Blood - classic PC PORT jfblood-vita v.1.1 Rinnegatamante

[peter8]

jfblood-vita v.1.1 - A backport of NBlood to JFBuild (Build version 2)

Author: Rinnegatamante

Description :
jfblood-vita is a port of NBlood (a sourceport of Blood made by nukeykt) based on a backport of the matter to JFBuild made by BSzili. Blood is a 3D video game developed by Monolith Productions and published by GT Interactive and it was developed using Ken Silverman’s Build engine (Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior).

Story :
The game follows the story of Caleb, an undead early 20th century gunslinger seeking revenge against the dark god Tchernobog.

Requirements :
- Game Data Files: PC

Changelog (v.1.1) :
- Fixed a bug making the user stuck in end level screen without possibility to progress further.
- Added Cryptic Passage expansion support.

Update - NBlood_new.zip ~22MB / FIX missing midi music track for Chapter 1 Level 1 ! Yeah
Update - OGG Music Working

Download :
https://vitadb.rinnegatamante.it/#/info/1017
NEW Data file !

Release Page :
https://www.psx-place.com/threads/release-jfblood-vita-port-of-blood-for-psvita.38678/

Install (UPDATE with OGG music tracks) :
- Install the vpk.
- Extract the data files zip to ux0:data.
- Place the following files from your 'PC' installation of Blood in ux0:data/NBlood:
BLOOD.INI
BLOOD.RFF
GUI.RFF
SOUNDS.RFF
SURFACE.DAT
TABLES.DAT
TILES000.ART, ... , TILES017.ART
VOXEL.DAT
BLOOD000.DEM, ... , BLOOD003.DEM (optional, demos)
blood02.ogg, ... , blood09.ogg (optional, CD Music Tracks - UPDATE)

Install Cryptic Passage
- Place the following files from your installation of Blood in ux0:data/NBlood:
CRYPTIC.INI
CP01.MAP, ... , CP09.MAP
CPART07.AR_ - (?)
CPART15.AR_ - (?)
CPBB01.MAP, ... , CPBB04.MAP
CPSL.MAP

Known Issues
- The port lacks hardware rendering (Polymost) support. This means higher res can't be achieved.
- Attempting to access Axis Assignment option will crash the homebrew. An nblood.cfg settings file with already set up axis configuration is provided in the data files.

UPDATES EDIT : in later posts


Notes : I have tested all the time NBlood and it was not perfect working, I will test later the new jfblood and I am ultimate happy about this port. Million thanks !

Post automatically merged: Nov 16, 2022

First Test

Setup folders and install jfblood.vpk :

Blood main game with 5 episodes = working
Cryptic Passage Mission Pack = working

Currently testing with midi music :

Blood Chapter 1 Level 1 - midi music working FIXED EDIT / OGG music sampler working
Blood Chapter 2 Level 1 - midi music working / OGG music sampler working
Blood Chapter 3 Level 1 - midi music working / OGG music sampler working
Blood Chapter 4 Level 1 - midi music working / OGG music sampler working
Blood Chapter 5 Level 1 - midi music working / OGG music sampler working
Cryptic Passage Level 1 - midi music working (texture errors in sky, no big deal so far) / OGG music sampler working

Compare framerate :
NBlood Port - Chapter 4 Level 1 - easy difficulty = framerate was very bad in beginning
jfblood Port - Chapter 4 Level 1 - easy difficulty = mostly perfect ! YEAH

Next Test :

- try add ogg Music files (CD Tracks) - EDIT : WORKING
- try add Video files - currently not working, this need rewrite cfg and give path to smk and wav file. not tested.
- try add demo files (was not working in NBlood build version 1)

- CPART07.AR_ and CPART15.AR_ need clearing over NFO, since different builds has alternate files. Also TABLES.DAT my old copy dont have it, but I had fix it with gog version.

EDIT :

Change the Video Resolution over the settings is possible and works great.

