lucius Posted May 18, 2020 Introduction Several years ago there was a project called the “XL Engine” which evolved from DarkXL with lofty ambitions. I personally hit some difficult times and never properly canceled the project, even if I couldn’t get back to it for a long time and didn’t really want to for a long time after that. Fast forward to today - time moves on and the XL Engine isn’t really necessary anymore - both Daggerfall and Blood have great projects that fill the niche the XL Engine wanted to fill (or close enough). But the Jedi Engine never had a proper source release or reverse-engineering effort. While many considered DarkXL to be a promising effort, it was incomplete and inaccurate in many ways. Ultimately the methods used to reproduce the game could never be 100% faithful in the ways that matter. And so The Force Engine was conceived as a complete re-write, rebuilt from the ground up with the following tenets: Support all Jedi based games - Dark Forces and Outlaws. Source-level accuracy by reverse-engineering the original executables. Focus on making sure the core games are completely supported before adding effects on top like dynamic lighting, this means starting with the software renderer just like the originals. Open sourcing the project the moment it goes public. Cross-platform support (though admittedly this last area still needs a lot of work before the first release). Multiplayer Support (coming later). I have been working on the project for a while now, planning on announcing it once a proper release was completed. However, I recently reconsidered that position and decided to announce it early in order to get testing and feedback without waiting until November (planned first proper release). What is the Force Engine? The Force Engine is a project to reverse engineer and rebuild the Jedi Engine for modern systems and the games that used that engine - Dark Forces and Outlaws. The project includes modern, built-in tools, such as a level editor and aims to make it easy to play Dark Forces and Outlaws on modern systems as well as the many community mods designed to work with the original games. Playing Dark Forces or Outlaws using the Force Engine adds ease of use and modern features such as higher resolutions and modern control schemes such as mouse-look. Using the built-in tools allows for easier modding with more modern UI, greater flexibility, and the ability to use enhancements made to the Jedi Engine for Outlaws in custom Dark Forces levels - such as slopes, stacked sectors, per-sector color maps and more. Website The main website for the project can be found here: https://theforceengine.github.io/ From there you can check out the GitHub repository, forums, screenshots, and the development blog. There is a test build available, but only for Win64 (Windows 7+), though 32 bit and Linux support are planned for the proper release. What is the current state of the project? The project is in a pre-release state. While it shares a legacy with DarkXL, it is a complete rewrite - rebuilt from the ground up with a much greater focus on accuracy. It is much more focused than the XL Engine, focused on being a Jedi Engine replacement/port only - thus full support for Dark Forces and Outlaws. Please check the Roadmap: https://theforceengine.github.io/Roadmap.html for more information on the release timetable and planned feature-set. It is somewhat conservative - there is a decent chance that the release will be earlier. A lot of the framework for the first release has been implemented but the majority of the focus is currently on the reverse engineering effort. What that means is that this version is incomplete, some elements are still inaccurate and others missing (such as enemy AI). The reason is simple - these elements will be filled in and/or corrected based on the reverse engineering work that is currently underway (and has been for some time). That means that no non-Windows build system is in place (and it is unlikely buildable on anything but Windows at the moment anyway). It also means that high-resolution software rendering is slow but that will be corrected within the next few months. The project will be properly released once Dark Forces support is complete (full INF, iMuse, all cutscenes, full AI, etc.) and Outlaws support is at “tech demo” status - mainly so that the new Jedi Engine features are in-place even if Outlaws gameplay code is not yet ready. Note that pull requests are very unlikely to be accepted until release because the code and even structure will change drastically as the reverse-engineered code is ported from Dark Forces and Outlaws and refactored. Any available builds are for testing only and are not useful as a DosBox/Dark.exe replacement. Current Build (0.01.003) The current build contains a preview of the tools and level editor (though none