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#615075 installation order

Posted by Insomniator on 01 May 2023 - 03:43 PM in 1PP

Hi Noxou

Where do i install 1PP? Toward the beginning? the end? The middle? What about the different components? I have found contradictory informations on other mod readmes. Right now, i am suffering with BG2 Improved GUI. It states (and i am grateful to the mod author for stating things):

 

Install before mods: (components: Innate/Ability/Spell Description Screen on Right Click)

  • Item Revisions
  • Spell Revisions
  • Item Upgrade
  • BG1 Textpatch Revised
  • BG2 Textpatch Revised
  • Cursed Items Revision
  • Any other mod with item/spell text updates

Install after mods:

  • TobEx
  • BG2 Fixpack
  • TobEx AfterLife
  • Widescreen mod
  • TutuGUI
  • BG2 GUI in 1280x720
  • 1pp
  • Infinity Animations
  • BGT

 

I honestly fail to see how i can install BG2 Improved GUI after 1PP but before Spell Revisions, unless i install 1PP first thing. But this contradicts other informations i have seen that put 1PP much later.


I recommend read Watson's BiG World Project Manual to see how such dependies was solved, in short, you can install same mod few times but different components, so install "Innate/Ability/Spell Description Screen" early, then 1pp and other stuff, and remain BG2 Improved GUI's component at last




#615035 Unique Casting Sounds for Player vs. Everyone Else

Posted by Insomniator on 21 April 2023 - 05:39 AM in IE Mod Ideas

Hi Sebastian

Is it possible to mod the Baldur's Gate games, or more precisely BGT, so that the player can, say, use BG1 casting sounds while everyone else uses BG2 ones? or vice versa?

Currently possible to use bg1 and bg2 casting sounds at same game, but without player<->NPC differences

http://www.shsforums...2-improved-gui/ -> Restore BG1 Casting Sounds




#615008 NearInfinity

Posted by Insomniator on 15 April 2023 - 03:07 PM in IE Modding Tools

Hi ALIEN

Stil, the question remains: Would it be possible to add/select game via commandline?

 

I want to do universal .bat that it will be placed inside game directory and when launched, it would add current game if it wasn't added or select it (matching can be done by current path) if it already was added.

NI already select current directory as game base, just run java process from game directory




#614996 NearInfinity

Posted by Insomniator on 13 April 2023 - 11:47 AM in IE Modding Tools

Bug with mass BCS export with localized comments
1) Russian BGT with forced charset=1251 (forced because autodetect mode fails with proper detection of this charset and select one of european/latin charset, BG2 is windows non-utf program, official MS charset for non-utf russian language for windows programs is 1251, for DOS-session is 866)
2) Script compiler-> Autogenerate BCS comments = ON
3) Display window and manual export of script source - OK, no issue, comments are 1251
4) Tools->Mass export->BCS->decompile scripts - Bug, all comments are ???????

Attached Files




#614969 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 10 April 2023 - 01:22 AM in ToBEx

I've looked at your mod, other things also will not work:

 

@1254   = ~Takes <AMOUNT> <TYPE> damage from <DAMAGER> (<RESISTED> damage resisted)~
@1255   = ~Takes <AMOUNT> <TYPE> damage from <DAMAGER> (<RESISTED> damage bonus)~


 




#614968 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 10 April 2023 - 01:06 AM in ToBEx

Hi Salk

Maybe the <TYPE> token does not exist in classic Baldur's Gate 2?


It doesn't, only <DAMAGER>/<AMOUNT>/<DAMAGEE> supported

Improved GUI has option to show type of damage, but it hardcoded and just extend "<AMOUNT>" to "<AMOUNT> ZZZ"

ZZZ:

@9509 = ~fire~
@9510 = ~piercing~
@9511 = ~slashing~
@9512 = ~crushing~
@9513 = ~missile~
@9514 = ~electricity~
@9515 = ~cold~
@9516 = ~magic~
@9517 = ~acid~
@9518 = ~poison~
@9519 = ~magical fire~
@9520 = ~magical cold~
@9521 = ~nonlethal~



#614963 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 09 April 2023 - 02:10 PM in ToBEx

Hi Salk

But in the testing session above I had not installed the BG2 Improved GUI yet... I am trying to understand how a game text update modification could cause this issue. Let's see what Insomniator says about it. 

