The page address has changed! I decided there is no sense in keeping several domains, and I will be moving everything to kaziq.net. Kazekr.net will disappear one day. Please update your bookmarks.

I had some time, and I fixed some bugs in Architect. I also decided to change the version numbering scheme. No more betas! From now on the newest versions will be named 1.x. Still no LBA2 exterior support, maybe some day...

I also uploaded my programs' source codes on git repo. Now everyone can easily submit changes. The code is a bit of a mess... I will clean it up sometime.

https://bitbucket.org/Kaziq/

Santa is here! Kind of. Due to the fact that the new Architect version development is progressing terribly slow, so I sometimes think that I would never have the opportunity to work on it any more, I decided to upload the current version, which has some very important changes made, just for you. Who knows, maybe this is the last version that will be ever released...

Version 1.0.0 beta 9 has one very important change: it can edit Scenes and Scripts from LBA2! Yes, exactly, LBA2 modding is now possible! Of course perhaps not everything is working properly, there are also no descriptions of script commands, but I think these are minor drawbacks. If you want to help, you can test the script commands. If you send me what you have discovered, I will use this info to create the LBA2 script help (like the script help for LBA1).

The program can be downloaded in the Programs section, as always.

It's been a long time since the last news here. Actually I rarely post anything here in general. This is because the page's code (written by me) is quite not optimal, so adding new posts is somewhat complicated and not comfortable. Because of that usually I am too lazy to go through the pain every time. I think I will have to sit down and write it from scratch one day, or make use of Joomla, or something like that, to make things easier. But I don't know when I have some time for this (maybe never). Actually I don't even know whether anyone reads this. I used to have the visitor counter, so I knew, but it has broke, and now I don't. Besides, I don't quite see the point in repeating news which can be found on the MBN.

But let's go to the stuff. First news is that LBA and LBA2 can be bought in a larger number of online shops now. If you don't remember, here is the reminder and update:
GOG.com: LBA and LBA2
DotEmu: LBA and LBA2
ShinyLoot: LBA and LBA2

These are the shops I know, in which you can buy the games. Maybe there are others. You can search for lower prices if you want. It seems that the versions are the same everywhere (i.e. original games emulated with DOSBox), but the prices can be different.

The second news, somewhat more interesting, is that the official LBA version for iOS (unfinished) has been shown on Gamescom 2013. This has been announced by DotEmu on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=...
(if you don't have an FB account here is the picture: http://www.noelshack.com/2013-35-1377696654-lba.png).

Some people can't believe their eyes. Some jump up so high, they make holes in their ceilings with their own heads. Some ask: is it another april fools joke? It's not.

This is official. This is happening. The world changes in front of our eyes. No, I'm not talking about SOPA/ACTA thing :D

I'm talking about what LBA creators said in the last interview with GOG:

"We are working on the remake of LBA1 :-)
(...)
We obviously have a lot of ideas for a third part, our best fans already know some of them, but before telling you more we need to test some of them with the remake. Games are different nowadays and we don’t want to be stuck in 90’s."

So a remake for LBA 1 is somewhere on the horizon, and LBA 3 has some chance above zero to be created. This is the greatest news for LBA community in the recent months, and we all hope it will become something real. Finally.

See the full GOG interview.

By the way, You can support Frederick Raynal and original LBA creators by buying their small (quite fun) puzzle game called bOxOn. See ludoid.fr/bOxOn/bOxOn.html.

Hardly two monts ago I was writing about plans for re-release LBA 1 and 2, and here they are!

On GOG.com you can already buy LBA 1 and 2, that work on modern Windows (and reportedly under Linux too) for 6 bucks. To do that you need a credit or debit card that allows electronic payments, or PayPal account. As usual GOG sells electronic version (installer file is 416MB for LBA 1, and 653MB for LBA 2). This has an advantage that you don't have to keep CD in drive to play.

LBA 1: http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/little_big_adventure

Unfortunately, there are no big improvements in comparison to disc version. It is the original version with integrated DOSBox (MS-DOS emulator). Someone even noticed that the Relent.exe file size is identical as that of the 1994 version. Thus there are no facilities known from LBAWin project, like disabling getting hurt while bumping on walls, or action command in any behaviour mode. However, the MIDI music quality has been improved (though it sounds quite strange for the first time, at least for me).

LBA 2: http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/little_big_adventure_2

There are no changes since original versions here too. This version also uses DOSBox in order to gain compatibility with new Windows, which has some advantages. For example it is not necessary to fix display issues with FunnyFrog patch, and that takes away other problems caused by that patch (Car Bug, etc.). However some people experience troubles with sound and voices, but it is a one-time incident so far. The fans hoped for some bigger improvements by that occasion, like resolution and graphics quality increase. But we got information that tablet version release is planned, which will probably require quite a lot work, so who knows, maybe the PC version will get some attention too by the flow?

