Comments - Winters1990

Game releasee on steam and epic games store as well!

The game will be available on Steam soon :)

DevTools V2.7 will be added tomorrow. as well as will be available on reshax.com site too.

Announcement:

Devtools V2.7 development has been started!
Will be implemented in the next update:

+Added Program settings tab [STATUS: Finished!]
+Added MapEditor settings tab
+Added Race Editor settings tab
+Added Game Console editor tab
+Added Player profile editor tab [STATUS: Finished!]
+UnitDeveloper Tool

+) Extras for Race Editor tab:
You can enable units to build (which are disabled by default. See below):
H) Humans: M_LongRangeRadar
G) Gobins: GM_HeavyDeffence (there are 2 types of gobin deffence turrets!!)
G) Gobins: FlashBats.
C) Crion: Obelisks are buildable now.

Now you can enable the "hidden" fourh race: Xenons. They're dangerous, but you can decrease their
destructive power.

+) Game Console tab
You can now customize the built-in game console.
background picture, fonts, font sizes, etc.

+) Player Profile Editor tab
You can now customize your profile via Devtools (Client password, player color, player name). and so forth.

+) MapEditor tab

1.) You can now activate/deactivate the cheat engine that is neccessary if you want to access to the map editor mode. You do not need to edit anyting,
just use the radiobuttons. The program will also inform you whether the Startup.cfg file is corrupt or has the cheats on.

2.) You can now "burn" the "red X" to your (custom-made maps) which indicates the starting points (spawnpoints) on the map.
3.) Fortunately, the making of a 3D modell viewer program is -difficult of course- but as Szkaradek123 did (who made the mesh viewer) it is possible to
update it and add it to Devtools! (will be implemented later, but such a feature will be added!).
!UnitDeveloper Tool
The devs made an external tool to set/add functions to units (for ex. This unit can be build by this or that unit only. How much resources a human RCU
can carry, what is the destructive power of this or that unit. How many weapons this or that unit have? How much time does it take to build this or that
unit) etc. This tool will be added too 😉

+External TCP/IP program:
I'm also working on an external TCP/IP Client <---> host server tool, but more info needed about the game mechanism... I know, the game has a built-in
feature, but I would like to make my own program!

*PackedData content:
The researching still goes on! The PackedProject.opf file. It seems, we need to reverse-engineer the whole game, we will do this

*Reverse engineering is also planned! A lot of important information has been gathered! So if you are good at C# or C/C++ and / or assembly, or know about about the art of reverse engineering, just send me a PM!

Discord server community started: Discord.com please commend if the link is broken!

One more thing: The map editor is only works in the alpha version of the game...

Make a new file inside the Bhunter game root folder: BHUNTER.KEY. This file should only contain this: Interactivision . Start the alpha version of the game, and in the game press F1.

"Should we go as for as to contact Avantgarde Technology for any info on the rights/ownership..? :) :)"

Yes. We need to contact them. First, we need to find their website, contact info.

BTW I could try to make an extractor for the .bsp files, but it seems to difficult. So, I need to ask Watto to do something with it.

Thank you for your comment!

Here's what I have:

I have the file structure for the *.bsp files as well as the *.bin file, *.lev file.

According to the lead dev. of the game:

If I remember correctly, the editor code is not compiled into the released version, so unless you have the source code and the ability to compile it, I'm afraid there is no way to use it :-/
To activate the editor, one would have to
1) Place a file called BHUNTER.KEY with the single text line 'Interactivision' in it, next to the executable.
2) Possibly start BHUNTER.EXE from the command line with 'edit' as the single argument. I think this would disable all enemies.
3) Type the cheat code 'edit' inside the game to enable the editor.
4) Hit F1 to enter/exit the editor. The model would be saved automatically when exiting the editor.
You can give it a shot, but I don't think it will work with the executable you have.

As for the BSP files, this was a proprietary format not intended for editing; It was converted from 3D-Studio files (.3DS) and read directly by the proprietary 3D engine in the game.

I don't know if it will be of any help, but this is what I could dig up about the BSP format. Each file defines a 3D model with a texture reference and various properties AND the model geometry described as a binary space partitioning tree (BSP) used for rendering optimization (culling) and for collision detection...

