Ok folks, the new project is here. The dedicated Jazz3D project is dead and a new project is born.

Introducing M.I.A , or expanded - Mod It All

This is what all this work has been about. This is what has become of the project that started as an attempt to make Jazz2 work in 3D.

MIA is a completely modable game system. It allows you not only to play games on it but also to make your own modifications and share them with every gamer who logs in....but I'm jumping ahead of myself.

The core element of MIA is total conversions (TC's) these are our games. So Jazz3D will be a total conversion for MIA. I also have a few other TC's in planning.
Any user can make their own TC, and then develop their own levels, weapons, characters and objects for that TC (we will talk of editors soon).
A user can download a TC using MIA where it will be installed and they can start playing straight away.
They can also download modifications for the TC made by other users.
If they feel creative they can make their own mods.

If you aren’t really creative, don't worry...the best bit of MIA is the fact you can play these TC's online with your mates.

Ok so let’s talk about the components of this project.

Firstly we have "MIA Core"
This is the starting place for all your work in MIA.
You begin by logging in (or registering an account)

You will be presented with a few pages:
Home, Updates, TC & Account
In home you can see the latest MIA news and also send a message to me if you have a bug to report, feature request or incident to report (e.g. Cheating or abuse of any kind).
In updates we will be shown a list of crucial updates to MIA…It’s very wise to stay updated as when playing online if you have a out of date version of MIA you will not be able to join games made by those with a more recent version.
In TC you can choose which Total Conversion you wish to play and upon activating it will be taken to a set of TC specific menus.
Account is where you can change your User Name, password, Contact details etc.

So what are these TC specific menus ?
Well they are split into TC Home, Updates, Downloads, Installed, Play & Account

TC Home is the latest news on the TC (these news items are made by the user who made the TC, not the MIA admin or moderators)
Updates shows the list of crucial updates to the Total Conversion. As before make sure you are up to date.
Downloads lets you search, find and download Mods for the TC
Installed lets you see the mods you already have installed and edit them (if you have permission), remove them or Upload one (if it’s yours) to the server so it becomes available to all users.
Play lets you start single or multiplayer games
Account is exactly the same as in the MIA specific menus.

Ok well done for reading this far…here are some pictures !

Ok this is the level editor:



This is complete. It allows you to make your own levels. You can load in objects easily (including the ones you have downloaded)
Place them in your level
Modify their details

http://bouncyrock.com/MIA/Screenshot...r/LE-AdjOb.jpg

Add trigger zones and give them jobs.

http://bouncyrock.com/MIA/Screenshot...LE-Trigger.jpg

Add particle sources

http://bouncyrock.com/MIA/Screenshot...E-Particle.jpg

Add water (the water doesn’t look like this in-game…This is just a placeholder.
Adjust Light settings
Gravity and water settings
Add sound emitters (these are 3D sounds that loop continuously) great for ambient sounds like water dripping in a cave.

http://bouncyrock.com/MIA/Screenshot...-SoundEmit.jpg

Waypoints for adding patrol paths to platforms and enemies

http://bouncyrock.com/MIA/Screenshot...-Waypoints.jpg

And more…

Here is the Character editor … also complete !
Chose the (.x) model you wish to use for the character and set his main properties.



Add moves using the move designing page (It may look complex but it will come with documentation)

http://bouncyrock.com/MIA/Screenshot...or/CE-Pic2.jpg

Gradually build up your character and then save….he/she is now ready to play.

The Object editor
Here you can make any kind of object that can then be loaded into the level editor and used in your games. Currently the only things missing are a load feature (this will come once the encryption system I’m writing to protect people’s media is complete) and mass & strength settings for crates (which I will add after this).

You can design any kind of objects you need for your game.

We have effector objects: These perform some task when contact is made with them. An example with Jazz is the trampoline which applies a force to an object and makes a sound.



Pickups: These perform some task when contact is made with them and then disappear. A good example is food pickups in Jazz which give you points and then disappear (get eaten)

http://bouncyrock.com/MIA/Screenshot.../OE-Pickup.jpg

Crates: Soon to be renamed containers. These are an object in which other objects can be placed which are released when the object is destroyed. So barrels or crates in Jazz are containers in MIA.

Physics objects: These are objects that don’t affect Jazz in any way other than that he can push them about and interact with them as they obey the physics system.
Some objects automatically behave as physics objects e.g. crates and boulders

Platforms: The way this part of the editor works may change in future releases of MIA as this is currently a bit to Jazz orientated.
However it lets you load a (.x) objects to use as the platform and allows you to specify a texture to be used for the arm of the platform.

