Proto:Shadow Warrior (1997)/Prototype 1996-06-27

This is a sub-page of Proto:Shadow Warrior (1997).

The June 27th, 1996 Shadow Warrior prototype comes a little more than two weeks after the previous prototype. While most of the game is the same, several changes have been coming in that bring it closer to the final game, such as the Riot Gun only shooting shotgun shells and the spell system being removed. Some new enemy sprites have appeared as well, with a bonus surprise of several voxels being included with the prototype, all of which show enemies and characters instead of items. A few new levels have been added as well.

General

Player Sprite

The player has once again received a new sprite. This design is similar to the one found in the June 11th prototype, but was completely redrawn. The player's face is now exposed, and the sprite itself is overall larger than the old one. It appears to have lasted a while, as it was only replaced in the April 1997 prototype with the final design.

This design matches concept art made by Chuck Jones for the "Shadow Warrior Dude".

The old sprites used in the June 11th prototype are still in this one, and appear in later prototypes as well.

Back.
Side view.
In-game shot.

Prototype	Concept art

June 27th, 1996	June 11th, 1996

HUD

The HUD now properly tracks the weapons the player has and the amount of ammo that is available for each weapon. However, it's fairly bugged; the game will often show incorrect values, such as having 480 rounds for the Uzi, when in reality the player only has 250.

The key and inventory bugs from the previous prototype are still in this one.

In-game HUD image, showing the bugged weapon and ammo count on the left side of the HUD.

Cheats

This prototype has changed cheats around a bit. The major cheats were reworked so that one has to type a message out, like in Doom and Duke Nukem 3D, instead of using key binds. However, some old key binds are still usable.

Input	Effect	Image
SWGOD	God mode.
SWITEMS	All keys, all weapons, max ammo for each weapon.
SWALL	God mode, all keys, all weapons, and max ammo for each weapon at once.
Alt+ R	Restarts the level with the player's current inventory and other effects, such as God mode. Health is reset to 100.
Alt + A	Disables automapping in the automap, showing everything, including tags, props, the player's position, items, and enemies.
Alt + M	Freezes all entities except the player, including projectiles.

Demos

This prototype removes the demo for $scene. In addition, the demo for $boss1 is horribly out of sync, since the first part of $boss1 was removed in this prototype.

Spells

The spell system from previous prototypes has been completely gutted. The player can no longer pick up mana, the mana pickups themselves have been replaced, cheats no longer give mana, and the spell scrolls found throughout levels no longer show a spell name when picked up.

This creates a bit of a problem, as the player still has the Shadow and Night Vision spells. But, since mana can no longer be obtained, there is no way to use them anymore.

Teleporters

Teleporters are broken in this prototype, making it difficult to navigate some maps.

Exit Message

This prototype removes all of the Doom-style exit messages previous prototypes had in favor of the one used in the final game. However, the game will show a random character underneath it, most likely a glitch.

Third Person Mode

Third person mode is now activated with the F7 key. This is kept in the final game.

F10 to Quit

The F10 key now quits the game, like in the final game, instead of crashing it.

FRANK.TXT

Inside the prototype's files is a text file containing what appears to be a list of requests for level editing functionality to programmer/designer Frank Maddin, written by level designer Richard "Levelord" Gray (who appears to have typoed his own alias, amusingly). Gray was not credited in the final game, presumably because he had left 3D Realms by that point.


Frank List, July 19 from The Levleord.


Priority 1:

- Need switch control over everything.

- Need control over auto-close.  Doors should NOT autoclose by default
(me thinks) and I need to determine auto-close time.  Would like auto-
close control on as many sector effects as possible (elevators, swingers,
sliders, etc.).

- Need better control over invisible explosives.  Need to link to an event
and need to set delay before explosion.

-  Move player's start position with sector group (ST1 #200, #201).


Priority 2:

- Use Z of ceiling/floor stomper sprites (ST1 #40, #41) to determine
height of stomp.

- Need to synchronize lighting effects.  Use hitag to generate random
flicker, but insure similarly tagged sectors get same flicker.