/* BSP file format v2.0:

int number_of_materials;
struct aModelMaterial[number_of_materials];
int number_of_vertices;
struct aModelVertex[number_of_vertices];
int number_of_vrefs;
struct aModelVRef[number_of_vrefs];
int number_of_faces;
struct aModelFace[number_of_faces];
int number_of_bsp;
struct aModelBSP[number_of_bsp];
int number_of_frefs;
struct aModelFRef[number_of_frefs];
*/

struct aModelMaterial {
unsigned char amb_r,amb_g,amb_b,dif_r,dif_g,dif_b,spec_r,spec_g,spec_b;
char texture[23];
};

struct aModelVertex {
VECTOR w,p; // a VECTOR is a struct { float x, y, z; }
float u,v,x,y;
union {
int col;
float a;
};
struct aModelVertex *next,*prev;
int cachetime,projected;
};

struct aModelFace {
int material,vref,cachetime;
};

struct aModelVRef {
int vertex,next;
float u,v;
};

struct aModelBSP {
VECTOR min,max,n;
float d;
int front,back,above,below; // These are indices of child nodes in the BSP tree
};

struct aModelFRef {
int f,next;
};

It's been 25 years, so my memory about the details is limited, but I remember that the container-file format was hierarchical, so that the container file could itself contain container files. That might be what you should be looking for if you can only extract a subset of the files...

The TEST.LEV file holds the entire game world IIRC, where everything is set up as 'segments' connected by 'portals' and decorated with decoration objects. For example, a street in one of the cities would be a number of block-shaped segments with each of the 2 end faces being the portals. When two portals are aligned, the segments will automatically be connected and you can move through the portal from one segment to the other. The road/floor and walls would be (solid) decoration objects connected to each of the segments. The portals not only define the connectivity for moving around, they also serve as rendering optimization - i.e. the rendering engine will only start rendering a segment behind a portal, if the portal itself is visible. This goes on recursively.
As such, the entire world is a graph of nodes (segments) and edges (portals). In order for the NPC objects to move around (and chase you) they use a precalculated path-finding matrix (this is the TEST.PTH file, and it is recalculated by the editor and saved/overwritten whenever the world is changed). Basically, the path-matrix tells you that if you are in segment X and want to find the shortest path to segment Y, you should go through portal N (which will bring you to a new segment X2 (which is one step closer to Y), where you'll ask the matrix again which portal you should pick for the shortest route to segment Y). You can read some details about it in section 3.3 in my Master's Thesis here: Brainphant.com

As for copyright/ownership, Interactive Vision went bankrupt in 2005 and all assets were bought by Avantgarde Technology Holding in Baltimore, so I assume the rights for BHunter went that way. Who owns it today, I don't know.

Thats all the info we have.

We really need the inform the owned of the game source code, because I would re-release the game on zoom-platform...

This might be a problem:

"In the development process a lot of time and work was saved by directly using the game rendering
code for the world editor instead of writing specific tools for assembling segments and maintaining
the portal graph. Furthermore, the process of designing the game world was tremendously eased by
the integration of game and editor and the short prototyping cycles achieved."

According to this, the devs did not make any map editor tools for the game... And we do not have the source code of the game too.

We need to make a Discord server for the game as well as attract more and more ppl who are interested in such an old game.

I'm working on tools for other titles: "The Outforce" "Gorky 17", "Star command: deluxe". Regarding The Outforce on my discord channel I managed to keep in touch with the former developers of the game, and they landed on my channel ^^. I hope we can do something good to Bhunter too!

oh my God :'( thank you very much for sending me this <3 I really hope I could send an email to the guy who was responsible for map editing (.bsp /.lev) as well as the 3d model files (bsp).

Announcement:

Hello, guys again! I'm started to implement the *.lev and *.bin archive builder function! More functions will be added! More info really soon!

Hello again. Yes, to use to program, you need to list the files stored in the *.bin archive. And then type: extract to extract the content of the *.bin file.

I suggest to make a copy of the Bhunter.bin file, and put it to the folder where the program is.

Repacking function will be added.

You will also be able to extract the content of the .lev file (that cotains 5815.bsp files)

Both Console line application and the GUI version will be updated

Hi!

Thank you for your comment! My program will be updated, but I need more information about the .lev and .bsp file formats.

All I know, that medal of honor (allied assault) and Quak1-2 also used this filetype (.bsp) but with another file structure.

