Omega Squadron Instant Action Campaign Release

[ScrapPool]

Hey everybody, I know I haven't been around here much, but I just finished my map pack for Ken's BZ 1.5! Perhaps it could serve as some afternoon entertainment, who knows?
This is more or less a translation of this thread.


Omega Squadron Instant Action Map Pack
by ScrapPool

Features
32 new lua-powered instant action maps for Battlezone 1.5.2.13 or later!
2 Campaigns, with a full story (that weaves in with BZ1)!
10 Multiplayer Maps! (adaptations)
A convenient launcher!

By race, the number of missions:
NSDF: 6
Black Dogs: 13
Chinese: 9
Russian: 5

Follow the commander of Omega Squadron of the Black Dogs as he fights the good fight across the solar system, leading NSDF and Black Dog forces in the 18 mission Campaign Omega Squadron, or join the Chinese Red Army and lead the assault on the NSDF in the 8 Mission Campaign The People's Dragon. Plus a couple bonus missions! (why not?)

Screenshots

Goals:
1) Emulate the terraining styles from BZ1
2) Don't make hard maps for the sake of frustration.
3) Make something I would want to play.
I think I accomplished most of these. Let me know what you think!

Installation Instructions
Requirements:
Battlezone 1.5.2.13 or later.

Launcher Requirements:
Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile
Windows Media Player (10) (optional)
(both of the above should be installed by default, I believe- see the readme if they are not)

1) Extract OmegaSquadronMapPack.zip to your main Battlezone directory, making sure the folder "Omega Squadron Map Pack" is in your addon.
2) Make sure omegasquadronlauncher.exe, bztheme.wav, Interop.WMPLib.dll, and AxInterop.WMPLib.dll are in your main Battlezone directory (they should be if you extracted properly).
3) Create a shortcut for, or run OmegaSquadronLauncher.exe and you're off!

Multiplayer Maps:
To install the included multiplayer maps, find netmis_lines.txt in addon\Omega Squadron Map Pack\Multiplayer\ and copy the text lines to netmis.txt in your main Battlezone directory. Once these lines are added, the maps are installed and you can play them from the BZ multiplayer menu. These maps (2 DM and 8 Strat) are adaptations of maps from the map pack.

If you are having trouble, read the readme in full. If you are still having trouble, comment below and I'll help you get set.
For those of you timid about running unknown *.exes, the map pack can be played without the launcher, just like any other instant action missions. Briefings can be found in *.txt files with the names of the missions. If you would like, I can PM you the source code.

DISCLAIMER

Code: Select all

THIS MATERIAL IS NOT MADE OR SUPPORTED BY ACTIVISION

The OMEGA SQUADRON UNOFFICIAL MAP PACK ("Map Pack") and associated 
content are not supported by Activision, Inc. or licensors ("Owner").
This Map Pack was created in accordance with the Battlezone Software
License Agreement (LICENCE.TXT) and its distribution must also
abide this agreement as "New Game Content". It may not be used
for commercial purposes.

The OMEGA SQUADRON UNOFFICIAL MAP PACK LAUNCHER ("Launcher"),
OmegaSquadronLauncher.exe, was created with Microsoft Visual Basic
2010 Express and is part of the Map Pack.
In running the Launcher, you agree to hold the Author harmless from
any damages, losses or expenses resulting directly or indirectly 
from your use of the Launcher or Map Pack.

Battlezone content (images, sounds, music) readily available online 
are used in the Launcher with the sole intent of emulating the Battlezone
shell menus.

DISTRIBUTION.
Any part of the Map Pack or Launcher and associated materials ("New Game Content")
may not be MODIFIED OR DISTRIBUTED without the express written permission 
of the Author or the Owner. The distribution files (Map Pack, Launcher
and associated materials) may not be disassembled or separated from their 
Intended Package ("OmegaSquadronMapPack.zip") without express permission 
of the Author or the Owner.

If any content within the OMEGA SQUADRON UNOFFICIAL MAP PACK is found
to be in violation of the Battlezone Software License Agreement, the entire
Intended Package shall no longer be distributed by any party at the request 
of the Owner or Author.

By using this Map Pack or Launcher, you agree to the terms of the
Battlezone Software License Agreement.

('Please do not redistribute without permission; may not be distributed for commercial gain.')

Download

None of the content of this map pack should overwrite any standard content, and should not make your client multiplayer incompatible (let me know if this is the case). I'm not sure everything is totally air tight, so let me know if there are any issues. There is a current outstanding bug with saving and loading that has to do with lua (as of 1.5.2.13) so if you can't load a game successfully on a certain map this is why. (This will hopefully be fixed soon.)

Enjoy!

[General BlackDragon]

Nice! been waiting for this

[ScrapPool]

I hope it's been entertaining to some degree.
Some fixes:
omegam01fixed
omegam02fixed
omegam09fixed
Alternatively, a re-download of the pack has these fixes included.

[Huib-Bloodstone]

I am going to try this out tommorow, Great work on your project

[Red Devil]

hey, he can't be a modder - he only has 15 posts...



thanks, i'll try this out today.