If you don't own the original games, this is a very good opportunity to get them. Especially that some money from the sale will make its way directly to the creators, not only to the seller, as for second-hand offers. The advantage here is reasonable price in comparison to CD versions, whose prices are sometimes exorbitant. Additionally, if you buy the game by following one of the links in this news post, you will also give a little bit support to the Magicball Network - the wolrd's biggest gathering of LBA fans online.

Sadly, it does not mean LBA 3 yet, but it's still an interesting thing.

A month ago Didier Chanfray, artistic director of LBA 1 and 2, posted this drawing on his Facebook profile:

(the text says: Whoa! cool! "PING" is the best game in the world!!!)

After seeing it LBA fans came to an idea that it could be a teaser of upcoming third part of LBA (or at least some preparations for it). Didier himself added some fuel to this by saying:

With Fred we decided to see how to create the third and final part of the trilogy LBA.
It's a little early to say with certainty. In our last forecast we would begin the development end of 2012.
Sorry not to be able to say more. the negotiations are ongoing.
I thank all the fans for their patience. We hope to make announcements this autumn.

This was an answer to question of one of the fans, excited (like we all are) about the new LBA 3 concept art, if he could reveal some more details on LBA 3.

Unfortunately, this was a slight misunderstanding. Didier explained later that he did not meant LBA 3, but rather a re-release of LBA 1 and 2 for the modern hardware (including tablets). This is twhat he said as an explanation:

In view of the many messages received in last days about LBA I want to clarify some things:
1. To date, LBA3 is not planned.
2. A PC edition of LBA1 & 2 (cloud) is being negotiated to the end of year.
3. An "remix" of LBA1 on tablet is under consideration.
I don't want to disappoint the fans, but the road to LBA3 is still long and bumpy. If luckly the public's enthusiasm generated by the PC edition and the "remix" was to go, we might finally have an opportunity to seriously consider the creation of a whole LBA3 (funding/design/technical and support).
Thank you for your understanding and your support for past, present and future.

So no LBA 3 unfortunately, but still good news. If seems that LBA creators will re-release LBA 1 and 2 so it should run on modern devices (including tablets) without problems, and that they will release it by online distribution (I believe this is what cloud means). This also means that if the reactivated LBA 1 and 2 gains enough public attention, it may be possible for them to create LBA 3 in the next step. Hope is restored! (paraphrasing Twinsen's introduction to LBA 2)

You can read more on the topic in these two threads on MBN:
http://forum.magicball.net/showthread.php?t=15897
http://forum.magicball.net/showthread.php?t=15910

I have just finished LBArchitect beta 8!
The changes since beta 7 are:

• Script editor: Added code completion lists for almost all listable Scene elements, like: Actors, Zones, Points, Entities, Bodies, Animations, text lines, sound samples, Track Labels, Comportements.
• Scene reference manual is now almost complete! You can find it in \help directory and in the Help menu in Builder.
• In Grid Mode selection size and position can be changed with NumPad keys (NumLock must be on) - 7,8,9,1,2,3 keys move the selection, the same keys with Ctrl - resize the selection.
• Layouts now can be imported from external Scenrios.

Because work on the 1.0.0 version of Little Big Architect is drawing out (almost three years have already passed since last stable version (0.10)), I have decided to release publicly the beta version I have been working on through that time. Currently the latest version is beta 7, which has so many changes and improvements that you would die out of boredom reading it :). Thus I encourage you to download this version and try it out for youself. In the Programs section the new version got separate article (old version is still available), which contains short list of the most important new features and two screenshots.

Out of other things I am thinking about changing the engine of this site to something more up to the current standards. Current engine I wrote myself and it is not very convenient. For example to write an artcle or add a program I have to edit the php code manually. And there is almost no CSS here. I don't know if I succeed with this (I may not find time), but if so, it most likely won't happen within the next year of time.

I have moved the site to a new server, so some links may not working properly. Please let me know if you find any:
kazink@_don't_like_spam_gmail.com

There is a polish walkthrough for LBA 2. Grisz wrote a pretty decent walkthrough with screen shots. It is in the Documents section. Thanks :)

After three years of efforts yesterday the LBA File Information system has been launched:

LBA File Information

It is database of all files from LBA (only those, that it is reasonable to collect information about, of course), that is HQR, VOX, ILE, OBL, and files held inside them, plus their format descriptions, lists of programs that support them, etc.
Of course not all information is there, because not all of the things are discovered yet. But they probably will be all of them one day, because the system allows everyone to submit information they discovered themselves (or got it form other sources). Such information will be added to the base, after validating by administrators, with credits for those who shared it. The system will be still developed. The plans are for adding possibility to post comments for presented information, adding information in graphical form, and other.

