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If you'd like to support our preservation efforts (and this wasn't cheap), please consider donating or supporting us on Patreon. Thank you!
Proto:Syndicate Wars (DOS, Windows)
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This page details one or more prototype versions of Syndicate Wars (DOS, Windows).
This page is rather stubbly and could use some expansion. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue this article? |
To do: Gain control over the demo. Any non-engine differences (art, music, sound, etc.)? |
A pre-alpha self-running demo of Syndicate Wars (called Syndicate: The Corporate Wars) from late 1995 was widely released on magazine covermounts in early 1996. This version can be downloaded from the Syndicate Unofficial Site.
General Differences
- Only one map is present.
- A .bat file is included to run the demo. If one tries to run the program with just syn2 -p1, debug text is shown on the screen. The .bat file puts that text into a debug file.
- By default, the camera constantly rotates.
- The game uses packet01.gam to control the demo.
- Loading the executable without starting the demo will load a load map screen. However, the game also crashes here due to a missing file named textwalk.dat. If you try to import that file from the final game, it only displays a black screen.
- No HUD is present, possibly except for two purple bars.
- No sound effects or music play during the demo. However, both are present in the sound folder: SOUND.DAT contains a handful of sound effects to be played at 22050 Hz, while MUSIC.DAT has a short song.
- Shadow effects are present on the characters, but moving the camera around reveals that everyone is using the default player sprite as a placeholder for their shadows.
- Explosions are incomplete. The debris left behind is just a squashed model of the building destroyed. In the final game, there's more debris and fire left behind after explosions.
- Buildings don't become transparent when the player walks in front of them.
- Some of the giant displays are playing part of the intro movie to Magic Carpet 2.
- The demo creates a folder called bullfrog.cd in the C directory. This includes a debug file used to track any errors and the demo control files.
- frames.h is present in the DATA folder, containing a list of the game's animations.
Commands
- -p1 - Start the game using packet01.gam.
- /map - In theory, this should be able to access a map. However, it defaults to map 0.
- /q - Unknown.
- /r - Unknown.
- /s - Session Name.
- /u - User Name.
Controls
- Arrow Keys - Control camera.
- I - Zoom in.
- O - Zoom out.
- G - Stop demo.
Unused Text
As the game is very incomplete and quite locked down, a lot of the options are not available normally.
Starting at D5BEC is what appears to be map editor stuff:
DELETE PEOPLE RESET ROAD LIGHTS LOAD MAP SAVE MAP COMPRESS MAP AMBIENT LIGHT LOADSA TEXTURE SETBACK LIGHT RECALC LIGHTS SYNC TEXTURES COMPRESS TEXTURES SHOW MEMORY CANCEL SET GROUP NORMAL SET BULB DEATH GROUP TO FLICKER GROUP TO PULSE GROUP TO FLASH TEXTURE FLASH SYNC LIGHTS TO SPRITES DELETE LIGHTS EXIT SET LIGHT NORMAL SINGLE TO FLICKER SINGLE TO PULSE SINGLE TO FLASH TEXTURE FLASH SYNC LIGHTS TO TEXTURES CHANGE LIGHTS COLOUR DELETE LIGHT SET AUTO LIGHT EXIT
Also at D7466:
SELECT FACES MODE EDIT QUADEDIT TEXTURE SET GROUP PAINT COLOUR OPAQUE SEMI TRANS DOUB SIDED FUNNY MIRR COL CYCLING WALKABLE SELF ILLUMI DOOR ANIM TMAP CHOOSE COLOUR ALL DONE OP ST DS FM CC WA SI DR AT
Finally, some menus for the map editor at DF130:
NEW MAP LOAD MAP SAVE MAP LOAD LEVEL SAVE LEVEL SWITCH MAP COMPRESS MAP ------------ QUIT SINGLE TO FLICKER SINGLE TO PULSE CHANGE LIGHT COLOUR DELETE LIGHT SET AUTO LIGHT ------------------- SET BULB DEATH GROUP TO FLICKER GROUP TO PULSE DELETE PEOPLE LOADSA TEXTURE SHOW MEMORY COMPRESS TEXTURES SYNC TEXTURES ------------------- RESET ROAD LIGHTS PLACE AMBIENT LIGHT DEL AMBIENT LIGHT RECALC LIGHTS NS RECALC LIGHTS WS DELETE ALL LIGHTS FILE SPECIAL LIGHTS
The Syndicate series | |
---|---|
DOS | Syndicate (1993) • Syndicate Wars (Prototype) |
SNES | Syndicate |
Windows | Syndicate Wars (Prototype) • Syndicate (2012) |