The Lure of the Sirine's Call is released!

[Ghreyfain]

The Lure of the Sirine's Call is a short quest mod which takes place in the coastal area south of Candlekeep, and involves the lighthouse, the treasure cavern, the sirines dwelling along the beach, and worgs. Also pirates. Everyone loves pirates. At the end of it all you should have either a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart, or a bunch of loot. This quest will especially appeal to druids, though any class can play it without missing any content, dialogue, or equipment.

This mod requires Tutu, but should not require TotSC.

You can download the mod here.
You can read the readme here.
And last but not least, you can come tell me how awesome it is, how many bugs it has, or possibly how awesome its bugs are, at the Tutu Mods Forum.

[Ghreyfain]

The Lure of the Sirine's Call is now up to version 7.

Check here to see the fixes in this version:
http://mods.pocketplane.net/bg1tutu/sirine_readme.html#version

Check here to download it:
http://www.pocketplane.net/tutumods

[Kulyok]

Just in case it ever reaches version 8(well, you never know):

Preamble: The lighthouse is lovely, the quest works, and I especially regretted killing that sirine chick with pink hair.
Bonus points: good dialogue, great options, and only one +1 sling and one +1 studded leather armor.

Okay, now the nasty stuff:
1) The building on the left has a basement(great artwork, too), the basement has a door, the door opens, but it is impossible to step through - no pointer appears.
2) The Mysterious Guy is so mysterious that he doesn't even have a name. Really.
3) One of the archers has a pack with >30 arrows, and BG1 standard is 20.
4) No XP reward whatsoever upon returning to the sirines. None. Which is a pity, since I normally receive 6000XP for them on an average day, so.
5) When killing sirines(just stepping up and killing them): Sil turns hostile all right, but she doesn't attack. Other two do not turn hostile until she dies, and then their circles start blinking - red-blue, red-blue.

[cmorgan]

plus we have to add a Sirine's Call variable in The BG1 NPC Project to ensure that we don't break Sirine's Call; we I_C_T and I_C_T2 into Ardrouine's dialogue, which is either blown away by SC or hijacked by us. The fix is working, but still wipes out 12 (twelve) possible interjections that are perfectly compatible; all fixable by changing the falsing and EXTEND_BOTTOM stuff around a little.

[cmorgan]

OK, if anyone wants to lure Ghreyfain back from wherever he went, I have tested stable fixes for the dialogue file for Ardrouine.

v7 (and the BGT version) ship with older code which breaks the states up, extends bottom, and then adds back the original states with a few changes. New advances in WeiDU/BiggDU tech and such have made this unnessesary (plus, all the BG1 NPC interjections into the darned thing are often blown away).

To fix this, replace the file ..\SirinesCall\dialogue\_ardrou.d with the following:
[START OF FILE]

/* Adding the transition: Ghrey just broke/rebuilt the vanilla state in tra, so just add the action */
ADD_TRANS_ACTION ~_ARDROU~ BEGIN 0 END BEGIN END ~SetGlobal("J#ArdTalk","GLOBAL",1)~

/* Modifying the string as per Ghrey's edit, since the kid is there, and the original string doesn't match */
REPLACE_SAY ~_ARDROU~ 2 @0

/* the kid leaves the area after the talk. Ardrouine stays put, in case someone else wants her for another reason. */
/*By the way, don't add EscapeArea() for her into the A_T_A, or she leaves first and doesn't complete the script... */
// ADD_TRANS_ACTION ~_ARDROU~ BEGIN 2 END BEGIN END ~ActionOverride("J#Bren",EscapeArea())~

/* If people want *exactly* what Ghrefain wrote, with both Ard & Kid leaving, */
/* it means blowing away the transition, but can be done by using this instead of the A_T_A immediately above: */
ALTER_TRANS ~_ARDROU~ BEGIN 2 END BEGIN 0 END BEGIN ACTION ~GivePartyGold(60) AddexperienceParty(500) ReputationInc(1) IncrementGlobal("WorgsDead","GLOBAL",1) EraseJournalEntry(@2) ActionOverride("J#Bren",EscapeArea()) EscapeArea()~ END

[/FILE]

My preference is for the use of the A_T_A, because it allows other folks to add transitions and continue, but it means that Ardroine's kid leaves and she is left standing in the area. This was vanilla Tutu/BG behavior, leaving Ardrouine to thank the player.

