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SRB2 - Community Build! (Slopes, Skyboxes, Oh my!!!!)

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Kalaron

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Yeah, it's been a while...

What is it:
SRB2 Community Build is a source code mod that is both a refinement and extension of the game engine that powers SRB2.

SRB2CB's goal is to provide an alternative SRB2 engine that brings a new breath of fresh air into SRB2 for both players and modders alike.

This project has actually been around for a while (a little more than a year ago), back before SRB2 2.0 was released and has been downloaded more than 1,200 times. The project was stopped for a while because there wasn't any strong momentum behind development and the project had been overshadowed by a new version of the official SRB2.

Now, the project is back,
and a LOT has changed...

------

So, what's new?:


Revamped OpenGL renderer - OpenGL mode has finally been FIXED and improved!
  • OpenGL mode is capable of displaying nearly all level effects with little to no visual errors
  • Extreme optimizations, you can look in all directions with no disappearing objects and the framerate got a 300% boost compared to SRB2's default OpenGL renderer
  • Much richer colormap effects
  • Coronas are back and they also got a major speed boost!
  • New sprite shadows that stay in one direction (enabled using shadows 1 in the console)

2wmfg9i.png


2m3r9f6.png





Polyobjects render flats!
They are rendered by default, so now a whole new dimension of map-making is now possible!
Mappers can configure a polyobject's startline to render the top and or bottom of the polyobject, give the start line a flag of:
  • Bouncy - to make it not render the Bottom of the polyobject
  • Transfer line - to make it not render the Top of the polyobjects

53655h.png


Skyboxes
Ever wanted to make the sky a 3D background? Well now you can.
You can render another part of a map as the sky, it looks like this:

2mg8flz.png





*** Slopes ***
…wait, what? Yes, slopes. WITH COLLISION AND PHYSICS
  • Roll down a slope to gain momentum
  • Jump while going up a slope and gain vertical momentum
  • Run off a slope and you go upwards a bit - so ramps are possible now
  • Floor and Ceiling slopes
  • Dynamic slopes that can change according to the height of a sector
  • Any sector of any shape or size can be sloped, no limits on how many vertexes!
  • Slopes are setup by linedef (ZDoom/GZDoom style for those who are familiar with slopes)
  • Even grass edges can be sloped!
  • Slope within slope support

2f03w2t.png


NOTE:
  • Crazy physics like running on walls is not supported with slopes....(yet)





Mult-character MD2's
(Custom character MD2s and 'on the fly' MD2s are also supported)
fejgb8.png


Here's how you set them up:
In your MD2.dat file, use this format
Code:
Nameofcharacter md2filename.md2 scale 0.0

Example:
Code:
Sonic Sonic.MD2 3.0 0.0
Tails Tails.MD2 3.0 0.0
Knuckles Knuckles.MD2 3.0 0.0

The part with (name).md2 is the filename and can be changed.
The first word in the line is the name of the actual character.
Another example:

Code:
Cream Cream3D.md2 3.0 0.0

^ This will load an MD2 named "Cream3D.md2" for the character "Cream"
The character's name is the same name used when typing "skin" in the console.
MD2.dat is also no longer case-sensitive, so typing:
Cream, CREAM, cream, or even CReaM will still be recognized by the game.

New and improved bots - they use their abilities in Coop mode and are just a bit smarter in Match mode, they are also stable and are a lot less likely to crash the game.

154yeiw.png


A new kind of Motion Blur! - works with speed sneakers, hitting a red spring (try GFZ2), or when falling down at a fast speed (you have to see this for yourself, no screenshot :P )

Balloon fountains and particle fountains!

dvpjyh.png



The player's speed cap has been lifted (for slope physics) - he still runs the same speed but can for example roll down a slope at a speed of 120 Map-units-per-second!


Other Nice Stuff:
You can take a screenshot without having a message flood your console
(clears console lines that are on screen too)

You can unspin while rolling by pressing the spindash button again
New "shield" command gives the player a shield from 1-8

Scale works up with 25-500 (and up to 5,000 when scaling other objects)

Camera auto-adjusts to slopes!