I also want to add an image inspector to my program.

.bsp file stores .TGA files, animation and modell files as well.

Regarding to repacking *.bin files is planned to be added to my program. (upcoming update).

I also want to know what programs the devs used to create the maps. what map editor.

The gui version of the tool with many features can be downlaoded from our discord community

Hello, guys! I'm fixing the GUI version of the tool with new features (extract selected file,extract the entire archive, play .wav file (do not need to extract anything)...

Will be added soon!

Hello, guys! as you probably know, I'm working on the GUI version of the program (*.box extractor - *.box builder, as well as I'm working on a *.opf extractor tool.) Will be available soon.

I'm also working on another big project, the MapData editor tool.

More to come soon!

Discord community started! Discord.gg

Started to working on the fileformat determination. iam going to make tools, somekind of unpacker-repacker tool, as well as a map editor tool. see what can i do here…

The full game and the DLC is available to buy on zoom-platform.com (multilingual edition with full audio!) once you buy the english version for example, you will also receive all the other languages with full audio…

Same for the linux edition of the game! we are working on the multilingual support for the linux version of the game! yes, it comes with a linux installer, so you do not need to use wine anymore :) will be available on zoom-platform.com soon!

Mappack will be updated soon. New Skirmish maps will be added:

+EndlessRoute
+TheTheUnknown
+3 another maps.

This mappack is part of my upcoming mod named CES(“Conflict in the Epsilon System.) will be released on monday (next week).

The upcoming mod will replace (update) the mappack as well as adds you map editor documentation pdf, console command list pdf, bugfixes, and so on! the changelog is already available on our discord server!

Hello again! Please read news below:

-An unofficial mappack has been added! Now you can download it from Moddb (Addons tab) or archive.org... Will be updated and more maps will be added soon!

-Russian and German version of the game is already patched, fixed and uploaded to zoom-platform.com. Now You can buy it.
If you buy for example the English version of the game, you will be available to install the German or Russian version as well and vica-versa...

-French and Polish version of the game will be available soon!

-I'm started to work on the full Hungarian localisation as well with full audio!

-I almost finished the full documentation of the built-in map editor! Will be available as a single .PDF file in Hungarian, English and in Polish as well! Furthermore: I included all the map editor resources that might be necessary for you!

End transmission.

Hi! Will you readd the Jail as well ?

where are the cnfig files are stored ? i mean how many weapons, torpedos can be installed to a ship? btw it is possible to add ships that enemy uses to buy? or great frigates ? :s

Please read my previous reply as well as please join or discord server: Discord.com

Unfortunately there is no other way to make the game run well on modern os with higher resolution, only DxWnd worked for me. I talked to someone, who is an owned of a company, they used to re-release old games and fix it with their sophisticated software to make old games run on modern os in full/widescreen with out any issues, but before re-releasing it, we need to know who own the game copyrights.

The Zoom-platform version of the game has been updated. lags (in the skirmish menu as well as lags in the Options men (advanced options) redced. Bonus contents added!

Please buy the original version of the full game at: Zoom-platform.com

Help us to keep The Outforce alive! Please also join our discord server and help us to populate it: Discord.gg Custom maps, map editing, fileformat information etc can be found on our discord server...

Guest pls read my prevous comment as well as join our discord server community: Discord.com

Hello! Thank you for writing your message. Well I know this game since my childhood. I started to play on it since it was published.

As you probably know, some old games are now available to buy on zoom-platform.com . I "know" someone for almost a year (?), who is responsible for collecting old games. He has good relationship with publishers such as Strategy First or other (defunct) developers/publishers. They made a program that allows the users to run any old games on moder OS like windows 10 or 11 in full/widescreens with out any issues!

I hope that Dark Planet: Battle for Natrolis will be added soon!
Regarding the map editor issue you have, I don't know what you should suppose to do. If I were you, I would try to launch the game with a free software called DxWND! This will work for old windows games.

Hello there! First of all thank you very much for your reply in advance. Secondly, I only heard about the map editor while I was reading the comments on the old Montecristo game forum with wayback machine. There was a guy from America (nick name: D3S3RT) who had the map editor for the game. I checked the links he sent as a commend around 2002-2003 but the links are broken since then :'( sry for bad English.

Web.archive.org check the first comment