Author: Wreck
Date: March 15th, 2020
Category: Multi Levels
Level: Multiple
Description:
GOLDENEYE 007 - TOURNAMENT EDITION:
Author: Wreck
Version: 1.04
Date: March 22nd, 2020
Previous Versions…
Version: 1.00
Date: May 2nd, 2019
Version: 1.01
Date: October 9th, 2019
Version: 1.02
Date: January 21st, 2020
Version: 1.03
Date: March 15th, 2020
Welcome to GoldenEye 007 - Tournament Edition. This mod is the combination of two things, which primarily focuses on the multiplayer portion of the game. The first being an attempt to help performance, by cutting down on how much is being drawn on screen at one time, as well as other changes that allow levels to load a bit more quickly. The second is a series of adjustments that either act as corrections, or ways to change the game up enough to even make veteran players not know everything. You will find more in-depth notes on what has been done below. There is also an alternate patch, which does all the same stuff as the first, but also gets rid of the background music. This may or may not actually have any impact on performance, though the idea of the less being processed the better applies here. The ultimate goal is to create a smoother experience for one of the greatest multiplayer games ever crafted.
Version 1.04 Notes…
Nothing new added, but some edits were made to the recent movement and extension of the memory allocations table (had a bad address change), as well as setting level ID 39's text "LxE" to use bank 00 instead of B4, which apparently shares a RAM position with something else.
Version 1.03 Notes…
A brand new cheat option has been included in this update; Mirror Multi Maps. You may already be able to guess what it does, but for further details, read on below.
Version 1.02 Notes…
Courtesy of Carnivorous, some new cheats have been added. The first disables anti-aliasing for the game, another turns level music off, and one more forces only the lo-res parts of character models to render. As a result of these new cheats, the list was extended from the previously increased 26, up to 28 total. You can read further down under "Other Adjustments" for more info on these changes.
Version 1.01 Notes…
Three somewhat minor updates in this release. The first is a correction to the ammo crate that was changed to a different pad in Egypt multi. Not a big change, but it is now as it was intended to be by Rare. Also, another recent discovery had me revisit the Temple multi map. It had to do with portals not being closed by doors. Lastly, a portal issue in Library has been fixed up. You can read further down under "Other Adjustments" for more info on these changes.
OPTIMIZATIONS:
Weapon optimization.
Every weapon has been combed over and edited with extreme care. All parts which can not be seen while equipped in first-person view, are no longer being drawn. This also includes the hand models that carry pistols, and even the watch detonator. As multiplayer mode does not allow you to dual-wield, portions of the right side were removed. If you are playing with All Guns in a mission level, you will see parts are not there on your left handed version (should it not be a mirrored copy).
Character model distances.
Most character models (not heads, however) include both a higher poly model and a lower poly version of different parts. Which one is currently rendered on screen depends on your distance from them. Some characters switch from closer range, while others can be a bit further away before noticing the change. Now everyone that uses this system is set at the shortest distance any GoldenEye character originally utilized. The transition between high and low poly models is less noticeable on console, as emulators have a much sharper image.
Bullet collision visuals.
When a bullet strikes a background surface, it produces multiple after effects (other than the obvious sparking and bullet hole). The first thing is shrapnel. Small pieces of debris fly out from the damaged area. Secondly, is a small fireball. And finally, there is a bit of smoke that rises up and out from the point of impact. Each of these effects pulls more resources, which can lead to slowdown - especially when using weapons with a high rate of fire. So for this mod, both the fireball and smoke have been removed, and the amount of shrapnel cut in half. It is a small price to pay for a helpful adjustment. Besides, in the heat of multiplayer battle, it is very easy to overlook these visuals entirely.
Explosions and Rocket / Grenade Launch smoke.
The amount of smoke clouding for all explosives and launched projectile weapons has been halved. This effect, especially when a player is in amongst it, can slow down gameplay. The amount of shrapnel for all explosions has also been reduced by fifty percent.
Bare handed.
All levels now use the "Jungle" Bond hand/cuff model. This is more of an aesthetic choice than a performance one, though quick editing of the models does use fewer polygons than before.
Unused pad data removed from all multi maps.
Each mission based multiplayer level had the entire set of mission pad positions within their setup files. Even the multi exclusive maps sometimes had a few extras left over. By cutting these out, the level will load more quickly. Certain maps will be more noticeable than others.
OTHER ADJUSTMENTS:
All multi maps unlocked on new file.
Every level will be available to play from the start of a new file. Also, each now allows the max of four players to participate in a match. However, there can be some issues, such as slow framerate or shared spawn points.
Extra Characters.
