MUA-to-XML2 Projekt -- MODELPACK v1 RELEASED!

[Noelemahc]

The goal? Right-o, the reversal of the XML-to-MUA one, get all MUA skins to XML2 - without the dupes (Ultimate Wolverine or Dark Phoenix, f.e.), of course. What you'll do with them isn't my real concern -- I know I will enjoy replaying the game for the gazillionth time just because it has a fresh look
I will post pics as progress reports as I rip stuff, but I will attempt to make as few actual file uploads as possible, going for quantity within a pack rather than the quantity of the packs themselves.

The current list is as follows:

   

 

(click the small pics to see big ones)
The one with the black BG also proves the impossibility of using MUA levels in XML2. Yes, you read that right, there is no reverse LEVEL compatibility. Sorry.

[Noelemahc]

Two more
 
(click to enlarge)

Note that the mess in Deadpool's hands is actually his boltons -- XML2 has them listed under a different name, which causes all sorts of trouble. I will include a patch for it (utilizing the same trick BliZZ used to get XML2's DP models working in MUA) with the models

Hah can't believe I missed this.  I guess we can only play the MUA levels so much before we'd want to see how a Spidey/Thor/Colossus team would fair against Apocolypse and the gang.

Any updates.. I know you've been swamped with other stuff.

[Noelemahc]

Swamped is not even the word, my exams got moved two weeks earlier, so I'm running around in circles. So I would be very surprised if I find time for any updates in the next month or so. Sorry.

[Noelemahc]

But, before I go on hiatus, one last treat

(click to enlarge)

We CAN use MUA (from the console versions only, though) animations in XML2, we just will have issues with the fact that MUA splits playables into two anim sets - powers and attacks into one and walking and menu stances into the other.

[DJay Saint]

Hey, how's this going?  Have you had a chance to nab some more skins from MUA?  There's a few I wouldn't mind using.  (how come Ms. Marvel's 3rd skin is f'd up in the face on the PC version, but it looks good on the X-box version?)

[Noelemahc]

My current completion list is as follows:
Character codes 1-12, 14-19, 23, 25, 27, 29-31, 33, 35, 38, 41, 49, 53, 58, 59, 73, 80, 65-87, 95, 96, 100, 109, 118, 119, 123, 124, 129, 131, 132, 135, 136, 142, 144, 148 and 160.
That's the ones that have been done fully, alternate skins and all. A lot more (like 13, 20, 21, 22 and 81 along with 88-90) are partially done (i.e. one or two skins out of four/five). Remember, I am doing this in my 'off' time, which is currently ALL that my 'modding time' consists of whenever I'm not uploading something for someone

And you can see some snaps in the KB's models thread in the latest post concerning the geometry and texture format differences.

Just a matter of interest.... if you can transfer characters backwards, could you in theory bring mods backwards from MUA to XML2?  I was thinking specifically Cable here, but in theory anyone that has been made?

[DJay Saint]

You would have to manually edit their powers and such, since you can't just copy and paste the talent files and expect them to work.  Reason being is that while the games are very similar, they are still different in how their passives work, the powers are on different scales, etc.  So yes, you COULD, but it would be tedious, hence my procrastinating on porting any more XML1 characters over.  (I'll get them done eventually...  )

On a side note, I want to donkey punch the person in the ovaries who thought it would be a good idea to seperate the two animation files in MUA.  I have been trying like hell to splice the two for use in XML2, but to no avail.     It's either one or the other at this point.

[BliZZ]

See, that's the difference between you and I. I want to have said person's babies, as it is the ONLY reason I can get grab-smashes working on XML chars


 

[Noelemahc]

Random piccur:

Just as was expected, some of the Spidey-foes' alternate costumes do appear in-game (Scorpy, for example, does switch from one to another when you meet him the second time - not something I've paid much attention to when I plowed through the game... did you?) after all - learned from the presence of both of his costumes in the FBs.

[Noelemahc]

Some stats: I've converted 198 models out of a total of 390-something. Please note that not all will be there as, for example, skins 2 and 4 of code 122, as well as skins 3 and 4 of codes 120 and 121 simply don't appear in the PS2 version AT ALL. I know these can later be inserted by hand, but still = bleh. Also, the XML2 leftover skins are obviously not present in MUAPS2 - like the 032X and 042X skins, as well as Mag-neato (10100) and the Sentinels (70). Dang.

[DJay Saint]

I ripped some of the skeleton files and models yesterday.  I can help rip the rest, but I only got the x-box files, not the PS2 files.  I'm assuming as in XML2, the MUA PS2 skins are of higher quality also?

[Noelemahc]

Yep. The skeletons, however, don't matter none, so if you could cover those, I'd be grateful. After all, there's only about 150 to deal with

[DJay Saint]

Yeah, I'll get to them.  It only took me about a minute to convert each character's set.  I'll work on some this weekend.  I wish I could figure out how in the world to combine the menu poses, walk, and run animations with the combat skeleton animations and get it to work.  So far I have been able to splice the two together, one at the end of the other, but for obvious reason, the second one is ignored (but I still found out that merger is possible, you just have to know exactly what to copy).  I don't know if there is any specific order in which I should stick the animations into the combat skeleton, or what in the file is relevant other than the animations after the tags themselves.  *shrugs*  I'll try that again another day.