364 replies to this topic

[The Imp]

All my mods are stored in individual folders.  For example: the folder for BG2 Fixpack is named "1.13 BG2 Fixpack v10 + v11 + v12 +v13".  1.13 is the number in BiG World Project.pdf and the version numbers represent the files in that folder.  If I try to move the "1.13 BG2 Fixpack v10 + v11 + v12 +v13" folder to another text (Notepad) folder, I get the message "Access is denied".  But I can move the "1.13 BG2 Fixpack v10 + v11 + v12 +v13" folder to my Desktop without any problems.

That's probably because the operation system you are using has a character limit for the folder names. As in, you can't write a essay as a folder name cause that's not how computers work. The Desktop has less characters, but you should recognice that tha't not the problem here... having a folder named "1.13 BG2 Fixpack v10 + v11 + v12 +v13" is. A "113 BG2 Fixpack v1013" would do.

Edited by The Imp, 04 February 2019 - 03:37 PM.

[tomkaz]

Hi The Imp:

 

Problem solved.  I called Microsoft Support and got the answer.  I forgot the answer because I am having memory failure.  I saw my doctor and she does not believe it is serious yet, it is just because I am old.  Oh how I hate to admit that.

 

So I am back to creating a BGT megamod game.  I went through Leonardo's instruction procedure and wrote down all the steps.  Hopefully, that will help me insure I do not skip any.  Also I hope it will keep me from asking dumb questions in this forum.

 

I do remember some things at strange times.  For example in Windows, the tittle is limited to 256 characters.  These include spaces and back slashes which separate file names.  The line is limited to 1024 characters.  I think one can change this but I do not remember how.

 

Well back to the BGT game. I still do remember you are a terrific and patient guy with great answers and solutions.

 

Tom

[tomkaz]

Hi All:

 

I decided to run BG1 and BG2 separately. I had hoped to isolate the problems I am having.  Here are two windows from the BG1 game

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Window 1 - GAME SELECTION

 

Although this tool is intended for a BGT installation with BG1, you can also install only BG2 with it.

What type of game do you want to install?

Choose between:

 

[1] only BG1 with the BG2 engine?

[2] olny BG2?

[3] BGT [BG1 + BG2]?

 

Please enter 1 or 2 or 3

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I take this to mean I can have a BG1 or BG2  or a [BG1 + BG2] game.  It is my choice.

I am sure you all are familiar with this window.  You choose one of three games.  If I choose [1], it goes to the next window and crashes.

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Window 2 - MODS - CHECK

 

The minimum requirements are not met.

The listed mods do not exist in your BGII - SoA directory,

 

[Nothing listed here!!!]

 

The listed mods are mandatory.

Please copy them into BGII - SoA directory and then continue.

 

Press any key to continue . . .

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Press the key and you are in a loop with this window.  Hope Leonardo checks here as this probably needs to be corrected.

 

Also, my guess is you would need to extract the missing files into the BGII - SoA directory.  All the other mods are already extracted in the BGII - SoA directory. But that is not the issue here.  On the screen and here, there are no missing mods listed.  Now what?

 

When I select [2] BG2, all is fine and the install proceeds.

 

If I cannot locate the problem,  I am considering trying Windows XP mode.  I am sure most of you know about this.  The files for XP mode and Virtual CD are free from Microsoft.  They work with Windows 7 Professional and higher versions.  I think I read that they also work with Windows 10. You end up with Windows XP 32 bit installed on the Virtual Disc.  I did not locate information about how much RAM Windows xp will access or how large the Virtual disc will be.  My questions: Has anyone tried this?  Does it work with BGT games?

 

Thanks for any help,

 

Tom

[EvilMax]

Tomkaz, you have to trust me on this, don't use BP in any form

My suggestion, if you want an alternative to SCS, use questpack AI

Hi, Sergio. Why do you think BP AI is so bad? I made my last install with BP AI and it is just Ok. At least, in BG1, NTotSC, DSotSC parts.

