Comments - luciusDXL

I haven't updated here in a while but the project is progressing. I'm still working on the XL Engine merger, which will include some new features for DaggerXL as well. Once this merger is complete, I still plan on moving on to iterative, frequent builds and updates.

I probably won't be able to post more DaggerXL relevant information until after the XL Engine merger is complete. However if you want to see merger progress, which is being updated regularly - visit the blog at xlengine.com. Relevant to DaggerXL though: once the merger is complete DaggerXL will be cross-platform, with binaries for Windows, Linux and OS X. In addition the system requirements will be lower and performance should be improved.

When the news article comes online, try the latest version using the launcher. It should be more specific as to the problem.

Sorry about the lack of updates over here. The project has been progressing but I haven't been updating this place as often as I should. A news article will be coming online any time now (already submitted) talking about what's going on and the latest version.

It doesn't need DosBox now. However you do need the Daggerfall data (including executable), patched up to the latest version. You can easily install that by using DaggerfallSetup from UESP.net (without having to muck around with DosBox yourself): Uesp.net

Wow, late reply on my part.

Anyway the reason is simple - once DaggerXL reaches version 1.0 then the core systems and gameplay will be complete (i.e. Beta). Think of it as counting up to version 1.0, the closer the version is, the closer the program is to Beta. :)

RAM is important of course, but most systems have more then enough RAM for this case. CPU performance will be more difficult to deal with then RAM usage by far - at least on the majority of systems.

Make sure you change the path in DXL_Settings to point to the Arena2 folder ( Example: C:\Games\Daggerfall\Arena2\ )

Make sure you download the OpenAL driver and update DirectX as specified on the site.

If the program starts but doesn't display properly, you can try turning off bloom or forced AA in the driver control panel (if you have it forced to on).

NPC interactions will be in the following build. In fact, after this build my focus will shift away from dungeon gameplay back to the more RPG elements - NPCs, shops, guilds, quests and so forth.

Yes, I've been thinking about that. Just debating whether to wait until the Beta or do it now.

Open up DXL_Settings.txt and set GodMode=1 (add a new line if it isn't already there).

Eventually I plan on supporting Linux and OS X, though it'll be a while. As to whether you should wait or just play Daggerfall, that depends. Daggerfall is rather buggy and people have been put off by said buginess in the past. It's a bit harder to setup and the default controls scheme is hard to use (though this can be changed). On the other hand, you can play Daggerfall today whereas it may be a while before DaggerXL is fully playable (you can play it now, but not all the systems are working, there are no quests and of course no main quest/story line). Daggerfall is worth playing, it's really a matter of patience and bug tolerance. :)

I released a bug-fix build, version 0.198. If you are currently using version 0.197 pick it up since it fixes an important save related crash in some dungeons. In addition random monsters are no longer exclusively bears. :)

Please visit the DaggerXL forums, if you have time, and post a bug report. DaggerXL should work in Win 7 and if it doesn't it would be good to know so that it can be fixed.

DaggerXL forums:
Daggerxl.50.forumer.com

It requires the original game files and executable. But the DaggerXL engine is a native Windows application.

I did, I'm waiting for a response.

Unfortunately it is rather annoying considering that it's been a long time since the previous news post on this site. I'll do better in the future about keeping the ModDB site up to date as well as the blog, then it won't be such a big deal if this happens. :)

Thanks, sorry about not keeping the ModDB community up to date. Hopefully if the staff reconsiders this article and un-archives it others here can see that progress is still being made too (by showing it on the main news page). :)

Texture replacer mods are already possible, in fact some people at the DaggerXL forums are working on that right now. Later you will be able to replace sprites with models and/or higher resolution sprites. In addition sound effects, music, movies and text will also be replaceable. Finally there will additional support for adding new areas, towns, editing/creating dungeons, editing and creating quests (with scripting) and more. :)

(After the game is fully playable of course)

Yes modding support is planned. Texture replacers are already possible but full model replacement, terrain editing, location editing and addition and more are planned.

Bloom is optional. All extended features are optional.

Generic town NPC's are not really persistent at all. Daggerfall only "simulates" those within a certain range of the player (as you've noticed). I have an incomplete implementation of the NPCs done (currently disabled because of other changes, but you can see them in some earlier blog entries/videos on the blog). Anyway I've set it up so that NPCs only appear out of the field of view - they suddenly "pop in" but you never see it so it appears more natural. Extended features will probably be implemented to improve the generic NPCs, but the initial behavior will be the same as Daggerfall (except the obvious pop-in).

Climbing needs to be tweaked but it is in already.

As for view distance, this is the first pass on the terrain. I plan on going back to it after the game is more playable. I mentioned roads, rivers and such in a reply above. However I should also mention that I plan on adding proper terrain LODs (only the highest LOD is visible right now) - allowing the terrain to be rendered out to the horizon. Imagine standing on a mountain and looking out over the bay. :)

DaggerXL defaults to the "view based" control scheme - which basically means it controls very similarly to a more modern TES game such as Morrowind. You can actually setup the controls like this in vanilla Daggerfall - but it is not the default.

As for the combat, that will remain the same - many people like it as it was. However other options may be considered in the future if there is enough demand (but the original combat will always be the default).

1) The process of replacing the models won't be hard and it will indeed be possible. However my priority right now is getting the game completely playable within the next couple of months so... it'll be a while yet.

2) I don't think the current texture project is released, however read the "Welcome to the DaggerXL Mods subforum" sticky post DaggerXL Mods (General) subforum for information on creating custom textures and using them in game.

3) Fan made mods will be seperate downloads. DaggerXL, by default, uses the original data and not derived works. All derived works are seperate and optional and not officially part of DaggerXL. (This is done for legal reasons). However I will have things like Recommended Mods on the main site to make things easier.

4) That might be interesting. :)

That's the original Daggerfall midi songs.

There are a lot of little things that would be difficult to do in Morrowind's engine. For example, the terrain reads from the Daggerfall data and extracts a height map which is then filtered and rendered with bicubic patches. On top of that procedural displacements are applied (which depend on world position, so it always produces the same result) and finally the locations are applied on top (flattening the terrain but blending for some distance around). There are over 15,000 locations and the terrain itself is much much larger then Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout 3 combined. That's just one example of the Daggerfall craziness. :)

When the game is fully playable, I plan on revisting the terrain... it'll get more interesting in the future (if you want it to, you'll be able to have it be rendered in vanilla fashion too if you want). Plans include: procedural roads that logically connect settlements and some dungeons (those that where settlements at one point), rivers that flow logically and are biased towards living areas (since people tend to build near rivers for resources and travel), monster/bandit camps and more. It'll still use the original data and look like Daggerfall terrain... just a lot more interesting and logical. :)

But like all extended features, you can disable features you don't want to DaggerXL as authentic to Daggerfall as you want.

You do not need DosBox to run DaggerXL and it does work with the free version of Daggerfall - if you patch it (the patch is supplied with the Daggerfall download). DaggerXL is a native Windows program and uses your GPU for rendering, which allows for greater draw distances, texture filtering, high resolutions, as well as new effects such as bloom (though all these things can be disabled). All the images and movies are using the original Daggerfall data, though creating mods with high resolution textures are possible with DaggerXL and in the future modding the music, 3D models, creating new areas and so on will be possible. Visit the forums for more details.

In the project summary there is a link to the DaggerXL forums. If you visit the forums, go the the DaggerXL Music Project sub-forum if you want to participate in the music projects or offer your expertise. Thanks for the offer. :)