of these are useful for more than viewing at the moment) and runs Dark Forces in a limited capacity. Here is what is currently working (and not working): All INF is working in the base levels (including areas where DarkXL struggled). All levels are completable, though you will have to crouch jump to grab some items due to a collision bug. AI is not functional, but you can kill enemies. Enemies will drop the required items and killing bosses will have the correct effect. This is why the levels can be completed. Only the Bryar Pistol and Thermal detonator weapons work. There is infinite ammo. But exploding walls work correctly. Basic midi music works - but no dynamic iMuse. Movement, collision, etc. work but are not yet DOS accurate. The ESC menu works but most options do not (Abort/Next mission, Exit). Some sound effects are missing. Controls are not rebindable (the build comes with a readme that lists controls). Screenshots 87 Share this post Link to post
elend Posted May 18, 2020 Holy crap this is amazing. Will I finally be able to properly re-play Dark Forces?! And that map editor... what the... that looks very promising. 2 Share this post Link to post
Dark Pulse Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) I admittedly never played these games, but I admire the hard work and dedication that it takes to undertake a project like this. By all means, sir, keep it up - and make sure you steer clear of Disney's lawyers! I just might give these games a spin if you can! 1 Share this post Link to post
taufan99 Posted May 18, 2020 Schweet! I was just thinking yesterday if we could ever got a continuation of the XL Engine. Hope the best for this project. 0 Share this post Link to post
Denim Destroyer Posted May 18, 2020 Definitely will be following this! Glad to see someone is deciding to work on making this game more accessible for modern systems. 0 Share this post Link to post
Avoozl Posted May 18, 2020 Will it have the option for hardware rendering and distance filtering? 0 Share this post Link to post
lucius Posted May 18, 2020 42 minutes ago, Avoozl said: Will it have the option for hardware rendering and distance filtering? Currently, the focus is on the "Classic" Software Renderer (aka the renderer based on the DOS code) but there are plans for a "Perspective" software renderer (i.e. look up and down without the shearing effect) and matching "Classic" and "Perspective" hardware renderers with filtering options (mipmaps, anisotropic filtering, etc). The plan is to support proper widescreen and various other enhancements as well as options once the core is more complete. 6 Share this post Link to post
Redneckerz Posted May 18, 2020 I remember this one from years past. Was a hugely impressive undertaking and i remember how many were so bummed out that it got stalled. Good to have you back, Lucius! You may want to post this at the ZDoom forums aswell - Perhaps they can be of additional assistance :) 1 Share this post Link to post
Avoozl Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, lucius said: Currently, the focus is on the "Classic" Software Renderer (aka the renderer based on the DOS code) but there are plans for a "Perspective" software renderer (i.e. look up and down without the shearing effect) and matching "Classic" and "Perspective" hardware renderers with filtering options (mipmaps, anisotropic filtering, etc). The plan is to support proper widescreen and various other enhancements as well as options once the core is more complete. A little bit disappointed to hear that since it's one of the reasons why I was watching for development of DarkXL before that unexpectedly stopped. I got tired of full software rendering since playing through DOSBox, I don't want all the greatest overkill graphics options of course just the usual options which other game source ports do like with Doom and DN3D, I still want pixelized textures just not software mode or pixelated distance. At least others will still appreciate this regardless. 0 Share this post Link to post
damned Posted May 18, 2020 I loved Outlaws and first Dark Forces. I haven't even noticed any modern port for those, so I am definitely looking forward. It would be great to replay them. 1 Share this post Link to post
taufan99 Posted May 18, 2020 I made a blog post about this. Happy to know that we still have hope to play the first Dark Forces and Outlaws in modern platforms! 0 Share this post Link to post
