Hey, guys,

Here it is - Dark POD: The Last of Days!

Dark POD: The Last of Days is the next step in evolution of Dark POD or POD: Modern Graphics, created by...me (Stealth is my old name). :) This is a graphics enhancement, texture and sound mod for the GOG version of POD.

The goal of the mod is to make the game's atmosphere a lot darker, so that the story of the intro and the tragic story of Captain Derek Stealth can unite (this is the story released by UbiSoft with the hardcover copy of the game manual. I had posted the story at Bandie's Io POD Cafe forum as well(http://berlinrc.de/pod/) but unfortunately, the message board went down a while ago, so the only way you can view the story on the Internet is with the help of the Wayback Machine. I've posted links in the "POD storyline" topic here, at GOG.

The mod adds ambient occlusion, lens reflection, light adaptation and a tiny amount of bloom from ENB, and SweetFX's HDR, Luma Sharpen, Sepia, Vignette and a tiny amount of bloom from SweetFX as well. Both ENB and SweetFX have their own colour saturation control methods, which I've used to customize the image.

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NEWEST DOWNLOAD:

v0.92:

The BASE archive (graphics enhancement, new sounds, new fonts and textures, but no music):
http://www.mediafire.com/download/4fud1rb7opr4e8c/POD_TLOD_V092_BASE.zip

Music Pack Vol. 1 (the classical pack):
http://www.mediafire.com/download/kl8r8d8dbb0w57n/POD_TLOD_V092_MPACK_VOL1.zip

Music Pack Vol. 2 (rock + ambient):
http://www.mediafire.com/download/2w9n45984p97na8/POD_TLOD_V092_MPACK_VOL2.zip

Music Pack Vol. 3 (more rock + 1 new song):
http://www.mediafire.com/download/k9u4i3mf85rpbnv/POD_TLOD_V092_MPACK_VOL3.zip

Music Pack Vol. 4 (more rock + 1 new song):
http://www.mediafire.com/download/hy5xbviqmuy1uwc/POD_TLOD_V092_MPACK_VOL4.zip

Screenshots of v0.92:
http://sfx.thelazy.net/games/preset/4130/

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CHANGES FROM THE ORIGINAL:

- Added ENB and SweetFX - shader post-processing and graphics enhancement;
- Beltane has been completely reworked since the last version. All textures have been modified, as well as the sky;
- Roc - modded the sky;
- Nuke - all textures modified, including the sky;
- Bank - all textures modified, including the sky;
- Pompeii - changed the sky and the background - there is no longer the problem with the black border between the sky and the background, and there are no interferences with ENB's Light Adaptation;
- Canyon - modded the sky;
- Veitland - modded the sky;
- City - all textures modified, including the sky; there is no longer the black border between the sky and the background and there are no interferences with ENB's Light Adaptation;
- Plant 21 - all textures modified, including the sky;
- Galleria - all textures modified, including the sky;
- Downtown - modded the sky and the background;
- Burrow - modded the sky;
- Alderon - modded the sky;
- Sewer - modded the sky;
- HQ - changed the sky;
- Azthec - changed the sky;
- Lake - all textures modified, including the sky;
- Loon - modified the sky;
- Parking - changed the sky;
- Skyrace - all textures modified, including the sky;
- Special - all textures modified, including the sky;
- West - all textures modified, including the sky;
- Spin - all textures modified, including the sky;
- ZED - all textures modified, including the sky;
- Megapol - all textures modified, including the sky;
- Babelweb - changed the sky;
- Factory - changed the sky;
- Magnetic - all textures modified, including the sky;
- Road70 - all textures modified, including the sky;
- The test track - all textures modified, including the sky;
- All car textures have been modified - both original and Gold cars; a few Extra vehicles have been retextured as well, which are included in the archive - Fuego, Dalton, Nocte and Lagoon;
- Added a new Chrome texture for the DURAL cheat code;
- Changed the engine sound. The cars now sound like they have a hybrid car-jet engines - as it is said in the intro - "super powered vehicles". Or like they've got a turbo-charged engine;
- Changed the skidding sound. Now it sounds like you're going through deteriorating roads - you get the feeling there is sand on the road;
- Added 10 new music tracks included in the music packs;
- Fixed A LOT of tiny but noticeable bugs in the HUD and the menu cursor. The bug fixes are only present in the version of the HUD with the new font;
- Changed almost the whole HUD - the decorations around the speedometer, the damage display, the tachometer and the minimap (which used to be wooden and with screws, now they're with decorations resembling spirals) as well as the in-race font - it's now a gothic font;
- Changed the menu font of the white smaller letters (like the ones in the track selection screen and the car settings menu) - it's now a gothic font;

