Hi-Res support for NeoLemmix? Bring back SuperLemmini?

Started by WillLem, September 22, 2019, 04:12:12 PM

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Some people prefer Hi-Res graphics, and lament the loss of support for SuperLemmini in NeoLemmix, which remains a champion of the classic DOS graphics style. How could a preference for higher resolution graphics be satisfied within the Lemmings community?

Expand the scope of NeoLemmix to incorporate Hi-Res graphics, but leave SuperLemmini in the past where it belongs
4 (33.3%)
Definitely bring back support for SuperLemmini! It's a great platform for the game and only needs a few minor tweaks
1 (8.3%)
Let's build a completely new player/editor engine that supports as many versions of Lemmings as possible, without infringing copyright
1 (8.3%)
Leave things as they are, I couldn't care less about Hi-Res graphics
6 (50%)

Total Members Voted: 12

Voting closed: October 22, 2019, 04:12:12 PM

namida

Ascender should already exist from WinLemm or Mac sprites. It's just known by a different name in older engines, specifically "Jumper". It's the animation when lemmings step up a height of 3px or more while walking.

I'll also have to put a stop right there on using any assets taken directly from, or extracted using, SuperLemmini - SuperLemmini's licence does not allow for us to do this, and I'd prefer to respect the licence terms of other fanmade engines. If we want to use any graphics, we need to extract them from an official game directly, or create them ourselves. I have in the past successfully been able to extract graphics from WinLemm; not sure if I posted the extraction tool and/or the extracted files anywhere, but I don't remember it being particularly tricky so if I can hunt down the format documentation, I can likely write an extractor again. For Xmas sprites, we would need to either make these ourselves, upscale the existing ones, or find a way to extract them from the Mac version.




QuoteI would strongly oppose high-res graphics if they mean any change to existing physics though. Even if they are only an option they should be only a visual change and having 2 sets physics in an engine would be chaos. My main concern was and is always the user created content as that it stays as stable as possible. An engine without functional content is nothing after all and I don't think slightly higher res graphics are worth any sort of physics overhaul and broken level/replays. I rather have 100% functional content in the form of thousands of quality puzzles.

As long as everyone is happy with a requirement of "every graphic set must have a low-res version (high-res version is optional)", I believe I could do this without any physics impact whatsoever. This requirement would make things easier anyway, as I wouldn't necesserially need to have the editor also support high-res mode.
My projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)
Non-Lemmings: Commander Keen: Galaxy Reimagined (a Commander Keen fangame)

ccexplore

Quote from: namida on September 25, 2019, 06:36:35 PMFor Xmas sprites, we would need to either make these ourselves, upscale the existing ones, or find a way to extract them from the Mac version.

Extracting from Mac should already be done: https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=4078.msg73863#msg73863.  Let me know if the Xmas Lemmings sprites are missing in the attachment.

namida

Quote from: ccexplore on September 25, 2019, 07:51:26 PM
Quote from: namida on September 25, 2019, 06:36:35 PMFor Xmas sprites, we would need to either make these ourselves, upscale the existing ones, or find a way to extract them from the Mac version.

Extracting from Mac should already be done: https://www.lemmingsforums.net/index.php?topic=4078.msg73863#msg73863.  Let me know if the Xmas Lemmings sprites are missing in the attachment.

Hm, yeah, there's a bit of a style difference from the WinLemm ones, although I don't see any reason they wouldn't be at least useable.
My projects
2D Lemmings: NeoLemmix (engine) | Lemmings Plus Series (level packs) | Doomsday Lemmings (level pack)
3D Lemmings: Loap (engine) | L3DEdit (level / graphics editor) | L3DUtils (replay / etc utility) | Lemmings Plus 3D (level pack)
Non-Lemmings: Commander Keen: Galaxy Reimagined (a Commander Keen fangame)

WillLem

#33
Quote from: namida on September 25, 2019, 06:36:35 PM
I'll also have to put a stop right there on using any assets taken directly from, or extracted using, SuperLemmini - SuperLemmini's licence does not allow for us to do this, and I'd prefer to respect the licence terms of other fanmade engines. If we want to use any graphics, we need to extract them from an official game directly, or create them ourselves. I have in the past successfully been able to extract graphics from WinLemm; not sure if I posted the extraction tool and/or the extracted files anywhere, but I don't remember it being particularly tricky so if I can hunt down the format documentation, I can likely write an extractor again. For Xmas sprites, we would need to either make these ourselves, upscale the existing ones, or find a way to extract them from the Mac version.

Quote from: namida on September 25, 2019, 08:57:23 PM
Hm, yeah, there's a bit of a style difference from the WinLemm ones, although I don't see any reason they wouldn't be at least useable.

I've already got all of the WinLemm sprites and graphics extracted so no worries there. I'm pretty certain that SuperLemmini got most of its level/lemming graphics from WinLemm - they look identical! The only thing I'd really need to take from SuperLemmini is the Xmas sprites. I've had a look at the Mac ones and they're not that great tbh. Plus, I would agree that the style difference is too noticeable. If we're going to do this, let's do it properly.

Is anyone in contact with Tsyu so we can ask him directly if he's OK for us to use the SL Xmas sprites? It would save a lot of time and effort! If not, I'm happy to recreate these myself, I'll make my own versions by modifying the WinLemm default sprites and just using the SuperLemmini ones as a guide for pixel placement etc.

Quick question regarding the Xmas sprites - shall I also make Xmas versions of all the NL skills (Glider, Platformer, etc)?

ccexplore

Quote from: namida on September 25, 2019, 08:57:23 PMHm, yeah, there's a bit of a style difference from the WinLemm ones, although I don't see any reason they wouldn't be at least useable.

Well, at least for Xmas Lemmings sprites, I think the Mac ones are your only choice for hi-res, since we know there are no WinLemm version, and the SuperLemmini ones are definitely not Mac and might possibly be created by author of SuperLemmini, and therefore potentially subjected to same licensing issues you alluded to earlier.  The SuperLemmini Xmas ones are also kind of crappy anyway IMO.

WillLem

Quote from: ccexplore on September 25, 2019, 11:49:13 PM
Quote from: namida on September 25, 2019, 08:57:23 PMHm, yeah, there's a bit of a style difference from the WinLemm ones, although I don't see any reason they wouldn't be at least useable.

Well, at least for Xmas Lemmings sprites, I think the Mac ones are your only choice for hi-res, since we know there are no WinLemm version, and the SuperLemmini ones are definitely not Mac and might possibly be created by author of SuperLemmini, and therefore potentially subjected to same licensing issues you alluded to earlier.  The SuperLemmini Xmas ones are also kind of crappy anyway IMO.

OK... I'll do my own using the WinLemm sprites as a guide. Might take a while to get those finished, I'll concentrate on the regular ones for now.

Btw, which level(s) is/are best to see the Disarmer, Fencer and Shimmier skills in action? If I know exactly what they're for it'll be easier to build the sprites.

Proxima

Quote from: WillLem on September 26, 2019, 12:27:22 AMBtw, which level(s) is/are best to see the Disarmer, Fencer and Shimmier skills in action? If I know exactly what they're for it'll be easier to build the sprites.

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