Detectable Spells

[Wounded_Lion]

To enhance a mod that I am ever so slowly working on, I am learning to script.  Thus, I have an interest in Detectable Spells.  But, I have questions.

The Detectable Spells link the PPG modlist allows download of version 1.2.4.  However, in the readme of the Quest Pack, Sim references version 1.9...  Where can version 1.9, which I assume is superior and more up-to-date, be downloaded?

Also, was Detectable Spells written to accomdate the Baldurdash spell and ability fixes, or does it overwrite them (which would be a problem)?

Thanks for any info you can provide. 

a Wounded Lion

[Wounded_Lion]

Also, is an updated version of Scriptable Spells available, or is the modlist link current?  Does Scriptable Spells accomdate or overwrite the Baldurdash changes?  Thanks again for any info.

a W.L.

[CamDawg]

Short answer: v1.9 was a beta version of DS coded for the upcoming BG2 Fixpack. It was available publicly for about a month before being pulled (more below).

Long answer: v1.2.4 was the last of the 'old school' releases that overwrote the files. The spells were based off the Baldurdashed ones, AFAIK, but they did overwrite spell files which made them suboptimal for modern use.

Flash forward a bit. The BG2 Fixpack is commenced, and we decide to incorporate several under-the-hood changes for modders as a separate component in order to fight the fragmentation of common tools such as DS. In keeping with the Fixpack approach of overwriting nothing, DS recoding (completely patching instead of overwriting) is completed in March, based off v1.2.4 from cirerrek's site. The Fixpack is still not publicly available, but this DS is used by a few of the modders on the Fixpack team for various mods (Kish's Oversight, Sim's QP). This is released publicly in September as a standalone package, dubbed DS beta 1.8, and goes through a few point releases to v1.91.

In the meantime, King Diamond has been working on the same issue, using the slightly more evolved version of DS used for the Big Picture family of mods. It's released standalone as BP-Detectable Stats v1.1. The Fixpack version is withdrawn over larger community concerns over Yet Another DS Fragmentation.

Between the two, momentum builds for expanding detection beyond spells to items and other goodies. A newer version, temporarily dubbed "Detectable Affects" [sic], is under development at G3 in our development wiki, combining the strengths of the two modern versions and expanding the capabilities of detection. The version under development, once completed, will be the one included in the Fixpack.

[Wounded_Lion]

Thank you, Cam.  When is the fixpack (and thus the Detectable Affects component) slated for release?  Is DSv1.9 stable?  Can I grab it from the QP folder and use it without problem?  Also, what is a "development wiki"?  I have a forum account at G3, but it does not allow access to the wiki section.  Thanks again.

a W.L.

[Loriel]

Not to be a nitpick, but shouldn't it be called Detectable Effects?  I believe affects is a verb and effects (in this instance) is a noun.  Ok, I'm done nitpicking - bring on the Detectable Stuff!

[Ghreyfain]

I think King Diamond is ESL, so affects/effects is an understandable mistake.  But yeah, you're right, it should be effects.

[Andyr]

Not to be a nitpick, but shouldn't it be called Detectable Effects?  I believe affects is a verb and effects (in this instance) is a noun.

Yes, hence the [sic] in Cam's posts.

[Loriel]

Ah...oops.  How did I miss that?

[CamDawg]

KD used Stats; it's the bigg (go blame him ) that used 'Affects' in the wiki. We haven't changed it yet since it's undecided whether it'll be dubbed Detectable [States|Stats|Spells|Effects|That Stuff].

A wiki is a tool where everyone can add and edit pages as needed. We're using it for development purposes--for example, the Fixpack (sans the Game Text Update) and Detectable Affects are on the wiki, and it's where everyone can add new or edit existing code. It does require registration at the forums.

For the Fixpack, it's hard to give any sort of ETA. We constantly discover new bugs as we check files and verify fixes.

[Loriel]

Here's one vote for Detectable Stuff!  I think it is descriptive and pretty much encompasses anything that can be detectable.  Or you could go with Detect Da Stuff.

[Ghreyfain]

Not "The Detectinator v*"?

[the bigg]

KD used Stats; it's the bigg (go blame him ) that used 'Affects' in the wiki. We haven't changed it yet since it's undecided whether it'll be dubbed Detectable [States|Stats|Spells|Effects|That Stuff].

It comes from ShadowKeeper, where there's a section called Affects [rather than 'E'ffects] 
I didn't call if 'E'ffects, since the code can also detect EFF files (together with standard-form SPL and ITM files, plus a section for cloud-like effects [creating a creature] is going to be coded it, once I decide the form of the coding  )

[NiGHTMARE]

Detect-o-magic.

[Wounded_Lion]

Just out of curiousity:  Why isn't G3 releasing the fixpack in successive versions?  Why not put what's already been coded into Version 1, and release updated versions as new bugs are found and fixed?

a W.L.

[the bigg]

Just out of curiousity:  Why isn't G3 releasing the fixpack in successive versions?  Why not put what's already been coded into Version 1, and release updated versions as new bugs are found and fixed?

a W.L.

The same reason why Gmail isn't available to the public, yet.

[Wounded_Lion]

Gee, that helps.       What is Gmail and why isn't it available to the public?

a W.L.

[SimDing0™]

Just out of curiousity:  Why isn't G3 releasing the fixpack in successive versions?  Why not put what's already been coded into Version 1, and release updated versions as new bugs are found and fixed?

I'd be all for releasing a public version as soon as possible, but it is true that a buggy fixpack is something enormously embarassing. And other people seem to be concerned about thorough documentation and all that sort of rubbish.

[the bigg]

Gee, that helps. What is Gmail and why isn't it available to the public?

http://gmail.google.com/. It isn't available to the pubblic because those who have it look cooler / is too buggy / it's phony and when you finally login they tell you 'you fell for the joke OMG LOL'.

(this has no relation whatsoever with why a mod listed in my sig isn't available yet)