Packing v13

[jastey]

Assuming that no-one is actively supporting this mod currently, I am thinking about packing an update.

If I see it correctly, there are the following issues with v12:

-wrong language announcment in the readme (should be "Polish" instead of "Russian") http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,22315.msg324470.html#msg324470

-The Vial component - no reply option for Thalantyr (v12, BGT) http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,27405.0.html no bug.

-Something with Kagain's quest that should be looked at again http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,27255.0.html no bug.

-Scar's quest http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,27170.0.html

-A minor issue with Imoen's portrait http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,27251.0.html

- LoSC - Sil.cre patching http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,27436.new.html#new

Found a syntax error in v12 that prevented the component "Scar and the Sashenstar's Daughter" to actually be installed in BGT (will be fixed in the next version).

For BGT-version: Raissa's Skin from BGII has the same code as the "female body" introduced by BG1UB for the component "Scar and the Sashenstar's Daughter". This will be fixed by calling the item BGMISC79 accordingly.

- Place the placeholder file somehwere else not in the backup folder: http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,27588.msg326804.html#new

- http://forums.gibberlings3.net/index.php?showtopic=20113 Kagain NVLOR that could be from UB cmorgan sais it was BG1 NPC (and fixed)

-correct tp2 with crossover - prefix: done. http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,27418.msg328070.html#msg328070

- correct sound reference for bolt of lightning: done. http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,27418.msg328137.html#msg328137

-changed in tp2 to lower case letters. http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,27418.msg328140.html#msg328140

- corrected German translation of sound file Gorion14 to "Hier entlang, werter Herr, hier herüber!" http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,22315.msg327713.html#msg327713.

The BWP Fixpack only seems to do some BWP-relevant stuff, as it seems (taking out the FORBID_FILE ~override/NTSHILOC.CRE~ @90003 and FORBID_FILE ~data/NTotSC1.bif~ @90003 in the readme.)


Am I missing anything?

[jcompton]

Just let me know when it's time to post it...

[jastey]

Will do!

Found a syntax error in v12 that prevented the component "Scar and the Sashenstar's Daughter" to actually be installed in BGT (will be fixed in the next version).

jcompton, I am thinking about tweaking this component (Scar) a bit more:
-make the ring a unique item
-correct rewards and journal entries (if necessary) as pointed out by whathuh in this post.

On whos toes I would step if doing this?

[Miloch]

On whos toes I would step if doing this?

No one's?

[jastey]

That is my hope but you never know.

[devSin]

Roll with it, but I'd request you try not to break vanilla BG/TotSC compatibility (if it even still works).

Fixes are good, and you're free to alter the Scar component as you wish (IIRC, it was simply hooking up some existing fluff, so if you can think of a way to improve it, it's more than welcome).

I don't think any mods rely on our changes that I can recall, so you can do what you want.

I'll have to redo the Mac build someday and make sure it even works anymore, so please try not to do crazy Windows-specific stuff when coding your changes.

[jastey]

Vanilla BG/TotSC compatibility is my pride, so no worries.
All I wanted to do is changes in the dialogue and adding one custom non-magical ring, so there should be no Windows-specific thing.

Thank you!

[Salk]

jastey,

could you take a look at: http://www.shsforums.net/topic/45683-small-issues-in-my-playthrough-of-bgt/page__view__findpost__p__494860

[jastey]

I will, thank you very much, Salk!

[Salk]

It's my pleasure, jastey!

How is the packing of v13 proceeding?

[jastey]

It's ready, although I would be glad if somebody would play the extended Scar quest component (in addition to me), best in combination with the update of Lure of Sirine's Call which I have ready, too, and I am also waiting for WeiDU 224.

[jastey]

I am still looking for testers for this, best in combinaion with the new version of LoSC. Please Pm me your emailaddress, if your are interested in testing!
If you are interested in testing, let me know! You can download the current versions here: http://forums.pocketplane.net/index.php/topic,27482.msg326165.html#msg326165

[Graoumf]

Truv, a french player, found a possible bug in Nashkel:
Two outside merchants added by the mod don't turn to red when a pickpocket failed.

Only merchants in outside have this bug. Maybe all the outside merchants?