New Sonic 3 shields, Flame, Lightning, and Bubble shield!
96vwo8.png

Flame shield :D


New Linedef Effects:
  • 386 Slope Frontsector Floor
  • 387 Slope Frontsector Ceiling
  • 388 Slope Frontsector Floor & Ceiling
  • 389 Slope Backsector Floor
  • 390 Slope Backsector Ceiling
  • 391 Slope Backsector Floor & Ceiling
  • 392 Slope Backsector Floor & Front Ceiling
  • 393 Slope Backsector Ceiling & Front Ceiling
  • 80 - Spring Bouncer
    The length of the line determines the strength, this makes a sector tagged with this effect act like a spring!
  • 446 Set 2D Camera Distance"
    Linedef executor that changes how far the camera is from the player for 2D mode

New Objects:
  • 580 - Hang-glider
  • 582 - Skateboard
  • 572 - Bumper (works like a diagonal spring but doesn't put the player into a different animation
  • 570 - Yellow sideways spring
  • 573 - Balloon - like a spring except animated and floats!
  • 574 - Respawning Balloon - can be jumped on more than once
  • 571 - Red sideways spring
  • 575 - Big balloon fountain - activates a swirl of multi-colored balloons!
  • 576 - Small balloon fountain
  • 585 - Particle fountain!
  • 586 - Spiral particle fountain!
  • 790 - skybox viewer
  • 791 - skybox map center
  • 440 - Sonic 3 & K Bubble Shield
  • 441 - Sonic 3 & K Flame Shield
  • 442 - Sonic 3 & K Lightning Shield


For dynamic 2D mode, there are some special objects that allow mappers to more easily align the player to the 2D track!
  • These are triggered when a player enters a dynamic 2D sector, so these objects must be placed in an "Enable 2D mode" sector to work
  • Just place these objects to where you want the player to be
  • These objects automatically teleport the player and do not effect the player's speed.
  • 780 - Aligns only the players X axis
  • 781 - Aligns only the players Y axis
  • 782 - Aligns only the players Z axis
  • 783 - Aligns the players X and Y axis
  • 784 - Aligns the players X and Y and Z axis
  • 785 - Aligns the players Z and X axis
  • 786 - Aligns the players Z and Y axis

New Sector Effects:
15 - Spring Sector (works with spring sector linedef)

**More detailed documentation coming soon to the SRB2wiki**

------------


NOTES:
  • SRB2CB is OpenGL based, so nearly all of these new features have been designed for / can only be done in OpenGL.
  • The OpenGL system has undergone some changes, so even if your computer couldn't run OpenGL mode before, it might work with SRB2CB.
  • SRB2CB requires data files from SRB2 v2.05 or later
  • SRB2CB is still under development, so not all features may work perfectly yet
  • When in doubt, SOFTWARE MODE IS UNSUPPORTED KTHNXBYE
  • Also, to experienced mappers, feel free to add any SRB2CB mapping tips to the wiki for things such as slopes or skyboxes


OpenGL tips:
  • Turning fog mode on is EXTREMELY recommend, it's almost required for things to look nice
  • Fog density of at least 64 is also recommended
  • The game automatically starts in OpenGL mode
  • If the game gives an error when you start it up in windowed mode, try running it in full screen, or try changing SRB2CB's resolution in your config.cfg file or autoexec.cfg file


DOWNLOAD:
http://srb2cb2.googlecode.com/files/SRB2CB m5.zip (Includes Windows exe and source code)

-Kalaron
 
Okay, after getting over the initial shock of how awesome SRB2CB is, I have a few concerns.

- MD2s don't have shadows yet.
- Motion blur completely kills my framerate.
- You forgot to mention that SRB2CB has new colors for MP :D
- And lastly, is there ever a possibility of having MD2's be compatable with color changing?
 
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About TIME you publically released it. Now I can FINALLY update Project DAMN.

...at some point.

Also, I must point out that, while still kinda dumb, these bots are MUCH better than Cinefast's JTEbots port.
 
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Finally the topic I've been waiting for. I had tested the alpha builds, I enjoined the new features and fixes, specially the OpenGL ones.

Also, welcome back Kalaron. I hope you keep it open for contributions.

We can post bug reports here? I have a lot of things to said about CB.
 
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Nice indeed, I love it! The skyboxes can be used in 2D modes to make intresting backgrounds, too!
 
Would you mind mentioning how big the skybox makes objects? Cause if it enlarges things by about 4x, then we'd need some textures that are a bit smaller. I dunno, but I can see this really revolutionise SRB2.
 
