About
DarkFO is a from-scratch reimplementation of the Fallout 2 game engine, written primarily in TypeScript (running in a browser) and Python (asset-conversion tooling), created partly as a research project into the feasibility of such a remake. It is an incomplete remake: map loading, movement, NPC dialogue, bartering, some quests, sound, and partial combat/leveling work, but armor can't be equipped, the world map and area transitions are rough and buggy, and the PipBoy map isn't implemented at all; saving and loading is described as experimental.
Getting started
Running DarkFO requires an existing installation of Fallout 2 to supply the original game assets, plus Python 2.7 with Pillow and NumPy, and the TypeScript compiler. A setup script unpacks and converts the Fallout 2 data files, after which the project is compiled and served over a local HTTP server (or opened directly in Firefox) and played in a browser. Optional sound support requires a separate audio-conversion tool.
Known limitations
- combat: Combat works at an extremely basic level; only the SMG and spear are really tested, and you cannot swap ammo.
- equipment: No equippable armor is implemented.
- world-map: The world map is rough and buggy, and area screen entrances are misplaced.
- features: The PipBoy map is not implemented.
- save-load: Saving and loading is at an alpha stage and is not fully tested; consider it experimental.
Additional notes
- Format conversion
- The project converts Fallout 2's proprietary FRM image format to PNG during setup, which the author notes also makes the original game's assets easier to view and edit with ordinary image tools.