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I'm back. Sorry for my several month furlough, I was glad to see you hadn't given up after I disappeared gavin83209. I have some prelim models that I will upload over the next few days. I haven't done any work with the material editors yet, so they look super glossy, but at least you can get the idea.
-eveningtoast
ARES X It returns...
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#29
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Posted 24 September 2008 - 12:19 AM
tesqua, on Jun 30 2008, 02:40 PM, said:
I am thrilled to read that others remember this game Ares. Now about an OS X version, wouldn't you need the source code to do a "true" conversion? I know that Bungie was willing to release their code of Myth 2: Soulblighter and dedicated fans made a polished OS X version of the game. Great idea! Ambrosia on the other hand, has failed to update their great games that I PAID for: Barrack, Slithereens, Cythera, and Ares.
Come on Ambrosia, update Ares to OS X pleeeeeease. Or release the source code and let some fans do the work for you. You might just rekindle my interest in your company if you do.
Ares was the most recent Ambrosia game I paid for, because nothing since has been as good. And I can't even play it!
Come on Ambrosia, update Ares to OS X pleeeeeease. Or release the source code and let some fans do the work for you. You might just rekindle my interest in your company if you do.
Ares was the most recent Ambrosia game I paid for, because nothing since has been as good. And I can't even play it!I registered Ares so long ago that I think it was done with my father's email address... one that I don't think he has anymore, but i would totally be willing to pay for a new OS X version.
I don't mean to shoot down any ideas for a sequal but honestly I just want an OS X port so I can play it again. I don't think I ever was good enough to actually beat the game, though I could probably do it now
just can't play it anymore though : \
I understand that lawyer stuff might come into play here as far as who owns the code goes, but I'd really appreciate it if ambrosia could do whatever they can.
Though I haven't registered any of their games since EV: Nova, this would really renew my faith in ambrosia
#30
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Posted 24 September 2008 - 05:51 AM
Wow! http://www.ambrosiasw.com/forums/index.php...87960&st=25 was a trip to the past!
Ares X would be sweet, no doubt. Shamefully, it'll never happen.
lol.
Ares X would be sweet, no doubt. Shamefully, it'll never happen.
lol.
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#31
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Posted 24 September 2008 - 08:25 PM
Shrout1, on Sep 24 2008, 06:51 AM, said:
Wow! http://www.ambrosiasw.com/forums/index.php...87960&st=25 was a trip to the past!
Ares X would be sweet, no doubt. Shamefully, it'll never happen.
lol.
Ares X would be sweet, no doubt. Shamefully, it'll never happen.
lol.
The last post in that thread was from 2004. Maybe we could find someone to do it now?
Unfortunately, now we have to worry about intel macs. However, if we're lucky an OS X port for PPC would run well in rosetta (i hope).
Maybe we should make some noise on the Ambrosia Banter forum? What do you think?
edit: btw, any programs that we could possibly use to run Ares, such as SheepShaver or Basilisk II don't appear to have been updated in a long time : \
This post has been edited by redsteven: 24 September 2008 - 08:36 PM
#32
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Posted 28 September 2008 - 05:07 PM
I've played Ares in Sheepshaver and Basilisk II on a fast Intel machine - both are too slow for effective play. And certainly you couldn't use any plugs with them.
Oh, so it is another bug hunt then...
#33
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Posted 29 September 2008 - 11:44 PM
Lord Commander Anic, on Sep 28 2008, 06:07 PM, said:
I've played Ares in Sheepshaver and Basilisk II on a fast Intel machine - both are too slow for effective play. And certainly you couldn't use any plugs with them.
They're too slow? really?
Well that sucks. I've got a first gen intel iMac so if you can't play it, I probably can't.
Thanks for letting us know though.
#34
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 04:22 PM
They said it couldn't be done... that there were too many obstacles standing in the way.
BUT THEY WERE WRONG.
I've been in contact with Nathan Lamont, the developer of Ares. He has agreed to release much of the source code for us if we meet one condition first: convert the sprites to PNGs.
Here's a copy of the last email I received from him:
I'm probably gonna post this a link to this thread on the Ambrosia Banter forum to get more attention.
EDIT: removed Nathan's and my own email address from the post
BUT THEY WERE WRONG.