But it must have jarred the G-man, so he put the Escapes in to remove the actors. The problem with that is it means Ardrouine is no longer available for new content (ALTER_TRANS replaces the transition, so anything added to the transition before Sirine's Call would be blown away. A_T_A avoids this. And A_T_A places the action at the top of the order, so...

If someone could update the mod and version it (perhaps with Ascension64 and a combined installer?), I would really appreciate it, because I weant badly to play it with all the interjections but I can't risk having my own fixes mask helping other players out.

At the same time, I don't want to step on Ghreyfain's toes - so I am posting this here for Kulyok and JCompton reference


Usig this swap of file contents (ALTER_TRANS enabled to match G's code exactly, the following decompiles:

// creator  : DLTCEP_enhanced_WeiDU (version 20300)
// argument : _ARDROU.DLG
// game     : .
// source   : ./override/_ARDROU.DLG
// dialog   : ./DIALOG.TLK
// dialogF  : (none)

BEGIN ~_ARDROU~

IF ~NumberOfTimesTalkedTo(0)
~ THEN BEGIN 0 // from:
  SAY ~Please help me, I don't know where else to turn. My little boy was playing in that abandoned lighthouse to the northwest when a pack of worgs surrounded it. Please, just turn them back and I can coax him down. There's not much time!~ /* #86626 */
  IF ~~ THEN DO ~SetGlobal("J#ArdTalk","GLOBAL",1)
~ UNSOLVED_JOURNAL ~A child in the lighthouse

I cannot write for long, for I am faced with a pressing emergency: worgs have surrounded an abandoned lighthouse to the west, and poor Ardrouine's son is trapped within.  May Tymora bless the peasants of this land, for their lives are never easy.~ /* #86627 */ EXIT
END

IF ~GlobalLT("WorgsDead","GLOBAL",3)
~ THEN BEGIN 1 // from:
  SAY ~To the northwest! It's not far!~ /* #86628 */
  IF ~~ THEN EXIT
END

IF ~Global("WorgsDead","GLOBAL",3)
~ THEN BEGIN 2 // from:
  SAY ~Brennan, are you okay?  Oh, thank you so much!  Here, this money is all my husband brought back from market this past week but take it.  My son's life is worth this and so much more.~ /* #92015 */
  IF ~~ THEN DO ~GivePartyGold(60)
AddexperienceParty(500)
ReputationInc(1)
IncrementGlobal("WorgsDead","GLOBAL",1)
EraseJournalEntry(92017)
ActionOverride("J#Bren",EscapeArea())
EscapeArea()
~ SOLVED_JOURNAL ~A child in the lighthouse

I feel ashamed to take it, but Ardrouine has thrust her last 60 gold pieces into my hands.  At least her son is safe, though nightmares will surely keep him from that old abandoned lighthouse for years to come.  Alas, but there flees a child's innocence, shamed and broken by the Dark.~ /* #86630 */ EXIT
END

IF ~GlobalGT("WorgsDead","GLOBAL",3)
~ THEN BEGIN 3 // from:
  SAY ~My son prays for your continued health every night, as do I.~ /* #86631 */
  IF ~~ THEN EXIT
END

IF ~False()
~ THEN BEGIN 4 // from:
  SAY ~Sob. It's no use... We're all as good as dead!~ /* #86632 */
  IF ~~ THEN EXIT
END

[Ascension64]

Ghreyfain never wanted to support a BGT version, and that position will remain indefinitely until I hear otherwise. Hence, there isn't going to be a combined installer.

