216 replies to this topic

[Lollorian]

@Jarno: But the point is, the files aren't even modified in any way after extracting/before (re)biffing them

They're just - extract, biff

The only useful cases I see are:

1) BGT -> extract from BGI folder, optional rename, biff
2) CtB, RoT -> extract, rename, biff

SoBH, NTotSC, RoT and TDD do it (imho) unnecessarily ...

@thebigg:

As much as it's unsettling to see "code" and "erect penis" in one sentence ... maybe Hoppy might know if TDD/RoT need those lines for some other (insidiously evil world conquering) purpose

Edited by Lollorian, 14 June 2010 - 07:28 AM.

[the bigg]

OK, maybe it didn't exactly happen like I described

However, back in the day the only possible way to distribute mods was to ship the contents of your override folder, and it was more likely than not that files from the patch and/or Baldurdash were accidentally shipped along with the required mod's files, and then never purged during the mod's life (during the various rounds of bugfixes, revamps, biffing, or WeiDUing that the big mods went through). One actually harmful (as opposed to simply space-wasting) example is old versions of TDD, which contained some (but not all) files from the Baldurdash build of multiple romances (something that made the game extremely laggy and unstable, compounding TDD's reputation as an unreliable mod).

Edited by the bigg, 14 June 2010 - 07:53 AM.

[Lollorian]

OK, maybe it didn't exactly happen like I described

I KNEW THAT!!! ... I guess

So ... they're just attempts by the mod's WeiDU-izer to make the final override look exactly like when the mod was in non-WeiDU form aye?? ... In that case ... HURR HURR HURR COMMENTING!

Also, 2 questions on how this -biff-get actually works -

1) if say file X is already in the override, and some mod does a --biff-get X, does the X from the biff overwrite the one in the override??

2) If say file X is in A.bif and B.bif (B with the last patched one), which X does --biff-get extract??

[the bigg]

1) if say file X is already in the override, and some mod does a --biff-get X, does the X from the biff overwrite the one in the override??

Yes.

2) If say file X is in A.bif and B.bif (B with the last patched one), which X does --biff-get extract??

If X is in A.bif and B.bif, the game will crash on loading. What happens is that, when WeiDU is creating B.bif, it's also removing the reference to X in A.bif. So, A.bif will have an unreachable file, and B.bif will contain the only active version of X (bar override).

[Lollorian]

1) if say file X is already in the override, and some mod does a --biff-get X, does the X from the biff overwrite the one in the override??

Yes.

omg! Isn't that bad?? The override usually has the latest patched file so ...

Thanks for the answer btw

[the bigg]

As I said, WeiDU versions of Old Mods were (mostly) not built according to reason, but by attempting to recreate the non-WeiDU override folder as closely as possible*.

Also, those are .WAV and other never-patched file formats anyhow

*: since it's not too obvious, I'm not talking badly about the people doing the WeiDUing. Their source material was exceptionally buggy and nonsensical (and they didn't have design documents or other high-level descriptions of the mod), meaning that the only possible approach to converting the mod is to recreate the override folder as closely as possible.

Edited by the bigg, 14 June 2010 - 08:24 AM.

[Lollorian]

Yea they're wav's ... but isn't --biff-get valid for cre's and itm's too?? For all we know, some as-yet-unknown-but-rising-from-the-shadows megamod could be regex --biff-getting all .cre's

Ah phooey, they're all gonna get commented out anyway, so it doesn't matter

[the bigg]

Yea they're wav's ... but isn't --biff-get valid for cre's and itm's too?? For all we know, some as-yet-unknown-but-rising-from-the-shadows megamod could be regex --biff-getting all .cre's

Mods already have hundreds of ways to ruin your game (and even ways format your computer), it doesn't make sense to prepare in case some mod actually does.

[Lollorian]

... and even ways format your computer

I'll never look at mods the same way again! ...

[Lollorian]

Ok, 3 month thread necro

Anyway, 2 months back, I'd started making changes to the biffmeister again, then I dropped off the netz cause of commitments (aks SC2 ) but decided to finish it today

So, here goes ...