ERZ3 is broken now. You jump too low, the cannonballs are shot way too high that they're pointless, the slime's shadow is an actual sprite, and I think the player is smaller now. Oh, and the Video Modes menu seems to be broken.

Still, I'm happy to see slopes and polyobject flats being rendered. And at least the slope physics are in software mode too. MD2's are also better now, thanks for that.
 
Wow, it's really great. But i see that it has some of the XSRB2 code in it. It's actually okay, but you should make a command that allows you to change skins without dying. That would be really nice.
 
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So... I was just scrolling through objects while using objectplace on command to find the elemental shields... and then the game got stuck and crashed. I didn't even put a single object.
EDIT: the walls in the slope testing map have no thok barriers. You can just walk through the left and back walls, and if you thok at the right wall, you also pass through it. Oh, and why Isn't the Sonic & Tails character working correctly? I only see Sonic... oh, wait, that's probably 'cause I don't know how to use OGL. :|
 
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**More detailed documentation coming soon to the SRB2wiki**
Mods usually need a Release topic to have an article on the Wiki. I wouldn't insist on that rule, but you should make a Release topic anyway. This might be still a beta, but it's stable and functional enough, so I see no reason why you wouldn't want to make one.

EDIT: the walls in the slope testing map have no thok barriers. You can just walk through the left and back walls, and if you thok at the right wall, you also pass through it.
It's just a test map, so I don't think that's important.

Oh, and why Isn't the Sonic & Tails character working correctly? I only see Sonic... oh, wait, that's probably 'cause I don't know how to use OGL. :|
OGL is enabled by default, so you're already using it. I guess the Sonic & Tails feature just isn't programmed. Should be pretty easy to do though.

Not much to say about the mod, because we all know it's awesome. Just a few bugs/complaints/etc:

  • Motion blur is cool, but is there an option to turn it off? I guess it could become annoying if you're trying to do speedruns or Crawla bouncing, among other things. Plus lag on weak machines.
  • If I'm in a single player game and select a new map via level select, I get the "You are in a network game" prompt.
  • I'm not sure if being able to stop a spindash mid-spin isn't too powerful an asset to the player.
 
Mods usually need a Release topic to have an article on the Wiki. I wouldn't insist on that rule, but you should make a Release topic anyway. This might be still a beta, but it's stable and functional enough, so I see no reason why you wouldn't want to make one.

Oh, sure, since there doesn't seem to be any major issues, I'm OK with sending it to releases. Do I have to make a whole new topic or could a judge just move this one?
 
Oh, sure, since there doesn't seem to be any major issues, I'm OK with sending it to releases. Do I have to make a whole new topic or could a judge just move this one?
Normal judges can't, but mods might. I'm not sure if it works because the first post in a release topic has all these additional settings, but maybe these can be added afterwards. Of course, that would have the advantage that all the posts made here are retained.
 
Yes, yes, YES!

This is the greatest thing (in SRB2) I have ever feasted my eyes upon!

One question, though-- Can you do sloped Conveyor belts, also?
 
Oh my goodness! Yes! My life just got 20% cooler!

This was a great surprise, after being away from all computers for a couple of days, to come on and see this! I'm gonna download it right now, and play around with it a lot on my roadtrip.

I didn't even realize all these crazy new Things were gonna be in it. I'm looking forward to trying them out.

One last thing: Like Metal-Rawr said, the slope test map is a bit shoddy. If I designed a nicer one, would you perhaps include it in the next release?
 
One last thing: Like Metal-Rawr said, the slope test map is a bit shoddy. If I designed a nicer one, would you perhaps include it in the next release?

PLEASE, we need a bunch of test maps and custom content designed for SRB2CB in general. Anyone can help support SRB2CB by making content for it. Test maps or separate levels/mods designed for SRB2CB are greatly appreciated.
 
Just goes to show that SRB2 can be so much more than it is if OpenGL's the standard for the audience.
EDIT: Arggghhhh! It's doing that annoying thing where the game moves extremely slow when you open the exe again. Any help?
EDIT2: Had to re-download it. For some reason, it works better a 2nd time in windowed mode.
EDIT3: When using "addfile", putting in an incorrect or non-existent file name crashes SRB2CB.
 
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Pretty good job Kalaron! I'm glad to have seen the beginning and end of this project! Also balloon fountains (lol), that brings back memories.

You deserve every bit of praise. You earned it. What a way to show everyone up.
 
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