[cmorgan]

OK, sounds fine... author's rights are author's rights. On the Tutu side, then, can anyone do this? I am darned sure it meets his original intent, as he only broke the state and rebuilt it exactly as is. Does anyone have a set of permissions for fixing that can do this with the Tutu version?

[jcompton]

I can do it but I'm feeling pretty sick at the moment, so it would really benefit me to just be able to drop corrected files into the previous archive and release it.

[cmorgan]

I'm sorry to hear that you are sick    -

I will send Kulyok an email with the corrected .d ready to drop into place.
You and she can decide whether to uncomment either
a. the ALTER_TRANS (matches exactly Ghrey's stuf)
or
b. the ADD_TRANS_ACTION (lets Ardrouine retain her vanilla BG behavior and stick around)

and you two can also decide if it is ok for her to look through her logged materials above and brush up anything that it is ok to do, or not, as she sees fit.

I am already in the readme, so no changes there necessary (and this as Ghreyfain's work, not mine, anyways. Just a change of sparkplugs and a refresh of the oil, not even an overhaul. )

EDIT: sent to gmail account If you want it attached and sent to an account of yours that can rec' email attachments, let me know, boss, and I'll send 'em to you as well. Just fiured if you were under the weather she could review it for you (if she chooses).

[jcompton]

Yes, send it to jcompton@pocketplane.net so I have it as well.

[cmorgan]

You (should have) mail... hope you feel better soon...

[Kulyok]

I will send Kulyok an email with the corrected .d ready to drop into place.
You and she can decide whether to uncomment either
a. the ALTER_TRANS (matches exactly Ghrey's stuf)
or
b. the ADD_TRANS_ACTION (lets Ardrouine retain her vanilla BG behavior and stick around)

and you two can also decide if it is ok for her to look through her logged materials above and brush up anything that it is ok to do, or not, as she sees fit.

I really don't understand what I have to do with this. I saw the code earlier in the thread and, no, I don't understand what it does, so I can't advise you on the matter.
 

[cmorgan]

IF
Retain Ghreyfain's Original Mod Behavior Completely Removing Both Ardrouine And J#BREN After Encounter
OK with using functional equivalent of REPLACE_TRANS_ACTION and Blowing Away Transition
THEN
Uncomment ALTER_TRANS
END

IF
Adjust Ghreyfain's Original Mod Behavior By Only Removing J#BREN And Leaving Ardrouine There After Encounter As Original BG Behavior
Preserving Original Transition For Other Mods Like BG1NPC If SC Is Installed After BG1NPC
THEN
Uncomment ADD_TRANS_ACTION
END



I like block 2. Dunno what Ghreyfain would think. Leaving This In Your Court!

END

[Graoumf]

Hello,

A french player has pointed out that the french install doesn't work for the version 7 for Tutu. Debug message is :

ERROR: No translation provided for @4
ERROR: [sirinescall\creatures/J#Bren.CRE] -> [override/J#Bren.CRE] Patching Failed (COPY) (Not_found)
Stopping installation because of error.

The first line refers to the setup.tra. Indeed, the french tra file doesn't have @4 and beyond (it's corrected in the .tras I sent to you, Jason). Besides, it's the same for others foreign languages! So, Spanish and German too.
For the second line, I don't know but maybe it's linked to the previous one.

[Caedwyr]

Has any progress been made on implementing the coding fix for the issue raised earlier in this thread?

[jcompton]

I think it didn't penetrate my flu-ridden mind back in the winter and I can't say it's a whole lot clearer to me now. I don't develop for Tutu so this is not a fix I am comfortable making on my own with suggested code I do not understand.

Through my powers of eminent domain, etc. etc., if a Tutu developer would like to assume responsibility for updates to Sirene's Call, I am all ears.

