripts unzipped, the game automatically compiles all the files *. py, in which measurements were made in the *. pyc, and works with them. If they are zipped, you have to manually compile a. PYC edited. PY-files and put them into the archive, because there is no automatic update.
Textures and other graphics - format *. DDS
*. DDS - a graphical format, which can be run in graphic editors such as Adobe Photoshop, with meets both the plugin. It can be downloaded from NVIDIA , among other tools to work with DDS (besides, there still is a plugin for 3DSMAX, allowing him to work with DDS-textures, which later may be very useful for mapping). Here are a specialized DDS converter .
In fact, part of the DDS-textures - this is A compressed PNG to DDS for convenience, but the game can work with PNG. For example, you converted the DDS-file in the PNG-file in Adobe Photoshop, editing a PNG-file. Now delete the original DDS and put in its place eponymous PNG - everything will work. When she finished, all the textures to compile *. DDS.
Note: Not all textures will work with PNG! For some very important mipmaps (decreasing sequence of images). With PNG without problems texture interface, but the texture of surfaces and objects (terrain and textures, respectively) are using conventional PNG fail!
When converting a PNG to DDS have several options. For each type of texture in the game should choose your options:
Mini-tutorial on how to add new texture to the surface texture:
Adding a new base textures (texture the entire surface of card)
Mini-tutorial on the mapping of new models
3D models - Format *. gr2 and *. diff3d *. GR2 - format Granny3d http://www.radgametools.com/gramain.htm - editor of 3D-models Granny3d quite expensive, but there is a free viewer, so that in principle these model can be viewed ... alas, watch, and only *. diff3dS this format is more convenient because it can convert a special program from the developers. View diff3d by using a special browser, and convert the model into a format *. diff3d from *. ase, using tools
Note: For a texture model, you need to export ASE-files from 3DSMAX, texture in the PNG format should be used as a diffuse-material model. Distillation with MD3toASE (for those who are working models in MilkShape free, and exports from a Md3, and thence to the ASE) is not suitable for texture - mapping model goes astray.
Card-game designer really is very simple. However, imports of "the collected cards in the game and ensuring their playability - a question that requires a detailed guide. Above these guides I am going to work soon, with designers hoping to get an explanation of the whole process is simple enough to modding can do is not too advanced in programming people.
Note: LIGHTMAP (relief map) exported almost always less than it actually is (1000x1000px = 993x993 feet / tile).
Note: The absolute vertical transitions in the relief is not allowed. If the map of the relief the contrast of black / white pixel between them on the map will be slanted tile, rather than vertical. For obvious reasons.
Note: 200 meters - fixed "boundary of the chamber" - the area from the edge of the map, in which the characters can neither move nor the movement of the camera! Border, as told by the developers, not modified, ie She spelled out not in PY-scripts. Therefore, the map size of 400x400 or less will not have AREAS FOR TRAFFIC! Remember this!
Global Map and other objects of a graphical user interface (menus, popup windows, mouse, etc.)
Images of the GUI are in the archive GUI.ubn. Manage - archive DATA.ubn
Available 2 of the program:
In *. gui prescribed texture (texture files), and what coordinates the pictures on these patterns. In particular, the image with a global map where indicated, from "taking" all the small pictures "zones."
In the *. lay on the contrary, these are the most pictures on the "layout"-e, which was then a player and see the game.
Guide to the room created a zone in the global map
To begin the development of this section, you need a working (playable) zone, which normally runs through localinit.py: system.set_app_state (state = global_defines.APP_GAME, map = "zones <zonename> <zonename>")
Note: All described here is a little rough and not 100% tested.
Now get on the global map in the game - there should appear the icon for your new area and it should be working (it will be accessible to go)
Script on the activation of your zone you will later be able to bind to some event or quest dialogue in the game.
The author of the article: Stas Bush