I admit it isn't most effective and mercyless like SCS, but at the same time a bit more diverse and sometimes 'human-like', because can make mistakes from time to time.

 

Actually, I woud prefer SCS-like AI by its level of difficulty, but a bit more diverse. To be more detailed, similar-equipped by spells mages behave almost identically. If you see some equal mages (for example, two Orc Shamans or wizards), they make synchronous performace :-)  If you know some AI that as hard as SCS but more diverse, I would like to know about it :-)

Question to all community. How do you solve text readability problem on high resolution screens? Is there any way to make dialog fonts significantly larger and other fonts at least some more bigger?

Edited by EvilMax, 11 February 2019 - 08:04 AM.

[Shuv-Oohl]

Indeed there is.

[tomkaz]

Hi EvilMax:  Hi Shuv-Oohl:

 

Thanks for your comments.  I searched through BiG World Project.pdf and found WEIDU.LOG on page 340.  I assume that Leonardo played the megamod game with all the mods listed in BiG World Project.pdf.  Then when I make a megamod game, I only use components that are in Leonardo's WEIDU.LOG.  Hope that keeps me out of trouble.  Leonardo has both Big Picture and Sword Coast Stratagems in his game.  So I guess Big Picture is OK.

 

Right now, every game I put together fails.  The last one opens with the Throne of Bhaal window and dies there.  That is why I decided to try both BG1 and BG2 games to see if I could determine where the errors are.  As you can see above, BG1 is not working.  BG2 is installing right now.

 

Next is to check the BiG world Debug.txt file.

 

Shuv-Oohl your fonts look great.  I am going to download them, check how to install them and pick one for my next megamod game.

 

I am having trouble installing some mods listed in BiG World Project.pdf.  But I do have later versions that work.  My guess is that if two versions have the same folder structure, it may be OK to use the later version.  Now to check to see how the components line up. If the components do not align, then it is likely the newer mod will not work.

 

Thanks again,

TOM

[The Imp]

BP+SCS

The BiG World Project vX, just says it can install the exact Version of the mods... it doesn't say they work perfectly with each others... or that there is no humongous problems like Liches going to go melee cause they have no idea what else to do.

There's an extended pages long note on this very subject.

Yes, SCS works well without BP or any other AI mods, as does BP. But them together and you are likely going to take a huge dump on both. As they were not, to be put together.

[tomkaz]

Hi All:

 

Love the comments about BP and SCS.  As I said earlier, Leonardo plays both together.  I wonder what his secret is?

 

My BG2 game crashed.  Lots of errors in BiG World Debug.  Really do not know where to start.   The only thing that works is BGII- SoA.  I do not need to reinstall the game after the crash.  Just delete all megamod game files and reinstall BGII - SoA files from my zip file and I can play SoA or ToB from the beginning.  With luck, I will have another version tested by midnight.  It is now 6:25 PM here.

 

TOM

[tomkaz]

Hi All:

 

Just got through installing a BG2 megamod game.  This game does not have Big Picture.  The previous game with Pig Picture crashed on opening.  This game without Big Picture started all the way.  At least I am in Irenicus' dungeon.

 

Tomorrow I will try a BGT game without Big Picture.

 

Currently, my megamod games are using the versions listed in BiG World Project.pdf for the mods.

 

Tom

[EvilMax]

Shuv-Oohl,  thank you! I will definitely try them to save my eyes :-)

 

tomkaz, there is no problem in using SCS and BP together, but you MUST use AI only from one of these mods. If you mess with AI you can have bugs like melee-attacking casters etc. So, you can install both mods, but please, don't choose 'both AI' from BiG World settings even if this option available.

[tomkaz]

Hi EvilMax:

 

Thanks for the comments. This BP with SCS has me confused.  I know Leonardo uses both in his test game.