[jastey]

A french player has pointed out that the french install doesn't work for the version 7 for Tutu.

Same for the German one...

This mod neads an update, indeed.
I am tempted to declare myself Tutu developper and assume responsibility for SC updates. If I'd do so, I would try to talk you into including BGT and vanilla BG1 versions, though, and I don't even have the time to finish my own mods currently.

[jastey]

1) The building on the left has a basement(great artwork, too), the basement has a door, the door opens, but it is impossible to step through - no pointer appears.

This is OK - it's the small room beneath the stairs (you can walk into it).

Brennan seems to have "random walk", too: He strolls around the meadow where his mother his, if he returned to her. It' not that uncommon for a child, but considering what he just went through, I would expect him to stay near his mother, or at least go directly to her after rescuing.
Plus, if Brennan (the boy) is talked to after the dialogue with the pirate, he has "nothing to say", and stops walking, forgetting that he wanted to go to his mother.Scratch that, I was only too unpatient when trying it the first time. He resumes his walk eventually.

Maybe just EscapeArea() him right away? Then The PC could talk to his mother, and she could stay where she is. No need to change that one line of her text either, as it would be assumed Brennan already met her and is home now.

Another thing: If walking along the coast to the Sirene's cave, there is a beach with three Sirenes: One is hostile right away, the other ones don't care... Even if the hostile one gets killed. The one turns hostile also if the PC made peace with Sil. If LoSC is not installed, all three sirenes are hostile, so I guess the third one shouldn't be if it's installed, either.

EDIT: Seems LSC modifies the wrong sirene cre:
COPY_EXISTING ~_irine_a.cre~ ~override~
              ~_irine_b.cre~ ~override~
              ~_irine02.cre~ ~override~
WRITE_ASCII 0x250 ~J#sirin1~

"_irine02.cre" is sirenes in FW3402, that's the Beregost temple. In the lighthouse area, it's "_sirine.cre". Another script with nearly the same content gets EXTEND_TOP to "_sirene.bcs" - a script that does neither exist in the original Tutu, nor is it connected to any of the sirene cres in that area. EDIT3: OK, it is used for two mod-custum sirene cres - but I can't find where those actually get spawned in the game, as it seems they don't. Plus there is a typo in one of the DV used for a trigger (it is correct in "J#sirin1.baf").

[jastey]

May I offer to update Lure of Sirine's Call to version 8? I would be honored if I may.

Changelog would be:

-change Ardrouine's dialogue changes to make it compatible with BG1NPC as suggested by cmorgan
-take out the "EscapeArea()" for Ardruoine so she is available for other possible mods (minimizing the chnages to the original game)
-correction of a spelling error in _sirine.baf
-correction in the tp2: patching _sirine.cre instead of _irine02.cre
-copying the missing sound references in setup-tra for German and Spanish version. Since it's original game sounds, a translation wouldn't be necessary.
-change the tp2 to include new features like README and VERSION
-update installer to current WeiDU

Now, if anyone would enlighten me where the current readme-call after finishing of the installation is to be found so it could be taken out, I could pack version 8 with the above changes.

[cmorgan]

  Beat me to it - couldn't do much for another week! The current version has this:

Code:

BACKUP ~sirinescall/backup~
AUTHOR ~ghreyfain NOSPAM pocketplane DOT net~

ALWAYS
AT_INTERACTIVE_EXIT ~view sirinescall/sirine_readme.html~
END

AUTO_TRA ~sirinescall/translations/%s~

New top:

Code:

BACKUP ~sirinescall/backup~

AUTHOR ~ghreyfain NOSPAM pocketplane DOT net~ // messed with for this post only

VERSION ~v8~

README ~sirinescall/sirine_readme.html~

AUTO_TRA ~sirinescall/translations/%s~

Probably want to check with the bigg on adding NO_IF_EVAL_BUG as well - quicker parsing, and there are no instances of IF_EVAL in there - folks (Nythrun, et al) seem to think it is a good idea to include that as standard materials unless someone is using the ancient IF_EVAL instead of PATCH_IF and BUT_ONLY_IF_IT_CHANGES.