[jastey]

Thank you for the report! I'll have a look at this.

[Raist_BlackRobe]

Hi! A possible bug:

After I reform the party, if I throw away someone evil when my reputation is high, that person should leave forever. Apparently he does, and he goes away through the nearer door, but if I leave the area where I am and then come back, the NPC reappears at the door he chose to disappear and stays there forever.

This has happened me with Kagain in Beregost and with Xzar and Montaron in Nashkell, so I don't think it's a one-time bug.

I'm using vanilla BG with BG1UB_v13_101109.

Thank you for supporting this mod!

[jastey]

Thank you, Raist_BlackRobe for the report. I will have a look at this although I don't think that this is a prblem caused by UB. EDIT: No, as I said, the leaving dialogues are not changed by UB (except for Kagain for his caravan quest, but there also not in a way that would explain what you encountered). I have no explanation for this!

Graoumf: I see original game merchants that do not have the Enemy() in their scriptblocks upon a failed stealing attempt. I don't think it is a bug to leave it out. (If anyone has a different opinion please tell me).

[Reverendratbastard]

hey jastey, sent you email here... was wondering if you only need testers who are familiar with previous versions of BG1UB - i'm just about to play tutu-style for the first time - but i would be glad to help otherwise!  

[jastey]

I got your PM! I would be happy if you'd like to play with the new versions of BG1UB and LotSC.
Knowing BG1UB's content would be helpful, but for testing, actually all that matters to me is the additions to the Scar quest/dialogue and whether the sirene Sil is acting correctly if the two mods are installed together. Thus, install whatever you want to play and keep an eye open in the lighthouse area (Lure of the Sirine's Call) and what Scar has to say (BG1UB new content).
Thank you!

[Reverendratbastard]

  no, thank you!  after a long lapse on my part as a consumer, it's such a relief to see that so many of the most intelligent+thoughtful modders [i've ever encountered] still have time & energy to devote to this!   
  and making that a jumping-off point - is bons 'retired'?  how about neriana?

[Thorfinn]

This is really great! Its been several years since I had anything to do with BG, and was hoping to find that there were still a few mods still hosted somewhere, and am greatly pleased to see there's new releases! The wife, son and I reinstalled last night, and are thrilled to have the chance  to give it a go. I'll let you know how it goes.

Couple questions, if I may. Not the ideal place, I know, but I didn't find anywhere else to ask.

1. Is there a way to extract the original ARE in a TP2 install? Not just COPY_EXISTING, because I had the bad luck to pick a basement ARE which had been modded, so it ended up with the other mod taking place in two locations. The only alternative I could come up with was to include an ARE in the install, which isn't really necessary. With broadband and all it probably doesn't matter, I suppose, but still...

2. Several years ago, my son and I put together a mod with maybe a couple hours of added play, including some encounters significantly more butch, but the demand at that time seemed to have dried up with no mods for BG1 in ages. Is there any point in finding a place to host it?

[erik]

1. Is there a way to extract the original ARE in a TP2 install? Not just COPY_EXISTING, because I had the bad luck to pick a basement ARE which had been modded, so it ended up with the other mod taking place in two locations. The only alternative I could come up with was to include an ARE in the install, which isn't really necessary. With broadband and all it probably doesn't matter, I suppose, but still...

Hmm. Bundling weidu.exe and doing the sequence

Code:

AT_NOW ~weidu --biff-get ar1234.are~
MOVE ~ar1234.are~ ~override/smurf.are~

ought to do it, with some testing and tweaking. I think.

2. Several years ago, my son and I put together a mod with maybe a couple hours of added play, including some encounters significantly more butch, but the demand at that time seemed to have dried up with no mods for BG1 in ages. Is there any point in finding a place to host it?

Sure! Misc modules at spellhold studios would seem to be your best bet.

http://www.shsforums.net/forum/234-miscellaneous-released-mods/

[Kulyok]

1. Is there a way to extract the original ARE in a TP2 install? Not just COPY_EXISTING, because I had the bad luck to pick a basement ARE which had been modded, so it ended up with the other mod taking place in two locations. The only alternative I could come up with was to include an ARE in the install, which isn't really necessary. With broadband and all it probably doesn't matter, I suppose, but still...

