Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

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K1n9_Duk3
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by K1n9_Duk3 »

The updated version with CGA support is now online (same download link as before, it might take a while before the server caches clear and you get the new file instead of the old one).

This is what has been changed:
  • can recreate 100% identical copies of the original CGA executables for Keen 4-6 v1.4/v1.5
  • added a cleanup.bat file that deletes all the *.OBJ files from the OBJ directories -- might be useful if you want to build all the different versions yourself
  • added a few more comments in the source, pointing out bugs and strange behavior
... and as I'm typing this, I realize that, once again, I forgot to mention the -ID_VW_AE.ASM file in the included documentation. :o

As some of you might have noticed, this code has quite a few bugs, same as the origial Keen 4-6 executables. Most of the bugs should be mentioned in the comments in the source code by now. If you are going to make a mod based on this source code, you should consider fixing these bugs. You should definitely use the code from -ID_VW_AE.ASM instead of ID_VW_AE.ASM (just rename the files) for anything you want to release to the public.
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Calvero
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Calvero »

Searching through the source code, I guess the Keen-looking-at-his-watch-sprite really isn't used in Keen 4 v1.4.
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by ckguy »

Is there anything you can say about the format of the external files when you disable the MAPHEADERLINKED/GRHEADERLINKED/AUDIOHEADERLINKED defines? I was poking around at this some days ago, and the game was just hanging, although I didn't spend a lot of time on it.

Should the MAPHEAD.CKx and MAPTEMP.CKx files loaded when MAPHEADERLINKED is disabled be in the same format as TED5 outputs by default for those files? Should MAPHEAD include the Tile Info stuff? How do the external files compare to what goes in the versions of the files that get linked into the executable when those flags are enabled?

Thanks!
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Pandakeen »

There should be recreations of patched mods using this.
It would make the mods more stable, and it could bring back ideas that were scrapped only due to the limitations of patching. For example, Keen 6 mods could have internal help added.
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Nisaba »

Pandakeen wrote: Tue Aug 03, 2021 14:46 There should be recreations of patched mods using this.
It would make the mods more stable, and it could bring back ideas that were scrapped only due to the limitations of patching. For example, Keen 6 mods could have internal help added.
that's a great idea and definitely doable. BUT this would require a whole lot of work one needs to be wiling to spend. time and patience is needed to put together a recreation which stays true to the details of its origins. This of course can be accomplished if expertise get combined. The community definitely needs to come together to realize such an attempt. And what's more is that we would need to have the original mod creators aboard as well to upgrade things in the right and intended direction.
and again, with possibility comes complexity. Mods like Operation Ocflore where planned with a considerably more extensive story arch and alternate endings so that the player can decide between two different objectives / two main settings. This alone would require additional creative power, meaning we need someone (in that case Bubbatom) who's directing according to a bigger plan plus a team of people who are familiar with working with the source code and some additional tools and so on.
I think things will become way more accessible for the novice modder the moment we have a source-code modding step by step tutorial. and yeah, such thing is already in the making...
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Pandakeen »

So I was trying to get this to compile Keen 4 yesterday. I didn't care too much if it was byte-perfect, so I just grabbed a copy of Borland C++ 3.1 off of archive.org. I tried following the instructions in the readme but after going to BC.EXE and hitting Make, I got 25 errors and didn't leave a compiled executable. What am I doing wrong? I've never done any DOS compiling before so I don't really know what I'm doing.
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Nisaba »

please share your error message screen
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Nisaba »

well, it might be best that you read the instructions (readme.txt) that come shipped with the download package. It is a very detailed guide that should help you setting up files and folder structure before you get started. I highly recommend consulting this manual to successfully compile the code
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Pandakeen »

I was reading readme.txt. I was following it up to the point where I was supposed to compile the code. :helmet

Judging by the error messages, it looks like there were some include files that it couldn't find. I can see they're in the compiler's folder, let me just try and copy them into the main folder real quick...

Edit: Didn't work.
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Nisaba »

nope, those files can stay where they haven been placed. but checking your folder structure is actually a good idea.
please make sure your base folder contains a subfolder called BC30. in this folder place all your BORLAND C++ files.

instead of running things manually I'd suggest to execute the respective batch files that come with the zip package. in your case that would be RCK4.BAT
You can simply drag&drop this file onto your DOSBox desktop icon for e.g.
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Pandakeen »

Ah, I wasn't using the name BC30 for the folder. It seems to be working now.

Edit: Now it's saying this: Fatal: Unable to open file 'C0M.OBJ'
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Nisaba »

right then. this is a way more specific error message.
the error message you've poster earlier just indicated that your setup was faulty in one way or another. for this specific error however we need to wait for K1n9_Duk3, NY00123, lemm or Multivania to answer it.
in the mean time please make sure that all other extra files that need to be installed beforehand are in their respective place
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Quillax »

This is so neat! Definitely deserves a Keen Awards 2021 nomination! I'm amazed that someone was able to make a perfect recreation, byte-by-byte, of the Galaxy Keens! I'll definitely have to play around with this someday! I'm positive that this will lead to some amazing mods! This could finally be the start of a new era of Keen modding! Would be neat to see source code recreations of Keens 1-3, though, but that's probably easier said than done.
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Re: Recreated Keen 4-6 Source Code

Post by Calvero »

Pandakeen wrote: Mon Oct 11, 2021 16:58 Ah, I wasn't using the name BC30 for the folder. It seems to be working now.

Edit: Now it's saying this: Fatal: Unable to open file 'C0M.OBJ'
Sounds like you haven't setup your library directories correctly: https://cmpde.wordpress.com/2015/09/20/ ... file-in-c/
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