Post automatically merged: Nov 17, 2022

EDIT :

Update on rinne vitadb site, NEW data file, include 2 more wav files :
https://vitadb.rinnegatamante.it/#/info/1017

old - NBlood_datafiles.zip ~15MB
new - NBlood_new.zip ~22MB / FIX missing midi music track in Chapter 1 Level 1 ! Thank You.

EDIT : first possible UPDATE

Music CD Tracks working over OGG files ! Million thanks
here is my ogg pack, its strongly downsample to give better performance :

blood02.ogg
blood03.ogg
blood04.ogg
blood05.ogg
blood06.ogg
blood07.ogg
blood08.ogg
blood09.ogg

put it into the same ux0:data/NBlood folder

NBlood VITA TV Music OGG DownSampler.rar ~ 22 MB file size
https://1fichier.com/?9yub8wgnlao8uqk97sy8
https://clicknupload.to/os3hltfp9qlz
https://uptobox.com/s3924gp2jwgf
https://filerio.in/j1l1191kdcug


EDIT :

Videos must edit in the Blood.ini file and give the location to ux0. not tested so far, dont know when it works ? This could be a next update, rinne can put it into the data file folder.

BLOOD.INI - Video is 'smk' file
[Episode1]
; location of movies was set at install
CutSceneA=D:\movie\cs1.smk
CutWavA=D:\movie\cs1822m.wav
CutSceneB=D:\movie\cs2.smk
CutWavB=D:\movie\cs2822m.wav
Title = The Way of All Flesh

 

[peter8]

Testing :

Episode 1 - easy difficulty - complete working from start to end, music working, all puzzle doors and keys working.
Episode 2 - easy difficulty - complete working from start to end, music working, all puzzle doors and keys working.
Episode 3 - easy difficulty - complete working from start to end, music working, all puzzle doors and keys working.
Episode 4 - easy difficulty - complete working from start to end, music working, all puzzle doors and keys working.
Episode 5 - easy difficulty - complete working from start to end, music working, all puzzle doors and keys working.
Cryptic Passage - easy difficulty - complete working from start to end, music working, all puzzle doors and keys working.
Cryptic Passage, has strong texture errors, fixing later !

Notes :
Episode 1,2,3,4,5 was all very good working on easy difficulty. The game was NOT crash one time ! There was no texture errors. Sometimes the midi or ogg music was not working, but it can easy fix, just close the game and start the game again, music is mostly working. The framerate is mostly good and compared to the first release a lot better. The best working video resolution is 640x400, its like the same playing it on a old pentium PC with MSDOS, that has great retro feeling. The resolution 960x544 has some little dropdowns here and there, no big deal, just stay on 640x400 its mostly working perfect.
Cryptic Passage is also working very good, but I have some texture errors here and there no big deal, but mayby this is a problem from my own old disc files, maybe gog can fix it. rinne was doing a great job here and he improve himself all the time and still learning how to make it better ! With this knowledge rinne can also fix Eduke and maybe Exhumed music files, lets hope. This fixed-port was on my Wanted List and I am very thankfully for this release, I have a lot of fun. Good Job !

The final test is 'hardest difficulty' : EDIT Later

 

[peter8]

Notes : BLOOD.INI - missing some music tracks , full FIXED now / videos are not working in smk file NOT FIXED

The music is missing in some maps (5 or so). There are small mistakes in the BLOOD.INI file. This can easy Fix over the lines and its also possible to change every music track to each map. I had clean up the complete BLOOD.INI file and also delete some unimportant lines. Its now working mostly perfect. The video files will NOT work, but its not a big deal, the game is complete playable. This ini file, is not a problem from rinne, its come from nblood source.

(!) But : the BLOOD.INI file gets delete when starting the Cryptic Passage mission pack and it will create a different file for them instead. When starting again the main game Blood, the BLOOD.INI comes back, but the Fix changes are lost. Its good to make a backup of the ini file before starting the mission pack. Even when you dont have a ini file, when starting the game in first time it will create one for you.

