Laxe Lore [aka modified Priston Tale engine]

[bobsobol]

lr.yetime.com doesn't resolve for me. Grabbing the client now.

 

[accel99]

lr.yetime.com doesn't resolve for me. Grabbing the client now.

My bad its lr.yetime.cn not com.Sorry.Hopefully you find the client useful.I looked further onto the screenshot and I gotta say the look underwhelming.They look worse than alpha.It seems to lack that real time lighting that made pt1 and laxelore look good.I hope its just pc settings.

 

[UserNameHere2]

Looks like a very different game

 

[accel99]

I rechecked my account and it seems that they added the game to registration list.I clicked on it and it takes me to the apply page for it,but when I try to apply for it ,it says it closed for now.Igive it a few more days b4 Iam able to sign in.Anyone here is gonna join me?

EDIT:BTW bob they seem to have ANOTHER client for download on the main page.Iam downloding it now to check if its any different.Maybe the one I uploaded wont be useful anymore.

 

[bobsobol]

Whether I can log in or not, I can compare the data files and access meshes and textures and stuff as I could with the old clients... nothing is useless. XD

As for lighting, pt1 still doesn't do more than a little gouraud shading. The screenies on the website are badly reduced colour images... like poor quality gifs... who knows how much detail was there before they made it compatible with an Atari ST. ~ (no offence to ST fans)

 

[accel99]

Whether I can log in or not, I can compare the data files and access meshes and textures and stuff as I could with the old clients... nothing is useless. XD

As for lighting, pt1 still doesn't do more than a little gouraud shading. The screenies on the website are badly reduced colour images... like poor quality gifs... who knows how much detail was there before they made it compatible with an Atari ST. ~ (no offence to ST fans)

Funny you say that because What I downloaded was not a client.It was a gameplay video that was 700 mb big!Its show that its graphically lacking(lighting wise).Should i upload it to youtube?I game gonna check how long that will take.Also it seems the game might open the 18th of this month.Are you gonna try it IF it does?

Edit: 10-20 more min to upload unto youtube, hopefully.Sometimes i find they reject my videos AFTER Ive uploaded them.

Edit 2: Gameplay video here(the video is being proccessed so quality may improve.) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oET7k3WxTsI"]YouTube- laxelore china( legend of the rings online)[/ame]

 

[unzubaru]

:O I think i saw a bit of Pixel Shader 2.0 in action xD! Impressive. /sarcasm.

Looks like a good game, i found it 2 days before it shutdown for us -.- lol.

 

[bobsobol]

Well... the lighting in that video is more advanced than the last release of Lax, since it's clearly using speculative maps... so I don't see how you think that is poor.

Game play looks set to compete with Diablo III, the mapping looks very Dungeon Siege II (I like the shrines. XD) and the 3D has been toned down to nearly but not quite Isometric... The action can be seen to be pretty turn based, and feels rather Baulders Gate / Icewind dale to me. The desert floor looked really like Diablo II textures heading out to Tal'rashas Tomb, rendered with the Dungeon Siege II engine. But pt1 stole a lot of sound effects files from Diablo, so I'm not surprised by these connections.

Connections to PT are there in that I still see Blacksmith Gus, many of the early sheltom inventory items and the LaxeLore big daft king Rabie / Hopy cross thing. XD

 

[accel99]

Well... the lighting in that video is more advanced than the last release of Lax, since it's clearly using speculative maps... so I don't see how you think that is poor.

Game play looks set to compete with Diablo III, the mapping looks very Dungeon Siege II (I like the shrines. XD) and the 3D has been toned down to nearly but not quite Isometric... The action can be seen to be pretty turn based, and feels rather Baulders Gate / Icewind dale to me. The desert floor looked really like Diablo II textures heading out to Tal'rashas Tomb, rendered with the Dungeon Siege II engine. But pt1 stole a lot of sound effects files from Diablo, so I'm not surprised by these connections.