Static Scenery: Any object that just works as scenery. They cannot be pushed or interacted with in any real way. However they can be animated so dancing mushrooms and such are very possible!

http://bouncyrock.com/MIA/Screenshot.../OE-Static.jpg

Blocks: Destroyable objects that can be used as blockages in the game. You texture them and give them a strength and can set how many stages of damage there are (i.e you can have blocks that change texture with each shot as in the 4shot blocks in Jazz. Or you could make a door which slowly degrades as you do it damage)

http://bouncyrock.com/MIA/Screenshot.../OE-Blocks.jpg

What is coming:
Weapons Editor: The old one was far to limiting and Jazz orientated so I’m rewriting it…its going to be huge!

MIA Core: Obviously this needs to be written before launch

Game Engine: Should be very easy as the physics system is complete already, the

3D sound system is finished all the editors do the hard work so its just a case of loading it all in really.

A few more online scripts: They are (-) annoying to write, it’s not that PHP is a bad language…far from it but database work is (-) dull !

Release: Then we are off !


So yes lots of work but it’s nearly here and I’m very excited and hope you are too.
Ok so this is the thread where you can ask questions about MIA but primarily this is for the Jazz3D total conversion being built with MIA.

So lets hear your view folks !

This sounds great. Just one question; if you don't have a particular TC, will running games using that TC not show up, or just not be accessible?

TunderPX: I hope the default TC, will be Jazz3d .


I like it! I like what i see! I wonder how you are planning to design the menu's..
I was thinking of a XML - Parser ( yes.. a parser again . ).

The game itself will load other models and texture, the prencipt will be the same for all TC's, but the menus are'nt.. someone want a picture in the leftcornor, or animated backgrounds.

How are you going to solve this little problem ( for me it is a problem ).

The menu background will probably just be a single file that can be easily replaced.

Thanks for the responce guys, great to know it's all looking good.

ThunderPx: OK simply they wont be accesable, the downloads won't show any files other than those of the TC your currently using.
So if I'm in the Jazz3D TC all the jazz mods, games and updates will be visible if you are running others OITS for example (Out In The Sticks - stickman shoot-em-up with crazy physics) you will see all the updates, games etc for that.

Can't do XML parser as I dont know of one that works with DarkBasicPro. As it is I had to write all the code to handle the windows gadgets myself as I dont have the money to buy a plugin to handle this.
In future however there will be a way of modifying the menus...but that is well in the future and definately not a priority.

Thanks again people.
I have just got the plugin for networking so I will be testing out some of that soon here in the web cafe and then it will get integrated into the game engine. All is looking very groovy !

This looks great. Congratulations and good work.

Thanks.
I have just finished drawing all the menus for the Weapons Editor...(-) theres lots of work to do there !
Hopefully there will only be about 3 or 4 really tricky bits.

Seeya

[EDIT]
Got most of the windows gadgets in now. So should be able to load it up soon and start on the meat of the editor.

I don't understand it, so it must be good.

Heh. Great work! I can already imagine what I would make with it!

I'm not quit sure, i first want to see what kind of games the engine will support! But i love the Jazz TC already

White Rabbit: Windows gadgets are things like textboxes, tickboxes etc...all those little bits that make up windows (the statement sometimes includes subwindows too)

Puffie40: Thanks, yeah I look forward to seeing all your guys creations !

Marijn: Depends how wide your imagination is...Obviously it cant do everything. I'ts for fighting games really.... know i can make guns, swords, bows and the like using the weapon editor and am sure that you can create far more.
Its all about how much time you put into using and abusing the system !
I know you could make a small chatroom for people, like just a level with no weapons.
I'll be posting lots of example ideas when its more finished.

Seeya guys !

sounds nice.. why did this thread start off with the message that the project is dead? It just turned another way, that's all:P now, finish soon I cant wait XD

PMed important post to jerry, removed useless posts.
BTW, Jerry there is a delete option when you edit your post. Use that instead of merely editing the text out

Thanks n00b....you can remove the post above aswell please

Originally Posted by Baggers

Thanks n00b....you can remove the post above aswell please

I decided to leave the congratulation.

Did you make MIA, or is it a program you are using?
It looks neat, Good job.

Thanks Ae, yeah I am writing the whole thing! it's prtty heavy going but is coming along well.

Actually talking of progress...