Together with Alexfont I have worked on something, that will significantly change the way of modifying LBA. Connecting my LBArchitect with Alexfont's LBA Story Coder it is now possible to edit scene "visually". If someone tried to do something in Story Coder before, he probably came into idea, that even a simple change of position of a character is horribly bothersome. It is mainly because we can't see what we are doing. This is where Architect comes in. It displays all elements of the scene: tracks, zones and actors. But not only. Now you can change positions of the elements with your mouse! You only have to drag an element and drop it on another place and Story Coder will update its coordinates automatically. This feature only works for actors and tracks now, but it is developed constantly, and soon it will be possible to edit everything.
Unfortunately nothing is perfect. This connection still has many bugs and glitches, which we hope to correct soon. The most important ones, which should be kept in mind during editing, are: no zones editing (you can edit them in Story Coder), bad displaying and refreshing of sprite actors, and possibility to drag an element that is covered with a wall or floor, which makes it possible to accidentaly drag an element that is behind a wall without even knowing about it. Also there is no option to undo changes that we have done.
Alexfont fixed many things in Story Coder also. The most important one is that the script compilation is now 99% accurate! Other improvements are: script hints (Ctrl+Space opens small window with list of possible script commands), and better help system.

You can download LBA Story Coder from its homepage: http://sacredcarrot.fishos.cc/ (direct download link). You can also download both programs from the Programs section of this site.

I got some e-mails with questions like: what is going about LBA 3? How can I help in the campaign? etc. Current situation is that we don't know anything . Campaign is suspended at the moment, because we are waiting for new information, which "supposedly" should come any day. Axx, "offficial" MBN spokesman between us and LBA creators wrote in Day with Frederick Raynal & Yael Barroz thread, that he had some news from Frederick Raynal and he would share them with us as soon as he would launched his new site (which would replace TwinAdv). The problem is that it supposed to happen some time ago now... so now we can only wait.

Some time ago some people started project of creation an unofficial new part of LBA. No, I don't mean LBA 3. The project is called "LBA Prequel" (working title), its action takes place long before events from LBA 1. Of course Twinsen can't be the main hero in this case, the main hero is Hégésippe, Twinsen's ancestor. Recently we decided to set about doing this really hard. Currently the Project is at story writing stage - we've got two chapters already. We also have some drawings ("concept art"). And today we released the official project site:

http://lbaprequel.lobitowebsite.com/

El-Muerte from www.magicball.net was so kind and made us our own sub-forum:

http://el-muerte.student.utwente.nl/lba/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=49

Aleksander Jarecki was so kind and wrote a walkthrough for LBA 1 (in Polish only). It is now in the Documents section. Thanks Aleks :)

There is Polish version of transcription of chat with Frédérick Raynal. Here are both links:

Thanks to Alexfont, there is Bugtracker (site where you can report bugs) available for my programs. There is comfortable interface designed for this purpose, which beside of reporting issues (bugs, suggestions, ideas, etc.), also allows you to comment issues reported by someone else, and ask questions. Registering is not required (although it is possible).

Bugtracker address is:
http://sacredcarrot.fishos.cc/mantis/project_issues.php?project_id=16

Above address opens view of all my projects (most important ones). There you can report bugs, etc. regarding the Emerald Moon Base site. If you want to report a bug in one of my programs, you will have to select it from the list at the top right corner of the Bugtracker site (links to individual programs are also in descriptions of programs on this site).

On Sunday 12 march 2006 at the adventure.eu forum there was a chat with Frédérick Raynal himself! Transcript of the conversation is here. From the conversation we found many interesting things out, among other things about his plans regarding LBA 3.

After 8 years of waiting, there is hope that LBA 3 will be made. We have information that Frédérick Raynal (LBA 1 and 2's creator) has presented LBA3 project to several publishers and that he will meet them within a couple of months (read the source article). So we try to inform as many people (mainly developers and PC game magazines) as we can about LBA 3 in hope they will be interested in it. If you want, you can join the Magicball Network forums and help us with this. You will find most recent news about it just there.

I just fixed serious bug (found by OBrasilo) in almost all my programs. The bug caused menus appear black and act weird under Windows 98. Under Win XP it will not change anything.

I just uploaded new versions of almost all of my programs. Most important change is that they now use my modification, that makes menus and tool bar look better, but there are also smaller or bigger changes in all of them. Another important news is that LBArchitect can now edit Bricks.