- Sprites need to move on with moving relative floors/ceilings.  Default
is to move with floor (sprite's Z equal floor or above), and, if possible,
move with ceiling if sprite has been Ctrl-PageUp'ed.


Priority 3:

- Need a red sector version of slider doors.  Used for draw bridges, etc.
(Would make a cool trap floor if used with sector-over-sector ;)

- Need to make tiles #647 and #648 (acetaline tanks) explodable.  Need same
control as invisible explosions.


============================================================

July 20

Priority 3:

- Can player shoot (one-handed guns) while on ladder.  Cool if he could look
around, especially if in manual-aiming mode.

Graphics

Removed Graphics

Graphic	Tile Number	Notes
	761

Changed Graphics

June 11th, 1996	Final Game	Tile Number	Notes
		2180-2187	Shell slightly lengthened, details removed.
		2702	Completely new sprite.
		2704	Completely new sprite.
		2705	Completely new sprite.
		2656	N/A

Creature

Buried in the items sprites in tile 1843 is a strange creature. There's no hints as to what it was supposed to do, or if it meant anything at all.

Sumo Sky Palace Images

Tiles 2730 and 2731 have images from what appear to be the level $plax1 (Sumo Sky Palace in the final game). The first one can be traced to an area in the level, but the second one doesn't appear anywhere at all.

Both of them are removed in the final game.

2730
2731

Tile 2730	June 11th and 27th $plax1

Voxels

This prototype includes several voxels. None of these appear in the final game, and in fact, most of them show character designs that were either scrapped in this prototype or in the final game.

Voxel000

Voxel000 is the Ninja enemy from previous prototypes.

Back.
Side view.
Side view.

Voxel	Sprite

Voxel001

Voxel001 is the Coolie enemy, using the design seen in several prototypes, including this one.

Back.
Side view.

Voxel	Sprite

Voxel002

Voxel002 is the Coolie Ghost, using the old design seen in the September 1995 and June 11th, 1996 prototypes.

Back.
Side view.
Side view.

Voxel	Sprite

Voxel003

Voxel003 is the Guardian, using the final game's design.

Back.
Side view.
Side view.

Voxel	Sprite

Voxel004 Through 007

Voxels 004 through 007 feature the player and Ninja design seen in this prototype. The voxels are meant to represent the sprite's walking animation.

Back.
Side view.
Side view.

Voxel	Sprite

Music

Music does not play by default, but it includes more songs than the previous prototype did.

Sounds

Several new sounds, such as a new firing sound for the Shuriken and a generic idling sound for enemies, have been added.

Weapons

Katana

The Katana now has its final sprite, but has different arm bands.

It behaves like it does in the previous prototype.

Prototype	Final

Shuriken

The Shuriken is the same as it was in the previous prototype.

Riot Gun

The Riot Gun has undergone some changes from the previous prototype. It now only shoots shotgun blasts. It fires faster than in the final game and does not have a cooldown after a certain amount of shots, unlike the final game.

The gun's first person sprite has undergone some changes as well. The top of the gun moves and ejects spent shotgun shells, fire comes out of the holes in the center of the gun when it is fired, and the Riot Gun moves and jerks a lot more when shooting than in the June 11th prototype.

Its final alternate fire mode is not in the game.

Inside the prototype's files is one sprite featuring the Riot Gun without a magazine, and another showing an incomplete hand holding the Riot Gun's magazine. These were likely for a scrapped reload animation.

Riot Gun without magazine.
Incomplete hand holding Riot Gun magazine.

Prototype	Final

June 27th, 1996	June 11th, 1996

Uzi

The Uzi now has its final sprite, but it's a little lighter than the final sprite. The armband shown when the gun is being reloaded uses a different design than the final's, but it matches the armband seen in several other first person weapon sprites in this prototype.

In-game, it behaves the same as it did before, including the busted dual-wielding.

The left Uzi when dual-wielding does not have an ejector on it, which makes it obvious that the left Uzi is just a mirrored version of the regular Uzi.

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Prototype	Final

Railgun

The Railgun makes its first appearance in this prototype.

Its sprite is much rougher than it is than the final design. The body is jet black, the only details it has is on its muzzle and purple part of its body, and it is not animated.

