Description: This is an English Multiplayer Coop Mod that piggybacks off of data in Arcanum Work In Progress 6.0 by rroyo, which can be found here (http://terra-arcanum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=14734).

LAST UPDATED: 7/02/2010
CURR VERSION: v1.0
STATUS: On hold; Still attempting to get ZB to use his map merger program to merge the .mobs and .sec for me.





Requires WIP 6.0: You COULD play it without WIP 6.0, but you might be missing art files, as well as script and dialogue files. Regular Arcanum script and diag files should still work, however.

Requires Multiplayer: This mod will only work in an MP game. Any attempts to start it up in single player will result in a black screen.




Download Link: www.mediafire.com/?wkl9676k0tij9sf
Extract to (Arcanum\modules\)






Optional Files Description: Townmap, music, and sounds have all been taken out to reduce .dat size. If you wish to have spoken dialogue sounds and townmaps, you'll need download those files from the optional links below then put them into Modules\ArcanumCoop\ and you should then be good to go. You will have to create that folder by hand.



Optional File 1: -- link down --
Extract to: (modules\ArcanumCoop\sound\)

Optional File 2: -- link down --
Extract to: (module\ArcanumCoop\sound\)

Optional File 3: -- link down --
Extract to: (module\ArcanumCoop\)


Test Screenshots: -- link down --

Modified scr, dlg files etc.: -- link down --




In-Game Usage: When you start the game, there should be a nearby chest filled with Gnomish Discombobulating Reconfigurators (Theta's idea for the name). Use this device once (by dragging it to the hand slot or quick slotting it) to start the playerShell script that handles input from the device, and then use it again to get a pop-up menu with options.







Current Features:

- Increment/Decrement Storyline: Add or subtract an integer from the "story state" game variable via the diag menu.

- Manual Map#: X, Y input: Input a manual map number and x and y coord via a menu.

- Pre-set WIP and Original Arcanum Positions: Teleport via a dialog menu to all the original (82 of them) Arcanum world map positions and the new WIP 6.0 locations (30 of them I think?)

- Partial Campaign Progression: The main campaign is "progressionable" up to the Black Mountain Clan Mine. What I did was I copied down the essential NPC's info from their maps, and re-created them on the Main Arcanum map just outside their entry location. So the P-sychuler & Sons will appear in their topside building in Tarant, just behind the doors, bypassing the entire underground area. There is a way to combine maps, ZB/another Russian group did it with their standard Arcanum co-op module, however I've never gotten access to the program....this would, of course, fix the issue of not being able to go to maps not on the main map.

Bert here.

We had playtested the module last night and Runawayscientist took some screenshots:




Players start at the Crash site, and in the chest (where you pick up Forgotten Places 6.0 or whatever it is) are several Discombobulating Reconfigurators. Put it in your inventory and use it to first start it up and then be able to use it.




As you can see the Discombubulating Reconfigurator is Runawayscientist's 'solution' to travelling in Arcanum. It'll take you to almost every place in Arcanum



You may even input coordinates manually.



Bert's joined!



Just killing things



Being the killer that I am, I attack Virgil.



And with some 'help' he dies.



After proceeding past the shrine we encounter one of the Molochean Hand:



And vanquish him:



And by this point, we are joined by a third player, Theta AKA Cap'n Flint. We proceeded south past the shrine, killing wolf after wolf and twirling our hats..



..Till we encounter a house whose owner had been mauled by bears and through our combined efforts we defeat them:



And proceed to loot the house and the owner's corpse for some bullets, gold and other items



Of course, it would take us ages to travel to Shrouded Hills in this fashion so we all used the Discombublating Reconfigurator and discombobulated ourselves over there instead.



After a few moments of bartering and running around we all met back at the inn, where we discovered corpses in Joachim's room



We slept in one of the rooms (Runawayscientist advanced the time using cheats) till morning. At Ristezze's, I try to talk him into giving out info but fail horrendously



But! Runaway decides to take a try himself and succeeds!