Connections to PT are there in that I still see Blacksmith Gus, many of the early sheltom inventory items and the LaxeLore big daft king Rabie / Hopy cross thing. XD

'

Ok.. but are you going play this game tomorrow/Whenever they open?Or am I gonna be the only english speaking person there?
If you are ,are you still planning doing all your research/packet sniffing?

Edit: I just noticed no character has the neck piece that shows their individual class or am I blind?

Edit 2: They already let me sign up for the game, this game probably starts tomorrow at midnight or the early in the am next day.Looks like this game is seriously coming.The servers arent open yet.

 

[bobsobol]

I'm really not good at playing games, I still try, usually on "Can I play Daddy?" mode. XD

I will try to get in and do some testing though. :

--- EDIT --- today is listed as open beta day \o/ I can't sign in though... keep trying I guess.

Looking at the data from the old one, some more PT relations, the mushroom, globlin, mephit (Imp) sounds from PT are still in this game, as are sounds from many many WoW monsters XD

The BGM has some interesting music, including an mp3 tagged as created by You'n'Gun from the album "Priston Tale" which sounds like a nice high quality version of the OLD PT login music to me... I could be wrong though I usually disable all music in PT (and most games).

I suspect this could be a source of higher quality audio files for PT for a custom client.

Some technical details... they either read some of my posts about ideas for improving the PT client... or they just came to the same conclusions I did. The sound is produced with fmod.dll and the entire game engine is Ogre based. The entire Ogre library is externalised as guirenderer.dll, it's the 3D and everything, not just the GUI.

The data files are now combined into .pak files, which are not like the old Westwood Studios LZ Pak archives but some custom form that will take some head scratching to sus out.

The cursors are Windows .ani files and are similar to the old Lax cursors, but slightly improved. I know a lot of people are using the Lax cursors in PT now... and I always did with ZPT, they just look nicer. XD

So even if you can't play it, there are still some nice resources to plunder for your PT client. :

 

[accel99]

I'm really not good at playing games, I still try, usually on "Can I play Daddy?" mode. XD

I will try to get in and do some testing though. :

--- EDIT --- today is listed as open beta day \o/ I can't sign in though... keep trying I guess.

Looking at the data from the old one, some more PT relations, the mushroom, globlin, mephit (Imp) sounds from PT are still in this game, as are sounds from many many WoW monsters XD

The BGM has some interesting music, including an mp3 tagged as created by You'n'Gun from the album "Priston Tale" which sounds like a nice high quality version of the OLD PT login music to me... I could be wrong though I usually disable all music in PT (and most games).

I suspect this could be a source of higher quality audio files for PT for a custom client.

Some technical details... they either read some of my posts about ideas for improving the PT client... or they just came to the same conclusions I did. The sound is produced with fmod.dll and the entire game engine is Ogre based. The entire Ogre library is externalised as guirenderer.dll, it's the 3D and everything, not just the GUI.

The data files are now combined into .pak files, which are not like the old Westwood Studios LZ Pak archives but some custom form that will take some head scratching to sus out.

The cursors are Windows .ani files and are similar to the old Lax cursors, but slightly improved. I know a lot of people are using the Lax cursors in PT now... and I always did with ZPT, they just look nicer. XD

So even if you can't play it, there are still some nice resources to plunder for your PT client. :

Yo bob , I think it starts at 2 pm in china, the open beta.Which is around 2 am for me.If it does gonna join me around that or is too late for you.

Edit:Well Iam already playing and will post a few screenshots.I find it to look a bit worse than laxelore(original) but Ill probably get mocked for saying that.I like it so far but the only thing that annoys me is the lack of sound effect, I dunno if its just me but I dont have any attack sounds.Gonna go mess with some of the setting.

 

[Skuld]

Here the game always close and I get a "package\font\font.tga" error >.<

Can someone, please, upload this font.tga for me?

 

[tnrh1]

there is any english version?

 

[bobsobol]

Here the game always close and I get a "package\font\font.tga" error >.<

Can someone, please, upload this font.tga for me?