I think people are usually do the following in your case: they take the original graphics from the game(those are .tis files), but they use their own small .are files(which are only a few kb long) and include the .are files in the mod. This way, no extra big files are necessary. When you open your .are file via DLTCEP, you just see that it uses game graphics(.tis). There are some tutorials around, if you want.

2. Several years ago, my son and I put together a mod with maybe a couple hours of added play, including some encounters significantly more butch, but the demand at that time seemed to have dried up with no mods for BG1 in ages. Is there any point in finding a place to host it?

It depends on the mod. You could try to get hosting here, if you want - after all, we've got this very BG1 UB, and Fields of the Dead is an excellent BG1 addition. (If you're talking about +5 swords and level 50 monsters, though, maybe shsforums.net would work better. But, really, you could apply for hosting anywhere). If you want to, send me your mod at kulyok,
at yandex.ru and I'll take a look at it and talk to jcompton - he's the admin, so if he likes it and everything's okay, we could host it here.

[Thorfinn]

We experienced a pretty weird problem -- in multi-player (IPX) we kept getting one or another computer crashing to desktop. Trouble is nothing was very replicable. Reboot all machines, reload from the last save and it would usually go on. Usually but not always. One that kept cropping up was shortly after disabling the first trap on the 3rd level of the mines (next to Joseph's ring). Didn't seem to matter what path was taken, or whether bardsong was going, or trap detect, but one of the machines would crash within about 45 seconds.

We uninstalled the module, started a new game, followed pretty much the same path, this time it did not crash.

We reinstalled UB, started a new game, this time the fairly repeatable crashes started about halfway through Nashkel Mines, Level 3, not the same place as before, so far as I can tell.

Single player it works fine. Multi seems to have problems.

Basic TotSC, with BGTotSC-Patch-n-FixPack.EXE,

// Log of Currently Installed WeiDU Mods
// The top of the file is the 'oldest' mod
// ~TP2_File~ #language_number #component_number // [Subcomponent Name -> ] Component Name
~VAULT/SETUP-VAULT.TP2~ #0 #0 // Vault Item Pack v5.01 (BG: TotSC)
~VAULT/SETUP-VAULT.TP2~ #0 #1 // Max HP on Level Up (BG: TotSC)
~BIGSTACK/BIGSTACK.TP2~ #0 #0 // Big Stacks 1.1
~EXTRAS/EXTRAS.TP2~ #0 #0 // Extra & Enhanced Encounters v 2.2


Bigstacks is what you'd expect -- gems, potions, missiles, etc, have higher stack limits.
Extras is my own, but I didn't see anything obvious that should have been a problem. I'm not doing anything in the mines (though IIRC Vault does.) Maybe I'll try UB with nothing  extra at all, I don't know.

[Thorfinn]

1. Is there a way to extract the original ARE in a TP2 install? Not just COPY_EXISTING, because I had the bad luck to pick a basement ARE which had been modded, so it ended up with the other mod taking place in two locations. The only alternative I could come up with was to include an ARE in the install, which isn't really necessary. With broadband and all it probably doesn't matter, I suppose, but still...

I think people are usually do the following in your case: they take the original graphics from the game(those are .tis files), but they use their own small .are files(which are only a few kb long) and include the .are files in the mod. This way, no extra big files are necessary. When you open your .are file via DLTCEP, you just see that it uses game graphics(.tis). There are some tutorials around, if you want.

Right. I've been just using the ARE without modifying the search or light, just using an area script to pop in whatever actor I wanted there, and doing a couple WRITEs to get exits and entries in the right spot. Instead of a few k, those can be done in the TP2 with a few score bytes. I do much the same with CREs -- an otherwise non-descript townsperson can be cloned and with a couple WRITE_ASCII and WRITE_BYTEs customized for color, script, etc. Unique items are just a copy of one of the many books, then a WRITE_ASCII to apply the custom BAM I send with the mod.

I guess that's a stylistic question -- is it generally preferred to include things like these as discrete files, or generate them on the fly?

[Wisp]

I guess that's a stylistic question -- is it generally preferred to include things like these as discrete files, or generate them on the fly?

Generate them on the fly all you want. There are oodles of advantages to it.