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Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Mon Oct 04, 2021 7:46 pm
by Rebel
Hmm, still have not been able to find the key for the bulldozer. But I wanted to pop in and say, I'm extremely glad that you put together TC~Rescue, back in the day. It stands as the only example of a compact, fully puzzle based level I can think of, and a complex one in its own right. I just wish more levels like this had come around by now.
Spoiler: show
The dozer key is inside of the room behind the stairs, Drac. If you retrieved the admin's office key and read the notes on the desk, hitting the hint key in the room behind the stairs would give;
"Now I lay me down to sleep, the key you seek is not at my feet"

Meaning, of course, the dozer key is under the pillow. ;) Hell, that's where my wallet is when I go to sleep! One would have to kill me to get it though! :D
Not many seemed to actually like tc rescue much. Mainly, I imagine it was because of the lack of combat. But, it really wasn't designed for anything other than what you mentioned
it was; a puzzle oriented ending to the tc series. There are a few dinos in there now (I updated it slightly for the anthology package), but it's more of a side attraction/distraction.

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Tue Oct 05, 2021 12:14 am
by Draconisaurus
Hmm, well it was a nice ending indeed. Didn't realize there was an update. Maybe they have less aggressive AI? Heh. At any rate I can't remember if I finished the puzzles all the way, will have to try again sometime.

Argh and all I needed was where the key is! Avoiding spoilers, skipped some of your post..

By the way how are you doing these days?

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 7:41 pm
by Rebel
Draconisaurus wrote:Hmm, well it was a nice ending indeed. Didn't realize there was an update. Maybe they have less aggressive AI? Heh. At any rate I can't remember if I finished the puzzles all the way, will have to try again sometime.

Argh and all I needed was where the key is! Avoiding spoilers, skipped some of your post..

By the way how are you doing these days?
Eh, doing ok. I am in my 60s now so I'm definitely feeling the affects of aging, but I imagine I'll still be around for a few more years. Construction is a tough biz for
an old dawg, but I'm a stubborn Pole so I doubt I'll quit work completely. I may do some more trespasser level work over the winter, I'll see how it goes.

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 12:13 am
by TheIdiot
Rebel wrote:
Not many seemed to actually like tc rescue much. Mainly, I imagine it was because of the lack of combat.
I don't think the lack of combat was a huge problem as the dinosaur action was sparse on TC~Isle as well. Much of what makes the TC levels so great is the focus on gameplay beyond the combat aspect and the unique trigger work.
Keep meaning to ask this, but what exactly was the deal with TC~River? I seem to recall reading that it was a "joke" level that was never really meant to be finished, but there is at least what appears to be the start of such a level in its .scn file.

In your 60s? You must be our oldest active member at this point, incredible that you're still around here! It's nice that we have such a variety of generations coming together on here.

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 2:57 am
by Nick3069
TC Rescue is my least favorite of the series, not because of the lack of combat, but because it feels a little too scripted. Part of the fun of Trespasser is the natural fluidity and dynamism, whereas TC Rescue feels more robotic. I suppose combat is one way to add those elements, but it's not the only way. That being said, I still think it's one of the better fan-made levels.
Rebel wrote:I am in my 60s now so I'm definitely feeling the affects of aging, but I imagine I'll still be around for a few more years. Construction is a tough biz for an old dawg, but I'm a stubborn Pole so I doubt I'll quit work completely.
60s?! That's only as old as my parents, I thought you were older because you keep joking that you're a senile old man. :lol: My father also works in construction and I think he's just as stubborn; he doesn't look like he's interested in retirement.

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 4:07 am
by Shadefyre
Rebel wrote: ShadeFyre, I still can't duplicate the tram crash you suffered. I'm at a loss as to why it happened so I'm stumped. Oh, and you can still get down to the front side of the dam without
laddering if you happen to ditch the return tram ride back and walk back through the water. Just walk over the to end of the dam's spillway and you can walk down the dam sideways
(you can actually slip into the the flood control chamber that way, but there isn't really anything to do inside of there, I just modeled it in there to complete the dam's logic).

Anyhoo, I just thought I'd add to my edit above that I tried to duplicate the crash again.
Honestly, I'm not really sure if anything specific caused it. I kept dropping the Redhawk by accident when the tram was heading back across, but it didn't clip into the walls or anything, so I think it was just a general Tres crash and not a specific issue. However, one issue I forgot to mention that I saw again in editing the first part is that the second door on the dam (the one with a latch on the inside) didn't have any collision so I could just walk through it. I chose not to, so as not to break the sequence of the dam, but I thought I should mention that one.

