#revival project

Firstly I added a "REVIVED" text to the logo, just to mostly let people know this is a fan-made REVIVAL project.

Secondly, more boards for more Smosh-related stuff. Trying to replicate the old 2002-2004 forum and its boards, but also added some more Smosh-fandom focused boards.

Update 2, Unexpected Problems Arose

Hello, it is I, chief of operations on the project, mc-intosh... I'd like to start off this update post by telling you guys that everyone I've spoken to and everyone who's tried helping me on this, including myself, wants to, quote, "off themselves" after multiple (unsuccessful) attempts of trying to get this game to work. I'm working on this basically alone, apart from @domincja (who is constantly making sure I don't off myself because of this game) so it might take a while until we get the game past the intro sequence, into the main menu. I've already spent hours on reverse engineering how the Tencent Protect anticheat works and I believe I'm, slowly but surely, making progress on fully understanding it.

Why is modding this game so difficult?

Well, you see, Unreal Engine 4 has tons of tools available online made by the community to quickly find information required for setting up a mod project ("Offsets" of "GNames", "GObjects", etc. for those looking for technical details) which should ideally make the process streamlined and easy!! ...But unfortunately, none of them work on Transformers Online. Tencent has made some, in my opinion, very stupid choices when making this game, in turn making my job much harder than it needs to be.

First of all, they use their own, proprietary version of Unreal Engine 4.14.3, which features several inconvenient changes, such as offsetting some values in the game's files seemingly in order to prevent people from accessing the 3D models, textures, maps, etc. and encryption/protection of the game's main executable file in a way that obscures locations of useful text that could be used to get the previously mentioned "offsets" for mods and cheats.

Second, some kind of "TCLS Proxy" fails to initialize upon opening the game, which causes the game to close itself immediately after the intro finishes playing. My current goal is to either circumvent this initialization check using a custom patch made for the game or to somehow make this proxy work.

And last, (this one pisses me off the most) they published the game as a 32-bit application, instead of the modern 64-bit standard. Most Unreal Engine modding tools exclusively support the 64-bit standard, because it is set by default in new projects in Unreal and, sure enough, most popular and even niche games use it, but Tencent, of course, had to change this one setting and make my life infinitely harder. To my understanding, this choice was made so that Transformers Online can support older computers running outdated systems such as Windows 7 or Windows Vista, BUT STILL TENCENT FUCK YOU!!

What is the next step?

I discovered which part of the code is responsible for detecting modifications to the executable and most files. I will be attempting to patch this code in order to circumvent this check, so I can add other patches I need for the game to work into the executable. Wish me luck. After this, it will hopefully be less of a hassle to figure out what else is needed to get the game running.

Anyway, most of the work I've done between yesterday and today is behind-the-scenes, so for today's screenshots, you're getting some character models for Jazz, Sunstreaker and Optimus Prime.

Thank you for reading this far,

@the-mcintosh

RAMBLE ABT ANY CHARACTER U WANT. IMMA LIZTEN.

i have so so many i could ramble about

but on todays ramble... spoilers

Tsurugi doesn't actually understand the amount of pressure he's put onto Yamato. He's happy to have Yamato back and sees it like Yamato's birthright of sorts to he head of the Kisaragi foundation once more.

Yamato does not want the Kisaragi foundation to still be... around... at least not for him to be the leader of it. He understands it's importance but it should've ended with his failing prior to the KG. The fact it was remade of sorts just stresses him out. He keeps trying to avoid doing work by making things/working on projects that take long on purpose to seem busy so he won't have to deal with all of the leader-work.

"Kisaragi you need to decide of weather we approve of this mission or not. It's been in the waits for a good few months now and our partnership with had been nonstop attempting to contact us, only for them to go to voicemail." Tsurugi was sitting next to Yamato's desk, he knew the other wasn't in often but was he really gone that much? There is people relying on him after all.

Yamato almost tuned the other out were it not for the stern look in his eyes, like bullets shooting through his soul at times. What was he even supposed to do again? He blinked for a moment followed by a blank stare at the other. "Uhm… Yeah. I don't see why not, we have the resources by now I believe." What was he even agreeing to? He drifted his gaze away from his… friend, back to his computer.

Tsurugi continued talking about various other topics that had been long overdue for Yamatos approval or denial but all Yamato could do was shrink down into his seat and try to listen. It's his own fault for letting it build up this much but-- They were already backed up even before he became leader again. This time Yamato has focused his attention to the entrance of the room, having met eyes with his sister. He was silently pleading for her to help him. His prayers were answered when Mikako had walked into the room without knocking.

"Tsurugi, are you pestering Yamato again?" She walked over to join the two at Yamatos desk. Promptly putting her stuff on the free seat and sat closest to Tsurugi.

"Pestering? Really? We have a job to do Kurokawa, and if I have to be in here to remind him of his own then I will. We're running an organization and have been since the game occurred. There's a lot to be done regardless who needs what, we can't do any of it without Kisaragi's approval." Tsurugi gave an annoyed glance over at Mikako, he was just doing what needed to be done. That seemed to be all he cared about anymore. Yamato was back, and so things can 'run smoothly' again.

Mikako raised her hand to her face to rub her forehead a bit as she let the other finish speaking. She knew far well what the other meant, but she also knew Hanzo, knew Yamato before any of the others had. That's it! Mikako slammed down her hand on one of the armrests of the chair before looking back at Tsurugi. "How do you know what is truly the best for this foundation? You did not know our father. You do not know what he wished to do with it. You may have rebuilt it but this place is no longer ran as the Kisaragi Foundation that we had known growing up. You have turned it into 'Oh! Let's run this the way I would since I have the best ideas when it comes to group efforts.' In which, you were wrong. I had truly hoped you had improved yourself from the time we were gone with help from Rei and Teruya, but when it comes to running an organization it seems like your true mindset shines through even now!"

The room fell silent, Mikako having to take a moment to catch her breath. Tsurugi couldn't bring himself to come up with some sort of answer. She was partly right…. Even if the other two were helping, he was thinking of how to keep it safe, 'helping others'….. He couldn't even help his own father. He looked at the side of a desk for a moment.

"If you'll excuse me." That was all he could muster before maneuvering his chair to leave Yamato's office.

The two siblings looked at each other with Yamato waiting to make sure Tsurugi had fully left before speaking. "Mikako… You didn't have to do that…" Defended by his own little sister, ouch! He could've stood up for himself! Yet he didn't. He knows he likely wouldn't have either. He wanted them all to be happy together again, even if it meant he had to pretend to know what he's doing.

"If I hadn't, he would've kept piling work on your regardless and then you'd end up spending more months locking yourself away in your workshop making who knows what." She let out a small laugh before standing up from her seat. "Plus, you know dad wouldn't have wanted things this way either."