SickAlice Posted July 28, 2012 Share Posted July 28, 2012 I'm compiling a list of found information on the game Lego Batman 2 by Traveller's Tales in the format I've seen done elsewhere and sharing it around in the hopes it can be of some use to anyone and/or used for game modification/and editor down the lines. LB2DSH shares a lot in common with previous Lego games by TT as research would suggest as well as with The Chronicles of Narnia The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe by the same company. - - associated .dat files PC version = GAME.DAT, GAME0.DAT, GAME1.DAT, and GAME2.DAT. PC demo version = GAME.DAT and GAME0.DAT. - file types contained in .dats = aib ats as cd cfg cpd csv cu3 dno ghg giz gsc led lua ogg pc_shaders pac pak par por ptl sf sub tex txt - More information on these file types can be found at the following links: http://www.rockraidersunited.org/topic/3089-extreme110s-travellers-tales-game-research-blog/ http://ps23dformat.wikispaces.com/The+Chronicles+of+Narnia+The+Lion+The+Witch+and+The+Wardrobe - other notes: - The game was promoted as having downloadable content which was system dependent and specific to negotiations. But, upon examining the files in both the PC version and demo all of the files for the DLC are actually contained within the game natively, not a separate entity that's brought into the game itself, whereas unlockable instead (ex: Bizarro, Captain Cold, Black Adam, Black Manta, Gorilla Grodd, Nightwing, Shazam, Katana, Zatanna, and Damian Wayne.). Also both PC versions contain files specific to other platforms and are labelled as such (Wii, PS3, XBOX360, etc). As well there is additional character data contained within, the character Darkseid for example. I've found that the PC versions of the game contain files pertaining to the additional characters found within the handheld versions of the game as well (increases the character roster from 60 to 85). - The demo contains most of the files for the full game character and asset wise despite these files actually being usable or not in playing the demo itself. - Likewise as can be found elsewhere, the TT Lego games appear to store information in a " piggybacked " manner, whereas one file is adjacent to another (see image example). - It seems agreed upon that model and bone data is stored within .ghg files, though I'm not fully convinced these are the only files needed to examine 3d model data myself (see above). This file type seems to be a relative unknown online. Research into TT's ever expanding job listings page suggests that modelling is done first in Maya. Also noted from this page is that TT games make use of C++, Python, SQL, and Java as well as making use of Direct X, Open GL and home system dependent languages. http://www.ttgames.com/jobs/ - Further research indicates that TT's does release it's SDK and development packages for use to the public. Blockade Entertainment has developed a Lego Batman short entitled How To Build A Perfect Bat Trap in association with WB and McDonalds. On their page they claim the game engine and assets were made available to them via TT's for their production. http://www.blockade.com/node/52 All for now, I hope any of this helps anyone who stumbles upon it. I personally believe this game and it's sisters are completely editable it's just a matter of getting the rightly versed individuals interested in working on a larger project. Have fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McJobless Posted August 2, 2012 Share Posted August 2, 2012 WAHAAHHHHAHAHAA. Yo. I am Extreme110. I have extracted everything from all the previous TT Games from LEGO Star Wars 1 onwards using QuickBMS, not game extractor (If you ask me, GE is too clunky and buggy). If you give me 10 minutes, I'll edit this post and give you everything I know. associated .dat files PC version = GAME.DAT, GAME0.DAT, GAME1.DAT, and GAME2.DAT. PC demo version = GAME.DAT and GAME0.DAT. Standard stuff. I'm unsure how they break up everything into the .dat files (decide how much and what goes in each one), but they do. The filetypes I know: aib ats as cd - I believe these are archive files if my memory serves me well, see "giz". cfg - Configuration Files. These ones are very short, and can be opened with a text editor (notepad). cpd csv - Comma Seperated Values list. You can open these in Excel, Notepad and more. There shouldn't be much in these. cu3 - Cutscene files, I presume. Still working out what they do exactly, but I think they hold animation data and link to sound data. dno ghg - Model data, still working on the format. giz - If I'm remembering correctly, this was an archive with files in it. It has no compression, so both Game Extractor and QuickBMS automatically extract the files from within this for you. gsc - Animation data? My memory is fading, but I've seen that extension before. led lua - Scripts. Should be able to read these with a text editor (notepad). ogg - Sound files, there are plenty of players on the internet for these. pc_shaders pac pak - See "giz". par por ptl - I think these are script files, I can't remember. Should be exactly like lua. sf sub tex - Texture files, working on the format. txt - Text Files. More information on these file types can be found at the following links: http://www.rockraide...