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Thu Oct 07, 2021 6:37 pm
by Rebel
Shadefyre wrote: Honestly, I'm not really sure if anything specific caused it. I kept dropping the Redhawk by accident when the tram was heading back across, but it didn't clip into the walls or anything, so I think it was just a general Tres crash and not a specific issue. However, one issue I forgot to mention that I saw again in editing the first part is that the second door on the dam (the one with a latch on the inside) didn't have any collision so I could just walk through it. I chose not to, so as not to break the sequence of the dam, but I thought I should mention that one.
Damn, good catch. That one got by me, so thanks. I screwed up the door's script, so I'll have to address this issue with a patch. Mentioning you kept dropping the Redhawk actually helps
me, Shadefyre. Considering that the tram is maxed out for attached $objects/magnets, it would make sense that too many additional collisions within the tram could cause a crash. I might
be able to minimize that possibility by eliminating the tram's ceiling ($object (a player couldn't tell if it existed or not anyways)). I'll probably wind up adding a discreet hint for gun usage as
well (as you previously suggested in an earlier post). I may take another look at the train puzzle as well . . .

Thanks for the feedback, its always welcome and helpful. And thanks for not recording that screwup! ;)

Code: Select all

group HDMidDoor-00 = {
    group HDMidDoor-00 = { //this shouldn't be here
        int ext_GeometryType = 2
        string Class = "CInstance"
        bool Tangible = true
        float Culling = 120.000000
        float CacheMul = 2.000000
        bool CacheIntersecting = true
        float Mass = 1.000000
        float Friction = 0.330000
        string Type = "Compound"
        string Model00 = "$DamMidDrC-00"
        string Model01 = "$DnDrMidHdlA-00"
        string Model02 = "$DnDrMidHdlB-00"
        bool Moveable = true
        bool Frozen = true
    } // this shouldn't be here
} 
My age: Yeah, I'm an old fart. I'm closing in on 63. I think I played the Tres demo when I was 39 or 40. Considering I started playing video games back in the 70s with pong and asteroids, the
fact that you could reach out with your hand and interact with an environment was amazing to me. Despite its flaws, I still think Trespasser is one of the most important games every produced n'
as you can tell, I still have a fascination and interest in it.

*T.I.: Dapper Dan is my age as well (though he hasn't been around for a few years now), I believe machf is 2nd oldest (in as far as active members go).

tc-river: It was one of several possible endings we talked about for the tc series. It may have been pursued if Remdul had stuck around, but when he left the community it became too daunting
a task to tackle without him. Back then, I couldn't model worth a s**t (not that I'm very good now), so it was just too much.

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2021 4:13 am
by machf
Rebel wrote:
Damn, good catch. That one got by me, so thanks. I screwed up the door's script, so I'll have to address this issue with a patch. Mentioning you kept dropping the Redhawk actually helps
me, Shadefyre. Considering that the tram is maxed out for attached $objects/magnets, it would make sense that too many additional collisions within the tram could cause a crash. I might
be able to minimize that possibility by eliminating the tram's ceiling ($object (a player couldn't tell if it existed or not anyways)). I'll probably wind up adding a discreet hint for gun usage as
well (as you previously suggested in an earlier post). I may take another look at the train puzzle as well . . .

Thanks for the feedback, its always welcome and helpful. And thanks for not recording that screwup! ;)

Code: Select all

group HDMidDoor-00 = {
    group HDMidDoor-00 = { //this shouldn't be here
        int ext_GeometryType = 2
        string Class = "CInstance"
        bool Tangible = true
        float Culling = 120.000000
        float CacheMul = 2.000000
        bool CacheIntersecting = true
        float Mass = 1.000000
        float Friction = 0.330000
        string Type = "Compound"
        string Model00 = "$DamMidDrC-00"
        string Model01 = "$DnDrMidHdlA-00"
        string Model02 = "$DnDrMidHdlB-00"
        bool Moveable = true
        bool Frozen = true
    } // this shouldn't be here
} 
So, we just copy that code and resave the level?
My age: Yeah, I'm an old fart. I'm closing in on 63. I think I played the Tres demo when I was 39 or 40. Considering I started playing video games back in the 70s with pong and asteroids, the
fact that you could reach out with your hand and interact with an environment was amazing to me. Despite its flaws, I still think Trespasser is one of the most important games every produced n'
as you can tell, I still have a fascination and interest in it.

*T.I.: Dapper Dan is my age as well (though he hasn't been around for a few years now), I believe machf is 2nd oldest (in as far as active members go).
I think Dapper Dan was a little older than you. And I just turned 53 this year. I was a kid in the 70s, but of course I also played Pong and Asteroids back then... I still remember the first time they opened a videogame arcade in the city, me and my cousins (roughly my age: 2 years older, 1 year older and 2 years younger than me) went there by ourselves (something unthinkable on this day and age) and spent our quarters in a couple of hors, I believe. I remember a few of the games: I think one was Tank Battle (not Battlezone, that one came later and I absolutely LOVED it), another some Jet Fighter (both reminded me of the ones that came in the COMBAT game cartridge for the Atari 2600VCS some tiem later), and of course, Death Race.
tc-river: It was one of several possible endings we talked about for the tc series. It may have been pursued if Remdul had stuck around, but when he left the community it became too daunting
a task to tackle without him. Back then, I couldn't model worth a s**t (not that I'm very good now), so it was just too much.
Is there some sort of draft for it?