Bank in v0.8 has a new sky compared to v0.7 and v0.6.
Beltane in v0.8 has been completely reworked compared to v0.7.
Bakar has been completely reworked in v0.8 since v0.7.

CHANGES FROM V0.8:

- New ENB and SweetFX settings - the image is a lot brighter and saturated;
- Beltane - completely reworked;
- Alderon - reworked the sky;
- Bank - reworked the sky;
- Skyrace - reworked the sky;
- Galleria - reworked the sky;
- Loon - new sky;
- Lake - reworked the sky;
- Factory - new sky;
- Azthec - new sky;
- Parking - new sky;
- Sewer - new sky;
- Spin - reworked the sky;
- Babelweb - new sky;
- Test track - reworked the sky;
- Fuego - completely reworked;
- AV1 - reworked the tire texture;
- Bakar - completely reworked;
- Scorp - reworked;
- Saber - reworked;
- Gamma - reworked;
- Dopple - reworked;
- Nocte - full retexture;
- New engine sound effect - the jet-engine component is a lot louder;
- Added one more ambient track - thunderstorm with wind;
- Added two more music tracks;
- Partial menu refont - only the small letters have been changed;
- Fixed some transparency bugs in the menu cursor;

I may or may not have missed something. :D

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OLDER DOWNLOADS:

v0.8:

The BASE version, containing only the graphical changes and changes to certain sound effects:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/6ut5uwvp4hid6tt/POD_TLOD_V08_BASE.zip

Music pack Vol. 1 - classical songs and a pure rock song:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/j35eryv1j10an8y/POD_TLOD_V08_MPACK_VOL1.zip

Music pack Vol. 2 - entirely a rock music pack, I definitely recommend this one:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/2vozajeqwqsj7bt/POD_TLOD_V08_MPACK_VOL2.zip

Music pack Vol. 3 - more rock music:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/745d2metl27cmw6/POD_TLOD_V08_MPACK_VOL3.zip

Screenshots of v0.8:
http://sfx.thelazy.net/games/preset/3578/

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v0.7 - I've separated the archives for those who have a slower Internet connection and have problems downloading big files:

The SMALL pack, including the pixel shaders, new textures, changes to the car engine and skidding sounds, but no music:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/yc9l11d9xconll3/POD_TLOD_V7_SMALL.zip

Music pack volume 1:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/lv7gtduefvej7b6/POD_TLOD_V7_MPACK_VOL1.zip

Music pack volume 2 (with a lot more rock motives and electric guitars):
http://www.mediafire.com/download/1pjo286s2j0yas6/POD_TLOD_V7_MPACK_VOL2.zip

Screenshots of v0.7:
http://sfx.thelazy.net/games/preset/3191/

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v0.5:
www.mediafire.com/download/4ddb5t3s6c1tog8/POD_TLOD.zip

v0.6:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/8wb71lacem28hcn/POD_TLOD.zip

The very first Dark POD (also called POD: Modern Graphics):
http://sfx.thelazy.net/games/preset/2210/

Just download the preset and install SweetFX normally, as you would with any other game.

Details on how to install the newer versions are in the README.

Happy playing! :)

If you have any problems, suggestions, criticism - please do write to me.

There are credits in the README, but... Thank you again, Nico, for all your work on POD - this wouldn't have been possible without your help.