When fired, the Railgun behaves exactly like the rocket-firing mode for the Riot Gun in the June 11th prototype did, including the cooldown that first happens when four shots are fired, then subsequently happens after every 12 shots. Rocket ammo for the Riot Gun resupplies the Railgun as well.

Prototype	Final

Grenade Launcher

The arm holding the Grenade launcher has been slightly tweaked to match the design seen on the Uzi, Ripper's Heart, and Katana in this prototype. In-game, it is the same as it was in the previous prototype.

The grenade this weapon fires has been given a bronze color, but it's lighter than the final's grenade.

Prototype	Final

June 27th, 1996	June 11th, 1996

Prototype grenade	Final grenade

Sticky Bomb

The Sticky Bomb is the same as in the June 11th prototype.

Rocket Launcher

The Rocket Launcher's sprite has received a few details making it closer to the final design. A set of two lights has been added to the left side of the gun and light readout found on the final design has been added to the lower-center of the gun.

This weapon has tiles showing the light on the left side turned green and the dots, along with the HEAT icon, in the center lit up, but there doesn't seem to be a way to trigger this in-game. There are dot graphics showing 0 to four dots turned off. This mirrors the graphic for the HEAT rockets in the final game, suggesting they were already working on the HEAT function when this prototype was compiled.

It behaves the same as it did before, including its tendency to crash the game.

Green light.
Dot and HEAT icon turned on.

Prototype	Final

June 27th, 1996	June 11th, 1996

Ripper Heart

The Ripper Heart itself now spews blood from its cut-off veins, making it visually the same as it is in the final game. The armband uses a different and less-detailed design than the one in the final game.

It still behaves like it did before.

Prototype	Final

Guardian Head

The Guardian Head's graphic has been changed again. It seems the team retook images from the render used in the firing animation for the previous prototype, but angled it differently and had the ponytail put down.

In-game, it is the same as it was in the previous prototype.

Prototype	Final

June 27th, 1996	June 11th, 1996

Enemies

Unless stated, enemies are the same as they are in the previous prototype.

Ninjas

The Ninjas now use the player's new sprite. However, the conversion is not complete; they will still use their old sprites when using spells or when dying after committing suicide.

Behavior-wise, they are the same as they were before.

A Ninja going to commit suicide...
...and him reverting to the old Ninja design as he dies.
A comparison between a ninja that has committed suicide and ones that haven't. The one that killed himself is on the left, while ones killed by the player are in the center and to the right.
Blue Ninja.
Red Ninja.
Green Ninja.

Coolie Ghost

The Coolie Ghost has begun to use the final design. His idle sprites use the final design, but the sprites are larger, darker, and more detailed than they are in the final game. He uses his old design when using his melee attack and dying, however. His pose appears to be similar to a generic t-post instead of the ghost-like pose the final one uses.

He behaves the same as it did before.

Back.
Side view.

Prototype	Final

Items

The items are the same as the previous prototype, unless otherwise stated.

Medkit

The Medkit replaces the Red Needle from earlier prototypes. It uses the same sprite that the final's Medkit uses, but with a red cross and a dark gray body.

It restores 10 health when picked up.

Prototype	Final

Large Medkit

This prototype replaced the red potion with a large Medkit. Interestingly, the sprite for this item is used as the sprite for the portable Medkit in the final game.

It restores 25 health when picked up.

BOTS

This prototype replaces the mana-restoring blue potion with a battery-like object that has BOTS written in the center of it. It can be picked up, but it does nothing when obtained.

This item appears in several more prototypes before being removed in the final game.

BOTS Text

The blue potion's smaller cousin, the blue vial, is replaced with a placeholder texture that spells out BOTS in yellow text. It cannot be picked up.

Repair Kit

The Repair Kit from the final game makes its first appearance in this prototype, but has a larger and different sprite. The prototype's sprite has more space between the top of the kit and the word "TOOLS" and uses a lighter shade of red.

There is no way to actually use it in the prototype.

The player will always have a Repair Kit when starting a level from scratch.

Prototype	Final

Levels

To do:
Add these.

This prototype adds some new levels, such as $dozer, which would eventually become the second level in the shareware episode.