First public shot of the weapons editor. This thing is going to be big !
I have all the easy bits done. I'll probably start the harder stuff tommrow (particle effect editor [UGH!], saving and loading [Bigger UGH!] and then new and exit [easy peasey]).
I'm thinking about a week or so to get this complete.

n00b: I'd really rather you removed it...please.

That weapon model is great.

By the way, what music formats will MIA support?

I hope .IT because i have download a lot of it ( and of cource the levels from Jazz )

but also .Org, .MP3 will be a good idea,

Ohe.. I don't know really how you can edit the game, can i also override functions or is it only the tools i get from MIA.

I like all screens! Thanks

MIA currently only supports '.MP3' but I will probably be adding more music types in future. I'm slightly limited by the file types that DBPro lets me use.

Editing of the game is done through the editors, but to make models and such you will need other software that I do not have the skill to make.
Now before you whine that I am making you shell out hard cash I would like you to search online for:

Blender: A totaly free and very powerful modeling tool
Milkshape: A £20 and pretty simple modeling tool (nice though !)
GIMP: A totaly free piece of image editing software.
Audacity: A totaly free piece of sound/music editting software, brilliant piece of kit.

There are options. If you don't like that idea then I guess you'll just have to make a team with a modeler, wait for models to be released for free... or scoure the web for free models and textures.
Personal I recommend looking at
Turbosquid (google it !)
and there are so many free texture sites out there I have lost count.

So yeah thats how you edit the game !

I'd have to say this looks like the greatest thing since sliced bread. Keep up the awesome work.

Originally Posted by Baggers

MIA currently only supports '.MP3' but I will probably be adding more music types in future. I'm slightly limited by the file types that DBPro lets me use.

Editing of the game is done through the editors, but to make models and such you will need other software that I do not have the skill to make.
Now before you whine that I am making you shell out hard cash I would like you to search online for:

Blender: A totaly free and very powerful modeling tool
Milkshape: A £20 and pretty simple modeling tool (nice though !)
GIMP: A totaly free piece of image editing software.
Audacity: A totaly free piece of sound/music editting software, brilliant piece of kit.

There are options. If you don't like that idea then I guess you'll just have to make a team with a modeler, wait for models to be released for free... or scoure the web for free models and textures.
Personal I recommend looking at
Turbosquid (google it !)
and there are so many free texture sites out there I have lost count.

So yeah thats how you edit the game !

PLEASE! don't say that... I hate messages of "Please join my team!" XD

Originally Posted by Marijn

PLEASE! don't say that... I hate messages of "Please join my team!" XD

Please join my team!

God, this is awesome.

Thumbs up!

iam wondering how high you will be able to jump, it should be like jazz2 where you can jump very unrealisticly high

Originally Posted by Birdie

iam wondering how high you will be able to jump, it should be like jazz2 where you can jump very unrealisticly high

You can jump of a cliff in JJ2 and fall very long.. without hurting yourself..

Thats because Cliffy and Arjan both had a hatred for games that did that to you.

Yet there was falling damage in Jazz3D... Controversy!!

I dont think Cliff or Arjan had much say in jazz3d

I hate damage when falling

in Worms 4: Mayhem it's a setting in the game styles.. would be the best thing to do

You make all the moves for characters in the Character editor so you can make a character jump as high as you want....and yes falling damage is an option.

Good!

Milk Shape is pretty good

Show your models!

Marijn: Not here !..In time maybe but for now lets keep this MIA orientated.

Sorry for the lack of proper updates recently. The other day we had the worst storm this area of uganda has seen in years...was mental, alot of the matoke plantations are ruined...mummbling of famine and such...tis a hard time for some. Also the power plant got knocked out so the other day was mainly spent teaching without power (an interesting experienece !) and running around getting a generator and rigging that up to the cafe.

All is working now though so when I can get to the computer which has DBpro on it I can get back to work. Might end up being tommorow though.
I have figured out how I'm going to do the particle effect ediiting in the weapon editor so I'm ready mentally to go. Ive also been planning stuff for the engine itself and a possible future release of M.I.A

[EDIT]
Awesome...I'm on the office computer again. Been on about an hour. Ive got the the partile menu pretty much designed, I'm working on the code side of it now. Will post screenies soon'ish

holy.. sounds revolting... or am I overreacting?

Nope your over-reacting...even the people here manage to get on with their lives without that fuss ! We just thank god no-one got killed.

good then *thanks god too*
keep the good work! *waits, not saying you must hurry cuz.. well you know*

Something I'm wondering, is it possible to make a gun like a Punching-glove gun (The punch glove shoots out and then pops back in), or a boomerang?