Beta Prequ Engine (Another Lba Engine)

[Dimacus]

[Update 5/4]
I have been tinkering a bit with the source and the start script file, autosave now works (see my post further down).
(Note that regular saves still don't really work)

There is no longer any need to manually copy lba.cfg if this is your first install, the script takes care of that.
If you are replacing the old pnd with this one, i'd recommend removing the lba.cfg in your appdata/prequengine dir.

Here is the updated pnd file:
http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=prequengine.package.dimacus.001




[Original post]
After Dead1nside pointed out https://code.google.com/p/prequengine/ in the Twin-e LBA engine remake thread, I decided to check if out.
It's another engine for LBA, designed with to play the original game as well as mod's.
Taken from their page:

"An opensource reimplementation of the LBA (Little Big Adventure) game engine for LBA Prequel project. Our goal is to create the LBA1 game engine and add new features to allow new LBA modification games, such as LBA Prequel project.

This project it's based on TwinEngine by yaz0r. Details at lbaprequel.xesf.net "

I made some changes to make it more Pandora friendly and packaged it in a PND.

If you whish to try this out, you will need to run the pnd file first, it will then create the appdata dir "prequengine" into which it will copy two files.
The file "lba.cfg" is very important, when you copy the original gamedata files into the same folder, do NOT copy the original lba.cfg

Over all this engine seems more complete and does not suffer from the same control problem the Twin-e project has.

If you wish to build it yourself from the sources, you can use the Makefile.panda ("make -f Makefile.panda prequengine") that I used, or whatever

[Edit]
Controls:
Movement - D-pad.
Select mode (athletic, normal, etc) - Right shoulderbutton.
Inventory - Y
Primary action - A
Secondary action - X
Skip/Menu - Start
Options menu - F6
Toggle fullscreen - F10

 

[relapse808]

I will try this out today. I tried your Twin-e and the controls sucked in that version as you said. Hopefully this one is much better.

 

[Stouffa]

I've downloaded this twice, but I can't seem to extract the PND, is there something extra I need to obtain to do this?

 

[Dead1nside]

Thanks Dimacus, it's much appreciated, I can't wait to play it (got to receive my Pandora first though).

 

[Dimacus]

I've downloaded this twice, but I can't seem to extract the PND, is there something extra I need to obtain to do this?

Hmm, well the pnd is just gzipped, perhaps you are having problems opening that file format?

You can try the file i upload here instead.

 

[Stouffa]

that seemed to do the trick, don't know why the previous version wouldn't work for me though! tried out this new version, the controls are definitely much improved and the clips play full screen too!

 

[Emnasut]

Works great, thanks!

I feel a bit silly though, as after about 50 tries I still can't seem to get out of the first room... No matter how fast I run up the guard and knock him down and then the scientist there always sounds a siren and those strange balls come flying from somewhere far away from the room and kill me. I can't remember it being that hard when I played it on my 486... Any advice?

 

[Dimacus]

Stay and wait for the guard to come to you and as soon as he is within reach, quickly take him out (one hit should do); then hurry to the scientist and knock him down.

 

[Emnasut]

Wow that worked, thanks! And I here I was trying to run faster and faster up to the guard when I all I had to do was wait...

 

[PsoBloke]

Dimacus, you are my hero. When I first recieved my Pandora, I had 0 ways of playing one of my favourite games.. ..Now I have 3! Thank you, awesome work.

 

[juliano]

Awesome, it worked very well. Thanks.

 

[mrdremel]

Is it also possible to save a game? I got outside of the prison and was in the sewers and all, but when I quit I have to start over. Are savegames supported?

 

[Dimacus]

Ok, after a bit of tinkering with the sources and the start script, I have gotten the autosave to work.

Note that only the autosave works at the moment, and that it's quiet volatile, this is how it works:
(First get the updated version here http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=prequengine.package.dimacus.001 )
When you start the pnd file, the start script tries to create a backup of your saves folder (appdata/prequengine/save/) here (appdata/prequengine/save/oldsave/).
When the game is then started and you select new game, it creates/overwrites the savefile S9999.lba in your savefolder, this is the savefile that ALWAYS is used.
As soon as you enter a new area it saves the current state to that file.
When you Quit game, it saves the current state to that file.
When you choose continue game, that is the file it loads.

IF you by accident select 'new game' your savegame will be overwritten, you can restore your old save from the backup as long as you follow these steps:
1. Quit the game.
1.5 DON'T START THE GAME AGAIN or the backup will be overwritten.
2. Go into a filemanager and copy the file S9999.lba from appdata/prequengine/save/oldsave/ to appdata/prequengine/save/
3. Profit! (you can now start and continue playing ).

Note: the save function in the menu do work, but it saves to the same file, so as soon as you exit the game/exit the area it gets overwritten, so it's a bit pointless.

If i get the time, I might try to implement a basic multi-save system w/ separate autosave.

 

[mrdremel]

Ok, after a bit of tinkering with the sources and the start script, I have gotten the autosave to work.