klasodeth Posted May 18, 2020 1 hour ago, Avoozl said: A little bit disappointed to hear that since it's one of the reasons why I was watching for development of DarkXL before that unexpectedly stopped. I got tired of full software rendering since playing through DOSBox, I don't want all the greatest overkill graphics options of course just the usual options which other game source ports do like with Doom and DN3D, I still want pixelized textures just not software mode or pixelated distance. At least others will still appreciate this regardless. If you look carefully at the last screenshot Lucius posted, you'll see that the software renderer isn't limited to 320x200, so you don't need to worry about pixelated distance. Also, the roadmap for the first public release specifies that hardware rendering will be included. 3 Share this post Link to post
dew Posted May 18, 2020 Neat! I watched the feature creep in XL Engine with dismay, because in efect it delayed indefinitely what I wanted the most from the project: a reasonable way to play Dark Forces and its user content in modern times. This refocus on the basics, and your reappearance in general, is a welcome sight! 5 Share this post Link to post
Manhs Posted May 18, 2020 Awesome, finaly, Dark Forces could have a port! Thank you =) 0 Share this post Link to post
lucius Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, Avoozl said: A little bit disappointed to hear that since it's one of the reasons why I was watching for development of DarkXL before that unexpectedly stopped. I got tired of full software rendering since playing through DOSBox, I don't want all the greatest overkill graphics options of course just the usual options which other game source ports do like with Doom and DN3D, I still want pixelized textures just not software mode or pixelated distance. At least others will still appreciate this regardless. As I mentioned in the reply, I am planning on adding those features - after focusing on the core. Hardware support is coming though. :) Also the current build already supports high-resolution rendering (though you have to change it manually in the ini file). 2 Share this post Link to post
Jawohlf Posted May 18, 2020 Time to put those two game purchases to good use, then. :) My apologies if this is grossly obvious and I missed it, but what are the data files TFE needs and where should I put them? 0 Share this post Link to post
lucius Posted May 18, 2020 Just now, Jawohlf said: Time to put those two game purchases to good use, then. :) My apologies if this is grossly obvious and I missed it, but what are the data files TFE needs and where should I put them? The Force Engine uses the original game data files. You should install the games as normal. If it is a Steam installation then it will be automatically detected if Steam is installed at the default location. Either way, run the TFE executable and then hit Start in the menu. If it can't find the game data, it will pop up instructions regarding the INI file to edit. Unfortunately, this is a "pre-release" build, so you will have to go and manually edit the INI file with the game data path and restart the application. In the future, this will be streamlined and all done through the in-app UI. At the moment only Dark Forces is supported. Please see the Readme that comes with the build for more information. 2 Share this post Link to post
hybridial Posted May 18, 2020 This is looking cool and Dark Forces is a game I'd be willing to play properly with a decent modern source port. Do you have any plans to add controller support at all? 0 Share this post Link to post
lucius Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) 9 minutes ago, hybridial said: This is looking cool and Dark Forces is a game I'd be willing to play properly with a decent modern source port. Do you have any plans to add controller support at all? Actually basic controller input is already in - though it is currently not used by the game code. That said, proper support and mapping is planned. 4 Share this post Link to post
seed Posted May 18, 2020 Woah there, now this is NOICE, finally these classics are bsing done justice 👌. Congrats and thanks, looking forward to the project. 2 Share this post Link to post
reflex17 Posted May 18, 2020 Dark Forces rules. I've always wanted a workable editor for the game, this project looks like a dream come true. 10/10 Keep up the good work. 3 Share this post Link to post
ReaperAA Posted May 18, 2020 I have yet to play Dark Forces myself, but it is a game I would like to try out eventually. I remember being a bit sad when DarkXL stopped receiving any updates (or even any news for that matter). Most of us assumed that you just gave up (there were even some stupid rumors that you were dead). Thankfully you haven't given up and still working on making a Dark Forces. Good luck with the project. The Emperor will certainly be pleased and may offer you a place in the inner circle ;) 4 Share this post Link to post