[Apollo]

I was wondering why it's 250MB, what all is in this?

[General BlackDragon]

open it and see?

[Huib-Bloodstone]

there are a few missions that are buggy

NSDF
Mission 5, prison ain't working
Mission 17 crashes here, AV to desktop

[Apollo]

"open it and see?"

I would have to make a special trip to a place far away where i could download it. :p

[General BlackDragon]

Oh, right, i forgot...dial up...

[Red Devil]

able to launch OS, but can't launch any of the missions in it.

[ScrapPool]

So the size is because I've no formal training in any language (except javascript) or distribution, so the launcher is HUGE coming in at 93MBish. I didn't build it to be size efficient, I just built it to look and sound nice, show the briefings and launch the missions. The actual missions are relatively small in comparison, I believe- around 10-15MB(?). There are two copies of the launcher included because it it won't start at all without WMP installed, so I had to include a no-music version which would. Questionable decisions? Maybe, but again, I just built it do what I wanted and account for WMP problems- it was/is a free time tinker in VB.NET gig. I also figured that size wouldn't be as much of an issue nowadays. In any case, if you're concerned about safety, the missions don't need the launcher to run. They can be run just like any other BZ instant action missions. Again, sorry for the size!

I can't reproduce the prison bug or the mission 17 crash.
I shoot the prison, it dies, defectors come out and get in tanks, we book it out of there.
I played Guerrilla twice and it was smooth both times.
Make sure your version is correct and all that, I guess.

Remember: the pack requires 1.5.2.13 or later, (Ken's lua script functionality), missions will seem REALLY dumb, cinematics wont play, and missions wont complete (usually) if you're on the wrong version.
If you're having difficulty problems on missions 1,2,4, or 9, I might suggest a re-download, as some things have been fixed. It's done and somewhat shiny in my humble opinion, but not spotless if you know what I mean.

Getting to 1.5.2.13 (and even 1.5 in general) can be/was until recently a little difficult from a CD install, so all I'll say is there is an installer readily available somewhere on the internet that gets you right to 1.5.1.17, which is one extract away from 1.5.2.13, and just one more extract away from the map pack hummin' along nicely. The launcher looks for bzone.exe (version 1.5.2.13), so the bzone 1.5.1 must renamed or deleted and bzint.exe (1.5.2) renamed to bzone.exe, and then the launcher should work fine if everything is in the right place (See readme). Someday perhaps soon, the standard bzone.exe will be 1.5.2, and this is the reasoning here.


Some other things:
Current Version: 1.0.5

Better Installation instructions:
1) Install Battlezone from the latest installer (OR Patch to version 1.5.0 then 1.5.1.18 from CD install). (If the current version is 1.5.2.x or later, skip step 2 and 3)
2) Patch to 1.5.2.13 or later by extracting the "current release" version from http://battlezone.videoventure.org/ to your main Battlezone directory.
3) In your main Battlezone directory, rename bzone.exe as bzone.exe.bak and bzint.exe to bzone.exe.
4) Extract OmegaSquadronMapPack.zip to your main Battlezone directory, making sure the folder "Omega Squadron Map Pack" is in your addon.
5) Make sure omegasquadronlauncher.exe, bztheme.wav, Interop.WMPLib.dll, and AxInterop.WMPLib.dll are in your main Battlezone directory (they should be if you extracted properly).
6) Create a shortcut for, or run OmegaSquadronLauncher.exe and you're off!

Map Previews

And

The multiplayer maps are now available for download separately from the main map pack:
Omega Sqaudron Multiplayer Maps

Also available individually at Goomba's Map Room.

[Red Devil]

still no go.

ken's bzint runs fine, but OS gets a busy cursor after i pick a mission, then briefing, then launch and stays on the same screen.

i renamed bzint -> bzone, too.

[ScrapPool]

Here's what happens on Launch button click, it might be helpful.

Code: Select all

Private Sub OmegamNextBtn_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles OmegamNextBtn.Click
        My.Computer.Audio.Play(My.Resources.cornrclk,
        AudioPlayMode.WaitToComplete)
        MainForm.musicplayer.Ctlcontrols.stop()
        Try
            Shell(Application.StartupPath & "\bzone.exe omegam18.bzn")
        Catch ex As Exception
            MsgBox(ex.Message, MsgBoxStyle.Critical)
        End Try
        Me.Close()
        omegaform.Show()
    End Sub

1) Plays button click sound.
2) Stops the music - is WMP causing problems? You might try the music-less launcher, omegasquadronlauncher.exe.nomusic (remove .nomusic)
3) Tries to launch the mission with bzone.exe. If it cant, you should get a "file not found" warning.
4) Closes the form. (should "go back" to mission selection)

All I can ask is that you try to make sure everything is in the right place according to the readme, as it is working for me. If that doesn't work, a fresh BZ install and patch up might fix things, it has for a few others.

[Huib-Bloodstone]

I reinstalled and it seems to work fine also the bugs i mentioned seems ok