I've been in contact with Nathan Lamont, the developer of Ares. He has agreed to release much of the source code for us if we meet one condition first: convert the sprites to PNGs.
Here's a copy of the last email I received from him:
Quote
From: Nathan Lamont
Subject: Re: Ares revival
Date: October 21, 2008 11:13:16 AM EDT
To: [removed]
OK, you may go ahead and try to find someone to convert the sprites to PNGs. The following additional conditions apply:
* you're on your own, meaning, basically, don't make Ambrosia or me regret it:
* nobody should try to contact Ambrosia regarding anything about Ares' code, under any circumstances. They don't want to deal with it or have to forward emails to me, and they don't know anything about the code anyway
* emailing me about the code probably won't do you any good; it's unlikely that I will know the answer unless it's self evident (and therefore shouldn't have been asked), and less likely that I will be interested in figuring it out
* if the "challenge" is met, then I will release as much code as is practical, meaning: there will be certain files I cannot release because they relate to Ambrosia's registration system, and further there may be old library files that I may not have laying around any more; e.g. I recall that Ares used a utility library by Apple called MoreFiles. I have no idea if I still have that library lying around, but it's probably no longer relevant anyway.
[removed] / mac software & web development
Subject: Re: Ares revival
Date: October 21, 2008 11:13:16 AM EDT
To: [removed]
OK, you may go ahead and try to find someone to convert the sprites to PNGs. The following additional conditions apply:
* you're on your own, meaning, basically, don't make Ambrosia or me regret it:
* nobody should try to contact Ambrosia regarding anything about Ares' code, under any circumstances. They don't want to deal with it or have to forward emails to me, and they don't know anything about the code anyway
* emailing me about the code probably won't do you any good; it's unlikely that I will know the answer unless it's self evident (and therefore shouldn't have been asked), and less likely that I will be interested in figuring it out
* if the "challenge" is met, then I will release as much code as is practical, meaning: there will be certain files I cannot release because they relate to Ambrosia's registration system, and further there may be old library files that I may not have laying around any more; e.g. I recall that Ares used a utility library by Apple called MoreFiles. I have no idea if I still have that library lying around, but it's probably no longer relevant anyway.
[removed] / mac software & web development
Quote
On Oct 17, 2008, at 7:58 PM, Steven Edwards wrote:
Alright man. Thanks for the prompt response.
By the way... you did a great job on it. The game was a lot of fun
Alright man. Thanks for the prompt response.
By the way... you did a great job on it. The game was a lot of fun
Quote
On Oct 17, 2008, at 2:30 PM, Nathan Lamont wrote:
What I mean is, the graphics, sounds, text, etc. would not be "open sourced" -- they would still only be distributed as part of the original Ares package. Whatever was made open and free would need to operate on those original support files.
Let me run it by Ambrosia before you make that public. I'll get back to you.
[removed] / mac software & web development
What I mean is, the graphics, sounds, text, etc. would not be "open sourced" -- they would still only be distributed as part of the original Ares package. Whatever was made open and free would need to operate on those original support files.
Let me run it by Ambrosia before you make that public. I'll get back to you.
[removed] / mac software & web development
Quote
On Oct 17, 2008, at 2:07 PM, Steven Edwards wrote:
BTW, what do you mean "the code could be open sourced, but not the support files" (what are support files)?
Also, do I have your permission to post this correspondence on the Ambrosia message boards to recruit somebody to convert the sprites to PNGs?
BTW, what do you mean "the code could be open sourced, but not the support files" (what are support files)?
Also, do I have your permission to post this correspondence on the Ambrosia message boards to recruit somebody to convert the sprites to PNGs?
I'm probably gonna post this a link to this thread on the Ambrosia Banter forum to get more attention.
EDIT: removed Nathan's and my own email address from the post
This post has been edited by redsteven: 21 October 2008 - 09:28 PM
#35
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 05:00 PM
Alright, so does anyone know exactly how to uh... convert the sprites?
I have access to some old macs (with 604 PPC processors) that I could open Ares with if I needed to.
I'm gonna be sort of busy this week but if this will necessitate running OS 9 I can do it this weekend.
