Heya There Mk, heres Darthtuvok, I gonna report in some “buggs” i encountered; I will also try to make a promotional video and catch some buggs on tape. 😉

Also if youre still interested in the german stuff, hit me up ^^

Current encountered buggs:
-Boarding doesnt work on some occasions, seems like some matches you can board and on other matches the boarding script doesnt function for the player, you can still be boarded though. At mid speed of the game it gets a little bit annoying, but once you have a tier 4 ship you just bomb em to death if the match is “unboardable”, and it doesnt have anything to do with using a ship that one cant handle. I tried it with 6-3rd rates and it seems quite random and i dont know what triggers it.
But on hindsight of the awesomeness of the mod this is just a little bitter drop one swallows.
Haha, i said “swallow”. xD

Cheers and i gonna hit yu up on the media stuff soon. 😀

Gimme a sec im upploading the pics 😀

This ship was modified from the pirate port, so thats why the crazy stats^^ At that date is i I think Dec 12th 1665

About the bug, I noticed it once i switched to a 20 gun frigate, apparently the enemy was mostly boarding me and I thought in the beginnings that the boarding didnt work because my skillset was too low.

But at some point when youre standing 20 meters away from the enemy ship, perfectly aligned, everyones ready to baord, but youre not able to do it, you scratch your head a bit^^

I noticed that boarding probability is higher when your sails are not hoisted, also, theres some ships, that for some reason cannot be boarded at all.
There was 2 hours ago a battle, where 2 frigates from a dutch military convoy were chasing after me so, i started to fight them and one couldnt be boarded, while the one i have now, it was the one i couldnt board, charged at me and i took it, a pretty fine ship she is now 😉

*Offtopic: Seems like edit post, seems to work now. Sorry for clogging up the bugfix thread^^

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Devoidbrah.
• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Devoidbrah.

ok since everything works now, heres the update:
marchant lugger and ketch of the english, caused a ctd after the transition when you finished boarding the ship and after allocating whether to sink it or take it, no matter what option you choose, it will ctd.
The only option i found that worked was to not board these ships and just destroy em. Im in year 1667 now and boardings are as rare as someone coming to you to ask you for help when youre a shark reputation XD

But somehow this makes the money income pretty stagnant so you really dont end up with trillions of coins.
On other terms, the treasure rewards are way over the top, if you ask me. You will literally spent hours dragging the loot from the cave to the ship, my ship is full of gold and silver and all that stuff. But if you take the gold you trade at the trader and the gold you trade on the streets, it really isnt realistic, and the prices should be lowered, since one just has to run one treasure hunt now and he can feed his man o war for a year and a half. Or am I missing something?

Also i saw now an increase in ctds lately, I dunno whats the reason for it but Im starting to get corrupt saves and ctds when saving, ctds when switching from sea to mapview (though this only happened 2 times overall), but its more of a feeling that ctds are increasing, in the beginning its almost ctd free in comparison.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 10 months ago by Devoidbrah.

Sadly i dont have the save anymore, darn me for overwriting them all the time. But the next time it happens i gonna upload it to you, and test it myself the 10x times you wanted, instead of just 5 times 😉

Its still the same character as above, and he uses the same ship.
Now i think im lvl 25 or so, I bought my character a clean slate and switched from the english to the dutch, and started working for the governor general.

I will most likely to have to switch to a stronger ship, but then the upkeep cost will be so high that i need first to aquire huge sums of money first and foremost. my frigate already feed each month for 50k and i tried it with a crew of 700 men and had to pay 100k, maybe i find a good speedy ship in the next lvls, but i doubt it will reach the speed my dutch frigate has atm, which is 20 max speed.

I got my first crash after quite a few hours of gameplay. Someone in the tavern in Willemstad told me about the “Jesus Maria” hauling Mahogany from Willemstad to Port Marigot.
It’s one spanish merchant and the game crashes every time I’m trying to attack it (tried it 6 times). It doesn’t crash when I’m attacking another fleet in the area, I have realistic encounters enabled and my fleet consists of 4 ships.

MK, I’m having the same kind of problem as Kuroi. My crashes happen when I come off the strategic map during named-pirate ship-battle quests. Have used two different characters, Phips and England, and the same problem happens. Quests with shore-battles work fine. I’m using latest download. When I was using the older version I didn’t have this problem.

The crashes happened with England against the French at Cayman and with
Phips against the Spanish at Fort de France and Charlestown.

Those are the only ones I’ve tried since I downloaded the new version.
Getting Pirate England to a point where I could get these quests took me
about 7 hours. I will blow his quest and see if any others pop up.

I am a real fan of COAS and the work you guys have done with GoF and Era’s.

Thanks for the quick response.

Ok since Im kinda addicted to the game nonetheless, I took one of the stock dutch characters and started a shipless playthrough. My aim is to only start using a ship once my personal skillz are pretty good. So basicly i gonna fight in the 3 months in tavern kill, amass as much gold as possible and get rich without sailing for some time. 😉

Sounds like a pretty simple fix. Glad I could help.

What’s the file name? Can I do this myself? I did follow the instructions to recode the Dutch National Quest. Remember the problem with the different kinds of Battleships?

Sorry, you made it sound simple enough that any dummy (me) could do it if pointed in the right direction.
As far as the Battleship/Manowar quest goes, I was talking about a problem that existed in GoF 1. As far as I know the Dutch Quest line works fine in ERAS.

http://i.want.tf/to/that/OtAxiG7.jpg I got this message a view times in seabattles. I’m not sure what it means and if it’s important in any way since I didn’t notice any other problems so I’ll just post it here.

I have played this mod before. And it`s much better, but still get fail in the logbook about sinking Bluebird. Even if I sunk it. Really want to play Eras

Belzeburg
Don`t want to post dobbel, but not sure if I wrote on the right Place the first time

OK, so maybe I’m an idiot but for some reason the game wont run. I was playing GOF 1.2 so I cut all the files and pasted them to a temp folder then unzipped the Eras mod and put them in my AOP 2 folder and then ran the configuration program to my desired settings and then ran the start program. I get a runtime error??? Please help

The English 96 gun first rater has men climbing up in thin air instead of on the shrouds. Looks like the walk file is messed up, I could fix that if you want?

I dont know if i post this in right place.

-When I leave the colony Le francoise with a squadron with 5 or more ships(when I arrived no problem) the ship listed 5(i suppose 6,7,8 in squadron will have the same problem) automatically appers in the other side of island,in middle of martinique french fort.
I know this because when i tried to leave to the worldmap a message appears about that ship is fighting and if you leave the ship left your squadron.
I dont see where is the ship but I know the ship appears near the fort french because the ship is quickly sink.So cant enter in Le francois with 5 ships or more because they’ll never leave the colony.
-English 64 gunner has ilimited cannons,every time i click “remove all or fix all” give me thousands of cannons.

Minor bugs and fixes.
-Please replace “annoying drum sound” in worldmap encounters if you want,i think the drum sounds too loud and disturbing, broke the game atmosfera.
-Mostly Spanish captains have “fake and irreal” names.The hero Blas De Lezo is wrong,you put “BlaZ”

Thanks for your work.

Has anyone else had problems with sound going away in first person sailing mode when you cannon sight is not on screen?

MK, I’m not sure that Le Francois problem is fixable. I’ve had that happen as far back as the original COAS. It also happens at Havana and Puerto Principie and it’s occurred sometimes at Capster or Bat Beaches.

Hooraa!!!
I started a game with one of COAS stock characters (The dutch guy in blue and red)
I am lvl 20 almost, no boarding problems to be had, everything working as it should, Im totally puzzled why the boarding didnt work in my 2 previous playthroughs….

hello, im having some visual bug when i use a the king’s man o war, at times a big flash of white light from the top of the sail then at times white water lines when my ship moves, i remember this bug back in vanilla also. but i havent played this game for so long i dont remember if there was a fix for it i tried googling it but i cant find any answer

Hello 🙂

First, i want t osay this mod is wonderful, everything i wanted in this game. Really good job

I only have two problems,

First one: i got sound bug when i’m on first person on ships. Ships sound effect (canon, sails, woods, etc..) dont work in first person mode except when i use scope, or when crosshair is visible. When crosshair disapear ships sound related disapear, only sea sounds play. Same with scope. Any idea on how to fix that ? its only do this with the mod.

Second one: I play with John Strong, im at Port Royal and want to go to “fort de france” with smuggler travel as i sold my ship. Everything work fine, except when im entering to the shore where i must take the boat (after payment) the game crash.

Thanks for your answer 🙂

• This reply was modified 9 years, 8 months ago by Tartiflette.

Thanks, hope you will cant get something on the sound bug!

About my second problem, i mispelled, i didnt talk about smuggling goods but the option to sails with smuggler , go to another island with them, its that who crash my game while loading to the shore for take the smuggler boat.

Yes its that, my game crash when entering the shore with the smuggler’s ship. 🙂 i was in Port Royal and was going to “Fort de france” with them, then on “shore of portland” it crash.

Did you get it sorted out?

Hey MK, I don’t know if this qualifies as a bug, but some of my higher level NPC’s don’t use the best armor. For example: uses French Fencing Gloves vice Spanish Breastplate. Also sometimes don’t use the best pistol (uses single-shot instead of Brace of Pistols) when qualified with Cleaver Shot skill. Again don’t know if this is bug or something written into the code to give them more choices based on weight and accuracy. Still playing and loving it. sgmret

I think what I am experiencing is a bug. my ship can hold 379 crew member but when I board a ship and I am sure I don’t get any causalities I discover my crew has decreased to 233. my ship is (Marchand rapide), but this bug happens to most of the ship I used not sure it happens to all of them but I noticed that my crew are decreasing lately when I board a ship. sometimes when a ship surrenders and I board it my crew decrease. I made sure to check my crew number before and after boarding and checked if my crew died by musket volley or not.

Hey, that is me again. I noticed that the logbook gives an error omitting the location’s destination in store merchant’s quests (Merchant winds I guess). I mean “asked to deliver to Port Orange in .”. And after the “in” it is empty.

So it is essential to remember where to when you receive the merchant’s quest, if you are not familiar with the region map, as in my case. The Logbook won’t help you much since it gives name of the port, not the name of the island.

MK, when you will be fixing that issue, I suggest you might please add the nation’s name of the port of the destination to the merchant’s speech when he gives the job, ex: “british Port Royal”? Please? Because it used to happen that I come to the destination port to deliver the goods and get killed by the ships in the bay because it happened to be a port of an enemy nation 😀

Hello, I’m not sure if I have encountered a bug, but I’m getting CDT’s when approaching an enemy ship. I’m playing as Edward Teach. The CDT is happening near Port-au-Prince, after I met a pirate in the tavern who proposed me to join forces. Then at his ship deck (I think his ship is called Letin), he told me about a shipwreck of a French treasure ship, and that we have 10 days to get there and collect the silver. Then I went to sea and I got a message that I was recognized by French ships. One of their ships was approaching me, so I went to meet him. He fires a few shots at me with front cannons, but after I come closer to him, a CDT occurs. It happens every time I load the save game and approach that ship. I tried it 6-7 times, every time the same… Any idea how to fix this, because I cannot sail to the opposite side, since there is French fort and 3-4 French ships. I can provide a save game if needed.

BUG Report Follows:

1. Who: Captain Peter Jennings
2. What: game crash during treasure quest against French convoy. My ship: English 38 gun 4th rater. Companion: Pierre le Picard in a Pequena Caravella. My level: 27. Enemy convoy ships: 2 barques, 1 petite barque, 1 pinaza, 1 20 gun Dutch fregatte, 1 French ordere seconde.
3. Where: Turks
4. When: 24 October 1667 2350 hrs
5. Why: unknown

Addl info: reloaded numerous times. Battle goes for about 5 minutes then crashes before I can board.

MK, Your recommendation worked. Went into the cabin as you suggested and waited till 0005hrs and returned to the fight. No crash. You obviously know this game well. Who woulda thunk that was the issue?
Thank you Sir.

Is this a repeating bug from the old GoF? Cause I just got a CDT after this man spoke to me… I had same issue with GoF 2.1.4…

• This reply was modified 8 years, 10 months ago by Samir.

It’s ok now. Happened only once. I don’t know where is the error log located in the game directory.

Not sure if this is a bug. It came up when the battle started. I didn’t notice any problems in gameplay though, there was just this text up.

BUG Report Follows:

1. Who: Captain Peter Jennings (Pirate nation)
2. What: game crash during boarding of English Second Rater. My ship: English 58 gun 3rd rater. Fleet: 3 additional 58 gun 3rd raters and 1 38 gun Fourth rater. My level: 29. Enemy squadron ships: 2 96 gun 1st raters, 1 second rater and 1 6th rater.
3. Where: South of Bridgetown.
4. When: 16 April 1668 1920 hrs
5. Why: unknown

Addl info: reloaded numerous times. Every time I try to board the 2nd rater the game crashes during the transition screen.

I will reiterate about enabling logging and sending system.log, compile.log, error.log files upon crashes, as it is very difficult to figure the problems without them because it might be a case we can’t replicate all the variables ourselves.

I would also be willing to review any error files and perhaps even try running from a boarding save file if I can get them.

I will say that it’s been quite a long time I’ve been comfortable playing COAS of any style without a crash. As it stands, in my particular version of ERAS, with my employed alterations, I play with abandon now and can only recall one crash I couldn’t figure out within the last couple weeks, and none for the recent many hours I’ve spent. I attack, fight, board many ships and pretty much cause as much mayhem as possible and I’ve been very stable, so it’s quite possible I’ve already employed some changes that already resolve truth serum’s issue if I can get a peek at it.

There is a camera location problem on Le Vaisseau Amiral du Roi. I believe this was a similar issue in the GOF SoleyRu, that was corrected by changing the model camera locator; I seem to recall downloading corrected files for that similar issue that fixed that particular ship.

Not entirely relevant, but heck, let’s go storytime 🙂

I was sailing the seas, minding my own business, when a 2-ship Dutch patrol gets pesky. Fine, let’s do this…

Another Day, Another Boarding

Their partner takes flight…good luck outrunning the Dog of War

After eventually dispatching that ship, go back to sea, merely trying to mind my own business, when I get accosted by a 4-ship French patrol. Take a look, and holy smokes! But, in a lapse of good judgment and arrogance, “What the heck, let’s do this.”

Tragic lunacy.

Because what I was dealing with, though I knew better and should have just fled, was Le Vaisseau du Roi 1st rater, Almirante Galeon 2nd rater and two French Capitol Warships 3rd raters…with my Corvette Dog of War, Brig Queen, French Cinquente Tireur, VOC Escort Frigate.

For pirating, I must say I like those VOC Escorts. They have good speed, nice holds, decent crew complement, and good armament, yet remain class 5, so I can usually take a couple into enemy ports with my stealth rating. Though they have no bow chasers, I usually do the chasing and simply swap cargo to them, or have them board ships in the midst of battles. I used to have two of them in my squadron, but unfortunately, that Cinquente tried to board one of my companion ships, lost, and of course my companion opted for the higher rated ship and took command. Sigh. Makes going to enemy port a little rougher with the additional 4th rater and we’ve had a few fort scrapes because of this.

Don’t mess with my companions. The first perks I give them are God of Death, Musket Volley, Quick Reloading and Foresight; they also all have Grappling bonus items, giving 90-100 grappling scores. We pepper with cannon fire from distance, as it closes, switch to chains, then when the enemy ships are near, I switch everyone to grapes and toggle Foresight on, while they go to town. By the time the ships draw near, I command them to board when it’s a lower or equal rating, the opponents are quickly dispatched and sunk…except in those cases like the Cinquente, where the enemy foolishly try to board and now I wind up with a nice ship, but unwanted nonetheless, LOL.

Anyway, employed those tactics as these ships were NOT going to be sunk quickly for sure, even with bombs…though we did employ them at first this time. We got rid of the Almirante, but not before my VOC was sunk. I thankfully was fairly near this, so picked up my companion captain in the lifeboat…phew, back on board! I’m dealing with my own mayhem, lost about half my workable cannons on the Dog of War, rapidly circling and firing grapes everywhere.

I think Corvette is the wrong term…that thing is really a Porsche. It is so fast, I usually circle a ship at either the bow/stern in the same direction the enemy is trying to turn broadside on me. Using the wind direction as my guide, I can usually stay perpendicular to them for half a dozen grape shots with my broadsides before their broadside finally reaches me for one shot; I board them right before they do so 🙂 But in this case, the ships carry too large a crew, and they were all over the place, so no boarding just yet.

So, in the thick of it…bad news. My Cinquente is gone. Frickin’ French Warship boarded the already decimated crew from when the Almirante tried to grapple and lost. But even worse, if I’m to get my companion back, I have to head over there and it’s upwind, and the 1st rater and 2 remaining Warships are pummeling me…Brig Queen is nearly decimated and I instruct to flee. F**** it…let’s go get her…we’ll pick up Morgan in the lifeboat and see if we make it out alive. I make a beeline, straight at the Warship that sunk Morgan’s ship, because they are still situated right where the lifeboat sits. I’m getting broadsided repeatedly by the Vaisseau and a Warship, the other off in the distance, chasing Queen I think.

I reach Morgan, she steps on board and I just keep going…right to board the Warship as I’ve got no chance unless I fight this thing out hand-to-hand. We on the Dog of War are severely outnumbered, but we’ve got the skills! My crew are Seadogs, I perk my fighters with everything I find, they get the bonuses, best weapons, armor, and yeah, it’s a cheat, but I always go for the Tenochtitlan ‘pistol’ and carry that baby. Also, in cases like these, where the enemy vastly outnumbers, the Berserk perk! I get my bearings and run toward the biggest horde of enemy I see, while running, just getting close, I’ve already got the <Enter> key displaying my icons, hovering over Berserk. Run up, click <Enter> to fire up Berserk and <Shift> attack. Sweeping blade that hits everyone near…3 fall immediately :). Step back and boom, boom, boom, boom…4 shots from my ‘pistol’, two more drop and I quickly lunge/pierce the remaining two where they stand, then just start hacking at anyone else.

We win, all my fighters intact, but quite a large hit to my crew. Hilariously, after my skimpy crew slaughtered the Warship’s, the captain just cowered and surrendered upon my cabin entry. Wuss! LOL I swap ships, I need the larger quantity guns because almost none are working on the Dog. They are slow to reload, but the hull of this ship is in very good shape, so I can take some hits from the Vaisseau. I tell the Dog, in which I left only a handful to operate, to get the heck out of here! Head toward the 1st rater and fire grapes when finally ready. I only get about one more swipe at them, but I have noticed a markedly increase in the amount of time it takes for them to fire, so I’m guessing over the course of this, our grape attacks have put a sizable dent in their crew…I’m about to find out.

We board.

Frickin’ mayhem. I’ve already lost crew, and so have they, but this ship carries over 1,000. Same tactics as before, and when all is said and done, my fighters remain standing and 10 of my crew. I transfer command of the 1st rater and continue on with my crew of 10 on the Warship to pursue our last nemesis, the other Warship. This one has now given up chase of the Queen, which is now out of battle range and has turned toward me. I fires at me a couple times, but I’ve gone on the suicide mission of ‘one more time!’ I keep heading toward them, fire once with grapes and know that reload is going to be impossible by the time this ship reaches us. No matter. The other Warship quickly asks to pay in lieu of further attack. I can see why, when such a meager force has taken your entire force down, LOL. But, since I was already sweating this out, I quickly agree. But you know, casually, “Sure, why not?” 😉

Phew.

That first photo of the camera problem shows the aftermath. Yikes. Lost all my lovely Seadog crew. I still have my entire set of officers; was able to pick up my two when we lost our VOC and Cinquente. Now we have a French Warship and Le Vaiseau du Roi…what the heck am I gonna do with those?! They’re not exactly low-profile, LOL

Bear with me…I’m gonna whine some.

I am so tired of whatever means this game uses to parse/compile the C code. It constantly complains about missing ) parentheses. There are other quirks that aggravate. But I know what I’m doing when it comes to coding, I know when the syntax and () match. Yet, perfectly good code ‘breaks’ inside this game. Ugh! For example, I get error.log files for this.

This broke:
nMin = GUN_MIN_WT * stf(refItm.dmg_min);

Yet, this is fine:
nMin = stf(refItm.dmg_min) * GUN_MIN_WT;

WTF?

These broke due to bad parens:
bGunCheck = (n < 2) || bShootistCheck || bClever;
bShootistCheck = (n < 4) && bShootist;
bCirassCheck = (refItm.id == “cirass6”) || (refItm.id == “cirass12”) || (refItm.id == “cirass13”);

Tell me those parentheses don’t ‘match’ as the error log told me.

Yet take them out, and it’s fine:

bGunCheck = n < 2 || bShootistCheck || bClever;
bShootistCheck = n < 4 && bShootist;
bCirassCheck = refItm.id == “cirass6” || refItm.id == “cirass12” || refItm.id == “cirass13”;

Sure, in these cases the logic works the same, but I like adding them for clarity of ‘what goes together’, which is a good thing to do in code.

I had a formula that absolutely required a parenthetical group to calc correctly, but I couldn’t do it…no way to get around it with one simple line, which was all that normally would suffice.

Instead, after much launch, run, error, quit, review error, rework calc by ‘guessing’ what the parser doesn’t like, repeat over and over through trial/error, I finally arrive at a version that doesn’t error, yet SHOULD have worked all along. Tedious, time-consuming and frustrating. So now, my simple, one-line formula requires several variables and chopped into multiple lines to remove all parenthesis and weird complaints about the ‘order’ of where a constant had to go…before/after some arbitrary who-knows-what like in the case of that GUN_MIN_WT. So I end up with 3 extra vars and this:

curGunValue = sti(refItm.chargeQ) * GUN_SPEED_BASE / sti(refItm.chargespeed);
curGunValue = curGunValue * sti(refItm.accuracy) / 100.0;
nMin = stf(refItm.dmg_min) * GUN_MIN_WT;
nMax = stf(refItm.dmg_max) * GUN_MAX_WT;
nTemp = nMax – nMin;
nTemp = nTemp / 2;
nTemp = nMin + nTemp;
curGunValue = curGunValue * nTemp;

I should have been able to do this without the nMin, nMax and nTemp at all, but it wouldn’t let me…presumably because it doesn’t like parens in some spots and the aforementioned weirdness of having certain ‘stuff’ after the preprocessor constants GUN_MIN_WT and GUN_MAX_WT.

Yet, sometimes, it has no problem at all with parentheses, as I’ve seen plenty of code that contains a parenthetical group that don’t cause problem. What gives?

What you see is the decision value for each considered pistol we were talking about.

I could certainly poke around and look for cannon fire stuff. See what I think about it.

LOL, but I will say, yesterday I was ready to wring necks. I literally had to relaunch 20 times only to receive log errors, to eventually creatively rework and wind up with 8 new lines of code and 3 new variables to get something workable, that should have only taken one line and one variable, but just couldn’t because spurious reasons given about syntax that any other C compiler finds acceptable.

So far, most of what I’ve done in this game has involved one or two simple line changes, so no big problem with it. I can imagine that writing something more involved, from scratch could potentially be a nightmare. You could put all this code into something like Eclipse, then make a simple do-nothing stub for those external functions like GetAttributeN, that are not defined in this code, but needed for reference within Eclipse for compiling. Write something up, syntactically perfect according to Eclipse syntax checker, port the files in the game directory and have the actual game blow up at you about all the problems, that really should not be. That’s harsh because everything else would tell you that your C syntax is perfect.

I only find ways around it by experimentation and crossed fingers…I never say die and never relinquish 🙂

Oh my goodness! You know that zero before a fraction? My GUN_MIN_WT and GUN_MAX_WT were exactly that; numbers like .75 and .5. I just changed them to be 0.75 and 0.5 and put everything back into one long formula, without the extra lines and variables, but also with the parentheses it would need. Worked without error. That was the problem with that situation all along, but had nothing to do with parens. But of course it worked the way I showed, by splitting it all up WITHOUT the preceding zero too. Bizarre, but hey, lesson learned.

Another error cropped up in my sailing of the sea…

RUNTIME ERROR – file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 662
missed attribute: speed
RUNTIME ERROR – file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 662
no rAP data
RUNTIME ERROR – file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 662
missed attribute: speed
RUNTIME ERROR – file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 662
no rAP data

The line in particular is attempting to access Track2.Speed.

Found two ships without Track2.Speed in Ships_init.c, a property every other ship has value for.

ShipsTypes[SHIP_SOLEILROYAL]
ShipsTypes[SHIP_SOLEYRU]

//Next 3 lines only serve as typical ship def example
refShip.Track2.ZStart = -0.15;
refShip.Track2.LifeTime = 10.5;
refShip.Track2.Width = “16.0, 18.0”;
//Missing Track2.Speed here. All other ships have this property, and all but a scant few have this exact: refShip.Track2.Speed = “0.15, 0.25”;

…I’m tellin’ ya, after my recent episode, the French are after me!

HA! The Frenchies are always after me. I play Spaniard always, but I prefer hunting and killing Englishmen and sending their dear ships to the bottom.

3 mb worth of weather errors, these were the most repeated in the file:

RUNTIME ERROR – file: weather\WhrWeather.c; line: 899
invalid index -1 [size:35]
RUNTIME ERROR – file: weather\WhrWeather.c; line: 899
function ‘Whr_UpdateWeatherHour’ stack error
RUNTIME ERROR – file: weather\WhrWeather.c; line: 107
invalid index -1 [size:35]
RUNTIME ERROR – file: weather\WhrWeather.c; line: 107
invalid array index
RUNTIME ERROR – file: weather\WhrWeather.c; line: 107
function ‘GetCurrentWeather’ stack error
RUNTIME ERROR – file: weather\WhrWeather.c; line: 622
uninitialized aref
RUNTIME ERROR – file: weather\WhrWeather.c; line: 622
RUNTIME ERROR – file: weather\WhrUtils.c; line: 3
uninitialized aref
RUNTIME ERROR – file: weather\WhrUtils.c; line: 3

Program\Weather\WhrWeather.c

aref GetCurrentWeather()
{
//Fix for when iCurWeatherNum = -1…borrowed from function Whr_LoadNextWeather(int nPlus)
if (iCurWeatherNum < 0)
iCurWeatherNum = iTotalNumWeathers – 1;
//End fix
aref arWeather;
makearef(arWeather,Weathers[iCurWeatherNum]);
return arWeather;
}

I have encountered a ship with wrong sailorpoints: the DutchFrigate1 (you can start the game as Cornelis Evertsen to test it).
I don’t know if Modernknight has already fixed it in the upcoming patch, but here is the right sailorpoints file:
DutchFrigate1.ini

No, I just made it from scratch. I couldn’t stand the sailors flying and going through walls 😀

I’ve also found a ship with a wrong path for the first person camera, so you can actually “walk” outside of the ship.
I’m trying to create a new correct path and import it in game, I will post it here if I will be successful.

Ok, here it is. It’s the Galeon_h211, to test it start a new game with Laurens de Graaf.
The correct path file: Galen_h211_path.gm

I guess you are referring to the Centurion1 ship. Here is the sailorpoints file I made: Centurion1.ini
I haven’t noticed any glitch or performance issue with this file… check if it works for you.

I post this here because I don’t know where else to post it…

I wonder if it is possible to have better flags on the ships: I’ve noticed that some of the flags are really indiscernible, the texture looks so stretched that it’s impossible to discern the drawing in it.

This screenshot explains what I mean:

Is there something that can be done? Like higher resolution textures?

OK, it took awhile, but I was finally able to improve my rep enough to get the store owner in Puerto Principe to talk to me about the Blue Bird; I had to be delicate about things with my officer loyalty, so it took much longer to arrange this. Anyway, after returning to Bermudes, I found the Blue Bird quest is indeed broken and will not recognize you boarding/capturing/sinking the Blue Bird, but rather claims it got away no matter what, as a previous poster mentioned.

I found the problem and resolved it, but you have to play from a save before going to sea and engaging in battle with the Blue Bird. Find the following lines and change the reaction_functions.c code like so:

pchar.quest.BlueBird_DieHard1.win_condition.l1 = “ExitFromLocation”;
pchar.quest.BlueBird_DieHard1.win_condition.l1.location = “Bermudes”;
pchar.quest.BlueBird_DieHard1.win_condition.l2 = “NotBording”; //Insert this line as it is missing
pchar.quest.BlueBird_DieHard1.function = “BlueBird_DieHard”;
Pchar.quest.BlueBird_DieHard2.win_condition.l1 = “MapEnter”;
pchar.quest.BlueBird_DieHard2.function = “BlueBird_DieHard”;

I encountered a bug when retrieving a ship from the port controller, past the original 3 allotted. Add this to Common_Portman.c, after the case “ShipStockManBack_3”:

//Fix add
case “ShipStockManBack_4”:
NPChar.ShipToStoreIdx = sti(NPChar.Temp.ShipToStoreId4);
dialog.text = DLG_TEXT_BASE[175];
Link.l1 = DLG_TEXT_BASE[176];
Link.l1.go = “ShipStockManBack”;
Link.l2 = DLG_TEXT_BASE[177];
Link.l2.go = “exit”;
break;

case “ShipStockManBack_5”:
NPChar.ShipToStoreIdx = sti(NPChar.Temp.ShipToStoreId5);
dialog.text = DLG_TEXT_BASE[178];
Link.l1 = DLG_TEXT_BASE[179];
Link.l1.go = “ShipStockManBack”;
Link.l2 = DLG_TEXT_BASE[180];
Link.l2.go = “exit”;
break;

case “ShipStockManBack_6”:
NPChar.ShipToStoreIdx = sti(NPChar.Temp.ShipToStoreId6);
dialog.text = DLG_TEXT_BASE[181];
Link.l1 = DLG_TEXT_BASE[182];
Link.l1.go = “ShipStockManBack”;
Link.l2 = DLG_TEXT_BASE[183];
Link.l2.go = “exit”;
break;

case “ShipStockManBack_7”:
NPChar.ShipToStoreIdx = sti(NPChar.Temp.ShipToStoreId7);
dialog.text = DLG_TEXT_BASE[175];
Link.l1 = DLG_TEXT_BASE[176];
Link.l1.go = “ShipStockManBack”;
Link.l2 = DLG_TEXT_BASE[177];
Link.l2.go = “exit”;
break;
//End add

During the Ascold quest, when you encounter Leif, the model was changed and you are switched to pose as Leif, instead of the Native American, but there is a bug; you can shoot, but can’t sword attack…not much a problem as the skeleton ‘friends’ do the job. The ‘good news’ is that when you eventually go back to fight him, he still can’t attack you either! The system log shows the problem as animation errors and I’m not familiar with correcting these:

Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_3”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_3”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set fight attack hit action: “hit_attack_3”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight fire hit action: “hit_fire”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_3”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set block(parry) action: “parry_4”
Character animation: not set fight blockbreak action: “block_break”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set fight blockbreak action: “block_break”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set feint action: “attack_feint_1”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set feint action: “attack_feint_4”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_3”
Character animation: not set feint action: “attack_feint_2”
Character animation: not set fight attack hit action: “hit_attack_3”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_3”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set fight blockbreak action: “block_break”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_2”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_1”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_1”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_1”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_2”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_3”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_3”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_2”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_3”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fast attack action: “attack_fast_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_3”
Character animation: not set break attack action: “attack_break_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_1”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_2”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_3”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_1”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_3”
Character animation: not set fight idle “fight stand_8” action
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_1”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_4”
Character animation: not set force attack action: “attack_force_1”
Character animation: not set idle action: “idle_11”

It just now caught my eye, but the waitress in the Curacao tavern shows a blank for her name in any dialog with her. The Program\characters\init\Curacao.c shows that the .name and .lastname are run through the xiDStr function:

ch.name = xiDStr(“Anneke”);
ch.lastname = xiDStr(“Van Tassel”);

These values were changed from GOF and from what I can tell, that xiDStr function draws from values in the RESOURCE\INI\texts\russion\dialogsource.txt, so those new values need to be added. They were originally:

Tanneken {Tanneken}
Clemence {Clemence}

So either need to replace or add:

Anneke {Anneke}
Van Tassel {Van Tassel}

Not a big deal…everything works, but a blank shows above any text dialog. This appears to be needed from the very start of the game as adding them subsequent does not alter things without doing a full character reinit, which I did not do.

Bug fix.

Errors:

RUNTIME ERROR – file: Loc_ai\LAi_utilites.c; line: 921
invalid index 19 [size:19]
RUNTIME ERROR – file: Loc_ai\LAi_utilites.c; line: 921
invalid array index
RUNTIME ERROR – file: Loc_ai\LAi_utilites.c; line: 921
Unknown data type
RUNTIME ERROR – file: Loc_ai\LAi_utilites.c; line: 923
invalid index 19 [size:19]
RUNTIME ERROR – file: Loc_ai\LAi_utilites.c; line: 923
invalid array index
RUNTIME ERROR – file: Loc_ai\LAi_utilites.c; line: 943
invalid index 19 [size:19]
RUNTIME ERROR – file: Loc_ai\LAi_utilites.c; line: 943

Loc_ai\LAi_utilites.c; line: 921

Change
num = rand(19);
to
num = rand(18);

That will select a random number index between 0 and 18, which will properly fit the array size of 19.

Couple text fixes:

RESOURCE\INI\texts\russian\questbook\quests_texts.txt

Change:

#QUEST Hol_Line_2_TakeFoodCuraçao
to
#QUEST Hol_Line_2_TakeFoodCuracao

#QUEST Hol_Line_10_SpaAttackCuraçao
to
#QUEST Hol_Line_10_SpaAttackCuracao

During the Dutch questline, when encountering the English squadron at Orange, there is a faceid/model problem that breaks the game. Change Program\Quests\quests_reaction.c:

From
case “DefenceOrange_FightNearJamaica”:

case 1:
ShipType = SHIP_MORDAUNT;
Model = “off_Bcapeng_1”;
Rank = 23;
Blade = “blade33”;
break;

To

case “DefenceOrange_FightNearJamaica”:

case 1:
ShipType = SHIP_MORDAUNT;
Model = “off_eng_1”;
Rank = 23;
Blade = “blade33”;
break;

The problem arises if one attempts to board the ship with the erroneous officer. Once in the captain’s cabin, there is no captain to fight and you can’t exit; the above change will rectify the problem.

Again with the Dutch questline. Ever since the AoP, there is some ambiguity in the log entry, so change RESOURCE\INI\texts\russian\questbook\quests_texts.txt:

From
#QUEST Hol_Line_9_TakeThreeShips
Four Ships-of the-Line
#TEXT 1
My new mission is an odd one. As is well known, Holland has a problem launching big vessels, so now I am to capture four first-class ships-of-the-line, bring them to the port of Curaçao, and hand them over to the Dutch Navy. This should take some doing.
#TEXT 2
Stuyvesant has received @<QtyTook> vessels.
That makes @<QtyElse> ships, so far.
#TEXT 3
That does it for Stuyvesant’s mission. The required ships-of-the-line are all presented to the Dutch Republic.

To

#QUEST Hol_Line_9_TakeThreeShips
Four Man-o-war
#TEXT 1
My new mission is an odd one. As is well known, Holland has a problem launching big vessels, so now I am to capture four first-class man-o-war, bring them to the port of Curaçao, and hand them over to the Dutch Navy. This should take some doing.
#TEXT 2
Stuyvesant has received @<QtyTook> vessels.
That makes @<QtyElse> ships, so far.
#TEXT 3
That does it for Stuyvesant’s mission. The required man-o-war are all presented to the Dutch Republic.

The governor logic specifies SHIP_MANOWAR, so this way the log makes it clear that the ship is not a LINESHIP, but must be a man-o-war.

Also, in AoP, there is only one man-o-war ship so the SHIP_MANOWAR works, but in GOF and ERAS, there are several that are comparable, so to be fair to the player, the Program\DIALOGS\russian\Governor\hol_Governor.c should also be changed to allow for comparable ships to satisfy the requirement. Change:

case “TakeThreeShips_toAbordage”:
dialog.text = DLG_TEXT_GUB[89];
tempQty = 0;
for (i=1; i<=COMPANION_MAX; i++)
{
chComp = GetCompanionIndex(pchar,i);
if(chComp != -1)
{
sld = GetCharacter(chComp);
iShip = sti(sld.ship.type);
iBaseType = sti(RealShips[iShip].basetype);
if (iBaseType == SHIP_MANOWAR
|| iBaseType == SHIP_ZEVENPROVINCIEN
|| iBaseType == SHIP_MANOWAR_FAST
|| iBaseType == SHIP_TRINITY
|| iBaseType == SHIP_SOLEILROYAL
|| iBaseType == SHIP_SANFELIPE
|| iBaseType == SHIP_SOLEYRU) //Changed this line to include all comparable man-o-war ships

Though this forum is specifically targeted to ERAS, if anyone is interested in changing their GOF, the above line should also change, but with the following types, in a similar fashion to above: SHIP_MANOWAR, SHIP_INTREPIDE, SHIP_ENDEAVOUR, SHIP_MANOWAR_FAST, SHIP_BATTLEMANOWAR, SHIP_MANOW50_GUB, SHIP_VICTORY, SHIP_SOLEYRU, SHIP_SANFELIPE, SHIP_SOLEILROYAL

As an aside, while defending de Graf in the fight at Cartagena, I boarded one of the enemy ships just fine, fought/defeated the captain, but when closing out the screen with the ship transfer, no matter if I sink it or retain it, the game crashes. However, there is no error in any log file, so I’m unsure what the problem is at the moment. I kept a save and can continue to look, but to proceed for the moment, I simply reloaded from the boarding save and opted to simply send them all to the bottom via cannon-fire…that worked without problem.

Interesting. Taking the suggestion to another poster about the ship/transfer crashes, I went to that save from defending de Graf in the Dutch questline task. I boarded the ship and did not transfer any goods. The game does not crash. I experimented by reloading again, but this time appoint an officer to the ship, again transfer no goods or crew (appointment and transfer of any goods already determined to crash), and again no crash. However, since the ships are so close, if I appoint a captain, then immediately select ship-transfer and transfer, then remove officer to sink, there is also no crash. Since I can’t see any relevant error in the logs, I don’t know exactly what’s wrong, but this method allows a workaround in the event of a crash; keeping boarding save option on allows one to redo and employ the workaround for problem ship board/transfers.

My ship is a French Deux Pont and the enemy ship is an Export Warship.

I found some further Ascold/Azzy replacements I had missed (these appear from the original AoP game).

Program\Text\Dialogs\Userer\Charles_Userer.h

Change Ozzie to Azzy (just to maintain consistency with my other changes…if Ozzie is preferred then one needs to seek out the Azzy references and change those…the original game dialogs jump around between the two). These are not in any order of the file, but serve to identify:

“Ozzie sent me. He said you should have something ready for me?”,
“Listen, I need to find Ozzie.”,
“No, nothing… Listen, what kind of business is it you got with Ozzie? Just curious…”,
“You’re lookin’ for Ozzie? Bad idea. I already done told you it’ll complicate that breathing habit of yours.”,
“Sir, curiosity is not a becoming trait around here. Unless you plan on becoming a corpse, that is. Especially if the man you’re prodding is Ozzie. Now, if that’s all you need, I do have work to do…”,

Change Ozzie to Azzy

“Azzy sent me. He said you should have something ready for me?”,
“Listen, I need to find Azzy.”,
“You’re lookin’ for Azzy? Bad idea. I already done told you it’ll complicate that breathing habit of yours.”,
“No, nothing… Listen, what kind of business is it you got with Azzy? Just curious…”,
“Sir, curiosity is not a becoming trait around here. Unless you plan on becoming a corpse, that is. Especially if the man you’re prodding is Azzy. Now, if that’s all you need, I do have work to do…”,

Program\Quests\quests_reaction.c contains the following logic to create officers for the Curacao (and the later Marigo) attack:

case “SpaAttackCuracao_Battle”:

Model = “off_spa_1”;
Model = “off_spa_2”;
Model = “off_spa_3”;
Model = “off_spa_4”;
Model = “off_spa_5”;
Model = “off_spa_6”;

However these same models need a faceid to avoid some spyglass and other errors during any ship transfer in the log files. So add them in Programs\characters\characters_face.c:

…
case “off_spa_1”: rCharacter.FaceId = 73; break;
case “off_spa_2”: rCharacter.FaceId = 74; break;
//Added following
case “off_spa_3”: rCharacter.FaceId = 73; break;
case “off_spa_4”: rCharacter.FaceId = 74; break;
case “off_spa_5”: rCharacter.FaceId = 73; break;
case “off_spa_6”: rCharacter.FaceId = 74; break;
//End add
…

Note that I wasn’t sure what exact face to use, so I just replicated off_spa_1 and off_spa_2 for the missing officers for now.

Here’s a nice fix…

Ever since GOF introduced the skill books, they never show up with the traders/store. I found out why. The functions rely on the item.id, but for the books, the TakeNItems function was being passed the item.name. Change the relevant portion of the file Program\scripts\utils.c, by removing all instances of itmname_book so it looks like the following (e.g. TakeNItems(ch,”itmname_bookleader_1″, 1) becomes TakeNItems(ch,”bookleader_1″, 1)):

//books

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookleader_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookBible_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”booklight_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookfencing_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookheavy_1″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookleader_2″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”booklight_2″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookfencing_2″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookheavy_2″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookleader_3″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”booklight_3″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookfencing_3″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookheavy_3″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookpistols_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookluck_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookstealth_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”booknavigation_1″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookpistols_2″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookluck_2″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookstealth_2″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”booknavigation_2″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookpistols_3″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookluck_3″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookstealth_3″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”booknavigation_3″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookaccurate_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookcannon_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookgrapple_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookdefend_1″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookaccurate_2″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookcannon_2″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookgrapple_2″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookdefend_2″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookaccurate_3″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookcannon_3″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookgrapple_3″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookdefend_3″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookrepairs_1″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookmoney_1″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookrepairs_2″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookmoney_2″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookrepairs_3″, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookmoney_3″, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookwrestling”, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”booklgtweapman”, 1);}

irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookmedweapman”, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookheavweapman”, 1);}
irand = rand(19);
if (irand == 2) {TakeNItems(ch,”bookcrunch_3″, 1);}

The same can be done for GOF, but don’t use the above code as it contains an extra…just do a manual replace of all itmname_book prefixes.

Have a wonderful time MK. Looking forward to the new patch. Just played through the kapp kronstad 1.2.4 mod again. We should try to import the fort. It is not near as good as eras but has some good things. You should try it a little. Your Spanish is not as bad as you think. I believe you could play it. You should look at what the idiot people at pirates ahoy are posting the last day. But maybe not until you return eh? I will try to contact these other people as you ask. I have memberships. Good journeys to you my friend.

MK,
New here. But I downloaded the mod and played it as Flint. When walking on his starting ship, the Walrus, I start in the cabin rather than the poopdeck and when I exit the cabin instead of going on the weatherdeck, I end up below decks in the water. It seems as though the walk path is one level lower than it should be. The steps are in the same place as I walk up/down into/out of the cabin from he same spot as the steps.
Pez

I hope this is OK to post…

I zipped up my current adjustments to the ERAS download I have and posted to the ‘net for download here: https://mega.nz/#!7wcHXAyS!ikcAqmHgxF65FaO246BibrdP5tUQ_NJb_RD_tDlOYYw

These are merely the fixed files I have mentioned (dialog problems, errors, quest breaks, etc.) and don’t alter the original ERAS except for a few things that ModernKnight seemed to agree to in the forum discussion:

Orazio’s two new walk files are there.
Orazio’s Galleon model fix.
Orazio’s cool new image for equipment screen.
My loyalty tweak that allows for a more devoted officer becoming more likely to ignore things they don’t like and not have it affect their loyalty. For instance, a Hero officer that is devoted will be more likely to not have a loyalty decrease when you throw a captain overboard. However, they still have a chance to not like this act and will still sometimes suffer a loyalty decrease and next time will be a little less likely to ignore, until eventually their loyalty becomes bad enough they will almost never ignore acts they don’t like…and vice versa with a Shark when doing good things.
My cuirass tweaks for giving the ability to equip a girdle, fencing gloves, cavalier boots without a cuirass perk (same goes for officers who will automatically equip them if they don’t have the perk).
My cuirass/gun tweaks for officers using better logic to always select the better cuirass or better gun based on equipment specs.
A pirate nation character can get the Blue Bird quest if able to sneak into another nation’s port and talk to the store owner of the town.
A vertical scroll bar added to the F10 other-hero status screen.
Resurrected officers (using Jade Skull) from that other hero list no longer show as dead on the status screen.
Skill books become available in store and from traders.
Added the hot-key options from GOF 1.2 to have officers follow, charge, hold using G for follow, H for hold, C for charge.
Added the hot-key options from GOF 1.2 for fleet loading balls using 5, grape shot using 6, knipples using 7 and bombs using 8.

Unzip and copy/overwrite existing files. If worried, make a copy of the entire ERAS fileset on your computer before copying.

Also, given that there were a couple ship/item and array-size problems I resolved , you will probably have to reinitialize the item/ship arrays to avoid a crash upon save (I think the mod options screen has a reinit feature, but I note it is not really functional in ERAS). Enable debugger in the engine.ini file by turning on the debugger. Open engine.ini in the root of the ERAS directory with a text editor like notepad.exe and change the following if set to = 0:

debugwindow = 1
debuginfo = 1
Find _mod_on_off.h in the Program folder and with a text editor change the following if set as “Off”
#define MOD_BETTATESTMODE “On”

Launch and load a saved game and hit F11. You should see the debug window and I added the ship/item inits to the F1 option…click that F1 button (the first button in the list and you should see it also added some Gold to your main character), then click the top right X in the corner (NOT the OK button up there!). Resave your game.

With the new hot key command additions, you will probably find after you load a save that no key/mouse commands work on your character and you will have to hit the ESC key to bring up the menu, select Options, the Restore Defaults for the commands. They should then work and just resave your game.

That should do it. Hope you are able to keep playing your existing games (I believe I was able to during my debugging/fixing efforts), but if not, you may have to start a new game because of the array-sizing issues I encountered/fixed…but I don’t think you will have to if you go through that F1 exercise in the debugger.

Thanks for this patch, Jeffrey! I see it as a “preview” of the mega patch MK is working on.

About his words, I have never tried other mods except for GoF, so sometimes I don’t fully understand what he means when he talks about other people doing better and similar.
What do other mods have more than ERAS? New gameplay features? New ships (but we have hundreds!)? New locations?
Help me understand, since I think ERAS is really good, so I am quite surprised when MK says such things.

This is the new correct path file for Flint’s ship, the Walrus: Download
It has to be copied in RESOURCE\MODELS\Ships\TheBlackPearl1\ overwriting the existing one.
It may be necessary to moor and then go back to the ship to have the path file correctly update.

Some enemy ships in my spyglass did not show a type, so I boarded them. The description allowed me to determine they were a FR_SuperiorWarship1 and 30GunFrigate missing in common.ini. For lack of a better name-type, I simply added the following:

string = 30GunFrigate,”30 Gun Fregate”
string = 30GunFrigateGen,”30 Gun Frigate”
string = 30GunFrigateAcc,”30 Gun Frigate”
string = 30GunFrigateDat,”30 Gun Frigate”

string = FR_SuperiorWarship1,”French Superior Warship”
string = FR_SuperiorWarship1Gen,”French Superior Warship”
string = FR_SuperiorWarship1Acc,”French Superior Warship”
string = FR_SuperiorWarship1Dat,”French Superior Warship”

We can change this if they should be something better, but for now, I replaced the .zip in my latest link to the download folder with the new common.ini inside.

Another missing ship in common.ini

string = Sophie,”Sophie”
string = SophieGen,”Sophie”
string = SophieAcc,”Sophie”
string = SophieDat,”Sophie”

Updated .zip file in my download link.

A few more fixes.

From system.log
Can’t load texture resource\textures\WEATHER\SKIES\BLUE3\SKY_FR.TGA.tx
Can’t load texture resource\textures\WEATHER\SKIES\BLUE3\SKY_LF.TGA.tx
Can’t load texture resource\textures\WEATHER\SKIES\BLUE3\SKY_BK.TGA.tx
Can’t load texture resource\textures\WEATHER\SKIES\BLUE3\SKY_RT.TGA.tx
Can’t load texture resource\textures\WEATHER\SKIES\BLUE3\SKY_UP.TGA.tx

Program\Weather\init\Day.c

Change
Weathers[n].Sky.Dir = “weather\skies\Blue3\”;

To

Weathers[n].Sky.Dir = “weather\skies\14\”;

Change
Weathers[n].Sky.Dir = “weather\skies\Clouds1\”;

To

Weathers[n].Sky.Dir = “weather\skies\16\”;

Change
Weathers[n].Sky.Dir = “weather\skies\Overcast3\”;

To

Weathers[n].Sky.Dir = “weather\skies\17\”;

Change
Weathers[n].Sky.Dir = “weather\skies\Overcast3\”;

To

Weathers[n].Sky.Dir = “weather\skies\18\”;

There are no Blue3, Clouds1, Overcast3 folders with textures in RESOURCE\Textures\WEATHER\SKIES.

Also since AoP there is a similar problem in Program\Weather\init\Special.c

Change
Weathers[n].Sky.Dir = “weather\skies\Twilight1\”;

To
Weathers[n].Sky.Dir = “weather\skies\07\”;

Later found this in system.log:

resource\models\characters\girl_23.gm: can’t open geometry file
Character model ‘characters\girl_23’ not loaded

Problem is here: Program\scripts\utils.c

if(iSex == MAN)
{
sBody = “citiz”;
iNumber = rand(40)+1;
}
else
{
sBody = “girl”;
iNumber = rand(22)+1;
}

In RESOURCE\MODELS\Characters, the highest is Girl_22.gm, so change to:

if(iSex == MAN)
{
sBody = “citiz”;
iNumber = rand(40)+1;
}
else
{
sBody = “girl”;
iNumber = rand(21)+1;
}

I suspect this last one will resolve the occasional empty trader kiosk as the nonexistent model might probably be assigned as a trader and that is why there is sometimes an empty one.

Files updated in the .zip at my download link.

Though I’ve done the Enchanted City quest several times, I just now noticed in the quest log texts that the second entry intended to be written for the player in this quest, is never coded anywhere and has been missing ever since the original AoP COAS. I put it where it belongs, in Program\DIALOGS\russian\Tavern\Maracaibo_Tavern.c:

case “MCTavernMar_2”:
dialog.text = DLG_TEXT_TV[15];
link.l1 = DLG_TEXT_TV[16];
link.l1.go = “exit”;
pchar.questTemp.MC = “toDesMoines”;
AddQuestRecord(“MagicCity”, “2”); //Fix add
break;

Download .zip at https://mega.nz/#F!WtMDgRxK!hbeUg86kGLlQAqvWRNwTqg includes updated fix.

OK, since I tried a few things on Impossible difficulty (as seen here: https://buccaneersreef.com/forums/topic/eras-2-gameplay-on-impossible-difficulty/), I then tried Captain, and there are a few things that are completely unbalanced and I’m having a hard time understanding the logic/thinking that went into the approach. A sort of bug in COAS if you ask me.

For instance, when meeting the tavern waitress and the player is confronted by a robber — the player doesn’t stand a chance. Even at Captain difficulty (MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE = 5), the player is dead within seconds. The NPC, can kill you with one overhead, which is OK…need to be alert, parry/dodge, or quickly interrupt that swing with a thrust/swing. But, pistol shots are uninterruptible, and the NPC is many levels ahead of the Hero, so have many more hit points and many perks, and inflicts far more damage. As such, the NPC often just pulls a pistol, which you can’t stop and can’t kill them fast enough to mitigate, and they fire multiple shots at you. Dead. Against that one guy, at Captain difficulty, after many many reloads, I have not been able to defeat this robber…ever…it’s always the pistol shots which I can’t stop.

I looked at the code and I see now that even at a modest difficulty, why this is so.

The robber is created with this code, in function void WaitressFack_Enter:

iTemp = sti(pchar.rank) + rand(MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE);
FantomMakeCoolFighter(sld, iTemp, 80, 80, “topor2”, “pistol6”, 50);

That second parameter, iTemp is the rank the NPC will get and in a worst case scenario, it will be the player’s rank plus 5 in the case of Captain difficulty. Assuming I am level 5, the NPC will be a level 10 in worst case.

The 3rd and 4th parameters are the NPC’s fencing and pistol abilities = 80.

So in a case of my level 5 character, with my couple +10 bonus items that boost my fencing/pistol score to roughly 30 and my meager 70 or so hit points, I can be fighting a level 10 character, with 80 skill in fencing/pistols, the NPC will have some multiple of my max HP, and has .SuperShooter perk, along with Energaiser, SwordplayProfessional, AdvancedDefense, CriticalHit and Sliding, with 6 potions. The topor2 does min. 35.0 and 120.0…which is fine. Some good player skill and potions can keep you alive. But the NPC pistol6 makes this fight impossible. The NPC gets 2 shots, with the SuperShooter perk and the min. 35, max. 110, and once they draw, you can’t interrupt and if the first shot doesn’t kill you outright, they will immediately finish you off with a second shot.

So be it…you just don’t engage in this fight until you reach level 20+. Then maybe you can survive.

Which brings me to the Emerald City shore fight. That one is likely impossible at Captain, and even more crazy at difficulty levels beyond that. The Emerald City shore fight uses MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE to determine how many of these same fighters are against you. I have been able to fend off similar fights against 3 NPCs in the ‘defeat smuggler’ quests given by mayors, but only with my own fighters to help me (which usually have similar abilities as the NPC, so they can occupy the NPCs while I hack away at one). I can also survive multiple attackers in a boarding action, but those fighters, while still getting a difficulty bump, are not created from the ‘coolfighter’ function, but more aligned with a normal/random skill/perk selection and my fighters can help me. But in the Emerald City shore fight, the game eliminates your fighters from helping you and they are the ‘coolfighters’. So in the case of Captain level MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE = 5, I have to solo against 5 of them…while surrounded on all sides with no choke point. Even running to that opening in the wrecked ship, the opening is large enough that they can still surround me. I die within seconds because as fast as I draw a weapon and attack, at minimum, 2 or 3 of them immediately draw pistols and shoot me dead. At difficulty level 5, they are as high as level 10 against my level 5 and there are 5 of them with skills and HP way beyond my own, at difficulty level 7, there would be 7 NPCs at level 12 against my level 5 solo self, and at difficulty level 10, there would be 10 against 1, with the NPCs at level 15.

There is no way you can avoid 3-5 of them immediately taking a pistol out, doing at minimum 35 * (difficulty level) damage to you with that pistol. Presuming difficulty 5, that would be 3 of them doing instantaneous 3 * 35 = 105 HP damage to me and I have a max of roughly 70. If I were level 15, I might have more than 105 HP, but then they would all just take a second shot…so I would have to be maybe level 30? Probably even higher than that is required. But even then, after taking the first volley of shots, if I survived, I’m near dead, haven’t killed any of them because all 5 of them have way more HP than me and they will reload in less than 20 seconds (remember their SuperShooter perk also allows faster reload), and several of them will shoot me again before I can regenerate via potion and/or kill them due to their massive HP scores.

I don’t see how that Emerald City shore fight is possible. And for what? Wait until level 40, donned with the best cuirass and all the fighting perks, take them all on, then eventually you might end up with a class 4 brig? What’s the point?

Speaking of difficulty level, while poking around looking at things, I found that the current game’s level is supposed to display on the Statistic tab, but doesn’t because ever since AoP COAS, that line is passing a font name that doesn’t exist.

In Questbook.c, change:

CreateString(true, “LevelComplexity”, XI_ConvertString(“m_Complexity”) + ” : ” + GetLevelComplexity(MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE), “INTERFACE_SMALL”, COLOR_NORMAL, 440, 334, SCRIPT_ALIGN_CENTER, 1);

To

CreateString(true, “LevelComplexity”, XI_ConvertString(“m_Complexity”) + ” : ” + GetLevelComplexity(MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE), “interface_ultrasmall”, COLOR_NORMAL, 440, 334, SCRIPT_ALIGN_CENTER, 1.0);

Updated at: https://mega.nz/#F!WtMDgRxK!hbeUg86kGLlQAqvWRNwTqg

This difficulty thing got my curiosity going…since I’d never thought to try it out, I did some experimenting, with dismal results considering the two places I tried it: Tavern robber and Emerald City shore. I concocted some code to replicate both the tavern and the Emerald shore scenarios by copying the code, but placing it in a loop that first modifies the difficulty levels, then calls the proper NPC functions.

Code to produce trace output:

Trace(“My.rank = ” + pchar.rank + ” My.hp = ” + sti(pchar.chr_ai.hp) + ” My.Skill.Fencing = ” + pchar.Skill.FencingLight + ” My.Skill.Pistol = ” + pchar.Skill.Pistol);
for(int j=1; j<11; j++){
MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE = j;
int iTemp = sti(pchar.rank) + rand(MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE);
sld = GetCharacter(NPC_GenerateCharacter(“BerglarWairessQuest”, “officer_”+(rand(19)+1), “man”, “man”, iTemp, PIRATE, -1, true));
FantomMakeCoolFighter(sld, iTemp, 80, 80, “topor2”, “pistol6”, 50);
Trace(“Difficulty Level = ” + j);
Trace(“Tavern robber sld.rank = ” + sld.rank + ” sld.hp = ” + sti(sld.chr_ai.hp) + ” sld.Skill.Fencing = ” + sld.Skill.Fencing + ” sld.Skill.Pistol = ” + sld.Skill.Pistol);
for (i=1; i<=MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE; i++) {
sld = GetCharacter(NPC_GenerateCharacter(“ShoreGuard”+i, “officer_”+(i+10), “man”, “man”, 20, PIRATE, 0, true));
FantomMakeCoolFighter(sld, 20, 70, 70, “topor2”, “pistol3”, 50);

Trace(“Emerald City shore fighter #” + (i) + ” sld.rank = ” + sld.rank + ” sld.hp = ” + sti(sld.chr_ai.hp) + ” sld.Skill.Fencing = ” + sld.Skill.Fencing + ” sld.Skill.Pistol = ” + sld.Skill.Pistol);
}
}

Here are the results:
My.rank = 7 My.hp = 98 My.Skill.Fencing = 37 My.Skill.Pistol = 29
Difficulty Level = 1
Tavern robber sld.rank = 5 sld.hp = 115 sld.Skill.Fencing = 48 sld.Skill.Pistol = 48
Emerald City shore fighter #1 sld.rank = 12 sld.hp = 198 sld.Skill.Fencing = 42 sld.Skill.Pistol = 42
Difficulty Level = 2
Tavern robber sld.rank = 6 sld.hp = 114 sld.Skill.Fencing = 60 sld.Skill.Pistol = 60
Emerald City shore fighter #1 sld.rank = 15 sld.hp = 205 sld.Skill.Fencing = 53 sld.Skill.Pistol = 53
Emerald City shore fighter #2 sld.rank = 15 sld.hp = 178 sld.Skill.Fencing = 53 sld.Skill.Pistol = 53
Difficulty Level = 3
Tavern robber sld.rank = 8 sld.hp = 123 sld.Skill.Fencing = 68 sld.Skill.Pistol = 68
Emerald City shore fighter #1 sld.rank = 17 sld.hp = 239 sld.Skill.Fencing = 60 sld.Skill.Pistol = 60
Emerald City shore fighter #2 sld.rank = 17 sld.hp = 179 sld.Skill.Fencing = 60 sld.Skill.Pistol = 60
Emerald City shore fighter #3 sld.rank = 17 sld.hp = 175 sld.Skill.Fencing = 60 sld.Skill.Pistol = 60
Difficulty Level = 4
Tavern robber sld.rank = 6 sld.hp = 109 sld.Skill.Fencing = 72 sld.Skill.Pistol = 72
Emerald City shore fighter #1 sld.rank = 18 sld.hp = 235 sld.Skill.Fencing = 63 sld.Skill.Pistol = 63
Emerald City shore fighter #2 sld.rank = 18 sld.hp = 201 sld.Skill.Fencing = 63 sld.Skill.Pistol = 63
Emerald City shore fighter #3 sld.rank = 18 sld.hp = 162 sld.Skill.Fencing = 63 sld.Skill.Pistol = 63
Emerald City shore fighter #4 sld.rank = 18 sld.hp = 197 sld.Skill.Fencing = 63 sld.Skill.Pistol = 63
Difficulty Level = 5
Tavern robber sld.rank = 7 sld.hp = 118 sld.Skill.Fencing = 76 sld.Skill.Pistol = 76
Emerald City shore fighter #1 sld.rank = 19 sld.hp = 245 sld.Skill.Fencing = 67 sld.Skill.Pistol = 67
Emerald City shore fighter #2 sld.rank = 19 sld.hp = 169 sld.Skill.Fencing = 67 sld.Skill.Pistol = 67
Emerald City shore fighter #3 sld.rank = 19 sld.hp = 208 sld.Skill.Fencing = 67 sld.Skill.Pistol = 67
Emerald City shore fighter #4 sld.rank = 19 sld.hp = 160 sld.Skill.Fencing = 67 sld.Skill.Pistol = 67
Emerald City shore fighter #5 sld.rank = 19 sld.hp = 218 sld.Skill.Fencing = 67 sld.Skill.Pistol = 67
Difficulty Level = 6
Tavern robber sld.rank = 10 sld.hp = 147 sld.Skill.Fencing = 80 sld.Skill.Pistol = 80
Emerald City shore fighter #1 sld.rank = 20 sld.hp = 158 sld.Skill.Fencing = 70 sld.Skill.Pistol = 70
Emerald City shore fighter #2 sld.rank = 20 sld.hp = 170 sld.Skill.Fencing = 70 sld.Skill.Pistol = 70
Emerald City shore fighter #3 sld.rank = 20 sld.hp = 226 sld.Skill.Fencing = 70 sld.Skill.Pistol = 70
Emerald City shore fighter #4 sld.rank = 20 sld.hp = 244 sld.Skill.Fencing = 70 sld.Skill.Pistol = 70
Emerald City shore fighter #5 sld.rank = 20 sld.hp = 168 sld.Skill.Fencing = 70 sld.Skill.Pistol = 70
Emerald City shore fighter #6 sld.rank = 20 sld.hp = 194 sld.Skill.Fencing = 70 sld.Skill.Pistol = 70
Difficulty Level = 7
Tavern robber sld.rank = 8 sld.hp = 115 sld.Skill.Fencing = 88 sld.Skill.Pistol = 88
Emerald City shore fighter #1 sld.rank = 22 sld.hp = 179 sld.Skill.Fencing = 77 sld.Skill.Pistol = 77
Emerald City shore fighter #2 sld.rank = 22 sld.hp = 205 sld.Skill.Fencing = 77 sld.Skill.Pistol = 77
Emerald City shore fighter #3 sld.rank = 22 sld.hp = 202 sld.Skill.Fencing = 77 sld.Skill.Pistol = 77
Emerald City shore fighter #4 sld.rank = 22 sld.hp = 171 sld.Skill.Fencing = 77 sld.Skill.Pistol = 77
Emerald City shore fighter #5 sld.rank = 22 sld.hp = 274 sld.Skill.Fencing = 77 sld.Skill.Pistol = 77
Emerald City shore fighter #6 sld.rank = 22 sld.hp = 295 sld.Skill.Fencing = 77 sld.Skill.Pistol = 77
Emerald City shore fighter #7 sld.rank = 22 sld.hp = 161 sld.Skill.Fencing = 77 sld.Skill.Pistol = 77
Difficulty Level = 8
Tavern robber sld.rank = 13 sld.hp = 138 sld.Skill.Fencing = 96 sld.Skill.Pistol = 96
Emerald City shore fighter #1 sld.rank = 24 sld.hp = 240 sld.Skill.Fencing = 84 sld.Skill.Pistol = 84
Emerald City shore fighter #2 sld.rank = 24 sld.hp = 182 sld.Skill.Fencing = 84 sld.Skill.Pistol = 84
Emerald City shore fighter #3 sld.rank = 24 sld.hp = 184 sld.Skill.Fencing = 84 sld.Skill.Pistol = 84
Emerald City shore fighter #4 sld.rank = 24 sld.hp = 200 sld.Skill.Fencing = 84 sld.Skill.Pistol = 84
Emerald City shore fighter #5 sld.rank = 24 sld.hp = 182 sld.Skill.Fencing = 84 sld.Skill.Pistol = 84
Emerald City shore fighter #6 sld.rank = 24 sld.hp = 161 sld.Skill.Fencing = 84 sld.Skill.Pistol = 84
Emerald City shore fighter #7 sld.rank = 24 sld.hp = 166 sld.Skill.Fencing = 84 sld.Skill.Pistol = 84
Emerald City shore fighter #8 sld.rank = 24 sld.hp = 214 sld.Skill.Fencing = 84 sld.Skill.Pistol = 84
Difficulty Level = 9
Tavern robber sld.rank = 9 sld.hp = 157 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #1 sld.rank = 26 sld.hp = 177 sld.Skill.Fencing = 91 sld.Skill.Pistol = 91
Emerald City shore fighter #2 sld.rank = 26 sld.hp = 172 sld.Skill.Fencing = 91 sld.Skill.Pistol = 91
Emerald City shore fighter #3 sld.rank = 26 sld.hp = 250 sld.Skill.Fencing = 91 sld.Skill.Pistol = 91
Emerald City shore fighter #4 sld.rank = 26 sld.hp = 246 sld.Skill.Fencing = 91 sld.Skill.Pistol = 91
Emerald City shore fighter #5 sld.rank = 26 sld.hp = 193 sld.Skill.Fencing = 91 sld.Skill.Pistol = 91
Emerald City shore fighter #6 sld.rank = 26 sld.hp = 209 sld.Skill.Fencing = 91 sld.Skill.Pistol = 91
Emerald City shore fighter #7 sld.rank = 26 sld.hp = 192 sld.Skill.Fencing = 91 sld.Skill.Pistol = 91
Emerald City shore fighter #8 sld.rank = 26 sld.hp = 235 sld.Skill.Fencing = 91 sld.Skill.Pistol = 91
Emerald City shore fighter #9 sld.rank = 26 sld.hp = 232 sld.Skill.Fencing = 91 sld.Skill.Pistol = 91
Difficulty Level = 10
Tavern robber sld.rank = 14 sld.hp = 178 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #1 sld.rank = 30 sld.hp = 283 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #2 sld.rank = 30 sld.hp = 269 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #3 sld.rank = 30 sld.hp = 275 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #4 sld.rank = 30 sld.hp = 200 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #5 sld.rank = 30 sld.hp = 208 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #6 sld.rank = 30 sld.hp = 253 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #7 sld.rank = 30 sld.hp = 183 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #8 sld.rank = 30 sld.hp = 247 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #9 sld.rank = 30 sld.hp = 187 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100
Emerald City shore fighter #10 sld.rank = 30 sld.hp = 229 sld.Skill.Fencing = 100 sld.Skill.Pistol = 100

Note that in the robber scenario, even at level 5, where the skills are not too dissimilar, that NPC gets the SuperShooter with a powerful double-shot pistol and usually shoots me dead within the first few seconds because I have meager ability, don’t yet have enough perk points at level 7, and can’t kill him fast enough.

However, in the Emerald shore, there are multiple attackers that surround you (one NPC for each difficulty level setting), with no place to choke them single-file, so there is absolutely no way to survive above level 4 or so…at level 3, I was able to run/dodge, turn/shoot as my pistol reloaded. I got shot a time or two, sometimes dead, but a couple times only near death and I could potion revive, but they sometimes missed and once they ran out of their own health potions and their health got low, I’d also take a swing or two, then dodge again…it’s impossible to parry against 3 opponents surrounding you because they often swing at different times and only one overhead hit is needed to kill you. Eventually whittled them down, then could stand and fight. The time or two I survived at setting 3, I ran out of potions, nearly died myself, but succeeded a couple times. But died often, with many reloads/reattempts. Level 5 is impossible for a level 7 solo character. They shoot you dead within 2 seconds, or all take swings and you can’t block them all as you’re surrounded and they time/execute their attacks differently so you can’t both parry/block and they only need one or two hits to kill you. Whereas my overhead on a single, isolated attacker takes more than 4 hits to kill them.

But as you can see, at difficulty 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, you would be solo against 5-10 level 10+ opponents, all with SuperShooter and 200 HP…and no cover. They surround you and shoot you dead within seconds. If you try to run either for cover that doesn’t exist, or to bide time, with any more than 3 or so, they will shoot you dead…I tried anything I could think of to survive and failed many times.

At least in the Ascold Spanish Temple Raid, Panama Raid, Narwhal fight you have help against superior forces. In the Spanish Temple raid, you can also jump in/out (which I have done) to escape/recover and then try again…any you have killed remain dead. Also, in the Tenochtitlan, you do the fights piecemeal against 3 at a time, with some cover opportunity. The Casper fight is insane, but there is a way to first whittle a few down with no fight at all and there are also a couple choke points where pistol fire is blocked by the NPC in front of you, not able to hit you.

I don’t think for this part of the very beginning of a quest, that offers very little reward, it is worth so much adversity at the very start in any other setting other than the first couple difficulty settings. I’m thinking of halving the number of opponents:

Setting:#Opponents
1:1
2:1
3:2
4:2
5:3
6:3…etc.

And also if the difficulty setting is above 3, adding your officers to the fight. I’ve already coded this and experimented and at difficulty 5, against 3 opponents that still have the rank/skills shown, is still very hard at level 5. My fighters are quickly killed by pistols and usually so am I, but I’ve been able to succeed a time or two. Again, that’s at setting 5. At my level 7, Impossible difficulty is still such even against just 5 level 30 opponents. I’m also sure that even with capable fighters, with a change to 5 opponents for the Impossible setting, where they will be level 30, skills at 100, and many hit points, it will be just as ‘impossible’ as the setting implies.

My reasoning for this particular Emerald City quest is that it’s fairly mediocre and my thinking is that a low-level character should be able to pass this beginning part of it, even at mid-range difficulty settings. I think adding your officer help above difficulty 3, although still very likely to die, offers at least some chance of passing…at average to very difficult setting, it will still be very difficult to pass even if the player is high rank and skilled, with good officers. Unless someone can show me/convince me a level 8-10 character can survive this fight. I’m pretty good at fighting in this game and I couldn’t do it at level 7, difficulty 5.

The Tavern robber can stay the same. It’s impossible to win for a low-level character…so either pay the money, or just stop messing around with the waitresses! LOL

Ascold fix. There has been a longstanding bug since AoP, where the body-switch in the Ascold quest makes your fighter officers disappear forever. I have been meaning to fix this and just got around to it. I don’t have an old save for that part, but the code snippet was tested in the debugger and works to simply remove the officer from the position, rather than vanish.

LeifEricson.c fix

This was the original AoP/GOF/ERAS code (same in all):

for (i=1; i<=3; i++)
{
 	string officers = "Fellows.Passengers.Officers."+"id"+i;
 	if(CheckAttribute(pchar, officers))
 	{
		RemoveOfficersIndex(pchar, sti(pchar.(officers)));
        }
}

The intent, I’m sure, is so that your fighters don’t join the skeleton siege on the town with you, not to remove them forever. However, simply removing the index vaporizes characters that are only fighters, (if they multitask/jack-of-all-trades and hold another position, you still see them in that other position); they are gone forever. I looked at the screen code to remove an officer from a particular position and there is more that is needed:

for (i=1; i<=3; i++)
            {
                string officers = "Fellows.Passengers.Officers."+"id"+i;
                if(CheckAttribute(pchar, officers))
                {
		     //Fix for officers that are only fighters are gone forever, rather than just removed from position appointment
		     int iOfficer = sti(pchar.(officers));
	   	     if(iOfficer > -1){
			characters[iOfficer].isfree = sti(characters[iOfficer].isfree) - 1;
			if (sti(characters[iOfficer].isfree) <= 0)
			{
				DeleteAttribute(&characters[iOfficer], "isfree");
			}
			RemoveOfficersIndex(pchar, iOfficer);
			DeleteAttribute(&characters[iOfficer], "fighter");
		     }
                }
            }

.zip updated: https://mega.nz/#F!WtMDgRxK!hbeUg86kGLlQAqvWRNwTqg

• This reply was modified 8 years, 8 months ago by Jeffrey.

BTW, I’ve not submitted/included the Emerald City change per difficulty level, as there might be some discussion/disagreement with my reasoning: What follows is my proposal that I have tried at various difficulty settings by simply uncommenting/changing the line at the beginning to change MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE 1-10 and relaunching/retrying my save sitting in the harbor and docking at this particular shore:

void MC_DesMoinesInShore(string qName)
{
//MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE = 5;
	chrDisableReloadToLocation = true;
	LAi_LocationFightDisable(loadedLocation, true);
	LAi_group_Delete("EnemyFight");

    //Mod...halve number of enemies.  Their rank/skills will already outrank Hero and fight is VERY difficult...you will likely die.
    for (i=1; i<=round((MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE + 0.2) / 2); i++)
    {
        sld = GetCharacter(NPC_GenerateCharacter("ShoreGuard"+i, "officer_"+(i+10), "man", "man", 20, PIRATE, 0, true));
        FantomMakeCoolFighter(sld, 20, 70, 70, "topor2", "pistol3", 50);
		sld.dialog.filename = "Quest\MagicCity.c";
		sld.dialog.currentnode = "ShoreGuard";
		sld.BreakTmplAndFightGroup = true; 
		sld.reactionOnFightModeOn = true; 
        LAi_SetActorType(sld);			
        LAi_group_MoveCharacter(sld, "EnemyFight");				
		PlaceCharacter(sld, "goto", "random_free");
		LAi_ActorDialog(sld, pchar, "", -1.0, 0);
    }

    //Mod
    if(MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE > 3){ //Go ahead and allow Hero's fighter officers for difficulty setting > 3...they will be needed and everyone will likely be killed anyway if not high enough level
    for (i=1; i<=3; i++) {
	string officers = "Fellows.Passengers.Officers."+"id"+i;
        if(CheckAttribute(pchar, officers))
        {
  	   int iOfficer = sti(pchar.(officers));	   
	   if(iOfficer > -1){
           sld = GetCharacter(iOfficer);
	   PlaceCharacter(sld, "goto", "random_must_be_near");
	   }
        }		
    }}			
}

Thank you, Jeffrey, you are doing an outstanding job fixing all these bugs!

Thanks Orazio.

In those ‘other captain’ quests/requests to find some ships, attack/loot and the player immediately teleports to the nearest shore, sometimes the screen goes black and stays that way. If you hit the ESC key, the menu to Resume game pops up and then everything looks fine. This bothered me.

I had a thought that maybe if I could insert code that emulates mooring in that location, that would fix it. I found Sea_LandLoad() in sea.c and tried its method calls before teleportation. I fortunately have a boarding save just at the last ship of one of these quests, and I inserted some of this code in strategic spots and eventually got it to work! I’ve only tested this one particular save, but without it, screen goes black and with my additions, it displays as it should. I will try to test more, but several attempts both ways shows this to work so far…but unknown if anything else might be affected. There also may be a more elegant and simpler way, but so far this resolves what I aimed to fix.

In DoReloadCharacterToLocation of quests.c I added:

//Fix for black screen after immediately teleporting from sea to land at end of other Captain quests.
	//Derived from sea.c:  Sea_LandLoad()
	PauseAllSounds();
	ResetSound();
	LayerFreeze("realize", false);
	LayerFreeze("execute", false);
	if(bSeaActive){
		ReleaseMapEncounters();
		EmptyAllFantomShips();
	}
	//End fix
	return TeleportCharacterFromCurLocationToLocation("fakeReload",idGroup,idLocator);

And in scripts/PSHero.c, I added a line to PGG_Q1LocationLoaded:

//Fix...battle interface stills showing after teleport fix in quests.c:  DoReloadCharacterToLocation
DeleteBattleInterface();
//End fix

Files updated at: https://mega.nz/#F!WtMDgRxK!hbeUg86kGLlQAqvWRNwTqg

To continue on with the difficulty settings…it seems broken. From setting = 4 and above, the NPC fight action/damage is insane and near impossible to endure. I am now level 17, with a Flemish cuirass, nice fast-loading pistol and above-average light weapon. With bonus items, 73 fencing score, 43 pistol score. Against the 3 opponents, solo, in the Isabella arrest, the fight starts with you surrounded, and at my difficulty setting of 5, I’m dead within a few seconds at my character level, usually from multiple pistol shots from at least 2 of the opponents at the same time…yet having good skills and lots of practice in this game, it’s fairly easy for me at difficulty level 1; never even the slightest problem defeating them.

I now see why…looking LAi_fightparams.c, at difficulty level 5, all enemy damage is 100%, but reduced to 50% at setting = 1. From the ‘coolfighter’ function we’ve talked about, their level is very high at setting 5 and their stats are pegged at max 100. They never miss, do terrible damage, and their speed of attacks is very fast…too fast, as if fast-motion. I’ve decided to smooth out the difficulty transition so that each level of difficulty becomes a gradual increase throughout the 10 settings, rather than jump to near-impossible around level 6 for any low-level character against multiple opponents. Don’t worry, level 10 will be exactly the same (well, except for a minor detail in this particular fight where I actually give a small, gradually increasing time-delay to the fight-start to get to the stairs if you’re thinking strategically…you’ll never win at sub-20 character level if surrounded at setting = 7 🙂 ), but level 5 should be doable for an above average player, and level 7 should be doable for a good player if they make no mistakes. I consider myself pretty good, and I can never beat the Isabella arrest crew at difficulty 7.

I made a smoother gradation of the damage throughout the difficulty values, a reduction and gradation of animation/attack speeds for the difficulty setting, and tailored the levels/stats for these particular Isabella fight NPCs to better match the difficulty level, where 1=easy is the same as the original, and difficulty 10 is also the same as it always was, but everything between is more evenly ramped up. So far, I am quite satisfied. At difficulty 5, I die about 50% of the time, but can win. At difficulty 7, I have beaten them two or three times, but died many more than that. At level 8, I’ve come close to beating them a couple times, but have died each time. I find this experience between levels more aligned with how it should be.

It only took a few lines from both LAi_fightparams.c and quests_reaction.c. Some examples of what I did:

//Mod:  Solo fight...slightly reduce enemy rank as they are still higher, but 3 against one
				Rank = sti(pchar.rank)+ round((MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE + 1.1) / 4) + 1;
				sld = GetCharacter(NPC_GenerateCharacter("Soldier_"+i, Model, "man", "man", Rank, sti(colonies[iTemp].nation), 0, true));
				//FantomMakeCoolFighter(sld, Rank, 100, 90, Blade, "pistol5", 200);
				//Mod
				FantomMakeCoolFighter(sld, Rank, (80 + round(4 * MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE / 2)), (70 + round(4 * MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE / 2)), Blade, "pistol5", (140 + round(10 * MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE / 2)));
				sld.City = colonies[iTemp].id;
				sld.CityType = "soldier";
				sld.Dialog.Filename = "Quest\Isabella\BrigCaptain.c";
				sld.dialog.currentnode = "ArrestInHome_2";
				LAi_SetWarriorType(sld);
				if (i != 1) LAi_warrior_DialogEnable(sld, false);
				LAi_group_MoveCharacter(sld, GetNationNameByType(sti(colonies[iTemp].nation)) + "_citizens");
				ChangeCharacterAddressGroup(sld, "SanJuan_houseSp6", "reload", "reload1");
			}
			sld = characterFromID("Soldier_1");
			LAi_SetActorTypeNoGroup(sld);
			//LAi_ActorDialog(sld, pchar, "", 1.5, 0);
			//Mod...give slightly more time...to find cover maybe?
			float nTimeAdd = MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE * 0.13;
			LAi_ActorDialog(sld, pchar, "", (1.5 + nTimeAdd), 0);

From LAi_fightparams.c:

//Mod in both gun/blade damage functions
		//if (MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE < 5 && sti(enemy.index) == GetMainCharacterIndex())
		if (MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE < 10 && sti(enemy.index) == GetMainCharacterIndex())	
		{
			//dmg = dmg * (4.0 + MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE) / 10.0;
			dmg = dmg * (0.45 + MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE * 0.05);
		}

Mod in LAi_NPC_GetAttackWeightFast, LAi_NPC_GetAttackWeightForce, LAi_NPC_GetAttackWeightRound:

//npc_return_tmp = npc_return_tmp * (0.8 + (0.1 * MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE));
	//Boyer mod
	npc_return_tmp = npc_return_tmp * (0.8 + (0.05 * MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE + 0.05));

By putting MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE = 7; and other 1-10 settings into the function before all the NPCs are made in quests_reaction, I have quit the game and reloaded my save to every setting, many times, and think it is much better. If anyone wants to try this particular fight, I could upload these two files, and my save for this game to try yourself…rename your versions of the two files, and change the MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE value in case “Romantic_ArrestInHouse block for any setting you want to try. Exit, save .c file, and relaunch/load game. It’s kind of fun to try the different settings and see the difference. You could also rename my two files, set your files back after trying say level 5, and play the same setting to see the difference between original version, too.

I had almost forgotten that in the beginning, Pearl Village was broken and model[10] = “pirate_11”; through model[27] = “pirate_28”; were stricken out of LAi_utilites.c. Since the models exist in RESOURCE\MODELS\Characters, I took a look and fixed it so that the newer models will show as ModernKnight intended.

The initial model array was not resized from 10 to 28 to accommodate the new entries. Also, the random function was also adjusted. This was tested by going to Pearl Village. Fix is now part of the .zip download.

//Array size fix
//string model[10];
string model[28];

//Added commented section back as model array size now fixed
model[10] = "pirate_11";
model[11] = "pirate_12";
model[12] = "pirate_13";
model[13] = "pirate_14";
model[14] = "pirate_15";
model[15] = "pirate_16";
model[16] = "pirate_17";
model[17] = "pirate_18";
model[18] = "pirate_19";
model[19] = "pirate_20";
model[20] = "pirate_21";
model[21] = "pirate_22";
model[22] = "pirate_23";
model[23] = "pirate_24";
model[24] = "pirate_25";
model[25] = "pirate_26";
model[26] = "pirate_27";
model[27] = "pirate_28";

//iMassive = rand(9);
//Fix so that new models can be reached and new introduced model names can be used
iMassive = rand(27);

Hey, welcome back. Sounds like you had a marvelous time!

Those ships were indeed encountered during a couple smuggler/Gentlemen of Fortune encounters.

I’ve not uploaded my fighting changes for difficulty level just yet. I’m still gauging things. I’m more satisfied with the Emerald Shore and Isabella Arrest. I’m just about to give Tenochtitlan a try at various difficulties. My gauge being 1 is the same as it always was, 5 I can do most of the time if I don’t screw up, 7 I can do some of the time without any mistakes on my part; practicing the same battle after battle, my fighting skills are becoming quite honed! As it was/is, there was a serious leap around setting 5 in the original game where certain fights, like the Emerald Shore were guaranteed death for a low to mid-level character; setting 5 is supposed to be ‘average/normal’. I just figure in that particular fight being the very beginning, should not be guaranteed death at setting 5 if player is prepared with fighters and such, whereas Panama Raid, Spanish at Temple and such, can still be set up for certain death for low-level. Part of the problem is that in the specific fight (e.g. Emerald, or Isabella arrest) logic itself, there are adjustments to increase the fighter stats parameters, that are then passed to the MakeCoolFighter, which itself again adjusts the stats up for the difficulty level…and the thing is you’re already outnumbered, and they not only make the fighters vastly outranking the player, far more deadly, far more hardy HP, with their own revival potions, more skill perks, then they also increase the number of them; all of this at each setting level above 1, with 5 becoming just as deadly, NPC damage-wise as setting 10 (per the damage code).

As it stands, I am getting killed a couple times here and there at setting 5, which is better than how easy setting 1 can get as the player progresses.

However, I was wrong about adjusting the animation speeds of the NPC (pistol pulls and blade swings appear to be WAY faster than your own); I didn’t actually change that as I first thought now that I’ve reviewed closely; I haven’t been able to ascertain how, or if there is a way to slightly tweak that. The NPCs get insanely fast at higher settings and I’d like to tweak that a little bit and experiment, but I’ve not figured if/how to do that just yet…still looking.

I had an idea…how about changing the perk application to an officer to readjust equipped items based on the new skills? Right now, for instance, giving an officer the Shootist or Clever Shot perk will not have that character seek their held items and equip a different gun if they have a gun better suited to their new capabilities within their item inventory; they will only do so if you trade them something after applying the perk. This could apply to pistol-specific perks, cuirass, even blades if their new energy levels warrant a slightly heavier blade that does more damage.

I have already looked at the code and this would be relatively simple to do.

BTW, in the meantime, I already tried the perk-to-equip feature and it works. However, I discovered a minor flaw in the gun selection portion of my previous equip fix mod; it would work nearly 100% of the time, but I got ‘lucky’ in my perk test and found that a problem could present in the right circumstance, which I was. I had to strike out a return line I had meant to previously, but didn’t. I updated my .zip file for that piece, but have not uploaded this perk-to-equip thing until I hear back.

Done. I created a function and call it from SetCharacterPerk. It will apply to ANY officer (not just fighters). Upon grant of any new perk, an officer/companion will scour their item inventory and equip items they hold that fit their capabilities.

I tend to have officers hold items that I will want them to equip later on anyway, to free up my own carried load, so this is nice to eliminate the need to always approach and trade after new perks to get them to equip the items they already hold.

File changed is now in my .zip link and I just added a function to perks.c, and some very slight change to SetCharacterPerk:

//Mod for applying item equip logic after an officer receives new perk
void ApplyItemEquipAfterPerk(ref refCharacter) {

	if(!CheckAttribute(refCharacter, "id")) return;
	//The following is derived from itemstrade.c and itemsbox.c
	//Calls functions in CharacterUtilite.c to apply logic to equip item from refCharacter's inventory
	if (CheckAttribute(refCharacter, "skill.Fencing")) {
		EquipCharacterByItem(refCharacter, FindCharacterItemByGroup(refCharacter,BLADE_ITEM_TYPE));
		EquipCharacterByItem(refCharacter, FindCharacterItemByGroup(refCharacter,CIRASS_ITEM_TYPE));
	}
	if (CheckAttribute(refCharacter, "skill.Pistol") && GetCharacterSkill(refCharacter,"Pistol") > 0.1 )
	{
		EquipCharacterByItem(refCharacter, FindCharacterItemByGroup(refCharacter,GUN_ITEM_TYPE));
	}	

	return;
} 

I found that the Mao Kun map is not giving +15 navigation bonus. Added the following to RPGUtilite.c

// Maokun
skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillByItem(_refCharacter, skillName, SKILL_SAILING, "Maokun", iLev15Bonus);

This investigation was prompted by two items: Armillary and Spectacles. According to the descriptions, one is supposed to add to Insight and the other Talent of the PIRATE skills:

itmname_Mineral18_1 {Spectacles} (+10 Insight=Perception SPECIAL_P – Exp rate of: Light Fencing, Accuracy, Sailing, Repair, Stealth)
itmname_Mineral10_1 {Armillary} (+10 Intellect=Talent SPECIAL_I – Exp rate of: Rank rate, Leadership, Commerce, Cannons, Sailing, Grappling)

However, nothing in In RPGUtilite.c is set to do this. Also, I notice that the function for adjusting PIRATE values is slightly wrong.

int GetCharacterSPECIALSimple(ref _refCharacter, string skillName)
{
	if (!CheckAttribute(_refCharacter,"SPECIAL."+skillName) )
    {
        return 3;
    }
	int skillN = sti(_refCharacter.SPECIAL.(skillName));
    // Health
    if (sti(_refCharacter.index) == GetMainCharacterIndex() && MOD_SKILL_ENEMY_RATE > 1) // íå õàëÿâà
    {
        skillN = skillN + GetHealthNum(_refCharacter) - 6; // max -5
    }
    // boal ó÷åò âåùåé -->
    /*if (IsCompanion(_refCharacter) || IsOfficer(_refCharacter))
    {
        // áðîíçîâûé êðåñò +1 óäà÷à
    	//skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillByItem(_refCharacter, skillName, SKILL_SNEAK, "jewelry9", 1);
	
	skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillBySculArtefact(_refCharacter, skillName);
    	//  itmname_Coins		{Ìîíåòà àöòåêîâ} (-5 óäà÷à)
    	skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillByItem(_refCharacter, skillName, SKILL_FORTUNE, "Coins", -50);

	skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillByItem(_refCharacter, skillName);
    	//  itmname_Opium		{Ìîíåòà àöòåêîâ} (-1 óäà÷à)
    	skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillByItem(_refCharacter, skillName, SKILL_FORTUNE, "itmname_Opium", -10);

	skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillByItem(_refCharacter, skillName);
    	//  itmname_Mineral3_1		{Ìîíåòà àöòåêîâ} (-1 óäà÷à)
    	skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillByItem(_refCharacter, skillName, SKILL_DEFENCE, "itmname_Mineral3_1", -10);

	skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillByItem(_refCharacter, skillName);
    	//  itmname_blade86		{Ìîíåòà àöòåêîâ} (-1 óäà÷à)
    	skillN = skillN + SetCharacterSkillByItem(_refCharacter, skillName, SKILL_FORTUNE, "itmname_blade86", -30);

    	// íåëüçÿ :(  Èíà÷å ðåêóðñèÿ áåç âûõîäà
    	if (GetItemsWeight(_refCharacter) > GetMaxItemsWeight(_refCharacter))
    	{
  	        skillN -=2;
    	}
    	// boal ó÷åò ïåðåãðóçà 19.01.2004 <--
	} */
	// boal <--
	if (skillN <= 1) skillN = 1;
	if( skillN > SPECIAL_MAX ) skillN = SPECIAL_MAX;

	return skillN;
}

In the function SetCharacterSkillByItem, it does nothing if skillName parameter does not match the very next parameter. Since GetCharacterSPECIALSimple is always called with a constant like SPECIAL_I or SPECIAL_P, that parameter will never match SKILL_SNEAK or SKILL_FORTUNE. That is why the cursed black pearls don’t affect Luck (this is evident in GOF 1.2 as well), the newer addition of Opium doesn’t affect luck in ERAS either, etc. These should be moved to GetCharacterSkillSimple (and in the case of Opium, etc. the .name changed to the .id) so that they work as intended.

Also, if the spectacles and armillary are supposed to boost Talent and Insight, those scores are 1-10, so should probably not +10, but maybe +1? The description and their bonus should then be changed, then added to the function GetCharacterSPECIALSimple. Should I make these changes?

Done. Change to RPGUtilite.c and ItemsDescribe.txt to indicate +1 for the two, instead of +10. Files at my link.

I have the spectacles

Well this is unfortunate. I attempted to board an English 5th rater and the game created a boarding save, but hung up during the loading screen…just froze. Since they had struck their colors and were just sitting there, I reloaded and tried boarding with 3 different ships from my squadron and the same thing each time.

I notice the virtual memory of start.exe just continues to climb and after several minutes, the game will just crash. An error.log is NOT created, just some output in both compile.log and system.log. Since I tried different ships, I figure it must be something with the English 5th rater? I don’t recall ever boarding one before, but I would think I had by now? Can’t say for certain. I still have the save, but nothing to tell me what might be going wrong. I had actually boarded a 4th rater just prior, during the same battle, with no issues and really haven’t had this sort of problem.

Not sure what to start investigating.

Yeah, that’s the thing…I don’t think it’s necessarily English 5th raters, but some other variables have converged in this instance. I can almost swear I’ve also boarded them in the past. I just wish I knew how I could somehow glean more information as to what’s happening, give a clue so we can see if there’s a way to somehow fix the situation. That virtual memory just starts spiraling out of control consumption right when I submit a board action.

If you’re curious, and you have a copy of your original ERAS 2 I got from your download link, putting my files over that set, I have just uploaded my save file along with the updates I’ve been playing with and you can try it. Maybe with your experience with this game you can see if the logs tell you anything.

As for me, I just left them adrift and went on my way after a few unsuccessful tries 🙂

https://mega.nz/#F!WtMDgRxK!hbeUg86kGLlQAqvWRNwTqg

Employing the ‘sail away’ workaround is not all that bad, considering.

Remember the dreaded ‘Bad Save’ one used to encounter every once in awhile in vanilla and GOF, and even in ERAS, since it derived from them? It used to happen sometimes during F6 Quick Save. It used to happen during the standard save action. It also used to happen sometimes during the boarding save, where the game would act just like this — boarding load screen, wait and wait, then the game crashes, relaunch only to find that the save didn’t ‘take’ and the slot showed that despicable ‘Bad Save’ image. Ugh!

I always held my breath when the game was saving. I also used to employ an anticipatory workaround for this glitch, by selecting save, then clicking at least 3 slots back from where I was (or an empty slot). After that succeeded (or not), the immediately follow-up with an F6 quick save. Now I’ve two for exactly the same game state. If one crashed/bad, then I’m still OK and my most recent is intact, because if it crashed during save, that slot you selected (or the sole quick-save slot) was now corrupted and all was lost.

I’ve not had one in literally two months now. I am so confident now, that I don’t even do my 3 slots over rule anymore (except in cases where I specifically want to preserve a scenario for repeated testing)…or hold my breath during save :). I think it had something to do with some of those erroneous array size vs. max index problems and a few divide-by-zero equations that were found and resolved. That fact alone is one of the most encouraging improvements. One can live with an occasional crash if saving frequently and one can simply resume where left off, but when the save itself crashes and corrupts your latest state and you have to go further back, THAT is aggravating and risks players giving up on the thing entirely!

I did a little bit of poking around RE fighters. Also, I’m not sure if/how the current Passengers.Officers object will support additional properties: Passengers.Officers.id4, Passengers.Officers.id5 Passengers.Officers.id6?

character_all.h

void FillCharactersScroll()
.
.
.
for(int k=1; k<4; k++) //This handles fighters appearing in the scroll.  Notice k only goest to 3
.
.
.

character_all.c

void AcceptAddOfficer()

switch (nCurScrollNum)
		{
			case 1:
				pchar.Fellows.Passengers.navigator = iChar;
			break;

			case 2:
				pchar.Fellows.Passengers.boatswain = iChar;
			break;

			case 3:
				pchar.Fellows.Passengers.cannoner = iChar;
			break;

			case 4:
				pchar.Fellows.Passengers.doctor = iChar;
			break;

			case 5:
				pchar.Fellows.Passengers.treasurer = iChar;
			break;

			case 6:
				pchar.Fellows.Passengers.carpenter = iChar;
			break;
			
			//Cases 7 through 9 are for fighters in the scroll
			case 7:
				SetOfficersIndex(pchar, 1, iChar);
				bNeedFollow = true;
			break;

			case 8:
				SetOfficersIndex(pchar, 2, iChar);
				bNeedFollow = true;
			break;

			case 9:
				SetOfficersIndex(pchar, 3, iChar);
				bNeedFollow = true;
			break;

			//This will need to be extended to handle additional fighters
		}

Character Utilite.c

The following are all for fighters…and will need to be extended to offer more than 3. Then also search all code that calls these functions and see if they do a loop of 1-3 (like Leif dialog does) and change them. Offhand, I suspect itemsbox, store/trade code, etc.

int GetOfficersQuantity(ref _refCharacter)
{
	int idx=0;
	for(int i=1; i<4; i++)
	{
		if( GetOfficersIndex(_refCharacter,i)!=-1 ) idx++;
	}
	return idx;
}
int GetOfficersIndex(ref _refCharacter,int _OfficerNum)
{
	if(_OfficerNum<0) return -1;
	if(_OfficerNum>3) return -1;
	if(_OfficerNum==0)
    {
        if(!CheckAttribute(_refCharacter,"index")) return -1; // boal fix
        return MakeInt(_refCharacter.index);
    }

	string compName = "id"+_OfficerNum;
	if(!CheckAttribute(_refCharacter,"Fellows.Passengers.Officers."+compName)) return -1;
	if(sti(_refCharacter.Fellows.Passengers.Officers.(compName)) < 1)
	{
		return - 1;
	}
	return sti(_refCharacter.Fellows.Passengers.Officers.(compName));
}

int SetOfficersIndex(ref _refCharacter,int _OfficerNum, int _OfficerIdx)
{
	int i;
    if(_OfficerNum == -1)
	{
		for(i=1; i<4; i++)	
		{
			if(GetOfficersIndex(_refCharacter, i) == -1)
			{
				_OfficerNum = i;
				break;
			}
		}
        // fix
        if (_OfficerNum == -1)
        {
            _OfficerNum = 3; // íåò ìåñòà?? äà ïîôèã
        }
	}
	if(_OfficerNum<1) return _OfficerIdx;
	if(_OfficerNum>3) return _OfficerIdx;

	if(_OfficerIdx!=-1)
	{
		for(i=1;i<4;i++)
		{
			if(GetOfficersIndex(_refCharacter,i)==_OfficerIdx) return -1;
		}
		AddPassenger(_refCharacter,GetCharacter(_OfficerIdx),false);
	}

	string compName = "id"+_OfficerNum;
	int retVal = GetOfficersIndex(_refCharacter,_OfficerNum);
	_refCharacter.Fellows.Passengers.Officers.(compName) = _OfficerIdx;
	if(_OfficerIdx>=0)
	{
		LAi_SetOfficerType(GetCharacter(_OfficerIdx));
		Characters[_OfficerIdx].location = _refCharacter.location;
	}
	if(retVal>=0)
	{
		LAi_SetCitizenTypeNoGroup(GetCharacter(retVal));
		Characters[retVal].location = "none";
	}
	Event(EVENT_CHANGE_OFFICERS,"");

	return retVal;
}
bool RemoveOfficersIndex(ref _refCharacter, int _OfficerIdx)
{
	if(_OfficerIdx==-1) return false;
	for(int i=1; i<4; i++)
	{
		if(GetOfficersIndex(_refCharacter,i) == _OfficerIdx)
		{
			SetOfficersIndex(_refCharacter,i,-1);
			return true;
		}
	}
	return false;
}

I got everything working but one last bit. They show on the character scroll and you can assign/remove them. They show in trading at store/trading. As it stands, roughly two dozen files were changed:

LandInterface.c
LogInterface.c
CharacterUtilite.c
LSC_Q2Utilite.c
QuestsUtilite.c
RPGUtilite.c
character_all.c
character_all.h
interface_utils.c
itemstrade.c
papermap.c
utilite.c
LAi_boarding.c
LAi_groups.c
LAi_init.c
quests.c
quests_reaction.c
reaction_functions.c
crew.c
duel.c
Cabin.c
Vorius_utils.c
LeifEricson.c

For ease of changing, I added int MAX_NUM_FIGHTERS = 6; to CharacterUtilite.c and now all references that need that number for loops and such now use MAX_NUM_FIGHTERS.

The one part I can’t quite find is to get them actually with you walking around and showing on the land interface icons. There are only 3 with me, though I increased everything else to 6. I’ve looked and looked, but can’t figure out where upon location load, it gets all my fighters; right now it only loads the first 3.

I think I got it figured out. In LAi_init.c:

Characters[idx].location = pchar.location;
Characters[idx].location.group = “officers”;
Characters[idx].location.locator = pchar.location.locator + “_” + locIndex;

Makes all the fighters part of the “officers” address group, then assigns them all a reload1_x locator id. I’m betting only reload1_1, reload1_2 and reload1_3 are the only valid locators in every location model. Hence, only the first 3 are loaded.

No need. Just did an experiment, where I reuse the same locator ids and it works. I fast-traveled to the dock and they are all just standing near me:

//Mod…in LAi_init.c

int k = locIndex % 3;
if(k==0) k=3;
Characters[idx].location = pchar.location;
Characters[idx].location.group = “officers”;
//Characters[idx].location.locator = pchar.location.locator + “_” + locIndex;
Characters[idx].location.locator = pchar.location.locator + “_” + k;

Now the only thing left is the land interface still doesn’t show beyond 3. Not sure why as I’ve already adjusted that in LandInterface.c:

void BLI_UpdateObjectData()

for(i=0; i<=MAX_NUM_FIGHTERS; i++)

void BLI_UpdateOfficers()
{
	SetOfficerTexture(0);
	SetOfficerTexture(1);
	SetOfficerTexture(2);
	SetOfficerTexture(3);
	//Mod for add'l fighters
	SetOfficerTexture(4);
	SetOfficerTexture(5);
	SetOfficerTexture(6);
	//End mod

	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 0, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture0);
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 1, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture1);
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 2, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture2);
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 3, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture3);
	//Mod for add'l fighters
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 4, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture4);
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 5, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture5);
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 6, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture6);

Posse! LOL

LOL.

It’s a quirk of mine…there are just enough females in this game to eventually have my entire officer/companion complement to almost be solely chics. So, every game I tend to strive for that. Suppose I’m a creepy weirdo 😉

I will also say, the hat for Bonney is a great touch 🙂

Hmmm. Might be a constraint in the .dll source, rather than the Program codeset.

Looking at the possibility of the message handler for this:

SendMessage(&objLandInterface, “lls”, MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 6, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture6);

I found the constant MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX in battle_land.cpp:

case MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX:
		{
			int texIdx = message.Long();
			char param[256];
			message.String(sizeof(param)-1,param);
			if(texIdx>=0 && texIdx<4)
			{
				int newTexID = -1;
				if(param[0]) newTexID = rs->TextureCreate(param);
				TEXTURE_RELEASE(rs,m_idIconTexture[texIdx]);
				m_idIconTexture[texIdx] = newTexID;
			}
		}
	break;

Note the if(texIdx>=0 && texIdx<4) line. Does not register any message containing a parameter beyond 3. Might be why the interface does not display further…

Though slightly different, the approach for both is similar, but apparently the battle interface for ships does not have a constraint.

From BattleInterface.c (for ships)

void AddShipToInterface(int charIndex)
.
.
.
for(int i=0; i<COMPANION_MAX; i++)
	{
		if(GetCompanionIndex(pchar,i) == charIndex)
		{
			myShip = true;
		}
	}
.
.
.
SendMessage(&BattleInterface,"llaall",BI_IN_CREATE_SHIP,charIndex,chRef,shipRef,myShip,shipRelation);

From LandInterface.c

void BLI_UpdateOfficers()
{
	SetOfficerTexture(0);
	SetOfficerTexture(1);
	SetOfficerTexture(2);
	SetOfficerTexture(3);
	//Mod for add'l fighters
	SetOfficerTexture(4);
	SetOfficerTexture(5);
	SetOfficerTexture(6);
	//End mod

	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 0, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture0);
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 1, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture1);
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 2, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture2);
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 3, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture3);
	//Mod for add'l fighters
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 4, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture4);
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 5, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture5);
	SendMessage(&objLandInterface, "lls", MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, 6, objLandInterface.Parameters.iconTexture6);

I am downloading Visual C++ (I deal with C# for my job), and will try compiling a new .dll and see what happens if I change that .cpp code.

A bit of a problem. There are missing files (just a sample, there are more):

1> fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: ‘..\..\START\program\battle_interface\log_msg.h’: No such file or directory
1> battle_mansign.cpp
1> fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: ‘..\START\PROGRAM\NET\net_defines.h’: No such file or directory

There is also some confusion on my part. Battle_interface folder contains a battle_land.cpp file that is 19 kb. Though that is the one that contains the code with a message case for MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX, it is not the one included in the project. The one in the actual project is only 4kb, located in a subfolder \land, and it also does not contain a message case for MSG_BATTLE_LAND_SET_ICONTEX.

I’m not able to proceed until I understand what to do about the dupe files (there are many, they are just located in the root, rather than some subfolders, yet they contain defs/methods that look to be for the same class), which ones I should use?

No, these are the source for the .dll and such you gave me. I think I’m getting that perhaps there were the originals, then some modifications were made by someone in 2010, and they just moved the originals to the root, so the older files should probably not be used. In any case, I’m still missing the complete set as there are some .h includes that are simply missing. But it’s looking to definitely be a limitation within the battle_interface.dll…from the battle_mansign.cpp:

#define MAX_MAN_QUANTITY	4

for( n=0; n<MAX_MAN_QUANTITY; n++ )
	{
		m_Man[n].pntPos.x = 20.f;
		m_Man[n].pntPos.y = 20.f + (m_pntBackIconSize.y + 10.f) * n;
	}

If you look in LandInterface.c, ‘mansign’ is definitely the object for the fighters:

objLandInterface.ManSign.manstatetexturename	= "battle_interface\ShipState.tga";
	objLandInterface.ManSign.manstatecolor			= argb(255,128,128,128);
	objLandInterface.ManSign.manhpuv				= "0.0,0.109,0.5,0.6875";
	objLandInterface.ManSign.manhpoffset			= "-32,-13";
	objLandInterface.ManSign.manhpiconsize			= "64,74";
	objLandInterface.ManSign.manenegryuv			= "0.5,0.109,1.0,0.6875";
	objLandInterface.ManSign.manenegryoffset		= "32,-13";
	objLandInterface.ManSign.manenergyiconsize		= "64,74";

	objLandInterface.ManSign.gunchargetexturename	= "battle_interface\ShipClass.tga";
	objLandInterface.ManSign.gunchargecolor			= argb(255,168,168,48);
	objLandInterface.ManSign.gunchargebackcolor		= argb(255,188,48,48);
	objLandInterface.ManSign.gunchargeuv			= "0.0,0.0,1.0,1.0";
	objLandInterface.ManSign.gunchargeoffset		= "-14,-50";
	objLandInterface.ManSign.gunchargeiconsize		= "64,16";
	objLandInterface.ManSign.gunchargeprogress		= "0.0625, 0.219, 0.359, 0.5, 0.641, 0.781, 0.983";

If I could get the missing files for the .dll stuff and compile this, we could change it. Until then, the add’l fighter icons will not show.

Ha! Never mind…I see what you’re saying…the code for the .dll stuff actually does share some .h with the Program source that was provided with the game. I looked and sure enough, there is a net folder, with Net_Defines.h in it under Program\net. It wasn’t with the .dll source, but I can obviously just copy that to my project folder too.

Now all that’s missing is DirectX files such as d3dx8math.inl. The SDK is available from Microsoft, so I’m downloading that now. I think I’m getting closer.

