Development:The Simpsons: Hit & Run/June 2003 Game Data/Missions

This is a sub-page of Development:The Simpsons: Hit & Run/June 2003 Game Data.

This article is a work in progress. ...Well, all the articles here are, in a way. But this one moreso, and the article may contain incomplete information and editor's notes.

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this.

These are the early mission scriptsand P3Ds located in the Simpsons Hit & Run source code, from June 10, 2003.

Many of these missions have commented out script for a script command (SetHitNRun) that would allow hit and run mode to be triggered on failing the mission. This functionality was cut in April 2003, despite testing well. It can be reenabled by modifying the game source code to uncomment some sections of code, and does work, but there will be issues with the game not removing the hit and run counter from the screen if you escape.

There is also another regularly commented out script command (RESET_TO_HERE), oddly in all caps unlike all other commands, that immediately resets your character and moves them to the mission start point. It is used in some missions, but a lot of missions have it commented out in the prototype.

Additionally, the code that forces ped groups was moved from the start of the mission file (*i.mfk) to the level initialization script (*sdi.mfk"). These changes will be ignored unless there is something noteworthy about them.

All street races have several differences:

• There are no street race-unique timings for each of the "3, 2, 1, GO!" countdown markers, and they all take exactly one second.
• The out of vehicle timeout 5 seconds, instead of 10 seconds
• There are no mission-specific countdowns (such as "1", "1", "1" or "PSYCHE!") unlike in the final game.

Levels

Level 1

Level Initialization

• The unused "KM_gag_nelson_millhouse_beating2" gag is used here.
• The unused gag involving crows at the tomacco farm, cut due to memory constraints, is used here, even though the comment stating why it is commented out is already here.
• The unused merry-go-round gag is used.
• The "Ralph eating paste" gag occurs multiple times on trigger, instead of just once.
• The BBQ gag only occurs once after level reset, instead of multiple times on trigger as in the final.
• The Squishee Machine gag has been moved to occur at the location of the Squishee Machine and not the game machine.
• The gag involving Jasper Beardley in the freezer has been changed from only occurring once on level reset to being able to be triggered as many times as the user wishes.
• Smithers and Bart have been added to the suppressed drivers list.
• Wasps are no longer attracted to the player's position, they just attack them.
• The code for adding bonus mission characters has been simplified dramatically.

Mission 0 (The Cola Caper)

• You have to get ice cream instead of Buzz Cola. The HUD icon is therefore changed from Buzz Cola to an ice cream cone.

Mission 1 (S.M.R.T)

• The location of the school project was changed.
• A second collectible was removed in the final game. It appears to be a tomato.
• Homer's start location is different.
• Ped group 0 is not forced. This is not the case in the final.
• The goto dialog is not turned off when the game asks you to go outside at the start of the mission.

Mission 2 (Petty Theft Homer)

• Ped group 0 is forced in a later phase of the mission in the prototype.
• The goto dialog is turned off in the prototype.
• Barney walks around before you talk to him. This is changed so that he stands still in the final, most likely because it was annoying.
• You have 40 seconds instead of 30 seconds to collect the Flanders family photo.
• You have 40 seconds instead of 30 seconds to collect the inhaler.
• You have 40 seconds instead of 30 seconds to go to the Flanders' house after collecting all the objects.
• Ned walks around before you talk to him. This is changed so that he stands still in the final, most likely because it was annoying.
• The game places characters in fixed positions using the SetDialoguePositions script command in the prototype, but not in the final.

Mission 3 (Office Spaced)

• The race requires the Plow King and not your current car.
• The first stage only has you get in the Plow King. The final game allows you to use any car for this stage.
• There is no penalty for leaving or blowing up your car until the race actually starts. In the final game, if you get out of the car during the mission, a 10 second timer will start before mission fail. In the prototype, this does not happen until the race starts.
• There is a typo in the completion dialog code.
• The goto dialog is turned on when you are asked to

Mission 4 (Blind Big Brother)

• Failure hints that are not relevant to the mission are displayed due to a lack of a call to SetNumValidFailureHints.
• When the game asks you to go to the power plant, the final game turns off the goto dialog. The prototype does not.
• The final game spawns Burns as an NPC, the prototype does not.
• The commented out objective in the final version is not here in any form
• You only have 30 seconds to return to your station at the end of the mission. There is no time limit in the final game.
• The goto dialog is not turned off in the first stage of the mission.

Mission 5 (Flowers By Irene)

• The "Go to the simpsons house" text is displayed at the start of the mission instead of the mission-specific "Enter the Simpsons House".
• After the FMV is played, the "Go outside" text is changed to "Go to the simpsons house" in the prototype.
• The AI parameters for the black van have been changed.
• The maximum follow distance is 200 in the prototype, instead of 250, making the mission slightly harder.
• The black van is missing one of its waypoints, possibly making it take a shorter path and making the mission slightly harder.

Mission 6 (Bonestorm Storm)

• Failure hints that are not relevant to the mission are displayed due to a lack of a call to SetNumValidFailureHints.
• There is no countdown sequence before the chase starts.
• After you destroy all of the games, there is no punishment for getting out of or destroying your car during the "go back to the Simpsons House" phase. This was added (10 second timeout and instant fail on car destruction) in the fial.
• The positions of characters during the final conversation at the end of the mission were changed.

Mission 7 (The Fat and Furious)

• The mission-specific camera is not used.
• The positions of characters during the final conversation were changed.
• AI rubberbanding was slightly tweaked in the final game.
• The final loads numerous animations for both player and non-player characters, possibly for use in the conversation at the end of the mission, such as the animations for fist shaking, nodding, and Homer shaking his head.

Street Race 1

• There are three less waypoints (waypoint2a and 2b are replaced with a commented out waypoint 2)
• The conversation at the end of the level was changed from Patty and Selma to Patty and the player.
• Ped group 5 is not forced.

Street Race 2

• Ped group 4 is not forced.
• Waypoint 4B does not exist.
• AI parameters were tweaked in the final.

Street Race 3

• Ped group 2 is not forced.
• AI parameters were tweaked in the final.

Bonus Mission

• The text for the "Drive to the Tomacco Fields" is the same as the "Collect the Tomacco Harvest" text. This was likely changed to make the mission less confusing and/or easier.
• Ped group 5 is not forced.