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REZ Hacking

Discussion in 'Technical Discussion' started by Woofmute, Dec 11, 2009.

  1. ccat

    ccat

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    I found some beta Underworld samples still left over in the PS2 version. Looks like they were too lazy to clean up even after releasing.
     
  2. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    There was a small section of the song 'Cowgirl' left over in one file. Or at least, it sounded like it.

    So where did you find them?
     
  3. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    Double post? Yes. Awesome post? Double yes!

    I contacted Jake Kazdal just a few minutes ago, and asked him if he knew what that unknown picture I posted a few pages back was...

    Well, to quote the reply-

    'Holy **** thats awesome I forgot all about him!! He was the original bigger enemy from stage 1 that I designed and modeled, the art director towards the end of the game decided he didnt like it and made the new one with the one big fin hanging down. I miss that guy, his tentacles were bright blue and waved all over the place, I was very proud of it. Sad that it didnt make it!'

    EDIT:And I then asked him about some other models-

    'wow those are all old prototypes. It took us a while to really nail down the aesthetic and how we were going to approach everything visually. The squares all transformed into different shapes in time with the music, and the other two are prototypes of undersea microscopic life we were almost decided on before we found the tron-like aesthetic we ended up going with.'
     
  4. ccat

    ccat

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    I don't know if I have the same file structure in the dump as yours, but I scanned the whole REZ.PVM file with thousands of results, there's a Cowgirl loop on track 0034 and a Born Slippy synth at 0051. Also some percussion scattered around. Also, a beta slice at 1312 which I can't remember. (it was stage select, but hell knows what track it is)
     
  5. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    Ah, the .CVM file. You can open that up in most iso tools, and then extract the entire file structure.

    If anyone goes to Jake Kazdals website, that beta Area1 enemy can be seen on tge Rez concept art he uploaded.
     
  6. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    Actually, I think that unknown song (1312) you found is part of Area4. Try converting it, and then increasing it's pitch.
     
  7. ccat

    ccat

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    Hell knows, actually. Any progress on gameflow editing? (you could always extract the gameflows from an emu vmu, and try putting them on the rom)

    Also about gameflow editing, as I haven't really been much into it - is it powerful enough to assume that developers didn't use any external tools to arrange the levels, but instead made them inside the game and exported to put in the rom build?
     
  8. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    Still waiting for my Nexus VMU (Editing will be easier, as you can't use keyboards on the emu).

    I'd say that is what they did. The models in the .NB files are built so that they contain objects and in some cases (I.e Area5) the .NB files contain floors and the sky segments. The binary files structure the objects, and I think they also control other variables, such as wireframe colour. Unless Sega R&D developed some editor, or they just used a normal 3D program with a Sega R&D exporter.
     
  9. ccat

    ccat

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    NullDC works with a keyboard, the REZ console shows a barrage of errors but the keys are fine. I obviously wouldn't edit variables and test sound engine with a D-pad, for fuck's sake.
     
  10. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    Heh, I shouldn't use Chankast then. But I'd still stick with hardware, as it's much easier for me. (My computer wrecks the sound and graphics).

    Anyway, experimenting with the tutorial level binary, I managed to blank out the level scenery, but it doesn't crash. I've got a stage one binary mod to test tomorrow, so I'll post if it's successful.
     
  11. ccat

    ccat

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    The most correct statement ever - yes, you should NOT use Chankast. For about anything.
    No wonder you hate emulation, because chankapvr can't even render a stupid fog. NullDC emulates REZ 100% for me, so my actual hardware is currently catching dust.
     
  12. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    While digging through the beta in a hex editor, I came across this.

    Code (Text):
    1. ****Boss Select****.U_D:  Boss Select...L_R:  Level Select..ENTER:GO Boss...Select...    
    2. %s.level...    %2d....Boss_Boot_debug.Boss_Boot   Earth...Mars....Venus...Uranus..Eden
    For those who don't understand, this is telling you how to operate the boss select. But of course, the only boss select I know of is the variable editor one, and that does not use these commands (It does use similar ones though, but even then, you can't select Eden)...

    Boss Select
    Up/Down-Select Boss
    Left/Right-Boss Level (I.e. mega, giga, and tera, or 1, 2 and 3 in the beta).
    Enter-Start.

    The Boss boot debug part interests me though.


    And acording to Jake Kazdal, these objects are all beta-
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    EDIT-In fact, I believe the first image is the beta form seen in this video (Why else would it need to change in time to the BPM?)-



    EDIT#2- The textures used in that concept look similar to some textures in the TEST.PVM...
     
  13. ccat

    ccat

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    Digging through protos and hacking really teaches a lot about the process of game development.

    By the way, I somehow can't use NullDC to edit mainflows. Probably because some keys like Print Screen might not be emulated.
    Which port do you have your keyboard connected to?
     
  14. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    I use port 4.

    I got really annoyed when I found that I can't use _ in the beta as pressing it results in a different symbol, leading me to press the corresponding key on the keyboard. It got to the point where the button above tab was the one I needed to press, and that closes the console menu. So if I can't use that symbol, some commands are unusable. The key isn't emulated either.

    If you've got a DC keyboard, I recomend using the Dreamcast over the emulator when mainflow editing.
     
  15. ccat

    ccat

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    I don't have a keyboard, they're quite rare and expensive here (though available).

    You might have a different keyboard layout emulated, french or whatnot. DC had a few different keyboards.
     
  16. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    I bought one for £20 on Amazon, but you don't use £'s, so I couldn't really recomend anything to you. Mine was delivered from America, so it may use that key map. I wonder if there would be a way to change that...If there is, it would probably be hard though. To Google I go!

    EDIT:Found nothing useful. And hello page 6!
     
  17. Overlord

    Overlord

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    £20? They've shot up in price then. At one point my local Poundstretcher was flogging them on brand new for £1 each - iirc I bought 3, at the time (2 have since gone).
     
  18. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    I wish I'd bought one then. Saw a newish one in Poundland years ago, but wasn't able to buy it, and ended up paying £19 extra a few years later.
     
  19. ccat

    ccat

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    Here it costs 5x more than a standard PC keyboard, and the only ones I've seen are from parts of Europe with weird key standards (QWERTZ or AZERTY).

    I wish I wasn't too lazy to hack the flow format itself, for the sake of coding some editor perhaps. I guess I can only dream of a full-blown 3D REZ level and event editor, though most of how game works is already covered.
     
  20. Woofmute

    Woofmute

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    If I knew how to code, I'd try. And I think to use the _ key we'd need a Japanese keyboard.

    Actually, using the 3D utility mentioned before, you could open the 3D storage files, and using Puyo tools, you could open the PVM archives. Then use PVR Viewer to get the textures. I don't know about placing those correctly, but by that point, you'd have a Rez object viewer. You'd then need to research how the stage binary places the objects. Using that info, if it is ever figured out, you'd have a Rez level viewer. Add the functionality to move objects, and save correctly to the stage binary and you've got a basic Rez level editor. Add the option to import 3D, after it's somehow converted to the Rez Ninja format, to the stage .NB file, and you'd finally have a useful Rez level editor. It's hypothetical of course, I'm no expert.