"Takes XX XX damage from YYYYY"

I cannot find "Takes <" or "> damage from <" strings in my dialog.tlk (BG2fixpack + BGT + Improved GUI +TobEx Afterlife)

May be do you have some mod with custom string and double <AMOUNT> field ?

 

original is @3805  = ~<DAMAGER> did <AMOUNT> damage to <DAMAGEE>~




#614921 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 03 April 2023 - 04:16 AM in ToBEx

BioWare BG2 manual:

Upon casting a time stop spell, the wizard causes the flow of time to stop for one round in the area of effect. Inside the sphere, the caster is free to act for six rounds of apparent time. The wizard can move and act freely within the area where time is stopped, but all other creatures are frozen in their actions, for they are literally between ticks of the time clock.

 

1) There are no hints how to interpret the behavior of the time based effects when timestop activated

2) If it is supposed to be literally to official manual, If "flow of time is stopped" in area, there must be no any ticks for already runned effects like damage in this area (engine assume timestop as ON/OFF trigger to all areas)

3) Does NPC's Script/Contingency must be still activated if we influence creature while time stopped?

 

p.s. Changing time-stop breaks the existing game mechanics, so it can be only as optional tweak option.




#614911 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 01 April 2023 - 10:27 AM in ToBEx

Hi WanderingScholar

It might be beyond the scope of TobEx, but I always thought it be nice if we could get a time stop spell that actually stops time. It's really a mass paralysis that still allows frequency based effects to persist and "tick" throughout it's duration. I've no idea what it would take to correct this behavior or if it's even possible.

Can you give examples of these things ?




#614837 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 18 March 2023 - 01:30 PM in ToBEx

Hi Salk

From what I understand, you are telling me that we would need to remove the Maximum HP Bonus effect from spells if we use the new flags? And that this would only be possible for the original spells and not the one added by mods? 

Yes, if damage effect itself will transfer HP to caster, need to remove/block Maximum HP Bonus effect.

Problem is spell tracking, damage is spwi314a.spl, HP bonus is spwi314b.spl. I never discovered how "parent-child" spell synchronized, In worst case i can only block HP effect if spellname is spwi314b.spl. It's ok for vanilla installation, but MODs can copy spwi314b.spl to different name, patch it to custom/etc, so blocking by spellname is not 100% guarantee

 

And there are other compatibility problems as well regarding the offset for the flags?

Another probably compatibility problem is Identifier&Prefix fields in damage effect, they must be zero(i dont know how they works). Who can guarantee zero values in custom spells ? Solution is check in weidu installer all installed spells and zeroing fields if necessary, but it require installing tobex after other mods, i dont like this behaviour.
 




#614822 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 15 March 2023 - 10:30 AM in ToBEx

Only recently I learned that the classic BG draining spells do not really work at all the way they are supposed to be. EE uses a series of flags for damage opcode 12 to make spells like Larloch's Minor Drain and Vampiric Touch work properly.


Hi Salk!

 

1) How Maximum HP bonus (18) effect wlll be removed from spwi314b.spl and all other spell files before or after TobEx Afterlife installation? I afraid i cannot track all spell-childs and block this effect if damage effect with new flag detected at other spell, anyway it is possible to block HP effect by spell filename, will works only with original known BG2/bg2fixpack spell filenames (Larloch's Minor Drain, Vampiric Touch,..)

2) EE has Flags field after "Save Bonus", classic bg2 has at same offset Identifier&Prefix fields, what if some existed/modded bg2 *.SPL have garbage at these offsets at Damage effect?