Note that only the autosave works at the moment, and that it's quiet volatile, this is how it works:
(First get the updated version here http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=prequengine.package.dimacus.001 )
When you start the pnd file, the start script tries to create a backup of your saves folder (appdata/prequengine/save/) here (appdata/prequengine/save/oldsave/).
When the game is then started and you select new game, it creates/overwrites the savefile S9999.lba in your savefolder, this is the savefile that ALWAYS is used.
As soon as you enter a new area it saves the current state to that file.
When you Quit game, it saves the current state to that file.
When you choose continue game, that is the file it loads.

IF you by accident select 'new game' your savegame will be overwritten, you can restore your old save from the backup as long as you follow these steps:
1. Quit the game.
1.5 DON'T START THE GAME AGAIN or the backup will be overwritten.
2. Go into a filemanager and copy the file S9999.lba from appdata/prequengine/save/oldsave/ to appdata/prequengine/save/
3. Profit! (you can now start and continue playing ).

Note: the save function in the menu do work, but it saves to the same file, so as soon as you exit the game/exit the area it gets overwritten, so it's a bit pointless.

If i get the time, I might try to implement a basic multi-save system w/ separate autosave.

Well, this makes you my personal hero

This engine runs great. Full speed (at stock speed 600 Mhz on HF5), controls are implemented well and saving now works B).

All in all I give this engine 8 out of 10 right now. If the saves are further implemented it'll be 9 or 10 out of 10 for me on this one!!

Thanks for providing a solution for unwanted save removal...I am sure i'll need it at some point.

I'll keep playing this game now and if anything weird occurs, i'll let you know.

 

[mrdremel]

Ok, after a bit of tinkering with the sources and the start script, I have gotten the autosave to work.

Note that only the autosave works at the moment, and that it's quiet volatile, this is how it works:
(First get the updated version here http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=prequengine.package.dimacus.001 )
When you start the pnd file, the start script tries to create a backup of your saves folder (appdata/prequengine/save/) here (appdata/prequengine/save/oldsave/).
When the game is then started and you select new game, it creates/overwrites the savefile S9999.lba in your savefolder, this is the savefile that ALWAYS is used.
As soon as you enter a new area it saves the current state to that file.
When you Quit game, it saves the current state to that file.
When you choose continue game, that is the file it loads.

IF you by accident select 'new game' your savegame will be overwritten, you can restore your old save from the backup as long as you follow these steps:
1. Quit the game.
1.5 DON'T START THE GAME AGAIN or the backup will be overwritten.
2. Go into a filemanager and copy the file S9999.lba from appdata/prequengine/save/oldsave/ to appdata/prequengine/save/
3. Profit! (you can now start and continue playing ).

Note: the save function in the menu do work, but it saves to the same file, so as soon as you exit the game/exit the area it gets overwritten, so it's a bit pointless.

If i get the time, I might try to implement a basic multi-save system w/ separate autosave.

Well, this makes you my personal hero

This engine runs great. Full speed (at stock speed 600 Mhz on HF5), controls are implemented well and saving now works B) .

All in all I give this engine 8 out of 10 right now. If the saves are further implemented it'll be 9 or 10 out of 10 for me on this one!!

Thanks for providing a solution for unwanted save removal...I am sure i'll need it at some point.

I'll keep playing this game now and if anything weird occurs, i'll let you know.

Sorry, I downloaded it twice from the new repo, but the game now doesn't show up in my start menu anymore.

 

[Dimacus]

Ok, with some help from Ivanovic I found what the problem with my pxml file was.
The file in the repo should now work as intended and show up on the menu.

 

[mrdremel]

Ok, with some help from Ivanovic I found what the problem with my pxml file was.
The file in the repo should now work as intended and show up on the menu.

It does show up now. However, the autosave hasn't worked for me yet. I played the first bit, got to the last professor, got the key and then before I exited the facility, quit the game (via start, quit game, quit). Started LBA again, but the game wasn't saved.

 

[Dimacus]

Unfortunately this is one of the drawbacks on only having the autosave, it did save your progress, it's just that it didn't save your position or the fact that you are in a lab coat.
It does however save your possessions, like coins,clovers,life and items (as far as i can tell anyway).
And it saves your location in the world (if you had gone out of the lab first, you would have started just outside).

And just as a precaution, please remove your old lba.cfg if you have not done so (it's in the appdata/prequengine directory)

 

[Dave18]

Hi

Tried this out and it's fun, frustratingly difficult but fun. I've got a problem though, I've got the orb that should let my use fireballs but I cannot find a button for it. I thought it should by 'X' but that doesn't work, the on screen message says it's 'Alt' but obviously that is mapped to the start button.

I couldn't find any mappings in the lba.cfg file, any idea which key I should be pressing to release a fireball?

[edit] - I can't find the button to bring the holomap either ('H' doesn't work).

Thank

 

[mrdremel]

Unfortunately this is one of the drawbacks on only having the autosave, it did save your progress, it's just that it didn't save your position or the fact that you are in a lab coat.
It does however save your possessions, like coins,clovers,life and items (as far as i can tell anyway).
And it saves your location in the world (if you had gone out of the lab first, you would have started just outside).

And just as a precaution, please remove your old lba.cfg if you have not done so (it's in the appdata/prequengine directory)

Ok, thanks for the info. I'll try again