14 replies to this topic

[JustMe]

I apologise for what must seem like very dumb questions to those in the know, but although I could guess the answers to most of these, I'd appreciate if I could get "authoritative" answers, y'all.

I love BGT mods, and I really love the idea of ToBEx. I have some compatibility questions that I hope will allow me to disable some settings I generally use in BWS. Where possible, I would prefer to use ToBEx to fix engine bugs as it seems to be less hacky and more robust than other options. I used change-log to determine which mods were making alterations to the EXE file.

Mods affecting BGMAIN.EXE:
00000: ~TOBEX/TOBEX.TP2~ 0 100 // TobEx - Core: Beta 0020
00001: ~SETUP-BGT.TP2~ 0 0 // Baldur's Gate Trilogy - Core: 1.11 (January 2011)
00002: ~SPELL_REV/SETUP-SPELL_REV.TP2~ 0 20 // Mirror Image Fix: v3
00003: ~SPELL_REV/SETUP-SPELL_REV.TP2~ 0 30 // Dispel Magic Fix: v3
00004: ~SPELL_REV/SETUP-SPELL_REV.TP2~ 0 40 // Cure Sleep Fix: v3
00005: ~SPELL_REV/SETUP-SPELL_REV.TP2~ 0 50 // Remove Disabled Spells from Spell Selection Screens: v3
00006: ~SWORD_AND_FIST/SETUP-SWORD_AND_FIST.TP2~ 0 1 // Monk Remix: v7
00007: ~1PP_FEMALE_DWARVES/SETUP-1PP_FEMALE_DWARVES.TP2~ 0 0 // Separate Avatars for Female Dwarves -> Separate Avatars for Female Dwarves - Baldur's Gate II
00008: ~1PP_THIEVES_GALORE/SETUP-1PP_THIEVES_GALORE.TP2~ 0 1 // 1ppv3: Unique Thief Avatars (patch) -> BGII - Unique Thief Avatars (patch)
00009: ~AURORA/SETUP-AURORA.TP2~ 0 0 // Aurora's Shoes and Boots: v5
00010: ~TB#TWEAKS/TB#TWEAKS.TP2~ 0 3500 // WSPATCK for all (Taimon) -> Always: TB#Tweaks, V 2.50
00011: ~INFINITYANIMATIONS/SETUP-INFINITYANIMATIONS.TP2~ 0 0 // Infinity Animations: v5
00012: ~SETUP-BGTMUSIC.TP2~ 0 2 // Baldur's Gate Trilogy - Music -> Full Baldur's Gate/Shadows of Amn/Throne of Bhaal Music (WARNING: patches BGMain.exe)
00013: ~WIDESCREEN/WIDESCREEN.TP2~ 0 0 // Widescreen Mod -> for the original Infinity Engine (CHOOSE THIS!): Widescreen Mod v3.02

• Is ToBEx "Configurable Damage Effect Bypasses Mirror Images=1" the same as Spell_Rev (component 20) - "Mirror Image Fix: v3" ("This .exe patch fixes mirror images so they no longer protect from AoE spells such as Fireball.") and tob_hacks (component 30) - "Introduce AoE flag to bypass mirror images"?
  
  
• Is ToBEx "Dispel Formula Fix=1" the same as Spell_Rev (component 30) - "Dispel Magic Fix: v3" ("This .exe patch fixes the chance to dispel magic to match the spell's description (so there is at least a marginal chance of dispelling effects of a higher-level mage) and corrects conceptual problems caused by the automatic dispelling of all magically created items.")?
  
  
• Is ToBEx "Effect Opcodes:Awaken On Damage=1" the same as Spell_Rev (component 40) - "Cure Sleep Fix: v3" ("This .exe patch allows creatures affected by Sleep to awaken if hit, and creatures affected by Greater Command to make a save each round to awaken.")?
  
  
• Is ToBEx "Externalise Mage Spell Hiding=1" the same as Spell_Rev (component 50) ("Remove Disabled Spells from Spell Selection Screens: v3")?
  
  
• ToBEx has "Effect Opcodes:Drop Inventory on Disintegrate=1; Effect Opcodes:Drop Inventory on Frozen Death=1; Effect Opcodes:Drop Inventory on Stone Death=1". Are these functionally the same as P5tweaks (components 10, 20, and 40) - "Drop Items on Frozen Death", "Drop Items on Disintegration", "Drop Items on Petrification"?
  
  
• Is ToBEx "Engine:Weapon Specialisation Number of Attacks Mod=1" the same as tb#tweaks (component 3500) "WSPATCK for all (Taimon)" ("This component will give attack per round bonuses to all characters according to WSPATCK.2da (that is, half an attack at 7th level, a full attack at 13th). You can choose to do this for all characters (overpowered) or only for those with at least ** in the used weapon (making specialization worthwhile for swashbucklers and nerfing not specialized warriors).")?
  
