Engine hacks

Discussion in 'Modding and Scripting Support' started by Anonymous, Aug 28, 2008.

Remove all ads!
Support Terra-Arcanum:

GOG.com

PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!
  1. The_Bob

    The_Bob Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    891
    Likes Received:
    8
    Joined:
    May 9, 2006
    Are you talking about the problem with NPCs being stuck in a door ? Because that's the only situation when something that fits the description ever happened to me. I mean, when some NPC tried to perform an (melee) attack through an open door, on a target standing on the other side, right next to the door. I think this also happens when the passage is simply blocked by NPCs and sometimes the player.

    If a player tries to do one of these things (sometimes) the effect is simply 'losing' a turn.
     
  2. Archmage Orintil

    Archmage Orintil New Member

    Messages:
    586
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Sep 18, 2007
    He means that after killing an enemy, he's unable to get out of turn-based combat mode. It's a completely random bug. The only method of getting out is to switch to real-time combat, then to normal game mode. However, his problem arises when real-time combat mode is disabled with the engine hack. With the only method of getting out of the never ending TB bug disabled, he's screwed.
     
  3. MackaN

    MackaN New Member

    Messages:
    105
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2005
    Men Who Created this topic will be my GOD:)

    "153F04:61 - NPCs will always display their portrait even if they're not in your party. (They will display a race/monster icon if they don't have one.)"

    I wanted always to do it in my mod, and I got answer long time ego that this thing is impossible to do. Now I know that my dreams can be true :)

    But now is a quastion. What file you open with hex editor, and what hexeditor you use to change this value. Because I already only made mess with pro files and art files. Time to change it and play with engine options :)
     
  4. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Well, making a small guide for newbies won't hurt, I suppose.

    1. Download Hex Workshop, it's the best hex editor. A trial version will do.
    2. Open arcanum.exe or any other 1.0.7.4 version based executable that you wish to hack.
    3. Press Ctrl+G to enter 'Goto' menu. Check the following options: 'Hex', 'Beginning of File'. Copy and paste an offset from this thread. Click 'Go'.
    4. Just type the new value.
    5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 the necessary number of times.
    6. Press Ctrl+S to save the file.
     
  5. MackaN

    MackaN New Member

    Messages:
    105
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Jun 27, 2005
    Thanks again. It is even more than I wanted to know. :)

    One more quastion. Is there a newer document what dexcribe the hexs in pro files than:
    ___DKoepp__PROTOTYPEEDITING.doc
    MiscProtoOffsets.doc
    and Non_Magic_WeaponProto.doc

    I mean, if somone have better knowlage than there is in these documents about specific numbes in pro files, can just put it on forum in form of manual. I mean in the same form like Drog Black Tooth post. I mean:

    adress of hex -> meaning of value

    That kind of documents are realy usefull and precious for modders.

    And thanks again for engine hacks Drog. I was long time absent on this forum, but when I returned I noticed that there is lot of new usefull information here.
     
  6. BPD

    BPD New Member

    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2008
    I only ask because I have zero comprehension of whether it is a lot of work or a little:

    Can you give WorldEd the higher resolution treatment? 1024x768 or higher for the edit window?

    Thanks again for all the cool stuff.

    Brian
     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    WorldEd has no limitations, it just fits your desktop resolution.
     
  8. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Inspired by recent dwarven mage discussions, I decided to finally track down the dwarven spell penalty. The following hack removes it.

    Normal spell cost for dwarves:
    B1687:EB
    B16ED:EB
    5087F:EB
    53345:EB

    Enjoy.
     
  9. Dark Elf

    Dark Elf Administrator Staff Member

    Messages:
    10,796
    Media:
    34
    Likes Received:
    164
    Joined:
    Feb 6, 2002
    Note: I consider any usage of the above hack in the Ironman challenge cheating.
     
  10. BPD

    BPD New Member

    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2008
    Doh! Thanks.

    Another question that I have no idea if it is difficult or not: Can you completely switch off combat? As in, neither the player nor an NPC can initiate combat?

    Considering that damn near everything is broken in combat and it is the weakness of this game, maybe it's better for me to just create a new combat system with scripting. All the pieces are there, and it sure would be nice to have mages actually cast spells...
     
  11. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Yes.

    B3F80:C3 - combat init subroutine disabled
    1B50CC:00 - combat AI off

    This way nobody will be able to enter combat mode, and NPCs will never want to enter it, anyway.
     
  12. BPD

    BPD New Member

    Messages:
    11
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2008
    Fantastic. Thanks.
     
  13. Koorac

    Koorac New Member

    Messages:
    37
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Nov 6, 2008
    Is there any way of increasing the inventory size (for example to 16x14)?
     
  14. Cloaked Figure

    Cloaked Figure New Member

    Messages:
    103
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2008
    Is there any way to disable ONLY the Sierra beginning movie?
     
  15. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Just use a blank movie from this dat.
     
  16. Cloaked Figure

    Cloaked Figure New Member

    Messages:
    103
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2008
  17. Cloaked Figure

    Cloaked Figure New Member

    Messages:
    103
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2008
    Hey Drog. I was thinking today if maybe there were a way to disable the 400x800 limit on loading screens and slides. I always wonder why they did that.
     
  18. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    There's no limit actually. Splash screens just can't be larger than the game's draw area, and it was 800x400 in the original, but in the high resolution patch the draw area just equals to your resolution. So, e.g. if you're running the game in 1280x800, then you can use splash screens of any size up to 1280x800.

    Splash screens are stored in 'art\splash' in Arcanum2.dat.
     
  19. Cloaked Figure

    Cloaked Figure New Member

    Messages:
    103
    Likes Received:
    0
    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2008
    Huh...what if someone with only 800x600 res on his PC tries to run a mod that adds 1280x800 loading screens? Will they re-size on their own? Or simply not play?

    Thank you.
     
  20. Anonymous

    Anonymous Guest

    Yes, they simply won't appear, i.e. you will see a black screen while starting the game.
     
Our Host!