10 replies to this topic

[Sir BillyBob]

So for version 0.50, I am seriously looking at supporting the BG2Fixpack mod. There are lots of duplications between their corrections and mine (mine being my changes, Horred's for BP, TeamBG's for TDD, and other changes to the original game).

One problem with the fixpack is that it is designed to support players going to level 40. This was the original intent of the game but the engine does allow you to level up to 50. It just doesn't have any skills, HLAs, THACO, or other changes to the skill levels past 40. Therefore, when you install CA, I copy over all the updated 2DA files needed to support level 50. So installing the Fixpack first will cause their changes to get lost when I overwrite the files. Installing the fixpack after CA would be so ugly, I can't imagine how to explain what would happen.

What I am playing with right now is the ability to let you install the Fixpack then I replace their files with merged versions containing their updates but also supporting level 50. What I haven't decided on yet is to either merge in the Fixpack into the CA installer (thereby removing parts we don't use - Aerie bug fixes and such that don't apply to CA), or let you download and install it first then just replace their updates with ours. This option is actually harder than the first option. I would have to track all revisions to the fixpack to make sure I stay current. If I merge it in, I control when their updates apply to CA and therefore, can let other beta test before we do. We give you plenty of bugs already without adding in something from another mod.

I haven't contacted Andy and the gang over at G3 about this yet but I just wanted to see how important these corrections are to everyone here. Give me your thoughts please.

[Jarno Mikkola]

Well, considering that the Classic Adventures is a Total Conversion mod, I would think that few of the fixes aren't needed, but as a source of pure code the CA could learn few trick from the Fixpack, like the key fix so that the locks take them.

And while you are at it, you could ask for the BG2Tweakpack component codes... as then you could make your own revamp of the armored thieves and mages...
Or if you have the time you could also take a look at what Mike1072 and Demivrgvs have tweaked the original BG2 weapons in the Item Revision(readme)...as there is a few neat ideas in there and in the credits it's says that:

Mike: I give full permission to borrow and modify any code I've written for this mod, provided you give credit in a comment.

Now on the issue of contacting the G3 staff on the Fixpack related stuff, erhm, I haven't seen Andy there for like years, really... well, last active date was 24th May 2008 ... and I believe that even the Fixpacks coding updating has 'fallen' on the shoulders of DavidW... so you better contact DavidW, CamDawg or cmorgan...

[razlyubleno]

I would have to track all revisions to the fixpack to make sure I stay current.

The Fixpack's codebase is pretty much static at this point. Very little actually changes from version to version.

... not much to keep up with, in other words.

razly

[agnar]

without going and looking over all the inclusions in the fixpack i can just say i would trust your judgement on what's needed/helpful to make CA run more smoothly. And i would definitely say do what is easiest on you. You folks have enough work to do making CA without adding excess work/effort of having to track and update stuff from the fixpack and so on.

Also i think it's easier on the users, knowing we can get the fixes but only worry about installing one mod. Thats one thing i like about CA, i get the "whole new world" feel, all new npc's and so on, without having to install a couple dozen different mods and worrying about compatibilities, install order and so on.

So whichever way is the easiest on you and anyone else working on CA seems like the best option to me.

[Sir BillyBob]

The advantage to including components of the fixpack is that they don't take up any real disk space. I would say that 90% or more are corrections to files already in the game. There is a very small folder of actual new files.

I spent more time yesterday going through the fixpack. While there are definitely parts that are meaning less to CA, there are lots of minor corrections to areas (moving candle/torch flames to more exact locations, correcting container icons, correcting keys to locks, etc), corrections to items, corrections to spells (this part is amazing at the level of detail they have gone through to fix Bioware mistakes), and lots of corrections to creatures (missing items, missing spells, wrong action scripts, etc). Many of these corrections can apply to CA because most of our creatures and areas are duplicates from the original. So by fixing the originals, it fixes ours.

Also there are lots of minor tweaks that I was looking at anyways. It was mentioned here that monks can't use Wand of the Heavens. There is a minor install package that lets monks use cleric items. Something that I was looking at doing in CA. It would be an optional component since not everyone feels the need to change this and it isn't really a "bug".

As I mentioned above, there are whole chunks of the fixpack that don't apply (romance fixes, dialog string typo corrections, SoA characters that you won't see here, etc). So it may be better to strip these components out of the fixpack to reduce install time.

I am attempting to test two builds right now. I have a CA game installed on top of BG2fixpack and I have a 0.50 version with some fixpack code inserted into the TP2 file. For support reasons, I am seriously thinking of just keeping the second option so that way anyone posting a problem here would be on the same standardized baseline. The reduces the "did you install the fixpack prior to installing CA?" type of questions.

[Alioth]

Including the Fixpack would be a great improvement. Last time i played, i had it installed anyway and so far (not very far) i haven't seen any glitchies or something.

I would petition to use Item Revisions where it is possible, too.

[Sir BillyBob]

I've never looked at the item revision mod. I'll see if there is anything that causes a crash or other major issue. I suspect you can use it just fine in CA.

[PDF]

Well, to make things sure, can I install BG2 Fixpack on top of CA ? Lvl 40-50 stuff don't make any difference, I don't think CA chars can go higher than 10th level, right ?

[Jarno Mikkola]

Well, to make things sure, can I install BG2 Fixpack on top of CA ?

The Fixpack would need to be installed first, as it's fixpack for BG2, not for CA...

Lvl 40-50 stuff don't make any difference, I don't think CA chars can go higher than 10th level, right ?

That's for now, but the adventure is a long one, and there's things to come, like the dragons series... the biggest Xp colection I got was about 300 000 xp... and I ended up with 6 member party that all had more than me, so there was still quite much xp lying around, and I think I didn't respawn many enemies with resting or the like, as I rested very little...

Edited by Jarno Mikkola, 22 April 2009 - 03:44 AM.

[PDF]

Thanks. Too bad I already installed CA, and reinstall is pretty long .. (I installed everything BG on a external HD, lots of space but speed suxx !).

[Sir BillyBob]

Right now you really can't use BG2Fixpack and CA, even if you install in the correct order. Besides major updates to the 2DA files used for classes, kits, and the like, most of the rest of the mod is designed for fixing SoA areas, creatures, dialogs, and scripts. Since we use mostly our own files, these changes will never been seen by you. What I am currently doing is tracking their changes to see which ones I should apply to our creatures, areas, etc.

As for XP levels, you will definitely hit the level 50 cap at some point in the future. No that doesn't apply today but with at least 10 - 20 more mods to add over the years, you will max out at some point.

As for status, I currently have a 0.50 build which includes all the Fixpack updates we need and it seems to install just fine. There will be some major changes to 0.50 including a totally revised Westgate, a new city in Cormyr, sewers under Selgaunt, and the inclusion of a few more NPCs. Lots to play with once we get it all done.