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GAFer is data mining through No Man's Sky (PC)

UPDATE #2
Hugo released his model viewer and extractor now. Go check it out if you are interested in taking a closer look as well: https://github.com/HugoPeters/NMS-Tools


UPDATE #1

Nice binary text:

56F7Ne8.png




ORIGINAL OP
A good friend of mine and GAFer as of recent Hugo Peters extracted all the game data from No Man's Sky Steam build and is digging through them right now in hopes to find the top secret multiplayer branch, more Hillary mails, Half Life 3 or just the typical left over test assets that make you scratch your head.
The game uses PS4 libraries and compression for its stuff which is a quite interesting way of doing things on a PC release.


Some of the discoveries he has made so far

The list of locations displayed during the intro cinematic is stored in a plain list:

98feUCt.png


There is in fact a Half Life 2 logo in the game for some mysterious "Testing" reason:

FdStdWw.png



Hello Games uses Havoc for its physics and the license included also entitles them to develop for Xbone (big surprise here):

AOMBDcH.png



There is an actual Poop effect in the game:


4UO1QCF.png



The shaders are not pre-compiled and source code is included. Some of the prototyping work on NMS seemingly already began in 2008 or maybe that's just part of their engine also used on Joe Danger:

xyNPw0L.png



We do know that NMS was a long time in development though which is supported by prototyping materials still in the final release done on PS3, 360 and Orbis (later PS4):


HI4wHh4.png



More demo assets left on the disc:

vofv2VP.png



This could be the player character, an easter egg or another dream never realized:


bxoLSPw.png


cOO72sr.png


FnDEOas.png


uysl9g3.png


Helmet texture:

2LtiCOd.png



This seems to be the player's backpack:


C3nGgjZ.png


Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDG3visCxlk



Assets from the E3 2015 demo are still in there and its contents hint at a rather scripted nature of the demo (which makes some sense):


X7rJINc.png



Some of the assets found in the demo folder:

gJGFPf7.png


ORWZlhK.png


BkT5SZu.png


O0fJ0r1.png


E3 Trex:

NZR9Cse.png


E3 Walker:

SdEkBDj.png


And this thing called "Space Grave":


Fl5U6Nd.png



Hugo has a bit of experience in reversing game file formats and did a hobby project in which he made a semi PC port of the engine used by Quantic Dream and even got as far as figuring out their custom model formats, lua scripting, cutscenes / user interaction, etc. He plans to release some of his tools (including the model viewer) once it has been a bit cleaned up so others can take a look at the game as well and maybe it shapes the way for future modding.

This thread contains and will probably soon contain more speculation, so take everything with a grain of salt as usual.

PS: Big surprise, no mentions of Multiplayer could be found so far in any of the files or folders.
 
Is there any pipeline to repackage shaders after modification so the game can recompile them? (since I'm sure they compile the first time you run the game). If so this means it would be possible to mod a lot of the planet gen since I assume a lot that generation they're doing through shaders.
 
PS: Big surprise, no mentions of Multiplayer could be found so far in any of the files or folders.

This would imply that they never even attempted a multiplayer mode or feature correct? So a theory that originally some form of multiplayer was planned but had to be scrapped is probably bunk.
 
This would imply that they never even attempted a multiplayer mode or feature correct? So a theory that originally some form of multiplayer was planned but had to be scrapped is probably bunk.

means nothing. they could have had it in development but removed it before release.

Either way, it's not a good look.
 
It was already hinted by Sean that it was coming to Xbox One.

What hint? Do share. They're already in deep shit on PC version, can't imagine their team was working on an X1 version.

Oof looks like a mod is close to closing this thread based on lack of info... Hoping you fill me in on this.
 
I wonder which platform SDK (if any) did this begin development on.

Very interesting that there's PS4 libraries in there... actually, no, that's not very interesting. It's likely where the majority of the prerelease (and post?) focus will be on due to revenue and player base.

I'm hoping this game never gets a sequel, and just continues to grow via free updates and paid expansions, even into the future platform releases.

Also, can this team handle a PSN+PC+LIVE release?
 
EDIT: Didn't include quote from above about Xbox One version. Same as below.

Here is one. Not the best British newspaper, but has some direct quotes and info from an interview.

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/tech/gaming/537409/No-Mans-Sky-Xbox-One-release-steam-pc-PS4

So when we spoke to Hello Games Sean Murray, the man responsible for creating No Man's Sky, we asked him and received a rather coy response for what we assumed was a very straightforward question.

In response Murray told us he wasn't sure what he was "actually allowed to say" at the time, noting that he needed to be "very specific with my words".

Before going any further though, Sony's rep stepped in to move the interview along, explaining that at this time there was nothing more to add.
 

jbug617

Banned
Source for this?

The last thing I saw was an interview last week when someone asked if it's really a PS4 console exclusive.
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/tech/gaming/537409/No-Mans-Sky-Xbox-One-release-steam-pc-PS4

However whether the game is a PS4 exclusive or whether this was a timed exclusive that might one day come to Xbox One.

So when we spoke to Hello Games Sean Murray, the man responsible for creating No Man's Sky, we asked him and received a rather coy response for what we assumed was a very straightforward question.

In response Murray told us he wasn't sure what he was "actually allowed to say" at the time, noting that he needed to be "very specific with my words".

Before going any further though, Sony's rep stepped in to move the interview along, explaining that at this time there was nothing more to add.
 

Speely

Banned
This would imply that they never even attempted a multiplayer mode or feature correct? So a theory that originally some form of multiplayer was planned but had to be scrapped is probably bunk.

I'd imagine that if they ever thought about player-to-player interactions on any scale, the nature of the procedural generation made them realize very early on that it was an unrealistic goal for their small team.

I'd be interested to know if there are any assets for real stars or deep space exploration, i.e. a game without skyboxes.
 

D4Danger

Unconfirmed Member
This would imply that they never even attempted a multiplayer mode or feature correct? So a theory that originally some form of multiplayer was planned but had to be scrapped is probably bunk.

Are people going to keep ignoring the multiple interviews where he said he wanted multiplayer? I think there would still be traces. I think he just said the multiple times in interviews that it was there for...I don't know effect?
 

Fewr

Member
This would imply that they never even attempted a multiplayer mode or feature correct? So a theory that originally some form of multiplayer was planned but had to be scrapped is probably bunk.
means nothing. they could have had it in development but removed it before release.

Either way, it's not a good look.

But why would they leave PS3, 360 and E3 demo stuff in there, but remove every hint or trace of multiplayer?
 

Shinjica

Member
PS: Big surprise, no mentions of Multiplayer could be found so far in any of the files or folders.

Ehi Pop, looks like the multiplayer you were defending so much is not in the game.

What did you said in the other thread, the server are hammered so they cannot see each other???
 
Does this mean NMS is coming to Xbox?

Wouldn't surprise me at all...
- Joe Danger eventually found its way onto Xbox.
- Chris Charla is on record of saying he would like the game on the platform, so the parity clause won't be an issue.
- When Sean was asked about a possible Xbox version, a Sony PR guy stepped in and changed the subject.
 
So when we spoke to Hello Games Sean Murray, the man responsible for creating No Man's Sky, we asked him and received a rather coy response for what we assumed was a very straightforward question.

You don't say.
 
But why would they leave PS3, 360 and E3 demo stuff in there, but remove every hint or trace of multiplayer?

This is my thinking exactly.

Wouldn't surprise me at all...
- Joe Danger eventually found its way onto Xbox.
- Chris Charla is on record of saying he would like the game on the platform, so the parity clause won't be an issue.
- When Sean was asked about a possible Xbox version, a Sony PR guy stepped in and changed the subject.

The PR guy is all we need to take from this. Whether it happens, or how soon or not it is announced is one thing, but it certainly isn't out of the question. Take a year, show it at E3 on Scorpio, oh boy.
 

JaseC

gave away the keys to the kingdom.
But why would they leave PS3, 360 and E3 demo stuff in there, but remove every hint or trace of multiplayer?

Yeah, I have to agree that in the face of there being a fair amount of pre-release breadcrumbs in the launch build that any and all traces of experimental multiplayer functionality simply not making the cut is decidedly unlikely. Not impossible, but certainly difficult to consider a distinct possibility.
 
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