-research-blog/ http://ps23dformat.w...nd The Wardrobe You've dun trumped me. Good work. other notes: - The game was promoted as having downloadable content which was system dependent and specific to negotiations. But, upon examining the files in both the PC version and demo all of the files for the DLC are actually contained within the game natively, not a separate entity that's brought into the game itself, whereas unlockable instead (ex: Bizarro, Captain Cold, Black Adam, Black Manta, Gorilla Grodd, Nightwing, Shazam, Katana, Zatanna, and Damian Wayne.). Also both PC versions contain files specific to other platforms and are labelled as such (Wii, PS3, XBOX360, etc). As well there is additional character data contained within, the character Darkseid for example. I've found that the PC versions of the game contain files pertaining to the additional characters found within the handheld versions of the game as well (increases the character roster from 60 to 85). - The demo contains most of the files for the full game character and asset wise despite these files actually being usable or not in playing the demo itself. - Likewise as can be found elsewhere, the TT Lego games appear to store information in a " piggybacked " manner, whereas one file is adjacent to another (see image example). - It seems agreed upon that model and bone data is stored within .ghg files, though I'm not fully convinced these are the only files needed to examine 3d model data myself (see above). This file type seems to be a relative unknown online. Research into TT's ever expanding job listings page suggests that modelling is done first in Maya. Also noted from this page is that TT games make use of C++, Python, SQL, and Java as well as making use of Direct X, Open GL and home system dependent languages. http://www.ttgames.com/jobs/ - Further research indicates that TT's does release it's SDK and development packages for use to the public. Blockade Entertainment has developed a Lego Batman short entitled How To Build A Perfect Bat Trap in association with WB and McDonalds. On their page they claim the game engine and assets were made available to them via TT's for their production. http://www.blockade.com/node/52 All for now, I hope any of this helps anyone who stumbles upon it. I personally believe this game and it's sisters are completely editable it's just a matter of getting the rightly versed individuals interested in working on a larger project. Have fun. This is with all TT Games. They always leave in deleted content, and they always leave in a couple console specific files, such as network code. The Wii is new, though. Of course not. They can't be arsed to delete it all, so they just disable it. It's definitely the .ghg files. Don't look at DirectX or OpenGL, because that does not relate to model data. They have a propriety format which they convert into after creating in 3DS Max, and animating in Maya. I'll see if I can talk TT into releasing the SDK. I'd like to see Batman vs. Indiana Jones in LEGO, personally. Does Batman 2 have a level editor thing like Indiana Jones 2? I was able to mod the game in relation to the level creator, and I'm working on some single player mods as far as scripting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazylegoman Posted August 3, 2012 Share Posted August 3, 2012 Batman 2 does not have a level editor, unfortunately. No TT Lego games have had it since LIJ2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McJobless Posted August 4, 2012 Share Posted August 4, 2012 Batman 2 does not have a level editor, unfortunately. No TT Lego games have had it since LIJ2. I wouldn't be surprised if it was still in code. I'll buy the game soon and see what I can do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SickAlice Posted August 4, 2012 Author Share Posted August 4, 2012 Cool. Thanks for the info so far, I knew you people would be on top of it and I'm impressed. This brings it a step further that much is for certain. Personally I'm not fond of the character creator that's in game. As well, looking at a few of the translated scripts from the game, redirecting it as so to change what levels/characters/vehicles are playable, how levels are set-up, ect. shouldn't be a huge challenge in long run. Likewise given the universal nature if their game structure an overall editor shouldn't be implausible in the future either. The model type still hangs me up a bit, though thanks for the clarity there. I think the original SDK is almost going to be essential as a base. I did manage to extract model/texture data with an external capture utility, but that's obviously useless for editing without the original format being malleable. I'll keep anyone posted on my progress, likewise thanks for the help and ingenuity here. @The Austrexican: As mentioned, most of the essential game files are present in the demo even if they aren't used in the actual demo's gameplay if you feel the urge to get the jump on things. That's how I pulled it off since I didn't have the money for a pre-order on this (luckily, the direct to PC version went down to twenty some bucks at Gamestop after the pre-order incentive ended so now I have the full version). -Noting the level editor, the goal here I guess would be to be able to edit them manually so it wouldn't be needed. And/or to convert/import from one TT game to another, so the level editor could be brought over eventually? More just ideas to kick around for a projects future. 1. I pressumed as much. What it opens however is that the characters can be unlocked/used without having to actually downloading them. My easiest guess at this point would be to just understand which pointers to edit so that one character swithces places with another, either in the dats or savefile (or .exe?). Else, switch the files of one character directly with another, though that always seemed an unpratical solution to me personally as well as messy. As well, I'm delving into understanding the character selction menu itself and whether it can be modified, and whether it has a hard coded character limit (Actvision's Marvel games like X-Men Legends and Ultimate Alliance are a good example of this kind of thing). 