  
• Is ToBEx "Engine:Disable End On Player1 Dead=1" functionally the same as tb#tweaks (component 150) - "Imprisonment Fix" (non-EXE patch) ("This component fixes the Imprisonment effect, so that it won't terminate the game if cast on Player1, doesn't terminate romances, doesn't cause random bugs with summons, and finally you can't use it for infinite experience points. Differently from other fixes circulating, this one also fixes the Protection from Imprisonment effect, and fixes the instances of these occurring in mods.")...
  
  
• ...and (component 200) - "Petrification Fix" ("This component fixes the Flesh to Stone effect, so that it won't terminate the game if cast on Player1, doesn't terminate romances, doesn't cause random bugs with summons, and finally you can't use it for infinite experience points. It also fixes the Protection from Petrification and the Stone to Flesh effects, and fixes the instances of these occurring in mods.")?
  
  
• Is ToBEx "Configurable Magical Item Dispel Behaviour=1" the same as ToB_Hacks (component 41) - "Introduce configurable item dispel behavior"?
  
  
• Currently, BWS marks BGTMusic as incompatible with ToBEx (component 100). I can force the install by deleting this line from the config file. Will this lead to crashes, or is the incompatibility incorrectly marked?
  
  This one is a typo-bug in BWS (see here)
  
  
• What are the chances of the BGT/BGTMusic EXE patches being folded into ToBEx or ToBEx_redist for increased compatibility?
  
  
• I've found another mod which patches the EXE: "~SWORD_AND_FIST/SETUP-SWORD_AND_FIST.TP2~ 0 1 // Monk Remix: v7".
  
  
• The remaining EXE-modifier mods and components are
  # "1PP_FEMALE_DWARVES" (component 0) - "Separate Avatars for Female Dwarves - Baldur's Gate II"
  # "1PP_FEMALE_DWARVES" (component 1) - "1ppv3: BGII - Unique Thief Avatars (patch)"
  # "AURORA" (component 0)
  # "INFINITYANIMATIONS" (component 0)
  # "SWORD AND FIST" (component 1) - "Monk Remix v7"
  # "WIDESCREEN" (component 0)
  
  Will the changes made by these mods be folded into ToBEx_redist?

Again, apologies for the long post. Being able to remove certain mods/components from BWS, particularly EXE-modifying patches, will definitely make a less-crashy install. All kudos to Ascension64 and other ToBEx contributors!

Edited by JustMe, 07 April 2011 - 07:35 AM.

[the bigg]

The readme contains the answers to all of your questions.

[JustMe]

I am using the "ToBEx Modder Reference" document...is there another, separate readme as well? I looked in the readme files of all of the mods I'm asking about here, as well as some tp2 files--honestly, I did!--but some of the wording makes the components seem not necessarily identical.

For example, Spell_Revisions states that (e.g.) Fireball will now affect characters who are Mirror Imaged; but the ToBEx component says that "TobEx allows modmakers to create effects that bypass mirror images". So, does ToBEx alter any spells to use this 'effect', or does it just enable the 'effect' and require a separate third-party mod to do the spell altering? Some seem easier to dupe than others, but a definite, authoritative answer would definitely be appreciated. (Even one-word answers--Yes or No--would be fine. I know you guys are busy, same as the rest of us.)

If possible, the information here should be put into the BWS (e.g. ToBEx(120)>P5Tweaks(10) etc) which currently seems rather hit-and-miss over what mods/components ToBEx replaces.

[Shaitan]

I think it is hidden somewhere in ToBex dir when you've unpacked it.

[Jarno Mikkola]

I think it is hidden somewhere in ToBex dir when you've unpacked it.

Hidden, yeah right, it's not like it's hidden in the TobEx\tra\english\ -directory... ouh right, it is there.

[JustMe]

Yes, I found the Readme.htm, thank you. But it still doesn't answer the questions above, about whether the ToBEx components are analogous to the other_mod components I asked about in the opening post. So...

[ScuD]

The readme contains the answers to all of your questions.

Actually no, the readme doesn't, especially if there are 2 files with that name in the package, but TobEx_ini.txt does. Check that file - it has all the answers you need.

Edit: Oh, looks like Asc64 has replied at the same time and his answer is much more comprehensive

Edited by ScuD, 07 April 2011 - 06:27 PM.

