Enable and fix minibosses
This tutorial is for how to enable the actors BOSS2, BOSS3, and BOSS4 become their miniboss counterparts without any bugs so you can put them in user maps and\or CON hacks.
From now on I wil refer to them as follows:
- BOSS1 - Ep. 1 - Battlelord
- BOSS2 - Ep. 3 - Cycloid Emperor
- BOSS3 - Ep. 2 - Overlord (Yes, these two are mixed up. Do not try to switch them to what they should be.)
- BOSS4 - Ep. 4 - Alien Queen
The Battlelord is programmed sufficently enough to allow its placement in maps, and the official levels do contain some mini Battlelords. In order to successfully perform the actions described in this tutorial, you will need to understand that while the Overlord and Cycloid Emperor are already enabled and just require an easy bug fix or two, the Alien Queen will require some CON coding skill for reasons described below.
When I say "Change it to this:", I want you to copy the text below it in the box and overwrite the text in the box above by pasting it when the old text is completely selected, but in your .CON files of course. There's not much point in changing the web page!
Also, when I say "Open <insert name of .CON file here>.", I want you to open whatever .CON file the text in the box below is in. I am just stating the defaults.
Ready to begin?
1. Open USER.CON. Scroll down to here:
define BOSS1STRENGTH 4500 define BOSS1PALSTRENGTH 1000 define BOSS2STRENGTH 4500 define BOSS3STRENGTH 4500 define BOSS4STRENGTH 6000
Change it to this:
define BOSS1STRENGTH 4500 define BOSS1PALSTRENGTH 1000 define BOSS2STRENGTH 4500 define BOSS2PALSTRENGTH 1000 define BOSS3STRENGTH 4500 define BOSS3PALSTRENGTH 1000 define BOSS4STRENGTH 6000 define BOSS4PALSTRENGTH 1333
The strengths from mini BOSS2 and BOSS3 was put the same as BOSS1, oblivious because the big versions are the same. BOSS4 is proportional as 4500 - 1000 to 6000 - 1333.
Note that the strengths do not have to be what is described here. All that matters is that these eight defines exist.
2. Search for "state checkboss1hitstate" in GAME.CON. Scroll down to this:
ifdead { ifspritepal 0 globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL else { ifrnd 64 globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL ifwasweapon FREEZEBLAST { sound SOMETHINGFROZE spritepal 1 move 0 action ABOSS1FROZEN strength 0 break } } sound BOS1_DYING addkills 1 ai AIBOSS1DYING }
Change it to this:
ifdead { ifspritepal 0 globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL else { ifwasweapon FREEZEBLAST { sound SOMETHINGFROZE spritepal 1 move 0 action ABOSS1FROZEN strength 0 break } } sound BOS1_DYING addkills 1 ai AIBOSS1DYING }
3. Search for "state boss2code" in GAME.CON. Scroll down to this:
ifai 0 { ifspritepal 0 ai AIBOSS2RUNENEMY else { strength 1 sound BOS2_ATTACK ai AIBOSS2SHOOTENEMY } }
Change it to this:
ifai 0 { ifspritepal 0 ai AIBOSS2RUNENEMY else { clipdist 8 // This is here so that the RPGs fired from the bosses do not explode in their faces. strength BOSS2PALSTRENGTH // This is the main bug fix. If you do not change this, the mini-bosses will only have 1 health. sound BOS2_ATTACK ai AIBOSS2SHOOTENEMY } }
4. Search for "state checkboss2hitstate" in GAME.CON. Scroll down to this:
ifdead { ifspritepal 0 globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL else { ifrnd 64 globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL ifwasweapon FREEZEBLAST { sound SOMETHINGFROZE spritepal 1 move 0 action ABOSS2FROZEN strength 0 break } } sound BOS2_DYING addkills 1 ai AIBOSS2DYING }
Change it to this:
ifdead { ifspritepal 0 globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL else { ifwasweapon FREEZEBLAST { sound SOMETHINGFROZE spritepal 1 move 0 action ABOSS2FROZEN strength 0 break } } sound BOS2_DYING addkills 1 ai AIBOSS2DYING }
5. Search for "state boss3code" in GAME.CON. Scroll down to this:
ifai 0 { ifspritepal 0 ai AIBOSS3RUNENEMY else { strength 1 ai AIBOSS3LOBENEMY } }
Change it to this:
ifai 0 { ifspritepal 0 ai AIBOSS3RUNENEMY else { clipdist 8 // This is here so that the RPGs fired from the bosses do not explode in their faces. strength BOSS3PALSTRENGTH // This is the main bug fix. If you do not change this, the mini-bosses will only have 1 health. sound BOS3_ATTACK1 ai AIBOSS3LOBENEMY } }
6. Search for "state checkboss3hitstate" in GAME.CON. Scroll down to this:
ifdead { ifspritepal 0 globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL else { ifrnd 64 globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL ifwasweapon FREEZEBLAST { sound SOMETHINGFROZE spritepal 1 move 0 action ABOSS3FROZEN strength 0 break } } addkills 1 ai AIBOSS3DYING sound BOS3_DYING sound JIBBED_ACTOR9 }
Change it to this:
ifdead { ifspritepal 0 globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL else { ifwasweapon FREEZEBLAST { sound SOMETHINGFROZE spritepal 1 move 0 action ABOSS3FROZEN strength 0 break } } sound BOS3_DYING addkills 1 ai AIBOSS3DYING }
