Topics

1

Map Requests / Anyone want to help stitch a map together?

« on: June 15, 2012, 05:31:06 pm »

I wanted to see if there was anyone interested in helping me map areas of the game "Revenant" for Windows, released back in 1999.  While it has 3D elements, it doesn't use perspective and most of the background is 2D, so it should be able to be fit together from screenshots.  I already did something like this for Doctor Who And The Mines of Terror a while back (only recently submitted it), by taking screenshots and pasting them in Photoshop on top of one another.  I'm not planning on mapping the entire game since that would be huge, but just a couple of the more interesting areas.  Here's a screenshot from the game:



Anyway, my proposal for anyone who is interested is I could take all the screenshots and someone else could lay them on top of each other, preferably in a way to blot out the main character.  I've already started this, but have only stitched about a dozen screenshots so far.  My method was to crop the edges and overlay the images over the character so he won't be seen.  So in short, if you're obsessive-compulsive and have basic Photoshop skills, go ahead and let me know.

Alternately if there's software that would make this process easier feel free to mention that too.

2

Mapping Tips/Guides / Advice / help wanted for mapping 3D DOS game with vector graphics

« on: June 14, 2012, 04:23:42 pm »

I'm very interested in mapping the old game "Test Drive III" released on DOS in 1990.  I think the detail of the level design in what's a fully 3D sandboxed world for 1990 is incredible.  Unfortunately I have no programming knowledge and because the game is in 3D, I can't exactly just stitch screenshots together.  My guess is there is maybe two possible approaches to this:

1. The game includes built-in camera controls that let you fly around to some degree.  This includes a camera tilt up / down function, but it stops at maybe a 45 degree angle each way.  If the executable could be modified so that it could look 90 degrees down, I could stitch together screenshots that way by flying around and taking ground shots.  Changing the .exe is definitely possible, in the version of the game I played, somebody already modified it to have unlimited lives.  This method would be tedious and there would be some inaccuracies due to perspective differences of being in 3D, but it's better than nothing.  I was thinking maybe the program Cheat Engine might be able to assist with this.

2. Since the game is in 3D, find some method of having the whole area rendered at an isometric angle, similar to how I've seen some N64 games here.  This would be the ideal method, but unfortunately this would require programming knowledge and experimentation, I simply don't have the skillset or software to do this.


If anyone out there has ideas on how to accomplish either of these methods or is willing to assist, please let me know. I'm very keen on trying to have this game mapped out.

Abandonware link for the game

Sample Screenshots: