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TobEx Wish list


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#801 Ascension64

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Posted 18 May 2013 - 04:27 PM

I haven't much of an idea about how to implement plugin support, but given that code changes from multiple sources have a high potential of conflict, it seems quite dangerous to me.


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Throne of Bhaal Extender (TobEx)

Contributions: (NWN2) A Deathstalker (voice acting) - (IWD2) IWD2 NPC Project (soundset editing) - (Misc) SHS PC Soundsets (voice acting)
Legacy: (BG/Tutu/BGT) Beregost Crash Fixer 1.9 (18 Jul 10) - (BG2) Enable conversations with charmed/dominated creatures (18 Jul 10) - (BG2) Experience Corrections (18 Jul 10) - (Misc) Platform Conversion Utility RC2 (13 Feb 10)


#802 The Imp

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Posted 20 May 2013 - 09:49 PM

Is there way you could make a similar debug Extender to PST ?


Yep, Jarno Mikkola. my Mega Mod FAQ. Use of the BWS, and how to use it(scroll down that post a bit). 
OK, desert dweller, welcome to the sanity, you are free to search for the limit, it's out there, we drew it in the sand. Ouh, actually it was still snow then.. but anyways.


#803 Kyoma

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Posted 21 May 2013 - 02:08 AM

I haven't much of an idea about how to implement plugin support, but given that code changes from multiple sources have a high potential of conflict, it seems quite dangerous to me.

Well the potential conflict wouldn't be more than what any mod that alters the exe has even what TobEx has. The creator of such a plugin, would still need to have good knowledge of the inner workings of the engine and investigate possible conflicts with (other) exe-modifying mods (and ofcourse with TobEx). The user would still be the one that decides if he or she wants to use a plugin.

 

The biggest advantage is that modders, in this case me, can implement stuff on a TobEx-level (or engine-level) without resorting to direct byte-patching or having to integrate it into a personal version of TobEx of sorts (which would be a support nightmare).

 

As for the implementation, I would be willing to write the code and test it a bit. Then you/me/we can release an alpha version or something. The idea is ofcourse that no (additional) changes (to the engine) take place unless a plugin is loaded.

 

P.S. Things I'm currently investigating and would be implementing in a plugin:

- Shared Identification: Checks the entire party when determining if an identification spell/scroll/item is available. Avoids the need to shuffle items around each time you need your mage/bard/someone to identify an item.

- Multiple Launchers: As mentioned before would allow you to equip multiple launchers of the same type.

- A few other minor stuff.


Edited by Kyoma, 21 May 2013 - 02:18 AM.


#804 DavidWallace

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Posted 23 August 2013 - 12:02 AM

Okay, here's my current wishlist. Much is probably impractical, but if you don't ask, you don't get...

 

1. Externalise # spells known at start

 

Currently the number of spells per level at character creation is hardcoded and rather overgenerous for 1st level characters. It would nice (though hardly necessary) to externalise this, ideally on a per-level basis (so that # spells was drawn from a 2DA with one row per character level and one column per spell level) but failing that, once-and-for-all.

 

2. Externalise various projectile types

 

While BG2 already externalises (to the PRO file) a lot of projectile information that's hardcoded in the BG1 or IWD versions of the IE, there are several remaining hardcoded behaviour types that it would be great to make accessible.

 

2a. Externalise large projectiles

 

Certain projectiles work by playing multiple copies of the same smallish animation at various different places, and various different sequence states, within a defined area. (Example: ADHW). This is hardcoded (selected via the Explosion Projectile byte at 0x217) and so new effects can't be added.

 

2b. Externalise cone projectiles

 

Certain projectiles work by spraying multiple copies of an animation (with sequencing determined by orientation) in a cone of defined radius and angle. (Example: Cone of Cold). While the cone parameters are controlled by the PRO file, the range of available animations is hardcoded (and again accessed via 0x217).

 

2c. Externalise clouds

 

Certain projectiles use a continuing version of (2a) (with a hardcoded duration) and also apply the payload of the spell immediately upon anything entering the area of effect and thereafter on a once-per-round basis. Once again this is hardcoded, so that duration cannot be changed and additional animations cannot be added.

 

3. Specify spawn locations on a per-creature basis

 

Spawning in BG2 uses one coordinate for the whole spawn, so that the spawns all appear in one unsightly blob. It would be nice to specify coordinates and orientation for each creature in the spawn list. IESDP claims that there are 56 bytes unused at the end of the spawn block in ARE files, which would accommodate the (2+2+1)x10 = 50 bytes required to give coordinates and orientation to each of the ten spawned creatures in the spawn field. There is plenty of room for a bit to control whether per-creature coordinates are used or not.



#805 Ascension64

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Posted 24 August 2013 - 03:49 AM

Will pop them on the list to have a look at.

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Note: I do not respond to profile comments/personal messages in regards to troubleshooting my modifications. Please post on the public forums instead.

Baldur's Gate Trilogy-WeiDU and Mods
Throne of Bhaal Extender (TobEx)

Contributions: (NWN2) A Deathstalker (voice acting) - (IWD2) IWD2 NPC Project (soundset editing) - (Misc) SHS PC Soundsets (voice acting)
Legacy: (BG/Tutu/BGT) Beregost Crash Fixer 1.9 (18 Jul 10) - (BG2) Enable conversations with charmed/dominated creatures (18 Jul 10) - (BG2) Experience Corrections (18 Jul 10) - (Misc) Platform Conversion Utility RC2 (13 Feb 10)


#806 DavidWallace

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Posted 25 September 2013 - 03:19 PM

Following up on this: to some extent I can see now how to do some of (2) through VEF files and the "repetitions" field on PRO files. But I can't work out how to get a repeating pro file to play an animation without going mad, so I still can't manage clouds.

#807 K4thos

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Posted 26 September 2013 - 05:14 PM

Here is my wish list:

1. Externalize default portrait selection. As far as I know it is currently not possible to add additional portraits to character creation menu. Player must choose them from custom menu. It would be great if we could add new portrait entries into 2da files (male and female variant) so they show up like original ones.

 

2. Enhance "change portrait (107)" effect functionality - currently if you use this spell effect it will change the portrait to whatever you wish, but in order to change the portrait back you need to specify the name of that original portrait. Can it be changed so the spell effect picks up default M and S portrait written in CRE file when the spell does not have specified 'resource' name? That is how "Polymorph (135)" effect works - if you specify the resource it will change the appearance but if you later use the same spell effect but without resource the engine will change it back to default one. Hope you can see the benefits of this feature.

 

3. Disable hardcoded falling for paladins and rangers.



#808 DrAzTiK

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Posted 14 October 2013 - 02:38 AM

Hi Ascension,

 

Maybe some players have noticed the following fact : when the party is fighting, the fighting music stop and start again everytime you clic to the "return to game" icon  after looking your inventory  or checking  yours stats .

It is a little bit strange  and immersion breaking, andI don't know why it occurs only for fighting songs.

 

Any way to "fix" this ? :)

 

edit ; it has been fixed on BGEE

http://forum.baldurs...nventory-screen


Edited by DrAzTiK, 21 July 2014 - 07:03 AM.


#809 The Imp

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Posted 10 December 2013 - 08:04 AM

I probably have this off a bit, or totally, but anyways I make this post. :tease: Just to look like a fool.

As I am aware, the v2.5.26498 ToB BGMain.exe should only allows 2Gb's of ram to be useful... for multiple technical reasons. I don't get any of them, but I would assume the game being coded in the 1990's has a thing to do with it. As this came years after. That solution was found to lessen the lag apparently.

 

Can ToBEx add the "large address aware" -flag to the .exe, as it's supposed to allow 4Gb's of ram to be useful on today's x64 computers.


Yep, Jarno Mikkola. my Mega Mod FAQ. Use of the BWS, and how to use it(scroll down that post a bit). 
OK, desert dweller, welcome to the sanity, you are free to search for the limit, it's out there, we drew it in the sand. Ouh, actually it was still snow then.. but anyways.