On top of every character being unlocked, you can now play as alternate versions of certain cast members. Both Natalya's appearance in the Cuba missions (at her corrected scale), as well as Trevelyan's initial look in the Facility, are available. As well, there are four more costumes for 007 himself; his spiffy blue suit, Q approved sneaking suit for covert operations, an insulated grey parka for use in colder environments, and comfortable jungle fatigues for when things start to heat up.
Spawn point ordering.
Many of you may already know that GoldenEye doesn't really choose your next spawn point at random. Each level has a list, and the game will continue down that list with each death, unless another player is within too close of proximity to that pad. When that happens, it will skip to the one after that. This reordering of spawns is to help prevent veteran players who remember these patterns from knowing exactly where their opponent will appear next, thus no longer making them a vulnerable target. It does NOT change the original positions, but in which order they are used.
Flag Tag locations.
Normally, the flag appears at one default position for every level in multiplayer. Whoever is fortunate enough to spawn nearest it, will undoubtedly run straight to it to immediately earn some valuable ownership time. In the Tournament Edition, there are now four possible locations where the flag token could appear. Instead of it being purely based on luck, players will have to guess where it may be. This adds a bit of chance to the scenario. Thanks to Zoinkity, who first came up with this idea in a customized Temple multi.
Ammo crates and Flags moved.
In three levels, certain boxes of ammunition have been moved. Temple originally had three erroneously positioned crates, which ended up sharing the space with other boxes. If you shot at them, it would almost appear as though an extra crate would pop out. Using the leftover pads within the setup file (and Perfect Dark's version of Temple as a guide of sorts), these three have been placed at - what can only be assumed of as - their correct positions. As a very minor side effect, the original Flag Tag Token position was moved ever so slightly over. In Archives, two ammo boxes were stuck inside one another, down on the ground floor near the Golden Gun position. There was easily enough space next to them to allow for the separation. Also, Egypt had one crate placed way down in the flooded basement, when it should have been next to its partner ammo crate in the upper level. Simply tweaking the clipping tile value it was associated with placed it back up top. Lastly, it seems Rare may have paid less attention to where the Flag Tag Token went in the Library level. Instead of being at its own special place, it shares a spot with an ammo crate. It is now a few feet away, and no longer sitting inside the crate.
Silo X music track.
The original song that is played when the Silo mission is completed, and the outro cutscene is showing, did not loop. This track was also included as a random entry in multiplayer. After it reaches the end, there will be silence. SubDrag was able to modify the song to seemlessly loop, so it won't end abruptly during a match.
Bunker 2 cells.
It has always been a bit odd how the doors used on the two holding cells were not the same as the mission version. Rather than using the proper security bars, instead there were solid doors, like those in the later portion of Facility. This mod addresses that, and replaces them with the appropriate doors. You can also fire weapons and throw objects through them, as well.
Temple stone doors (v1.01).
Even though those large stone doors were setup to close the portals that connect the rooms between them, they did not. There were two issues causing this. The first was the model rotation. Because of how Rare was using these doors, it was actually showing the sides of the door as the front and back. It needed to be rotated 90 degrees to address this. Also, due to the thickness of the doors, they were still having trouble. So other than the one in the center of multiple ramps (which does not close any portals, anyway), the rest were reduced down to the depth of one floor tile. Temple already runs very well, but having portals close certainly can't hurt. Now you also shouldn't be able to blast an enemy through a closed door with a penetrating weapon. And maybe it's just me, but they do seem to open a little more easily, too.
Library portal fix (v1.01).
A very subtle issue with one of the floor grating portals has been dealt with. Visible only from the upper (Stack) area of the map and looking down into the basement, you could see the grey stone edging beneath the grate would go black from different angles. This had to do with where the portal was positioned. However, this is exactly how Rare setup the other similar areas, as well. The real issue was actually that the grey stone below the grating panel needed to belong to the upper room, and not the lower one. By simply stripping it out of one and placing it in the other, the portal no longer had any conflicts.
Watch inventory models.
As most weapons have been optimized, they looked rather unappealing inside the watch menu. They no longer show, nor do the rest of the games mission gadgets and collectible items. You can still tell what's what by their names.
Auto-Aim off by default.
Under the multiplayer options, it will begin with Sight ON, Auto-Aim OFF being selected. You can easily change this yourself in the menu.
AR33 fix in two weapon loadouts.
For both the Remote Mines and Timed Mines sets, the AR33 Assault Rifle now uses its correct weapon pickup model. The original game erroneously gave out KF7 Soviet prop model by mistake.
Same character selection.
If you have a favourite character, but someone else also wants to use them, you won't need to argue or flip a coin anymore. Up to four Siberian Special Forces members can be roaming the Basement all at once now.
No Body Armour cheat.
Taken from Zoinkity's Dr. No patch, this cheat will remove all instances of body armour throughout the game while activated. Not only will this prevent certain players from hogging up the extra protection in multiplayer, but it can add a little more challenge to missions that still include the odd armour even on 00 Agent difficulty. Once you turn the cheat off, the armours will appear as normal. There's no unlock required to use it.