7. BOSS4 is a bit more complicated because there is no programming at all for it to be a miniboss.
7A. First, go to where it says:
action ABOSS4WALK 0 4 5 1 30 action ABOSS4DYING 40 9 1 1 20 action ABOSS4ABOUTTOSHOOT 20 1 5 1 40 action ABOSS4SHOOT 25 2 5 1 10 action ABOSS4LAYIT 50 3 5 1 120 action BOSS4FLINTCH 40 1 1 1 1 action ABOSS4DEAD 49 move BOSS4WALKVELS 128 move BOSS4STOPPED ai AIBOSS4LAYEGGS ABOSS4WALK BOSS4WALKVELS randomangle geth ai AIBOSS4SHOOT ABOSS4ABOUTTOSHOOT BOSS4STOPPED faceplayer ai AIBOSS4DYING ABOSS4DYING BOSS4STOPPED faceplayer
Change it to this:
action ABOSS4WALK 0 4 5 1 30 action ABOSS4DYING 40 9 1 1 20 action ABOSS4ABOUTTOSHOOT 20 1 5 1 40 action ABOSS4SHOOT 25 2 5 1 10 action ABOSS4LAYIT 50 3 5 1 120 action BOSS4FLINTCH 40 1 1 1 1 action ABOSS4DEAD 49 action ABOSS4FROZEN 0 1 5 move BOSS4WALKVELS 128 move BOSS4STOPPED move PALBOSS4SHRUNKRUNVELS 72 ai AIBOSS4LAYEGGS ABOSS4WALK BOSS4WALKVELS randomangle geth ai AIBOSS4SHOOT ABOSS4ABOUTTOSHOOT BOSS4STOPPED faceplayer ai AIBOSS4DYING ABOSS4DYING BOSS4STOPPED faceplayer ai AIBOSS4PALSHRINK ABOSS4WALK PALBOSS4SHRUNKRUNVELS furthestdir ai AIBOSS4SEEKENEMY ABOSS4WALK PALBOSS4SHRUNKRUNVELS seekplayer state boss4palshrunkstate ifcount SHRUNKDONECOUNT { cstat 257 ai AIBOSS4SEEKENEMY } else ifcount SHRUNKCOUNT { sizeto 40 40 } else { state genericshrunkcode } ends
Note that "state boss4palshrunkstate" is supposed to be there. You should put it there because that is a very convenient space for it.
7B. Next, go to this:
state checkboss4hitstate ifrnd 2 spawn BLOODPOOL ifdead { globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL addkills 1 ai AIBOSS4DYING sound BOS4_DYING sound BOSS4_DEADSPEECH } else { soundonce BOS4_PAIN debris SCRAP1 1 guts JIBS6 1 ifaction ABOSS4LAYIT break ifrnd 16 { action BOSS4FLINTCH move 0 } } ends
Change it to this:
state checkboss4hitstate ifrnd 2 spawn BLOODPOOL ifdead { ifspritepal 0 nullop else ifwasweapon FREEZEBLAST { sound SOMETHINGFROZE spritepal 1 move 0 action ABOSS4FROZEN strength 0 break } globalsound DUKE_TALKTOBOSSFALL addkills 1 ai AIBOSS4DYING sound BOS4_DYING sound BOSS4_DEADSPEECH } else { soundonce BOS4_PAIN debris SCRAP1 1 guts JIBS6 1 ifaction ABOSS4LAYIT break ifrnd 16 { action BOSS4FLINTCH move 0 } ifspritepal 0 nullop else ifwasweapon SHRINKSPARK { sound ACTOR_SHRINKING ai AIBOSS4PALSHRINK cstat 0 break } } ends
7C. After that, go to:
state boss4code ifai 0 ai AIBOSS4LAYEGGS else ifaction BOSS4FLINTCH { ifactioncount 3 ai AIBOSS4LAYEGGS } else ifai AIBOSS4LAYEGGS state boss4layeggs else ifai AIBOSS4SHOOT state boss4shootstate ifai AIBOSS4DYING state boss4dyingstate else { ifhitweapon state checkboss4hitstate else ifp palive ifpdistl 1280 { addphealth -1000 palfrom 63 63 } } ends
Change it to this:
state boss4code ifaction ABOSS4FROZEN { ifcount THAWTIME { ai AIBOSS4SHOOT getlastpal } else ifcount FROZENDRIPTIME { ifactioncount 26 { spawn WATERDRIP resetactioncount } } ifhitweapon { ifwasweapon FREEZEBLAST { strength 0 break } addkills 1 lotsofglass 30 sound GLASS_BREAKING ifrnd 84 spawn BLOODPOOL killit } ifp pfacing ifpdistl FROZENQUICKKICKDIST pkick break } ifai 0 { ifspritepal 0 ai AIBOSS4LAYEGGS else { strength BOSS4PALSTRENGTH ai AIBOSS4LAYEGGS } } else ifaction BOSS4FLINTCH { ifactioncount 3 ai AIBOSS4LAYEGGS } else ifai AIBOSS4LAYEGGS state boss4layeggs else ifai AIBOSS4SHOOT state boss4shootstate else ifai AIBOSS4PALSHRINK state boss4palshrunkstate ifai AIBOSS4DYING state boss4dyingstate else { ifhitweapon state checkboss4hitstate else ifp palive ifspritepal 0 ifpdistl 1280 { addphealth -1000 sound SQUISHED palfrom 64 64 break } } ends
After that, you should be all set!
To insert a miniboss in a user map, create the boss sprite you want, and then give it a palette of something other than 0. I recommend pal 3 because pal 21 makes some minor changes to the first three boss' sprites, while the Alien Queen looks red with pal 21. In the end, all that matters is that the spritepal is not 0.