OK, it looks like someone worked to better modularize some of the code. I successfully compiled battle_interface.dll, but it crashes the game, probably because it needs hooks into the EngineCommon someone wrote into this. The runtime error is “Can`t create render service”. Since this was all the newer .cpp files (those duplicates I mentioned), I moved the older ones into the project, which in turn dissociated the EngineCommon reference, and rebuilt with the older files and now I am only missing one piece.

Can you find a file anywhere in your source: common_h\dx8render.h

It is not part of DirectX SDK and I suspect it was written by the game developers to specifically implement/invoke DirectX, so it looks particular to this game source and not actually a common DirectX include. That appears all I’m missing as you’ll note that the error is suspiciously tied to the name of that file.

But the battle_land.cpp is definitely the limit of the icon display. Bummer as if I had the right code to compile, I’m confident it would work. You can see the limit to display here in the for(int i=0; i<4; i++):

rs->TextureSet(0,m_idShadowTexture);
			rs->DrawBuffer(m_idVBufCommandos, sizeof(BI_COLOR_VERTEX), m_idIBufCommandos, m_nMaxCommandos*4,m_nCommandos*4, 0,m_nCommandos*2, "battle_shadow_Rectangle");
			int iconNum=0;
			for(int i=0; i<4; i++)
			{
				if(iconNum>=m_nCommandos) break;
				if(m_idIconTexture[i]<0) continue;
				rs->TextureSet(0,m_idIconTexture[i]);
				rs->DrawBuffer(m_idVBufCommandos, sizeof(BI_COLOR_VERTEX), m_idIBufCommandos, iconNum*4,4, 0,2, "battle_tex_col_Rectangle");
				iconNum++;
			}

Here is another instance where GetComState is not defined:

CONTROL_STATE cs;
if(m_pCommandMenu->GetComState()>0)

Compiler error: \battle_interface\land\battle_land.cpp(95): error C2039: ‘GetComState’ : is not a member of ‘BICommandList’

GetComState is found in no other file search of the entire codeset, except for the call in battle_land.cpp. Also, m_pCommandMenu was originally defined as a BATTLE_COMMAND object, but that no longer exists in any files either. It appeared to be replaced by BICommandList, as it had some similar methods…but of course GetComState was removed. But since I don’t have the BATTLE_COMMAND source, and only the newer BICommandList, this doesn’t work to compile.

There are other problems just like this…that mismatch and missing stuff.

Yeah, it’s so close…I know exactly where the limit lies and if we only had the source for the actual functional release, it would be an easy and quick change. I’ll cross my fingers we can somehow obtain it.

In the meantime, I was actually thinking the same thing. The fighters are there, and you can interact/trade/purchase things for them. The only thing the icons let you know is their health and when it disappears, they are dead 🙂 I don’t think a few missing is entirely a deal-breaker. I will package this up separately, so you can review the individual files/changes, and put it in my folder link.

Also, I had my limit set at 6, but after seeing you were thinking 8, I made a couple slight modification in the case/message statements so that it can be changed by merely changing just one line at the top of CharacterUtilite.c: int MAX_NUM_FIGHTERS = 6;

Oh, one thing I did not do is try to add them to the load game file screen. Since there are only 10 spots (you, 3 fighters, 6 other officers) and no scroll, I opted to skip that because they would not currently fit across the bottom.

That is the code you saw for creating the officer’s pictures in interface.c.

Additional Fighters: https://mega.nz/#F!WtMDgRxK!hbeUg86kGLlQAqvWRNwTqg

Ah, I did not test boarding. There was a bug, but that is now fixed. But if downloaded prior to this message, get the newer one.

Well, well…

Just for grins, I created a C++ project folder and copied over the fresh, unadulterated source for the game I have. It didn’t compile. But the errors were relatively simple (though a bit time consuming 🙂 ) to rectify, without modifying the source code. I was missing some static libraries for FMOD, some references to static libraries to DirectX, and some Microsoft Foundation Class (MFC) includes.

I had recently downloaded the SDK for DirectX, so pointed a reference to its needed libraries: d3d8.lib, d3dx8.lib, ddraw.lib, dxguid.lib. My personal version of VS is Express, which doesn’t include MFC, but I have resources and just copied the include/implementation source from a VS Pro instance I have access to, and pointed a reference to them. The FMOD static library, fmodex_vc.lib, was easy enough to find and download.

Just a couple slight problems left. There was a call to GetCPUUsage in FMOD, that my .dll doesn’t support, but looking at the call, they don’t really do anything with the information retrieved after the call, so I commented that one line out. Also, the ‘net’ class instantiation contains several source files that I don’t have in the original source at all:

#include “Script\NetFile.inl”
#include “Script\NetMessage.inl”
#include “Script\NetSocket.inl”
#include “Script\NetInet.inl”

But, all the function calls for these includes are in the class initialization and I don’t really need the internet/online gaming part anyway, so commented out the missing includes and the calls to its online features in the class init. That’s it…two very small, insignificant, and irrelevant changes. After that:

========== Rebuild All: 53 succeeded, 0 failed, 0 skipped ==========

That’s right. Everything compiled. Makes a new start.exe and all new .dlls. Let’s run it…

Crash.

Remember I suspected the game has it’s own compile parser? It does, and it’s been broken. Running in debug mode, the game makes it to this line in Core.cpp:

if(!Compiler.CreateProgram(String)) _THROW(fail to create program);

String contains “seadogs.c”. The first program it tries to run, as expected.

error.log file is created and states:

COMPILE ERROR – file: seadogs.c; line: 308
function SetGlowParams(args:0) doesnt accept 3 arguments

seadogs.c tries to call it like this (which is unchanged from working game): SetGlowParams(1.0, 50, 2);

The error is a lie. The native function SetGlowParams is not defined with zero parameters. It is defined in sdevice.h as this: virtual void SetGLOWParams (float _fBlurBrushSize, long _GlowIntensity, long _GlowPasses);

But OK, just for grins, make it no parms in seadogs.c, save and try again…crash, and again…crash. A sample of things the compiler feature doesn’t like anymore:

COMPILE ERROR – file: Net\Server\Utils.c; line: 7
Duplicate variable name: wOurCharacterID

First lines of Utils.c:

bool NetServer_IsTeam(int wOurCharacterID, int wOtherCharacterID)
{
	return false;
}

bool NetServer_IsCLient(int wOurCharacterID)  //This is line 7 \...so we cant have two functions with the same name parameter?????
{
	if (wOurCharacterID == DST_INVALID) { return false; }
	if (GetAttributesNum(NSClients[wOurCharacterID])) { return true; }
	return false;
}

From further experimentation, the compiler also complains about a duplicate variable i in cases like This:

void function1(){
	int i;
}

void function2(){
	int i;
}

Having similar variable names, scoped to separate functions and procedures is both common and in my mind, necessary, as it would be ridiculous in a large set of code, with many sub routines, to have to keep supplying unique variable names for loops and such. It is also very valid syntax and should not pose errors.

More of the erroneous zero arguments claims with further functions. NMAddByte would what? Add mystery bytes together, or use ESP to just ‘know’ what bytes need to be added…or in the case of _SendMessage…a random thought??? Doesn’t need parameters? LOL

COMPILE ERROR – file: net.c; line: 28
function NMAddByte(args:0) doesnt accept 2 arguments

COMPILE ERROR – file: net\net.c; line: 139
function NetClient_SendMessage(args:0) doesnt accept 2 arguments

So the compile feature to go through the Program source for run-time, is broken. I suspect if that were fixed, there is much more to this source that will be broken as well as it looks like much has been changed/moved. It looks a work-in-progress to me.

Ah, what the heck…curiosity got the best of me, so I’m debugging the parser.

Truncated seadogs.c to this:

native int SetGlowParams(float fBlurBrushSize, int Intensivity, int BlurPasses);

void Main()
{
	SetGlowParams(1.0, 50, 2);
}

Got the same error.log, but with only 6 lines, quick/easy to step through.

In compiler.cpp, get to this line: if(fi.offset == INVALID_FUNC_OFFSET)

This kicks us into the error.

In s_functab.h
#define INVALID_FUNC_OFFSET 0xffffffff

That hex number equals 4294967295

Looking at watchlist:

fi.offset 4294967295 unsigned long

if(fi.offset == INVALID_FUNC_OFFSET)
{
	// external function declared but not compiled yet
	fi.arguments = fi.ext_args;
}

if(fi.arguments != func_args)...goes to error

And see that func_args is 3. This is the number of arguments seadogs.c is trying to use in SetGlowParams. fi.arguments WAS 3, but because fi.offset was equal to INVALID_FUNC_OFFSET, it got set to fi.ext_args, which was zero. So now, fi.arguments = 0 and no longer matches func_args, which is 3, and we get the error.

I need to go to FuncTab.GetFuncX(fi,func_code) as that was a preceding line that populated fi.arguments and fi.ext_args during my debugging steps.

Compiles successfully and runs from source:

Stepping through debug mode, figured out that zero parameter thing was that they are extern now, rather native. Change that in the run-time files in the Program folder and that went away, along with the erroneous duplicate variable thing (probably confused by the other problem and just erroneous parsing after that…). Hit another snag with a bunch of these, throughout many programs:

COMPILE ERROR - file: net\net.c; line: 23
missing ')'

That turned out to be a flaw in the expression.cpp code, which I fixed with a minor, one-line fix.

It runs, but with other issues for now. No sound (doesn’t like my FMOD version), and some function calls are now broken, per system.log and error.log obtained after merely reaching the menu screen (I have not attempted beyond that yet):

System.log

Loading modules (folder: modules\)...
 44 loaded.
Reset...
Initializing CORE...
Creating atoms space: 128
 done
initializing complete
Starting DirectX 8
ERROR: Techniques: Find duplicate technique name: rain
ERROR: in compile shader seaps_atireflect
error:
(1) : (Assembly Error) syntax error

Techniques: 22 shaders compiled.
Techniques: 230 techniques compiled.
Techniques: compiled by 180035618 ticks.
Error : You are using old FMOD version 00040805 !

Total logical: 4, Total cores: 2, Total physical: 1
Intel CPU: Yes, SSE: On, HyperThreading: On
RESOURCE\models\mainmenu\AOPBoard.gm: can't open geometry file
Warning! Interface Back Scene: invalid menu model mainmenu\AOPBoard or transform matrix
RESOURCE\models\mainmenu\AOPBoard.gm: can't open geometry file
Warning! Interface Back Scene: invalid menu model mainmenu\AOPBoard or transform matrix
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\CARGO.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
Can't load texture RESOURCE\textures\BORTOUTCORVETTE1.TGA.tx
FMOD_SOUND:createStream error! (74) This subsound is already being used by another sound, you cannot have more than one parent to a sound.  Null out the other parent's entry first. 
fmod_system->createStream(RESOURCE\sounds\music_MainMenu, FMOD_HARDWARE | FMOD_2D | dwMode, 0, &sound)
FMOD:update error! (74) This subsound is already being used by another sound, you cannot have more than one parent to a sound.  Null out the other parent's entry first. 
FMOD:update error! (74) This subsound is already being used by another sound, you cannot have more than one parent to a sound.  Null out the other parent's entry first. 
FMOD:update error! (74) This subsound is already being used by another sound, you cannot have more than one parent to a sound.  Null out the other parent's entry first. 

Error.log

RUNTIME ERROR - file: seadogs.c; line: 307
Invalid function call
RUNTIME ERROR - file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 4132
Invalid function call
RUNTIME ERROR - file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 4132
function 'SetTextureForShip' stack error
RUNTIME ERROR - file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 634
Invalid function call
RUNTIME ERROR - file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 634
process event stack error

Compile.log looks fine

Init encounters complete.
How islands = 26
Init weathers complete. 35 weathers found.
How islands = 26
Çàïîëíåíèå òðóïîâ ñ ïðåäìåòà 243
Antigua: 12
Barbados: 22
Jamaica: 37
Curacao: 46
Guadeloupe: 55
Santiago: 64
PuertoPrincipe: 68
Martinique: 82
Havana: 91
Nevis: 101
PuertoRico: 110
SentMartin: 120
Bermudes: 125
Trinidad: 134
PortPax: 143
SantoDomingo: 153
LaVega: 157
Tortuga: 167
Panama: 175
PortoBello: 184
Cartahena: 193
Caracas: 202
Cumana: 211
SantaCatalina: 220
Beliz: 229
Maracaibo: 238
Story: 247
ÂÑÅÃÎ ÍÏÑ Â ÈÃÐÅ (ñòàòèêîâ) = 247
Version =  mod#2 ver 1. 5. 7  The Golden Age   DEV

Think it’ll run?

A few problems to work through…but a saved game loaded:

Still a bunch of invalid function calls needs resolving…

RUNTIME ERROR - file: seadogs.c; line: 307
Invalid function call
RUNTIME ERROR - file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 4132
Invalid function call
RUNTIME ERROR - file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 4132
function 'SetTextureForShip' stack error
RUNTIME ERROR - file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 634
Invalid function call
RUNTIME ERROR - file: sea_ai\AIShip.c; line: 634
process event stack error
RUNTIME ERROR - file: sea_ai\sea.c; line: 1368
Invalid function call
RUNTIME ERROR - file: sea_ai\sea.c; line: 1368
function 'Sea_LoadIsland' stack error

Told ya it was the battle_interface.dll. Increased the MAX_MAN_QUANTITY, recompiled the .dll.

Not sure why they don’t all line up…but my job of proving it was the .dll, is done.

Ha! Downloaded the archived version of 4.44 FMOD Ex API, fixed up the SoundService.cpp a little bit to deal with the inc/lib/dll that came with it, and my sound is back.

There was an issue with no loader screens displaying pictures, as the code had deprecated use of the FADER_PICTURE message, and replaced it with FADER_DATA. But that also uses an object property setting for the image name/path. I liked the idea as it obviates the need for long “lssffllss” type parameters with the corresponding parm list; you would just send “la” and an object with properties, like so:

object aMessage;
aMessage.Value1 = “val1”;
aMessage.Value2 = 2.0;
aMessage.Value3 = 1;
aMessage.Value$ = “val4”;

SendMessage(&reload_fader, “la”,FADER_DATA, aMessage);

No more long strings for 2nd parm, and a bunch of other trailing parms…nice idea. But removing the old method breaks existing FADER_PICTURE messages, so I kept the new method, but also put back the old FADER_PICTURE handling.

Now, back to the fighter icon display…got that resolved too.

Nice one Jeffrey!

Since you’re dealing with the dlls, I was wondering: is there any chance to get the interface widescreen? I mean the interface you get access to when you click F2, and the options screen, not what you see when you play.

I don’t know if this is understandable, but take a look at this screenshot from SDTEHO, where they solved this “problem” (or better, a heritage from the past): you can clearly see the interface is no longer stretched over the screen, there is like a square that contains all the elements, keeping the ratio to 1:1. On the sides, when it’s not possible to extend this square anymore without stretching, there is simply nothing, just the background.

I once tried to see if I could do anything, but I think (I’m not a programmer, so I’m just guessing) this resides in the dlls, probably XINTERFACE.dll, as I found this line in BaseInterface.c:
CreateEntity(&GameInterface,"xinterface");

Yes, I arrived to that too during my experiments, and realized it’s probably not the way it has been done.

Comparing the ini interface files between ERAS and SDTEHO reveals they are basically the same, just minor changes that don’t involve the position of the major elements in the screen.

And using this method would mean to change ALL the interface files, which are like 40, and I think the changes would be relative to my screen size only, so another one using a different screen resolution might have his interface completely messed up.

That’s why I asked if there was something in the dlls that can fix all “instances” of the interface, from the options to the load/save screen to what appears pressing F2 and so on, in just a single block of code.

Interesting finding in XINTERFACE. It would be cool if the interface weren’t stretched anymore. It really annoys me!

Very nice! The difference is subtle since in your screen the stretching effect is little, but I can see now the circle with the flag, on the top left corner of the portrait, looks like a real circle, not an ellipse anymore.

Looks like the world map is fairly easily extended. I traced the code in debug mode and found out how. Here is a pic from stock AoP/GOF (the worldmap code is broken in the dev…run-time crash after a short while).

I opened the WorldMap\islands\islands.gm in TOOL, found two labels: Min and Max. Change the X Positions from -1024,1024 to -2048,2048. Apply changes, save. Rename your old file, put the saved version in its place. Voila.

The code looks for those two labels in the locators group name and uses them to constrain the map boundary.

Apologize for the delayed response, but I spent considerable time trying to debug a crash during the worldmap tours. ‘Fortunately,’ and I put that in quotes as it’s not really for the company I work for, but there was a power outage for hours…until early this morning, at our central datacenter, that put all work out of commission, so I had nothing else to do but test/debug the game all yesterday, LOL.

Anyway, the problem was within internal_functions.cpp, that processes a constant stream of messages. During worldmap movement, it crashed. Since I’m running debugger, I know exactly what line, and it only occurred during one particular message, with a type VAR_AREFERENCE and a particular class name during a call from an ATTRIBUTES object to its member function, FindAClass. I never did find the ‘right’ way to fix the problem, as it has to do with the insidious nature of C++ pointers. Remember, I don’t know what the original code looks like, or what was changed…the stock program doesn’t have this problem; I have both versions running the same /Programs and /RESOURCES.

In internal_functions.cpp, there is a DATA object that contains a member that is a *pointer to an ATTRIBUTES object: ATTRIBUTES * AttributesClass. In most cases, this member receives the actual pointer, but I suspect that in at least one case, it is getting set to a pointer that merely references the same address. What’s supposed to happen is like this:

dataobject.Attributes = actualPointer

Now actualPointer can dereference the ATTRIBUTES properties/functions in their actual memory:

actualPointer->FindAClass, where FindAClass is the actual memory allocation to do what it’s supposed to. When the ATTRIBUTES object that actualPointer represents destroyed, it becomes zero, and dataobject.Attributes in turn now shows zero, so before dereferencing actualPointer->FindAClass, you can look first:

if (dataobject.Attributes) actualPointer is non-zero and will get actualPointer->FindAClass

If object is gone, ->FindAClass is skipped and all is well.

However, somewhere I suspect dataobject.Attributes is not getting actualPointer, but rather getting assigned another reference, not the actual object pointer that points to the same place…more like:

dataobject.Attributes = refToActualPointer

Now where the ATTRIBUTES object refToActualPointer points to is destroyed, actualPointer is zero, but refToActualPointer stays as it always was…it’s not the actual pointer the ATTRIBUTES class created for it’s own object, but rather another pointer that was created to point to the same thing.

So now, in our crash case, though actualPointer is zero because it was destroyed, refToActualPointer is not, though what it points to no longer exists in memory. So we get:

if (dataobject.Attributes) refToActualPointer is non-zerio, but actualPointer is zero and gone, so you think things are OK, will try to run refToActualPointer->FindAClass and game crashes due to trying to reference invalid memory.

Spent much time, conditional breakpoints (thank Odin for conditional breakpoints, so the hundreds of irrelevant messages can just be skipped and only stop on the one I’m looking for to trace through!) , but so many calls are made, many per second, even with conditional breaks, it was difficult to spot where the problem lies because everywhere I could find that assigns the references looks to be OK, using * references, but obviously, somewhere, in this one case (and it was always the same case, of both type and class name being looked for), it is being assigned wrong. Anyway, not the ‘best’ way, as finding the underlying culprit is the better solution, but for now, a slight hack…since I know exactly what the problem is, and where it always occurs in this particular scenario, I just do an additional test of the dataobject.Attributes memory spot to ensure it’s still valid. I can sail world map freely now, no crashes or unexpected errors in log. I can sail first person fine, engage in battle. Only brief tests so far.

I will also add, overall, not particularly pleased with the performance. With whatever has changed, certain things seemed to have slowed down. For instance, from world map, selecting to engage takes about twice as long to actually load and display sea mode. Cannon fire is gone too. Error: FMOD_SOUND:setPaused error! (11) The specified channel has been reused to play another sound. Still need to figure that out.

I will respond about the world map stuff in the next post.

Some bad news…to give my tweaks of the character screen a review on widescreen, as I promised Orazio, I copied to one of my kids’ computers that already has stock AoP and GOF and ERAS; all of the stock exe./.dll versions work on their, running Windows 8. Mine is ‘old’…Windows XP Pro. Though this new compilation is fully working on my WinXP machine, shortly after it scans the modules, still in the splash screen showing startup progress, crashes on Windows 8 with a memory ACCESS VIOLATION.

Faulting module name: Rigging.dll, version: 0.0.0.0, time stamp: 0x56fde31f
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x00001e86
Faulting process id: 0x2068
Faulting application start time: 0x01d18bc9bbc57899
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Playlogic\ERAS2Test\START.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files (x86)\Playlogic\ERAS2Test\modules\Rigging.dll

I can get a memory .dmp file, and with the .pdb files formed in Visual Studio build, theoretically I should be able to run the .dmp through the debugger and hopefully find the culprit. So a slight pause on my cannon sound issue (pun intended) and I’ll give that a go.

Good news is that it works in Win8. Finally figured out it’s a permission deal with the Program Folders and doesn’t read the things it needs, creates all kinds of faults within the program as it wasn’t designed to gracefully handle it. Rather than build in all that is required to work as designed with the type of restrictions some of those later Windows system’s, it will work if set to Run as Administrator, or in a subdir of the C: directory; I tried both.

Oddly, in a funny contradiction, the cannon fire sound works under Win8, as opposed to my XP Pro…I’m still going to resolve that.

And Orazio, I’m not going to post a pic of the character screen as I said…turns out that I didn’t pay much attention, and yes their screens are wider, but they are also taller, so the ratio is exactly the same as mine and an example does no good, LOL Somebody else will have to try that when I get this better ready.