No... there are no tga files in the game, as the error states, the font.tga is part of the font package, which is found in the file package\font.pkg... to replace a file in that archive you need an archiver that can handle their custom package format... and as I've already said, it's not like the PAK files we used to know from Westwood Studios. And if you Googled it (I haven't tried) that is probably what you would find.

The .PAK extension was popular with games like DUNE II and Command & Conquer back on DOS, but I know what they look like in a hex editor, and it's not one of those.

there is any english version?

This game is available in only one language... Chinese.

The art and engine are sourced from the same developers who made PT1 (not the ones responsible for PT2) and many of the resources are the same... they attempted to sell it to all (most) of the companies that licensed PT1 from them... but only Yetime of China have shown any interest as yet. In fact, that is the reason LaxeLore (which was supposed to be PT2) failed to get off the ground before someone else licensed the PristonTale brand name and released the Second Enigam with the PT2 title to Yedang instead.

TBH, LaxeLore and this new incarnation, Legend of the Ring - OnLine, have more in common with PT1 than Second Enigma, which always reminds me of Rappelz.

@accel99: You can use newer, more advanced, more complex graphics and sound badly and make things look worse. XD Just because it doesn't look so good, doesn't mean it's doing less... and just because it looks better doesn't mean it's doing more.

PT1 looks stunning considering how little of the GPU it's actually using. (2D Alpha Blending Bit-Blitter, and maybe some GPU floating-point) PT2 (and Rappelz) uses full DirectX 9 capabilities, including bump-mapping (more correctly UV-Mapping) and 2.0 shared effects... and looks pants... TBH. XD

I need a user ID and password. :*: lol

 

[tnrh1]

You already have it on your computer?thats take me 2days to download it!
I wish we can take some items/monsters from there.

 

[bobsobol]

I have explained how to get the monsters and Armour and stuff in to 3D Studio, Blender, or probably Maya from the older Lax clients.

I imagine they are still NIFs (NetImmense) in this new game, but wrapped up in the .pak files like the TGA mentioned above.

What I don't know is how to get a mesh from 3D Studio / Blender / Maya or WHY in to PT... other than you export as an .ASE. The weapon guide goes over my head, so armour and stuff. /o\ *shrugs*

I know that aside from monsters and NPCs the NIFs are stored separate for boots, legs, chest... where PT only takes account of the chest piece, so you'd have to merge matching items from Lax in your 3D app to use it in PT... and I know I would never get that right... my 3D spacial awareness is just useless, believe me, I tried to make cloths for Oblivion for ages, and even with all the resources, meshes, textures, rigging and animation (.kf Key Frames) available to me, I couldn't stop collisions and things off centre and skewiff and passing through each other where they shouldn't. XD

I can re-work the textures, UV-Maps, Transparencies and Speculative maps for existing meshes... that's all 2D and I'm fine with that... but the slightest 2-pixel nudge by me in a 3D (CAD, design tool or WHY) and everything goes to pot and I don't understand why... so I leave it alone.

If anyone else is looking for a Yetime passport the url is

You must be registered to see links

and the fields you need to fill in are like this:-

Usual stuff. Password needs to be more between 6 and 12 characters, the PIN isn't 4 digit it's a number between 1 and 100. The humaniser is just typing what you read to the right.

If you give them a valid Email address they can confirm your account and remind you your password or PIN via that... providing you still remember the other details.

I still can't use any of these details to log in to the game though, and if I try to access my passport for Legend of the Ring it asks me for my 15 to 18 digit ID number... It's not like they've eMailed me one or anything. :

 

[accel99]

I have explained how to get the monsters and Armour and stuff in to 3D Studio, Blender, or probably Maya from the older Lax clients.

I imagine they are still NIFs (NetImmense) in this new game, but wrapped up in the .pak files like the TGA mentioned above.