We paid a visit to the thieves at the bridge and try to persuade him to GTFO:



...but fail to do so and we proceed to run for our lives



Luckily we managed to ditch them, killing one of them in the process. We were just about to call it a day when...



A wild ogre appears!



We kill it, and finally find Lukan. We kill him, took the key, but there's still one other thing for us to settle. Theta accepted the bank robbery quest from Doc Roberts and was walking over to the meeting point. Meanwhile, Runaway is preparing ingredients..



...when Doc Roberts walks past his meeting point, into the inn and steals all of Runaway's items. I guess he should've waited outside the bank.



At low levels we couldn't afford to lose so many items and one of us used a Fate point to steal the items back:



By this point I had to go, so it was just Theta and Runawayscientist. After they took back their rightful items it was time to save the bank:







And that's all. So far the module is certainly playable save for crashes and some lag throughout our session. Currently you can't go into areas within towns or cities like the Bessie Toon mine.

Marvelous work! Any chance of a video of some co-op shenanigans in the future? Screenshots can capture only so much.

Definitely going to keep an eye on this.

Bloody hell!
Now this is nice. I've waited for this kind of thing so long.
Thanks dude and keep up the good work!

Uploaded the full array of .jpgs of the test screens. Bert left out quite a few....due to them not being work safe, I guess.


Also uploaded the edited files, so you don't have to de-dat anything if you want to grab them. This way, you can modify the original (or another mod's .dat) if you wanted to and add these files in. It'll also save you the work of having to script in all the locations yourself.


Researching how to merge all the maps into one large map at the moment (like the Russians did in MultiArcanum), as well as scripting in a few miscellaneous items such as police that arrest and NPC exclamatory floatlines based on PC status.

Looking good so far, I'm really impressed.

_________________

from time to time I return to T-A in hope for some nice news like a WIP6.0 update orso.

What do I see now! Coop WIP6.0 nice!

So it's possible in the future to beat the game with other people?

Looking good!

_________________

the term warm and fuzzy is inadequate to describe how i am feeling right now. keep it up the good work dude!

Oh yes. You cannot save, of course, but perhaps there is a way to circumvent this....via modifying the "story state" variable. Still rather untested.


And it is possible to "merge" the various maps that comprise the other areas of Arcanum. So yes. Not right now, but once the maps are merged and their scripts altered to display the new locations, then you got it. Just add friends and free time and enjoy.

Really interresting idea's. Hope this mod (can I call it a mod) will see a nice stable release in the future.

Are the fights only in real time only?

_________________

Yes. There is no turn-based that I know of, anyway. It might be possible to hex the .exe to allow turn-based in multiplayer....but that's just a hypothesis.


'Technically' it's a mod. It's in its own .dat. Really, it's just the main information from Arcanum + WIP 6.0 stripped down as much as possible for size reasons, plus like 14 script+dialog+semes files that I modified. It's a light mod of a mod, really.

wow this is nice indeed, thanks

i hope you can menage to make all scenario playable throught coop

It's a bitch. But it can be done. If the Russians Arcanum gaming community can do it, I can do it. Or rather, Drog can do it. Or Rroyo.

Little question:

I was too lazy to uninstall Arcanum because of UAP, so I installed A:WIP 6.0 over it (probably it was a mistake), then I tried to use your mod, so after pressing "Next" button after starting shop it was ... a black screen, however while alt+tabbing I could see everything (grass, crashed zepellin, etc.) for 1 second before get to windows, alt+tabbing back - again black screen. I had High Rez installed before, after WIP it disappeared.
I installed High Rez again, nothing changed.

So... well, I reinstalled Arcanum, fresh, clean, without anything;
Installed A:WIP v 6.0;
Put your mod at modules again;
Loaded it in options;
Black screen again.

Had someone the same problem as me?

Sorry for bad english.