(forgive the triple post but these are special circumstances)
I have access to some old macs (with 604 PPC processors) that I could open Ares with if I needed to.
I'm gonna be sort of busy this week but if this will necessitate running OS 9 I can do it this weekend.
(forgive the triple post but these are special circumstances)
This post has been edited by redsteven: 21 October 2008 - 05:01 PM
#36
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 05:07 PM
What files does Ares have in the folder? Is there a file called "Ares Graphics" or something? Open it in Resedit and see what's in there.
Also the editor, Hera, would probably be a lot of help. It might even have a way to access the sprites. Basically, converting them to PNG should not be much of a problem at all as long as they're accessible.
Unfortunately I have an Intel Mac so I can't poke around with it and figure it out.
Also the editor, Hera, would probably be a lot of help. It might even have a way to access the sprites. Basically, converting them to PNG should not be much of a problem at all as long as they're accessible.
Unfortunately I have an Intel Mac so I can't poke around with it and figure it out.
Currently making Possession 2, a game where you play as a ghost and possess your enemies.
#38
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 06:24 PM
I can do it; I've got a MDD G4 with Ares and an OS 9/OS X dual boot system primed and ready. The latest I can have them to you is Saturday, but that date could change depending on how much homework I have and how many sprites are in Ares. I've got Resedit (Can't use it but I'm a fast learner) so if Hera can't do it (doubt it; it's a very powerful program) I can fall back to other means, but like all things that are free, it'll take time. 
This post has been edited by JacaByte: 21 October 2008 - 06:26 PM
#39
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 07:05 PM
zamzx zik, on Oct 21 2008, 06:21 PM, said:
That's true Rickton. One could manually convert every spirit by hand.
Not really as bad a problem as it sounds, there are ways to rapidly convert large batches of graphics.
Currently making Possession 2, a game where you play as a ghost and possess your enemies.
#40
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 09:18 PM
A quick google search revealed a few programs that look like they can convert large batches, but I'm assuming most are for windows. JacaByte, if you've ALSO got an intel mac (or a PC) it's possible that that would be the fastest way to do it.
You'll still need your PPC to access the files in the first place unless you have an existing Ares installation sitting around, because you of course can't open the VISE Ares installer on an intel mac
BTW, I just wanna thank you guys for the quick responses
You'll still need your PPC to access the files in the first place unless you have an existing Ares installation sitting around, because you of course can't open the VISE Ares installer on an intel mac
BTW, I just wanna thank you guys for the quick responses
This post has been edited by redsteven: 21 October 2008 - 09:25 PM
#41
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 09:24 PM
As I posted on the other ARES X topic, I'd love to head this project. I would at least like to know what is going on, if somebody else steps up and takes command. This is really, really freaking awesome, redsteven. Please contact me with news when you get it.
... my other ride is an Ishiman Heavy Cruiser.
(x)enos. Awesome in a can. Without the can, though.
(x)enos. Awesome in a can. Without the can, though.
#42
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 09:30 PM
I'll need more than just quick batches; I need to know what kind of "special needs" the Ares data files need before I export them. I tried opening them in ResEdit and got 1s and 0s. I have all the necessary tools (I have a Windows machine networked directly into the Mac) I just need help from someone who knows what to do, like Edwards or Guy.
#43
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 09:46 PM
Now, I know we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but.... I just wanted to post this stuff here so I don't forget about it later lol.
In Nathan's email he made a reference to an Apple utility called "More Files", so i'm placing a link to it here. The apple support document for MoreFiles was last updated in 2003. It references "File Manager," so I'm placing a link to that here too. The File manager support document was last updated in 2007.
Could be worse
In Nathan's email he made a reference to an Apple utility called "More Files", so i'm placing a link to it here. The apple support document for MoreFiles was last updated in 2003. It references "File Manager," so I'm placing a link to that here too. The File manager support document was last updated in 2007.
Could be worse
#44
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 10:12 PM
I suggest you all head towards #ares on Ambrosia's IRC server. It would make real-time help more convenient.
*EDIT* scratch that, it needs a keyword.
*EDIT* scratch that, it needs a keyword.
This post has been edited by zamzx zik: 21 October 2008 - 10:13 PM
Have I reached the stupid quota?