Cheers,

Darkriot (aka Stealth)

And here's the promised link:

sfx.thelazy.net/games/preset/2930/

Now, this was also intended to be a music mod, but I don't think I can include any music in the archive. The songs that seem to go really well with the atmosphere of the mod are:

Shape of Despair - Quiet These Paintings Are (without the lyrics)
Apocalyptica - Farewell
Apocalyptica - Ruska
Araxas - For Nothing (without the lyrics)

Version 0.6 is out!

Now the image is a tiny bit more colourful and SweetFX's Vignette effect is enabled.

I've included a new engine sound - now the cars sound like they've got a hybrid car-jet engine - as it is said in the intro - "super powered vehicles". There is also a new song.

Download link:

www.mediafire.com/download/8wb71lacem28hcn/POD_TLOD.zip

Have fun!

Darkriot (aka Stealth)

And here are some more screenshots of v0.6:

sfx.thelazy.net/games/preset/3058/

If you want to make the image even more colourful (as far as you can get with the new textures), there is a special point on this in the README.

All the best,

Darkriot (aka Stealth)

Version 0.7 is out!

This time the "jet-engine" component of the car engine sound is a bit more subtle and the skidding sound has been modified. Now it looks like the ground is a bit sandy - like a deteriorating road. :)

There is a much wider variety of mod music this time. All songs have been heavily modified. I think it would be more fun if you find out what the new songs are. :)

All cars have been retextured and almost all of the original tracks (non-Gold) have been modified, as well as a few Gold tracks including Megapol, ZED and Skyrace.

Downloads:

The SMALL pack, including the pixel shaders, new textures, changes to the car engine and skidding sounds, but no music:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/yc9l11d9xconll3/POD_TLOD_V7_SMALL.zip

Music pack volume 1:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/lv7gtduefvej7b6/POD_TLOD_V7_MPACK_VOL1.zip

Music pack volume 2(with a lot more rock motives and electric guitars):
http://www.mediafire.com/download/1pjo286s2j0yas6/POD_TLOD_V7_MPACK_VOL2.zip

Screenshots of v0.7:
http://sfx.thelazy.net/games/preset/3191/

Hope you like it!

Darkriot (aka Stealth)

While the prospect of a "graphics enhancement, texture and sound mod for the GOG version of POD" sounds absolutely incredible, I was taken aback by your screenshots of your mod.

I can't say I am too crazy about how literally everything looks so dark and monochrome. POD is a colourful game, and I like it that way. This takes it in a drastically different direction.

I was really hoping for a mod that stayed pretty true to the original game, just enhanced textures and stuff. That would be amazing.

All that said, I might check this out. It looks interesting. I'm surprised no one else has even so much as commented on this. It looks like you put a lot of work into it.

Well, the reason is pretty much what you said. It is obviously a great work of love, but I don't like POD dark.

Thank you guys for reviewing my mod! :)

Well, yes, it is quite dark. The idea was to darken the atmosphere to synchronize it with the story of the intro and the story of Captain Derek Stealth.

And... this is how I see the tragedy of a planet that will soon be destroyed, a whole culture that will disappear completely, an entire chapter in the history of mankind... to be forgotten in a matter of days.

The blue tint is used to mimic the look of a day with thick overcast clouds. When the light goes through them, everything on the ground appears desaturated, and sometimes - slightly tinted in blue.

In my opinion, the developers actually did a great job with the original - it's really detailed and colourful and the textures don't really need to be more hi-res. And as far as I know (and do correct me if I'm mistaken), it's really hard (almost impossible) to make the GOG version use textures with a bigger resolution.

The initial Dark POD (also called POD: Modern Graphics) was much brighter and used only SweetFX. No textures were changed, and it still looks quite "modern". I probably should have put a link here long ago.

http://sfx.thelazy.net/games/preset/2210/

Just download the preset and install SweetFX normally, as you would with any other game.