#810 -Guest-

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Posted 24 February 2014 - 11:10 PM

1) More than 3 abilities per item

2) PickupItem respecting existing stacks

3) PickupItemTo (directly to a store file)

 



#811 Tash

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Posted 01 July 2014 - 10:45 AM

I still prefer your stand-alone work on TobEx than BGEE, Sir Ascension. But if there's a single feature of BGEE that I'd love to see in TobEx, it'd be externalized animation files: EXTANIM.2DA and EXTSPEED.2DA.

 

EXTANIM not necessarily, though, as it might be more work. But EXTSPEED (base animation movement speed) would solve most of the BGT monster movement issues. Thanks, 64-bit man!


Edited by Tash, 01 July 2014 - 06:28 PM.


#812 The Imp

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Posted 01 July 2014 - 01:18 PM

I ...
The thing is, you shouldn't be asking the BGEE stuff here, in the regular BG2 moding forum, but in the BGEE forums from beamdog...
:doh: I should have read what was said. Ahh...
Aw, shoot. I just got misunderstood by the forum Imp.
Don't worry about something so little things, the devil has it's voices to delight and it gets confused easily. :D
 
On unrelated matter, I would still like the game to be able to be played by 10 party members, nope you can never have enough.

Edited by The Imp, 02 July 2014 - 01:02 AM.

Yep, Jarno Mikkola. my Mega Mod FAQ. Use of the BWS, and how to use it(scroll down that post a bit). 
OK, desert dweller, welcome to the sanity, you are free to search for the limit, it's out there, we drew it in the sand. Ouh, actually it was still snow then.. but anyways.


#813 Tash

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Posted 01 July 2014 - 01:55 PM

Aw, shoot. I just got misunderstood by the forum Imp. What I meant was that BGEE already has this feature. And now I wish that Ascension64, who has the skills necessary, did something similar in regular TobEx for our original BG2/GoG versions of the game. Sorry if I confused some of you.


Edited by Tash, 01 July 2014 - 06:31 PM.


#814 Salk

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Posted 03 July 2014 - 06:06 AM

I think we can consider Ascension64 retired from the scene at this point.


There is always hope for a comeback but it becomes increasingly more unlikely.



#815 Tash

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Posted 03 July 2014 - 08:53 AM

I think we can consider Ascension64 retired from the scene at this point.

 

Real pity, but I can understand. Is there anyone else, other than A64, bigg, and Erephine, who studied the baldur.exe structure and could possibly take over?



#816 Mad Mate

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Posted 03 July 2014 - 01:29 PM

All of them vanished in last year or more. Casualties of "enchanted" editions.  :(



#817 subtledoctor

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Posted 14 May 2015 - 12:31 PM

All of them vanished in last year or more. Casualties of "enchanted" editions.  :(


Boooooooooo... :(

Is there no one out there who has the abilities to keep working on TobEx? My wishlist is relatively small:

1) Backport the EEs' STYLBONU.2da externalizations so that we can mod wespon styles;

2) Add a Script Action to toggle bits 3-8 of offset 10 of the .CRE extended header (the OriginalClass fields). In TobEx Ascension64 introduced a Script Trigger to read these values, but no corresponding Script Action to set them.

In particular, if there is anyone out there who could do the latter, I have an AMAZING mod idea, which I will make and dedicate to you.

#818 Miksip

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Posted 28 October 2017 - 02:23 PM

I wish to add this function to disable loop-throu-containers-for-quest-items.

Original idea found here http://www.shsforums...m/#entry545818.

Simply don't let it look at .sto files too, only in inventory.


P.S. Don't listen to The Imp - it is voice of the Devil.


#819 The Imp

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Posted 29 October 2017 - 12:17 AM

Man Miksip, you missed the ship, it's already there.

Yep, Jarno Mikkola. my Mega Mod FAQ. Use of the BWS, and how to use it(scroll down that post a bit). 
OK, desert dweller, welcome to the sanity, you are free to search for the limit, it's out there, we drew it in the sand. Ouh, actually it was still snow then.. but anyways.


#820 Miksip

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Posted 29 October 2017 - 10:28 AM

@The Imp

Would you be so kind to point out where it is?


P.S. Don't listen to The Imp - it is voice of the Devil.