 

I guess I was not clear.  I ran two identical BG2 games with the exception the first had Big Picture and SCS AI and the second did not have Big Picture but had SCS AI.  The first game would only show the opening screen that you get from Throne of Bhaal and than freeze.  The second played normally, at least through Irenicus' dungeon.  At that point I stopped because it was 2:00 AM.

 

So I conclude that there is a problem between BP and SCS.  I did not test BGT with BP,  SCS and BP AI and I did not test BGT without BP but with SCS and SCS AI.  Niether did I test BP without SCS.  That will take some time. 

 

In any game I make, I only use one AI, either BP or SCS.

 

Tom

[Sergio]

Leonardo, many mods now integrate your bwp fixes. I counted:
BgT
Back to Brynnlaw

 

others are able to add more.

[Jourin]

Tomkaz,

 

For my last BGT playthrough on version 16.0, I had both Big Picture and SCS running.  I used the configuration between the two that I uploaded in two CSV files in an earlier post.  I had no issues between the two. The configuration had a limited SCS AI mainly for BG1 with the main AI BP.  I was very careful in how I mixed the two AI's but I had no problems.  I was actually having a great game in the BG2 part, when my PC crashed in late 2017.  In NOV 2018, I was going to start a 18.1 BGT game but learned that my backup drive with all my BG mods is unreadable.  After getting frustrated trying to find all the mods and not being successful, I just started a BG1:EE game so I don't have any personal experience with BGT 18.1.  However, reading the message boards, it appears that some of the new updates to a few mods (like DSOTSC, Drizzt Saga, ROT, Vlad's compliation) no longer work as well on BGT as they did before.  I would say use the older versions, but not sure if BW fixpack was depreciated with any fixes so the older versions would also have problems.  I am hoping that LW comes out with a new BWP version to confirm which version of these games we should install for BGT as I no longer trust just loading the latest version.  I am sorry you are having a hard time getting BGT to work and I wish you luck.

[The Imp]

Leonardo, many mods now integrate your bwp fixes. I counted:
BgT
Back to Brynnlaw

 

others are able to add more.

So ?

Yes, the BGT got them probably because I mentioned the fixes in the topic out there.

 

You know, the BWP Fixpack has had this happen as many times as there has been mod updates... and the Fixpack still works even with the new mod versions because the (BWP)Fixpack in particular is made to apply fixes when they are needed, aka it looks for a particular spot it needs to update, and when the newer version won't have a matching code piece, the hunk fails to apply... as it's hopefully already fixes, and so the new and old code gets intergrated when/if needed.

 

 

as I no longer trust just loading the latest version.

Yeah, and Vlad only trusted using the BGT-weidu v1.02b was it ... the last 7 of the 10 years. There are some people that are bound to be unreasoned with and I lump you as one of them, please stop yourself from spreading your paranoia. And get to know the current century's idea models.  

[tomkaz]

Hi All:

 

More on BiG Picture/Sword Coast Stratagems. Here is the results of running BG2.  BG1 does not install for me.  I will do BGT next week. 

 

These are identical games.  Same BiG World Downloads. Same individual.bat. Same character. Same BGII - SoA.

 

Test                BP                  SCS                AI                Result 

****                **                  ***                **                ******

 

BG2 #1              Installed           Installed          SCS               Failed

                    WideScreen did not work.

 

BG2 #2              Installed           Installed           BP                OK

                    WideScreen worked.

                    Game crashed when I met Yoshimo at the portal.

 

BG2 #3              Not installed       Installed           SCS               OK

                    WideScreen did not work.

                    Past de'Arnise Hold and still going strong. 

 

BG2 #4              Installed            Not installed       BP               Failed

                                           WideScreen did not work.

 

By FAILED, I mean the only thing that happened was the Throne of Bhaal opening screen (the one that appears when you install the game) appears one the monitor and nothing else happens.

 

Game BG2 #2 was much more difficult than game BG2 #3.