All in one the game works now mostly perfect, only videos are missing.

Post automatically merged: Nov 21, 2022

EDIT

New informations :

- Cryptic Passage is full playable from start to end, tested on easy difficulty, but strong texture errors.
- Its maybe posssible to play all fan Mod maps with this port ! Testing later.
- Its posssible to play as singleplayer in multiplayer maps bloodbath from Cryptic Passage. No texture errors !

User Map Option :
- music will not work under this option, dont use it. Start Cryptic Passage over the port and music will work !
- only Cryptic Passage maps will show up, not main game.
- all single-player maps from Cryptic Passage has texture errors ! You need to know what to do.
- its currently the only way to start Cryptic BloodBath maps offline ! yeah

Cryptic Passage single-player maps :
Is the first of two expansion packs for Blood. It does contain a new episode containing ten single-player maps, and four new BloodBath maps.

cp01 Boat Docks - texture errors
cp02 Old Opera House - texture errors
cp03 Gothic Library - texture errors
cp04 Lost Monastery - texture errors
cp05 Steamboat - texture errors
cp06 Graveyard - texture errors
cp07 Mountain Pass - texture errors
cp08 Abysmal Mine - texture errors
cp09 Castle - texture errors
cpsl Boggy Creek secret level Cryptic Passage - texture errors

Cryptic BloodBath maps :

CPBB1 Crypt of Despair - No texture errors
CPBB2 Pits of Blood - No texture errors
CPBB3 Unholy Cathedral - No texture errors
CPBB4 Deadly Inspirations - No texture errors

CRYPTIC.INI
BloodBathOnly = flag 0 or not present means multi and single, any other number means multi play only.
Title = Cryptic BloodBath
BloodBathOnly=1

INI file : Civilian Life = Plasma Pak Episode 6 :
This episode is called "Post Mortem" in the INI file, it is called "Civilian Life".
Plasma Pak is the second of two expansion packs for the game Blood and is in the Main Blood Game as Episode 5.
Blood INI "episode 5" = Multiplayer Maps , different prefix (DM instead of BB)


EXTRA Note Cryptic Passage CRYPTIC.INI :

from wiki :
Cryptic Passage is episode 5, but the episode 5 slot of the main games INI file is already taken up by its BloodBath maps, before being followed where applicable by an episode 6 containing the new episode from the Plasma Pak. Cryptic Passage however is stored within its own independent INI file, with the singleplayer portion as episode 1 and the packs new BloodBath maps as an episode 2 under the title "Cryptic BloodBath". These distinctions have led to some trouble when packaging all the official releases of the game together, as well as for players launching them. This is further exacerbated by the expansion's modified art files, which can be utilized using the following batch file:

[email protected] off
ren tiles007.art bart007.ar_
ren tiles015.art bart015.ar_
ren cpart07.ar_ tiles007.art
ren cpart15.ar_ tiles015.art

blood -ini cryptic.ini
ren tiles007.art cpart07.ar_
ren tiles015.art cpart15.ar_
ren bart007.ar_ tiles007.art
ren bart015.ar_ tiles015.art

Working on :
- Try to Fix texture errors on Cryptic Passage singleplayer maps. Maybe we need a extra bubble and extra folder, need more testing.
- try add fan made maps and mods, maybe working ?

 

[Tsabrakar]

Is there any way to access console commands?

 

[peter8]

@ Tsabrakar :

You mean to use cheats ? The console command was on Quake (Half Life) engine running. But Blood use the Ken Silvermans engine (Duke Nukem 3D, Shadow Warrior, Redneck Rampage, Exhumed) for this one its not console, its the 'Send Message' on keyboard press 'T'. This is only for cheats, not like Quake that you can change something special. I am not using cheats, so I dont need it. Anyway this is a source port, this is also new for me, because I am only had use DosBox over PC all the time.

