Short: Enhanced Gloom for ECS/AGA/P96 Author: aminet.andiweli@gmail.com (Andreas Stuermer) Uploader: aminet andiweli gmail com (Andreas Stuermer) Type: game/shoot Version: 2.0 Requires: AmigaOS 3.x, 68030+, compatible Gloom game data Architecture: m68k-amigaos Gloom Reforged ============== Gloom Reforged is an enhanced native Amiga version of Black Magic Software's 1995 first-person shooter Gloom. It is based on the original 68k source code and keeps the original gameplay, atmosphere and data formats while extending the engine for modern classic-Amiga setups. Background ---------- Gloom was programmed by Mark Sibly for Black Magic Software, with graphics by the Butler Brothers and music by Kevan Stannard. The original source code was made publicly available in 2017. Gloom Reforged grew out of work on the original source tree. That code contained parts of a more advanced Gloom engine, but required substantial work before it could be used as a complete game again. The Reforged project restores that base and extends it while trying to remain faithful to how an enhanced Amiga-era Gloom could have looked and behaved. Development, debugging and code analysis were assisted in parts by AI tools; all changes remain part of a normal human-reviewed and real-hardware-tested Amiga development process. Main features ------------- - Native Motorola 68k Amiga version - ECS/EHB, AGA and Picasso96 graphics-card support - Direct 8-bit CLUT Picasso96 output - P96 screen-mode requester with remembered mode and L-Shift override - Optional experimental Low Bandwidth P96 mode for slow RTG buses such as pVision/PCMCIA - Supported P96 output sizes include 320x240, 320x256, 428x240, 640x480, 640x512 and 854x480 - Standard 4:3, 5:4 and widescreen presentation modes - One-player and two-player split-screen rendering - Selectable 1x1, 2x1, 1x2 and 2x2 world-render resolutions - Improved keyboard and mouse handling - Reworked wall, floor/ceiling and distance rendering - Optional Bayer-dithered distance shading - Extended visibility/range option - Optional blob shadows and reflections - NASTY violence mode with additional blood/gore effects - Reworked weapon, muzzle-flash and top HUD rendering - Optional FPS counter - STOCK mode for a more classic Gloom-style renderer without the Reforged-only visual effects - Compatibility work for Gloom, Gloom Deluxe/Ultimate Gloom, Gloom 3 and Zombie Massacre data sets - Optimized C2P paths for different 68k CPU generations - Numerous renderer, palette, menu, input and real-hardware fixes The higher P96 screen modes are presentation/output modes. The original Gloom renderer is still fundamentally a low-resolution software renderer; this is not a replacement high-resolution 3D engine. Usage and configuration ----------------------- The original standalone Gloom Config program is not required for Gloom Reforged. Configuration is handled by the game itself: normal gameplay and renderer options are changed through the title and in-game menus, and persistent settings are written automatically to PROGDIR:gloom.cfg. The P96 requester can also remember the selected screen mode and the Low Bandwidth setting. A few startup-only options remain available as Workbench ToolTypes or CLI tokens. ToolTypes are case-insensitive and may be combined by adding them as separate lines to the program icon. From the CLI they can simply be supplied together after the executable name. Available ToolTypes / CLI tokens: - AGA Force the native AGA renderer. - ECS Force the native ECS/EHB renderer. - P96 Use the Picasso96 renderer. A requester lists the supported 8-bit CLUT modes. - FPS Enable the two-digit gameplay FPS counter. This is a runtime-only option and is not stored in gloom.cfg. - STOCK Use the more classic Gloom rendering behaviour by disabling Reforged-only effects such as Bayer shading, the extended fog/range behaviour, reflections and blob shadows. Saved menu preferences are preserved and become active again when Gloom Reforged is started without STOCK. - P96MODEID=$xxxxxxxx Optional advanced P96 override using an exact Picasso96 ModeID. It must be used together with P96. A valid ModeID skips the normal P96 mode requester; an invalid or unsupported ID falls back to the normal selection process. AGA, ECS and P96 are alternative display selectors, so normally only one of them should be