lucius Posted May 18, 2020 59 minutes ago, ReaperAA said: I have yet to play Dark Forces myself, but it is a game I would like to try out eventually. I remember being a bit sad when DarkXL stopped receiving any updates (or even any news for that matter). Most of us assumed that you just gave up (there were even some stupid rumors that you were dead). Thankfully you haven't given up and still working on making a Dark Forces. Good luck with the project. The Emperor will certainly be pleased and may offer you a place in the inner circle ;) Yes, rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. But I did drop out for quite a while due to personal reasons. Ultimately I started this project a few months ago after re-evaluating what I wanted to do with the XL Engine/DarkXL, etc.. 6 Share this post Link to post
Jawohlf Posted May 18, 2020 2 hours ago, lucius said: The Force Engine uses the original game data files. You should install the games as normal. If it is a Steam installation then it will be automatically detected if Steam is installed at the default location. Either way, run the TFE executable and then hit Start in the menu. If it can't find the game data, it will pop up instructions regarding the INI file to edit. Unfortunately, this is a "pre-release" build, so you will have to go and manually edit the INI file with the game data path and restart the application. In the future, this will be streamlined and all done through the in-app UI. At the moment only Dark Forces is supported. Please see the Readme that comes with the build for more information. Got it. I installed my GOG version and TFE autodetected it perfectly. I would rather just put the needed files (.GOB and .LFD, I presume?) into a subfolder within TFE, but for now this is more than ok. In other news: 0 Share this post Link to post
lucius Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) 11 minutes ago, Jawohlf said: Got it. I installed my GOG version and TFE autodetected it perfectly. I would rather just put the needed files (.GOB and .LFD, I presume?) into a subfolder within TFE, but for now this is more than ok. In other news: Great, I'm glad you got it working. If you haven't already, please view the readme for information about what is contained in the build and the controls. The different "profiles" on the Agent screen have different levels open - I think James has all of them if you want to check any out without having to play* through them all first. You can also change the internal resolution in the INI file (/Documents/TheForceEngine/settings.ini) if you want to check out higher resolutions. Also F11 for full-screen and you can drag the window to change its size. * As much as you can "play" when the enemies don't move or fight back. :)- 0 Share this post Link to post
Martin Howe Posted May 18, 2020 Really pleased to see this. I bought Outlaws in 1997 and still haven't played all the way through it; it was quite different to Doom and the like and I was a less experienced gamer, plus I had too much to do as it is. I have wanted to do it in the last few years, but now way to runit on Linux. Perhaps some day there will be. Anyway it's nice to see the spirit of the XL Engine alive (or undead) in some shape or form :p 0 Share this post Link to post
DuckReconMajor Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) YES YES YES Add me to the list of "was incredibly bummed out when updates stopped" I am sorry to hear it was because of life issues and hope you are doing better now. Good to have you back! edit: I take it I missed this somewhere in your post but does the current build support Outlaws? it says it's just looking for Dark Forces Edited May 18, 2020 by DuckReconMajor 0 Share this post Link to post
lucius Posted May 18, 2020 (edited) 49 minutes ago, DuckReconMajor said: YES YES YES Add me to the list of "was incredibly bummed out when updates stopped" I am sorry to hear it was because of life issues and hope you are doing better now. Good to have you back! edit: I take it I missed this somewhere in your post but does the current build support Outlaws? it says it's just looking for Dark Forces It does not yet support Outlaws, I'm still working through Dark Forces. Some of the Outlaws formats are viewable by the Asset Editor but levels aren't loading yet. The website (https://theforceengine.github.io/) has a conservative Roadmap that outlines when Dark Forces and Outlaws become properly playable (and various other things, like tools, multiplayer, etc.) Oh and I'm doing great now. :D 6 Share this post Link to post
JPL Posted May 19, 2020 Really, really great to see this project. All the decisions seem really sound - especially an in-engine level and asset editor is very exciting. These games will get a new lease on life and their communities will be very grateful. Thanks for coming back and working on this! 1 Share this post Link to post
intacowetrust Posted May 19, 2020 Super excited for this project - can't wait to see the end result! Best of luck with the milestones to come, it looks as though you've already made pretty impressive progress! 1 Share this post Link to post