OK, a search on the ‘net for some FMOD help and a few tweaks to the sound code and the cannon fire is back for WinXP (music and dialog always worked)…but it was horrible. On a whim, I changed start.ini from useMM = 0 to UseMM = 1 that is MUCH better. So that is fixed.

I don’t know the code for the interface, but I suppose the standard resolution for the interface with no stretching is 800×600 right? So that is a ratio of 1,33333…

Would it be possible to have the block with the elements have its height equal to the vertical resolution of the screen, and then adjust the width automatically with something like this: width = height * 1,3333

Or it doesn’t work like this?

Turns out it was just a coincidence about that stricken colors ship boarding. There was a serious flaw in the save feature, where with certain bits of state data, in certain circumstances, the memory location was deleted, but the pointer was returned, causing a memory violation error…but the deletion was a mistake. Nice to find root causes, as it makes for a solid fix. Also, it depended on current state conditions, so was seemingly random when it would happen, as some auto-saves worked fine.

But found another Win 8 anomaly when having more than 5 extra fighters, using the .dmp method of debugging from another machine crash, it’s when writing out the vertical buffer (WriteSquareToVBuf) for the ‘mansigns’ that show fighter status. If there are only 6 (you + 5 fighters), it’s fine, but add one more and crash when reloading the next location where it would display; but only on the Win 8, as the XP works fine. Odd that testing extra ships does not do this (I tried after discovering the problem) and in fact, your command prompts can still invisibly iterate down and issue a command to the hidden ships beyond the bottom. So, I will compare the two approaches between ships/mansigns and change that to a method that clearly works with the ship icons.

After the save issue, I thought this would at least be ready for someone to test, but not just yet…

Kickin’ A on the wild side…found the difference between mansigns and shipicons. In ship icons they are sending the square size to CreateVertexBuffer with a calc of each icon element size. In the case of mansigns, they do the same calc and same call, but when they do the call, they did not use the calced size, but a hardcoded number??? I’m sure an oversight, but sending the calced size that added each element size, it works just like the shipicons now.

So I’m presuming the crash result it was not really a difference in OS, one being more ‘forgiving,’ but rather my screen resolution and allowed that hardcoded version to make enough V buffer space, but the other machine didn’t.

Fixed. Pretty close to letting others give this a try.

Jeffrey I have a bug with the new fighter mod.

I have only put in the extra fighters mod and not your other work. When I go to the ship of another captain who wishes me to go on a mission with him as soon as you are transported to his deck, you are stuck in the middle of the air above the ship looking at the water. You cannot move or look around.

I did not have my loggers enabled and will enable them now. I thought you might want to know.

For the new fighters mod to work, must it be put on top of your earlier work or can it work with any GOF mod?

OK, give a try…if you dare 😉

mega:///#F!WtMDgRxK!hbeUg86kGLlQAqvWRNwTqg

ERAS2Test.zip

ReadMe.txt has some instructions.

There are a couple personalizations…not really within the gameplay…we’ll see if anyone is observant to catch them.

Ugh! The link didn’t edit properly and my ‘edit’ option is now gone: https://mega.nz/#F!WtMDgRxK!hbeUg86kGLlQAqvWRNwTqg

Vanilla COAS is now available at the link as AoPTest.zip, running in the new .exe/.dll version. You can load existing save games and try them out. GOF 1.2 to follow soon…

Sweet! I have hammered on the \Program .c stuff for awhile, but after compiling the .exe and .dll, I have only tested rudimentary scenarios, like a couple battles, ship boarding, and such…but just a few to make sure it works. I will shortly carve out some time and really engage in some quests again, like I did with the earlier test/debugging I did before, but just haven’t yet.

Definitely looking for feedback about this initial try with the new compilations. I know for certain that red highlight bar on some of the character screens is out there, but that’s a low priority for me right now as I want to make sure the key stuff works.

And GOF1.2Test.zip now available…try loading an existing savegame if anyone’s got GOF 1.2. They work for me.

Hey MK, you notice anything about the START.exe/config.exe version tab of the file properties? Or the upper right of the loading splash screen on launch?

Jeffrey, I downloaded the ERAS2Test, which I understood is the right choice (?), changed the paths to point to my ERAS2 installation location, and started the game.

However, everytime I try to start a new game the program crashes, with nothing useful in the log files, it only tells me it’s something in dx8.dll.
I think this line appears in the system.log only when it crashes, but I’m not 100% sure:
CreateIndexBuffer::CreateIndexBuffer: The method call is invalid For example, a method's parameter may have an invalid value

I tried to load one of the savegames, and it worked, but when going to the ship’s cabin it crashed again… is it happening only to me?

And one note, you ship the new files with “texture_degradation = 1” in start.ini. That option renders the textures really blurry and in low resolution. I think it should be 0 at default, then a player may turn it on if he/she has problems with performance.

Oh, and while you’re at it…you should also enable DUMP files on your machine, or keep it open on a crash and use task manager to create one. If you have a crash, upload and link the .dmp file so I can try to track down the problems. I compiled with debug info, so I can at least get the function symbols and know what function within the .dll is having the problem.

The dump file I have is 450 MB and my upload speed is ridiculously low. I managed to compress it to 113 MB, but it’s still a bit big.

I read the content with WinDbg, but I understood you need the file to use with symbols (?), so posting here the content would be of no help, right?

Anyway if you need the file, I’ll try to upload it and will send you a link privately: I don’t know what info on my machine are in there, and don’t like the idea that everybody on the internet can download it.

Uh oh, Orazio. Turns out there’s a slight issue. That .dmp file is 64 bit, and I guess you have to run a 32 bit task manager to dump the file from a 32 bit process/program for me to get one that is debuggable.

I found this:

32-bit task manager under C:\Windows\SysWOW64\taskmgr.exe. We can use this and select “Create Dump File” for 32-bit process. To confirm we are using 32-bit task manager, check the process name of it. It should be taskmgr.exe *32.

Sorry about that. Open a file explorer, launch START.exe and when it stops, keep AoP running, find C:\Windows\SysWOW64\taskmgr.exe and launch, right-click the START.exe process in the manager and dump from there.

Don’t know…though I did notice that the worldmap routines look for _palm models and won’t find any. Though not finding any doesn’t affect the game, as it just passes them by, but logs it anyway. As for ‘fireplace’, I’ve seen that before in the stock game and I think it’s really just ‘a place where fire might be’…like in battle boarding. I don’t think a missing fireplace is cause for concern…probably similar to palms where it logs it, but it’s a non-issue. Like I said, I’ve seen it in my working games that don’t crash.

You know what would be really helpful? You have Visual Studio, right? If you have at least version 10, I should make you a debug version. If you don’t have 10, and don’t mind downloading/installing the free VS C++ Express 10, then you will have the debug runtime that comes with it. If I make you a debug version, upon a crash, all the debug info will come back to me in that .dmp file and it will actually take me directly to the source line of the problem.

I chose to upload a ‘release’ with debug info because nobody else will have the debug runtime and they can’t run the game without it. The .dmp files will still tell me the .dll and the actual function within, and you can somewhat determine where the problem might be, but it’s still kind of a guessing game as the debug steps are actually within the assembly code. But with a full debug version, I can get down to the line of source with a .dmp file (I think).

I have been delayed responding because I was very near getting a full compile with Dx9. I have that now…doesn’t work, but I really wasn’t holding my breath on that one, LOL. I followed instructions for migrating as close as I could, but full info on that is a bit scarce and I really don’t know anything about DirectX programming. I came close enough to compile the whole thing, but now it’s back to stepping through and figuring out where it’s going wrong.

Get me those .dmp files! And let me know if you want a full debug version as that would speed things along. As for now, I need to download Orazio’s and see what I can figure out. Sorry for the delay, but Dx9 was intriguing me and I wanted to see if my attempt would be perfect and miraculous enough to just work…first time…LOL

Nope 😉

Game loads now. Mangled though. Not sure why, but some Dx9 function calls fail in places where supposedly no code change was needed. There are some programs that didn’t require change at all according to migration notes. Oh well. Getting closer.

Notice the dx9 references in ProcExplorer 🙂

I think I already know the major problem; the asm part of of the .sha files can no longer be assembled. In Dx8, the declarations were apparently not fully implemented yet, but in Dx9, they are and some declarations are required in the asm portion of the code read in to assemble. But those .sha files do not declare the registers and the ‘assemble shaders’ call fails. There was no change made to that piece of the code on my part, so it’s not something I erroneously converted. I think all that’s required to fix that part is update the .sha files to meet the spec. I will see if simply adding the register declarations fixes it.

But, I need to stop and divert to debugging from that .dmp Orazio provided, LOL Gonna go try for a steelhead (or two) in a short while and be back later…

Ehy Jeffrey, did you find anything useful in my dump file?

Well, I ran the file in debug mode and found the function in the render .dll where the mishap occurs. It’s FontLoad, and a subsequent waitforobject call that crashed. Unfortunately, since I can’t replicate the problem, I don’t exactly know why this would occur, so I’m a bit stuck in figuring a resolution for it at the moment.

I think I found an unpleasant bug, which is not game-breaking, rather immersion-breaking.

It seems that inside ships (cabins and decks) the lighting files are not read/loaded from approximately 12:00 to 19:00. This means that light during those hours is very unnatural, far too bright without any relation with the corresponding time of the day.

I tried to understand if this is true for other locations like taverns and shops, but that wasn’t very clear. I need to check better.

I don’t have a GoF (without ERAS) version installed to see if it’s a problem of ERAS only or it was inherited from GoF.
One thing I discovered is that GoF broke part of the loclighter tool, which is used to generate the different light conditions for locations, so I think this bug may be related to that…

Can somebody confirm this trying to enter a ship cabin from 12 to 19 and see how the light is? Does it look natural or is it very very bright and not convincing? (Try to look first at 18 – no proper lighting – then at 19 – proper lighting- to see the difference)

• This reply was modified 8 years, 7 months ago by Orazio.

Ok I think I fixed the no light bug.

Light information is in the .col files, which are numbered after the time of the day (6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and so on). For hours from 12 to 19, the game – instead of looking for col files ‘day12’ to ‘day19’ – was looking for col files ‘day1’, ‘day2’, ‘day3’ and ‘day4’, that do not exist (1 a.m. is ‘night1’ and so on), hence the unnatural lighting.

The issue was in ‘Weather\init\Day.c’, with wrong entries for those hours. I don’t know if MK or others edited those values for some specific reason, but putting them back to default fixed the bug. I’ll run some more test to be sure, then I’ll post here the correct Day.c file.

I post the correct Day.c file.
I found out that in mine there were other wrong entries for the sky textures to use in certain hours, causing the white sky bug. I fixed them.
However, looking at the Day.c file in Jeffrey’s recompiled version (ERAS2Test), the wrong entries for the sky were already fixed.

Anyway, this Day.c makes use of the correct col files (for the lighting) for hours from 12 to 18.
To be copied in ‘ERAS_installation_directory\Program\Weather\init’.

Day.c

I was taking a look at the files in Models\Locations\decks\deckLowVSMedium and deckLowVSBig (the boarding scenes) and noticed something really strange: many of the .col files have their name truncated, even missing the ‘col’ extension.

Obviously the game doesn’t know what to do with such files, as they’re useless without the proper name and extension: I think this is the cause of some of the weird lighting during boarding. I’m renaming them the correct way to see if things get fixed…

Yes, those .col files were clearly messed up! In each one of the boarding scenes: deckLowVSBig, deckLowVSMedium and deckMediumVSBig.

I renamed them, and also deleted some that weren’t necessary; tested some boarding, and the lighting was ok, I didn’t see anything weird, so I think this is a problem less.

Later I’ll upload the right files and post a link here.

I was testing boardings using Jeffrey’s patch (ERAS.Patch.zip), and I noticed light is still strange in some occasions, even though I renamed the col files.

When I reloaded the save using the “default” Program folder (the one downloaded with the entire mod, plus MK’s 1.5.7 patch), the light seemed normal again.

Looking at .col files in GM Viewer reveals that the light is indeed right, yet I don’t understand why sometimes the model is not lit properly…

I had a work project obligation that sucked much of my time, but I was able to complete and ready for beta testing one day before deadline. As such, I should be able to resume carving out a bit of personal time for this. Apologize for the unforeseen hiatus, but duty called 🙂

I want to try recreating Orazio’s error on one of my kids’ 64 bit machines. I think I will install VS and run debug mode, hoping for similar error to isolate to the actual code line.

Am also sending a PM to MK about DX9…that endeavor may need to be indefinitely postponed as I have no real knowledge of DirectX and its interfaces, so while I know some of what needs to change (because the code compiles, but the display result is bad/not working), I don’t know how/where to do it as it requires experience/knowledge of actual DirectX techniques and I am blind to those.

Orazio, since this error in your .dmp file occurs in the load font function, what do you show in start.ini for this value?

startFontIniFile = fonts.ini

I have exactly that same line… so is it an issue regarding fonts?

Ok, problem solved… I was using the RESOURCE\INI folder from my original installation of ERAS, not the one provided with ERAS2Test.

Apparently the files in the two folders are somehow different, causing the crash when starting a new game…

Thinking about it, it was something I should’ve tested much earlier. Sorry Jeffrey if I caused you any trouble installing VS in other computers etc.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 6 months ago by Orazio.

Hey, MK! I logged in just to salute you and cheer you up! By the way, I am playing rarely for the reason I have not mastered the blade fight. I know, it is a total shame, but it is true. My play style in modern days is ironman style, I mean, I try to avoid save-load tampering… Are you planning any updates for the manual fighting mechanism?

Orazio’s lighting/Day.c fixes are now in ERAS.Patch.zip: https://mega.nz/#F!WtMDgRxK!hbeUg86kGLlQAqvWRNwTqg

I have found a bug in Eras 2 MOD in a random quest from Tavern (a random pirate approaches you and gives you a proposition to visit his ship). I visited his ship, he told me about his offer (about a caravan who has moored near Saint John’s, at Cape Boon). I sail there with the pirate captain, but when I land on Cape Boon, the battle doesn’t start. I have done this quest many, many times on the original GOF 1.2 and it rarely happened that the soldiers are missing on the island. I think there is a bug in Eras 2 MOD, because I have met more than 7 pirates in the tavern so far, and every time I missed the bounty because the soldiers were missing…
In GOF 1.2 the bug used to happen when in the quest log it was written: “has moored some-close to X location (for instance Havana). When the correct location of the island was given, for instance: “A caravan carrying gold has moored at the Trinidad and Tobago Lighthouse…” then I always encountered soldiers after landing to certain location. So far, I’ve met about 7 pirates and I had to fail all of them because there was no one on the island when I landed…

I noticed this little bug in the Pirate quest in tavern (the one that asks you to visit him onboard). Every dialog with the pirate has this bug, where you, instead of asking him: “And your name is?” or “And you might be?” or “And your name, sir?” or something like that, we have a wrong question saying: “My name is.” After that, the pirate captain presents himself. Jeffrey, can you have a look into this?

Possible bug… After boarding a ship, this is where I’m taken when I kill all enemies’ crew at the deck. Instead of taking me to the Captain’s quarters, I get this sea animation and the game is stuck there. I can only open Main menu. I can provide Save game if needed.

This is the ship that I boarded.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Samir.

I know what that is. You are using Jeffrey’s patch/files with a previous save game, right?

If I recall correctly, he included my new cabin for caravels. When using an old save, you must reinit the boarding locations or else you will get this bug. Can you post the content of this file: Program\console.c? I don’t know if he included the necessary code to reinit the boarding locations.

That’s right. But I also uninstalled the game and reinstalled just with the MK’s 1.5.7 patch (that’s the original game I started, I added the Jeffrey’s patch later), and I still got that bug without Jeffrey’s patch.
Here’s the link for my console.c file:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ca9nll30dq4vyfe/console.c?dl=0

Mmmm this may have mixed things up! Anyway, reinstall Jeffrey’s patch and then do the following.

The console.c is correct. I guess you didn’t add new locations on your own, so all you have to do is press F4 after loading your save. You should read ‘operation successful’.

Also, to be sure, check that ‘#define MAX_LOCATIONS’ in Program\globals.c is equal to or greater than 703.

I didn’t edit anything in console.c
I didn’t edit anything except applying the Patch.
I tried pressing F4 and I got the message “operations successfull”.
I changed the #define MAX_LOCATIONS to 703. It was 702.

Now, when I board the same ship, instantly after pressing the “Board” icon, I get a CTD saying: AOP2 has stopped working…

Strange, never happened to me during testing. Usually I just had the empty scene with only water. Do you have logging enabled? You should post the logs here.

engini.ini, in the directory were the game executable is, find these lines and make sure they are like this:
tracefilesoff = 0
debuginfo = 1

Then, after the game crashes, you should see 3 files in the game directory: compile, error and system. Post them here.

Ok, I enabled it. Here are the .log files:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rt2d1jdve1cddz9/AAAvfZSFrjmpIbpKpSqT594Ta?dl=0

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Samir.

Error log shows an item array problem, which is something my patch resizes to be correct. Try changing your console.c to this:

#include "ITEMS\initItems.c"

void ExecuteConsole()
{
	#include "Ships\Ships_init.c"
	#include "Locations\init\boarding.c"
	
	InitItems();
	InitShips(); // Updates ships to have the new cabins - is it really needed?
	
	// This number is needed to reinit only boarding locations, avoiding unnecessary reinit of all locations
	int n = 631; // If you have "vanilla" ERAS2 v1.5.7 don't change this number, if you added new locations on your own put the number you find in compile.log (see README)
	
	n = LocationInitBoarding(n); // Updates locations to include the new cabins models
	
	// Uncomment the next line only if your current ship got the new cabins; you must use the name the ship has in the code (for example SHIP_BRIG3)
	//pchar.Ship.Type = GenerateShip(name_of_your_ship, true);

	Log_SetStringToLog("Operation successful!");
}

Load a game. Run the console, then save the game to a slot. Then try to play it. If further problems, post a new set of log files.

Mmmm try to put the number in #define MAX_LOCATIONS back to 702.
I tried to replicate your problem, and when I changed that number to 703 the CTDs started.

And putting back 702, the boarding didn’t crash anymore. Actually 702 is right, it was my mistake to make you change it.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Orazio.

It seems that changing the MAX_LOCATIONS in an existing game causes crashes when boarding a ship…

I never experienced this when I tested the new cabins, but probably I always started the test games with the updated MAX_LOCATIONS number, so I didn’t need to change it after the start.

But at this point I wonder why boardings didn’t crash when Samir applied Jeffrey’s patch, that takes the MAX_LOCATIONS from 700 (patch 1.5.7) to 702…

Not entirely sure, but it might be beneficial to reinit both the boarding locations and the remaining locations too. Also, that size should definitely be 702. But if playing a game from where it was defined as 700, I think they all need to be reinitialized.

If the prior fixes don’t rectify. Load game, run this console.c, then save, reload that same save game, then try playing:

#include "ITEMS\initItems.c"
#include "Locations\locations_init.c"

void ExecuteConsole()
{
	#include "Ships\Ships_init.c"
	#include "Locations\init\boarding.c"
	
	InitItems();
        InitLocations();
	InitShips(); // Updates ships to have the new cabins - is it really needed?
	
	// This number is needed to reinit only boarding locations, avoiding unnecessary reinit of all locations
	int n = 631; // If you have "vanilla" ERAS2 v1.5.7 don't change this number, if you added new locations on your own put the number you find in compile.log (see README)
	
	n = LocationInitBoarding(n); // Updates locations to include the new cabins models
	
	// Uncomment the next line only if your current ship got the new cabins; you must use the name the ship has in the code (for example SHIP_BRIG3)
	//pchar.Ship.Type = GenerateShip(name_of_your_ship, true);

	Log_SetStringToLog("Operation successful!");
}

If you reinit all the locations, I see that LocationInitBoarding(n) is called at the end of InitLocations(); so there is no need to call it again, and also to have that 631. And “Locations\init\boarding.c” is included in InitLocations().

The console.c should be like the following I think, right? Just to avoid unnecessary things.

#include "ITEMS\initItems.c"
#include "Locations\locations_init.c"

void ExecuteConsole()
{
	#include "Ships\Ships_init.c"
	
	InitItems();
        InitLocations();
	InitShips(); // Updates ships to have the new cabins - is it really needed?
	
	// Uncomment the next line only if your current ship got the new cabins; you must use the name the ship has in the code (for example SHIP_BRIG3)
	//pchar.Ship.Type = GenerateShip(name_of_your_ship, true);

	Log_SetStringToLog("Operation successful!");
}

Now, with all that said, it is sometimes not always possible for a previous save-game to work with new code. Particularly if there is a new setting/variable inserted into _mod_on_off.h (I have found any new setting placed there is impossible to get a prior game to work…only new games).

I have tried to make sure most of my work doesn’t require any new game, but I’ve done quite a bit and don’t always remember if I’m working with an ‘old’ save-game or a new one, because at this point, all my save-games work with my stuff and don’t have a problem, so I could just be working with always compatible formats at this point and not know it.

Anyway, if the problem persists, I do have some debugging/coding skill and worst case, post a link to a save game (I will need the name of the profile name too, as the folder name has to match that exactly), and I can load/save myself and see if I can get it to work. After that, if it works, I can repost the newly saved game and you can have it back, but in a condition that should work for you. My game files match exactly the ERAS + ERAS.Patch.zip, so any game I can play should work with that setup.