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2021 7:50 am
by Hilwo
I remember tc-river being planned, and tc-isle initially ending on sort of a temporary or template level for it. Also a model for a boat Paul wanted to use for it. I think it was modelled after the boat that's used in Jurassic Park 3, the one in which they are attacked by the Spinosaurus. Not sure where I've seen the image of the model (but I have), could be on TresCom or on Remdul's own website. Don't remember the URL for it. Not sure if anything was planned beyond that, maybe Rebel knows?

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2021 12:40 pm
by Rebel
@machf: Script wise, you would just remove the duplicate group name and its corresponding brackets, then save. You can most likely use the original scn file though,
you're not moving any objects as you're just performing a simple grf edit. Personally, I'd use the original scn file since I know the partitions are correct (eg. no missing
or disappearing objects, etc).

Yeah, I think Dan is a few months older than I am. I thought you were still in your 40s (time flies, man).

@Hilwo: tc river had Remdul's raptor boat envisioned. Once you came up from the underground pool you'd come upon the boat, ride it down the river into a compound/
city. The main premise was to fight your way through the maze of streets and buildings and later on fix a tram and ride it off into the sunset. There wasn't any particular
rescue planned afterwards, we weren't sure if the series would have ended on that note leaving a mystery as to what happened to Anne after that, or we would have yet
another level where Anne would actually be rescued. I know I don't have any assets of this left; that was a decade+ and several hard drive crashes ago.

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2021 3:42 pm
by machf
Rebel wrote:@machf: Script wise, you would just remove the duplicate group name and its corresponding brackets, then save. You can most likely use the original scn file though,
you're not moving any objects as you're just performing a simple grf edit. Personally, I'd use the original scn file since I know the partitions are correct (eg. no missing
or disappearing objects, etc).
Going to do that.
Yeah, I think Dan is a few months older than I am. I thought you were still in your 40s (time flies, man).
Those would be Paul and Remdul, I think...
@Hilwo: tc river had Remdul's raptor boat envisioned. Once you came up from the underground pool you'd come upon the boat, ride it down the river into a compound/
city. The main premise was to fight your way through the maze of streets and buildings and later on fix a tram and ride it off into the sunset. There wasn't any particular
rescue planned afterwards, we weren't sure if the series would have ended on that note leaving a mystery as to what happened to Anne after that, or we would have yet
another level where Anne would actually be rescued. I know I don't have any assets of this left; that was a decade+ and several hard drive crashes ago.
So, that's what I meant with "draft". I guess I should have said "outline"...

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2021 5:03 pm
by Rebel
Well, here's the patch: https://www.mediafire.com/file/9x78b3vl ... 1.zip/file

I'll add it to my sig as well. It addresses the door snafu, adds a hint when the redhawk (mini's boat) is first picked up and tweaks the train's capacitor sub-objects
some to give a capacitor a little substance beneath them so they're easier to pull out. I just played through it all, everything looks AoK. I also removed one of the
$Objects from the tram, that should help reduce the chance of it crashing due to added collision.

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2021 7:22 am
by Hilwo
machf wrote:So, that's what I meant with "draft". I guess I should have said "outline"...
Oh, I knew that's what you meant, I just posted all I could remember in case there was something useful in there.

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2021 7:43 pm
by Draconisaurus
Hmmm, that Raptor Boat of Remdul's had a tiny thumbnail on the main site some time in the past 5 years or so, but after the downloads section update I don't think it's there now...? Tatu?

And hmm 60s and still Tres modding, that is pretty rad. Almost double my age! And with a construction job. It's a good sign. I am 33.
I'm afraid I wasn't alive in the early arcade days, and was never a frequent visitor to the ones when I was a kid. Pretty much the only one interesting enough for me to pester my parents about was TLW Arcade, which I still swoon over for its amazing ingame assets. Music is great too. And that "laboratory" inside the Ops Building! Oooff! I still dream of recreating it.

Re: TRESCOM_ANTHOLOGY

Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2021 4:25 am
by tatu
Draconisaurus wrote:Hmmm, that Raptor Boat of Remdul's had a tiny thumbnail on the main site some time in the past 5 years or so, but after the downloads section update I don't think it's there now...? Tatu?
I'll remember to take a look. The only time it was part of the download section was ages ago, before we moved to Wordpress in like 2013 or so.