Looking at it, it would probably be easy for you to make both the OSX and Linux versions, too, by lowercasing everything in the directories and just checking on the tisunpack.exe stuff with the bigg. The uninstall and install stuff has no audio, only the tisunpack;

Code:

@echo off
cd override
tisunpack j#base.tiz
tisunpack j#stor.tiz
tisunpack j#lig2.tiz
tisunpack j#ligh.tiz
del J#*.tiz
del tisunpack.exe
cd ..

might need to be rewritten to
(move tisunpack.exe to the /tiz subdirectory, then)

Code:

@echo off
cd sirinescall\tiz
tisunpack j#base.tiz
tisunpack j#stor.tiz
tisunpack j#lig2.tiz
tisunpack j#ligh.tiz
move J#*.tis override
cd ..

but you would want someone to check that #1 that is done correctly and #2 that it would work with the same setup as the audio stuff you already know how to do from the linux oand OS of BGQE; ~sh for mac, ~bash for linux.

I can pm you the _ardrou.d stuff already commented and tested; it is up around here somewhere, and is at my site 9though not directly linked, i think, except somewhere around in another thread).

[jastey]

I have no idea what  NO_IF_EVAL_BUG does.

Do you see where the readme gets called currently?

Points to the change log I forgot above, please discuss!

-add experience for helping the sirenes: as Kulyok pointed out, currently there is none. I would suggest making it 1000-1500 XP
-giving the pirates names. The fighting enforcement could be called "pirate"s, and for the main guy I can't remember whether he mentions a name in his intro-dialogue. His file is called J#Hall, so if there is no other name mentioned I would just call him Hall ?
-checking and fixing the sirene's turn red-blue bug reported above
-updating the readme (I assume I can open it with a text editor?)

optional:
-get rid of Brennan's random walk
-add check variable to the pirate's dialogue so he can't be asked about why the PC should be aware of sirenes multiple times.

EDIT2: I'd happily deal with OS X and Linux versions, but you know that this usually includes me running to you for help.

[jcompton]

I'm just going to sit here quietly until somebody sends me something to put up on the site which they promise me works.

Deal?

[jastey]

Cool! Deal.

Anyone having opinions to the suggested changes?
I think I'll include everything except the optional things.

[jastey]

Changelog so far:

-added reward of 1500 XP if PC helped the sirines
-removed the redundant bcs _sirine.baf
-correction in the tp2: patching _sirine.cre instead of _irine02.cre
-copying the missing sound references in setup-tra for German and Spanish version. Since it's original game sounds, a translation wouldn't be necessary.
-fixed the bug concerning the hostile / neutral allegiance of the sirenes
-added script so Sil and the others notice whether one of them gets attacked
-removed Brennan's random walk
-changed Ardrouine's dialogue code structure so it is compatible with BG1NPC Project
-Ardrouine now remains standing after her quest is finished like in original BG
-reduced the amount of arrows in the stack of pirate 5 to 20
-added in the tp2 the assignment of the names to the boy and the pirates (names were already present in the setup.tra)
-updated the tp2 with VERSION and README, removing the readme call at the end of the install process
-moved the installer.bat, uninstaller.bat the text files and the tisinstall.exe into a new folder "install"
-rewrote the installer.bat to reflect its changed location
-updated to WeiDU 207

Still to do:
-tolower everything
-update the readme
-create Mac OSX and Linux versions

[jcompton]

-create Mac OSX and Linux versions

Please don't bother with a Linux version, it's not something we're going to start doing as a regular thing (I consider a reasonable target audience to support "one with more constituents than I have phalanges") and only further complicates matters for future updates when the Armenian and Zulu translations start pouring in.