No Radar cheat.
This cheat is now unlocked by default. So if you don't want the radar showing, you can disable it without needing to achieve the target time on Frigate.
Lo-Res Characters cheat (v1.02).
The majority of character bodies contain two versions of each body part (not including hands and feet) in their file. Which one is currently rendered depends on your distance from said character. What this cheat does, is forces just the lo-res models to show. While it doesn't make them look the greatest, it does reduce the number of polygons drawn on screen. If you don't care a lot about the players appearances, than this may just help performance, especially in closer range. No unlocking necessary. Note: this also affects any other model in the game that contains a lower poly version, such as the bookshelf in Archives, as well as the rocket.
No Music cheat (v1.02).
If you want to play without the level music, than this cheat is for you. Standard music tracks have been replaced with a silent entry (track 0x14), but menu folders, the watch menu, end of MP match screen, and any mission X track, will play as normal. You'll also still hear the death theme play, so you'll know exactly when someone has been killed. Play your favourite songs in the background to create your own soundtrack. Ready for use at any time. Note: if you want ALL music (not including folders) to be muted, go into your watch menu and slide the music volume bar down to zero.
No Anti-Aliasing cheat (v1.02).
Anti-Aliasing is a process that helps blend edges together, in an effort to look less sharp and pixelated. By disabling it, the game will take on a different appearance, almost more similar to original PlayStation games. However, it can also help to improve performance. It may take some time to get used to, and it's really something that will be up to the player to decide whether they like or not. This is accessible by default.
Mirror Multi Maps cheat (v1.03).
By activating this cheat, you will be able to play all of the eleven multiplayer maps as mirrored versions of themselves. Where you used to turn left, now you turn right. It's just like the fun bonus feature utilized in many popular racing games. So if you think you know GoldenEye's levels inside and out, give this a try. Always unlocked.
Line Mode cheat.
Since No Radar is now available automatically, one of the best known unused cheats - Line Mode - is now unlocked when completing Frigate within the target time. Known in some other games as "Pen and Ink Mode", it almost makes the game feel like an animated black and white comic book. The cheat list has also been extended to make room for the additional cheats, and shifted upward for a better look.
Laser cheat removed.
In order to make room within the cheats menu, the single Laser cheat was taken out. This one pretty much becomes useless after you unlock 2x Lasers, and even less so once All Guns is awarded.
Oddjob is on vacation.
Since it has basically become a rule that no one chooses Oddjob, he has been "removed" from the list. However, there IS still a way to play as him, though it will mean you really are a cheater if you manage to do so. Hint: it might have to do with the very first button code ever discovered for the game…
BUG NOTES:
If you are playing on a new file, which hasn't had any of the missions completed yet, there is an issue using cheats. Should you turn on any of the unlocked cheats (no armour, no radar, etc), you will notice that every level is blacked out. However, if you try clicking on any of them, it will somehow allow you access to the Silo. This is the only mission you can play, unless you begin completing the campaign properly.
In Archives, it is possible for two or more players to spawn at the same position at the start of the level. This issue exists even in the original version of the level. It is caused by a player distance proximity test. Since this map is somewhat small, and comprised of two floors, it can often test that two spawn points are too close together. When this happens, it will shift down the list of spawn points to try and find another position. However, sometimes players end up sharing the same spawn point. If this happens, simply exit the level and try again… or just slap each other to death.
The Line Mode cheat has issues with certain emulators, which can result in the game being unplayable. Nothing to do with this mod, but the graphics plugins being used.
Not so much of a bug, but something to note. If you are planning to use anything that can affect the player field of view (either an emulator or a GameShark / Action Replay code), you will definitely notice where parts of weapons and hands are now absent. This includes the buttstocks on rifles, and even handles on many firearms. The edits were made and tested to appear unmodified by traditional playing conventions.
POSSIBLE FUTURE PLANS:
Optimization of knives, taser and sniper melee models.
Proper optimization of the watch laser / detonator model.
Further tweaking of the explosions and smoke.
Dam as default mission with cheats on new file.
CREDITS/THANKS:
Wreck: For the brunt of it.
SubDrag: For the creation and maintenance of the GoldenEye Editor, and Silo X track looped version.
Zoinkity: For select same character, Dr. No cheat (no body armour) setup, and original random tag placement action block design.
Carnivorous: For updating and maintenance of the GoldenEye Editor, the No Anti-Aliasing, No Music, and Lo-Res Characters cheats, and helping with the Mirror Multi Maps cheat.
N64 Vault: For making sure the legacy of GoldenEye modding keeps growing.
You: For still caring about this game enough to download the mod.
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