 

The other thing I found out was about BiG World Fixpack, BiG World Installpack, BiG World Textpack ENGLISH and BiG World Trimpack.  If you download these files on to one computer and run the game on that computer, they work.  However, if you copy these files to a second computer and try to run a game on that second computer, they will NOT work. So if you are using more than one computer, you need to download the BWP files on to each computer you are using.

 

Any comments would be appreciated,

 

TOM

 

 

 

[Jourin]

Imp,

I am sorry if FACTS upset you. I also didn’t know that the definition of paranoia is using facts to guide one’s decisions.

1. In BWP version 18.1 LW stated that we should still install version 1.0 of Vlad’s Compilation instead of the newest version which I believe was 2.0 at the time. Now LW worked with Vlad on the newest release which I believe is 2.3 so maybe the problem identified by LW is now fixed.
2. In BWP version 18.1, LW stated that we should use Region of terror 2.1 and not 3.1.
3. In comments, LW indicated that you should continue to install Ascension v1.4.24 and do not use v. 1.5.1
4. In comments LW indicated that you should use Unique Artifacts v6 and not v7.
5. ChitownWillie posted his results that using DSOTSC 3.0 causes his BGT implementation to crash and recommended to use DSOTSC 2.17 instead.
6. I thought I saw a post that someone was having problems in BGT with Drizzt Saga 3.0 but maybe got that confused with ROT 3.0, after all they are both Drizzt mods.

If you want to counter these facts with your own, we can have a rational argument. Or you can continue to call me names and attack me with the empty emotional argument that "the latest version is always the best" your choice.

Edited by Jourin, 14 February 2019 - 04:39 PM.

[tomkaz]

Hi All:

 

There are spellbooks in the game.  All I can do is right click on them.  Then a box at the bottom says DONE.  How do you use these spellbooks?

 

Tom

[Creepin]

If spellbooks work as intended (not borked during installation) they should be learnable by spellcaster in the same way as scrolls in vanilla. Try r-clicking one with your mage, there should be button for learning spells from that book.

[EvilMax]

Yes, they should. Also chance to learn eevry spell in spellbook is determined individually, as experience for learning them, so some spells might be learned and other can fail. Already learned spells will be skipped.

[The Imp]

3. In comments, LW indicated that you should continue to install Ascension v1.4.24 and do not use v. 1.5.1

Do you know the reason for this... it's because the v1.4.1 WAS made for BG2:ToB, and the .24 is just a refresh of the translations ... while the v1.5.1 is for BG2EE, the difference should be obvious. As in the v1.5.1 can ups, use opcodes not present in the old engine and so could lead to places where one shouldn't thread without light. It's not a one point upgrade, it's a reupload to a different place and different time, so to speak.
 
Another thing is, how one perceives time... for LeonardoW, the new mods were not a thing yet when he published his latest BWP. Even if the mods were updated before the date. Because he wasn't privy to them. Yes, it might take a day or a century to test things in these combinations... just look at the Fixpack BGT interralated fix... it just took 2 years to get it's legs up. After one mods version was what 5 years old. 

If you want to counter these facts with your own, we can have a rational argument. Or you can continue to call me names and attack me with the empty emotional argument that "the latest version is always the best" your choice.

I will, when you show an ounce of understanding of how things work in BWP. It's a book, not the omniscient word of a pretend being. -among things that were said.

... Also chance to learn eevry spell in spellbook is determined individually, as experience for learning them,

Right, so there is no xpbonus.2da that determines the later ?
What the already learned factors in with spells, is whether or not the scroll shows the learn spell tab. Enemy spell books, can mean a multitude of things in this game, unfortunately. One is the availability of "learned spells"... which doesn't mean an item, but just a .cre edit that allows nothing by itself, as the spells castability is actually determined by the amount of charges the .cre possesses of the specific spell. This is moding thing by the by... a typical look behind the curtain.
Also should it not be obvous, other factors like spell primary type/school comes to determine if the spell shows the learn tab. And the Hidespl.2da too is a determining factor.

Edited by The Imp, 15 February 2019 - 05:45 AM.