To help fans create their own textured landscape (using tutorial map as template) i can mod it so that each block (18x18blocks) can have individual Blocks of textures that I can number (1-324) and then they can Paint by Numbers and change each block to allow paths, rough terrain etc.. without ever having to use blender or mods tools.
Some Original textures are frequently used by different maps and are simply recoloured-NFLGRS01,NFLFERN1-4 etc
Ive returned from Holiday and found he has successfully transferred everything. The journey continues and we've all certainly progressed Dark Omen further than ever before, so great thanks to you all.
My own journey began after being left so disappointed by Mark of Chaos in 2007, I found my old Dark Omen Cd and Mods and started to search the Internet for any signs of Life. Sadly there hadn't been for much action from many of the old Dark Omen websites for quite awhile but I did find Bembelimen and Ghabry's recent German Dark Omen website (http://darkomen.benjamintrenkle.de). They had met by chance and found they shared a passion for Dark Omen, so I posted on their site,in very rough German (google Translator) that I also loved Dark Omen and had my original Mods to share, which we found were partial files from the original DOC111 Mod pack from the Legends- Mikademus and Smurf that had been lost for many years. Crucially I had a working Wh2Edit Dark Omen troop Stats Editor, made by Mikademus and the various alternate campaigns and Multiplayer files.
So after tracking down and contacting the Admins of every existing Dark Omen fansite:
I decided to unite them all together to Celebrate the Games pending 10th Anniversary. Since throughout my searches for signs of Dark Omen life on the Internet, I met an original Dark Omen Artist, Simon Tresdern (whoose brother also worked on Dark Omen and then went onto work on the Total War series-Shogun/Rome etc). He kindly put me in touch with all other original Mindscape/EA Dark Omen Producers/Developers, so I could send them all our thanks for 10 years Great Gameplay and politely request any Dark Omen resources and to Celebrate the 10th Anniversary with us fans.
Around the same time, I also discovered a never seen before Dark Omen Map viewer, made by Andrew Buchanan -an original Mindscape/EA Dark Omen programmer. It also contained his source code and could display the maps in High Resolution.
So I knew my next mission was to track down Mikademus and Smurf, the original Dark Omen Modders and creators of the DOC111 mod, as they would be the most experienced Fans to make use of my newly discovered Dark Omen Map Viewer and Source Code- in view of enhancing it into a possible Map Editor. Also incase I received any tools or original resources from the Mindscape/EA Producers/Programmers. Mikademus was fairly easy to find as he is famous for inventing RTT (Real Time Tactics) to best describe Dark Omen type games that are different to the more commom RTS games. However, Smurf aka Andy Igoe was harder to find as after contacting Banshee Studios where he worked, I was told he had left many years ago with no forwarding address. However, after describing that I was intending to unite all fans and sites together, in celebration of the game's 10th Anniversary and my proposed letter of thanks to all the original Mindscape/EA Developers but more the fact that Mikademus had now rejoined us and was examining the Source code of the undiscovered Dark Omen Map Viewer, the person at Banshee Studios, Rebecca then admitted that she was indeed Smurf and had used the name Andy Igoe! May I also thank Rob who also joined us and is one of the few people around who can converse with Mikademus on very complex Modding issues and has produced many great tools for us all to use and along with Mikademus and Ghabry allows us to extend Dark Omen Further than Ever before! Most of all they have shown great patience and have taught me a great deal, I consider myself very fortunate to have been their Beta Tester on so many of their fantastic creations.
I then sent out thanks to all original Dark Omen Mindscape/EA Developers-
Hi there,
On behalf of all Global Dark Omen Fan sites, we would like to thank you, for your part, in creating a truly amazing game. Nearly 10 years on and we are still playing On-line Multiplayer Dark Omen. May I also take this opportunity to politely request any Dark Omen resources, such as a Multiplayer Map Editor, to celebrate the game's 10th anniversary, early next year. This would enable us to play into infinity. Any help or advice would also be gratefully received but again we would really like to show our appreciation for years fun and innovative strategy. Thank You and Merry Christmas!
To my amazement I received various replies of thanks from them and most graciously from Jeff Gamon a Dark Omen Producer, who kindly took the time and replied -
Hi Oliver, It’s good to hear from you – There seems to be a bit of a movement out there to get in touch with the old Dark Omen dev team. I understand that Richard Leinfellner and John McCormack have been approached via facebook. Once I heard this I got curious and went looking for Dark Omen on the web; it’s quite incredible the interest that’s out there even after ten years – we’re all very flattered. Eerily, the old Mindscape gang got together last night and so these approaches gave us even more to reminisce about and discuss ways we may be able to help the community out. As some of the forums correctly speculate, the game is the property of EA and so the release of tools etc may be a bit of a lofty goal. I will look into it though. Failing that, all we might be able to do is help out with the odd insight into how the engine worked so that the community might be able to advance its existing tools a little. As for a campaign to sequel dark omen, who knows, maybe your best bet is to pressure GW; maybe suggest they offer the old Mindscape team riches, estates and peerages, etc. 8¬) Leave it with me, I’ll at least check into the status of the source archives at EA and take it from there in the new year. Until then, have a Very Happy Christmas.
All the best, Jeff Gamon. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unfortunately Jeff was unable to get the Source code released as it turns out EA don't own it and not sure who owns Mindscape property but luckily, thanks to such a Fantastic Mod team we have achieved a great deal and after helping Bembelimen and Ghabry translate their old German Site http://darkomen.benjamintrenkle.de into English, a new website and Home was created for all Global Dark Omen fans and Modders http://www.dark-omen.org to combine all of our efforts and has made it a Great Time to Join our friendly community- Monthly Tournaments and New Mods.
Dark Omen Multiplayer - vs. Chinnico - Road to Bogenhafen
Again Great thanks to especially-
Bembelimen, Ghabry, Mikademus and Rob - Developers Flak - Super Moderator (Campaign Creator and Tournament Organiser) Darkmancer - promoted to Administrator but also a Developer Grend,Mormacili and Brapus/Itlerion - 2D Sprite Artists Malus,Sipax,CidHalsey and Flak - Campaign Creators Along with all of our members and fans that play but also contribute to new Rulesets and Balances,such as Jeronimo/Brapus,Wkurwiony,Alavet and many other veteran(WHF,Nitrox,DJ etc) and all new members.
So as the Dark Omen Global Spokesperson and now Administrator, my Future plans are currently to use my converted empty Tutorial Map to create semi new Flat Maps by strategically placing existing Dark Omen 3d Scenary objects but I have also Hired some professional 3d Artists to create new Trees, buildings, Fortress/Castles, WatchTowers for each race's landscape, until we are able to either create a Height Map Generator to produce Hills or a M3X file generator to allow the Camera to roam into new Terrain and create much larger flat Tutorial maps.
I have created a new Modification SubSection called 3D Scenery Models that will showcase and list possible new models for my Artists to produce. Intially i want to recreate Shadow of the Horned Rat first level to showcase and combine of all of mod tools togther. I am also in discussion with the Medieval 2 Total War Call of Warhammer Mod team and we may combine our mods, so that I donate them my 3d Scenary models for their 3d Character Models that maybe used to produce many new Sprites from and possibly add to the amazing Dark Omen Expanded existing Mod.
Both Ghabry and Rob made Beta Mod Installers that can switch between Single Player Campaigns etc., by adjusting the Registry, as described above, so perhaps in the future we can create a mod pack.
please check all of my Warhammer Rulebooks and I can provide any info u may need. Eventually i will be adding the Rulebook Troops descriptions and Pictures to our Army lists.
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