Proto:Transformers (PlayStation 2, International)/Build 5171

This is a sub-page of Proto:Transformers (PlayStation 2, International).

  This prototype is documented on Hidden Palace.

To do: All the things. This page is mostly supporting the main page at the moment.

Released by Hidden Palace in 2021 as part of Project Deluge, Build 5171 (or the USS Hornet build) was shown off during the game's launch party held on the USS Hornet aircraft carrier. This doesn't seem to be the same build seen on the various kiosks guests could use. Instead, the build appears to have been displayed on a giant TV where American band Dropbox was jamming out some tunes.

Unlike Build 3944, the entire game is present in this build and the debug startup menu is enabled by default, with many of its options being functional. There's also plenty of differences.

Sub-Pages

Extras Menu

General

Debug Bootup Menu

• Upon booting up the build, a debug screen shows up, allowing players to tinker with various debug options before entering the game. Many of the options are functional.
  • When the game is booted up, a blue screen will appear with some text. Hitting X twice will allow you to view the list of debugging options. These options are being read from 0_DEFS.TMD, found in tfa.zip\CONFIGS.
  • Hitting L1 and R1 will take you to the top and bottom of the list of debug functions respectively.
  • Holding X over a debug function and hitting left and right will allow you to manipulate the debug option's setting.
  • Hitting Start will boot into the game with any changes you've made.

In-Game

• Betwixt interlacing still hasn't been implemented for player animations, meaning they run at 30fps instead of the final's 60fps.
• The Build 3944 variant of the ragdoll camera is still being used, where the camera smoothly pans behind the Autobot after the Autobot has gotten up. Retail instead quickly orients the camera behind the player while the Autobot is getting up.
• Jumping is not possible during the slide after transforming from vehicle mode to robot mode, unlike most other forms of sliding by this prototype. The retail version fixes this.
• You can enter Recon (first-person) mode while submerged in water, causing an unpleasant red pulse effect on screen if done deep enough to where the water damages you. Retail instead boots you out of Recon once the Autobot's shoulders touch the water, well above the threshold to start taking damage.
• The glider is missing a few functions:
  • Crashing into surfaces causes damage. In the retail game, slow collisions while gliding do not cause damage, making reckless gliding less punishing.
  • The ability to land with X has not been implemented yet. This means the only way to properly land is to slow down and pull up. This was changed to make the glider easier to use.
  • Canceling a glide by transforming with △ has also not been implemented. This implementation introduced a bug in the retail version that enables infinite height gain via repeated transformation glide cancels.
• Your coordinates are displayed in the bottom right portion of the screen. Also, if there's no solid ground below you, a NO GROUND FOUND warning will appear above the coordinates.
• Pausing the game shows the build number in the top left and your coordinates in the top right.
• Some debugging symbols can appear in the bottom left:
  • Pink warning symbol: CPU warning
  • Yellow warning symbol: GPU warning
  • Pink square: unknown
  • Yellow square: unknown

Dialogue

To do: Three of Optimus' dialogue has some silence in the beginning for some reason.

File directory: sound\english\audiocue\misc\mg_mock.ms

Build 5171's version of Megatron's unused mock taunt is completely different.

Megatron: Let me show you pain.

File directory: sound\english\audiocue\misc\ss_mock.ms

The mock quote for the second Starscream fight is missing the music sting.

v5171	Retail

Build Date

Found at offset 0x00503060 in the .ELF executable.

Transformers Armada $Revision: 5171 $ $Date: 23/01/04 2:07p $ RETAIL

Developer Messages

All of the following are found in the .ELF executable.

Offset 0x0051e130.

Fuck!

Offset 0x004f32c0 contains a link to a site which was hosted locally at Melbourne House. Since the site was hosted locally, the site was never publicly accessible.

http://srv07/TDG_Doc/Platforms/Sony/PS2_Developers_FAQ.htm

Offset 0x004f4670 informs us of our impending doom.

Dynamic collision scene's object arrays are full (size: %d) and automatic resizing has been disabled. Future death and destruction is surely certain. Have a nice day.

Offset 0x00507960 is a comment regarding translucent geometry behaviour. Wow!

taSelectiveTranslucentElementBehaviour constructor - Wow! More than 32 elements in a mesh surface! Tell AlexL

Offset 0x00509c40 is a comment regarding the meta-animation system, named Human Instrumentality (prefixed as "hi"). And yes, the name is a reference to Neon Genesis Evangelion.

hiInstrument::AddHierarchyToSplit(): Duncan's crap hack didn't work!

Offset 0x0050da40 has what's probably an error pertaining to vehicle physics.

Gosh! Why are you using this differential?

Offset 0x005085e0.

Error: Camera has zero weight! You may safely continue, but the camera will probably go to a very bad place.

Offset 0x0053e970 has two error messages pertaining to turrets.

taActorTurretManned (id: %d) has a mounted rider (id: %d) which is dead. This is wrong and weird. Please report to AI programming team. It should be safe to continue.

taActorTurretManned (id: %d) has a mounted rider (id: %d) without an actor. This is wrong and weird. Please report to AI programming team. It should be safe to continue.

Offset 0x00516c70 has an error regarding .DDE files.

This DDE file: %s, is too old to safely serialise. Please alert the CGI team.

Offset 0x0509930.

AnimConfig version mismatch (code %d: data: %d). Data is of an old version. This will result in this level potentially using more memory than necessary. Please reprocess AnimConfig.* files (via creature processing tools). If it is an offical level get the owning designer to reprocess it, otherwise see the creature team.

Offset 0x00526820.

The Occlusion Map stored with the scene does not match the scene!!!
This means the scene has been modified since the
occlusion data was generated, probably by the
game at load time.

The occlusion system will be disabled.

This will result in poor frame rate and
instability - continue at your own peril.

Offset 0x00526950.

The Occlusion Map stored with the scene does not match the EcoSystem data!!!

This means the EcoSystem has been modified
since the occlusion data was generated.

EcoSystem occlusion has been disabled.

This will result in poor frame rate and
instability - continue at your own peril.

Offset 0x004ed770 has three error messages listed.

Prototype list is full and about to be resized. You asked me to warn you of this.

SourceSet list is full and about to be resized. You asked me to warn you of this.

Actor list is full and about to be resized. You asked me to warn you of this.

Offset 0x00548210 contains an error message pertaining to mist.

Something has asked for more particles than I can provide. Someone needs to change the size of my internal buffers. Safe to continue, you will just miss out on some mist. My max size: %d Request size: %d

Offset 0x00516800.

NULL COMPONENT HACK - Please do not use this string as a parameter name

Offset 0x00516e00.

NULL BEHAVIOR HACK - Please do not use this string as a parameter name

Offset 0x0051de80:

taRagDollJointDatabase: Unkown bone id.

Offset 0x0053bcb0:

taAIGoal_StarscreamJetAttack::Update - Unkown state!