[Content Packages] Open Source Media Files for ZC (Progress, To-Do, Details)

9 replies · 3,246 views · Started 19 December 2016

ZoriaRPG 19 Dec 2016, 04:09

As I had discussed withy [MENTION=1]DarkDragon[/MENTION], and [MENTION=42714]Gleeok[/MENTION] (IIRC), I've started working on the goal of assembling sans-license, or non-infringing content to include with the source file distributions.

To this end, I have started contacting people who have such content, who can grant the use to it, or who will potentially create it for us; scouring libraries for media that we can use, and the like.

As I see it, we need the following:

[*]A set of quests that are not directly based off a Zelda game, but may be in that style.
[INDENT][*]I would also prefer to include some samples of script usage, item and enemy editor usage, and the like, in these.[/INDENT]
[*]A graphics package that is wholly original; that does not contain any commercial materials.
[*]Sound effects for all of the internal, and default sounds.
[*]Music files, for Level, Overworld, Final Level: These may be MIDI, enhanced, or chip tunes.
[*]Sprites for all the weapons, enemies, and animations.
[*]An intro splash that does not directly use Nintendo properties.

Thus far, I have heard back from [MENTION=59521]Bagel[/MENTION], who may be willing to compose some original music for the open-source ZC project, in a Zelda style, that is not infringing.

I'm waiting to hear back from others, and I will inform everyone of the progress in this endeavour. If I have overlooked some form of content that we require, please reply and notify me.

Gleeok 19 Dec 2016, 05:40

Saffith has some .dat files he started that I don't think he's working on. Maybe you can get those from him and take over on that front?

DarkDragon 19 Dec 2016, 06:55

That sounds like an excellent idea. A Nintendo DMCA notice remains a possible threat to the project, and making the main source and data packages non-infringing is definitely worth the effort.

ZoriaRPG 19 Dec 2016, 17:51

Gleeok wrote:Saffith has some .dat files he started that I don't think he's working on. Maybe you can get those from him and take over on that front?

That would be nice. I hope that [MENTION=38582]Saffith[/MENTION] reads the thread, and sends over some links; either in the thread, or by PM. I figure he's busy with the holidays, unlike some of us degenerates.

[MENTION=60094]DragonDePlatino[/MENTION] gave us official permission to use Koten:

[spoiler]
[quote name="DragonDePlatino"]
Sure thing! When I came up with Koten, I envisioned it as a sort of "Classic 2.0". You have my permission to use the tileset as long as you give proper credit.

Also, I'm glad to see you guys are revitalizing Zelda Classic! An update to a nice, modern rendering library is exactly what you need. I'm a bit iffy on the choice of SDL, though. Over the past few months I've bounced between several programming languages and rendering libraries. SDL 2.0 can work, but it lacks native .PNG loading and shaders. If you guys are using C++, SFML is the best option as it's very OOP-friendly and still being actively developed. I'm more of an allegro 5 guy myself, but that's mainly because I program in C and CSFML's OOP-ness is a bit clunky in C.
[/quote][/spoiler]

I don't think he signed up here yet, but perhaps he will.

I'm not sure how concerned we should be about the design of player sprites, enemies, and such. I think it would be a good idea to make a more generic warrior, and mage sprite set, and some more generic enemies, orcs, trolls, trees ('Ents' without infringing on that name), from fantasy lit, robots, and shyte, to put in the generic quest. That way, there is less of a chance that we are infringing. References to Nintendo properties, such as Zelda, Link, Ganon and whatnot need to be revised.

I can do some of that, but the more people I can rope in, the better it will be in the end. Plat may be willing to draw some extra stuff for this, but IDK yet.

What are your thoughts on stuff like player and enemy tiles/designs, insofar as what we must change out, and what we can leave alone? Stuff like Keese and Stalfos are generic enough to leave and just rename. Gleeoks can become Hydras, which is all they are really. I'm more worried abut Ganon, Patra, stuff like that, and to a lesser extent, Moblins, Goriyas, Leevers, Peahats, and similar Zelda-properties. What enemies do you think we'll need to revise or possibly remove?

The same likely applies to Triforce references. We can replace them with any MacGuffin.

I also need you two to have a listen to the opening music that I have in LLoE, and tell me if it is at all familiar. I don't remember basing it on anything, but at this point, it's been 16 years, and I don't rightly recall. Here's the quest file: LoE Tech Demo Quest

Have a listen, and tell me if it is familiar at all.

Saffith 19 Dec 2016, 20:39

I don't really have anything significant. I made an alternate qst.dat when it looked like the encryption code might be kept private, but that's pretty trivial. I'm not sure I even still have it; if I do, it'll have to be re-encoded before ZC can open it.

ZoriaRPG 19 Dec 2016, 21:03

Saffith wrote:I don't really have anything significant. I made an alternate qst.dat when it looked like the encryption code might be kept private, but that's pretty trivial. I'm not sure I even still have it; if I do, it'll have to be re-encoded before ZC can open it.

I'm going to need the missing data files though, to start making this work, including the base files for making qst.dat.

Also, do you know why the icons aren't assigned tot he binaries?

DarkDragon 19 Dec 2016, 21:08

Why missing data files? All of the data files not included in the repository are in the release packages on zeldaclassic.com.

What do you mean about the icons? The icons work for me (Windows 10): for zelda.exe I see the green triforce icon, etc.

ZoriaRPG 20 Dec 2016, 00:50

DarkDragon wrote:Why missing data files? All of the data files not included in the repository are in the release packages on zeldaclassic.com.
What do you mean about the icons? The icons work for me (Windows 10): for zelda.exe I see the green triforce icon, etc.

Must be a makefile issue.

DarkDragon 20 Dec 2016, 01:47

Ah yes, that could be. The icons work when you compile in MSVC, but it may be that they're not properly associated to the executable if you compile using the MINGW makefile.

ZoriaRPG 20 Dec 2016, 09:55

DarkDragon wrote:Ah yes, that could be. The icons work when you compile in MSVC, but it may be that they're not properly associated to the executable if you compile using the MINGW makefile.

Aye, and I'd love to shift over, but this system is having some severe issues, that until I resolve, preclude setting up any new software more complicated than a text editor. 😞

The HDD is on its last legs, as well. If when it goes, I'm reverting to Win7.