No, even after a reinit of all the locations, the boarding crashed with MAX_LOCATIONS = 703.
This is not really a problem now, but it means that if new locations will be added, a new game is required, even after a reinit…

That’s interesting and I may have to see if there’s a way around that. I don’t see why the array can’t be resized, as I was able to do it with both ships and items because they were wrong and I thought a reinit allowed me to use a previous game, as long as it was resaved after a new init call for both.

But if Samir started with 700, then resizing to 702 would be the same problem you describe with your test of 702 to 703. And thus may never work with a prior game.

If I understood correctly, he started with the patch 1.5.7, that has a max locations of 700.

Then he applied your patch, that includes my modified globals.c with two more locations (one cabin for “peace” and one cabin for boarding), taking the max locations to 702. And his game didn’t crash! He only had the empty scene with only water.

So why going from 702 to 703 (just for testing) now is crashing the game when a boarding happens? I can’t understand! Unless maybe his globals.c was somehow already modified when he started his game?

I started another game with max_locations = 705. Tested a boarding and everything was ok.

Changed the max_locations to 707, reloaded the save and the boarding crashed.

In the error.log there is this:

RUNTIME ERROR - file: seadogs.c; line: 867
invalid index 705 [size:705]
RUNTIME ERROR - file: seadogs.c; line: 867
invalid index 706 [size:705]
RUNTIME ERROR - file: seadogs.c; line: 867
invalid index 705 [size:705]

where 705 is clearly the previous value of max_locations (in Samir’s log was 702) and on line 867 I see the end of the OnSave() function… it may be a clue?

Also, that boarding to an empty water scene is familiar to me and happened during my work on the additional fighter mod. So it’s possible the patch files are not fully copied over. That same problem during that fighter work was due to some things that needed to be changed in loc_ai\LAi_boarding.c, if I remember correctly. All the corrected files are part of the patch.zip, so it may be a case of ensuring everything was copied to the right place.

To be sure, we need to get rid of that item error I saw in the error.log about the items, by calling the items init and trying again and see what happens.

Also, for making sure the items, ships and locations array is correct (try to ignore Orazio’s and my back/forth about increasing MAX_LOCATIONS…it’s hypothetical and future-related), I unfortunately missed an extern reference for items for the example reinit I was trying to post for that item error.log first posted today. Use this in console.c:

#include "Ships\Ships_init.c"
#include "ITEMS\initItems.c"
#include "Locations\locations_init.c"

extern int InitItems();

void ExecuteConsole()
{
	InitItems();
        InitLocations();
	InitShips(); // Updates ships to have the new cabins - is it really needed?
	
	// This number is needed to reinit only boarding locations, avoiding unnecessary reinit of all locations
	//int n = 631; // If you have "vanilla" ERAS2 v1.5.7 don't change this number, if you added new locations on your own put the number you find in compile.log (see README)
	
	//n = LocationInitBoarding(n); // Updates locations to include the new cabins models
	
	// Uncomment the next line only if your current ship got the new cabins; you must use the name the ship has in the code (for example SHIP_BRIG3)
	//pchar.Ship.Type = GenerateShip(name_of_your_ship, true);

	Log_SetStringToLog("Operation successful!");
}

Sorry, my friends… I was away whole day…
When I downloaded Eras 2 MOD, I got the main .zip file of the MOD, which is about 9GB heavy, then I applied the 1.5.7 patch also provided by MK. But after a while of playing, I saw that Jeffrey has made his tweaks in a file called ErasPatch.zip. I applied Jeffrey’s patch, and continued to play the game. I didn’t experience any issue and I didn’t press F4 to reinit because I didn’t know that it’s possible. I also applied Orazio’s alternative Main Menu, alternative items menu and vanilla resolution mod, because I was having fisheye effect with the original engine.ini. I also applied the optimized items textures by Orazio, and Jeffrey’s Loading backgrounds that he made for me, so there aren’t any of those real backgrounds taken by camera, which I hate so much 😀

In my opinion, all these Mods should be put into the original Eras. Orazio’s items menu is amazing! And the optimized items should be also in the Mod…

Now let’s get back to what happened with the boarding. I can’t recall if I boarded any other ships after I applied Jeffrey’s patch. Maybe I have. Can’t remember. The sea animation appears when I click to go to the enemy captain’s cabin. I didn’t edit anything in the console.c and in globals.c. How did the game work with the max locations changed to 702 from 700 (which I didn’t know), I have no idea…

Ok, so I have tested it. I changed these lines into console.c as Orazio suggested:

Participant
If you reinit all the locations, I see that LocationInitBoarding(n) is called at the end of InitLocations(); so there is no need to call it again, and also to have that 631. And “Locations\init\boarding.c” is included in InitLocations().

The console.c should be like the following I think, right? Just to avoid unnecessary things.

#include “ITEMS\initItems.c”
#include “Locations\locations_init.c”

void ExecuteConsole()
{
#include “Ships\Ships_init.c”

InitItems();
InitLocations();
InitShips(); // Updates ships to have the new cabins – is it really needed?

// Uncomment the next line only if your current ship got the new cabins; you must use the name the ship has in the code (for example SHIP_BRIG3)
//pchar.Ship.Type = GenerateShip(name_of_your_ship, true);

Log_SetStringToLog(“Operation successful!”);
}

I reverted max locations to 702. Then I pressed F4 to reinit. It fixed the CTD, but didn’t fix the boarding issue with the Caravel. Again, sea animation… Maybe I need to start a new game?

Put that code from the post right above your last one (my latest one), into console.c, load the game, press F4, then resave to a new slot. Then exit and load that last saved game. If that doesn’t work and you still see the sea, I think we’ll be able to fix it. Look at the error.log and post what it says.

Last error log you posted mentioned an item problem and I think the item init fails without the extern reference, so we may still not have reinitialized them.

Ok, this is what fixed the issue:

#include “Ships\Ships_init.c”
#include “ITEMS\initItems.c”
#include “Locations\locations_init.c”

extern int InitItems();

void ExecuteConsole()
{
InitItems();
InitLocations();
InitShips(); // Updates ships to have the new cabins – is it really needed?

// This number is needed to reinit only boarding locations, avoiding unnecessary reinit of all locations
//int n = 631; // If you have “vanilla” ERAS2 v1.5.7 don’t change this number, if you added new locations on your own put the number you find in compile.log (see README)

//n = LocationInitBoarding(n); // Updates locations to include the new cabins models

// Uncomment the next line only if your current ship got the new cabins; you must use the name the ship has in the code (for example SHIP_BRIG3)
//pchar.Ship.Type = GenerateShip(name_of_your_ship, true);

Log_SetStringToLog(“Operation successful!”);
}

You were right, max locations wasn’t the problem. After I executed this in console, I was able to board the Caravel, and I was moved to captain’s cabin to fight him without problems. Thanks for helping me, I’m glad I won’t need to start a new game… 😀

Great. Sorry for the trouble…a little too quick posting the code and when I tried it myself, that’s when I noticed the missing extern. So I caused a little of the confusion and trouble by being a bit complacent and sloppy. I blame it on the fact it was morning for me then, in Pacific Time and I had not chugged enough coffee. LOL

Interesting, I’ve lost all the items from my ship’s chest after doing the reinit. I guess that was the items issue from the error.log?

Jeffrey:
OK, with these 4 arrays, I can’t find a way to resize them and play a previous save game: Locations, Characters, Islands, Colonies. A new game must be started to avoid problems. Items, Ships, etc. are OK if a reinit is called and it’s because of where they are defined/stored…in .c code not of global scope.

The Locations, Characters, etc. are defined in globals.c and they can’t be resized.

However, given we have the source code of the game, there is something that might work. I can create a resize function that is accessible from a call in the Program .c code (like console.c). It would serve to resize an array, but after the call, the array would be empty of data and a reinit would have to be called. For instance, in console.c, it would look something like this:

int NewSize = MAX_LOCATIONS;
ResizeArray(Locations, NewSize);
InitLocations();

So this means the game will always crash when MAX_LOCATIONS, MAX_ISLANDS, MAX_COLONIES and MAX_CHARACTERS in globals.c are changed and an old save is used?

In this case I think it’s worth to try that other solution you proposed: it will make the mod more future-proof. We don’t know if new locations will be added, but if they will, at least a new game won’t be required, which is something I’m sure many players will appreciate.

To Samir: glad everything is working now!

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Orazio.

I had a bunch of items in my ship’s chest., one armor that gives 25% defense, and another one that gives 12% defense. The most important for me are the ones that you get when you start the game with Edward Teach:

Brace of flintlock dags
Brace of English captain’s dags
Hurricane (got it through a nautical quiz)

Other ones were not too important for me. I moved the pistols to the chest because I can’t equipt them right now, I don’t have that skill yet.

Another bug. I killed a bunch of bandits in the jungles near Panama. After that, I got +1 for personal abilities. I used that point on advanced defense, and after I closed the Character menu, camera changed to first person. I was unable to move. I was only able to rotate the camera 360 degrees. I cannot switch the camera to 3rd person. I can open the F2 menu and the Main menu, but cannot move at all. I needed that point on advanced defense because I’m currently doing the Austin quest, and I need as much defense as possible for the last killer. I haven’t tried using the point on other abilities, will try it now. I don’t know if the bug is related to me applying the Jeffrey’s patch, without starting a new game…

Screenshots:

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Samir.

Here are the .log files:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3g6loe54gtg5syp/Compile.zip?dl=0

I re-applied the patch, but now I got another problem: I get a CTD whenever I try to save the game. Also, I got a Bad Save on that spot. So, basically, I’m unable to save the game now. Maybe I should restart the game? This is becoming too buggy, and I don’t want to waste your time :/

I’m starting to suspect that none of the object arrays can be resized without just starting a new game. Not just Locations, Islands, but maybe even ships and items. I almost swear I was able to get away with it by a reinit for ships and items, but maybe I didn’t and all my games were started after I fixed them.

So unfortunately, you may just have to start another one. The only good news is that with the patch and the corrected sizes, that problem you encountered would not happen again. Also, now that I’ve found that a resize is a direct function already built into the game, but still causes a save-crash, I’m going to step through that and find why. It may very well be something that can be avoided, but it will only be accomplished in the self-compiled versions if it becomes possible. Just for fun, and in anticipation of that, maybe keep this game around and that can be an experiment if I figure it out.

Ok, I will keep the savegames. Anytime you need them, I can upload them for you. Thanks for being very helpful! And sorry for the trouble… Now that I have installed your patch over the 1.5.7 patch by MK, do I need to change anything or I can just start a new game? Do I need to press F4, or the reinit is done by only starting a new game?

Death image for DX9 version is fixed and uploaded.

Ha! I may have just made this game smarter. That resize thing…would be nice for the user to not have to know how to reinit. Would be nice if a change could be made to locations, ships, stores, islands and old save games still work, eh? Maybe they can!

After the OnLoad event, that is when the save-game info is read in and the arrays are actually reverted back to what they were during that specific game. So when the program tries to iterate to those array-size constants (e.g. MAX_LOCATIONS), it fails because the old game didn’t have that many. So I wrote OnLoadReinit.c, containing onLoadReInit(), that compares all the array sizes in the data, to the constant that it ‘should’ be. If they are different, the data is resized and reinitialized. I then #included it in the main program, seadogs.c. Then in the OnLoad()method in seadogs.c, put a call to onLoadReInit() at the very beginning. I then opened globals.c and changed MAX_LOCATIONS, MAX_ISLANDS, and MAX_COLONIES. Loaded an old game, takes a slight bit longer to load as it resized and reinited the arrays I changed, but it loaded, then I tried saving and all was fine. No crashes, no critical errors in the log. Now the game is saved with the array data of the correct size and the next time you load it, it doesn’t run the resizing and reinit of those changed arrays because the saved-state sizes match the new constants.

Here is my function:

void onLoadReInit()
{
	bool reinit;
	reinit = false;
	int nCannonSize = GetArraySize(&Cannon);
	int nGoodsSize = GetArraySize(&Goods);
	int nEncounterSize = GetArraySize(&EncountersTypes);
	int nSailSize = GetArraySize(&SailsColors);
	int nItemSize = GetArraySize(&Items);
	int nStoreSize = GetArraySize(&Stores);
	int nShipSize = GetArraySize(&ShipsTypes);
	int nWeatherSize = GetArraySize(&Weathers);
	int nLocationsSize = GetArraySize(&Locations);
	int nIslandsSize = GetArraySize(&Islands);
	int nColonySize = GetArraySize(&Colonies);

	Trace("Reinitializing");

	if(nCannonSize != CANNON_TYPES_QUANTITY){
		SetArraySize(&Cannon,CANNON_TYPES_QUANTITY)
		CannonsInit();
	}
	if(nGoodsSize != GOODS_QUANTITY){
		SetArraySize(&Goods,GOODS_QUANTITY);
		if(LoadSegment("store\initGoods.c"))
		{
			InitGoods();
			UnloadSegment("store\initGoods.c");
		}
	}
	if(nEncounterSize != MAX_ENCOUNTER_TYPES){
		reinit = true;
		SetArraySize(&EncountersTypes,MAX_ENCOUNTER_TYPES);
		EncountersInit();
	}
	if(nSailSize != SAILS_COLOR_QUANTITY){
		SetArraySize(&SailsColors,SAILS_COLOR_QUANTITY);
		if(LoadSegment("Ships\Sails_Init.c"))
		{
			InitSailsColors();
			UnloadSegment("Ships\Sails_Init.c");
		}
	}
	if (nItemSize != ITEMS_QUANTITY){
		SetArraySize(&Items,ITEMS_QUANTITY);
		if(LoadSegment("items\initItems.c"))
		{
			InitItems();
			UnloadSegment("items\initItems.c");
		}
	}		
	if(nShipSize  != SHIP_TYPES_QUANTITY_WITH_FORT){
		reinit = true;	
		SetArraySize(&ShipsTypes, SHIP_TYPES_QUANTITY_WITH_FORT);
		ShipsInit();
	}
	if(nWeatherSize != MAX_WEATHERS){
		SetArraySize(&Weathers,MAX_WEATHERS);
		WeatherInit();
	}
	if(nIslandsSize != MAX_ISLANDS){
		reinit = true;
		SetArraySize(&Islands,MAX_ISLANDS);
		IslandsInit();
		if(LoadSegment("WorldMap\worldmap_init.c"))
		{
			wdmInitWorldMap();
			UnloadSegment("WorldMap\worldmap_init.c");
		}
	}
	if(nLocationsSize != MAX_LOCATIONS){
		reinit = true;
		SetArraySize(&Locations,MAX_LOCATIONS);
		LocationInit();
	}	
	if(nColonySize != MAX_COLONIES){
		reinit = true;
		SetArraySize(&Colonies,MAX_COLONIES);
		ColoniesInit();
		CreateColonyCommanders();
		SetGovenourToCity(ENGLAND, "PortRoyal");
		SetGovenourToCity(SPAIN, "Havana");
		SetGovenourToCity(FRANCE, "Tortuga");
		SetGovenourToCity(HOLLAND, "Villemstad");
	}
	if(nStoreSize != STORE_QUANTITY){
		SetArraySize(&stores,STORE_QUANTITY);
		if(LoadSegment("store\initStore.c"))
		{
			InitStores();
			UnloadSegment("store\initStore.c");
		}
	}
	if(reinit){
		if(LoadSegment("characters\Characters_tables.c"))
		{
			InitCharactersTables();
			UnloadSegment("characters\Characters_tables.c");
		}
		ClearAllFantomShips();		
		if(LoadSegment("nations\nations_init.c"))
		{
			InitNations();
			UnloadSegment("nations\nation_init.c");
		}
		if(LoadSegment("INTERFACE\perks\perks_init.c"))
		{
			extrnInitPerks();
			UnloadSegment("INTERFACE\perks\perks_init.c");
		}
	}
	return;
}

void ClearAllFantomShips()
{
	int  i;
	ref  chr;
	for (i = 0; i < REAL_SHIPS_QUANTITY; i++)
	{
        DeleteAttribute(&RealShips[i], "lock");
	}
	RealShips[sti(Characters[BOAT_CHARACTER].ship.type)].lock = true;
	for (i = 0; i < MAX_CHARACTERS; i++)
	{
        chr = &Characters[i];
        if (CheckAttribute(chr, "ship.type") && chr.ship.type != SHIP_NOTUSED)
        {
            RealShips[sti(chr.ship.type)].lock = true;
        }
		if (CheckAttribute(chr, "shipyard"))
		{
		    RemoveShipFromShipyard(chr);
		}
	}
	for (i = FANTOM_CHARACTERS; i < TOTAL_CHARACTERS; i++)
	{
        chr = &Characters[i];
        if (CheckAttribute(chr, "ship.type") && chr.ship.type != SHIP_NOTUSED)
        {
            RealShips[sti(chr.ship.type)].lock = true;
        }
	}
	for (i = 0; i < REAL_SHIPS_QUANTITY; i++)
	{
        if (!CheckAttribute(&RealShips[i], "lock") && !CheckAttribute(&RealShips[i], "StoreShip"))
        {
			DeleteAttribute(&RealShips[i], "");
		}
	}
}

void RemoveShipFromShipyard(ref NPChar)
{
        aref   arDest, arImt;
		string sAttr;
		int    iNum, i, iShip;
		makearef(arDest, NPChar.shipyard);
		iNum = GetAttributesNum(arDest);
		for (i = 0; i < iNum; i++)
		{
	    	arImt = GetAttributeN(arDest, i);
	    	iShip = sti(arImt.Type);
	    	DeleteAttribute(&RealShips[iShip], "StoreShip");
	    }
        DeleteAttribute(NPChar, "shipyard");
}

These are awesome news, Jeffrey! Keep up the good work!

You should try this with that Ed Teach game you were having trouble with, that probably had the wrong number of Locations. Download ResizeTest.zip and put the seadogs.c and OnReloadReinit.c in the Programs folder. Load that game, then immediately save it in an empty file slot and see if it saves without error. If no problem, then reload the game and resume playing.

The nice thing about this change is that any game that already matches the correct sizes, nothing happens, because it will skip all the resizing/reinit if it already matches. The difference here being that by placing this reinit right after the save data loads, but before some other stuff happens and the rest of the interface logic comes into play, it seems to work out better.

Jeffrey, I have noticed, after applying your patch, when I press numbers 1,2,3, or 4 in naval combat, the icon of the ammunition doesn’t change, only I hear the sound telling “load the cannonballs” for instance, and the cannons start recharging, but the icon stays the same. For example, if I had cannonballs installed, and I press number 3 for chain shots, the icon doesn’t change… But when I press enter and change it via icons, then it works…

I have tested it twice to see if that’s the problem with MK’s 1.5.7 patch, but there it works correctly…

P.S. This is completely irrelevant bug, it doesn’t affect my gameplay, but just wanted to let you know about it.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Samir.

I recently discovered that our compiled source does not play most of the music in AoP COAS. This doesn’t affect GOF 1.2 or ERAS because the music files being used were almost all changed in those mods to something different than what stock played (though I notice the files still exist in the directory, they weren’t used). Weird, because many of the GOF and ERAS music files still use the .ogg format and the error in AoP is that FMOD claims the file or audio format is unsupported.

I am using a different version of FMOD (slightly newer) than the original, so I looked at streamSound method causing the error…nothing wrong. Also, like I stated earlier, weird that some .ogg files work in GOF and ERAS, and even the main theme for the AoP menu worked and it is also .ogg, but every other tune that’s supposed to play while you’re sailing, in town, etc. didn’t play.

Just for grins, I took all the AoP .ogg file and using VLC media, converted them all from .ogg, to .ogg. Yep, you read that right, converted to the exact same format. I notice the resultant files are very slightly different sizes in bytes. But then like magic, they all now work in our AoP test versions. Probably something in the .ogg meta info that has changed since the ‘old days’ and the newer FMOD doesn’t recognize it (though VLC and other media players are able to figure it out and play them…I tried and they played in several) So I have changed the AoP test .zips to now include the sound files (the .zip are unfortunately much larger). You can no longer point them at the same RESOURCE/Sounds folder of your original game in start.ini. While it was just music song files that were affected (shorter sounds use playSound, which didn’t seem to have this same problem), we can’t just point to one place for the music and another for the rest of the sounds, so to ease testing, I bundled them all up and now you unzip, get the RESOURCE/Sounds folder in the same directory as the other test files and change start.ini to point ‘locally’ if you weren’t already using a whole exact copy of everything in your ‘test’ directory:

sound path = RESOURCE\sounds

Did one of you already fix this? Because if not, I want to add a fix to my patch tonight in the way of a new and improved character with proper portrait.

Um, no…modeling is outside my scope of knowledge 🙂

So when I catch her and recruit her, I just keep her as captain of her own ship (she’s got the stats for it) so I don’t have to look at her crazy eyes 😉

Oh, hey, while you’re at it…the Danielle Shepherd face is the same as one of the Pirate women crew (the one with the fancy garb), so even if you’re doing a whole new Danielle, want to go ahead and fix that face? Of course I usually see them lying dead on the deck, so maybe the screwy eyes works in that situation… 😉

Any idea how to fix this camera? With this ship, it looks awkward, even when I zoom in, it’s not right… The screenshot is with the max zoom out. I use the vanilla cameras mod. My screen resolution is 1600×900. I tried various values in AiCameras.c, but I just can’t find the right one…

• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Samir.
• This reply was modified 8 years, 5 months ago by Samir.