'Send Message' cheats in-game :
Go in-game under Control Setup, Joystick Setup, Button Assingment : search the line 'Send Message' and put it on your button. Go back to game and press the binding button, the Send Message will show up, but it will not work and you must close the game and change the button back, because its fail.
Otherwise you can change the settings over config or INI file, you can change a lot there.

NOTE :

Dont go to Axis Assingment setup in-game, game crash error.
Dont bind button 'Send Message' for use cheats, will not work.

EDIT :

I remeber that rinne had put a virtual keyboard plugin to the db site, maybe this is working with 'Send Message', but I am not willing to test it.

 

[peter8]

Final Test

Episode 1 - Hardest difficulty - complete working from start to end
Episode 2 - Hardest difficulty - complete working from start to end

Controlls are good enough to do this. Was die million times, save and load million times and this port will not crash one time ! Hardest difficulty is truly HARD, you need to know the game in and out. Also testing speedrun, works great. This port is mostly Polish ! Works better than Shadow Warrior and Duke Nukem 3D.

 

[peter8]

Episode 1 - Hardest difficulty - complete working from start to end - no crash
Episode 2 - Hardest difficulty - complete working from start to end - no crash
Episode 3 - Hardest difficulty - complete working from start to end - no crash
Episode 4 - Hardest difficulty - complete working from start to end - no crash


Testing Fan Maps Mods :

blood_chronicals_vol1.zip : WORKING ! (over User Map option, otherwise copy to main data folder)

BLOOD CHRONICALS. The first volume of a collection of the best BLOOD user maps ever made. 36 levels making up 4 unique episodes that will keep you occupied while the world crumbles to dust around you.
Note :
Make a backup of your BLOOD.INI file or rename it before transferring the contents of this map pack into your BLOOD folder. The INI file will be replaced with a new BLOOD.INI. This map collection is for BLOOD PLASMA PACK.


Out for Blood UPDATE.zip : WORKING ! (over User Map option, otherwise copy to main data folder)

Download of Fan Packs plus Mods, Maps and Episodes:
https://blood.freeminded.de/index.php?section=episodes

 

[peter8]

group x0r_jmp, had release the PC sorce code. Full port is now possible with movies.

https://gbatemp.net/threads/build-engine-game-blood-source-code-leaked-online.624269/

 

[Nikokaro]

@peter8 , hi chief. Sorry if I bumped this thread by going a little off topic, but I wanted to ask you if it is possible, with appropriate modifications and reductions, to port this to PSP.

I know very well that the Vita has a more powerful CPU and more available RAM, but still on PSP JfDuke3d and JFShadowWarrior which are FPS games very similar to this one (using the same 3D engine) work without problems, not to mention the more demanding Half Life (via Xash3d).

Are you by any chance in contact with the author of this port? Do you know if he would be willing to port it also, with appropriate modifications, to PSP: after all, the hardware of the two consoles is related and similar: maybe a few simple tweaks here and there would be enough. If you can contact him about this request, I would be grateful. But I may be brazenly asking too much, I'm afraid.
Thank you for your attention.

 

[peter8]

Make no sense, shadow warrior works very bad and instable on the PSP, also music is not working. was testing over adrenalin PSP. I dont think there will come a PSP version.

 

[Nikokaro]

Hmm.... Kudos! Remarkable, with a few words you dismissed the issue.

Sorry to contradict you, but on psp3000 SW works perfectly (of course, without bgms), without ever crashing. Some time ago I finished (at the easiest level, I admit) both the main game and the 2 official addons. It will be unstable only on Adrenalin for Vita, I suppose.

Still, I hope someone else will give me more constructive, consistent and technical answers on the subject, and not trivial platitudes.

 

[peter8]

sorry man, my way is Vita, not PSP.
when the music is not working than I dont play it, and the PSP has a very small resolution over Adrenalin on PSTV with my 4K big flat screen, I dont need it.
also, I dont talk with the coders, so there have free time.