This mod is Multiplayer ONLY.

You are attempting to play it in single-player mode. This will result in a black-screen.

If you wish to try the co-op mod, click on Multiplayer -> Network -> Host Game. Then, select the module from the list and start it up.

Ah damn it... yeah... it's multiplayer ^_^ ...just wanted to test it...
Sorry for this stupid mistake, and thanks for pointing in right direction.





Ok, I'll try to test as much as possible there.

Let me know if you have any further problems or spot any bugs while testing it out.

I'm sorry if it's another stupid question, but I started to test your mod with deffault character just to see if it's working, so it's working, everything is ok, but... I simply can't create custom character, I mean it doesn't let me to get to shop menu, after pressing "Next" button after character sheet it simply... does nothing, you can click and click and nothing, also after that I can't up/down my skills, it simply ignores all my actions, and the only way is leave this screen and get deffault character. It looks like I'm not in character sheet anymore really, but it shows me character sheet.
Arcanum is fresh, installed only WIP and your mod added, nothing more, no even High Rez patch or anything else.

After you click Network, click "Character". You should then see options at the top to select and create a new character and it should allot you the default points.


There is no shop map for Multiplayer. There is only auto-equip.

So, that's what I do (if need I can even make screenshots and provide screens):

Choose ArcanumCoop in options,
Multiplayer -> Network;
Character -> New Character;
Pick any name like "dfgkdf", then "Next";
Spend point on anything or don't spending at all, then pressing "Next";
Nothing happends.
Character doesn't creating.





Edit:
Hey wtf? I pressed Enter instead of click "Next" button, I appeared in panties with 2 other guys in panties with a chest near, can't do anything, pressing Enter again let me control myself, lol...

You do not have to select "ArcanumCoop" in the options.

Once you create your character, it will be in the character list. You have to left click it in the character list to select it THEN click Host Game.

So, to re-cap:

- Click Network
- Click Character
- Click New Character
- Create your new character however you want
- Spend your character points
- Click the green button to confirm
- Look in the Character List and left click on your character to select it
- Click ACCEPT at the top
- Click HOST GAME
- Make sure "ArcanumCoop" is visible in the box on the left-hand side of the options panel.
- Make sure auto-equip is on
- Turn on/off any of the other options present that you want
- Start up your server and begin playing

Well now I didn't select mod in option, so Arcanum was here.
I simply pressed Network, still the same problem, I did everything as you said before and now, nothing changed.
Here's screen how I create a character and pressing "Next" button and it does nothing, simply ignores it: http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/8272/68856764.png
It's I trying to remove one point AFTER pressing this button, and it ignores it too, I can't do anything now, except for pressing Escape to return to previous menu: http://a.imageshack.us/img690/5997/19391122.png
That what happens if I press Enter in character sheet: http://a.imageshack.us/img180/5871/96760843.png
That what happens if I trying to quit game after... the only way is Ctrl+Alt+Del, because it freezes: http://a.imageshack.us/img299/3082/71972093.png


So After spending point on character, what should I do if not press "Netx" aka "the green button"?

Make sure "ArcanumCoop" NOT "Arcanum" is selected AFTER you press Host Game.

Do not select "ArcanumCoop" from the Options menu before you create your character.

Restart your game. My guess is you probably alt-tabbed out of your game to write a response and as a result it screwed up your UI.

Try this, and let me know if that helps.

Just tried, there're all actions:

Run Arcanum, check options to see what module is active, it was Arcanum, I reselected it again in any case by pressing arrow key few time to get IT AGAIN, no Vormatown or ArcanumCoop, it was Arcanum (!!!)

Pressing Multiplayer, Network, Character, New Character, and then the same as you can see on screen, any name any stats, pressing "Next" button cause to do nothing.

*No alt-tabbing was during process.

You're running Arcanum + the Official Arcanum Patch + WIP 6.0 right? I don't think you mentioned installing the patch earlier.