used. If none is specified, Gloom Reforged chooses the native renderer automatically according to the detected chipset. FPS and STOCK can be combined with AGA, ECS or P96 and may also be used together. Note: To play on ECS Amigas, you need to copy the relevant subfolder from "ECS-EHB-Assets" into the game folder! Example Workbench ToolTypes: P96 FPS STOCK or, for a fixed P96 mode: P96 P96MODEID=$502F1000 FPS Equivalent CLI example: GloomReforged P96 FPS STOCK When "Save Screenmode" is enabled in the P96 requester, the selected ModeID is stored in gloom.cfg and reused on later P96 starts. Hold the left Shift key while starting Gloom Reforged to ignore the saved mode for that launch and show the requester again. "Low Bandwidth" is also selected in the P96 requester and stored in gloom.cfg; it is not a separate ToolType. Requirements ------------ Minimum technical requirements: - AmigaOS 3.x - Motorola 68030 (68060 recommended) - ECS or AGA chipset, or a Picasso96-compatible RTG graphics card - Compatible Gloom game data - Sufficient Chip/Fast RAM for the selected game and display mode For Picasso96 mode: - Working Picasso96 installation - Graphics card providing compatible 8-bit CLUT modes Performance note: Gloom Reforged performs more work than the original game. A fast 68060 or, preferably, a PiStorm-class system is strongly recommended when using the more advanced visual features. Slower systems can use STOCK mode, reduced render resolution and/or native ECS/AGA settings according to their performance. Game data --------- Gloom Reforged is an engine executable and does not grant additional rights to the original commercial artwork, music or other game data. Use legally obtained or otherwise legitimately distributed Gloom-compatible data files. Project and source code ----------------------- https://github.com/Andiweli/Gloom-Reforged Legal / source code notice -------------------------- The original Gloom was developed by Black Magic Software and published in 1995 by Guildhall Leisure Services. The original development credits include Mark Sibly (programming), Kurt Butler and Hans Butler (graphics), Laki Schuster (additional artwork), and Kev Stannard (music). These names and credits are listed here to acknowledge the people and companies behind the original game. Ultimate Gloom / Gloom 3 and Zombie Massacre were later created from the Gloom Deluxe engine by Alpha Software and additional contributors. Credits across these games include Gareth Murfin (production, design and map work), James Caygill (graphics and concept work), Jason Jordache (additional/still graphics), Dave Newton (utilities and additional software), Liam Weford (additional sprites, textures and artwork), William Morton (music and sound effects), Chris Murfin (story), and Peter McGavin, Iain Barclay and Frank Wille (C2P routines, where credited). These contributors are likewise acknowledged for their work on the Gloom-derived games supported by Gloom Reforged. The original Gloom source release states that the included .s and .bb2 source files were released into the public domain / under the Unlicense. This applies to the released source code only. Graphics, music, game data and other assets were not covered by that source-code dedication and were provided separately for historical and archiving purposes. Gloom Reforged is an independent preservation and enhancement project based on that publicly released source code. It is not an official product of Black Magic Software, Guildhall Leisure Services, or any of the original developers and contributors named above, and no endorsement or affiliation is implied. Gloom, Gloom Deluxe and related names, artwork, music, game data and trademarks remain subject to the rights of their respective rights holders where applicable. No claim is made here regarding the present ownership or succession of those rights. Gloom Reforged does not claim ownership of the original game assets or trademarks. This archive does not grant permission to redistribute third-party material that is not already legally redistributable. Users are responsible for using legally obtained or otherwise legitimately distributed game data. The program is supplied as-is, without warranty. Use it at your own risk. Gloom Reforged modifications and project work: Copyright (C) Andreas 'Andiweli' Stuermer.