Changes
- the changed files have the lines commented out instead of being outright deleted for better BWPFixpack compatibility (thanks to Leomar for reminding me, wherever you are )
- megamods won't just make useless copies of vanilla files and rebiff them
- megamods have all their .bif's retained (any mod can just check for the .bif) by filling them with static files from other bifs
- megamods (RoT, SoS, TS-BP) won't COMPILE the override now

Mods with biffing changes:
- BGT
- SoBH
- CtB
- Dark Horizons (via BWPFixpack)
- DrizztSaga
- DSotSC
- NTotSC
- RoT
- SoS
- TDD
- ToA
- TS-BP

Mods with no biffing changes (but removes unnecessary override backups)
- (almost all the megamods)
- AzenMod
- PlanarsphereMod
- Revised Battles
- Vault

IMPORTANT: None of the files are already BWPFixpacked so any REAL fixes would still need to be applied by running the BWPFixpack over these (eg: DSotSC, CtB, Vault etc)

Attachment removed cause of newer version below

Edited by Lollorian, 11 September 2010 - 07:06 AM.

[Chevalier]

Anyway, 2 months back, I'd started making changes to the biffmeister again, then I dropped off the netz cause of commitments (aks SC2 ) but decided to finish it today

It is good to see you back! Others don't use enough emoticons. You really don't know how they mean things.

[Lollorian]

You really don't know how they mean things.

Exactly! Using smileys, I can badmouth someone while faking a happy face (literally ) I'll also point out that my hiatus would've lasted much longer if SC2 hadn't fried my GPU

But ... on a serious note, I have no clue how the patch process is gonna take place now Back then, it was:

1) Fix gets posted
2) Leomar sees
3) TADA!! Patch ready! (either through himself or via Leonardo Watson)

and now:

1) <stares>
...

Edited by Lollorian, 10 September 2010 - 11:29 PM.

[the bigg]

But ... on a serious note, I have no clue how the patch process is gonna take place now Back then, it was:

Yes, it'd be nice if the code to create a BWP-Fixpack formatted patch was available somewhere.

[Lollorian]

Ok, slight update according to a test install with just the megamods

Changes:
- adds /y flags to all xcopy's in .bats cause there's a high probability for overwriting (which happened in my case with DSotSC and NTotSC)
- small change with CtB-install.bat
- readded the whitespace at the end of RoT-install.bat (was borking the BWPSmoothpack patch )

Attached Files

•  biffmeister_almost_there.7z   235.3K   361 downloads

[Hoppy]

You really don't know how they mean things.

Exactly! Using smileys, I can badmouth someone while faking a happy face (literally ) I'll also point out that my hiatus would've lasted much longer if SC2 hadn't fried my GPU

But ... on a serious note, I have no clue how the patch process is gonna take place now Back then, it was:

1) Fix gets posted
2) Leomar sees
3) TADA!! Patch ready! (either through himself or via Leonardo Watson)

and now:

1) <stares>
...

Good to know your true intentions and I'll be sure to ignore 99% of your posts... <ahem>... spam.

[Lollorian]

Ah yes, (EVERYONE) most of (MUST) my posts (OBEY) do contain (ME) subliminal messages

[Jarno Mikkola]

What happened ?

[Lollorian]

Another one joins the ranks Exxxxxcellent!

Anyway, I tried to patchify the biffmeister (which is prolly phail) but if people are doing a new install this week, it'd be great if you could use the attached archive ... oh, you might need to rename it for the BWS to detect (and unpack ) it ...

I did try it and all the patches do get applied (with some ignorable "fuzz" )

It'd be great (DOWNLOAD) if atleast (IT) someone other than (USE) me could test it out (IT) even if it's just with the megamods

Attached Files

•  BiG World Borkpack.7z   126.69K   237 downloads

[Arkenor]

Another one joins the ranks Exxxxxcellent!

Anyway, I tried to patchify the biffmeister (which is prolly phail) but if people are doing a new install this week, it'd be great if you could use the attached archive ... oh, you might need to rename it for the BWS to detect (and unpack ) it ...

I did try it and all the patches do get applied (with some ignorable "fuzz" )

It'd be great (DOWNLOAD) if atleast (IT) someone other than (USE) me could test it out (IT) even if it's just with the megamods

OK, all done. There's still a lot of trimpack failing going on, but less than my previous debug.

Attached Files

•  BiG World Debug.7z   159.62K   257 downloads

Edited by Arkenor, 12 September 2010 - 03:24 PM.

[Lollorian]

Hmm, lots of "Patch ends prematurely"-type stuff So I guess it's better to wait for an official BWP patch than use my hackneyed job (unless you wanna use the "almost-there package above the borkpack ... that one works)