#614728 NearInfinity

Posted by Insomniator on 19 February 2023 - 03:50 PM in IE Modding Tools

Visual Bug (java 11 x64, 1024x768 Desktop):

1) Open any BALDUR.GAM

2) By default "View" tab is opened

3) Switch to "Raw" tab

4) Scroll slider down to end

5) Few last lines not displayed

6) If "Raw" selected, then opened BALDUR.BMP or other file in save folder, then switch back to BALDUR.GAM, then slider down - no visual bug, last lines is displayed normally




#614727 NearInfinity

Posted by Insomniator on 19 February 2023 - 03:39 PM in IE Modding Tools

Hi subtledoctor

Now my savegame will not open in any instance of NI.

Is the file size an issue, or could it be down to something else? (E.g. number of effects on the characters, or something like that.)


Savegame or some resource file can be corrupted, NI may hang on it, some time ago i have similar case, there was error in pocketplane/familiar stuff inside *.GAM, just as example.




#614720 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 15 February 2023 - 02:58 AM in ToBEx

Hi MikeX

is it possible for you to decipher this message (and similar ones, that I get from time to time):

 

ASSERTION FAILED! Return Address: 0x9892C8 File: ChDataTypes.cpp Line: 1591 Expression: !(x >= pBitmapInfoHeader->biWidth || x < 0 || y > pBitmapInfoHeader->biHeight || y < 0) Message: (null)


This is assertion check in original engine, CResBitmap::GetPixelColor(), i think problem with some .BMP or .BAM, unfortunately filename not saved in structure, there is no simple way to fix it




#614715 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 12 February 2023 - 04:28 PM in ToBEx

Hi MikeX

That's what I did so far:

-Installed TobEx, TobExCore.ini has line 'Saving Throw Fix=1'

-Commented out the section that deals with improved invisibility an its saves inside setup-bg2fixpack.tp2

-Installed bg2fixpack

 

After installing TobEx AL should I change this line 'Effect Opcodes:Saving Throw Improved Invisible Bonus=0' inside TobExTweak.ini to '...=1', to get proper saves dealing with improved invisibility?

Yes, you did right:

Saving Throw Fix=1 - global switch from original to TobEx Saving Throw calculation

Commented out the section that deals with improved invisibility an its saves inside setup-bg2fixpack.tp2 - spells(include subspells) with Improved Invisibility effects must don't have Save vs XXX bonus effect

Effect Opcodes:Saving Throw Improved Invisible Bonus=1 - enable TobEx Saving Throw +4 bonus on condition if enemy doesn't have innate ability to see invisible forms




#614673 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 06 February 2023 - 10:28 AM in ToBEx

Pardon for interrupting your discussions, but just for clarifications: does a BG2 mod NPC which would use the first 4 rare select responses (so Mix mode) need to add itself to BGSNDSET.2DA now?

Yes, if BG2 .CRE was reconfigured to have additional 4 rare selection sounds at offsets 0x1d0-0x1dc, it is enough to add new line at BGSNDSET.2DA with type Mix
 

- and finally, when presented with such a mod, you dismissed it as "non-playable".

Presented mod has wrong documentation, if do what it tells, player gets broken custom music if installed any mods with music
 

Duh, if it was playable, it wouldn't need the feature.
 
Seriously, if you don't want add a feature for some reason, you can just state the reason. For example, you can say "it's a bad feature because of this and that, and will not be added". Or "I would accept a pull request, but I don't want to spend my time on this". It's cool. I do that all the time.

I already wrote about reason, there is no new mods with 44kHz acms, existed 1pp mod has own 44khz implementation. As i see this broken mod prepared for proof-of-concept only, nice, but useless for players, give me reason to add features for broken mods.




#614668 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 06 February 2023 - 02:08 AM in ToBEx

Anyway, here's a packaged mod. Now is it real?


Same name as existed public mod, same version, same author, different content.

Non-playable hack, is there better try ?




#614667 BG2 Improved GUI

Posted by Insomniator on 06 February 2023 - 01:46 AM in BG2 Improved GUI

Forgot #4: each time after kicking anyone from party dialog window switches to the smallest size for no reason. Probably shouldn't do that.