If you want, I will make a brighter version, but not yet, as I am still working on the dark idea. :)

The really beautiful and sophisticated retexturing has actually been done by the old POD community - the pros. If you want, you can try Pompeii Rayway, Bank Discover, Pipeline Heaven, Veitland Colony and all the user created tracks. They're truly the work of a genius - they look good both with and without graphics enhancers.

Version 0.8 has finally surfaced! :)

I've continued the darker idea but this time, the image is a bit brighter.

New track retextures: Lake, Skyrace, Special, Spin, West and Road70. Also, Beltane has been completely reworked since v0.7 and there are no more interferences with ENB's Light Adaptation in Pompeii and City.

New car retextures: Fuego, Dalton and Lagoon.

I've also redecorated the HUD - I've put deorations resembling spirals instead of the wood with screws around the speedometer, the tachometer, the damage display and the minimap. I've changed the font too - it is now a gothic font.

You do have a choice concerning the HUD - you can use the version with both the spirals and the new font, or the version with the spirals and the original font.

Downloads:

The BASE version, containing only the graphical changes and changes to certain sound effects:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/6ut5uwvp4hid6tt/POD_TLOD_V08_BASE.zip

Music pack Vol. 1 - classical songs and a pure rock song:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/j35eryv1j10an8y/POD_TLOD_V08_MPACK_VOL1.zip

Music pack Vol. 2 - entirely a rock music pack:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/2vozajeqwqsj7bt/POD_TLOD_V08_MPACK_VOL2.zip

Music pack Vol. 3 - more rock music:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/745d2metl27cmw6/POD_TLOD_V08_MPACK_VOL3.zip

Screenshots of v0.8:
http://sfx.thelazy.net/games/preset/3578/


EDIT: I completely forgot to mention the Bakar - it has been completely reworked since v0.7. README updated.


Happy racing! :)

Version 0.92 has been released! :)

This time, the image is much brighter than in previous versions, as well as much more saturated.

Bakar and Fuego have been completely reworked, with the rear lights of the Bakar being completely new.

Scorp, Saber, Gamma and Dopple have been reworked as well.

The AV1 tire texture has been fixed.

There is also a bike retextured - Nocte.

Skyrace, Spin, Sewer, Babelweb, Parking, Azthec, Factory, Lake, Loon, Galleria, Alderon, Bank and the Test track now have new skies, while Beltane has been completely reworked.

Also, there are now 3 new soundtracks for the background music, though I've kept the number of music packs - four - so you don't have to download too many files. :)

The menu font has been changed partially - it's now a gothic font.

Some transparency bugs in the menu cursor were fixed as well.

And there is a new engine sound - this time, the jet engine component is much louder.

Download links:

The BASE version (graphics enhancement, new sounds, new fonts and textures, but no music):
http://www.mediafire.com/download/4fud1rb7opr4e8c/POD_TLOD_V092_BASE.zip

Music Pack Vol. 1:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/kl8r8d8dbb0w57n/POD_TLOD_V092_MPACK_VOL1.zip

Music Pack Vol. 2:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/2w9n45984p97na8/POD_TLOD_V092_MPACK_VOL2.zip

Music Pack Vol. 3:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/k9u4i3mf85rpbnv/POD_TLOD_V092_MPACK_VOL3.zip

Music Pack Vol. 4:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/hy5xbviqmuy1uwc/POD_TLOD_V092_MPACK_VOL4.zip

Screenshots:
http://sfx.thelazy.net/games/preset/4130/

Cheers! :)

Hey, guys,

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to make another full release of Dark POD... I don't have a lot of time to mod. :(

But I've managed to make a small update - a track retex - which almost returns the colour to Skyrace and adds a bit more detail to the track.

Here ya go - The Addon Track Pack v1 for Dark POD: The Last of Days! :)

Now, it will work with any other version of DP: TLOD and even without Dark POD, but it would be a bit ugly.:)
It would be good if you use at least the SweetFX preset for Dark POD, preferably the v0.92 one.

Downloads:
http://www.mediafire.com/download/l7h5n8sb995901f/POD_TLOD_ATP_v1.zip

Have fun racing around the new Skyrace!

Darkriot (aka Stealth)