#46
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Posted 21 October 2008 - 10:44 PM
How about using #aresx? I just checked it out and it's open...
... my other ride is an Ishiman Heavy Cruiser.
(x)enos. Awesome in a can. Without the can, though.
(x)enos. Awesome in a can. Without the can, though.
#47
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Posted 22 October 2008 - 05:45 AM
Well things have certainly been moving around here in the last day or so...
Way to go guys
I have all the gear from my Ares plug building days. OS 9 etc. All mothballed and ready to go.
I'm also runniig Photoshop CS3 so if anyone has any problems converting anything to anything ask and I'll help.
I know a lot about the image end of things and nothing about coding!
I'll crack open Ares over the weekend and see what I can find inside it.
Let's not let this latest initiative die out!
Way to go guys
I have all the gear from my Ares plug building days. OS 9 etc. All mothballed and ready to go.
I'm also runniig Photoshop CS3 so if anyone has any problems converting anything to anything ask and I'll help.
I know a lot about the image end of things and nothing about coding!
I'll crack open Ares over the weekend and see what I can find inside it.
Let's not let this latest initiative die out!
Oh, so it is another bug hunt then...
#48
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Posted 22 October 2008 - 08:14 AM
Hey guys, Nathan Lamont pointed out that I left out some uh... rather important information. My apologies : \
From an email by Nathan on 10/17:
From an email by Nathan on 10/17:
Quote
In any case, I don't want to waste my time unless there's interest by persons willing and able, so here's what I propose: I have a task that a person porting Ares might need to complete anyway, of some interest to me. If this task is completed, I will, at least find a way to make the source code to Ares available, provided there are no objections from Ambrosia.
The task is converting Ares' ancient sprite resources into PNGs.
I have put some files here:
http://biggerplanet....sprite-code.zip
If there is someone who is genuinely interested in porting Ares to Mac OS X, they should be able to use the code there to decipher the 'SMIV' resource type, which represents the Ares sprite graphics. Each SMIV resource contains one or more frames of a sprite, typically a single ship rendered at multiple angles. If, for each SMIV resource, I am provided a png with each sprite in that resource laid out in an even grid, against an alpha background, without help from me, I will consider that enough skill and interest to make the rest of the source code available.
The task is converting Ares' ancient sprite resources into PNGs.
I have put some files here:
http://biggerplanet....sprite-code.zip
If there is someone who is genuinely interested in porting Ares to Mac OS X, they should be able to use the code there to decipher the 'SMIV' resource type, which represents the Ares sprite graphics. Each SMIV resource contains one or more frames of a sprite, typically a single ship rendered at multiple angles. If, for each SMIV resource, I am provided a png with each sprite in that resource laid out in an even grid, against an alpha background, without help from me, I will consider that enough skill and interest to make the rest of the source code available.
#49
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Posted 22 October 2008 - 09:09 AM
redsteven, on Oct 22 2008, 06:14 AM, said:
Hey guys, Nathan Lamont pointed out that I left out some uh... rather important information. My apologies : \
From an email by Nathan on 10/17:
From an email by Nathan on 10/17:
If what he's saying there is what I think he's saying, this will be harder than 10 people equipped with Adobe CS3 can deal with - it appears that these files are prototypes that Nathan Lamont made himself. That being said, I found these old Ambrosia topics on SMIVs:
<1>, <2>, <3>, <4>, <5>.
It appears that some people were attempting to crack the format, but were unsuccessful in doing so.
If somebody could save me the time of downloading Ares, sticking it on an old Mac, and installing it and just give me all the Ares files, that'd be outstanding. Otherwise, it'll be a while before I can do that, and I won't be able to look at this SMIV format.
... my other ride is an Ishiman Heavy Cruiser.
(x)enos. Awesome in a can. Without the can, though.
(x)enos. Awesome in a can. Without the can, though.
#50
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Posted 22 October 2008 - 09:40 AM
Rebelious, on Oct 22 2008, 10:09 AM, said:
It appears that some people were attempting to crack the format, but were unsuccessful in doing so.
Well, since the linked file contains code that does just that, it might be a bit easier this time around.
Currently making Possession 2, a game where you play as a ghost and possess your enemies.