Accept #4

 

(Edit: the same happens when using new speel overlay. Not sure, maybe due to screen space issues on 640x480? My resolution is higher though.)

Yes, because 640x480, i will check what can be improved for high resolutions #5

 

Right side not scrolling.

(Also maybe can make both right and left side bags wider? I mean more columns. Although, probably not so much space at 640x480, would need to check.)

Accept #6

 

Custom portrait selection, lower scroll not working.

(I also wonder if it can be made longer, there's a lot of wasted space)

Accept #7




#614657 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 02 February 2023 - 12:30 PM in ToBEx

OK, but

1) It can't be usable until there's engine support for correct acm headers.

Existed 1pp HQ music mod already add 44Khz acm support (by bad way), if engine gets dynamic 22/44 acm support, it lost compatibility with this mod. Currently no other 44khz music mods(?), so compatibilty with existed mod is high priority.

 

2) 1pp music package does not install content. It has to be copied manually, and there's no uninstaller for that. Do you consider it not a real mod, then?

For me, it is not real mod, we don't live in 1999, we have weidu "standarts", players used to have install/uninstall option, mix MODs combination etc.




#614655 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 02 February 2023 - 07:43 AM in ToBEx

No, I don't understand, that's why I'm asking. What is a "real MOD"?

Usable content with description and installer/uninstaller
 

And specifically, what is lacking from the package I linked?
  1. package name
  2. description
  3. installer/uninstaller



#614653 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 02 February 2023 - 03:34 AM in ToBEx

where is released and properly hosted MOD with such files ?

Not sure what do you mean by that. Is there a Certification Bureau for mods and hosting?


I deny most request tor new features not used or planed to use in real MODs, i hope you understand, this is TobEx fan fork, not original TobEx




#614649 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 01 February 2023 - 03:51 PM in ToBEx

Currently not, i did't change playing ACM because there's is no MODs with proper 44khz acm for BG2. If someone will release proper 44khz music pack for bg2 i will finish component to play mixed 22/44 ACM


Here you go.


where is released and properly hosted MOD with such files ?




#614645 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 01 February 2023 - 10:18 AM in ToBEx

Never seen proper 44Khz acm

Here.

So if acm has proper 44kHz header, will it be played correctly?

Currently not, i did't change playing ACM because there's is no MODs with proper 44khz acm for BG2. If someone will release proper 44khz music pack for bg2 i will finish component to play mixed 22/44 ACM

 

If not, then what does it the new component actually do?

i guess if we have 44khz wav (NWN casting sounds are 44khz), we must have 44khz mixer(primary directsound buffer) instead 22khz, i don't sure at 100%, maybe primary buffer frequency now is fake on vista+, i plan to check what windows really does on hardware outputs with mixed buffer formats
 




#614640 BG2 Improved GUI

Posted by Insomniator on 01 February 2023 - 08:44 AM in BG2 Improved GUI

New suggestions:

 

1. I second the request for innates in quick slot.

OK, but if new "overlay" spell selection is enabled and innates count is too much, this can be useless on small screens like 640x480, not big issue anyway #1

 

2. Do not clear quick spells on equipping armor (mage multiclass, set quick spells, eqiup armor, remove it - all quick slots are clear).

One tricky thing here is that cleric/mage multi can have quick divine spells, so can't just disable quickslots, have to disable actual spells in slots, like in main spell menu.

OK, i will check for this bug #2

 

3. Do not lose modal actions on switching weapons. (E.g Hide in shadows, switch to another quick weapon - lost hidden state).

Changing weapon is serious action, char ever swith to READY state, but OK, i accept request for hided chars #3




#614639 TobEx AfterLife

Posted by Insomniator on 01 February 2023 - 08:25 AM in ToBEx

  • Added: 44Khz Sound Mixer Frequency
So now it can play 44kHz acms properly?

Never seen proper 44Khz acm, acms from 1pp HQ Music Packs is "broken", they have 22kHz header and 44kHz body, to play such acms still need their special patch and resample any existed acm to 44kHz