What I don't know is how to get a mesh from 3D Studio / Blender / Maya or WHY in to PT... other than you export as an .ASE. The weapon guide goes over my head, so armour and stuff. /o\ *shrugs*

I know that aside from monsters and NPCs the NIFs are stored separate for boots, legs, chest... where PT only takes account of the chest piece, so you'd have to merge matching items from Lax in your 3D app to use it in PT... and I know I would never get that right... my 3D spacial awareness is just useless, believe me, I tried to make cloths for Oblivion for ages, and even with all the resources, meshes, textures, rigging and animation (.kf Key Frames) available to me, I couldn't stop collisions and things off centre and skewiff and passing through each other where they shouldn't. XD

I can re-work the textures, UV-Maps, Transparencies and Speculative maps for existing meshes... that's all 2D and I'm fine with that... but the slightest 2-pixel nudge by me in a 3D (CAD, design tool or WHY) and everything goes to pot and I don't understand why... so I leave it alone.

If anyone else is looking for a Yetime passport the url is

You must be registered to see links

and the fields you need to fill in are like this:-

Usual stuff. Password needs to be more between 6 and 12 characters, the PIN isn't 4 digit it's a number between 1 and 100. The humaniser is just typing what you read to the right.

If you give them a valid Email address they can confirm your account and remind you your password or PIN via that... providing you still remember the other details.

I still can't use any of these details to log in to the game though, and if I try to access my passport for Legend of the Ring it asks me for my 15 to 18 digit ID number... It's not like they've eMailed me one or anything. :

What you said before about the game resources being used basically the wrong way,yes I agree,but that what pisses me off,they had a fine looking game before they tampered with it.Hell the last screenshots they released of the orignal laxelore they added/updated simple effect like len flare and more advanced effects like depth of field and textured mapped/depth mapped? shadows.

Edit:Btw its not really about the graphics iam complaining about,its kinda how I like the aesthetics of the old laxelore that made me stand there for hours and looks at it despite not being the greatest thing in world.I feel that with the new game by removing a few thing they already had up running they took a bit of what I like that was coherent with game.Now I see people with enemies that are pets(the wolfs from the old island,giant scorpions! ), the spawns seem to all over place and the npcs are rather random now(a giant hopy on the middle of the town?,A goblin wizard who used to be an enemy?).It just seems to me maybe they to come up some thing on their own seeing how yedang is no longer supporting this game,maybe?

About the id... you need a Chinese social security.And the rocid generator is useless for that.I have something that would help you with that,Ill pm you if you want?

---------- Post added at 05:27 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:23 PM ----------

Here the game always close and I get a "package\font\font.tga" error >.<

Can someone, please, upload this font.tga for me?

Skuld the only problem might be is you left the files in the folder that is in chinese.Simply rename the folder in english letters or use msapplocale.I had that problem but the reliase it was just that.

Edit: just checked the client updated to I think 1.003 but the servers are offline and the download link for the client is also not working.I hope it wasnt a 1 day thing.

 

[bobsobol]

That would explain why I can't get in. The client didn't arrive till this morning.

Anyway... some information about the files.

I may be wrong about the NetImmense format, as poses seem to the in a special pose format and the meshes are a .mesh file... that's not to say it isn't still a NIF file with a dodgy extension. They do seem to have gone back to TGAs for the textures, and are using JPGs as well. I wouldn't go there since Jpeg artefacts are nasty and the format doesn't support alpha layers... jp2k files are okay... I s'pose.

You can check the file names inside the PAK files by looking at the file "FileIndex.pcf" it's pretty plain text.

The format seems to be:-
update_version_number<CR><LF>
No_PAK_files<CR><LF>
PAK_index PAK_name 100000 0<CR><LF> (and loop for No_PAK_files, the index starts at 2 and doubles each time, an index of 1 for any file indicates a file not stored in a PAK)
FileName Size Size Size CRC32 PAK_index [1 0|2 0]<CR><LF> (repeated for each file)

The 1 0|2 0 is probably related to packing method (eg. do you compress or not, or RLE vs. LZ compression... but I'm not sure)

The PAK files have an awful lot of null space and are excellent candidates for using the NTFS Sparse flag (which skips runs of 00 or FF bytes in a file. The look a bit like a Hard Disk image with the catalogue (FAT / MFT on Windows FileSystems) missing / encoded in a non-transparent fashion.
--EDIT--

About the id... you need a Chinese social security.And the rocid generator is useless for that.I have something that would help you with that,Ill pm you if you want?