2. Maybe, but they did delete some, or at least not include it. Eitherway I was more stating relevance of the demo for anyone who might consider on using it as an editing tool. Also I've using the demo as a comparrison piece myself to try and get an understanding on what files make the difference in what's usable in either version of the game. 3. This is useful. Sadly I do not have Maya. As it stands this is a new pc so Max won't be on it for another week or so yet. Also the need importer stands of course. 4. I'm toying with the idea of asking them to loan it out to me personally at least, much as they have for other independant developers already. I would probably bargain chip either an animated short as has been done already or a small online playable game for them to use as a promotion. I won't go to into detail but I have the resources to pull this one off in anycase. Though, time will be a factor here, fitting whatever I give back as a product between my other lifes activities, this very project itself, ect. But, looking at anything found before I do think getting their orignal workbench in play is essential to going foreward, and agree about them having propriety formats. Good hunting so far, I really look foreward to seeing what grows from this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McJobless Posted August 8, 2012 Share Posted August 8, 2012 Personally I'm not fond of the character creator that's in game. It's basic, but I like it. As well, looking at a few of the translated scripts from the game, redirecting it as so to change what levels/characters/vehicles are playable, how levels are set-up, ect. shouldn't be a huge challenge in long run. Likewise given the universal nature if their game structure an overall editor shouldn't be implausible in the future either. The model type still hangs me up a bit, though thanks for the clarity there. I think the original SDK is almost going to be essential as a base. I did manage to extract model/texture data with an external capture utility, but that's obviously useless for editing without the original format being malleable. I'll keep anyone posted on my progress, likewise thanks for the help and ingenuity here. No problem. Hopefully we'll get this format cracked soon. As mentioned, most of the essential game files are present in the demo even if they aren't used in the actual demo's gameplay if you feel the urge to get the jump on things. That's how I pulled it off since I didn't have the money for a pre-order on this (luckily, the direct to PC version went down to twenty some bucks at Gamestop after the pre-order incentive ended so now I have the full version). Alright, when my internet stops being capped and I'm back at full download speed, I'll go ahead and get it. -Noting the level editor, the goal here I guess would be to be able to edit them manually so it wouldn't be needed. And/or to convert/import from one TT game to another, so the level editor could be brought over eventually? More just ideas to kick around for a projects future. I was thinking just bringing back the very simplistic level editor from LIJ2 for basic users, and then hopefully we'll have a full SDK to use for making proper levels. 1. I pressumed as much. What it opens however is that the characters can be unlocked/used without having to actually downloading them. My easiest guess at this point would be to just understand which pointers to edit so that one character swithces places with another, either in the dats or savefile (or .exe?). Else, switch the files of one character directly with another, though that always seemed an unpratical solution to me personally as well as messy. As well, I'm delving into understanding the character selction menu itself and whether it can be modified, and whether it has a hard coded character limit (Actvision's Marvel games like X-Men Legends and Ultimate Alliance are a good example of this kind of thing). 2. Maybe, but they did delete some, or at least not include it. Eitherway I was more stating relevance of the demo for anyone who might consider on using it as an editing tool. Also I've using the demo as a comparrison piece myself to try and get an understanding on what files make the difference in what's usable in either version of the game. 3. This is useful. Sadly I do not have Maya. As it stands this is a new pc so Max won't be on it for another week or so yet. Also the need importer stands of course. 4. I'm toying with the idea of asking them to loan it out to me personally at least, much as they have for other independant developers already. I would probably bargain chip either an animated short as has been done already or a small online playable game for them to use as a promotion. I won't go to into detail but I have the resources to pull this one off in anycase. Though, time will be a factor here, fitting whatever I give back as a product between my other lifes activities, this very project itself, ect. But, looking at anything found before I do think getting their orignal workbench in play is essential to going foreward, and agree about them having propriety formats. I doubt it has a hardcoded limit. If I do get a copy of the full game, I'll look into how the DLC functions. It's probably a registry key for PC. Ok. Alright. No response yet on this end. End users never get the cool stuff... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts