The Phantom Menace Level Editor (BAP Tool)

hef0p · Oct 11, 2016

Short backstory: I tend to furiously search the web and read through archives, in hopes of discovering some juicy information when it comes to game dev tools. Well, yesterday I've hit the jackpot, and found the original level editor used by the TPM game devs.

Here's some backed up information:

Netobi was created as a LAN-capable multiplayer version as a test after TPM shipped and we were waiting for our next project. We had some of our team working down at Lucasarts on the delayed Playstation version but the rest of us didn't have a lot to do, so some of our programmers created a networked version that used hard-coded IP addresses for each of our machines. I wish I knew why it was the version that appears to be the most stable.

Obiold.exe uses a previous version of the Monster 3d drivers that got updated right before we shipped. RobsObi.exe was done by our programmer Robert for some debug testing, I forget what it was made for, but it evolved into BafObi.exe, which let us debug some of the issues we were having with models. I think it prevented a crash that was happening when we monkeyed with .baf files and tried to jump into the game.

I totally forgot about this, in order to 'elevate' a Map Cube after it's copied, you need to use the XYZB buttons in the top right to choose which worldspace you want to move the Cube around in, it definitely isn't intuitive. Uncheck either the X or Y and check the Z, now the copied blue Cube will move along the Z axis in addition to the axis you left checked. I don't know what the B button does.

Yes, a bunch of ideas got the axe. We were originally going to have a playable STAP and AAT. The STAP was actually built to be played in the Swamp level, and we actually had an area where you'd strafe a bunch of different areas for fun and profit. And, there was an additional level in between the Gardens and Escape from Theed levels, where Obi-Wan would pilot an AAT tank. One more: we were going to have an underwater section for the Naboo Core using the same sort of tech in the STAP section of Swamp, but we had no level built yet when we realized in Jan of '99 that we were running out of tuning time. So all those wound up being axed, because we had JUST gotten them working, they didn't 'feel' right at all in terms of handling.

As far as 'secret' levels, no, but playable characters were definitely a possibility, although they didn't come up until late in the production. In March or April, I had built a Mace Windu playable character, but LEC didn't think they could incorporate it into the PSX version, so unless we could get it into both versions, they didn't want to add it. Kind of like how the N64 version of Rogue Squadron already had a prebuilt N-1 Naboo Starfighter but the PC version required a download.

The STAP was built as a minigame that raced through the Swamp level, I think the track was on the perimeter. It got cut mainly because we didn't have the time to devote to it to make it feel smooth. Our physics system wasn't designed for high-speed collision checks and so forth, so a fast-moving STAP race through our tools felt really chunky. We drew up some ideas on how to improve the physics but we basically got word from Lucasarts that unless it could feel as comparably awesome as what the Racer guys were doing, it's not worth the time.

The AAT level was going to be the transitional level between Coruscant and Assault on Theed levels. It would start with a cutscene of the Gungan Army heading off towards war, while the Jedi capture an AAT on the outskirts of Theed to blast their way to the Hangar. (Originally the Assault on Theed area at the beginning had the battle-damaged AAT placed right there.) Again, the amount of time it would take to tune the physics was prohibitive, not to mention that our cube-based art system really didn't look very good when you did a low-angle camera behind the Tank so you could see far ahead at the enemies. My biggest regret is that we created a new version of the Baron droid to use in the AAT level - a Black Ops version that had black markings on it and held a Rocket Launcher. I had high hopes that it would make its way into Star Wars canon.

We went through a phase where they were functional, then disabled as we were considering whether they were cut, then re-enabled, then disabled. I wouldn't be surprised if the code is still there but just unreachable. I wouldn't know how to turn them on.
Click to expand...

TL;DR: MULTIPLAYER and DRIVEABLE VEHICLES (well, scrapped stuff anyways).

There's also a lot of interesting info besides this, like Simpsons Wrestling using the TPM engine and such, but that's for another time.

BAP Tool: Download
Manual (nonexistent, but there's a quick write up about the tool): Download

So If there's anyone besides me who wanted to mod TPM, now you technically can.

Alter_47 · Oct 11, 2016

Great find.

InsaneNutter · Oct 14, 2016

The Phantom Menace, now that's a game myself and my brother played a lot back when our family first got a PC.

Very nice find!

austin12456 · Jan 8, 2017

Thanks! Great find

lemurboy12 · Jul 27, 2017

Is there an editor for The Simpsons Wrestling too? The files in that game don't load correctly in this tool.

discworld · Jul 29, 2017

thank you very much for sharing. very cool.

The Phantom Menace Level Editor (BAP Tool)

hef0p Active Member

Alter_47 Alpha and Beta Enthusiast

InsaneNutter Spirited Member

austin12456 Rapidly Rising Member

lemurboy12 Rising Member

discworld Blue Brother

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The Phantom Menace Level Editor (BAP Tool)

hef0p Active Member

Alter_47 Alpha and Beta Enthusiast

InsaneNutter Spirited Member

austin12456 Rapidly Rising Member

lemurboy12 Rising Member

discworld Blue Brother

Share This Page

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