[Miloch]

I am happy to deprecate the P5Tweaks components that may clash (or at least auto-skip them if ToB is detected) if someone can confirm the ToB components actually do work as intended (i.e. they replace the functionality in P5Tweaks).

The remaining EXE-modifier mods and components are
# "1PP_FEMALE_DWARVES" (component 0) - "Separate Avatars for Female Dwarves - Baldur's Gate II"
# "1PP_FEMALE_DWARVES" (component 1) - "1ppv3: BGII - Unique Thief Avatars (patch)"
# "AURORA" (component 0)
# "INFINITYANIMATIONS" (component 0)
# "SWORD AND FIST" (component 1) - "Monk Remix v7"
# "WIDESCREEN" (component 0)

Will the changes made by these mods be folded into ToBEx_redist?

I doubt it... though there was some talk about it (at least the first 4) a while back, it won't happen anytime soon if it ever does (though far be it for me to underestimate A64's ninja coding). Having said that, they aren't incompatible with each other or ToB as long as you install them in the proper order.

[JustMe]

[quote name='Asc64_offline' date='07 April 2011 - 05:29 PM' timestamp='1302222595' post='512562']
Refer to TobEx/TobEx_redist/TobEx_ini.txt or ./TobEx_ini/TobEx_ini.txt if TobEx is installed. (yeah, kinda hidden)
The SCS(II) information is outdated because they include TobEx now.[/quote]

*Bangs head on table.* Now you put it that way, everything becomes clear. Sorry about that. But I did definitely read the Readme.

Even so, thanks for taking the time to get back to me on this. It might be an idea to add the information on what components of ToBEx supersede other mods to the Readme (you could even adapt your post here as a FAQ-style section to do this).

[quote]?Is ToBEx "Engine:Disable End On Player1 Dead=1" functionally the same as tb#tweaks (component 150) - "Imprisonment Fix" (non-EXE patch)[/quote]
No. I am not sure of the effect when used together. Not the former is a modder tweak only, as it requires extra coding to function correctly for a player.

[quote]?...and (component 200) - "Petrification Fix"?[/quote]
As above.

OK, I will keep these two tb#tweaks components selected for the install for now.

[quote]?What are the chances of the BGT/BGTMusic EXE patches being folded into ToBEx or ToBEx_redist for increased compatibility?
TobEx actually overrides BGTMusic (since it uses the same implementation as tob_hacks). I think you can safely use the two together as a result. Confirm before parading this in front of the BWP people.[/quote]
-----360 Extended Songlist [C, M]
(Different implementation to, and overrides tob_hacks)
[/quote]

I'll test and confirm, but the original conflict as reported has been confirmed as a typo in a BWS file and has been fixed. So there shouldn't be any problems.

Thanks for taking the time to respond, A64. Hopefully a post like this with everything in one place should prevent you (and anyone else) from having to reply to oafs like me asking questions like these. Ahem.

[JustMe]

I doubt it... though there was some talk about it (at least the first 4) a while back, it won't happen anytime soon if it ever does (though far be it for me to underestimate A64's ninja coding). Having said that, they aren't incompatible with each other or ToB as long as you install them in the proper order.

OK, I thought those EXE patching components were probably compatible, but thanks for the confirmation. I'm about to try again with a mega-mod BWS install without P5Tweaks (10, 20, 40) and other redundant EXE-patches. I'll try to test whether ToBEx completely replaces the P5Tweaks components 10, 20, and 40, though A64 seems sure that it does.

[JustMe]

Megamod installation worked with 0 installation errors, which was nice. P5Tweaks is not installed this time.

Tested Disintegrate by using ShadowKeeper to bump xp up, and then added Disintegrate scrolls to Inv. Used scroll on nearest joinable NPC (Xzar) which resulted in death and dropping his inventory. ToBEx > P5Tweaks (10).

Tested Petrification by spawning Flesh to Stone scroll. Used on Montaron. He is a statue, but hostile. No drop of Inv. Hit him with a katana and he explodes. Drops inv. ToBEx > P5Tweaks (40).

Tested frozen death by spawning Cone of Cold scroll and using on Montaron. Two scrolls result in "Montaron - Death", with him hostile, unmoving, frozen. Hit with katana, he explodes, dropping Inv. ToBEx > P5Tweaks (20).

[Yovaneth]

That's about the best use for Montaron I've ever come across.....

-Y-

[Azazello]

That's about the best use for Montaron I've ever come across.....

-Y-

[Miloch]

I will try to remember if I ever update P5Tweaks to skip those components if TobEx is detected. I suppose it is largely obsolete, but I actually am using it right now for vanilla BG1, as that is not compatible with TobEx (and has that lovely retro feel, with proper avatars that aren't just mirrored like in BG2 :l).