Err... yes please.

Actually, it's rather like the engine has the capable of a lot of effects that weren't there before... their Meshes and textures weren't designed to take advantage of those effects so for a beta, they are probably still converting from the old format to the new.

I didn't see Lax using UV-Maps, the gouraud in PT1 is a cheat effect achieved only in software that covers up the fact that meshes are really low quality. (X-Wing and Tie fighter used it to great effect) True 3D lighting is faster and doesn't look much worse.

For those lighting effects to work, every model has to reflect light like a plastic soldier all over... With the addition of speculative maps, you can have a range of "shine" from chrome to complete matte. Of course textures like hair, skin and silks should be somewhere between, but my guess is that the meshes where originally created to fit a model which has that total plastic look, and someone has thrown some basic Speculative map over them so they don't look totally Nintendo-64 (everything totally matt with not shading) under the Ogre engine. This initial work up has left a basic Uber-shiny metal and totally mat everything else.

So basically, the engine is proving it can do it, but the artists have got a lot of work ahead of them to create a whole new set of overlay textures to match the light maps (normal colour texture).

Probably the money men want to see that there is enough interest in the game to invest in that much time and money in the art department before they jump in and spend a shed load more on a game that failed to make it to market the last time it was developed.

I see in the files there are DX9+ shader files... the fact may well be that they are blank at the moment, but the fact that the engine already has support for the developers to put stuff in there is always good news. :

My message is, I can see potential, don't be put off by the limited visible feature set in the Beta.

 

[accel99]

@BOBSOBOL

Ipmed you twice , Ithink, sorry wasnt sure if it sent or not.

So basically Iam too hasty and theres room to improve.I couldnt tell there was an overlaying specualr map.Everything looks pretty constant like you were saying they were trying to prevent.I felt like it was a step backward though from what laxelore was at ALPHA though.Maybe it has potential but the overall presentation has comedown, like animated 3d portraits are gone,so are realtime shadows and a true moveable camera.I understand not to pour money into something that may not be worthwhile but I mean to downgrade it?You keep saying they are converting the assets, they switched away from gamebryo?Also how did the orginal worked? they didnt use specular mapping or it was just like you say gouraud with specular to hide hard edges.So you would say the older engine is inferior to what the current could achieve if they actually tried more?(Sorry to ask so many I like to model,and gotten pretty decent on it but cant create a texture for the life of me.)

Heres a shot of the old one, compare that to the new one.

EDIT:Appears the servers are back and updated my client once again but cant log in.The config for the client seems to be broken as trying to update mysetting result in a crash.So I used a hexeditor to take away fullscreen because it was really glitchy for some odd reason.

Edit: its up running now

 

[bobsobol]

I'm not sure how to describe it to you... I tried making some screen shots of the meshes with and without Speculative (gloss map) applied, but you can only really see the effect of high gloss when the mesh (or it's surrounding light source) moves. :s

There is a speculative map in Lax textures, but not in PT1 ones. The map is very low contrast, and in many cases almost a plain grey square... I can't tell from a still shot what is lightmap and what is glossmap, but from the video you linked, you can clearly see highly glossy ribbing to armours and stuff.

That may exist on a very few meshes in Lax, but I've never been able to get in to the game to play them... what it definitely isn't in is PT1.

The options screen has broken in the new update for this new client, but I was going to suggest seeing if your rendering settings are turned down. When I go to get a screenie of it... I find it now causes "Application has failed and is being shut down by Windows." Well it worked yesterday.

Button on the bottom left of the launcher anyway, in case it's just me, or Vista or something. XD

I'm not sure that NetImmense / GameBryo mesh files natively support UV texture maps, but Bethesda (Oblivion, Fallout) link a UV-map (the purply blueish one) with the speculative (or emmisive light) in the alpha channel. I think that's what DirectX expects, but I could be wrong.